In the inner realm of Muken, Kurotsuki Renya slowly drew his Zanpakutō, directing a calm gaze at Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.
"Captain… you aren't drawing your Zanpakutō?"
Yamamoto responded in a low, steady voice, "When the moment comes that I need to draw it, you will know."
Renya nodded.
"Then I won't draw mine either."
"Hmph. Boy… you underestimate me far too much."
Yamamoto's expression hardened. Not using a Zanpakutō in front of him—how could Renya possibly believe he could win?
Renya slid his blade back into the sheath and placed it aside. He exhaled, lifted his hand, and a Hollow mask formed over his face.
"…Hollow powers?"
For the first time, Yamamoto's eyes narrowed. Seeing a Shinigami who could manifest Hollow abilities was still something rare.
"Captain… be careful."
Renya's voice echoed, and with a burst of Reinforced Shunpo, spiritual power erupted beneath his feet. His figure blurred and vanished, reappearing beside Yamamoto with a flashing punch.
So fast.
Even Yamamoto raised an eyebrow.
This Shunpo was faster—far faster—than an ordinary Shinigami.
But his fist was caught. A moment later, the impact sent Renya skidding backward before he stabilized, landing lightly.
His blood was pounding. His arm ached deeply.
Yamamoto hadn't even moved seriously.
"Is that all?"
Yamamoto sounded disappointed. "With power like that, defeating me is impossible."
Renya knew the truth: Yamamoto was widely regarded as the strongest physical combatant among all Shinigami.
Even Arrancar like Wonderweiss—created specifically to counter Ryūjin Jakka—were overwhelmed by Yamamoto in direct combat.
Renya's blurry-white Hollow form had been powerful, but Yamamoto's strength far exceeded that.
But at that moment, streams of blue reishi began swirling around Renya's limbs—arms, legs, and core.
"…Kidō energy?"
Yamamoto recognized the glow instantly—pure, refined Kidō infused into the body.
Renya appeared before him again, unleashing a brutal kick.
Don.
Yamamoto bent his knees slightly, bracing. His left hand lowered, and his right fist rose from beneath his arm to counter.
BOOM.
Renya's kick collided with Yamamoto's fist. The shockwave shook the air, flipping Renya upward. While airborne, Renya spun, head down, feet raised, reishi condensing at a focal point beneath him.
Thunder gathered.
Both feet came down like a spear of lightning, and Renya lunged with twin thunder-empowered fists.
"Twenty-One Dragonflies — Drooping Strike!"
It was originally Yadōmaru Lisa's sweeping attack—but Renya had adapted it into a full-force, Shunko-enhanced fist technique.
The pressure was tremendous. Yamamoto's stance tightened as their fists met in a simultaneous quartet of impacts.
For a heartbeat, time froze.
Then Renya flew backward again—yet Yamamoto's arms trembled softly from the force.
Renya steadied himself. Not injured—just expelling the recoil.
Landing firmly, Renya exhaled.
"It seems… it's not enough. In that case—"
The blue lightning vanished.
Wind exploded behind him instead—vast, compressed reiatsu detonating in bursts.
Renya stomped the ground—
BOOM!
—and shot forward, the ground shattering beneath him.
Before he could punch, a massive fireball surged toward him.
Ryūjin Jakka's flames scorched everything, engulfing Renya—yet the compressed wind blasted the flames aside.
Renya Shunpoed away, appearing at range.
Yamamoto now held his Zanpakutō—Ryūjin Jakka, shrouded completely in flames.
"You drew your Zanpakutō…"
Renya vanished again, appearing behind the Captain Commander with a punch—
—only for Yamamoto to release another burst of flames.
"Ennetsu Jigoku."
Flames erupted violently, engulfing Renya in a burning explosion.
This mirrored the original technique Yamamoto used against Apache, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun—and again in the Quincy War.
Renya's figure emerged, scorched slightly. His wind and lightning shield had mitigated most of the blast, but not all.
Yamamoto exhaled.
"I acknowledge your strength. But it is still insufficient. Draw your Zanpakutō."
The Captain Commander's upper body was now bare; dense, battle-hardened muscles framed the burning sword in his hand as flames roared behind him.
"Use your blade."
Renya shook his head.
Instead, he raised his hand—and a black coffin formed instantly.
Hadō #90 — Kurohitsugi.
No chant.
The coffin began contracting—but Yamamoto's flames erupted, halting the crushing pressure.
"You can use Kurohitsugi without an incantation…"
Even Yamamoto sounded impressed.
"Who taught you Kidō this refined?"
"Don't forget—both the Kido Chief and Vice Chief from a hundred years ago still exist," Renya replied calmly.
"I see…" Yamamoto nodded.
Those masters possessed knowledge far beyond modern Kidō specialists—today's Kidō Corps could barely touch forbidden spells.
Renya snapped his fingers.
Instant explosions detonated in succession around Yamamoto.
"Hmph. Petty tricks will not harm me."
Even Arrancar subordinates had survived such combinations without injury.
Yamamoto, naturally, was unfazed.
But then—a vast column of lightning crashed down.
"Hadō #88 — Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō!"
The thunder engulfed Yamamoto—
—but a fire pillar shot upward, colliding with it.
BOOM.
Lightning and flame cancelled each other out.
With Ryūjin Jakka's raw power, Yamamoto could easily unleash multiple pillars of flame. The initial Shikai alone could consume an area several times the size of Karakura Town.
This was the man Aizen created Wonderweiss specifically to counter.
As the thunder faded, Yamamoto emerged again—
—but then six rods of light, one chain, and multiple iron rails materialized around him.
Bakudō #61 — Rikujōkōrō.
Bakudō #63 — Sajō Sabaku.
Bakudō #62 — Hyapporankan.
Three high-level restraints—cast instantly.
They shattered instantly.
Then—
Five massive iron pillars thundered down, pinning him by limbs and head.
Bakudō #75 — Gochūtekkan.
Followed by—
A sealed dome of dense, obsidian-like spiritual pressure.
Bakudō #79 — Kuyō Shibari.
Even the combined might of two Kido Masters using these spells together had difficulty restraining Yamamoto during the Quincy War.
The flames expanded—shattering the bindings one by one.
Renya's voice echoed in a chant:
"The thousand hands of the enlightened one…
Unreachable by darkness…
Archer that pierces the heavens"
As Yamamoto broke free
Thousands of luminous spheres rained down upon him.
"Hadō #91 — Senjū Kōten Taihō!"
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM—BOOM
Explosions swallowed Yamamoto's figure.
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ 45+ CHAPTERS BEFORE PUBLIC RELEASE OR PURCHASE FOR LIFETIME ACCESS!
WE ARE CURRENTLY ON CHAPTER 169 ON PATREON.
Patreon.com/HACKDWORLD