Bleach: Reborn — Chapter 327 - Inviting the Moon

Chapter 327, Inviting the Moon

The next day, in the laboratory beneath Tsukishiro, Wayne summoned all of his Law Controllers and had them gather there. He drew a small portion of law-force from each of them and fused it into the Hōgyoku. With Szayelaporro's assistance, Wayne began analyzing the fusion of these forces.

During the earlier battle against Aizen, Aizen had used the Hōgyoku to fuse the power of the laws and form the primordial law-force. But that power was too overwhelming to be injected into a soul, which was why Aizen had created the substance known as the Relic Hollow. Yet that same force could be injected into the body of Isis Lifvida, the Law of Life's Controller, reviving her. She had lost her mind, but she had undeniably come back to life.

So Wayne found himself wondering, was it that becoming a King Hollow was what allowed someone to contain that power? Or was it the unique nature of the Law of Life that had let it accommodate the primordial law-force inside a body?

On that point, Wayne had no answer. That was precisely why he had called everyone here, to participate together in the primordial law-force experiment. He needed to draw on the combined strength of those present and the Hōgyoku to piece together the primordial laws. By now, Wayne had already collected all eight varieties of law-force. The Law of Power amounted to less than ten percent, but for an experiment, that was more than enough.

And so, after coaxing Ulquiorra into joining his faction, Wayne launched the fusion experiment without delay.

"All law-forces except the Law of Causality have been fused into the Hōgyoku. Anything showing in the data?" Inside the laboratory, Wayne watched the machines hum and the Hōgyoku pulse with steady light.

"The fusion is going smoothly — the quantity is small, after all." Szayelaporro watched the various forces merging into the Hōgyoku as the power index climbed steadily, and ran his tongue across his lips. "Perhaps the Hōgyoku already contained a trace of the Law of Causality to begin with. I can sense it even more clearly now — this small fused force is gradually taking root and growing. The Hōgyoku truly is a remarkable thing."

"The Hōgyoku is a part of the Soul King." As the number of Law Controllers under Wayne's command grew, there was no longer any need to conceal things from his own elites in high-level meetings. Collecting the laws required him to work alongside most of his elites, and Szayelaporro, as the scientist among them, had to be informed. "The Soul King bears the power of the laws — no different from the Dominator of Hueco Mundo. It makes me wonder: since both originate from the Soul King, might the law-forces also correspond to the powers of Soul Reapers and the Quincy?"

"All roads lead to one. I suppose that's exactly what it means." Szayelaporro rose and handed Wayne the Hōgyoku, fusion complete.

"The quantity was small, so the fusion went very smoothly. The fused primordial law-force now resides within the Hōgyoku. So then..."

"Want to see if I can absorb it?" Wayne smiled and took the Hōgyoku. Feeling the surge of power contained within, his expression shifted. If he could truly absorb the primordial law-force inside it, perhaps he would have a real chance at becoming the Dominator of Hueco Mundo.

The absorption did not go smoothly.

Wayne could feel that thin strand of primordial law-force flowing through his body, but very quickly it drifted back out and returned to the Hōgyoku.

"It enters the body without rejection. But it can't be fully absorbed and cultivated within." Szayelaporro murmured, watching the readouts on the testing instruments track the Reiryoku flow inside Wayne's body. "Does it feel usable?"

"It seems... it can be." Wayne lightly tapped the Hōgyoku with his fingertip. A milky-white halo of light fell across his palm. The power felt no different from his own law-force, it could be layered onto an attack without issue. "The potency is absolutely there, but the controllable quantity right now is too small. It would be exhausted before sustaining even a single attack. This primordial force can only be nurtured and grown while it resides within the Hōgyoku."

"The Hōgyoku is a part of the Soul King, so its ability to nurture the primordial laws is only natural. I have three methods that can allow you to use this power." Szayelaporro raised one finger.

"One — using the Hōgyoku as the core, I create a Locator device, which, combined with Yagami China's Law of the Soul, would sense the positions of law fragments within Hueco Mundo. Range unknown. Effectiveness unknown."

"Uncontrollable?" Wayne raised the question.

"There's no finished product yet, so I can't guarantee anything." Szayelaporro raised a second finger. "Two — absorb approximately thirty percent of the law-force from everyone present. Combined with the Hōgyoku's effect, you would be able to use the primordial force for an extended period."

"Next one." Wayne dismissed the second option outright. His decisiveness made both Baraggan and Starrk glance over at him.

"Three — go find Aizen." The corner of Szayelaporro's mouth curved upward. "Ask him about fusing with the Hōgyoku. Once you can fuse with it, that power will naturally bend to your will."

"Hmm..." Wayne fell into thought. Directly fusing with the Hōgyoku, instinctively, he recoiled from the idea. But if he could pull information from Aizen about the Relic Hollow and Hōgyoku fusion, it might serve as a devastating trump card when the moment called for it.

"Let's go with the first option for now. And it's about time we started consolidating where all the law fragments belong. How long would building that Locator take?"

"A month or two at minimum. This isn't an ordinary Reiatsu Detector, fine-tuning the details takes considerable time." Szayelaporro gave his most conservative estimate.

"A major battle is imminent. We don't have a month or two." Wayne's brow furrowed. Three days at most, Yhwach and his forces would surely appear again. Before the law fragment collection was complete, he had to deal with the crisis in front of him first. "Then just do what you can. I'm going to pay Soul Society a visit."

With a clearer picture of how the primordial law-force development stood, Wayne chose to make a trip to Soul Society first. If the opportunity arose, he needed to see Aizen.

A single flash-step, and he appeared inside the 10th Division barracks. Shiro-chan was buried in a mountain of administrative paperwork at his desk. Rangiku was asleep on the sofa. Even as she slept, her hand kept drifting restlessly toward her own chest, as though scratching an itch.

"Big brother?" Shiro-chan startled at Wayne's sudden appearance, then quickly followed up. "Hasn't the Seireitei ruled that you're not allowed to freely use your spatial abilities here?"

"When have I ever taken those old fossils seriously?" Wayne didn't care in the slightest. He walked straight over to the sofa and sat down, watching Rangiku's sleeping face with a faint smile. "How have things been on this side these past few days?"

"Tense, inside and out." Shiro-chan let out a long sigh. "Everyone's nerves are pulled taut every single day. No one knows when the next attack will come. Except for the person right in front of you."

"Ha. Honestly, I think Rangiku is the clearest-headed one of the lot." Wayne smiled.

"So what brings big brother here today?"

"I need to find Kyōraku. But it wouldn't do to flash straight into the 1st Division barracks, so I came here first. Pass the word along for me."

"Tch..." Shiro-chan clicked his tongue. But he pulled back his sleeve, bit his finger, and activated Tenteikūra all the same.

"Huh? Captain?" The Reiatsu disturbance woke Rangiku. She rubbed her bleary eyes open, and found Wayne sitting right beside her. "What are you doing here?"

"What, not happy to see me?" Wayne teased.

"Not at all, of course not." Rangiku broke into a grin. But she quickly noticed Shiro-chan performing Tenteikūra and asked, "Captain, what's going on?"

"Big brother needs to find Captain-Commander Kyōraku." Shiro-chan finished the Tenteikūra and lowered his sleeve. "Captain Kyōraku says you can head straight to the 1st Division office."

"This late... going about it this way." Rangiku lightly pressed a fingertip to her lips, thinking. "Is there some secret involved?"

"How is Soul Society's defensive arrangement coming along?" Wayne made no reply to Rangiku's question. Seeking out Aizen was not something convenient to let spread.

"Everything that could be done has been done. The 12th Division even specially distributed a large number of Reishi Cannons to each division, though it's anyone's guess whether they'll actually be effective."

"Was that Akon's idea?"

"Yeah." Shiro-chan nodded. "Akon apparently submitted an application for city-defense weapons as far back as a year ago, but it was never approved. So he built some privately. After the fighting from the other day, and with the Captain-Commander having... these weapons have been brought out into the open."

"Good. If it can reduce casualties even a little, that's worthwhile." Wayne gave a nod. Since Kyōraku had taken the top position, many things had clearly begun to change.

"About Captain-Commander Yamamoto... big brother, I still owe you my thanks."

"Thank me for what." Wayne smiled. "It was mutually beneficial. Nothing more."

"I heard his entire Reiatsu was taken by you. There shouldn't be anyone in Soul Society now who could defeat you, big brother."

"And that's exactly why the Central 46 is wary of me." A cold snort. "Hmph. Doesn't matter, I've never taken them seriously. I'll go find Kyōraku now. The great battle won't be long in coming. Get yourself ready, and protect Momo and Rangiku."

"I'd do that without being told."

"Speaking of which, where's Gin?" Wayne suddenly turned to look at Rangiku. "I remember one of the terms in our previous agreement was releasing Gin, wasn't it?"

"Gin has had his Reiatsu sealed and is under house arrest in the 18th District of Rukongai." A faint flush crossed Rangiku's face. "It's house arrest, but it doesn't restrict his day-to-day movements. Just the area, limited to the nearby streets."

"A Captain-level fighter. Don't let him go to waste." Wayne reached out, and a crystal sphere of spiritual energy with a phantasmal silver sheen materialized in his hand. "Take this to Gin later."

"This is..." Rangiku accepted the crystal and studied it carefully.

"A crystal fused with my power. Tell Gin to crush it when he needs it. It can restore his full combat strength in an instant, but there's a time limit. It should last roughly one to two days. If he goes all-out, it'll probably dissipate within a few hours."

"This..." Rangiku glanced over at Shiro-chan, a little awkward.

"It's fine. Take it to him. Soul Society genuinely needs the fighting strength right now."

"Okay, I'll go right away." Seeing Shiro-chan nod, Rangiku agreed with a smile.

"As it happens, I'm heading toward Kyōraku's side anyway, I'll take you part of the way." Wayne reached out and looped his arm around Rangiku's waist. With a startled cry from Rangiku, the two of them vanished from Shiro-chan's sight in an instant.

"This idiot big brother..." Watching Wayne quietly take advantage of Rangiku like that, Shiro-chan found himself reminded of Isshin Shiba. The difference was that Rangiku had never once let Isshin succeed, whereas with Wayne, she had never truly managed to resist successfully, either.

Wayne left Rangiku on the streets of Rukongai District 12, then flashed directly to the 1st Division captain's office. Shunsui Kyōraku was already seated on the tatami, a jug of clear sake prepared and waiting. Nanao Ise sat in a kneeling posture behind the table, apparently ready to pour for her captain.

"Ah, there you are, young Wayne." Kyōraku reclined beside the table and raised his cup toward him. "Come have a drink."

"Gladly. It's been a long time since I last drank with Captain Kyōraku. Come, bottoms up!" Wayne sat directly across from him without ceremony. The two raised their cups and drained them in one go, just as they had the very first time they met, viewing the moon together, chatting idly over drinks.

They talked about the scheme to squeeze money out of people back during the Academy tournament. They talked about the battles they had fought side by side after Wayne became a captain. They talked about what it had been like teasing Little Nanao together, and they talked about the future of Soul Society. Yet now, sitting together again, both of them carried new identities.

"Ah... sometimes I can't help but feel it, in these long years as a Soul Reaper, the moments when you can truly unwind come down to evenings like this. After the division duties are done, settling your mind in the courtyard with some drinks and quiet conversation."

"The essence of war is the struggle over resources, a truth that has held since the beginning of time. From ancient days to now, whether animals, humans, Soul Reapers, or Hollows, the root cause of every conflict is the contest over interests and resources. That cannot be changed. So we keep fighting in these wars, for peace and for freedom."

Wayne took a light sip of clear sake. "After this battle in front of us is done, I believe there will still be countless more to come. The enemies may be stronger, or they may be weaker. What I can do is nothing more than strengthen myself and safeguard the people under my protection. That is all."

"Ah... now that you've become King of Hueco Mundo, you've grown so much more seasoned, young Wayne."

"You think I want to be? I'd much rather go shoplifting fruit with Nel and China and spend my days eating and drinking. But in every major battle, I have to step forward. Stand before my people and take responsibility for their lives and their freedom. Isn't it the same for you?"

"To tell you the truth, I'm grateful." Shunsui Kyōraku accepted the cup Nanao had just refilled. "I'm grateful that it's you who became the ruler of Hueco Mundo."

"How do you mean?"

"You are immensely powerful, powerful to the point that no one in Soul Society today can match you. Yet you have never launched an attack on Soul Society. More than that, you've single-handedly suppressed every war that Hueco Mundo might have waged against us. The Central 46 once told me to find an opportunity to weaken your power. But I know that would be futile. No matter how many of your Hollows are destroyed, you alone could still annihilate Soul Society. Those old fossils simply cannot grasp that." At that, Shunsui Kyōraku shook his head. "Forget it, enough of that. In any case, if we can keep the balance between Soul Society and Hueco Mundo with you around, my role as Captain-Commander becomes a little easier to carry."

"Relax. I have absolutely no interest in ruling the Three Worlds." The corner of Wayne's mouth curved upward. "Eating, drinking, and enjoying life, that's more my style. When the time comes and I go to the World of the Living to steal apples with Nel, just make sure your people don't come after me."

"Pfft, hahahaha." It was a rare thing. Shunsui Kyōraku laughed out loud. The last time he had laughed so freely felt like it was decades ago.

"So then, this sudden visit." Kyōraku set down his cup. "What is it you want, young Wayne?"

"I want to meet with Sōsuke Aizen."

"Oh?"

➤ Next: Meeting Aizen