Bleach: Reborn — Chapter 334 - Isn't This Just Bullying an Honest Guy?

"Ugh..." Inside a sealed container, a massive, powerfully built Hollow with a wolf-head Hollow Mask slowly regained consciousness.

He opened his eyes to a field of green, the life-support solution that had been pumped into the container. Through the green liquid, the hulking Hollow saw a faint blue luminescence emanating from a round crystal stone.

"Where... is this?" The moment he opened his mouth, a stream of bubbles came pouring out. He clearly hadn't grasped his situation yet.

"You're awake! The surgery was a great success — you're now a cute gi... ow! Ow ow ow!" Outside the container, Wayne grabbed his own head and cried out in pain, while behind him, Yagami China had already raised her palm and slapped him upside the head.

"How long are you going to keep running that joke?!" Yagami China laughed and scolded him.

"He's regained consciousness — should we let him out?" Szayelaporro spoke up after checking that all of the Hollow's physical readings inside the container were normal.

"Yeah, let him out." Wayne rubbed his head, then put the Hōgyoku away.

Glug glug glug... Whoosh!

The green life-support liquid drained from the container, and the hatch was quickly opened. The massive Hollow's footing gave way and he nearly toppled to the ground.

"Cough, cough, cough... Where is this... What happened to me?" He coughed the liquid from his lungs and staggered unsteadily to his feet.

"Why does this guy seem like his brain is broken?" Behind Wayne, Lilynette spoke up.

"He was just pulled back from the edge of death. Give him some time to process." Starrk patted Lilynette on the head and explained.

"Wasn't he stabbed to death by Szayelaporro?" Nel pursed her lips, puzzled. "Why couldn't they just let him Hollowfy directly from his big-doggy form? Why did he have to be killed first?"

"His Reiatsu had scattered completely. Without killing him and rebuilding him, he might not even be able to bear Adjuchas-level Reiatsu." Baraggan stood behind the group with his arms crossed and answered.

"He once had captain-level Reiatsu... and now he can't even withstand Adjuchas-level power. How pitiful." Harribel shook her head with a sigh.

Ulquiorra: "..."

"Alright, that's enough — when did everyone learn how to make snide remarks?" Yagami China turned back toward the gathered Hollows and chided them. "At the end of the day, he used to be... the big doggy was also captain-level before. Show the doggy a little respect."

The Hollows all looked at Yagami China at the same time, their expressions all seeming to say: isn't she the one who has been making the most remarks of all?

"Captain Komamura, have you not fully recovered your senses yet?" Ignoring the commentary from the Vasto Lorde-class Hollows behind him, Wayne stepped forward and began checking on Sajin Komamura's condition.

"Ugh... You are... Lord Ace Wayne? This place is..." Gradually, Sajin Komamura recovered his clarity and began to recognize everyone present.

"My territory." Wayne spoke plainly. "After you collapsed from the backlash of the forbidden technique, I brought you here and brought you back to life."

"I... came back to life?" Sajin Komamura looked down at both of his hands. They had become two sets of sharp claws, and though he could feel the flow of Reiatsu, it felt utterly alien and repulsive.

"I... came back to life? I've become... a Hollow?!" In the next instant, the realization of his own state hit him and his Reiatsu erupted, rage and hysteria from the very depths of his being.

"Calm down." Wayne snapped his fingers, and a band of spirit energy conjured from the laws of illusion instantly wrapped around Sajin Komamura and held him firmly in place.

"Ace Wayne, are you mocking me?!" Sajin Komamura let out a roar. "You've turned me into a Hollow, you might as well have just killed me!"

"Captain Komamura, calm down." Wayne closed his fist, and the band of light restraining Sajin Komamura tightened once more.

"I have no intention of humiliating you. The only method I had to bring you back to life was to turn you into a Hollow. This is still better than you remaining a mindless wolf, is it not?"

"Silence! I have fought for hundreds of years in Soul Society, slaying Hollows beyond count, harboring a bone-deep hatred for every Hollow that ever invaded Soul Society, and now you have reduced me to this. What face do I have left to show Lord Yamamoto?!"

"Don't talk as though that old man would take you in just because you turned into a wild dog." Nel was the first to step forward when she saw her lord being screamed at. "Lord Wayne revived you out of genuine goodwill, giving you back your consciousness so you could return to Soul Society and fight on, how can you speak to Lord Wayne like this?"

"Captain Komamura, look at me, haven't I become a Hollow too?" Yagami China's brows knitted slightly as she stepped forward as well. "Even though I became a Hollow, I can still go back to my own clan and laugh and joke and fight alongside my family. What is wrong with that?"

"This is different!" Sajin Komamura continued to roar. "My entire life I stood at Lord Yamamoto's side, I took pride in being a Soul Reaper, and now I have been turned into a Soul Reaper's greatest enemy. You are trampling on my honor!"

"What a racket!" Szayelaporro was the first to release his Reiatsu, that Vasto Lorde-level pressure slammed directly down on Sajin Komamura, who had only reached mid-tier Adjuchas, and sent him crashing to the ground. "We should just kill this stubborn old fossil."

"Everyone, quiet." Wayne frowned and signaled for Szayelaporro to rein in his Reiatsu.

"Captain Komamura, I understand that you have a great many grievances about becoming a Hollow. But the enemy now invading Soul Society is the Quincy, not us Hollows. Please think that through carefully first."

"Hmph. Ace Wayne, I am grateful that you restored my consciousness, but as for the matter of becoming a Hollow, please forgive my selfishness. I ask that you simply strike me down here. My mind is made up, in a state like this, I truly have no face left to show Lord Yamamoto."

"Obstinate fool!" A flash of genuine anger crossed Wayne's face. "To save Genryusai Yamamoto, I spent an enormous amount of the Hōgyoku's power, as well as the core power of my companions. To save you, I expended the Hōgyoku's power yet again. Do you think I wanted to turn you into a Hollow? If it weren't for that forbidden technique of yours completely turning you into a beast and destroying any chance of you returning as a Soul Reaper, would I have resorted to this? I've spent so much time in Soul Society, do you think I don't know what kind of person you are, you damn dog? If I hadn't done it this way, do you think you'd ever have gotten your consciousness and memories back?!"

"..." Komamura was left speechless, and though he was still breathing hard, he had begun to settle down.

"The enemy is at the gates, every additional person means an additional measure of strength. Do you really think I care about Soul Society's survival? My territory is somewhere those bow-wielding idiots couldn't find in a thousand years. If it weren't for Shiro-chan, Momo, Lady Mizusue, and Retsu Unohana, do you think I would be dealing with any of this? If it weren't for the years I spent in Soul Society, for the debt I owe Genryusai Yamamoto, and for the bonds I share with the Soul Reapers, do you think I'd give a damn whether you lived or died?"

"Ugh..." Sajin Komamura fell completely silent. Was Wayne right?

He was.

Did Soul Society's survival have anything to do with him?

It did, but not much. If not for the bonds of old, Wayne as King of Hueco Mundo could have turned his back on Soul Society's fate entirely, and might even have found the spare time to come kick them while they were down.

"..." For a moment, the big doggy's head wasn't quite keeping up. Although becoming a Hollow filled him with tremendous fury, just as Wayne had said, with the enemy at the gates, it seemed he should prioritize driving out the Quincy first.

"I apologize. It was I who was presumptuous." In the end, after cooling down for several minutes, Sajin Komamura opened his mouth and apologized to Wayne.

"Captain Komamura, I know you have deep grievances about what I have done, but now is not the time for that." Seeing the big doggy calm down, Wayne continued. "To face our common enemy, your strength is vital right now, I need your help."

"...Lord Wayne, it is I who was being narrow-minded." After a brief moment of reflection, the big doggy decided to set aside his fury over having become a Hollow and keep the greater picture in mind. "Even so, in a state like this, what am I still capable of?"

"When I revived you, I injected a special power into your body to help restore your combat strength, but that power is incomplete, because the limit your body can currently bear is Adjuchas-level. After all, you had completely lost your Reiatsu while you were a captain, so there was no way to elevate you to a higher tier all at once. Please be aware of this."

"Then I..." Never mind what tier he was, now that he had become a Hollow, Sajin Komamura couldn't even fully control his Reiatsu yet, to say nothing of going to the front lines to fight.

"The special power I injected into you has scattered fragments still remaining throughout Hueco Mundo. The fastest way to boost your strength is to go collect those scattered fragments. In other words... you would need to devour other Hollows. I know, for you, that is an even more deeply humiliating thing to ask. But this is the way we Hollows grow stronger. Please understand."

"This..." Sajin Komamura's voice grew heavy. It was plain to see how deeply against his will this was.

"Forget it, Tsuki-chan." Yagami China tugged at Wayne's sleeve. "Captain Komamura is extremely averse to this kind of thing, don't make things difficult for him. Besides, how could you expect an old-guard captain to accept the Hollow way of life all at once? It's just not possible."

"Ugh..." After hearing Yagami China's words, the rumbling in Sajin Komamura's throat grew even heavier.

"What if the Hōgyoku is used to mediate?" Nel suddenly spoke up. "If that power were converted through the Hōgyoku and injected directly into the Captain's body, wouldn't that skip the step of having him directly devour other Hollows the way we did?"

"The Hōgyoku has no capacity left to mediate anything." Szayelaporro replied. "Between the last revival, this revival, and the losses from the earlier experiments, the Hōgyoku has already expended an enormous amount of energy. To handle this mediation, a massive amount of spirit energy would need to be fed into it first. This could very well affect your future battle against Yhwach, my King."

"It's fine." Wayne shook his head. "I'll keep my output to an absolute minimum. As long as it helps Captain Komamura gain control over that power, we will have one more formidable fighting force, that is worth it. And once this mission is complete, our use of the Hōgyoku can essentially be wrapped up. For future casualties and rescues, as long as the injury is not instantly fatal, Captain Unohana can bring them back."

His words finished, Wayne looked toward Sajin Komamura. "How does that sound, Captain Komamura? Is this acceptable?"

"Ugh... If that is the case..." A faint light stirred in the eyes beneath Sajin Komamura's Hollow Mask. "If that is the case, then I am willing to give it a try."

"Then... let it be done."

"Ah, thank you. I am in your care." The now-Hollow Sajin Komamura bowed deeply toward Wayne. "I am sorry, Lord Wayne, I have caused you trouble again."

"It's nothing... pfft. Cough, cough, cough..." Wayne gave a dry cough. "Everything is for the sake of our final victory." He waved his hand to signal the others to leave first. "Then, Captain Komamura, please spend some time here familiarizing yourself with how we Hollows use our spirit energy. I will go ahead and prepare with the others. In the meantime, I hope you can bring out your awareness of the power I injected into you as quickly as possible. Only when you are able to control that power will we be able to sense where the other fragments are. I have already dispatched subordinates to take part in the fighting on Soul Society's side, you can rest easy for now."

"Understood. I will adapt as quickly as I can."

"Good." Seeing Komamura agree, Wayne gave a slight nod and walked out of the laboratory with Yagami China and Nel. He also held back Ulquiorra, who had been standing to one side without a word.

"Ulquiorra, use your ability to help Captain Komamura complete his adaptation to Hollow power as quickly as possible. We don't have much time."

"Understood." Ulquiorra gave an expressionless nod, then walked toward Sajin Komamura.

"We'll take our leave first — see you soon."

"Thank you for the trouble." Sajin Komamura bowed once more and watched Wayne depart.

Wayne led the group out of the laboratory, and the moment the door had barely shut behind them, Yagami China, walking right beside Wayne, looked as though she was about to burst, and a strange little sound slipped out from between her lips.

"Pfft..."

The instant he heard it, Wayne deployed a spatial transfer and teleported the entire group far away from the underground room, into a conference hall.

"PFFT! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The moment they arrived, Yagami China completely lost her composure and burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! I can't take it anymore — hahaha — that big doggy was too adorable! Tsuki-chan, aren't you just bullying an honest guy... wait, no, bullying an honest dog?"

Not just Yagami China, Lilynette beside her was also clutching her stomach, rolling around laughing on the floor next to Starrk.

"Hahaha! Is that really a captain?! How can he be so easy to fool?! Hahaha!"

"Alright, alright, Lilynette." Starrk pressed a hand to his forehead and sat down helplessly in one of the chairs. "Do you really think that guy was that easy to fool?"

"Huh? Wasn't he?" Lilynette asked, still gasping for breath between laughs. "He ended up going along with everything we said, didn't he?"

"It was the laws of illusion," Wayne said, settling into the seat at the head of the table and scratching his cheek with a half-smile. "I used the power of the laws of illusion to influence his senses and emotions. Otherwise, how could a captain like Komamura have possibly been talked around with just a few words?"

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