Bleach: Reborn — Chapter 185 - Return to Soul Society
A few minutes before the alarms went off in the Seireitei.
Wayne moved through the Garganta, dragging a half-dead Adjuchas behind him. The creature was his cover. Without a Hollow in tow, he had no way to explain the Garganta. With it, he had a story ready the moment he set foot back in Soul Society.
After roughly a month of travel, he reached the landmark coordinates. He reached out, opened the Garganta, and immediately suppressed his Hollow Reiatsu. Then he tossed the Adjuchas out through the gap.
Wuaaaooooo!
The already gravely wounded beast let out another agonized howl.
Wayne hadn't stepped out yet, but he could already sense multiple Reiatsu signatures. Isshin Shiba, whom he knew well. Kaname Tōsen, Aizen's ever-present shadow. And Kenpachi Zaraki, the battle-mad captain of the Eleventh.
"Hm. This lineup should do." He slipped on the dark glasses he hadn't worn in a long time and released his Zanpakuto.
"Return, Levi!"
---
At the same moment, the alert from the Twelfth Division had gone out. Ninth Division Captain Kaname Tōsen, Tenth Division Captain Isshin Shiba, and Eleventh Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki each led a handful of squad members to the coordinates provided. The moment they arrived, they found a humanoid Adjuchas, no taller than two men, sprawled on the ground, howling without stop.
"Hmph. Adjuchas-class? Shouldn't bore me too much." The powerfully built Zaraki swung his blade and moved to cut it down.
"Wait." Tōsen stopped him. "The Garganta hasn't fully opened. I can sense another Reiatsu inside. Don't get ambushed."
"Hm?" Isshin Shiba frowned. He extended his senses into the Garganta and found the Reiatsu inside didn't belong to a Hollow at all. It was a Soul Reaper's signature. And the rhythm of it, it felt familiar.
"Hey hey, Ken-chan? Look at that Hollow. Isn't it hurt bad?" Yachiru, riding on Zaraki's back, pointed at the creature and started counting. "It's got a ton of slash marks on it."
"Oh? You're right." Zaraki scratched the back of his head, belatedly registering the detail. "A wounded Adjuchas? Came here to die?"
"Or maybe... it was running." Isshin Shiba picked up the thread. That Reiatsu inside the Garganta, he was growing more certain he knew it. But he didn't dare confirm it yet. It was powerful. Vice-Captain level at minimum. Possibly Captain-class.
The figure inside the Garganta answered his question soon enough.
"Return, Levi!"
BOOM. A pitch-black shadow materialized beside the Hollow beast. The Adjuchas had no time to react before the shadow's fist drove into the back of its skull, slamming it into the ground. A broad-bladed greatsword took shape in the shadow's hand and plunged straight down into the Adjuchas's back.
HISS-AAARGH!
The creature shrieked, pinned to the ground.
"Hmph. You showed me the way, so I'll let you live." A cold, hard voice rang out from inside the Garganta.
The Garganta opened fully. A handsome young man in a Shihakushō stepped into view, a horizontal dark visor resting across his face.
Well. Into the view of two of the captains, anyway.
"Tsu — Tsukishiro?!" Isshin Shiba recognized him immediately. Tsukishiro Hinamori. Missing for nearly two years.
"Oh? Captain Shiba." Wayne turned his head toward the voice. "You're the one who came?"
"It's me — it is — but how did you..." Isshin Shiba's composure cracked. He hadn't expected a sudden Hollow incursion to end with the young retainer he hadn't seen in almost two years standing in front of him.
"Ah. Sorry about that." Wayne gave his Zanpakuto a light shake. "I went a little crazy killing things in Hueco Mundo. Just got back."
"Went crazy killing things?" Isshin Shiba pulled himself together. "Do you have any idea we spent over a year looking for you?!"
"Come on. Don't be angry, Captain Shiba." Wayne smiled faintly. "Anyway... I'm back."
"Ah. You came back alive. That's what matters." Isshin Shiba stepped forward and gave Wayne a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Good. Your Reiatsu's grown a lot. You've gotten strong."
"Yes. Two years of running for my life had their rewards." Wayne's voice stayed even.
"You little..." Seeing the new resolve settled into the young man's face, Isshin Shiba smiled with quiet satisfaction.
"Yo, Tsukishiro. Long time no see." Zaraki stepped up.
"Long time no see, Shiro-shiro!" Yachiru chimed in with a new nickname.
"Ah. Long time no see, Captain Zaraki, Lieutenant Kusajishi."
"Looks like you had fun in Hueco Mundo." Zaraki rested his Zanpakuto on his shoulder, grinning. "Come on. Fight me right now. Let me see how much you've grown!"
"Hold on." Kaname Tōsen, silent until now, spoke up. "I welcome Hinamori's return. But I believe we should report to the Captain-Commander first."
"Yes. You're right, Captain Tōsen." Wayne's tone was properly respectful. "I have quite a few things to report myself."
"In that case, let's head back and brief the Captain-Commander." Isshin Shiba scanned the area. No further threats. "As for this Adjuchas..."
"Send it to Captain Kurotsuchi." Wayne said. "He should enjoy the welcome gift."
---
Several dozen minutes later, the Captains had assembled in the Captain-Commander's office, awaiting the Hueco Mundo expedition report.
Over a year ago, Fourth Division Seventh Seat Yui Mizusue had returned to the Seireitei and delivered her own report on the expedition.
She had come back alone, carrying genetic extracts from dozens of Hollow beasts.
Twenty people had set out together. One came back alive. Eighteen dead. One missing. A significant loss for the Seireitei. And as expedition commander, Tsukishiro Hinamori was expected to bear primary responsibility for the deaths of his team.
Except he had vanished inside Hueco Mundo.
Certain parties had quietly concluded that Tsukishiro Hinamori was a deserter, too afraid to return and face the consequences. They treated his guilt as settled fact.
But Yui Mizusue's report, and the genetic fragments she had brought back, had been enough to suppress those ambitions. For a time.
Even so, the Seireitei had been monitoring Hueco Mundo around the clock. At the first sign of any lead, personnel were dispatched immediately.
The expedition had been formally classified as a failure.
Now Tsukishiro Hinamori had returned. His report would determine whether that judgment stood.
"Is the one before us Tsukishiro Hinamori." Old Man Yamamoto's voice was grave. A missing expedition member returning after a year and a half commanded his full attention. Wayne's potential was exceptional.
"Yes, sir. I greet the Captain-Commander and all assembled Captains." Wayne bowed from his position between the two rows.
"You departed Soul Society to conduct an extermination campaign in Hueco Mundo and went missing for nearly two years. Provide a satisfactory account."
"Yes, Captain-Commander." Wayne kept his head lowered. "Approximately two years ago, our Hollow extermination unit entered Hueco Mundo and commenced operations. We eliminated close to a hundred Adjuchas-class Hollow beasts and successfully obtained more than a dozen genetic extracts required by Twelfth Division Captain Kurotsuchi. We completed the task he assigned us." He paused. He could sense Mayuri Kurotsuchi nearby giving a small nod toward the Captain-Commander, confirming the account. He had received those extracts.
"After roughly half a year of operations, we were attacked by a group of exceptionally powerful Hollow beasts. They infiltrated our position without a sound and suddenly erected a barrier. Once sealed inside, we lost all contact with the outside. Fortunately, the Adjuchas-class creatures deployed inside the barrier were not especially strong. I fought until I was wounded, but I managed to defeat them and break through. I then rescued Yui Mizusue, she had been speaking with me at the time and was closest to my position."
Hearing Wayne refer to Yui Mizusue with such deference, Fourth Division Captain Retsu Unohana gave a quiet nod and smiled without speaking. He was still the same young man from a year ago. Respectful. Mindful of propriety. Nothing like the dramatic change in character Mizusue had described to her in private.
"After rescuing Mizusue, I dragged my injured body to a concealed location and hid her there. Then I drew the Hollow beasts away on my own. In my wounded state, I couldn't protect her and fight simultaneously. It was the only option."
"Yes. We heard this from Seventh Seat Mizusue." Captain Unohana's voice was gentle. "And after that? What did you do for the next year and a half, Third Seat Hinamori?"
"After drawing the Hollow beasts away, I was fortunate. My Reiatsu perception detected a stone forest with a considerable number of Hollow beasts inside. I led our pursuers into it and used the terrain to shake them off. I ran without stopping until I could no longer sense them. In the days that followed, I tried to circle back to our original encampment to find Mizusue. She was already gone. The writing I had left behind had been erased. All the extracts had been taken. I knew she must have gone for reinforcements. Unfortunately, before she could return, another group of Hollow beasts found me, likely drawn by the traces of battle and the scent of blood. I had no choice but to move west."
"Hm." Old Man Yamamoto gave a slight nod.
"After that, I kept moving westward, hunting Hollow beasts I could handle. While crossing the chaotic central continent of Hueco Mundo, I came across a piece of information." Wayne paused. "Regarding the one we have long spoken of. Ace Wayne."
"Hm?" Aizen turned, his expression one of visible shock. Of course he was shocked, he had cut Ace Wayne down with his own hands. The others noticed his reaction and assumed the name alone still shook him, a shadow cast by those deep, unseen scars from years ago. "What did you find out, Hinamori?"
"Good news." Wayne inclined his head toward Aizen. "I attacked a low-ranked Adjuchas and learned from him that the Ace Wayne we had been searching for was once a lord ruling over the western reaches of Hueco Mundo. Apparently, he fell a very long time ago. His territory was absorbed by other Hollow beasts. His power base has scattered across the western continent. If the Hollow I captured was telling the truth, then the Hollowfication incident from back then may not have had anything to do with his faction. Of course, I cannot rule out that I was deceived. Captain Aizen, this may not be certain, but based on the intelligence I gathered, I believe the Ace Wayne who once wounded you no longer exists."
"Thank you, Hinamori. That puts my mind considerably at ease." Aizen's composure was flawless.
"As for the expedition's fourth objective — uncovering the truth behind the Hollowfication — I have no leads. During my time in Hueco Mundo, I focused entirely on finding a way back. Half a month ago, I finally captured the Hollow you saw today and forced him to open a Garganta to Soul Society. That was how I escaped."
"I see. These past two years have been hard on you, Tsukishiro Hinamori." Old Man Yamamoto's voice carried quiet approval. The Hollowfication matter remained unresolved, but this exceptional young man, one with Captain-class potential, had come home safely. And by the look of him, he had grown considerably.
"This old man has observed your Reiatsu. You can now hold your own against a mid-rank Adjuchas?"
"Yes, Captain-Commander." Wayne made no attempt to conceal his current level. Two years of accumulation. His Zanpakuto's Reiatsu had grown, and his own baseline Reiatsu had climbed steadily with every consumption. "During my time in Hueco Mundo, I became capable of defeating mid-rank Adjuchas. And I achieved a breakthrough. I have attained Bankai."
A stir swept through the room.
One offhand remark, and the assembled Captains broke into a ripple of commotion. Bankai? In less than two years? How long since this kid had even awakened his Zanpakuto? The fastest genius in recorded history had taken a full year just for that. Mastering Bankai was supposed to take far longer. This guy...
"In that case..." The Captain-Commander's perpetually narrowed eyes flickered with a brief flash of light, quickly suppressed. "Demonstrate your Bankai here. Before the assembled Captains."
➤ Next: Bankai