A twisted ripple flashed in the sky, and then an irregular crack formed in midair. Beyond the crack lay a swirling black cavity, a portal bridging two dimensions. From its depths, a pale centipede-like creature, over ten meters in length, crawled forward.
It was Ren's Adjuchas clone.
Having been born only recently, Ren's clone was still not entirely adept at maneuvering his new centipede form. Moreover, this was the first time he had entered the human world through the black cavity, which led to him being delayed for several days before finally arriving in Karakura Town.
Ren carefully observed the cityscape before him. The sight that unfolded was far from what he had expected. Karakura Town had clearly stepped into modern society, with telephone poles crisscrossing above the streets and residential areas dotted with various single-family homes and small villas. The vibrant urban life reminded Ren of a small county town from his previous life.
According to his understanding of the Hollow World, he had estimated that at least a hundred years remained before the beginning of the storyline he was familiar with. He had fully expected to find a feudal-era settlement, perhaps something reminiscent of the Warring States period or at least the Edo period, where people adhered to the strict codes of honor and tradition.
Instead, he was greeted by a city bustling with contemporary architecture and technology.
Ren shook his head and muttered, "This little place isn't so little anymore."
Pushing his thoughts aside, he focused on his true purpose—initiating his plan.
"ROARRR!"
The centipede clone bellowed into the sky, and immediately, an immense spiritual pressure radiated outward, surging like a tidal wave through the streets of Karakura Town.
Somewhere within Karakura Town, a middle-aged Shinigami dressed in a standard Shihakushō was locked in battle with a formidable Hollow. His bald head gleamed under the streetlights as he swung his Zanpakutō, struggling against the relentless enemy before him.
"The trouble this time is a Chōjirō-class Hollow… Dammit, I knew I should've refused this garrison assignment. Every time it's my shift, something goes terribly wrong!"
The Shinigami, named Koichi Kato, was a regular member of the Thirteenth Division. His task was to patrol and eliminate minor Hollows in this sector of Karakura Town. Under normal circumstances, his abilities were more than enough to deal with newly formed Hollows. However, tonight was different.
His opponent was no ordinary Hollow.
"This thing's spiritual pressure is too strong! Didn't the reports say that only newborn Hollows were appearing here? This thing is nearly a Gillian-class!"
Kato cursed his luck as he parried the fierce attacks of the mosquito-like Hollow before him. Its sharp, needle-like mouthparts clashed against his Zanpakutō, sending sparks flying with every strike. His hands trembled from the force of the impact, and before he could react, his blade was knocked away.
"Damn it! Bakudō 3—"
Before he could complete his incantation, a crushing wave of spiritual pressure washed over the battlefield.
A chilling sensation crawled up Kato's spine.
The mosquito Hollow, which had been pressing its advantage moments ago, suddenly froze mid-air. Then, with a terrified shriek, it turned and fled into the night without a second thought.
Kato, breathing heavily, picked up his Zanpakutō and turned his gaze toward the source of the immense spiritual pressure.
"This… this level of power! A Menos-class? No… could it be an Adjuchas?"
As a low-ranking Shinigami, Kato had little knowledge of Hollows beyond the basics. He knew of Gillians, the lowest class of Menos, and had heard vague rumors about the existence of more powerful Hollow forms beyond them. But he had never encountered anything like this before.
"What the hell is the Technology Development Bureau even doing? How did something this dangerous get into the human world? If I survive this, I'm filing a formal complaint!"
Despite the overwhelming fear gripping him, Kato steeled his resolve. He had a duty to uphold. If such a monstrous Hollow had infiltrated the town, he had no choice but to investigate.
Clutching his Zanpakutō tightly, he advanced toward the source of the spiritual pressure.
From a distance, Ren observed Kato's approach with amusement.
"Oh? Seems like someone took the bait… but this spiritual pressure is disappointingly weak."
He had expected a stronger response from the Soul Society, but what he got instead was a mere foot soldier.
In the dim glow of the streetlights, Kato finally laid eyes on the creature responsible for the oppressive spiritual energy.
His breath caught in his throat.
A colossal centipede-like Hollow loomed before him, its pale, chitinous body stretching over ten meters in length. A bone-white mask covered its face, adorned with intricate markings that seemed to radiate malice. The sheer aura exuding from the beast was suffocating.
Kato's hands trembled violently as he struggled to keep his Zanpakutō steady.
"What… what kind of Hollow is this?"
He had seen powerful Hollows before, but this was something else entirely. It dwarfed every opponent he had ever faced in both power and sheer presence. It was suffocating—oppressive.
For the first time in his career as a Shinigami, Kato truly felt the presence of death looming over him.
Ren's centipede form remained motionless, merely watching Kato with unreadable intent. Then, slowly, it began to move, its massive body shifting as its many legs scraped against the pavement.
Kato's heart pounded in his chest.
He was in trouble.
Immediately after, Kato saw the massive centipede, causing destruction across the streets. The giant beast tore up telephone poles, as though its sole purpose was to obliterate the area before stopping. The chaos was growing, and Kato Koichi was forced to take action. He swallowed nervously, drew his knife, and dashed toward the terrifying Gilllian in a desperate attempt to end its rampage.
"Pathetic!" Ren muttered under his breath as he watched the weak God of Death before him, who appeared as fragile as an ant. Kato's attempt to confront Ren was met with a savage assault. With a strange cry, Ren lunged forward, sweeping his tail to strike Kato. The blow sent Kato hurtling backward, more than ten meters away, crashing violently to the ground. He rolled three times before finally managing to stabilize himself.
Ren had intentionally held back, sparing Kato. If he had killed this weak God of Death right then and there, it would have disrupted his plans. After all, Ren was playing a larger game, and Kato's death at that moment might have ruined his carefully laid strategy.
The God of Death staggered to his feet, still determined to fight. Kato limped forward, clutching his knife, his body aching with every step as he approached Ren once again. But just as he was about to charge, something unexpected happened. A figure appeared in front of Kato, blocking his path. The newcomer wore a black, deathly garb, his posture commanding and his presence imposing. His black hair framed a heroic face, and his deep green eyes shimmered with an intense focus.
The young man smiled warmly, looking at Kato. "You've done well, but now, let me take over!"
"Haiyan... Deputy Captain!" Kato Koichi exclaimed in recognition.
Kato, still panting and confused, immediately recognized the young man standing before him. It was none other than Shiba Haiyan, the new vice-captain of the 13th Division—one of the noble Shiha family's own. Kato had heard of him but had not yet seen him in action.
"Oh, so you've finally taken the bait?" Ren smirked, realizing that the new vice-captain was the one who had arrived to face him. "I didn't expect it would be Shiba Haiyan."
Ren strategy was simple, though convoluted in its execution. He had deliberately sent his clone into the human world, allowing it to be killed by a Shinigami. According to the rules of the Soul Society, a soul that is killed by a Shinigami would have its fate determined based on whether it was judged to be innocent or sinful. The soul would either enter the Soul Society as a living human or fall to Hell, depending on its judgment.
By having his clone killed by a Shinigami like Shiba Haiyan, Ren plan would be carried out. After all, if the soul was innocent, it would find a way to be reborn in the Soul Society, granting him access to even greater power and influence. If the soul was sinful, then Hell would claim it, where Ren could manipulate it to his own advantage. Either way, he came out ahead.
Ren had carefully orchestrated this scenario, intending to use his clone's death to fulfill his ambitions. The weak God of Death, Kato Koichi, was merely a pawn in this complex scheme. However, Shiba Haiyan, a vice-captain-level Shinigami, was the one Ren was hoping for. Haiyan's strength was substantial enough to bring his plan to fruition.
Suddenly, Ren released a powerful roar, the air around him shimmering as dark, purple-black spiritual energy coalesced. He thrust forward, sending a massive blast toward Shiba Haiyan. The attack shot forward like a crashing wave, a black and purple flash heading straight for the vice-captain.
In the blink of an eye, Shiba Haiyan responded. He effortlessly picked up the still-weak Kato Koichi and moved him out of the way, narrowly avoiding the blast. "An Arrancar?" Haiyan muttered under his breath. "A powerful one at that, but why is this creature here, causing so much destruction?"
Haiyan narrowed his eyes, inspecting the giant centipede-shaped Arrancar before him. "What's its purpose here? Why would such a powerful creature just appear out of nowhere?" He turned to Kato behind him. "This creature is a big problem. I'll need to contact the Technology Development Bureau to lift the restriction on my spiritual power to deal with it effectively."
As a vice-captain, Shiba Haiyan's spiritual pressure was overwhelming. But even he had limits. When he was in the human world, his spiritual energy was restricted by 80%. To face such a formidable opponent as great Gillan, he would need full access to his powers, and that meant getting permission from the Technology Development Bureau.
With a determined expression, Haiyan raised his sword high and began to chant. "Let the waters of Shuitian roll in reverse, twist the flowers."
In an instant, his zanpakuto transformed. What had been a simple sword became a trident-shaped spear, its end twisted in a spiral. Haiyan spun the spear in his hands and thrust it forward. Streams of water, thin and razor-sharp, surged toward the centipede-like hollow.
To everyone's surprise, the Gillian did not retreat or attempt to defend itself. Instead, it charged forward, absorbing the strikes head-on, its massive form powering through the oncoming assault. The water cuts ripped into its body, but it continued moving forward as if nothing could stop it.
Haiyan's eyes widened in disbelief. "What's going on?" he muttered. "This creature... it's not even trying to defend itself!"
The centipede hollow seemed to be ignoring the damage, charging recklessly toward Haiyan. It struck the tip of his spear, causing the weapon to crackle with spiritual energy. Then, something strange happened. The Gillian slowly began to dissipate into spiritual dust, as if its form was breaking down under the force of the attack.
Kato Koichi, still clutching his phone, was trying to contact the Technology Development Bureau to get the restriction lifted. But as he did, he noticed something unsettling. The massive Gillian had vanished, leaving only the faintest traces of spiritual energy.
Just then, a voice answered from the other end of the phone.
"Moshimosi, this is the Technology Development Bureau..."