[BleachxMultiverse] - Conquering Worlds After Death

Ren was startled when he read the news. Despite the running jokes about Kengan Ashura being 'The Kuroki Gensai Show', Tokita Ohma was still the protagonist.

In the original manga, during the first season, Tokita Ohma was defeated by the venerable master Kuroki Gensai and ultimately burned out his life force, dying on Kengan Island.

However, he was resurrected in the second season and continued to play a significant role in the story.

What Ren loved about the manga was its ensemble cast and realistic approach to combat. The protagonist's plot armour wasn't as overbearing as in many other series.

For instance, when Ohma faced Kuroki in the finals of the Kengan Tournament, there was no deus ex machina to save him—he lost fair and square. It was refreshingly grounded.

Though Ohma's strength wasn't even top five in the series, he was still the protagonist. How could the protagonist die here? In the manga's second season, he was even revived through a 'mechanical god' twist.

Suddenly, Ren realized something crucial: this was no longer a fictional manga world.

This was a real, living world.

And in the real world, there were no absolute protagonists.

Calming himself, Ren combed through the chat logs on the public network, piecing together the details of Ohma's death.

Though no concrete evidence was available, it seemed likely that Tokita Ohma had been killed by a rogue explorer—someone violating the unspoken rules of exploration.

This conclusion came from analyzing the discussions among other explorers.

Many had been complaining about the difficulty of the Kengan Ashura world, stating they would never have willingly entered it.

The reasons were clear: First, their abilities didn't give them much advantage here. This world had its fair share of superhuman fighters with absurdly high stats.

Second, even with equivalent stats, most explorers wouldn't stand a chance against the combatants here in terms of technique.

Initially, Ren found this absurd. How could explorers lose to fighters from this world? After all, many of the ordinary martial artists in this setting didn't have high stats.

But after some thought, he understood. Not everyone was like him—a martial arts master even before entering this space.

Most first-tier explorers were still new to the system. Given the difficulty level, they were likely below level 7, meaning they hadn't undergone many worlds or fully adapted to combat.

In terms of fighting specialization, many explorers with no prior martial training would still be at a novice or intermediate level.

Against the elite fighters in this world, they stood no chance.

Bluntly put, some explorers might even get completely destroyed by fighters with inferior raw stats but vastly superior technique.

Ren, however, was a different case. He excelled in both stats and technique, which was why he had been able to defeat Raian.

But could one of these explorers have killed Tokita Ohma? Ren couldn't rule it out entirely, but he found it unlikely. Even someone with the power to do so wouldn't gain anything from killing Ohma at this stage.

Ohma was the main character of Kengan Ashura, surrounded by unresolved mysteries. Killing him would create numerous problems, leading to significant disruptions in the plot and making the mission world much more dangerous.

Whoever killed Ohma would inevitably become the prime target for everyone else.

Such a move was against the usual survival-first principles of first-tier explorers. Killing Ohma provided no tangible benefit.

Rogues, however, operated differently. For them, the more chaos, the better.

"Is this supposed to provoke me?"

Ren smirked coldly. "I hope you're ready to pay the price."

Tokita Ohma's death served as a stark warning. The rogue explorers had begun their moves. With Ohma dead, the waters of this world were about to grow murkier.

Shady factions like the Wu Clan's Western Branch and the Worm organization would likely act soon. The Kengan Deathmatch Elimination Tournament was about to become even more unpredictable.

The worst-case scenario Ren envisioned was that the Seed of Origin was in Tokita Ohma's possession.

If that were true, then the rogue might have already taken it. If they hid it away somewhere, both of Ren's missions would become impossible to complete, leaving him with no options but to perish.

After a moment of contemplation, Ren decided it wasn't likely to be that grim.

Ohma was too conspicuous a target; any explorer near him would have checked to confirm the Seed's location. Missions in these worlds were rarely so simplistic.

No matter what, though, Ren needed to move faster. He couldn't afford to linger in the Kure Clan for too long.

As Kure Fusui approached him from across the courtyard, Ren stood up and said, "Let's go. It's time to start the martial exchange."

Kure Fusui paused for a moment, then smiled. "Actually, I came to call you for breakfast."

-------

In the training arena, Kure Erioh was explaining the principles behind their secret technique.

"Ordinary people can only utilize about a third of their total strength. The rest lies dormant, restricted by the brain to prevent damage to the body," he began.

"Our secret technique, Removal, removes those limitations, allowing the body to unleash its full potential."

His aged eyes scrutinized Ren carefully. "Though you're a martial genius, unparalleled in a millennium, and your physical strength is exceptional, you may not be able to unleash much additional potential through this technique."

"Oh? And why is that? Because I'm not part of the Kure Clan?" Ren asked curiously.

Kure Erioh shook his head. "Not at all. The Kure Clan has a long history of intermarriage with outsiders. Our technique doesn't depend on bloodlines. It's entirely due to the unique physical conditioning developed over 1,300 years. Our bodies are more robust, capable of enduring greater force."

Ren thought for a moment and understood. From the system's perspective, the members of the Kure Clan likely had disproportionately high Constitution stats compared to their Strength.

When the brain's limiters were removed through Removal, the resulting surge in power would ordinarily tear muscle and shatter bone. But the Kure Clan's enhanced Constitution allowed them to withstand the strain.

"So….my balanced stats are actually holding me back from unlocking more power?"

Ren summarized his understanding, "So, in short, my physical balance limits the amount of power I can unleash because my body would break down if I pushed beyond what it can endure?"

Kure Erioh nodded. "Exactly. From what I can see, you've achieved a perfect equilibrium as a martial artist. Your strength and constitution are evenly matched. If you were to push too far with Removal, your body would collapse under the strain."

Ren grasped the implications. It seemed he should prioritize increasing his Constitution attribute in the future, as his Strength could be explosively amplified through abilities like Removal.

"Now that you understand the fundamental principles, do you still wish to learn? If you want to reconsider, you can choose to keep your secret technique to yourself," Kure Erioh said, looking Ren directly in the eyes.

Ren grinned. "You underestimate me, senior. Even if I can't fully master it, I'd still honour our exchange. Besides, I don't think there's anything I can't learn."

"Hahaha! The more I get to know you, the more I admire you," Kure Erioh said with a hearty laugh. Then, as if catching himself mid-thought, he shook his head. No matter what, I won't let my precious great-granddaughter get involved with him, he silently resolved.

Ren didn't press further into Kure Erioh's private musings. Instead, he retrieved a meticulously prepared manual from his belongings. "Here's the theoretical framework and core techniques for my method. I compiled this last night before bed. Take a look. With your insight, I'm confident you'll see that it's genuine."

Kure Erioh accepted the manual and flipped through it briefly. A glimmer of excitement lit up his aged eyes. "This… this is the ultimate martial philosophy. I never imagined strength could manifest in such a way…"

Carefully closing the notebook, Kure Erioh treated it with the reverence it deserved.

His demeanour shifted to one of seriousness as he looked at Ren.

"Very well. I will now teach you the method to train Removal."