Three massive explosions on Renji's spot. It shook the battlefield.

 Smoke clouded everything.

“I think we got him,” a soldier whispered.

The captain watched the smoke in silence.

Suddenly—

Renji stumbled out, coughing blood. Wounded, drenched in red, barely standing. But alive.

“They nearly had me…” he panted, breath ragged.

A soldier swung a chain sword again. It lashed forward—Renji stepped back just in time.

The chain’s tip slammed into the pavement with a violent crunch.

Renji stared at it. “Wasn’t that a bit predictable?”

Then something clicked.

The captain spoke into his comms.

Renji’s eyes narrowed. “Wait… was that—on the spot?”

BANG!

A clean sniper shot rang out from the left.

A yellow bullet sliced the air from a distant rooftop. Renji sensed it, barely moving in time.

It grazed his cheek—drawing a clean, burning line of blood.

“That was close,” he muttered.

“I think I got him,” the sniper said through comms.

Renji sprinted left, diving for cover into the building’s shadow.

“No, you didn’t,” the captain muttered coldly. He watched as Renji disappeared from sight.

Renji froze.

“Wait… did I just expose myself more?”

His eyes flicked right.

A glint on a rooftop.

CRACK!

The second shot came—fast, precise. The bullet screamed past his ear, shattering the air.

Renji rolled violently into cover, heart hammering. Dust crumbled off the wall as he slammed against it, eyes darting rooftop to rooftop.

He stepped forward again—

—and saw every soldier turn to him, eyes burning with intent.

“NOWHERE TO RUN!” the captain roared.

A triangle of snipers and foot soldiers. A death trap.

Renji clenched his jaw.

“One wrong move and they’ll shoot. I need to disrupt. Strike and vanish.”

His mind made up, he launched out into the open—reckless, bold.

He threw his sword at the right sniper. It spun like a buzzsaw through the air.

The sniper ducked just in time—but it broke their formation.

From the left rooftop, the other sniper—Yumi—aborted her position.

Renji grinned. His sword spun back into his hand like a boomerang.

Yumi now had a clear shot. She raised her scope—

—and froze.

She saw his face. Recognition dawned.

“It’s him,” she whispered. “The guy from before…”

She radioed in. “Sir… it’s a human.”

The captain’s voice turned to ice. “Take the shot.”

Yumi’s voice trembled. “Sir… I said, it’s a human.”

He didn’t blink. “I order you to take the shot.”

Renji’s sword, now spinning back toward him, glinted as it carved through the air.

“I said take the shot—now!” the captain barked, voice sharp with rage.

Yumi aimed for his head—but paused. Her hands trembled. She lowered her scope to his leg, planning to cripple him instead.

The sword reached Renji. He gripped it tight as it slapped into his palm.

“TAKE THE SHOT, GODDAMN IT!” the captain exploded, his patience fraying.

Yumi was frozen—conflicted. She couldn’t kill a civilian. She just couldn’t.

SWOOSH!

Renji unleashed a super-slash. A massive arc of blue energy streaked through the air, tearing straight toward the second sniper’s building.

Yumi, still paralyzed in thought, caught sight of the blue light.

No time to think.

She jumped.

BOOM!

The energy blast smashed into the building—its foundation rupturing, structure groaning. The building collapsed with a thunderous roar.

Yumi hit the ground hard. She looked up, eyes wide as the structure toppled, crashing down toward her.

She ran—fast—but not fast enough.

Concrete rained down. She dove forward, escaping by a hair.

At Division HQ, all three commanders watched in stunned silence.

“Damn,” Commander Naomi muttered, more impressed than horrified.

Renji stood still. Cold. Steady. But inside—he grinned.

The captain wasn’t amused.

“That’s it! ALL SOLDIERS—MOVE IN!”

Gunners opened fire—heavier this time. Bullets screamed through the air in thick, endless sprays.

Renji dodged as best he could. But he was tired.

THOOM!

A cannon fired.

Renji’s head snapped toward the sound. “I know that sound,” he whispered.

The shell hurtled toward him—fast.

Renji lifted his blade—

SLASH!

The cannonball split mid-air, cleaved in two—each half flying to the sides.

“You won’t get me with that explosion again,” he said coldly.

BOOM! BOOM!

The halves detonated on either side, flinging Renji backward.

He slammed against the ground, coughing. Slowly, he used his sword to steady himself, rising to his feet with shaky limbs.

Meanwhile, the sniper who’d abandoned her post earlier had repositioned—now beside the captain. She knelt, locking onto Renji’s chest through her optic.

“Captain. I have eyes on the target.”

“Take the shot,” he said flatly.

Back where the other sniper lay buried beneath rubble, Yumi came to—coughing up dust. She sat up, dazed.

“Was it really him…?” she whispered.

BANG!

A bullet fired.

Renji saw the flash—but his body wouldn’t move fast enough. Exhausted.

The bullet slammed into him. His body jerked.

He fell.

The blue aura around him flickered—then vanished.

The captain motioned to his sword unit. Their gear activated with a hiss as they slid along the walls toward Renji’s body.

They got close. One soldier froze.

“Captain… it’s a human.”

The captain approached, slow and wary. He squinted down. “Hmm. What do we do with its dead body now?”

Renji’s fingers twitched.

“Captain! He’s still alive! He just moved!”

“You sure?” the captain snapped. “No human could survive all that.”

They stared down at him. Still. Silent.

“Why’d you lie?” the captain growled.

“I swear—he moved just now!”

“You’re seeing things. No way he’s alive.”

Suddenly—Renji’s sword slid into his hand.

His eyes opened.

He rose.

“I’m not just a human,” Renji muttered.

Then—

WHOOSH!

An immense energy burst from him. His aura ignited like fire—blue flames swirling violently, broader and fiercer than before.

One soldier stepped back—too late.

SLASH!

Renji’s blade cut across him. The soldier flew through the air, smashed into a building—blood from his mouth, limp.

Renji turned his gaze on the captain.

Every soldier froze. Fear in their throats.

“It may be human—but it’s dangerous,” the captain said, trembling. “TAKE IT DOWN!”

Gunfire roared. Bullets, sniper shots, cannon shells, chain swords—all flew toward Renji.

The captain stepped back.

Renji stepped forward.

Two sword soldiers dashed in from either side. Mid-air—

SLASH! SLASH!

Renji cleaved them down.

A chain sword zipped toward him. He caught it mid-whip, yanked its bearer close, and punched him into the pavement.

BOOM!

Gunfire thundered. Renji dodged, rolled, twisted, danced between the bullets.

THOOM!

The cannon fired again.

Renji moved—barely. The cannonball split—

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

It exploded behind him. The shockwave rattled the ground.

Renji slashed forward, disrupting the gunners with a wave of pressure.

Sniper fire resumed.

One bullet—coming straight for him.

Renji saw it.

SLASH!

He cut it clean in half.

On the rooftop, the sniper’s eyes widened. “How the hell…?”

He turned—

Renji was behind him.

The sniper lifted his rifle—too late.

Renji’s blade crashed into it. The sniper was thrown back, unconscious before he hit the ground.

Another cannon soldier took aim.

Renji dashed toward him—his speed overwhelming.

The cannon fired. Renji ducked. The blast multiplied mid-air, exploding—

But Renji was already close.

The soldier panicked—tried to activate his gene cannon.

Nothing.

Renji reached him.

TWAAP!

A slap so powerful it echoed. The cannon soldier flew off the rooftop.

Renji landed on the street.

Only the captain remained.

The captain drew his sword. “Stay back!” he warned, hands shaking.

He charged—desperate.

CLANG!

Renji met his swing, their blades sparking in the moonlight.

The captain fell to his knees. His sword shook in his grip.

“I don’t want to die…” he whispered.

Renji stepped forward. Cold. Silent.

He raised his sword—ready to end it.

CLANG!

A figure landed between them—bare hands blocking Renji’s sword.

Then, with supernatural strength, the figure grabbed Renji’s head and slammed it into the ground.

CRACK!

The street split. Renji was out cold.

Footsteps approached. Yumi shouted as she ran up. “He’s human! Don’t kill him!”

The figure turned—smirking.

“Hey, Yumi,” said the general casually.

Yumi stood frozen, eyes wide. She looked around—

Total destruction. Buildings crumbled. Streets scorched.

It was terrifying.

“Target neutralized,” the general said calmly. “Extraction team—move in.”