"Give up. Quimera Parca isn't something someone like you can handle."
Hovering in the air, Mila Rose shouted as she watched Renji being chased all over the battlefield by the colossal Quimera Parca.
"Who said I'm giving up?!"
Renji roared back, leaping skyward.
Boom!
The spot where he'd just stood was obliterated by a punch from the Quimera Parca, who then charged at Renji in midair with terrifying speed.
Renji let out another thunderous shout.
"Hihiō!"
The enormous skull on his left shoulder suddenly moved, striking at the Quimera Parca like a giant hand.
!?
But the Quimera Parca didn't even try to dodge—his entire being was destruction. More destruction!
The giant skeletal claw seized him, but the Quimera Parca roared and struggled, trying to break free. Renji felt the pressure immediately!
Gritting his teeth, Renji swung his Zanpakuto, the long blade slicing down like a serpent toward his enemy.
Yet the Quimera Parca's body twisted, his right arm swelling suddenly to twice its size!
With a surge of muscle, the claw was forced open, and the monster grabbed Renji's blade. Though it cut into his palm, it only ignited his fury.
"Awooo!!!"
Powerful reishi condensed in the monster's mouth.
Cero?!
Boom!
A crimson Cero blasted out, engulfing Renji and annihilating everything behind him. He was at one of the four corners of fake Karakura Town; any further and the blast would've struck their defensive barrier.
Though the attack was fierce, it only struck the protective barrier after destroying a large building. Ripples spread across the transparent air wall, then faded.
But as the Cero dissipated, Renji stood unharmed.
His Sōō Zabimaru had retracted in front of him, transforming into a shield to block that devastating force. Still, Renji's expression darkened—his duty was to defend Soul Society, and the barrier covering Karakura Town was crucial.
The Quimera Parca charged again. This time, Renji didn't dodge.
"Orochiō!"
He roared and swung his blade.
The Quimera Parca punched him in the chest. Renji's body caved in, blood spurting from his mouth.
But gripping his Zanpakuto through the pain, Renji shouted again—'Orochiō!'—and after a horizontal slash, the blade retracted, then thrust forward with explosive force!
The strike pierced the Quimera Parca's body, a flash of pain crossing the monster's eyes. Renji gritted his teeth and wrenched the blade sideways—
Rip!
A full-power blow—while enduring agony—sliced the Quimera Parca clean in half at the waist!
The next instant, Renji's body was blasted away like a cannonball, as if the monster's punch had only just fully unleashed its power.
Boom!
He crashed into the ruins, flames and steam exploding around him. Sparks danced over his body as he hit the rubble hard.
Renji clutched his chest, feeling as if he'd been skewered. The pain was overwhelming.
Damn it!
He struggled to stand—and stopped, eyes wide in disbelief.
How… how is this possible?!
The Quimera Parca was still there! Though he'd been cut in half at the waist, the monster's upper half used its arms as legs, eyes burning with rage as it lurched toward Renji.
"Monster!" Renji cursed. Was this really still a Hollow? Even a Menos Grande would call him a monster!
If he'd used Super High Speed Regeneration to restore his body, that would be one thing. But this?
"Roar!"
The Quimera Parca couldn't answer, of course—his mind was nothing but slaughter. He wanted to tear the red-haired Shinigami to shreds.
"You bastard!"
Renji, no longer afraid, tightened his grip on his blade.
"Sōō Zabimaru, Zaga Teppō!"
He swung hard, golden reishi flooding the blade and firing in a powerful cannon blast.
The Quimera Parca charged straight into the attack, raising an arm like a building to smash down at Renji.
Boom!
The cannon obliterated the monster's body, but the hand still broke through, striking Renji once more. This attack, though, was weaker—the damage was taking its toll.
Renji was sent flying again, but only a few meters.
"What?!"
The Tres Bestias, thinking victory was assured, turned pale.
"Hmph, he's about to die now. Kill him!" Sung-Sun said calmly, covering her face with her last remaining hand.
The other two nodded and charged at Renji.
But suddenly—a massive shadow fell over them.
"What… what is this?!"
The Tres Bestias stared as a patch of darkness enveloped them—and then vanished!
!?
Renji, too, was stunned. He hadn't seen what happened, but then he noticed a Quincy in the sky, one who resembled Captain Soi Fon. Just now… did she intervene?
Surtr was watching from afar. The Quincy had joined this war for their own reasons: to recover defeated Hollows or Shinigami, here and in Hueco Mundo. In the coming war with Soul Society, these captives would be useful.
Renji didn't understand, but he'd survived. He let out a breath and finally looked around the battlefield.
What he saw chilled him to the bone.
How is this possible?!
Despite deploying almost all their forces, the Shinigami were falling back everywhere on the Karakura Town battlefield.
"This… this can't be…?!"
Renji was horrified. The Captains, always the strongest in Soul Society, were being completely suppressed. The Lieutenants fared even worse—he saw Matsumoto Rangiku nearly defeated, fighting Kira.
What was Kira doing? He couldn't really be trying to kill Miss Matsumoto, could he?
Renji couldn't just watch. He rushed toward her.
…
"…."
A moment earlier, Kyoraku Shunsui, sensing the defeat of Love Aikawa and Rōjūrō Otoribashi, faced off with Starrk in the distance.
He sighed, "Can I ask you a question?"
Starrk, looking listless, replied, "What is it?"
"From my observation, that woman should be the weakest among you four…" Shunsui mused, referring to Halibel. From their earlier conversation, her status seemed below Szayelaporro's. Baraggan, on his throne, was certainly powerful.
Shunsui doubted Starrk was the weakest, though.
"…The Espada are ranked by strength," Starrk replied. "Halibel is ranked third."
"Third…?" Shunsui was surprised. Four people—if Halibel was third, she wasn't the weakest.
Could Starrk be the weakest?
He guessed, "The guy on the skull throne is No. 1—the strongest. The one with glasses is No. 2. If the shark lady is No. 3, then you must be No. 4."
Shunsui looked relieved. "That would be better."
"…" Starrk was silent. He took off the glove on his right hand, revealing the number on his hand.
"I'm sorry. I'm No. 0."
"?!"
Shunsui's pupils widened.
A number zero?!
This guy was the strongest—even above the one on the throne?!
So his luck… wasn't very good.
"Then let me ask you a question too." Starrk tilted his head, glancing at the Shinigami fighting below. "Can all your Bankai increase your power that much?"
"…Well, Bankai is a Shinigami's last resort. They're all pretty similar in that way."
"Then why don't you use yours?" Starrk asked. "Yoshio told us about your Shinigami, but said nothing about your Bankai."
"…That's too good," Shunsui smiled. "Should I thank Captain Yoshio for holding back? Or be glad I hid it well?"
"Could I trouble you to use it?" Starrk asked. "I really want to see your Bankai."
"How can I do that?" Shunsui raised an eyebrow. "Even if you're strong, you haven't used your Resurrección. Isn't it unfair to expect my Bankai already?"
"…Then…"
Starrk floated higher in the sky and softly said, "Hunt him down, Los Lobos."
Boom!
A surge of reishi burst from his body.
!?
Shunsui narrowed his eyes. "Is this your Resurrección? It seems… there's no change."
There was a change—he now had two pistols.
But that was small compared to most Arrancar.
"All right, Captain. I've released my sword. Shouldn't you use your Bankai?"
"Even if you have… you haven't given me a reason to use it yet."
…I see.
Starrk raised his hand and pulled the trigger.
Dozens of Cero blasts roared out in an instant.
....