Bleach: Reborn — Chapter 335 - Luring the Dog into the Trap

Chapter 335, Luring the Wolf into the Trap

The entire conversation with Sajin Komamura had been a deception from start to finish, a trap Wayne had laid to make him accept the reality before him as quickly as possible.

From the moment Komamura woke, Wayne had summoned every Law Inheritor to his side. The purpose was simple: intimidation. At the same time, he had capped the power granted to Komamura at the Adjuchas level, so that Komamura would feel, viscerally, unmistakably, just how weak he had become.

When Komamura realized he was now a Hollow and erupted in fury, Wayne seized on that rage. Using the Illusion Law, he reached into Komamura's consciousness and applied a subtle interference, dulling his judgment just enough to make him accept Wayne's words as truth the moment he heard them.

After that, Wayne had coordinated with Szayelaporro, Nel, and Yagami China. Together they exaggerated the effort involved in reviving him through the Hōgyoku, and let slip, almost in passing, that the resurrection had cost enormous resources and even reduced the odds of defeating Yhwach in the coming war. The guilt planted itself without Komamura ever noticing.

With all those pieces in place, Sajin Komamura was thoroughly outmaneuvered. He folded, and began cooperating with Wayne's plans without further resistance.

The purpose of those plans was exactly what it appeared to be: to have Komamura help locate the remaining fragments of the Strength Law.

Surveying all three realms, Wayne had concluded that Sajin Komamura was the most fitting vessel for that Law. Tenken was a power-type Zanpakuto, through and through. But Komamura had been a Soul Reaper, and Wayne could not be certain whether those Reishi traits would carry over after the conversion. So he had used the opportunity of Komamura's transformation into a beast to complete the process, turning him into a Hollow.

Whether by fortune or because Wayne's reasoning had genuinely held, the few remaining Strength Law fragments he possessed merged into Komamura's body with surprising ease. Activation would still take time. Komamura needed to grow accustomed to a Hollow's power before the search could begin.

But that wouldn't take long. A few hours at most, and Komamura would have full command of a beast-Hollow's Reishi. He was a veteran captain, combat experience, he had in abundance.

During that window, Wayne dispatched roughly two hundred of his Adjuchas-level Arrancar and Hollow beasts to join the battle against the Quincy. Kyōraku was startled when they first appeared on the battlefield. But once Wayne told him he was in the process of reviving Sajin Komamura and had sent his forces down to buy time, Kyōraku steadied himself and shifted to a defensive posture, holding the line and waiting. Shortly after Wayne's forces entered the fight, the scales began to tip.

All two hundred-odd Adjuchas-level Hollow beasts had their orders.

No solo engagements with Sternritter members. If they wanted to fight, five to ten units had to act together. Give the enemy no room to breathe. Keep casualties to a minimum.

The Sternritter numbered barely over twenty, but each of them was a match for a captain in raw combat power. By that count, Wayne's side was still at a disadvantage without any Vasto Lordes in the field.

The reason he hadn't committed his Vasto Lorde beasts was simple: he needed them with him to hunt Law fragments. That was the priority. Everything else came second.

Besides, Wayne needed Yhwach to pave a road for him. A road he had only ever imagined, but never yet walked.

"How are you feeling, Captain Komamura?"

Six hours later, Wayne returned to Komamura's location with the Law Inheritors in tow. Komamura was in the training ground, working through a series of Hollow beasts Szayelaporro had fabricated, his movements already carrying a practiced ease.

"Lord Wayne." Komamura threw a punch and sent the nearest training Hollow flying, then Sonído-ed to a stop in front of Wayne.

"Mission accomplished. I have control of my current power." He clenched his fist and felt the surge move through him. "It isn't as refined as what I had as a captain, but combat-wise, there's no longer any issue. My Reishi reserves aren't what they used to be, though. Many of my former abilities are still out of reach."

"That's fine. The power we're about to find will fill that gap." Wayne gave a slight nod. Six hours to full mastery, good. The faster Komamura was ready, the more time remained. He couldn't afford to wait until Yhwach had reduced Soul Society to rubble before making his move.

"I only want to return to Soul Society and provide support as quickly as possible. My power level is not what concerns me."

"Then let's prepare. I've already committed a large force to stall on the Soul Society battlefield. To finish this as quickly as possible, Captain Komamura, we need your help."

"Understood. What do you need me to do?"

"Do you remember the special power I infused into your body?" Wayne produced the Hōgyoku as he spoke. "Shortly, I'll use the Hōgyoku and Yagami China's ability to help you sense that power, and at the same time search Hueco Mundo for energies of the same origin. I'm hoping we come back with something."

"Very well. When do we start?"

"Now." Wayne reached out and lightly touched Komamura's arm, then opened the Spatial Law and sent the assembled Hollow beasts up to the castle's rooftop.

"Going forward, Captain Komamura, I'll guide you to that power. Your job is to memorize the sensation of it. Then, through Yagami China's soul perception, we'll conduct a search across Hueco Mundo. We can't cover the whole thing at once — we move in stages."

"Understood. I'll do everything I can to feel it." Sajin Komamura sat cross-legged and began to channel his Reiatsu, reaching inward for the power Wayne had described.

That power was the Strength Law. The moment Komamura began guiding his Reiatsu toward it, Wayne suspended the Hōgyoku above his forehead, letting the remaining one-percent Strength Law fragments circulate through Komamura's body in a continuous loop, sharpening his grasp on the Law by degrees. At the same time, he had Yagami China use the Soul Law to guide the process from outside.

It lasted roughly two hours. Then a warm, amber-gold radiance began to glow quietly from Sajin Komamura's body. Wayne recognized the sign. Komamura had crossed the initial threshold of the Strength Law.

"Found them." Yagami China opened her eyes, pulling back from the Soul Law.

"Three resonances in the southern part of Hueco Mundo. One in the east. That's the limit of my range for now."

"That's fine. We take it step by step." A flicker of satisfaction crossed Wayne's eyes. He opened a spatial rift and led the group directly to the eastern region of Hueco Mundo, Las Noches territory, the ground most familiar to all of them.

"Can you pinpoint the location?" Wayne asked, landing near Las Noches.

"That direction." Yagami China raised a slender finger and pointed. "Approximately eight hundred kilometers."

WHOOSH!

Wayne teleported the group forward. They closed the distance in stages, one jump at a time.

"East. Twelve kilometers."

"North. Three kilometers."

"Too far... one kilometer back south."

"Got it!"

After several spatial jumps, Yagami China swept her hand and sent a silver-white beam of light lancing straight into the sky. A moment later it curved, angling sharply toward the southeast, and held there, marking the target's position.

Wayne and the others broke into Sonído immediately, all ten Hollows surging toward the beacon.

Then the white beam dropped.

It plunged straight down and landed on a mid-rank Adjuchas-level Hollow in the desert below.

"Only Adjuchas-level?" Wayne looked at the mark, then at the creature it had settled on.

It was a beast-type Hollow shaped roughly like a wild boar. Adjuchas-class, but still wearing the body of an animal, not unlike Grimmjow, back in the early days. The moment it looked up and registered the sheer number of Vasto Lorde-level Hollow beasts hovering above it, the creature completely lost its nerve and bolted.

"Spear of Thunder." Ulquiorra moved first. He brought both hands together and pulled a crackling spear of lightning into existence.

"Are you certain that's the target?" He held the throwing stance and looked toward Yagami China.

"That's the one. No mistake." She nodded. "The Strength Law fragments have probably been scattered across many carriers. To collect them all, we hunt them down one by one. The more we gather, the stronger the signal — and eventually, the one holding the largest fragment will make itself known."

"Understood." Ulquiorra released the spear.

It crossed the distance in an instant and pinned the Hollow beast to the sand. One strike, one kill.

"Easy with the force — don't obliterate the body." Wayne's eye twitched. He'd had a very real moment of concern that the spear would reduce the Adjuchas to ash.

"I held back." Ulquiorra said it flatly, without inflection.

"Let's take a look." Wayne led the group to the carcass.

"Captain Komamura — anything?"

"Yes." Komamura's voice was measured. "I can feel it. The same origin as that special power... the Strength Law, as you call it." After everything they had been through together, Komamura already understood what that power was. Or rather, the moment he had sensed it, the understanding had simply come.

"Then let's try." Wayne produced the Hōgyoku and let it settle before the dead Hollow beast. It began drawing in the creature's Reiatsu. Simultaneously, as a conduit, Wayne funneled a stream of refined Reishi into Sajin Komamura's body.

Roughly a quarter of an hour passed. The Hōgyoku finished its work, and Komamura had absorbed the full Reiatsu of one Adjuchas-level Hollow beast within that same window.

"Hah..." Sajin Komamura exhaled a slow breath of dispersed Reishi and opened his eyes.

"My power has increased, noticeably. But the Strength Law itself hasn't grown by much. Roughly three percent."

"That's fine. It was only an Adjuchas. I never expected it to carry much." Wayne said. "There are many more ahead. Let's not waste time."

"Understood." Komamura nodded.

"Then we keep moving. China — next location."

"Got it."

And so it went. Wayne led his assembled Hollow beasts on a hunt for Strength Law fragments across Hueco Mundo, working through the desert one target at a time. Adjuchas-level beasts fell quickly and gave little. Vasto Lordes were rare finds. Over the course of the hunt they brought down several dozen Hollows in total. The single best yield was roughly sixteen percent of the Strength Law, taken from one Vasto Lorde. The worst runs barely cleared one percent.

Even so, Wayne counted it as good news. Weak enemies meant no losses on his side. The one notable incident was the Vasto Lorde itself, surrounding it had forced Wayne to wipe out the entire small settlement built up around it. Still, sixteen percent of a Law fragment was worth the time it cost.

By the time the group finally returned to Tsukishiro, they had accumulated close to sixty percent of the Strength Law fragments. Four days had passed since the invasion of Soul Society began.

"Tsuki-chan, we're only at a little over sixty percent. Is that enough?" Yagami China leaned toward Wayne as she asked.

"It's enough." Wayne nodded. "This is only an initial trial, we don't need everything. Then let's move to the final step." His gaze settled on Sajin Komamura.

"Hmm?" Komamura looked up. "Is there something else you need from me?"

"Yes. I need Captain Komamura to help with one last conversion."

"A conversion?" Komamura didn't follow.

"Your spiritual power is currently at the peak of the Adjuchas level. What's left is pushing you through to Vasto Lorde, giving you the strength to face our enemies head-on."

"Is... that truly possible?" Having spent the last several hours teleporting across half of Hueco Mundo at Wayne's side, Komamura had been absorbing Strength Law fragments the entire time, and his spiritual power had grown steadily alongside them, yet the progress felt slow. Even with the Hōgyoku's help in digesting a full Vasto Lorde, he hadn't felt himself break through the Adjuchas ceiling. But he had only just become a Hollow. He didn't understand how a Hollow's power system worked, and assumed this was simply how it was supposed to feel. What he didn't know was that Wayne had been manipulating the process from the very beginning.

In theory, if Komamura had properly digested all the Reishi from every Hollow carrying a Strength Law fragment, he should have advanced to Vasto Lorde long ago. But Wayne hadn't let that happen. Each time he used the Hōgyoku to conduct a Law transfer, he had the Hōgyoku absorb the bulk of the Reishi. Part of it was practical, he feared Komamura's body wouldn't survive that much Reishi flooding in at once. Part of it was strategic, he feared that if Komamura suddenly found himself overwhelmingly powerful, he would become difficult to manage and demand to return to Soul Society immediately. And the last reason was the simplest: control.

So every transfer had passed only about thirty percent of the Reishi to Komamura. The rest had been held in reserve, waiting for this moment.

"Trust me. A few hours at most, and you'll have Vasto Lorde-level power. When that's done, I'll send you back to Soul Society myself."

"Then I entrust myself to you, Lord Wayne." Komamura understood the intent. He asked nothing more. All he wanted was to get back to Soul Society, there was no room left in him for anything else.

"Then let's begin." Wayne caught Szayelaporro's eye. A single glance was enough.

Szayelaporro understood immediately.

The eighth Law fusion through the Hōgyoku's power. It was almost within reach.

➤ Next: Perfect Fusion