[BleachxMultiverse] - Conquering Worlds After Death

As Ren spoke, he tilted his head slightly, glancing toward a rooftop corner where a woman believed she had perfectly masked her presence.

The moment Kure Fusui, perched on the rooftop, locked eyes with the man below, an icy chill surged down her spine. Her mind's danger sensors blared incessantly, screaming at her to flee.

Never before had she experienced such an oppressive aura—not even from her brother Kure Raian, hailed as a prodigy of the Kure Clan. But this man below....he was supremely dangerous.

Though her training as an assassin kept her grip on the sniper rifle steady, her palms were slick with sweat. She had the man's head in her sights, but no matter how much she tried, the overwhelming sense of peril stopped her from pulling the trigger.

Who exactly was this fugitive named Ren?

Clink!

At that moment, Ren casually flicked his finger. The knife resting before him shattered, and half of its blade spun through the air with frightening velocity, embedding itself precisely into the trigger mechanism of the sniper rifle perched above.

On the rooftop, Kure Fusui froze, cold sweat dripping as she stared at the disabled trigger. The man hadn't even nicked her finger.

Without looking upward, Ren offered a kind smile. "Steady your hand. If that gun misfires, quite a few of your comrades might end up dead."

For a few seconds, silence blanketed the scene.

Finally, the young man standing before Ren raised his hand, signalling the others to back off. The three snipers on the rooftop also withdrew their rifles.

Wiping sweat from his brow, the youth composed himself and addressed Ren. "Mr. Hoshino, we deeply apologize for our rudeness."

Strength is truth.

If Ren had been an ordinary fugitive, the Kure Clan would have apprehended and imprisoned him by now. But he had proven his strength, and only the strong commanded respect.

Just moments earlier, he could have killed them. Instead, he used a much more difficult method to disable the sniper, resolving the conflict without bloodshed.

The young patrol leader was no fool. To persist in hostilities now would be ungrateful at best—and suicidal at worst.

"You are truly a formidable martial artist. The Kure Clan welcomes you for a martial arts exchange. We still have patrol duties to attend to, so she will escort you to the clan estate."

As he spoke, a woman in her mid-twenties stepped out from the building. She was one of the snipers from earlier.

Her tall, slender frame was accentuated by a black tactical vest exposing her toned midsection, paired with shorts and thigh-high stockings, showcasing her lithe, athletic build.

"Mr. Hoshino, I'm Kure Fusui. Just call me Fusui."

Introducing herself, Fusui studied the man up close. Strangely, he no longer exuded the deadly aura she had felt earlier.

Still, she trusted her instincts. The absence of that pressure now only proved how adept Ren was at controlling his intent. In that brief moment earlier, he must have been prepared to fight them all, which was why his presence had been so suffocating.

"Miss Fusui, it's a relief we could resolve the misunderstanding. I had heard the Kure Clan values etiquette above all else. For a moment, I thought I'd stumbled into the wrong place," Ren said with a smile.

He wasn't lying.

The backstory that EndSpace had provided for his identity was surprisingly thorough.

In addition to his chance to directly join the ranks of Kengan fighters, the details of his origins were well-crafted.

Ren's records indicated he had been a budding martial artist from an unknown academy in a small town in Japan. During his youth, he had even crossed paths with the Kure Clan there.

"My apologies. Please follow me. For any martial arts exchanges, you'll need the clan leader's approval," Kure Fusui replied, slightly embarrassed.

Their clan often monitored dangerous individuals. After Ren's name appeared on a wanted list, they had studied his file extensively. The reports labelled him a "joyful killer."

According to the files, Ren's killing spree began over a financial dispute with a human trafficker. After eliminating his enemy, he didn't flee but instead slaughtered the entire organization with unrelenting cruelty.

For the Kure Clan, such a person was too dangerous to be allowed free rein in their territory.

Despite their assassin roots, most members of the Kure Clan weren't sadistic killers. For them, assassination was a job—a professional trade. Few assassins enjoyed their work; it was merely a means to an end.

Of course, every forest has its outliers. Kure Fusui's elder brother Kure Raian was one such anomaly—a man who derived ecstasy from killing. Though a prodigy of the Kure Clan, he was infamously unstable.

"Mr. Lu, would you mind taking a side path with me?" Kure Fusui asked hesitantly as they walked.

"Oh? Is there a problem with the main road?" Ren raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Kure Fusui didn't seem like she intended to lead him into an ambush. So why the detour?

"My brother often patrols ahead. He has a bad temper, and I'm afraid you might end up fighting."

Kure Fusui explained, having only just remembered her brother's habits. In her mind, letting two dangerous individuals like Ren and Kure Raian meet without the clan leader's supervision was a recipe for disaster.

News of Ren's arrival had undoubtedly spread among the Kure Clan. Given their intelligence network, it was likely her brother was already seeking him out.

If Kure Raian learned that Ren had intimidated the patrol squad into retreating, he'd likely see it as an affront to the clan's honour—and an excuse to kill Ren in the name of upholding their reputation.

While Kure Fusui recognized Ren's strength, her brother's abilities were also monstrous. If they clashed, the consequences would be catastrophic.

"Oh? That sounds interesting. I'm here to spar with your clan, after all. If your brother is as strong as you say, a match with him would be perfect," Ren said with a grin.

Of course, he already knew who Kure Fusui's brother was.

Kure Raian, the prodigy of the Kure Clan, was a man capable of fully unleashing his potential—a volatile warrior who revelled in bloodshed.

While his temperament left much to be desired, his strength undeniably placed him among the world's top-tier fighters.

In the original storyline, Kure Raian faced Tokita Ohma in the second match of the Kengan Annihilation Tournament. Though he ultimately lost to Ohma, it wasn't because he was inherently weaker.

Kure Raian's arrogance had been his downfall. He relied solely on overwhelming power to crush Ohma, but Ohma's technique, coupled with his own Secret Technique: Advance, allowed him to exploit Raian's recklessness and secure victory.

In reality, Raian hadn't even utilized the full range of the Kure Clan's techniques. His loss was entirely self-inflicted, a result of his showboating.

Moreover, the Kure Clan's 'Liberation' ability had significantly fewer side effects compared to Ohma's 'Advance', which came at the cost of his life force. If Raian had fought Ohma in a life-or-death battle, the outcome could have gone either way.

"No… Mr. Hoshino, please, just come with me. The clan estate is just ahead," Kure Fusui said, her expression darkening.

She genuinely didn't want to see her brother fight Ren. Although she thought of Raian as an uncontrollable brute, her instincts screamed that if the two clashed, Raian might not survive.

Without waiting for Ren's agreement, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward, practically dragging him toward the clan estate. In no time, they arrived at the gates.

Just as Kure Fusui began to relax—thinking that the clan leader would assign someone calm and powerful, like the formidable "Oni-Kid" Kure Juuyio, to spar with Ren—a voice cut through the air, immediately setting her nerves on edge.

"Well, you weren't easy to find."

The voice came from above the torii gate.

There, crouched on top, was a young man with short, pale-gold hair and a powerful, muscular build.

He sat without a shred of reverence for the sacred gate, his black eyes locked onto Ren like a predator eyeing its prey, his murderous intent unabashed.

"Raian! We haven't even seen the clan leader yet. Don't cause trouble!" Kure Fusui shouted, sweat beading on her forehead.

Kure Raian ignored her. With his hands in his pockets, he leapt from the five or six-meter-tall torii, landing effortlessly before Ren and Kure Fusui.

His white tank top stretched taut over his muscular frame, while his exposed arms bulged with corded muscle, leaving no doubt about his immense strength. This was the Kure Clan's demon—feared even within his own family.

Raian's black eyes gleamed with unrestrained bloodlust as he faced Ren, his aura suffocating.

"Are you the one who scared off the patrol squad? Interesting," Raian said, a savage grin forming on his face. "You look like you'll make a good warm-up."

Kure Fusui stepped between them, her voice firm but laced with desperation. "Raian, stop this! The clan leader hasn't approved anything yet!"

Her brother barely acknowledged her, his gaze locked on Ren. "Stay out of this, Fusui. If he's strong, let him prove it."

Ren remained calm, his expression one of mild amusement. "Well, if you're that eager, I won't disappoint. But perhaps your sister is right—we wouldn't want to cause too much of a scene before meeting your leader, would we?"

Kure Raian chuckled darkly, his fists clenching. "A scene? You're in my territory, and you think you can dictate terms? Don't make me laugh."

Kure Fusui's heart sank. She knew her brother's temperament too well. There was no stopping him now. Her instincts were screaming that this would not end well—not for Raian, at least.

Ren sighed softly, a flicker of something unreadable passing through his eyes. "If you insist, I'll oblige. But don't blame me if this doesn't go the way you expect."

The air grew heavy as the tension between the two men reached a boiling point. The fight was inevitable.