Ch 24 : The Hybrid's True Strength
The battlefield was already in ruins.
Dust swirled in the air, thick with the metallic scent of blood.
Renji locked eyes with the hybrid standing before him.
This man—this thing—was the Organization's perfected weapon.
Unlike Renji, who had been infected by accident, this hunter had been engineered.
A controlled evolution.
And that made him far more dangerous.
Seijuro Hoshinomiya stood behind him, watching.
Analyzing.
Measuring Renji's strength, weaknesses, and limits.
Renji rolled his shoulders.
The hybrid took a step forward.
Then—he smiled.
"You look nervous," he said.
Renji's expression didn't change.
But his body tensed.
Because his instincts were screaming—
This man was far more powerful than the others.
And he wasn't here to capture Renji.
He was here to break him.
---
Then—the hybrid moved.
Fast!
Renji barely saw the blur of motion before—
BAM!
A fist slammed into his chest.
The force sent him flying.
CRASH!
Renji smashed through concrete.
His body hit the ground hard, rolling several times before he stopped.
His vision blurred.
Pain shot through his ribs.
That speed—was unnatural.
More than that, it was calculated.
The hybrid wasn't just strong.
He was refined. Precise. Controlled.
Renji pushed himself up.
And the hybrid laughed.
"What's wrong?" he said. "You were so impressive before."
Renji's eyes narrowed.
He wiped the blood from his lips.
Then—he moved.
This time, he attacked first.
---
Renji lunged.
His claws extended—sharp as blades.
The hybrid blocked effortlessly.
Renji twisted—kicked.
The hybrid caught his leg.
Then—he countered.
BOOM!
A devastating punch sent Renji skidding back.
Renji gritted his teeth.
The gap in their raw strength wasn't the problem.
The problem was the gap in control.
The hybrid wasn't struggling with his instincts.
He had mastered them.
Renji hadn't.
And that meant—this fight was only going to get worse.
---
Renji's mind raced.
The Organization had created this hybrid.
How?
Through experiments? Forced evolution?
And more importantly—how many more were there?
Seijuro finally spoke.
"Now you understand."
Renji's head snapped up.
"This is what you could have been," the commander said.
"If you had let us control you."
Renji's fists clenched.
Control.
That's what this was about.
Not power.
Not survival.
But control.
He wasn't an anomaly to them.
He was a failure.
And that—pissed him off.
---
The hybrid moved again.
But this time—Renji was ready.
He dodged.
Then—he struck.
SLASH!
His claws ripped through flesh.
The hybrid staggered—but only for a second.
Then—he grinned.
"I was waiting for that."
Renji's stomach dropped.
The hybrid's wound… was already healing.
Too fast!
Renji's regeneration was fast.
But this was instantaneous.
The hybrid grinned wider.
"Impressed?"
Then—he changed.
---
Renji's breath hitched.
Because the hybrid's body was shifting.
Muscles bulged.
His skin darkened. Hardened.
His eyes—glowed red.
Renji recognized it immediately.
This was mutation.
Not random.
Not uncontrolled.
But deliberate.
And he wasn't done yet.
Then—he disappeared.
Renji barely reacted in time.
BAM!
A devastating punch slammed into his gut.
His vision blurred.
Another hit—to his ribs.
Then—a kick to his head.
Renji's body flew through the air.
And this time—he didn't land on his feet.
---
Pain exploded through his body.
Renji gasped.
Blood dripped from his lips.
His body—wasn't healing fast enough.
The hybrid stalked toward him.
"You're tough," he admitted. "But you're raw. Sloppy. Untrained."
He cracked his knuckles.
"Let me fix that."
Then—he lunged again.
Renji had seconds to react.
And in those seconds—he made a choice.
If he couldn't match his opponent's control…
Then he would match his brutality.
He would embrace the monster inside him.
---
Renji exhaled sharply.
And then—he let go.
The monster's instincts flooded his mind.
The hunger.
The rage.
The primal need to survive.
His muscles tensed.
His claws extended further.
His eyes—darkened.
The hybrid sensed the shift.
He frowned.
Then—he attacked.
But this time—Renji didn't dodge.
He moved forward.
And met the attack head-on.
BAM!
A punch collided with Renji's face.
But Renji didn't move.
The hybrid's eyes widened.
Because Renji wasn't feeling pain anymore.
He was adapting.
Evolving.
And now—the real fight was about to begin.
---
The moment Renji let go, everything changed.
The pain faded.
The hesitation vanished.
And in its place—clarity.
His mind expanded. His body adapted.
Every muscle, every fiber of his being, shifted into something new.
The hybrid noticed it immediately.
His grin faltered.
Then—he hesitated.
And that was all Renji needed.
---
Renji moved.
Fast.
Faster than he'd ever moved before.
The hybrid tried to react—but he was too slow.
Renji's claws tore through flesh.
SLASH!
The hybrid staggered back, stunned.
His hand went to his chest—blood.
Real, deep, unhealing wounds.
For the first time—Renji had drawn blood that wouldn't regenerate instantly.
And the hybrid felt it.
Felt the shift.
Felt the gap closing.
Felt fear.
---
Renji exhaled.
His breath was steady.
His body felt weightless.
This wasn't just power.
This was understanding.
Before, he had been fighting like a man against a monster.
Now—he was a predator.
And his opponent?
Just prey.
The hybrid growled.
Then—he lunged.
But Renji was already gone.
---
BOOM!
A crater formed where Renji had been standing.
The hybrid whirled around.
Where?!
Then—
SLASH!
Agony exploded through his back.
He spun again—but Renji wasn't there.
He felt something shift in the air—
Then—
BAM!
A devastating blow slammed into his ribs.
Then another.
Then another.
The hybrid couldn't keep up.
Renji was everywhere.
Faster.
Stronger.
Deadlier.
And for the first time in his existence—he was being overwhelmed.
---
Seijuro Hoshinomiya watched in silence.
His cold, calculating gaze didn't waver.
But inside—he was re-evaluating everything.
Renji was not following the Organization's data.
He was evolving outside their calculations.
This wasn't a mere mutation.
This was something else.
Something… uncontrollable.
Dr. Yura Kaede, standing nearby, whispered:
"He's surpassing the hybrid."
Seijuro didn't respond.
Because he had already seen it.
And now—they needed to decide what to do about it.
---
The hybrid was bleeding.
Wounds he couldn't regenerate.
Every instinct in his body screamed DANGER.
This was no longer a fight.
This was a hunt.
And he was the hunted.
No.
No, this isn't happening.
He gritted his teeth—and roared.
---
His body convulsed.
His muscles ruptured—then rebuilt themselves.
His skin hardened.
His bones expanded.
And his eyes—turned pure black.
If Renji wanted a monster…
Then he would give him one.
---
The hybrid charged.
Faster.
Stronger.
He swung a massive clawed hand—aiming to tear Renji apart.
But Renji didn't move.
He stood still.
Watching.
Waiting.
Then—he smiled.
And caught the attack with one hand.
---
The hybrid's eyes widened in shock.
This… this wasn't possible.
Renji's grip tightened.
Bones cracked.
Then—
SNAP!
Renji broke his opponent's wrist.
The hybrid screamed.
Renji didn't stop.
His free hand lashed out.
SLASH!
His claws ripped through the hybrid's throat.
Blood sprayed.
The hybrid staggered back.
Choking.
Dying.
And for the first time—he couldn't regenerate.
---
The hybrid collapsed.
His massive, mutated form twitched.
His breath—ragged.
His eyes—filled with disbelief.
Renji watched him.
Emotionless.
The battle was over.
And there was only one monster left standing.
---
Seijuro exhaled.
He turned to Dr. Yura.
Her face was pale.
"We can't control him," she whispered.
Seijuro nodded.
"Then we destroy him."
He gave a signal.
And the elite strike force moved in.
Weapons ready.
Orders clear.
Renji was now a priority target.
Because what they had just witnessed—
Was a being beyond human control.