There were simply too many Hollows.
Karakura Town was under attack from countless entities pouring out of Garganta rifts. Each Hollow had been lured here by the artificially enhanced Hollow Bait Ishida Uryū used during his challenge against Kurosaki Ichigo.
But this time, the Hollow Bait had been secretly tampered with by Aizen Sōsuke.
Because of that interference, even *Menos Grande—Gillians—*were drawn to Karakura Town. Aizen's goal was simple: force Ichigo to reveal his power while ensuring Kuchiki Rukia's presence became known.
When this was reported back to the Onmitsukidō, the matter reached the Central 46 Chambers, and a formal violation ruling was issued. Normally, the Executory Detention Unit would act first, but instead the 6th Division Captain, Kuchiki Byakuya, and his lieutenant Abarai Renji were dispatched to retrieve Rukia.
Kurotsuki Renya looked across the city at the swarms of Hollows—many possessing unusual abilities and higher-than-average power.
Amid the chaos, Ishida Uryū stood with his spiritual bow—Kojaku—drawing its string with precision. Every arrow purified a Hollow instantly. Ishida was undeniably talented.
After arriving in Soul Society, Uryū had defeated Jirōbō Ikkanzaka, the 4th Seat of Squad 7, whose Zanpakutō, Shūzuku, had the strongest projectile abilities among its peers. Later, during his fight with Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Ishida sacrificed all of his Quincy power by invoking the Letzt Stil to defeat him.
Although impressive, Uryū's pre–Vollständig power could still only handle ordinary Hollows and Gillians.
Currently, Uryū could kill a single Hollow with one arrow, while Chad—Sado Yasutora—after awakening his Brazo Derecha de Gigante, required two full-force strikes to kill a Hollow. The strain overwhelmed his body, and he collapsed from exhaustion, later rescued by Urahara Kisuke.
Renya stepped lightly, vanished with a flash step, and reappeared beside a canine-type Hollow. With a clean strike of his hand reinforced by Hierro-level durability he had trained through intense reiatsu hardening, the Hollow split apart.
Renya's current combat power surpassed that of most normal Shinigami. His reiatsu-hardened defense mimicked Arrancar-like Hierro, and even without a sealed Zanpakutō release, he could destroy standard Hollows with raw physical blows.
Renya flash-stepped toward Inoue Orihime and Tatsuki Arisawa, who were caught up in the attack. Orihime ran desperately, fear twisting her face.
Behind her floated a Hollow covered in parasitic tendrils, scattering spore-like particles capable of controlling humans upon contact. Orihime's classmates, infected and mind-controlled, staggered toward her. At the crucial moment, Tatsuki stepped in, knocking several away. A karate prodigy, she had known Ichigo since childhood and often overpowered him when they were young.
But Tatsuki was still a human. A single cluster of spores touched her skin, and she froze, her mind seized by the Hollow's influence.
Orihime's terror peaked. She refused—deeply, desperately—for this to happen. That rejection resonated with Hōgyoku's latent influence, awakening her spiritual power.
Her hairpins shone, manifesting the Six Shun Shun Rikka—six spirit sprites each granting unique abilities through the concept of rejection.
Santen Kesshun (Three-Day Shield) — rejects harm.
Sōten Kisshun (Twin Heavenly Return Shield) — rejects injuries, effectively restoring damaged bodies or objects.
Koten Zanshun — a precise attack capable of destroying ordinary Hollows.
Others formed configurations for defense or spatial rejection.
Orihime's power, though influenced by Hōgyoku, was fundamentally a form of Fullbring, drawing out the soul of her cherished hairpin. Chad's powers also bordered on Fullbring, though unlike normal Fullbringers whose mothers survived Hollow attacks, Orihime and Chad were awakened through proximity to Rukia's Hōgyoku-infused spiritual pressure.
Renya wondered briefly:
Since I've been beside Rukia constantly, could I awaken a Fullbring as well?
He dismissed it. Fullbring powers varied wildly in strength, but they rarely rivaled the evolving power of a Shinigami's Zanpakutō.
Renya's current focus was strengthening his explosive combat power further.
Seeing Orihime awaken the Shun Shun Rikka, Renya exhaled in relief and moved in. He lifted the unconscious girl and brought her to Urahara Shōten, explaining everything to Urahara and Tessai.
Urahara nodded.
"She's no longer an ordinary human. I'll train her once she wakes."
Renya turned to leave—
But a crushing spiritual pressure struck the area.
Urahara tensed. "At this time…?"
Renya answered calmly, "A Menos Grande. Rarely appears outside Hueco Mundo."
Menos were formed from hundreds of Hollows merging. They had three evolutionary stages:
Gillian
Adjuchas
Vasto Lorde
Vasto Lorde-class Hollows possessed power beyond most captains, though extremely rare. Only a few Espada—such as Ulquiorra and Starrk—were known Vasto Lorde.
Urahara asked, "How could modified Hollow Bait attract even a Menos?"
Renya replied, "Want me to handle it?"
Urahara shook his head. "No. Ichigo should face this. You find Rukia. Leave the rest to me."
Renya left to meet Rukia, while Urahara, Tessai, Jinta, and Ururu prepared for emergency support.
Ichigo's power, though insufficient alone, would grow exponentially under pressure—a fact both Aizen and Urahara understood very well.
Renya located Rukia with Yoruichi, and the two observed from afar.
Suddenly Yoruichi stiffened. "A member of the Onmitsukidō."
Renya followed her gaze—indeed, a stealth operative was observing Rukia from the shadows.
"I'll catch him and erase the memory," Yoruichi said, preparing to move.
Renya stopped her. "No need."
Yoruichi frowned. "If the Onmitsukidō identifies you, internal punishment will follow."
Renya smiled.
"The operative will report to the Central 46 first. Aizen won't allow Rukia to be taken yet. This is the perfect opportunity for him to manipulate events."
Hearing this, Yoruichi reluctantly relented.
As expected, the operative withdrew, and soon Captain Kuchiki's retrieval team would be sent.
Renya knew everything was falling into place.
Within a month, Rukia would be sentenced to execution.
And he
was already prepared.
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