Bleach: Reborn — Chapter 333 - Turned Traitor — Or Maybe Not

WHOOSH!

A dark figure landed in front of Wayne and the fallen Sajin Komamura.

"You're here, Brother Iba." Wayne had been waiting. This was exactly why, for Iba to show up.

"Ah, young Wayne." Iba's Zanpakuto returned from Shikai to Asauchi and slid back into its sheath. "Thank you for not interfering in Captain Komamura's battle."

"It was his wish to fight to the last. I had no reason to disturb that." Wayne spread his hands.

"Indeed. The Captain dedicated his entire life working tirelessly for Soul Society. And he spent it repaying Lord Yamamoto's kindness — right to the end, without hesitation." As he spoke, Iba bent down and hoisted the wolf-formed Sajin Komamura onto his back.

"The Captain did nothing wrong. He chose the path he believed was right."

"Mm." Wayne said nothing more, watching Iba in silence. "Where are you taking him?"

"To the enemy's stronghold." Iba adjusted his glasses. "I'm going to take Captain Komamura with me and defeat Yhwach."

"The mindset and resolve are there." Wayne nodded. "Pity the strength isn't."

"Hm?" Iba caught what that meant. "Young Wayne, you don't agree with what I'm doing?"

"That's not it." Wayne shook his head. "Actually, I came here to take Captain Komamura away myself."

"Take him away?"

"Back to my base. To bring him back to life."

"Hm!?" Iba went rigid, expression turning agitated. "Bring him back — like the Commander-General? A resurrection?"

"No." Wayne's face stayed calm. "Unlike the old man, when I revive Captain Komamura, I'll be turning him into a Hollow."

"What did you say!" Iba stepped back several paces with Komamura still on his back, staring at Wayne in flat disbelief.

"You want to turn Captain Komamura into a Hollow!? Young Wayne, what exactly are you saying!"

"Exactly what I said." Wayne wasn't rattled by Iba's shift in attitude. Iba didn't even have the standing to fight him right now. "Captain Komamura has completely lost his combat ability, and in this beast form, he's lost even basic consciousness. He can't be revived the way the old man was. This is... a backlash from his own clan's forbidden technique."

"The Captain, he..."

"He can never become a Soul Reaper again." Wayne's expression hardened. "Turning him into a Hollow is the only option."

"Ugh..." Iba hesitated, then shook his head. "Maybe your method could restore Captain Komamura's consciousness and give him real combat power. But if the Captain became the very thing he spent his whole life killing, he might take his own life on the spot. Ah... I'm not mocking you, young Wayne. But you have to understand, the enmity between Hollows and us Soul Reapers..." He suddenly remembered who he was talking to. Cold sweat broke out on Iba's brow.

"Ever since you became King of Hueco Mundo, yes, the conflict between us and Hollows has dropped considerably. But a hatred that's been building for over a thousand years, the Captain would find it very hard to let go of. And on top of that, his close friend Captain Tōsen..."

"I understand." Wayne nodded. "But I wasn't planning on asking your opinion. Or even Sajin Komamura's."

"What?" Iba's brow creased. He'd caught the edge in those words.

"You intend to take Captain Komamura by force?"

"Yes." Wayne gave a slight nod. "There are things I need to verify, and Sajin Komamura happens to meet the criteria for my experiment. The reason I didn't disturb his fight with that female Quincy was to give him one last show of respect. After this, I need him to do something for me."

"I'm sorry, young Wayne, but this is the one thing I can't agree to." With Komamura still on his back, Iba drew his Zanpakuto with his free hand.

"I can't let the Captain become a Hollow. I still have a mission."

"Defeating Yhwach is my business. Sajin Komamura's duty ended just now. I need his strength for something else. Brother Iba, I have no wish to fight you. But I'm taking Sajin Komamura."

"What exactly is the reason?" Iba held his Zanpakuto drawn but didn't move to attack. "You're already as powerful as you are. Why do you need Captain Komamura, someone who's lost all his fighting ability? And on top of that, turn him into a Hollow?"

"I said, I need certain verification to know whether what I'm doing is right." Wayne offered nothing more. "Hand Captain Komamura over to me. Afterward, I'll bring you back a Sajin Komamura at peak Adjuchas level at the very minimum. By that point his consciousness will be restored. Where his life goes from there is his own business, but before then, I'm taking him."

"Don't even think about it!" Iba raised his Zanpakuto. "Navigate past hidden reefs and treacherous shallows, become the master of the helm, Koi Sea Evening Fishing!"

The spirit words left his lips and his Zanpakuto snapped into Shikai. Koi Sea Evening Fishing, the name of his release. And its ability,

"Sea Fog!"

One swing of the blade and a wall of white mist swallowed Wayne's field of vision whole. At the same instant, Iba's Reiatsu vanished completely into the haze.

Iba knew he was no match for Wayne. So he created an obstacle, bought himself time to run. He still didn't understand why Wayne suddenly wanted to take Sajin Komamura, a man with no consciousness and no combat ability left. But to protect Komamura's dignity as a Soul Reaper, Iba had planted his feet and faced him anyway.

And yet.

Ugh!

Two steps into Shunpo and Wayne was already standing in front of him, fist driving straight into his gut.

The pain folded Iba in half like a shrimp. His grip on Sajin Komamura went slack.

Wayne caught Komamura with one hand and kicked Iba away with the same motion.

"Tsukishiro Hinamori! You bastard!" Iba tumbled through the air, roaring in disbelief. He hadn't actually thought Wayne would hit him.

"Seventh Division Vice-Captain Tetsuzaemon Iba to all of Soul Society, for reasons unknown, former ally Ace Wayne has attacked me and forcibly taken the unconscious Captain Komamura. All divisions, raise your guard!"

"Clarify, why did Ace Wayne attack you?" The reply came almost instantly through the communication device in his ear. The voice was Shunsui Kyōraku's.

"Commander-General." Just hearing that voice eased some of the tension in Iba's chest. He confirmed Wayne wasn't pressing another attack, then laid out the situation.

"After Captain Komamura won his battle against the enemy Quincy, his own life reached its end. He's now a wolf with no consciousness, but he hasn't stopped breathing. And Ace Wayne intends to take Captain Komamura away and convert him into a Hollow, says it's to verify something. As his Vice-Captain, I cannot allow him to selfishly convert the Captain into a Hollow. So just now, Ace Wayne attacked me and forcibly took Captain Komamura."

"That guy... what exactly is he trying to do." On the other end of the line, Shunsui Kyōraku's frown didn't ease. He couldn't read Wayne at all, first saving two captains, and now this.

"Iba, come back for now." Kyōraku spoke after a beat. "There's nothing you can do to stop Ace Wayne. By the time anyone gets there, he'll have already jumped away with his spatial ability."

"But, " Iba started to push back, then saw Wayne step in front of him through Shunpo.

"Kyōraku, I'm taking Komamura. There's something important I need to do. Handle the battle from your end. If you need me, contact me through Timd." Wayne said it quietly into Iba's ear, then opened a spatial rift, seized Iba with his Reiatsu, and threw him through it. In an instant, Iba materialized at Shunsui Kyōraku's side.

"Alas..." Kyōraku watched Iba appear beside him and the rift seal shut behind it. He shook his head and muttered to himself. "I'm starting to want to take back what I said about making him King of Hueco Mundo."

"Captain Tsukishiro Hinamori... he won't do something reckless, will he." Nanao Ise helped Iba to his feet as she asked.

"That guy has walked straight off the battlefield. Who knows what he's actually trying to do." Kyōraku pressed his fingers to his brow, looking genuinely troubled. "Still, he took down two members of the Wandenreich. That at least takes some pressure off us. Next, we, "

"Shunsui." A crackling voice cut through the communication device just as Kyōraku was about to lay out the next move.

"Hm? Is that Captain Kurotsuchi?" He recognized the voice immediately, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Captain of the Twelfth Division. "Something the matter?"

"Go activate the video device in your office. I have something to discuss with you." There was a thin edge of irritation in Mayuri's voice.

"What happened?" Kyōraku caught it and frowned instinctively. Another wave before the last one even settled?

"An annoying individual." Mayuri seemed to glance toward someone nearby. "Besides bringing back the antidote that can help the captains reclaim their Bankai, that person has also brought back important intelligence, intelligence about Ace Wayne."

"Oh?" Kyōraku's eyebrow went up. "Timing it for right after Wayne left... on purpose." His expression settled into something serious. "Let's go, Little Nanao. The enemy won't be coming this way for a while. Let's see what they've brought us."

"Yes, Commander-General."

...

On the other side, Wayne brought Sajin Komamura's wolf body straight back to his fortress at Tsukishiro and teleported directly to Szayelaporro's laboratory.

"Oh? Back already?" Szayelaporro was bent over two Quincy corpses, deep in his research. The damage done to the Wandenreich earlier had kept him well supplied with test subjects. "Finished down there?"

"No." Wayne shook his head. "How's it going — anything interesting?"

"Actually, yes." Szayelaporro smiled. "While I was studying Quincy Reishi composition, I stumbled onto a certain power hidden in their bloodlines. It all traces back to the same individual, as though every last one of them is merely that person's puppet."

"That's Yhwach's Auswählen. He can instantly reclaim all Quincy power and use it himself." Wayne explained. "Anything else?"

"Quincy blood can't fuse with Hollow tissue. Strong mutual rejection, the instant a Hollow's Reiatsu makes contact, the Quincy's Reishi arrangement collapses into total disorder." Szayelaporro pulled up the data from the fusion experiment. "But here's the strange part: when I used the Hōgyoku to absorb the Quincy's Reishi and broke down then rebuilt the sequence, I could rearrange it into our Hollow Reishi pattern. Which means the way Quincy absorb atmospheric Reishi, if we master the sequence, we could do the same."

"Call Nel in. Reference the Law of Devourment. Might turn up something."

"Those are the exact words I've been waiting for." Szayelaporro smiled. Without Wayne's clearance, he would never dare to draw on the Law of Devourment residing inside Nel. Wayne had mentioned studying the connection between the Hōgyoku and Law power, yes, but the one carrying the Law of Devourment was Nel. Wayne's partner. He had no intention of touching that particular nerve.

"One more thing. I need your help with this." Wayne passed Sajin Komamura's wolf body to Szayelaporro. "Seventh Division Captain, Sajin Komamura. Used a forbidden technique and became an unconscious beast. Convert him into a Hollow."

"Oh?" Szayelaporro pushed up his mask-glasses. "From what I know, the Seventh Division Captain was utterly devoted to Soul Society, and during my invasion he personally killed a great many Hollows. The enmity runs deep. You want to revive him and convert him into a Hollow? You're not worried he'll turn on you the moment he's conscious, or end himself right there?"

"He's still useful to me. What happens after that — whether he lives or dies — is his own choice."

"Very well. You're the King. You decide." Szayelaporro took the massive wolf body, nearly his own height, and dropped it into an experimental container.

"Aside from the revival, any other requirements?" He worked the laboratory machinery, injecting a canister of green solution into the container.

"Restore his consciousness. Temporarily infuse him with Adjuchas-level Reiatsu, and, of the power-Law fragments stored inside the Hōgyoku, keep one percent. Inject all the rest into him."

"Hm?" Szayelaporro's hand paused on the controls. "Give him the Law of Power? You want to make him a successor to the Law?"

"No." Wayne shook his head. "I want to use him to locate the remaining fragments of the Law of Power."

"Oh?" Szayelaporro tilted his head. "Why him specifically?"

"Sajin Komamura's Zanpakuto is pure, undiluted power. If he converts into a Hollow, my instinct says his ability will still be exactly that, raw strength. Compared to a hybrid like Yaon, who was fused together, Sajin Komamura may have far higher compatibility with the Law of Power. Which means if the fusion succeeds, we can have him work alongside Yagami China to track down the remaining fragments."

"That is actually quite elegant." Szayelaporro propped his chin, nodding in agreement. "But... aren't you concerned that once he locates the Law of Power fragments, he'll claim them for himself and go straight back to Soul Society?"

"Do you think someone wielding only the Law of Power could cut through all of our Law controllers?" Wayne said, something almost amused in his expression. "Get to work. As long as he doesn't drop dead on the spot the moment he wakes up, I have a hundred ways to keep him in line."

"But of course." Szayelaporro smiled, and gave Wayne an elegant bow.

"As you command, my King."

➤ Next: Isn't This Just Bullying an Honest Guy?