Bleach: Reborn — Chapter 310 - Invisible Preparations for War

Harribel's disappearance came as no surprise to Wayne. One of his original reasons for sending Harribel and the three small ones away had been to draw the attention of those white-robed humans.

And those white-robed humans were something Wayne had already come to understand well.

This group was the Quincy, a faction nearly wiped from existence as a people. More precisely, they were a faction whose bloodlines had been reclaimed by their founding emperor, leaving them publicly declared near-extinct to the outside world.

In the beginning, the Quincy had been scattered all across the world. Their founding emperor, Yhwach, had launched an assault on Soul Society a thousand years ago, only to be defeated by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.

As Wayne understood it, the unique ability of the Quincy completely annihilated Hollows, disrupting the balance of souls across the three realms. And so, after the founding emperor was repelled, Soul Society began a systematic slaughter of the Quincy. That was what had reduced their numbers to almost nothing.

Regrettably, Old Man Yamamoto had not killed Yhwach in that battle. He had only stripped him of his heartbeat, his consciousness, and his power, but had not managed to finish him off entirely.

The Quincy who survived the battlefield called Yhwach "the sealed king," and fled from the living world into the shadows of the Seireitei. They spent nearly a thousand years hidden inside those shadows, manipulating Reishi and constructing a Reishi-based realm of their own. They called it the "Wandenreich" — the Invisible Empire — while quietly amassing strength for battles to come. Nine hundred years after the war, Yhwach's heartbeat returned. Ninety years after that, his consciousness followed.

And now, Yhwach was leading his surviving forces in a renewed assault on Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo was their first stop. He needed more soldiers, and the scattered Hollow beasts of Hueco Mundo were his most convenient targets.

That was how Harribel had been forcibly taken by Yhwach.

Because of Wayne's Tsukishiro, the space within it would never be discovered by the Wandenreich. Only the Hollows under Wayne's command knew the connection points between this space and the Garganta.

In other words, Wayne was the one lurking in the shadows right now. And that was the trap he had set in preparation for confronting the Wandenreich.

Of course, Wayne had no real fear that Harribel or the three small ones would turn traitor. If they kept the secrets of Wayne's forces to themselves, he would spare their lives. But if they truly betrayed him, Wayne would not show mercy this time. Death through suffering would be their final fate.

"We can set Harribel aside for now. What's the situation on the Soul Society side?" Wayne looked toward Timd, who was responsible for communications.

"There is news." Timd's tone turned grave. "According to information my clone obtained at your sister's home, not long ago, those humans in white suddenly attacked the Seireitei. The lieutenant of the 1st Division, Sasakibe Chojiro, was killed in action. Over a hundred members of the thirteen squads below were also killed or wounded. However, your younger brother Toshiro Hitsugaya, his grandmother, and your sister Momo Hinamori are all currently unharmed. And... the lieutenant of the 10th Division and the 7th Seat of the 4th Division are also unharmed."

"Did they ask us for help?"

"Only a unilateral request from Momo Hinamori, asking that you come to Soul Society to check on things. But since your breakthrough is imminent, I declined on your behalf for the time being. I ask for your forgiveness."

"It's fine, I understand." Wayne bore no ill will toward Timd. Now was not yet the time for him to appear. He still had to wait, wait until the Wandenreich launched their full-scale offensive. That was when Wayne's moment to act would come. The only problem was that a great many people might die in the meantime.

"When did this happen?" Wayne continued.

"Two days ago."

"Two days... is there still three days left?" The first wave of attacks had already ended. It would not be long before the Wandenreich launched their all-out assault. The time left for Wayne to prepare was running short.

"Have every Hollow beast at the Vasto Lorde level and above assemble in the council chamber. Those below that level should actively prepare for battle. Within three days, we will face a great war — a war that will establish our place in the three realms."

"Yes, my king." Timd bowed to receive the order, but was interrupted by Yagami China at his side.

"Leave the announcement to me." Yagami China raised her hand toward the sky, and in an instant a stream of luminous white light spread outward into the heavens. In under half a minute, every Hollow beast had received the message she had broadcast. In that same instant, the entirety of Tsukishiro, inside and out, erupted into a frenzy.

War, the thing they had longed for most was about to arrive. Even if there would be casualties, even if they themselves might be extinguished, they had no regrets. To fall for their tribe was their honor. To fight for their king was their supreme glory.

"Everyone seems very excited about the prospect of battle." Nel sensed the surging Reiatsu throughout the city and smiled. As Hollow beasts, they had spent the greater part of their existence living in fear. In the vast expanse of Hueco Mundo, one could be devoured by another Hollow beast at any moment. But after joining Wayne's forces, that fear had dissolved with each successive battle. On this sanctuary, they could sleep in peace, no longer afraid that anyone would suddenly turn on them and tear them apart.

Yet the true nature of a Hollow could never be worn away by time. Fighting, devouring souls to grow stronger, that was their destiny.

Several dozen minutes later, inside Wayne's council chamber in Tsukishiro, every Hollow beast and Arrancar at the Vasto Lorde level and above had assembled. It was only then that Wayne grasped the full extent of it: after more than half a year of hunting and growth, his forces had undergone a transformation beyond all recognition.

The first tier: four peak Vasto Lorde-class Arrancar, Baraggan, Szayelaporro, Nel, and Starrk.

Mid- and high-rank Vasto Lorde, led by Timd, Jekain, and Yagami China, totaled nine. Of those, six were Arrancar, and three had yet to undergo Arrancarification.

The second tier: initial-rank Vasto Lorde — not counting the captured Harribel, numbered twenty-two. Of those, thirteen were Arrancar; the remaining nine were still Hollow beasts.

Peak and high-rank Adjuchas totaled one hundred and fifty-six, with seventy-two Arrancar and the rest still Hollow beasts.

The third tier, mid- and initial-rank Adjuchas, had already surpassed a thousand. The large majority of these were Arrancar, all of them Szayelaporro's handiwork. Mid-rank Adjuchas was a dividing line; most Hollow beasts stalled at this stage, and even with Szayelaporro forcibly augmenting their strength through the Hōgyoku, they could rarely push beyond it.

This was destiny at work. Timd and Jekain, for example, had originally hit their ceiling at Adjuchas. Yet through the combined effect of the laws and the Hōgyoku, Timd had reached the Vasto Lorde level, and even Jekain had broken through his limit under the Hōgyoku's influence. But not every Hollow beast was as fortunate as they were. This was precisely why the third tier held so many Arrancar. Most of them were ones Szayelaporro had chosen to Arrancarify in an attempt to force them past their limits. Of the hundred-plus mid-rank Adjuchas subjected to this, only forty-two ultimately broke through their ceiling and became high-rank Adjuchas. Sixteen of those reached peak Adjuchas, and only three managed to ascend to the Vasto Lorde level.

The fourth tier, Gillian-class and below, Wayne could not even count them. If a number had to be given, the only fitting description was tens of thousands. At their level, Szayelaporro had long since stopped investing effort into cultivating them individually, opting instead for a free-range approach. After all, Gillian-class was essentially fodder. Only those who showed signs of consciousness and a chance of becoming Adjuchas ever received Szayelaporro's attention, given a good hunting environment to develop in.

On the whole, just those standing in the council chamber, Wayne included, already numbered thirty-six. With a force like this, if Wayne wanted to, taking all of Soul Society would not be too difficult a feat. Still, considering there was a Zero Division standing above the thirteen squads, Wayne felt that maintaining a favorable relationship with Soul Society was not a bad option either. It wasn't that he feared it for himself, it was those Adjuchas-class Hollow beasts below him. They simply could not survive a battle against the top-tier combatants. Even if they won, it would be a devastating victory, the kind that left deep wounds.

Maintaining a balance of power was one consideration, but balance was always susceptible to being broken for any number of reasons. Those latent dangers were beyond Wayne's control.

"Everyone, three days from now we will be heading to Soul Society to take part in a war against those white-robed humans — the Quincy. Yes, the very humans capable of completely annihilating us Hollow beasts. They are our mortal enemies."

Wayne's words fell, and the council chamber went silent. The only sound was the churning Reiatsu of a scattered few, which spoke clearly enough, they harbored a deep, burning hatred for the Quincy.

One Soul Reaper, one Quincy. Both were natural enemies of their kind. As for ability users on the human side, the Hollow beasts held no particular feelings toward them. Humans were mostly weak, with only a handful of exceptional ability users. And those users would never come to Hueco Mundo to indiscriminately slaughter Hollows without cause. So when it came to old grievances and new, the Hollow beasts placed all the blame squarely on the Soul Reapers and the Quincy.

"My king, are we going to assist the Soul Reapers?" a voice spoke up in the chamber, an initial-rank Vasto Lorde.

It was a Hollow beast with wings, somewhere between a bird and a dragon in form. One of the later additions Jekain had recruited from a rival faction. He had one blind eye. According to his own account, it had been taken from him in a single sword stroke by a Soul Reaper, one Wayne recognized. His name was Gin Ichimaru.

"Strictly speaking, our main enemy this time is the Quincy." Wayne considered it carefully. "We will fight alongside the Soul Reapers against the Quincy, but at the same time, we will use the opportunity to exert pressure on Soul Society. There is no alliance between us. This is a transaction."

"I see." The initial-rank Vasto Lorde nodded in understanding, then lowered his head in a show of respect toward Wayne.

"I know that many of those present have fought against Soul Reapers before, and that the hatred toward them is not something that can be set aside in a moment. But this time, I ask everyone to prioritize the strategic objective. As for those arrogant Soul Reapers — we will deal with them through separate negotiations in the future. Please rest assured, and please help keep your subordinates settled as well. In this battle, we are fully committed, and we will win."

"We heed our king's command!"

"Timd, share the current intelligence with everyone." Wayne delegated the briefing to Timd. The information included what Wayne had provided from his own foreknowledge, as well as what Timd's clones had gathered independently. Wayne himself sat to the side, listening and thinking.

In this war, one critical combatant was very likely to fall, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. In this battle, the man widely called the strongest Soul Reaper in Soul Society would make his final stand at the height of his power.

When it came to raw Reiatsu and strength, this old man might not lose. But the Wandenreich had spent a thousand years studying the techniques, Reiatsu levels, and countermeasures for each and every Soul Reaper. Faced with that degree of targeted preparation, a Soul Reaper caught off guard would be at a severe disadvantage. That was what worried Wayne.

If Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto was lost, what would become of Soul Society in the end? And if Wayne used his foreknowledge to warn the old man, or even stepped in to save him directly, how would that affect the future of Soul Society's relationship with Hueco Mundo?

To save him or not, it was a question Wayne had turned over again and again. And behind that question lay even deeper implications. For instance... the battle between Retsu Unohana and Kenpachi.

All in all, from Wayne's own perspective, the old man's continued existence had both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage: it would be easier for him to face that group of Quincy lurking in the shadows. The disadvantage: in the future conflict between Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, the old man would still be a formidable enemy. That applied to Retsu Unohana as well, and to the host of Soul Reaper captains who would be difficult to deal with.

Maintaining a balance of power was one thing, but balance was always liable to be broken by some unforeseen circumstance. Those potential threats were beyond Wayne's control.

After turning it over at length, Wayne gave up trying to reach a conclusion. Perhaps only in the instant before the old man's blade struck would Wayne decide whether he was going to save him or not.

The meeting did not last long. Most of the intelligence Timd provided was aimed at helping the Vasto Lorde-class Hollow beasts guard against what they did not yet know. After all, the intelligence could not serve as a trump card. No one truly knew what cards the Wandenreich was holding in reserve, it was only a rough outline, enough to avoid going into battle completely blind. The Hollow beasts at the lower tiers were primarily there to deal with the Wandenreich's rank-and-file soldiers. The only real combat power that could make a meaningful difference was these thirty-six Vasto Lorde-class fighters.

And so, three days passed in the blink of an eye. Every Hollow beast under Wayne's command had completed their preparations, ready to face the final battle he had spoken of.

"Timd, what is the current situation outside?"

"Per your prediction, Ichigo Kurosaki has arrived in Hueco Mundo. My clone has already made contact with him." Timd stood at Wayne's side and delivered his report.

Two days prior, Wayne had told Timd that before long, Ichigo Kurosaki would arrive in Hueco Mundo, and that he would land in the eastern region. So Wayne had instructed Timd to scatter his clones throughout the eastern part of Hueco Mundo, waiting for Ichigo Kurosaki's group to arrive.

In the original story, it had been Nel who went to the living world to seek out Ichigo Kurosaki for help. But in this life, Nel had stayed at Wayne's side the entire time, so that stretch of events had been altered by the butterfly effect. Yet Wayne was not concerned. Nel's ability to open a Garganta to travel to the living world was itself within the Wandenreich's surveillance. It had been part of their plan all along, to lure Ichigo Kurosaki into Hueco Mundo and trap him there, preventing him from providing support to Soul Society.

So even with the butterfly effect in play, Ichigo Kurosaki would still be tricked into Hueco Mundo by the Wandenreich's scheme one way or another.

"What is his combat strength?" Because Wayne had subdued Aizen, Ichigo had not lost his original powers. And during the year Wayne had spent in seclusion, Wayne had no way of knowing whether the Fullbring users had made contact with Ichigo, but if Ichigo dared to lead a squad into Hueco Mundo, that in itself was indirect proof that his strength had grown considerably over the past year.

"Very strong." Timd was silent for a moment before giving his answer. "It feels like he has reached a level comparable to a high-rank Vasto Lorde Arrancar."

"Mm." Wayne gave a slight nod. He still remembered that a year ago, during the battle against Ulquiorra, Ichigo had been thoroughly outmatched. And now he had grown to a level of combat strength on par with what Ulquiorra had been back then. A strength like that was already enough to place him in the first tier.

"In that case, begin preparations. We are moving to attack the Wandenreich."

"Yes!"

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