Renji sneered as he drew his zanpakutō, instantly using shunpo to slash at Ichigo.
Ichigo first picked up Rukia, used shunpo to place her in a safe spot, and then, in another shunpo, rushed back to the battlefield.
This scene made Renji feel like a green hat was sitting right on his head.
Rukia had only been in the human world for a few months, and she was already so close with this blonde brat?
After all, even he, Renji, had never hugged Rukia!
"Damned brat!" Renji roared in anger.
His zanpakutō slashed toward Ichigo even faster.
However, Ichigo didn't even bother drawing his sword. He simply tilted his body slightly, easily dodging Renji's furious strike, and then raised his leg to kick at him.
If Renji hadn't reacted quickly and used his zanpakutō to block, he would have been sent flying!
It was something he couldn't even imagine!
Meanwhile, Byakuya was calmly watching the scene.
It was clear — his lieutenant was at a disadvantage!
That Shinigami Rukia called "Ichigo" was very strong!
"So this is what a vice-captain amounts to? Pathetic," Ichigo mocked brazenly.
Those words instantly sent Renji into a full rage. The vice-captain rank, something he had struggled and fought so hard to achieve, was being dismissed so easily by this blonde brat!
"What?!" Renji's spiritual pressure flared violently.
A red aura of reiatsu completely enveloped Renji's body.
After all, to Renji, being a vice-captain was crucial — it was his way of re-establishing his connection with Rukia.
Now he was being humiliated — anyone would break at that!
"Haa!!"
Channeling all his reiatsu into his sword, Renji slashed at Ichigo with all his might. But to his surprise, Ichigo still showed no intention of dodging.
"Hmph, frozen in fear, are you? I'll show you what a vice-captain of the Gotei 13 really means!" Renji thought arrogantly.
But Ichigo merely extended a hand — and in an instant, caught Renji's wrist!
Silence.
Utter silence.
Renji stared in disbelief at his captured wrist. Even his own captain, Byakuya, would have difficulty doing this so easily!
Yet the kid in front of him had done it with zero effort!
Not only that, but Ichigo even mocked him, "Vice-captain, use a little strength, will you? You can't even swing properly, and you call yourself a big deal?"
There was no denying — Ichigo's taunt was devastating.
Renji visibly turned even redder with rage!
His spiritual power surged even further, and he roared, "Howl, Zabimaru!!"
In an instant, his reiatsu doubled again! (Doubling again means four times his base spiritual pressure, consistent with a Shikai release.)
Fueled by this new burst of power, Renji finally managed to break free of Ichigo's grip.
However, Ichigo then did something that drove Renji even crazier.
He pulled open his shihakushō, revealing his strong, muscled upper body, and looked at Renji, saying provocatively, "Come on. Since you've Shikai'd already, why don't you try slashing me here?"
The scene was eerily similar to the style of Zaraki Kenpachi, captain of the Eleventh Division!
And this was, in fact, Ichigo's true nature coming out!
White Ichigo — that was Ichigo's real inner self!
White Ichigo's brutal combat style inevitably influenced Ichigo's current fighting.
Even with Zangetsu trying to guide him, one's true nature could not be denied.
Only when fighting as himself could a person truly unleash their full power!
In other words, Ichigo had been holding back all this time!
Now, faced with unknown enemies, he was finally willing to fight with his true, primal strength!
"What?!" Renji completely lost it and, without a second thought, slashed toward Ichigo's exposed chest!
"Clang!"
It sounded as though he had struck solid steel!
Zabimaru couldn't even leave a scratch on Ichigo's chest!
"How—how can this be?!" Renji stared in utter disbelief.
Even though Soul Society restricted the spiritual pressure of vice-captain-level Shinigami and above by 80% when entering the human world, that didn't make them weak.
Even with only one-fifth of their true strength, they were still like natural disasters compared to ordinary Shinigami!
Yet, even so, he couldn't leave a single mark on Ichigo!
Even Byakuya found it hard to believe.
He hadn't expected the human world to hide a monster like this — and one who was even a friend of his sister Rukia!
"What's there to be confused about? Clearly, the fact that you couldn't hurt me shows that your spiritual pressure is nowhere near mine," Ichigo said coldly to Renji, who was frozen in disbelief.
"Impossible! There's no way someone this powerful could exist in the human world!" Renji shouted, unwilling to accept it.
But Ichigo had already lost all interest in him, casually saying, "I'm done talking to you. You're not even worth it."
Not far away, atop the rooftops, Rukia was watching the scene with wide eyes.
It was obvious now — the Ichigo who fought Gillian before wasn't even using his full power.
This man's strength was like a bottomless abyss, utterly unfathomable!
"If it's Ichigo... then maybe I..."
But just as Rukia's heart stirred with hope, she glanced at Byakuya — and immediately fell into despair again.
"With my brother here... it's impossible," she thought sadly.
"You dare ignore me!" Renji was absolutely furious!
He gripped Zabimaru tightly.
Since becoming a vice-captain, no one had ever dared humiliate him like this!
"You damned bastard! So arrogant!" Renji shouted in rage, swinging his segmented blade at Ichigo.
But this time, Ichigo moved.
"Shut up."
Ichigo drew his zanpakutō with his right hand, and with his left hand, he grabbed Zabimaru mid-swing and yanked hard.
Renji was completely yanked forward, helpless in front of Ichigo.
Ichigo lifted his zanpakutō lightly with one hand and slashed down.
"Shhh!"
Zabimaru was severed cleanly in half, and at the same time, a massive wound split open across Renji's chest!
"Thud!" Renji crashed to his knees, powerless, unable to believe what had just happened.
It all happened so fast that even Byakuya, who had tried to intervene, was a step too slow!
His outstretched hand was immediately grabbed by Ichigo's left hand, and his face turned grim.
And on the rooftop, Rukia gasped.
"Could it be... Renji's going to be defeated by Ichigo?!"
(End of Chapter)
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