Boom!
Suì-Fēng stomped her foot, shattering the ground beneath her.
Gripping the heavy missile on her arm, she exerted her strength with both arms, lifting the massive Bankai and aiming it at Ren's position.
A sharp, stern shout rang out.
"Ren Shihoin, you won't escape."
"Since it's so powerful, I'll just have to stop it before it explodes."
As soon as Ren finished speaking, his figure blurred for a moment and he materialized right in front of Suì-Fēng.
Suì-Fēng was fully prepared for Ren's speed.
After Ren appeared, she reacted instantly, swinging the Bankai across her front.
Clang!
Ren reached out his left hand, easily blocking the incoming missile.
He tightened his grip, his fingertips sinking directly into the missile's metal casing.
No matter how hard Suì-Fēng pushed, Ren remained as immovable as a mountain, not yielding even an inch.
Suì-Fēng couldn't even pull it away if she wanted to.
The missile was firmly locked in place by Ren, unable to move at all.
"Suì-Fēng, just like this, I could crush your Bankai with a simple squeeze."
Ren exerted force, his five fingers sinking deep into the metal.
Amidst a screech of twisting metal, Ren withdrew his left hand and held out a piece of scrap metal for Suì-Fēng to see.
A gap had been torn out of the missile, revealing its dark grey internal structure.
Ren flipped his hand, tossing the broken components onto the ground.
His hand was perfectly fine; he hadn't even broken the skin.
'He crushed my Bankai with his bare hands...'
After their brief clash, Suì-Fēng was well aware of Ren's overwhelming strength, so this didn't actually surprise her much.
She carefully inspected her Bankai and came to a conclusion.
Although the exterior of Jakuho Raikoben was slightly damaged, the core was unharmed and could still release its true power.
She let out a cold, defiant smile and said, "Breaking my Bankai in such a hurry... are you perhaps afraid of Jakuho Raikoben's power?"
"Using reverse psychology?" Ren raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to goad me into taking your attack head-on?"
"If you can't take it, it's not too late to give up now," Suì-Fēng said in a low voice, indeed trying to provoke him.
"After all, if you get hurt, Lady Yoruichi will definitely blame me."
"Heh, you're small, Suì-Fēng, but you certainly talk big."
"In that case, I'll give you a chance."
With a flash of his figure, Ren took a single step and appeared over two hundred meters away.
"I'll stand right here. I won't dodge or run. I'll take your attack head-on."
"Suì-Fēng, give it your best shot."
Ren's figure was tiny in the distance, but his voice carried clearly to Suì-Fēng's ears.
"Size has nothing to do with it!"
Suì-Fēng's expression turned solemn as she gritted her teeth and raised her Bankai, aiming at Ren once more.
"Since you're so confident, then take the full brunt of my strike!"
"Jakuho Raikoben!"
The girl's sharp cry rang out, tinged with desperation.
She no longer hesitated and launched the massive Bankai.
"Give Lady Yoruichi back to me!"
Vwoom!
Fire erupted from the back of the missile, creating a massive surge of thrust that propelled the heavy body through the air, wobbling as it streaked toward Ren.
Suì-Fēng's small frame couldn't withstand the recoil of the launch, and she was sent flying backward.
Seeing the wobbly flight path, Suì-Fēng guessed that the damage Ren had dealt had made it unstable.
However, the aim was still true.
Knowing the destructive power of her Bankai, she immediately used Shunpo to retreat.
Facing the incoming missile, Ren remained unfazed and slowly reached out his right hand.
Boom!
The missile exploded violently, sending out a blossoming wave of fire that instantly enveloped the nearby training ground.
The nearest barrier was swallowed by the flames. From above, the rectangular barrier was nearly halfway filled with the fire from the explosion.
Crack!
Crack, crack, crack!
The barrier, which was supposed to be incredibly sturdy, began to crack like glass just from the shockwave, and fire leaked through the fissures.
The four members of the Kido Corps looked tense as they hurriedly increased their output to stabilize the barrier.
The sound of the explosion was deafening, and even the resulting air currents were incredibly powerful.
Even though Suì-Fēng had retreated a considerable distance, she still felt an irresistible heatwave strike her back, disrupting her retreat and blowing her away.
She tumbled through the air like a leaf in an autumn wind.
Thud!
Swept away by the gale, Suì-Fēng was blown to the edge of the training ground, slamming into the solid barrier.
Web-like cracks spread across the barrier where she hit.
"Ugh!"
Pain flared in her back. Suì-Fēng gasped, her face twisting in a wince.
Waves of tremors from the explosion continued to roll through, making the ground shake like a dragon turning over.
"Seeing it up close, Suì-Fēng's Bankai really is exaggerated."
Yoruichi stood in the corridor, glancing at the slightly shaking building. Seeing there was no major issue, she turned her attention back.
She looked back inside the barrier, a trace of worry appearing on her exquisite face.
She knew Ren's strength. While Suì-Fēng's Bankai was destructive, it still wasn't quite enough against Ren.
Still, even Ren would likely look a bit disheveled if he took a direct hit from a Bankai of that magnitude.
It wasn't even impossible for him to be injured.
Inside the barrier, the violent explosion gradually subsided. The flames died down, leaving behind billowing black smoke.
Seeing the explosion end, the Kido Corps members on all four sides relaxed. Their Reiatsu was spent, and they collapsed in exhaustion, unable to maintain the barrier.
With the spiritual power cut off, the barriers began to dissipate.
Black smoke filled the entire training ground.
Suddenly, a gust of wind swirled through the area, sweeping away the dust and smoke.
Yoruichi stood up and looked into the distance.
In the middle of the wide training ground, a massive crater had appeared, taking up nearly half the area.
Jumping down to the ground, Yoruichi rushed toward the crater.
"Ren, are you alright?"
Just as she reached the edge of the pit, she saw a figure walking out step by step. His pace was as steady as ever.
Beneath his thick eyebrows, his eyes shone with startling brilliance.
Yoruichi took a quick look and saw that Ren hadn't suffered much damage, and she immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Looking him over again, Ren wasn't just uninjured; even his clothes were intact, with only a bit of dust on his pant legs.
"Yoruichi, why did you come down here instead of watching from outside?"
"Stop the fight. The Kido Corps can't hold on anymore, and the barrier is gone. The battle is over," Yoruichi asked anxiously, "Where's Suì-Fēng?"
"She should be over there."
Hearing Yoruichi's question, Ren pointed to one side.
Yoruichi blurred instantly, rushing toward Suì-Fēng.
Ren looked around.
The barrier that had covered the training ground had completely vanished.
Fortunately, the explosion hadn't spread outside, as the barrier had successfully contained it.
Seeing Yoruichi leave, Ren followed closely behind.
When the two reached the edge of the training ground, they saw Suì-Fēng kneeling on the ground, panting heavily. Her clothes were tattered, her face was covered in dust, and she coughed occasionally.
"Cough, cough... Lady Yoruichi..."
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]