Bleach: Reborn — Chapter 62 - Cooperation

Three days later, Wayne had fully restocked his Hollow Beast Mines and was preparing to lead his forces in the next wave of territorial suppression.

Then, just as he was marshaling his troops to launch the attack, the Reiatsu signatures of five mid-level Adjuchas entered his perception range.

The Northwest Alliance's Lords?

Sensing them, Wayne recalled that aside from Gross, the Northwest Alliance still had five Lord-level members. If all five were moving together, they were almost certainly here to negotiate. His slow, grinding advance and the sheer gap in combat power had no doubt told them enough. Whether cooperation was actually possible, though, would depend on what those five wanted.

"Go summon all our Lord-level members."

"Yes, my King." One of Wayne's speed-type Adjuchas subordinates bowed and accepted the order, then vanished with a burst of Sonído toward the heart of the territory.

"My lord — do you think they've come to negotiate?" Nel asked from beside him. With enemies approaching, she had no intention of letting Wayne face five Lords alone. She had already shifted into a combat-ready state. The other Adjuchas standing behind Wayne were the same.

"Hopefully. Otherwise, they might not be leaving today." Wayne was completely calm. After several days of hunting and devouring, his Reiatsu had advanced again. Facing five mid-level Adjuchas at once, he couldn't win a direct fight, but retreating was absolutely not a problem. Add the Hollow Beast Mines and the many Adjuchas under his command, and the idea of five Lords trying to kill him and take his resources was nearly impossible. And on top of that...

"You are... Wayne? The Wayne who serves under Yinfeng?"

Before long, the five Lords arrived. When they sensed the area, the scene stopped them cold.

Wayne was seated on a wooden stump nearby. Beside him, aside from Nel, seven or eight Adjuchas stood guard. Yet when the five Lords reached him, they could only sense Wayne's Reiatsu, no one else's.

"Yes, that's me." Wayne paid no mind to their surprise. The moment he had sensed their Reiatsu approaching, he had already used his Concealment ability to suppress every signature in the surrounding area. Aside from his own, the five Lords could detect nothing nearby, not unless they used their eyes. "To what do I owe the visit, Lords of the Northwest Alliance?"

"Well... we've come to discuss matters with Lord Yinfeng." The Lord at the front was the first to collect himself. As expected, this Wayne who served under Yinfeng was no ordinary creature. "Would it be possible to notify Lord Yinfeng that the Lords of the Northwest Alliance have come to pay a visit?"

"Yinfeng is already on his way. Whatever you have to say, say it to me."

"This..." The Lords exchanged glances.

They had apparently misjudged something. Just now, Wayne had referred to Yinfeng by name alone, not Lord Yinfeng. That said everything. The Lords found themselves caught between speaking and staying silent, so they settled for standing there politely, not daring to move out of turn.

Before long, Jekain arrived with the Lord-level Adjuchas, Oglant and Babons, the two Lords of the Northern Region, among them.

"My King, forgive Jekain for arriving late." Jekain bowed directly before Wayne, making his allegiance plain and Wayne's standing unmistakable.

"It's fine, you're not late." Wayne smiled and waved a hand. He made no move to prompt the five Lords to speak. Some things, seen with one's own eyes, land harder than any secondhand account.

"Alright. Everyone's here. Lords — say what you came to say."

"This... very well. Wayne — Lord Wayne." Only now did the five Lords fully understand. They had likely already lost, and lost completely. The enemy had pushed all the way to their doorstep, yet they hadn't even known who was truly in charge. With an intelligence gap that wide, how could they possibly fight? Even if they joined forces and destroyed Yinfeng, as long as the one who actually called the shots, Wayne, was still standing, the battle wouldn't be over.

"To be frank — Lord Wayne has been applying enormous pressure on our territories with overwhelming force, yet he hasn't moved to push deep quickly. The main objective doesn't seem to be crushing us head-on. It's as though you've been looking for an opportunity to discuss something with us. Although we stand on opposing sides, there is no real enmity between us and Lord Wayne. So we thought, is there a possibility of cooperation?"

"Heh." Wayne gave a quiet smile. "Since we all understand each other, why not simply cooperate? I have no desire to resort to force against any of you. As you said, there is no grudge between us. And a forest this vast, without your Lords to manage it, we couldn't afford to spread our forces thin enough to control it all. But pressed by Gatmont, there are certain things we had no choice but to do."

"That Gatmont is truly despicable. Not only has he been slaughtering us Adjuchas-class, he has destroyed the harmony of the entire forest. A creature like that deserves no mercy, he must be eliminated!" The moment Wayne opened with those words, the Lords understood exactly what he meant. The group fell into alignment at once, and they began working out the details of joining forces.

"Exactly! We'll rally the Western and Southwestern Alliances immediately, launch a full assault on Gatmont, and put an end to this tyrant's reign."

"However, an alliance of several factions without a clear leader may ultimately fail to achieve anything lasting. What is Lord Wayne's view on the matter?" The Northwest Alliance Lords knew that agreeing to attack wasn't enough, someone had to be in charge.

"The Central Tree territory at the heart of the Central Forest has already been divided among the alliances, and the resources are shared collectively. A designated leader isn't the most important thing right now. What matters is that after we bring peace to the forest, we move quickly to organize our strength for the Sacred War ahead. From what I've heard, the Northern Forest's resources are exceptionally rich, and they suffered no significant losses in the last battle. I expect they'll be well prepared this time."

"Lord Wayne's vision reaches far beyond our own. We are humbled." Seeing that Wayne had no interest in the question of who would lead, and that he had made his future objective plain, the Northern Forest, the five Lords understood perfectly. He intended to go after the big predators of the North.

"In that case, we'll take our leave. Within three days, we'll deliver word to the other two alliances. The day of the full assault on Gatmont should not be far off."

"Good. When the time comes, I'll contribute my part as well. I'll have Oglant and Babons, along with several Adjuchas-class members, go with you. As for myself, I won't see you further than this." Wayne paused. "Of course, as a gesture of goodwill, I'll withdraw my forces from your territories. The future of the Central Forest rests on all of your shoulders."

With that, Wayne raised his hand and swept it down toward the Adjuchas behind him. The battle intent coiled in the air dissolved at once. Every Reiatsu signature in the area settled to calm.

"Ha! Of course, of course! The day we eliminate Gatmont is the day the Central Forest rises again!" The five Lords withdrew carefully from the territory, step by step.

Watching them go, the corner of Wayne's mouth curved into a faint smile beneath his Hollow Mask. His pressure tactics had done their job. Whether the five Lords ultimately passed word to the other alliances or leaked it to Gatmont didn't matter. What mattered was that those two sides would never be able to unite against him. That was enough.

The tripartite standoff was set. All that remained was to wait, wait for the two sides to tear into each other, and once he had built up a sufficient advantage, deliver the blow that would settle everything.

The Lords were true to their word. Within three days, the Northwest Alliance's main forces began moving toward the Western Alliance. Oglant and Babons went with them, alongside several newly promoted low-tier Adjuchas from Wayne's territory, faces Gatmont had never seen before. The Northwest Alliance left only a skeleton force behind to hold their home ground.

Concealed, Wayne watched them go with his own eyes. Two days later, they linked up with the Western Alliance's Lords and pushed together toward the Southwestern Alliance's front lines. The great battle was nearly at hand.

Satisfied that the Lords had held to the agreement, Wayne pulled his forces back from Northwest Alliance territory entirely, operating only in the Eastern, Northeastern, and Northern regions. A brief lull settled in. With the Northwest Alliance handling the pressure, Wayne was free to consolidate, stockpiling resources, producing and laying Hollow Beast Mines, biding his time until the final battle against Gatmont finally ignited.

The news from the front came quickly. One week after the three alliances made contact, they launched their official assault.

Three and a half factions. Over ten Lord-level fighters. Dozens of Adjuchas, all striking Gatmont's forces at once.

In a single exchange, every advantage Gatmont had held evaporated. He nearly died right there. The only thing that saved him was his Vice Commander throwing himself into the line of fire, buying just enough time for Gatmont to tear open a Garganta and flee.

"What is going on?" Back in his own territory, Gatmont rounded on the messenger. "Wasn't Yinfeng supposed to be keeping two alliances pinned down? Why are three attacking at once?"

"My lord, this subordinate... this subordinate does not know." The messenger's voice was shaking. "According to the last intelligence report, Yinfeng's forces should have successfully occupied the Northern and Northwest Alliances over these past few days. This subordinate truly cannot explain why the Lords of both regions appeared on the battlefield at the same time."

"Send someone to check the northern front!" Gatmont's fury cracked through his voice. Had Yinfeng been wiped out by the Northwest Alliance? Impossible. He knew Yinfeng's strength. There was no way the Northwest Alliance had annihilated him that quickly. And even if they had, how had Gatmont not heard a single word of it?

"Yes, my lord. At once."

"And, if they're still alive, have him immediately bring a large number of Adjuchas back with him. With several alliances suddenly striking together, we can't hold out much longer. We need to concentrate our strength and hit back hard and fast." Gatmont's voice dropped to a low, deliberate edge.

"Yes, Lord Gatmont." The messenger opened a Garganta and vanished.

"Yinfeng." Gatmont's voice filled the empty room. "What in the hell are you doing."

➤ Next: Crushing Victory — The Fight Begins