Clang...
A crisp, resonant sound rang out as Reno's relentless strikes finally shattered the Soul Chain binding his right hand.
"Damn it! If I keep this up, I'll exhaust all my Void Lightning!" Reno frowned, having severed only one Soul Chain. He had named these pitch-black chains himself—Soul Chains, specifically designed to bind souls.
During his relentless assault, Reno discovered that his Dark Red Lightning was utterly ineffective against the Soul Chains. Only the Void Lightning lingering within his body could damage them. Yet severing a single chain had already drained half of his meager Void Lightning reserves.
"Damn it! How am I supposed to escape this hellhole?"
Having severed one Soul Chain, Reno dared not waste any more Void Lightning on the others. He coiled up the five-meter-long chain and sank back into despair...
Meanwhile, in Karakura Town in the World of the Living...
"Ichigo! No!"
Kurosaki Masaki's face paled as she saw her nine-year-old son, Ichigo, running toward a Hollow by the riverbank. Without hesitation, she charged forward to protect him, abandoning all caution.
Crackling thunder...
As Kurosaki Masaki charged forward, a thunderclap split the sky, and a crimson bolt of lightning struck the very spot she had just vacated!
"Haha! I didn't expect to find a beautiful soul here too. Guess I'll have to let this brat go..."
The Hollow, originally intent on devouring Ichigo's soul, immediately shifted its attack to Masaki upon realizing she could see him.
Pfft! Blood splattered as Masaki collapsed into a pool of crimson, still clutching Ichigo in her arms as she died.
In the distance, where the lightning had struck, Reno emerged from the shadows. He hadn't expected to return from Hell only to witness Masaki's murder.
"Damn it! You killed such a beautiful woman!" Reno roared inwardly, his figure blurring as he materialized beside the Hollow. Just as the creature was about to devour Masaki's soul, Reno swung his blade, aiming for its mask.
A crimson blade flashed, and with a crack, the Hollow's mask split in two, revealing the terrified face of a middle-aged man beneath.
"Agh... ah... damn you..."
The dying Hollow never imagined it would be killed mid-meal. Regret washed over it too late as it dissolved into the air.
Reno, completely naked except for the Soul Chain wrapped around him, finally turned to face Kurosaki Masaki and Ichigo, who lay on the ground.
"Are you a Soul Reaper? Please save me!" a sweet voice cried out. Reno immediately noticed Masaki's soul materializing before him.
Golden, curly hair framed her delicate features: a small, refined nose and faintly red lips that radiated an irresistible allure. At first sight, Reno's lower body responded with undeniable arousal.
"Ah... you're not a Soul Reaper..." Masaki gasped, her eyes widening in shock as she spotted the Hollow Hole in Reno's chest. This Hollow can't be a Great Hollow! Despite her terror, she dared not flee, her son Ichigo lay helpless beneath her.
Sensing the absence of a Chain of Fate on Masaki's chest, Reno's mind raced through his knowledge of her identity. He was now certain: Masaki was no longer human; the body on the ground was merely a Gigai.
"Soul Chain!" Reno hissed, regardless of Masaki's true nature, he had to capture her. Whether driven by lust or a desire to preserve the original storyline, he wouldn't let her escape.
As Reno finished speaking, the Soul Chains wrapped around him flew off and instantly bound Kurosaki Masaki, ensnaring her hands and feet.
Under Reno's deliberate control, the chains settled just below Masaki's chest, accentuating her full, high breasts even more perfectly. Reno's breath caught at the sight—she was utterly captivating!
Having merged with Arizawa Shiro's soul and been tempered by Dark Red Lightning, Reno had become fiercely possessive.
"Ah! What is this?"
Shock flashed in Masaki's beautiful eyes, as if she had witnessed something unbelievable. The Soul Chains seemed to reveal Reno's true nature—that he wasn't wearing the Great Hollow Mask at all—a revelation even more shocking than the mask itself.
"What do you want?" Masaki demanded coldly. Even in her icy demeanor, her gentle nature shone through, making her all the more alluring. She desperately hoped Urahara would discover her plight and come to her rescue, knowing Isshin hadn't yet regained his Soul Reaper powers.
"I'll give you my soul, but you must release my son!"
Before anyone could come to her aid, Masaki's first thought was to protect her son from Reno's clutches.
"Heh heh! Don't worry! I won't hurt your son!"
Reno smirked wickedly. After years of torment in the Dark Thunder Prison, his pent-up desires were on the verge of erupting. All he wanted now was to pin Kurosaki Masaki beneath him!
Hearing Reno's words, Kurosaki Masaki's face lit up with joy, a smile breaking through her fear. This Hollow doesn't seem so bad after all! But just as she was about to thank him, Reno's next words filled her with shame and fury.
"I just want to have you first, so I can properly vent my frustrations! Heh heh!"
Reno chuckled, his eyes lingering on the nine-year-old Ichigo, the protagonist of the original story.
"Heh heh! Ichigo, I'll be taking your mother for my own pleasure!"
Reno laughed inwardly, tugged on the Soul Chain, and prepared to drag Kurosaki Masaki away.
"Stop right there! Who are you? Running around naked in broad daylight!"
A man's furious shout suddenly rang out. Reno turned to see an ordinary-looking middle-aged Soul Reaper rapidly approaching from behind.
"A Soul Reaper?"
Reno's brow furrowed slightly. He knew he couldn't linger here too long; Urahara and the others might arrive soon, and he was no match for them yet.
"Get out of my way if you don't want to die!"
Reno made no attempt to conceal his murderous intent as he turned coldly to the middle-aged Soul Reaper, his Reiatsu surging forth in a torrent.
Buzz! The instant Reno released his Reiatsu, though not particularly strong, its vibrations reverberated throughout Karakura Town. Urahara and the others at Urahara's Shop immediately sensed it.
"What's this...?"
Urahara's eyes snapped open, a flicker of shock and confusion crossing his face. Reno's Reiatsu was unlike anything he had ever felt before.
"Is it a Soul Reaper or a Hollow?"
Urahara couldn't discern Reno's true nature from his Reiatsu alone. Could it be a Bount?
Whatever it was, Urahara instantly rose to his feet and hurried toward Reno's location, sensing Kurosaki Masaki's Reiatsu there as well.
"Damn it! Masaki, you can't be hurt!"
Though his Soul Reaper powers hadn't fully recovered, Kurosaki Isshin also sensed the sudden emergence of unfamiliar Reiatsu in the sky. Realizing his wife was there, he raced toward the scene.
"H-how is this possible...?"
The middle-aged Soul Reaper stared at Reno in disbelief, not at the Reiatsu itself—which was only around the level of a Seated Officer—but at the Hollow Hole gaping in Reno's chest.