"Is this your last words?"
"What a pity!"
Ren saw dozens of Adjuchas in front of him, his face revealing a faint, unreadable expression. There was no panic beneath his mask—only calm composure as he remained seated on the throne.
With just a gentle snap of his fingers—
"Click!"
In an instant, eighty-one dark golden thunder pillars erupted from the main hall of the Palace, encircling the dozens of Adjuchas. The overwhelming sea of thunder surged outward, expanding with an unstoppable force.
"Boom!"
The void, already filled with turbulent energy, was torn apart by the sheer power of the lightning. The first to succumb was a bullfrog-like Hollow. Caught in the heart of the storm, his body convulsed violently before exploding under the intense pressure of thunder and lightning. The massive flute he carried shattered, sending shockwaves through the battlefield.
"Ah!" "Roar!"
Ren spread his arms, as if admiring a masterpiece of his own creation, taking in the desperate wails and cries echoing before him.
"Lei Hai Realm!"
But it wasn't over. As Ren's voice rang out, the power of the storm intensified, engulfing the entirety of the Palace.
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion followed. The immense palace, once an unshakable fortress, was instantly reduced to rubble. Even the two towering stone pillars closest to the throne were shattered into fragments. Yet, amidst the destruction, Ren's throne remained untouched.
This was no coincidence—it was all part of Ren's plan. The Lei Hai Realm was his strongest and most expansive killing technique, requiring prior preparation: eighty-one thunder seeds planted in a designated area before activation.
Originally, Ren had intended to assassinate the Adjuchas one by one while Beligang was away. However, upon learning of Aizen's imminent arrival at the Palace, he had no choice but to take a more drastic approach. He needed to ascend to the rank of Adjuchas in the shortest time possible.
And his plan was working.
"It's now!"
Sensing the fading vitality of the Adjuchas trapped within the Lei Hai Realm, Ren seized the opportunity.
"Ghoul Soul!"
A massive dark golden vortex materialized behind him, greedily absorbing the spiritual energy surging from the sea of thunder.
"Ah! This feels incredible!"
As more Adjuchas perished in the storm, their spiritual essence was drawn into Ren's Ghoul Soul, flooding his being with energy. The long-lost sensation of evolution returned.
"I want… more!"
With those words, the vortex behind him expanded, devouring the remaining spiritual energy even more aggressively. The battlefield was now littered with the lifeless bodies of fallen Adjuchas, all waiting to be consumed by Ren.
Yet, one remained.
The bullfrog-like Adjuchas still clung to life. Each time his body was shattered by lightning, he instinctively shed the damaged flesh, regenerating anew. But with each rebirth, he became smaller, weaker.
"I didn't expect you to possess such rapid regeneration… but it won't save you."
One by one, the remaining Adjuchas succumbed to the relentless power of the storm, their bodies reduced to nourishment for Ren. Only the bullfrog, now half its original size, remained, barely holding on.
"The Great Emperor Beligang will avenge us!" the bullfrog wheezed, struggling against the relentless sea of thunder.
"A defeated dog barking at the wind."
Ren dismissed the empty threat. Once he ascended to Adjuchas, he was confident he could crush Beligang with ease. Besides, Beligang had already drawn Aizen's attention—his survival was anything but guaranteed.
With one final, devastating arc of lightning striking the bullfrog's forehead, the creature could regenerate no longer. Its charred, headless corpse collapsed into the ruins, disintegrating into streams of pure spiritual energy that Ren absorbed entirely.
As the last of the Adjuchas fell, Ren felt an overwhelming surge of power—his long-lost sense of fullness had returned. He knew it was time.
No longer suppressing the energy within him, he let out a long, triumphant roar.
Dark golden spiritual pressure erupted from his body, forming a radiant pillar of light that pierced the heavens above the Palace. Within the spiraling energy, Ren's very essence began to transform—his body breaking apart, only to be reconstructed anew.
At the southern edge of the Palace, atop a craggy hill, the King of Hueco Mundo, Beligang , sat upon his throne of bones. His pale skeletal hand clenched into a fist, resting against his exposed cheekbone as he surveyed the distant battle.
Surrounding him were Adjuchas, their expressions grim as they, too, bore witness to the rise of a new power.
Below, a human-like figure encased in a white exoskeleton stood in the void, gazing up at Beligang.
This Hollow bore a striking resemblance to a human, with short golden hair, a delicate yet powerful feminine form, and a massive bone sword fused to her right arm. A long, shark-like tail swayed behind her.
Standing behind her were three other Hollows: one resembling a white serpent, another a golden lion, and the third an elk.
The golden-haired figure locked eyes with Beligang on the hill and spoke slowly: "You're here again. What do you want this time?"
Seated upon his throne of bones, Beligang replied in a measured tone: "How many times must I repeat myself, Halibel? I won't tolerate anyone stepping out of line under my rule."
"But I still can't bring myself to kill you, so today I'll give you two choices."
"The first, as I've said before—submit to me."
"The second—disappear from my sight. But tell me, where can you run when my eyes cover the entirety of Hueco Mundo? Hahahaha!"
Beligang's laughter echoed through the desolate landscape, and the Adjuchas surrounding him joined in, their eyes filled with scorn for Halibel and her companions.
At that moment, an Adjuchas with a gray-black body, serrated teeth, and fin-like hands stepped forward. With a smug expression, he slapped Halibel's shoulder with his gray fin and spoke with contempt:
"Halibel, you're smart. You should know there's only one real choice here."
Before he could finish, Halibel swung her massive bone sword, striking him directly across the forehead.
"Ahh!"
The Adjuchas let out a pained wail as he collapsed to the ground.
"Hmph, how bold of you. Attacking my subordinates right in front of me? You have no fear, do you?" Beligang scoffed, his tone cold and unwavering.
Yet, despite Halibel's defiance, Beligang did not press the matter further. Instead, he merely observed her with an unreadable glint in his hollow sockets, as if contemplating something.
Unbeknownst to either side, three figures in captain's haori stood silently atop a distant hill, watching the unfolding confrontation with keen interest.
.... patreon Seasay (@ 111 chapters currently)