Renji's Way to Deal with Hollowfication

"Then what should I do?" Renji Abarai asked weakly, his consciousness just returning from unconsciousness, but he could feel some strange changes inside his body.

The Imperial Princess stood before him, moonlight streaming through the holes in the Training Ground's roof, making her appear like a deity descended to earth. "Liu Hao, using the Vaccine created by Kisuke Urahara and his own healing abilities, forcibly fused the Hollow power and Soul Reaper Powers that had invaded your body. This fused power is now stable, but you need to control it."

She paused, then continued, "What you need to do now is train in Bankai —but not in the traditional Bankai. You must defeat the Zanpakuto entity within your body, which is composed of Hollow power and Soul Reaper Powers."

Renji Abarai frowned. "Defeat it? What's the difference between that and normal Bankai training?"

"The difference is significant," the Imperial Princess's voice was calm and clear. "Normally, training Bankai is about achieving the ultimate state of perfect harmony between you and your Zanpakuto, allowing its power to be completely at your disposal. During this process, the Zanpakuto will 'submit' to you, manifesting the form you subconsciously desire it to become."

She took a step closer, her gaze fixed on Renji: "But things are different now. Your Zabimaru is no longer purely Soul Reaper Powers; it has been infused with Hollow power, and its character and essence have changed. It won't easily yield; you must defeat it—conquer it with your will, your determination, and all your strength. If you lose, then the Hollow power will turn around and erode you, ultimately devouring you completely."

Renji Abarai was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Is defeating it enough? It doesn't matter anyway, the purpose of training Bankai is to defeat the Zanpakuto."

"No, simply defeating it isn't enough," the Imperial Princess shook her head. "Defeating it only prevents you from being corrupted by Hollow power. You also need to re-establish your connection with Zabimaru and reach a state of perfect harmony. Only with complete harmony can you use Bankai, and perhaps even use Hollow abilities on top of that—not being controlled by Hollows, but mastering their power."

These words plunged Renji Abarai into deep thought. He recalled the strange feeling he'd experienced during the battle—as if another consciousness was awakening within him, cold, violent, and filled with destructive intent. Was that the power of a Hollow?

"Then let's begin now." Renji struggled to stand up, but a wave of weakness washed over him.

The Imperial Princess reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You need to get yourself into peak condition first. The battle just now was too exhausting, and with the impact of Hollowfication, your Reiatsu and stamina are at their lowest. Zanpakuto in this state has extremely low chances of success."

Renji had to admit that the Imperial Princess was right. He sat down again, but suddenly remembered something and looked up to ask, "Before I begin, tell me one thing—did Liu Hao come to rescue Rukia?"

A faint smile appeared on the Imperial Princess's face, "We not only need to save Rukia, but also expose certain hidden conspiracies to the light of day. Even you have been treated as Mastermind; Liu Hao will never let the mastermind behind this get away with it. He has been preparing for this for a long time, and now, the time has finally come."

"The Mastermind..." Renji repeated the word, a cold glint in his eyes, "Who is it?"

"You'll find out soon enough!" The Imperial Princess didn't answer directly. "Now, focus on getting yourself in order. You need power, not just for yourself, but also for Rukia, and for those who have been deceived and manipulated."

Renji Abarai took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and began to meditate to restore his Reiatsu. He could feel two forces flowing slowly within his body—one was the familiar Soul Reaper Powers, and the other was the unfamiliar and violent power of a Hollow. Strangely, although these two forces were opposite in nature, they coexisted and merged in a subtle way at this moment.

"I must take control of this power," he vowed in his heart, "Not for myself, but for those who need protection."

Meanwhile, Liu Hao was traversing the Seireitei. He was originally following Yasutora Sado's Reiatsu, but along the way he sensed an unusual gathering of Reiatsu. Curiosity drove him to change direction and stealthily head towards that gathering point.

When he arrived, he was met with a shocking scene—a Zanpakuto was deeply embedded in a high wall, its blade stained with blood. Even more unbelievable was that Sōsuke Aizen was lying beneath the wall, his chest pierced, already dead.

Momo Hinamori knelt beside Aizen's body, breaking down in tears. The Fifth Division Vice-Captain had completely lost her usual composure, consumed by grief and rage.

Just then, Gin Ichimaru walked over slowly, a signature, enigmatic smile on his face. The moment Momo Hinamori saw him, her anger reached its peak.

"It's you... it must be you!" she roared, drawing her Zanpakuto and charging straight at Gin Ichimaru.

Izuru Kira immediately stepped in front of Gin Ichimaru, but Momo Hinamori, blinded by rage, unleashed her Zanpakuto without hesitation. "Bloom, Tobiume!"

A massive Tobiume erupted, hurtling towards Izuru Kira. The latter immediately unleashed his Zanpakuto: "Raise your head, Wabisuke!"

The battle between the two was about to break out, but at the critical moment, Tōshirō Hitsugaya arrived in time and froze the attacks of both sides with the power of Hyōrinmaru.

"Stop!" Hitsugaya shouted sharply, his face filled with anger and vigilance.

He first ordered his men to take Momo Hinamori and Izuru Kira away separately, then turned to Gin Ichimaru, his voice icy. "Captain Ichimaru, what exactly is going on?"

Gin Ichimaru shrugged, still smiling, "I don't know either, I was just passing by. But it seems Captain Aizen has been murdered."

Hitsugaya stared at him for a moment, then turned and left. Soon after, a notice spread Seireitei: Fifth Division Captain Sōsuke Aizen was suspected of being murdered, and the murderer was the stranger with immense Reiatsu who suddenly appeared at the scene of Renji Abarai's battle with the Ryoka.

Hearing this announcement from the shadows, Liu Hao's alarm bells rang. [Aizen is trying to pull a fast one,] he immediately understood Aizen's Plan: [To make me a scapegoat, so the Gotei 13 will focus their efforts on hunting Ryoka and me, allowing him to secretly carry out his true scheme.]

This discovery made Liu Hao feel a sense of urgency. He didn't linger and immediately turned to chase after Yasutora Sado. He had to find the other Ryoka as soon as possible, ensure their safety, and at the same time thwart Aizen's Plans.

When he found Yasutora Sado, the battle was nearing its end. The young human was facing off against Shunsui Kyōraku, but was clearly at a significant disadvantage. Shunsui Kyōraku hadn't even been fighting seriously; he had simply knocked Yasutora Sado to the ground with a few casual moves.

Nanao Ise stepped forward, ready to deliver the final blow, but was stopped by Shunsui Kyōraku.

"Nanao, let's leave it at that." Shunsui Kyōraku's voice carried a certain deeper meaning.

Just as Liu Hao was about to leave quietly, Shunsui Kyōraku suddenly spoke up, "Friend, are you just leaving like this?"

Liu Hao's heart tightened; he knew he had been discovered. He reluctantly revealed himself, but remained vigilant. "Captain Kyōraku, I'm not a bad person, so please let me leave like this, okay?"

"Letting you leave like this would be hard for me to explain," Shunsui Kyōraku said, adjusting his hat with a relaxed tone but sharp eyes.

Liu Hao sighed, "If we were to fight, it would only give our true enemies something to laugh at."

"The enemy?" Shunsui Kyōraku raised an eyebrow. "Then tell me, is Captain Aizen's death related to you?"

"Absolutely none of it," Liu Hao replied confidently. "The answer will be revealed in a few days. Captain Kyōraku, you just need to wait patiently for a few days."

Shunsui Kyōraku was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "You care a lot about these children who are Ryoka."

This is not a question, but a statement.

Liu Hao's expression turned serious. "Although I know you, Captain Kyōraku, are unconventional, please don't test my limits. Although we are not enemies, if you anger me, I don't mind adding a few more enemies."

"I see," Shunsui Kyōraku smiled, "Then you can give it a try."

"Still have to fight? What a hassle." Liu Hao said, drawing the Imperial Sword from his waist.

The moment Shunsui Kyōraku saw the Imperial Sword, his expression changed visibly. He seemed about to say something, but Liu Hao didn't give him the chance. The instant the Imperial Sword was drawn, a black spatial gate appeared before Liu Hao. He stepped into it and vanished from the spot.

Shunsui Kyōraku sensed the Reiatsu and discovered that Liu Hao was no longer nearby, or even within his range of perception.

Nanao Ise asked in surprise, "Captain, what's wrong?"

"It's alright, he got away," Shunsui Kyōraku shook his head helplessly. "He said he was going to fight, but then he turned around and ran away."

"How is this possible? He actually managed to escape from right in front of you, Captain?" Nanao Ise exclaimed incredulously.

"Nothing is impossible," Shunsui Kyōraku said thoughtfully. "His ability seems to be related to space. After he escaped, I sensed the point where his Reiatsu landed, but it disappeared in an instant, as if it were shielded by something."

Nanao Ise looked at Yasutora Sado lying on the ground. "What about this Ryoka?"

"Take him to jail," Shunsui Kyōraku said, "But... don't make things too difficult for him."

Using the spatial abilities of the Imperial Sword, Liu Hao randomly chose a spot near Ichigo Kurosaki. When he reappeared in the Seireitei, he immediately sensed two powerful Reiatsu colliding fiercely—one from Ichigo Kurosaki, and the other more violent and primal.

[Kenpachi Zaraki...] Liu Hao immediately recognized the source of that Reiatsu. He concealed his aura and quickly stealthily moved towards the direction of the battle.

When he arrived, the battle had already reached its climax. Ichigo Kurosaki and Kenpachi Zaraki were fighting in the most primal and direct way—no skill, no strategy, just a clash of pure strength and will.

Each strike cracked the ground, each collision shook the air. Both men were covered in wounds, but the fighting spirit in their eyes burned ever brighter.

Liu Hao observed from the shadows, feeling both worried and relieved. He was worried because Ichigo Kurosaki was facing the Captain the 11th Division, one of the most fanatical battle maniacs in Soul Society; he was relieved because Ichigo Kurosaki persevered under such pressure and even grew stronger in the battles against his opponent.

[This is his fighting style,] Liu Hao thought to himself, [Learning in battle, breaking through under pressure. Perhaps, this is the most suitable path for his growth.]

He decided not to intervene in the battle for the time being. This was not only because he believed in Ichigo Kurosaki's potential, but also because he respected this pure duel between warriors.

Meanwhile, in the underground chamber of the Fourth Division's Training Grounds, Renji Abarai slowly opened his eyes. After a period of meditation and adjustment, his Reiatsu had returned to its peak state, even more solid and powerful than before.

He stood up and looked at the Imperial Princess who had been guarding him the whole time. "How should I begin my Bankai training?"

The Imperial Princess replied, "You had already reached the level to Bankai, and under normal circumstances, Zabimaru would materialize on its own. But now its personality has changed, so you need to immerse your mind in your Zanpakuto and summon it."

Renji Abarai nodded, closed his eyes, and focused all his attention on Zabimaru after its Shikai. He could feel the consciousness within his Zanpakuto —it was no longer pure Soul Reaper Powers, but rather a fusion of some kind of violent and cold existence.

Time passed second by second. Suddenly, a black whirlwind rose from Zabimaru's body, growing stronger and stronger until it finally solidified in the distance.

When the whirlwind dissipated, what appeared before Renji Abarai was a shocking sight—a baboon that walked upright, its face covered by half a Hollow bone mask, wielding Zabimaru, and trailing a long tail with a ferocious snake head at the end.

This is the current Zabimaru —the physical form of his Zanpakuto after fusing with Hollow power.

Renji Abarai stared at the form in disbelief, speechless for a moment.

The masked baboon spoke, its voice hoarse and cold, laced with obvious mockery. "What, surprised by my new appearance? You're a piece of trash too, not even realizing someone had injected a void soul into your own. If I hadn't been suppressing the void soul, you would have turned into a beast by now."

These words struck Renji like a hammer blow. He lowered his head, his voice filled with remorse. "I'm sorry, Zabimaru."

"What's the use of saying sorry now?" The snake head on Zabimaru's tail flicked its tongue and hissed. "You piece of trash, if it weren't for Liu Hao using his ability to fuse my soul with the Hollow's, you would just be waiting on the street to become a Hollow and be destroyed."

Renji Abarai clenched his fist, raised his head, and a fire reignited in his eyes. "And now? Can we still be like before?"

"Like before?" Zabimaru in his baboon form sneered. "Impossible. I am no longer simply Soul Reaper Powers. I have incorporated the power of Hollows and inherited their will. If you want to use my power, you must conquer me—overpower the Hollows' will with your own, and prove with your determination that you are worthy of this power."

It raised the Zabimaru in its hand, its blade gleaming coldly in the moonlight. "So, are you ready, Renji Abarai? Ready to face your true self, to face the darkness deep within your heart, to face the fate you cannot escape?"

Renji Abarai took a deep breath and raised his Zanpakuto —though it was only in its Shikai state, his eyes were incredibly determined.

"I'm ready," he said, "Not for myself, but for those who need protection, for my friends who believe in me, for the innocent victims of conspiracy. So come on, Zabimaru —let's get to know each other again, let's rebuild our bonds, let's become stronger together!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the atmosphere in the Training Ground suddenly became tense. The duel between the Zanpakuto and its master was about to begin. The outcome of this duel would determine Renji Abarai's future path and would also affect the fate of the entire Seireitei.

A night breeze blew, carrying away a few fallen leaves. In every corner of the Seireitei, different people fought, persevered, and changed for different purposes. And all of this will eventually converge into a storm that will sweep across the entire Soul Society.

Watching the battle between Ichigo Kurosaki and Kenpachi Zaraki from the shadows, and sensing the battle that had begun on Renji Abarai, Liu Hao understood that all the groundwork had been laid and the crucial turning point was about to arrive.