The Hōgyoku Is placed Within Me

"Cero, that's a Cero, it's coming!"

"Stop yelling, you idiot, Renji! I can hear it!"

"What do we do? It's too late to run!"

"Then block it together!"

"King's Lander! Mask of flesh and blood, fluttering wings, the name of humanity! Heat and strife, across the southern sea—advance!"

"Hadō #31: Shakkahō!" (x4)

Several people forced themselves to stand, pointing their hands in the direction of the incoming Cero. As they chanted, spiritual energy gathered rapidly in their palms, transforming into blazing flames before shooting forward.

BOOM!

The roar of the explosion shook the walls and ground. Several substitute Shinigami, lacking sufficient Reiatsu, collapsed under the force.

"Did... did we block it?"

"...No way. The gap between us and that thing is just too big."

Renji stared ahead in despair. The crimson Cero remained, surging toward them without losing momentum. It was so fast, all he could see was a streak of light.

"This is it... we're going to die."

Rukia collapsed to the ground, hopelessness in her eyes.

In that fleeting moment, a thought crossed her mind—If only our conversation with Shinji the other day hadn't been interrupted by that idiot Renji...

Then, as if it were an illusion—Rukia saw Shinji appear before her, as if teleporting, slashing his Zanpakutō straight at the incoming Cero.

BOOM!

The Cero split cleanly in two, the resulting shockwave blasting everyone backward.

Not an illusion?!

"SHINJI!!!"

Rukia shot to her feet, eyes red with emotion. Dark, twisted lines of energy began to ripple around her as frost formed on the ground. The temperature plummeted.

"Damn… that hurt."

Through the dissipating smoke, Shinji's voice rang out. He stepped forward, face cold and expressionless, eyes locked on the Menos Grande lurking ahead.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Hearing Shinji's voice, the chilling aura around Rukia vanished as if it had never been there. She rushed over, eyes full of concern. When she saw the tear in Shinji's sleeve, revealing a scratch on his arm, she finally let out a breath of relief.

"Don't worry. I'm fine."

Shinji shot a dark look at Renji.

If I'd been one second later… Instead of Rukia burning incense for me, I'd be the one offering incense at her grave next year.

In his rush, he'd had no choice but to take the Cero head-on.

The Hōgyoku…

His hand brushed over his chest.

Though the explosion had injured his arm, the wound had healed instantly. That must've been the Hōgyoku's doing— The first stage of fusion.

In the original timeline, after Aizen fused with the Hōgyoku, embedding it into his chest, he could draw upon both his own power and the Hōgyoku's simultaneously.

That was the first fusion stage.

Though Aizen still appeared mostly human in this form, his strength far surpassed his pre-betrayal self.

His slashing power was enough to obliterate Kurohitsugi in a single strike.

His defense was so overwhelming that even direct hits from attacks like Ennetsu Jigoku or Getsuga Tenshō barely left a scratch.

His regeneration was near-instant, healing even deep internal wounds effortlessly.

With the Hōgyoku instinctively protecting its host, Kisuke once said, "From this stage on, killing Aizen is practically impossible."

Aizen himself claimed that, at this stage, he was stronger than the combined power of all the Espada.

Of course, Shinji wasn't as powerful as Aizen had been—The Hōgyoku's enhancement depended on the host's own Reiatsu.

But right now? It was more than enough to deal with this Hollow.

"You took my Cero head-on and survived? What the hell are you?"

From the smoke, the Adjuchas named Carol emerged, glaring at Shinji with confusion.

That kind of durability… He could've fooled me into thinking he's got Hierro like a Menos Grande.

"Eh, not that it matters. You're just another brat I'm about to kill."

Carol sneered, his eyes shifting past Shinji—

Locking onto Rukia.

He loved this part the most—watching Shinigami fall into despair right before death.

"Don't get cocky, trash!"

"Hadō #4: Byakurai!"

Renji's shout of "Are you insane?! That's a low-level Hadō! It won't stop a Cero!" echoed in vain.

Shinji calmly raised his finger, aiming ahead.

Byakurai was just a basic spell—weak in most hands.

But it depends on who's casting it.

BOOM!

The white lightning bolt shot out like a piercing beam, cutting through the mighty Cero as if it were paper. In a flash, it tore through Carol's chest, his pupils dilating in shock.

BOOM!!

The ground split as Carol's body was blasted back, crashing into a concrete wall hundreds of meters away.

"...That was Byakurai?"

Renji's jaw dropped.

The hell?! Are you sure that wasn't some laser cannon?!

"It didn't just block the Cero… it killed an Adjuchas outright."

Kira Izuru stared ahead, face pale with disbelief.

The once-terrifying Adjuchas now lay lifeless, smoke and sparks rising from the gaping hole in his chest.

Rukia and Hinamori Momo stood frozen, unable to comprehend what they'd just witnessed.

"DAMN YOU, SHINIGAMI!"

Crackling noises erupted from above.

Another Adjuchas swooped down from the sky, scarlet eyes blazing with rage. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into multiple afterimages, attacking from all directions.

And yet— With a single kick to the face, Shinji sent the Hollow crashing into the ground like a meteor.

"You've got to be kidding me… Another Adjuchas? And how the hell is your Shunpo that fast?!"

Renji practically screamed, veins bulging on his forehead.

Weren't we supposed to be weaklings together?

What the hell is this?!

Shinji had just taken out one Adjuchas head-on, then downed another like it was nothing.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"

The Adjuchas, furious, scrambled out of the crater.

But I win in the end!

A wicked grin spread across its face as it pointed a finger at Shinji—firing a surprise Cero at point-blank range.

BOOM!

But the attack missed.

Shinji was already behind him, Zanpakutō sheathed.

"...Huh?"

The Adjuchas blinked in confusion, then burst into laughter.

"Ha! I thought I was dead! But that was all bark and no bite—"

"How pathetic."

Shinji's calm voice cut through the Hollow's laughter.

His Zanpakutō slid silently into its sheath.

SCHLICK.

A crimson spray of blood erupted.

---

"Rukia-chan, you guys are really impressive. You actually managed to kill two Adjuchas-level Menos Grande."

After half an hour— A blonde woman with large breasts, reeking of alcohol and with a flushed face, came over and hugged Rukia, pressing her face close with a playful smile.

Rukia's face instantly turned bright red.

"Vice-Captain Rangiku, you're drinking again… You clearly have a mission..."

Hisagi Shūhei walked over from a distance, holding his chest with an expression of helplessness.

In a rush, he had only managed to block the Zanpakutō aimed at his chest. Although the explosion was partially deflected, the impact still fractured his ribs, leaving him injured.

"I don't think so. I was just having a drink with the female Shinigami when I heard something went wrong during your soul burial practice."

Matsumoto Rangiku's face was flushed, the strong smell of alcohol lingering around her.

She curiously glanced at the boy standing behind the group— That's... Byakuya Kuchiki's younger brother, Kuchiki Shinji?

Handsome kid.

"By the way, did you guys take down those two Adjuchas?"

Hisagi Shūhei shifted his gaze to the two Menos Grande corpses lying on the ground.

Enemies of this level— Even he wouldn't confidently claim he could win against them.

"You mean those two Menos Grande? They're—"

Abarai Renji scratched his head, about to explain how they'd dealt with them when suddenly Shinji interrupted him.

"Those two Menos Grande were killed by Abarai Renji. I can vouch for that."

Shinji spoke firmly, his expression serious.

There's no way I'm exposing my strength.

The fact is, everything was done by Abarai Renji.

If anyone asks again, it's Renji who did it.

Renji, the sixth-generation graduate of the Shinō Academy, a man who's achieved Shikai.

What does that have to do with me, Kuchiki Shinji? I'm just a "crane tail" (underachiever). I know nothing.

Abarai Renji: "???"

"So it was you? That's really impressive."

Hisagi Shūhei sighed in admiration.

Abarai Renji: "???"

"No, that wasn't really me—"

Renji tried to deny it, but suddenly felt a cold chill run down his spine, as if a ferocious beast was glaring at him.

Then— He immediately changed his tune:

"That's right! I killed those two Menos Grande!"

…

Rukia curiously approached Shinji.

"Reki? Is that your Zanpakutō's name? It's a beautiful name."

"Thanks for the compliment."

Shinji touched his nose, glancing at the Zanpakutō hanging from his waist.

"It" seemed quite pleased with itself.

"What's so great about that?"

Abarai Renji, who had been interrogated endlessly, stomped over with a resentful, frustrated expression.

"'Ji,' 'Reki'… sounds like a sissy name if you ask me."

Shinji: "..."

Suddenly— The air grew tense, faint sparks of static electricity flickering around.

Shinji glanced at his Zanpakutō and silently mourned for Renji.

Brother… you've just narrowed your own path. Reki has a bad temper, you know.

"Isn't that just a Shikai?"

"I can do that too!"

Seeing Rukia's sparkling eyes filled with admiration, Renji felt his pride boiling over.

He held his sealed Zanpakutō with a determined look.

"About to show off your Shikai? The same Shikai that defeated two Adjuchas?"

Matsumoto Rangiku, slightly sobered up, leaned forward with interest, her alluring figure impossible to ignore. She stared intently at Renji, not blinking.

"Roar, Snake King!"

Renji roared with all his might.

BOOM!

A burst of Reiatsu exploded from Renji, flames erupting around him, blowing Rangiku's long hair wildly.

Rangiku: "..."

Hisagi Shūhei: "..."

Renji stood there, charred black, smoke rising from his body. Expressionless, he exhaled a puff of black smoke.

"It seems… I failed again."

"I'm starting to like this guy now." Kira laughed mockingly.

"Shut up!!!"

Renji's already dark face grew even darker.

Every Zanpakutō has a unique release command tailored to its owner. Using the wrong Shikai phrase? Of course, it won't work.

All this time, Abarai Renji still hadn't discovered his Zanpakutō's true name.

"Renji… you used this… 'boom'… to kill two Adjuchas?"

Hisagi Shūhei scratched his head, mimicking the explosion sound.

Renji's eye twitched violently.

I didn't want it to 'boom' either!!!

I want a cool Shikai too!!!

"Can someone at this level really defeat Adjuchas?"

Rangiku rubbed her chest, which had been hit by the explosion's shockwave, looking unconvinced. The Renji standing in front of her didn't seem all that strong.

He couldn't even properly activate his Shikai.

How strong could he be?

Renji: "..."

"Actually, I—"

Renji was about to explain when he felt Shinji's death glare again. Immediately, he blurted out:

"I just haven't mastered my Shikai fully yet. My Shikai is super strong!"

Damn it! This isn't what I wanted to say! Why did I say it anyway?!

Renji roared in his mind.

"I see..."

Rangiku dragged out her words, seeming unconvinced, but her gaze shifted to Shinji, who had been quietly playing the background role.

For some reason— Rukia suddenly felt a surge of anxiety.

She glanced at Rangiku's overwhelming figure, then looked down at herself, feeling a bit insecure.

Yes, Rukia was worried about her development!

More than a hundred years! It's been over a century! Why has her body not developed at all?!

Isn't that terrifying?!

"By the way, you mentioned 'Reki' earlier. Is that the name of Shinji-kun's Zanpakutō?"

Rangiku leaned closer, her flirtatious smile just inches from Shinji's face.

Rukia: "..."

Get away from my cabbage, you b*d!

Ugh… female friends are terrifying!

But— Before anyone could respond, a gentle voice interrupted them.

"My apologies. It seems I arrived a little late. The enemies have already been dealt with."

Aizen appeared with a warm, polite smile, accompanied by a man with a sly, fox-like grin.

Then— Aizen's gaze shifted to Shinji.

"Shinji-kun, you've really surprised me..."