Bleach: Reborn — Chapter 186 - Bankai

"Then demonstrate your Bankai for the assembled captains."

The old man's voice carried across the hall. Not much time had passed since Wayne's last demonstration, but in those two or three years, Gin Ichimaru had become captain of the 3rd Division, donning the white haori that marked his rank. A sign that Aizen's plan was ready to advance to its next stage.

At this moment, Aizen's attitude toward Wayne remained unclear. This demonstration would settle the question. It was a probe, and a gamble. Win, and Wayne's plan continued as before. Lose, and he would need to leave Soul Society. Quickly.

"Yes, Captain-Commander."

Wayne's expression did not change. He drew the Zanpakuto at his hip, held it upright before him, and let the aura around him stir. Pale gold Reiatsu surged forth.

"Bankai!"

HMMMM,

The pale gold Reiatsu erupted, swallowing Wayne whole. The Zanpakuto in his hand transformed into a double-edged, single-handed greatsword. Pauldron-like armor materialized at his shoulders. Two seconds passed. The pale gold radiance faded, and Wayne's form reemerged, his body wreathed in circling Reiatsu. The release was complete.

"Hollow Cycle, Reinhardt."

Wayne murmured the final incantation. His castrated Bankai, done.

Every captain fixed their eyes on him.

Aside from the minor changes to his clothing and Zanpakuto, nothing else about him had changed at all.

"Tsukishiro Hinamori. Explain and demonstrate your Bankai's abilities."

The sight before them made one thing clear: Wayne's full power had not been revealed. What they were seeing was only the surface.

"My ability..." Wayne began slowly. "I would rather invite a captain to test it themselves. That would be more straightforward."

Silence.

Every captain remembered the last time this young man had demonstrated his strength. He had called a lieutenant up as a sparring partner, and defeated them on the spot. This time he was being far too brazen, directly asking a captain to step forward.

Was this kid trying to usurp someone?

BOOM!

Golden Reiatsu shot skyward. At the far end of the two rows, Kenpachi Zaraki's Reiatsu surged with killing intent, crashing toward Wayne. The stinging pressure hit him. Wayne turned, raised his sword, and blocked. The shockwave shattered the floor into countless pieces.

He caught Zaraki's sudden slash, then used Shunpo to leave the Captain-Commander's assembly hall, sprinting toward the mountain range far beyond the Seireitei. Zaraki followed in the next second. And then every captain followed.

This fight could not be held indoors. Everyone understood that without a word. They moved to open ground.

Wayne entered a wasteland more than ten li from the division grounds and stopped. Zaraki landed seconds later.

"I've wanted a go at you for a long time, kid." Zaraki rolled his shoulders, readying himself.

"Yeah~ yeah~ hit him, Little Ken!" Yachiru popped her small head out from Zaraki's back, utterly thrilled. "Little Shiro-Shiro, do your best too! Little Ken will be so happy~"

"Don't worry, Lieutenant Kusajishi." Wayne raised his sword into an offensive stance. "I'll make sure Captain Zaraki has his fill."

"That's what I wanted to hear!"

Zaraki raised his sword and charged. Wayne met it. The double-edged greatsword traced a circular arc, shedding the bulk of the force to one side, then his wrist flicked upward, a reverse-grip thrust straight at Zaraki.

"Interesting."

Zaraki's wrist turned. The muscles of his sword arm swelled. His Zanpakuto swept upward in a rising slash from below, smashing Wayne's attack aside.

The two blades stalled against each other at height. Both pressed their strength into the clash, then changed trajectory and hacked fiercely toward each other.

CLANG!

Steel met steel. Sparks flew. Reiatsu and raw force burst the air into rippling waves. The ground beneath them fractured. The trees around them swayed wildly, on the verge of being torn from their roots.

"They've already started?"

The captains landed a short distance away. They were only about ten seconds behind, yet the fight was already in full swing. No preparation. No warm-up. Just live blades from the first breath.

CLANG, CLANG, CLANG!

Blade met blade in rapid succession. Nothing fancy. Pure Reiatsu and raw power colliding.

"He can hold his own against Kenpachi Zaraki?" Mayuri Kurotsuchi's expression flickered with faint astonishment. He had drawn Wayne's blood before, tested his Reiatsu level. In only a year, Wayne had earned the right to challenge a captain.

"Relax, Mayuri." Kyōraku slouched in his usual languid posture, but his eyes never left the fight. "Zaraki hasn't broken his seal yet."

"Hinamori doesn't appear to be giving his full effort either." Sōsuke Aizen wore a gentle smile, but behind his glasses, his eyes gleamed with an unusual brightness. "They're still feeling each other out."

"One might even say..." Retsu Unohana interjected, "that Hinamori is holding back so Zaraki can enjoy himself more, while Zaraki is suppressing himself to match Hinamori's Reiatsu. Both are swinging their swords for the joy of the fight."

"Although the aim of having Tsukishiro Hinamori demonstrate his strength has not quite been achieved," Ginrei Kuchiki said calmly, hands clasped behind his back, "watching them fight is itself a form of entertainment. Consider it a way to pass the time."

No one argued. They simply kept watching.

"You're not bad, kid." Zaraki spoke as he swung. "Haven't cut loose like this in a while. Push harder."

The force behind his strikes grew. Wayne, caught off guard for a moment, stepped back twice, then used Shunpo to put distance between them.

"Captain Zaraki, my abilities are better suited to assassination." Wayne steadied himself. "But I can also channel them into raw power. I apologize, I need to show the captains my abilities first, and then I'll continue sparring with you."

"Fine. Come on!"

Zaraki's feet erupted with Reiatsu. He charged. Wayne swung his blade, launching a sword-wave, then his body shook and he charged in turn.

Bang! Clang!

Zaraki cleaved through the sword-wave effortlessly, then clashed with Wayne head-on again. This time Wayne couldn't absorb the blow, Zaraki's Reiatsu had grown heavier. The impact sent him stumbling back several steps.

Slash!

Just as Zaraki prepared to press forward, a wound tore open across his back without warning. A gash that ran clean through. Crimson blood sprayed out.

Zaraki stumbled, then glanced calmly at his own back. He stared for several seconds.

"How did you do that?"

"The first ability after Bankai — Complete Synchronization."

"The first ability after Bankai — Complete Synchronization."

Two identical voices. One in front of Zaraki. One behind him.

Zaraki turned. Another Wayne stood at his back, blood still wet on the edge of his blade.

"Two of you?"

"That's right. After Bankai, I can materialize my Hollow Projection into a physical entity, another me. The appearance is slightly different, though." Wayne gestured toward his other self. The second Wayne was identical in form except that he wore no sunglasses. Instead he regarded Zaraki with calm, pale gold eyes.

"Oh?" Zaraki noticed those eyes. He looked back at Wayne. "That clone is blind too?"

"Yes. That is the one thing I cannot correct, it is the embodiment of my Reiatsu." Wayne removed his sunglasses, opening those pale violet eyes that held no light. "The only difference is in the eyes. But as long as I close mine, it makes no difference."

He closed his eyes. Behind Zaraki, the manifested Wayne closed his as well.

"Fighting two at once, is it?" Zaraki cracked his neck, then removed his eyepatch. "Let's give it a try!"

BOOM!

With the eyepatch gone, Zaraki's Reiatsu surged. The pressure kicked up clouds of sand and dust. Golden Reiatsu shot skyward, reaching the heavens.

"Watch yourself, kid — don't you die on me!"

Zaraki's speed was overwhelming. Wayne didn't even have a chance to raise his sword. A dull thud, and Zaraki's Zanpakuto drove straight into Wayne's body.

Every captain's eyes went wide.

What was happening?

No matter how weak Tsukishiro Hinamori was, no matter how powerful Kenpachi Zaraki was, there was no way Hinamori would be killed outright with a single strike. Was it a mistake?

Thoughts raced through the captains' minds. Captain Unohana had already drawn her Zanpakuto, preparing to treat Wayne, but she stopped at the last instant.

She had noticed something.

Zaraki's strike carried no blood.

Slash!

A blade cutting through flesh. Another wound opened across Zaraki's back.

"Second ability of the Bankai, Swap." Wayne opened his eyes. Pale violet irises. "Before Captain Zaraki's strike entered my body, I had already exchanged positions with my clone. The clone cannot be injured, it only requires time and Reiatsu to repair. The drawback: if I swap back before the clone has recovered, I take the current damage myself."

Wayne showed no concern about revealing his Bankai's weaknesses to the captains.

Because this Bankai was incomplete. Even if every captain learned of it, Wayne could use its complete form against enemies misled by what they had seen here.

"Interesting."

Zaraki was wounded again. He paid no attention to his injuries and swung a fist at Wayne. Wayne retreated, leaping clear.

Zaraki moved to give chase. The clone seized his arm and held him fast. He could not move. The real Wayne, now free, launched a string of sword-waves in rapid succession. Every single one landed. Zaraki couldn't draw his sword, he could only defend with his arm.

BOOM!

Zaraki's Reiatsu erupted again. The power he had been suppressing multiplied in an instant. He wrenched the clone free by brute force and hurled it toward Wayne like a cannonball.

"Third ability of Bankai — Synchronization Ascension."

Wayne did not dodge. He let the clone slam directly into him.

The devastating impact Zaraki had anticipated never came. The clone vanished, merging with Wayne.

"Captain Zaraki has seen this ability before. It is an enhanced version of Shikai." Wayne began gathering power. His Reiatsu climbed layer by layer. "What follows will be my strongest strike. Please prepare yourself."

"Good! Good!" Zaraki laughed wildly. "Come on then — let me feel it!"

Golden Reiatsu exploded with unmatched momentum, the pressure nearly smothering the pale gold light.

Then, in the very next second, the pale gold Reiatsu flashed.

An enormous sword-wave, nearly a hundred meters long, flew toward Kenpachi Zaraki.

BOOM!

Zaraki brought his sword down. Golden Reiatsu collided with pale gold. The ground behind him crumbled inch by inch. Fragments of rock and swirling sand rose into a howling storm. The force drove Zaraki skidding back over a hundred meters, the sword-wave pressing against him, carving two deep furrows into the earth.

Bang!

The massive sword-wave burst apart. Countless shards of light raked across Zaraki in a final pass. More than a hundred small wounds opened across his body, though compared to the shockwave that had driven him back, they were little more than scratches. His arms trembled without stopping.

But the corners of his mouth curled into an elated grin.

Wayne's performance had clearly satisfied him.

"Hah... worthy of a combat division captain."

Wayne dropped to one knee. That last strike had consumed too much of his Reiatsu. He knelt in the dirt, breathing hard. The armor on his body and the greatsword in his hand had vanished. His Zanpakuto had reverted to the form of an Asauchi.

"I lost."

Wayne's mouth carried a smile. The fight had been exhilarating, deeply satisfying. He had not used his Hollow power in this battle. Instead, he had converted the Hollow Reiatsu within his Zanpakuto into the spiritual energy of a Soul Reaper. He couldn't sustain the conversion indefinitely, but as short-term endurance it was more than enough. He was satisfied with this performance. And he was certain: once he unleashed his full power, as long as Zaraki had not chosen to fully unseal himself, Wayne could cut him down within ten moves, Zaraki, who had no knowledge of his true abilities, would never see it coming.

Of course, if Zaraki stood before him at his absolute peak, Wayne would have no chance of landing a surprise attack at all. And Zaraki, having learned to unleash his complete Bankai, could destroy the current Wayne with ease.

"All right. The test is over."

The old man's voice brought the spectacle to a close. Captain Unohana stepped forward with Shunpo and began treating their wounds.

"Tsukishiro Hinamori. I now declare, in my capacity as Captain-Commander, that you possess the qualification to become a captain of the Gotei 13. However, as the captain roster is currently full, you will continue to serve in the 4th Division at the rank of 3rd Seat. When a captain's position becomes available, a promotion request may be submitted at that time. Furthermore, your appointment as captain of the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force is hereby renewed. Going forward, you may select your own members to take into Hueco Mundo for training. Specific requirements will be discussed in further detail afterward."

"Yes. Thank you, Captain-Commander, sir."

Wayne rose to his feet and gave a slight bow.

"Mm. The younger generation is truly formidable."

The Captain-Commander gave a small nod and departed. The captains, having received their orders, left one by one.

Only the captain of the 5th Division lingered.

Sōsuke Aizen took one long, deep look at Wayne. Then he lowered his head slightly, letting his glasses catch the light, making his expression impossible to read.

"...Interesting."

➤ Next: Two Years of Change