As Urahara Kisuke's words faded, the Zanpakuto in his hand was already drawn.
The blade gleamed with a cold, clear light. His spiritual pressure appeared calm on the surface, but it had already been condensed to its absolute limit.
He quietly tightened his grip on the vial hidden inside his sleeve. The glass felt slightly cool to the touch, containing a small amount of dark red spiritual pressure.
It was a low-concentration Hollowfication spiritual pressure concoction he had developed, using Hasumi Ren's own spiritual pressure as the source.
*Hasumi Ren's spiritual pressure is truly peculiar...*
Urahara Kisuke's hand, hanging by his side, gently rubbed the vial. A hint of inquiry flashed in his eyes as he pondered silently in his heart.
*For Soul Reaper powers and Hollow powers to coexist simultaneously without the slightest conflict... such a constitution is completely unheard of.*
Even after scouring through all the historical records and ancient texts, he had never found a similar case.
And the vial in his hand, although containing Hollow spiritual pressure, was extremely stable. Its potential harm was almost negligible.
This was what Urahara Kisuke intended to use on Hasumi Ren.
Ultimately, it was merely meant to give the Hollow power inside him a gentle push.
*Ren should be able to withstand this power. After all, the source of this energy comes from within his own body.*
He discreetly rolled the vial between his fingertips, having already loosened the stopper by a fraction.
He was waiting for the moment the Hollow charged forward to attack.
With just a light flick, the concoction in his hand would vaporize into formless spiritual pressure and blend into the aura surrounding Hasumi Ren.
It would unknowingly stimulate the dormant Hollow spiritual pressure hidden within him.
*Once Ren transfers to the Fourth Division, opportunities to interact with him will become scarce.*
He was far too curious to see how Hasumi Ren would react when this latent power was awakened.
This was one of his few remaining chances, as well as a minor test.
A flash of brutality crossed the eyes of the Adjuchas opposite them.
Its massive body suddenly jolted, and its violent spiritual pressure instantly surged, carrying a suffocating sense of oppression.
It slowly stood up, its frame towering higher than the two of them combined. Its black scales gleamed with an eerie luster in the dim light.
Blood continuously dripped from the corners of its mouth, splattering against the ground with soft, rhythmic taps that sounded both grating and macabre.
The Adjuchas let out a hoarse, piercing roar, sounding like two boulders grinding against each other, dripping with thick malice.
With a roar, it abruptly raised its scale-covered giant claw and swiped viciously toward Hasumi Ren and Urahara Kisuke.
The wind from the claw was fierce, causing the surrounding air to tremble. The scattered fragments of Shihakusho on the ground were swept up by the gale, fluttering everywhere.
"Watch out!"
Urahara Kisuke called out sharply, taking a half-step back.
He appeared to be dodging the giant claw's attack, but in reality, he was secretly observing Hasumi Ren's reaction.
He deliberately slowed his movements, intentionally leaving room for Hasumi Ren to take the lead in the battle.
The vial at his fingertips tilted slightly; he was only one step away from releasing the concoction.
Hasumi Ren's grip on his sword remained steady, completely unfazed by the Adjuchas's assault.
The moment the giant claw struck, he tapped his foot lightly against the ground, his figure instantly turning into a blur.
Using Shunpo to swiftly evade, he simultaneously delivered a fierce slash with his Zanpakuto, drawing a string of sparks across the Hollow's scales.
Hasumi Ren frowned slightly.
*What tough scales.*
Hasumi Ren used Shunpo to retreat. Unable to catch his movements, the Menos turned its attacks toward Urahara Kisuke, who was right in front of it.
"Sing, Benihime."
Urahara Kisuke released his Zanpakuto, and a red shield appeared before him, neutralizing the Hollow's offensive.
Afterward, he cast his gaze toward Hasumi Ren.
"This Hollow's scales are too tough. Hasumi Ren, how about trying some Kido?"
Hasumi Ren looked at Urahara Kisuke, somewhat speechless at his blatant slacking.
*He's making it way too obvious that he's slacking off.*
*What does he mean by this? Is he trying to test me?*
Subsequently, taking advantage of the gap while the Hollow attacked Urahara, Hasumi Ren prepared to utilize the Kido techniques he had been training so extensively lately.
"Third Seat Urahara, hold it off for a moment. I'm going to cast Kido."
Hearing this, Urahara Kisuke nodded lightly and swung his Zanpakuto, cooperating with Hasumi Ren to draw the Hollow's attention.
His eyes were locked tightly onto Hasumi Ren, the inquiry in his gaze growing even more intense, yet his fingertips still hesitated to release the vial.
He wanted to wait a little longer, to wait for the most opportune moment—when Hasumi Ren's spiritual pressure fluctuations were at their most violent—before releasing the concoction.
Seeing Urahara Kisuke nod, Hasumi Ren ceased his evasive maneuvers and fixed his gaze intently on the Adjuchas.
He began to rapidly chant Kido incantations, every syllable clear and forceful, carrying complex fluctuations of spiritual pressure.
Double Incantation.
Listening to Hasumi Ren's familiar and fluent incantations, as well as the smooth flow of his Kido spiritual pressure...
Urahara Kisuke raised an eyebrow slightly, the lazy expression on his face instantly fading.
He hadn't expected Hasumi Ren's Double Incantation technique to already be this proficient.
As an advanced technique in Kido, Double Incantation required absolute mastery over the art.
One had to be extremely familiar with two types of Kido in order to chant them simultaneously.
This was an ability that even Vice-Captain-level Soul Reapers with slightly weaker Kido skills might not be able to pull off.
To think that Hasumi Ren had only gone to the Kido Corps to study for a little over a month, yet he had already mastered this technique so thoroughly.
Urahara Kisuke was quite astonished inwardly.
*This rate of progress is indeed a bit too fast.*
By this time, Hasumi Ren's Double Incantation was already complete.
Bakudo #30・Shitotsu Sansen.
Hado #33・Sokatsui.
The two Kido spells blasted viciously toward the Adjuchas at the same time.
The brutality on the Adjuchas's face was instantly replaced by fear. However, the Shitotsu Sansen struck in a flash, heavily pinning the Menos against the wall.
The Kido's spiritual pressure violently pierced through the Hollow's scales, and the subsequent Sokatsui arrived before its eyes in the blink of an eye.
The speed of the Kido was far too swift. It had no time to react and could only watch helplessly as the pale blue flames smashed heavily into its body.
A mournful roar echoed throughout the entire room, only to be drowned out by the deafening sound of an explosion.
The Adjuchas's massive body was viciously pierced by the pillar of light and flames, causing its black scales to peel off in droves.
Blood gushed out, dissolving into reishi and dissipating, while the spiritual pressure surrounding it instantly collapsed.
Its enormous frame swayed before crashing heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The trace of ruthlessness in its crimson eyes gradually faded, replaced by extreme agony and unwillingness.
Hasumi Ren slowly sheathed his Zanpakuto, the spiritual pressure around him gradually settling down.
Urahara Kisuke also slowly snapped back to reality. He quickly walked over to Hasumi Ren, his tone carrying a mix of astonishment and praise.
"Double Incantation... to think you can already utilize it so proficiently."
Hasumi Ren shook his head slightly, his tone flat.
"Compared to you, it probably doesn't amount to much."
His gaze remained fixed on the Adjuchas, his tone turning solemn.
"Third Seat Urahara, did you notice anything unusual?"
"The Kido I cast wasn't of a high level. Logically speaking, it shouldn't have caused such severe damage."
"It was already heavily injured."
Saying this, Hasumi Ren glanced at the torn fragments of the Soul Reaper squad members' Shihakusho scattered around them.
"But do you think... the injuries on this Hollow could have been caused by those missing squad members?"
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