Bleach: Reborn — Chapter 158 - The Tournament Ends

As Kitagawa Sawa spoke the release command, his Zanpakuto let out a resonant hum. Dark light swallowed the blade whole. The shape shifted, thickening, lengthening, until it became something like a wave-patterned greatsword. His Reiatsu surged with it, eclipsing Wayne's in an instant.

The moment Shien materialized, an invisible gravity and binding pressure coiled around Wayne. He could feel something beneath his feet dragging at him, making every movement a struggle.

Kidō-type Zanpakuto really are a pain. Wayne rolled his shoulders, testing the discomfort. It felt like his whole body had been pulled into a domain where gravity played by different rules.

"Shien's Sealing Domain reduces your speed, your reaction time — your fundamentals. It also warps your perception of gravity. Everything feels heavier. So tell me — without your agility, what exactly are you going to fight me with?"

Kitagawa Sawa swung Shien lazily, the corner of his mouth curling upward. Utterly certain this fight was already his.

"Let's find out."

Wayne took less than five seconds to adjust to the new gravity. Then he coated himself in Reiatsu and charged. His speed was visibly blunted, like watching a video suddenly dropped to 0.8 speed.

He closed in and threw a Reiatsu-wrapped punch. Kitagawa raised his blade to block. The clash sent a ring of ripples outward. Then came the second punch. The third.

Pale blue ripples bloomed in waves. Wayne, who should have been at the disadvantage, kept pressing the attack, forcing Kitagawa entirely onto the defensive. No room to counter.

"Reckless." Captain Sajin Komamura's voice carried down from the stands. "Pressing like this will drain him far more than his opponent. This is unwise."

"Ha. Maybe he's got a plan." Isshin Shiba was completely unfazed. He'd bet on Wayne losing this round, so he couldn't care less how much Wayne threw away.

"Or maybe he's simply been backed into a corner." Shunsui Kyōraku watched the fight below with a lazy smile. "Looks like young Hinamori's having a rough time of it."

Kyōraku was right. Wayne's movements were severely hampered inside Shien's gravitational field. If he detonated his full Reiatsu in one burst, he might shatter the domain and land a killing blow, but that kind of move wasn't something Wayne intended to show. There was no need. He'd already pushed things far enough.

So his offensive weakened. Strike by strike, the pressure bled away, until finally, Wayne stopped advancing altogether.

"Oh? Tired out?" Kitagawa saw the tide turning and shifted to offense. His wave-patterned greatsword swept horizontally, forcing Wayne back. A bolt of dark light flew forward. Another gravitational lock slammed onto Wayne's body.

In an instant, the gravity and pull bearing down on him doubled. The pressure nearly knocked him off balance. He had to pour even more Reiatsu into bracing himself just to stay upright.

"You've had your fun attacking. Now it's my turn!" Kitagawa swept his greatsword diagonally and kicked off the ground, charging straight at Wayne.

"I forfeit." Wayne let his Reiatsu disperse and raised his hands.

"Huh?" Kitagawa stumbled, nearly pitching forward. "What did you say?"

"I forfeit." Wayne's unfocused eyes blinked slowly. "I don't have a reliable way to break this gravity ability. So I forfeit."

Silence.

The entire arena went dead still.

Nearby, Mizusue pressed a hand to her forehead. At least try to make it convincing. The way you're wrapping this up, everyone's going to know you threw it.

"Pfft — hahahahaha!" Up on the highest observation platform, Isshin Shiba completely lost it, slapping his thigh over and over. He'd known Wayne was burning through his own Reiatsu just to lose quickly, but he'd never expected him to throw the match so blatantly. To say the fight lacked spectacle was generous. It had zero entertainment value whatsoever.

"Sixth-year final — winner, Kitagawa Sawa!" The referee swallowed hard, smothered a laugh behind a cough, and raised his flag.

The crowd did not cheer. Everyone was too stunned by Wayne's outrageous move. They'd been about to root for him, and then the man himself just raised his hands and surrendered.

"Are you kidding me? He just gave up? Is this a joke?"

"I dropped serious money on you, and you pull this?!"

"Kitagawa Sawa is unbeatable!"

"How much did the guy above bet..."

The spectator stands erupted. Curses and outrage filled the arena, from students and Soul Reapers alike. Especially the ones who'd bet on Wayne.

None of that had anything to do with Wayne anymore.

"You... were you playing with me?" Kitagawa Sawa's face twitched as he released his Zanpakuto's ability.

"Isn't letting you win a good thing?" Wayne shrugged, savoring the feeling of his body moving freely again. He actually seemed a little faster than before. Apparently Kitagawa's blade made for a decent training tool, stress the body, improve baseline conditioning.

"You've given me a victory with no satisfaction whatsoever." Kitagawa frowned. "I refuse to accept this."

"You're a sixth-year, telling a first-year about satisfaction?" Wayne closed his eyes and tilted his head. "I'm blind on top of that. Aren't you just bullying an honest man?"

"You —!" Kitagawa was left utterly speechless.

"Graduate already. Join the Gotei 13. You've clearly got the strength of a Seated Officer — what are you still doing hanging around school?"

"I'm staying to teach." Kitagawa said it plainly.

"A talent like you, teaching. What a waste." Wayne started making his way off the stage as he spoke.

"I have my reasons." A shadow of grief flickered through Kitagawa's eyes, then vanished just as fast. "We'll see each other at the school again. When that time comes, I want you to face me in a real fight."

"Ask me again once I have a Zanpakuto." Wayne waved a hand. "See you at the podium." He turned and walked slowly toward the waiting room.

"This guy..." Kitagawa's brow stayed furrowed. Then he turned and headed toward his own waiting room.

Back in the waiting room, Yagami Kina was laughing so hard she could barely lift her head. She pointed at Wayne and scolded him between gasps, his acting was way too fake, and if the betting houses found out, they'd come after him with a blade. Wayne replied that he didn't care. He'd already gotten what he came for.

"Oh, right, my third-place match against Otsuka is coming up. Can you come cheer for me?" Kina clasped her hands behind her back and gave Wayne a sweet smile.

"I'm blind. Can't see a thing." Wayne scratched his head. Then, catching the shift in her Reiatsu before it could fully spike, he added quickly: "But I'll be in the observation stands."

"Hehe." Kina's smile bloomed back to full brightness, and she bounced happily out of the room.

Wayne let out a long sigh and sat down. Before long, another woman's voice drifted over.

"Tsk, tsk. Didn't expect you to be so popular with the girls."

Mizusue's voice, carrying that distinctive, layered warmth, filled the space.

"She just wants to pull me closer to the Kidō Corps." Wayne picked up the tea on the table and took a light sip. "A sacrificial piece on the board of interests. Aside from feeling sorry for her, I don't know what expression I'm supposed to wear."

"Hmm... I think a smile will do."

Wayne's heart skipped a beat. Mizusue, you a reincarnator too? How do you even know that line?

"Maybe the girl genuinely likes you." Mizusue curved her lips.

"Doesn't matter. We're not walking the same path." Wayne shook his head. His path lay in Hueco Mundo, not Soul Society. The more ties he formed here, the harder things would get later. If someday he could actually stand up and have a voice across all Three Worlds, then maybe the current balance could be rewritten peacefully. But the odds of that were next to nothing, and Wayne had no intention of fantasizing. He added, with a teasing note: "I might be more into the older-sister type, anyway."

"You little brat. Smooth talker." Mizusue rolled her eyes. "Once the third-place match is done, you'll be up to receive your award. After that, come find me with your prizes. I'll help you work out some channels, trade whatever you don't need for what you actually need right now."

"Thank you, Mizusue. This really matters to me." Wayne nodded.

"After this, some squads may extend you invitations. Have you made a decision?"

"Same answer as before. Unless something major changes, I'm staying at Shin'ō Academy until Momo graduates. As for which squad, my first choice is still the 4th Division."

"You'd be wasted in the 4th." Mizusue genuinely wanted a future top-tier combatant like Wayne in her division, which was exactly why she kept pressing him on it. She was looking out for his future.

Wayne understood the reality: when the time came and he was truly up against Aizen, which squad he belonged to would barely matter. He might as well pick the most stable one and settle in. Besides, the 4th Division's captain, Retsu Unohana, something few people knew, was one of the very top combatants in the entire Gotei 13. Even Kenpachi Zaraki of the 11th Division, if it truly came to a fight, would find that the current Retsu Unohana had a hundred ways to kill him.

"Once I've got my Zanpakuto and awakened its ability, I'll assess things properly." Wayne sidestepped the topic. His Zanpakuto's nature would shape his future to a significant degree. A healing-type blade could only truly thrive in the 4th Division. A physical-type leaned toward the 10th or 11th.

A Kidō-type blade would suit the 13th Division better, but for someone like Wayne, completely insulated from Kidō, receiving a Kidō-type Zanpakuto? He'd snap it in half on the spot.

As for other rare types, Wayne wasn't going to think about those yet.

"Fair enough. Let's go, the match is about to start." Mizusue could see Wayne hadn't taken much injury. She drew her Zanpakuto casually, let a scatter of golden light particles rain down, and headed back out to the arena with him.

Up in the observation stands, the moment Momo spotted Wayne, she rushed over. It was plain to see she was thrilled, he'd fought his way to second place among the sixth-years in one run. In that same moment, she quietly resolved to close the gap between them, step by step, in the days ahead at Shin'ō Academy.

Nearby, Kira's eyes burned with excitement and gratitude. Excited, because his master was genuinely, frighteningly strong, he was glad he hadn't pledged himself to the wrong person. Grateful, because Wayne had let him in on it. Through three massive bets, Kira had accumulated a substantial fortune.

The whispered words Wayne had spoken to him earlier were simple: pour every coin into bets on Wayne's wins and losses. Kira had gritted his teeth and spent an entire morning borrowing funds, staking his estate and everything he owned, including the servants' indenture contracts, and even taking out a sizable sum from a certain underground moneylender. Fortunately, as a noble, even the lowest rank, the underground lenders didn't dare push him too hard. The interest rates on their contracts were eye-watering, but risking everything over a single debt wasn't worth it for them. Even the lowest-ranked noble had the power to wipe them out.

Between going in and coming out, Kira had assembled several hundred thousand. After three matches, even once all debts were cleared, his total assets crossed into the millions. What did millions mean in practice? It was enough for Kira to trade his modest manor for a mid-rank noble's residence in an instant.

But Kira wasn't going to do that. This sum would be critical capital when he one day took control of his entire clan. And the moment he produced this wealth, every voice of opposition would fall silent.

They made room for Wayne, and the group settled in to watch the final five matches of the Ranking Tournament, the third-place bouts from the second through sixth years.

When Yagami Kina stepped onto the stage, she made a point of waving toward Wayne's spot. Instantly, a crowd of sixth-year boys snapped their gazes over. Wayne felt several probing threads of Reiatsu lock onto him. Beside him, Momo's expression clouded with displeasure.

Wayne didn't pay it much mind. He kept playing the blind man who couldn't see a thing.

The fight began, and Wayne started explaining Kidō combinations and techniques to Momo. He even briefly considered suggesting she take Kina as a teacher, but recalling the exchange between the two girls just now, he decided to bury that idea for the time being.

When the whistle blew to end the final match, every student erupted in a thunderous roar.

The quality of this year's students was high across the board. Beyond the standout upperclassmen, the crowd had witnessed someone like Wayne cut a path all the way to second place among the sixth-years. His reputation, which had been in freefall for the past month, rocketed straight back to the top. For months to come, Wayne would be the most talked-about name in the student body.

Five podiums stood ready, one for each year from second through sixth, honoring the top three finishers. Everyone else's prizes would be distributed after the ceremony. The top three were called to the stage for one reason: to receive the Medal of Excellence, awarded personally by Headmaster Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.

"Students, you have performed magnificently. I take great pride in knowing the Gotei 13 will receive your generation as new blood." The old man stood at the front of the award platform, addressing them all. "The honors you earn today will be your credentials when you enter the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Run forward. Keep advancing. Fight hard, and struggle with everything you have to grow stronger!"

Oh!

A wave of cheering rose from below. Having witnessed firsthand the abilities Soul Reapers could wield, Zanpakuto released in battle, high-level Kidō exchanged blow for blow, these students' desire to become Soul Reapers burned even brighter.

Perhaps someday, they too would walk alongside the members of the various squads, Zanpakuto in hand, dressed in Shihakushō.

And it was toward that goal that they would keep pushing themselves, without pause.

For them, the future was held in their own hands.

But...

➤ Next: Rewards — Face to Face