Bleach: Reborn — Chapter 346 - The Hollow World's Cycle

Chapter 346, Hollow World Samsara

The World of the Living. Karakura Town. Kisuke Urahara's underground space.

"Ichigo! Hurry up, we're going to be late!" In front of a massive Senkaimon, Orihime Inoue stood in her formal dress, calling anxiously toward the entrance. Kisuke Urahara, Uryū Ishida, and Yasutora Sado stood beside her.

"Yeah, yeah... coming." Before long, Ichigo Kurosaki appeared in the space, also in formal wear. A bouquet of flowers in his left hand. A small child in tow with his right. The child had the same hair color as Ichigo, and there was a resemblance in the features too, though mostly the child looked like Orihime.

"Such a hassle. It's just a one-month celebration. Why do we have to make this whole production out of going to Hueco Mundo?"

"What are you talking about, Ichigo? Today isn't just Ryan and Moen's one-month celebration. It's also the day Wayne, Miss Nel, and Miss China are leaving. We cannot be late."

"Alright, alright, I get it." Ichigo dug a finger in his ear. "And Dad — seriously. He left early without saying a word. Now we're stuck taking the Senkaimon."

"Don't be like that, Kurosaki." Kisuke Urahara covered half his face with his fan and chuckled. "You never did learn to open a Senkaimon with your Zanpakutō."

"Damn it..." Ichigo scratched his head. The wild orange hair he'd once had was cut short now, which made him look considerably more mature. But when he glanced at the child beside him, he smiled faintly.

"Come to think of it — when Wayne said he was leaving, did he say where?"

"No idea." Orihime took the flowers straight out of Ichigo's hand. "Miss China said Wayne is taking them to some incredible world. But she didn't say anything beyond that."

"Is that right?" Ichigo furrowed his brow, unable to make sense of it.

"Time really does fly. The last battle still feels like yesterday, and yet in the blink of an eye, everyone seems to have built their own families. Found things worth fighting for."

Several years had passed since the great battle against Yhwach.

Several years since Wayne had defeated Ikomikidomoe.

In that battle, Wayne had pushed himself to the limit and lost consciousness, but before long, with the help of the Inheritors, he slowly came around.

"Where is the Dominator of Hueco Mundo?" That was the first thing out of his mouth when he woke.

"Over there." Nel pointed toward the sky not far off. A mass of light with a soft, gentle glow drifted slowly through the air. Within it, Wayne sensed an enormous energy gestating. The Dominator of Hueco Mundo hadn't finished taking over Ikomikidomoe's body yet.

"Hah... how long was I out?"

"About three or four days." Yagami China helped Wayne sit up. "Tsuki-chan, how are you feeling?" A trace of concern crossed her eyes.

"A little drained. Nothing else." Wayne pulled himself upright. "Looks like the Dominator of Hueco Mundo still needs some time. Let's head back to Tsukishiro first. I... huh?" He tried to invoke the Law of Space and found himself completely cut off from it.

"Tsuki-chan, I'm afraid we're going to be sitting here for a while." Yagami China made a pained face, looking thoroughly put-upon. "That awful woman — the Dominator of Hueco Mundo — borrowed the Law of Power from all of us to speed up her recovery."

"WTF?" Wayne let out a startled yelp. "You just handed it over?"

"She is the Dominator of Hueco Mundo." Starrk cleared his throat from nearby. "She promised to return our Law of Power once the fusion is complete. And all our Reiatsu is still intact. So..."

"Every single one of you..." Wayne gave Yagami China a light knock on the head. "I stake everything I've built and you lot treat it like a joke."

"Fine, I already gave up the Hōgyoku myself — that I can accept. But how did all of you Inheritors end up handing over your Laws too? If that old woman decided to turn on us right now, every one of you would be dead where you stand. What was the point of all my effort? I swear to God, I am absolutely done with the Mas—"

"Old woman." A soft, feminine voice drifted down from the sky. "Are you referring to me?"

A flash of brilliant light. The glowing mass floating above began to visibly shrink, drifting toward Wayne. It settled before him and resolved into a woman of exceptional bearing.

Silver hair. Fair, smooth skin wrapped in a plain black garment. A strip of black cloth over her eyes. A black band around her neck.

"You... are the Dominator of Hueco Mundo?" Wayne swallowed the rest of what he'd been about to say. Looking at the figure before him, who could have passed for a young girl, he couldn't help marveling. This was an existence thousands of years old. How did she look like this?

"You seem surprised by my appearance. Don't you like it?"

"No, it's just — a bit different from what I imagined." Wayne scratched his head. The fact that she'd shown no intention of striking him down on sight meant she had no plans to betray them. Or rather, at this point, she no longer needed to. Her power had already reached the absolute ceiling of the three realms, the embodiment of the Soul King's power itself. A faint energy radiated from her every movement. Such power had no need to eliminate anyone. No one could threaten her.

"I have no fixed form — my appearance can change at any time. The reason I took this form is because my eyes can now see through the future and touch upon causality, so keeping them covered is more convenient. Don't you think it resembles what you looked like during your time as a Soul Reaper? I used you from that period as the template."

"Hmm..." Wayne looked her over again. Silver hair, corresponding to the pale gold. Black clothing, corresponding to the Shihakushō. Black eye covering, corresponding to the sunglasses.

Well. He had to admit it.

He really had to admit it.

"It's a bit beyond what I pictured. But this look of yours..." He let out a breath. "It's actually quite good. Can't blame you for modeling it after me."

"Hehe, Tsuki-chan, you're being narcissistic." Yagami China teased from the side. Nel was quietly laughing too.

"So." Wayne cleared his throat and turned his gaze back to the Dominator of Hueco Mundo. "What do you plan to do next?"

"I don't know." She shook her head. "I never truly imagined that one day I would descend upon Hueco Mundo in a physical body. I want to wander. To see the world the Soul King created. And also..."

Her words stopped halfway. She raised a slender arm and pointed toward the distance. The next instant, the earth trembled. Mountain ranges tore straight out of the ground one after another. Countless grasses and trees began to spread and grow. Before long, amid the silent white sea of sand, a wide expanse of vivid green began pushing outward.

"Power of Creation?" Wayne was mildly startled. "As expected — the Soul King's power of creation is yours as well."

"A creative force rooted in the Law of Illusion — don't you possess that yourself?" The Dominator of Hueco Mundo smiled. "There was a time when I looked upon your Tsukishiro. I thought: that is what I should be doing. I want to transform Hueco Mundo completely, reshape it into something as beautiful as the World of the Living. But it will take time. A very long time."

"That's fine. The one thing we're not short on anymore is time." Wayne smiled. "In that case, I won't keep you. We need to get back to Tsukishiro. But first, return our power. Otherwise I can't open the gate."

WHOOSH!

With a single wave of her hand, nine-colored streams of Law of Power drifted outward. Small portions fell into each of the Inheritors. The greater part flowed into Wayne. The Dominator of Hueco Mundo hadn't just kept her promise, she had given Wayne a share of the Soul King's own power as well. Now, apart from her, Wayne's strength stood at the absolute peak of this world. Nothing could shake him.

In an instant, every trace of weakness inside him was gone. He felt better than he ever had.

"Hah... it's finally over." Wayne let out a long breath. The last hurdle, cleared. A lightness settled in his chest unlike anything he'd known before.

"Oh right, Kyōraku and the others are still sealed inside their dimensional spaces." It came back to him suddenly. Back then, to stop Soul Society from interfering, and to keep Ikomikidomoe from going on a killing spree, Wayne had used the hunt for Yhwach's physical clones as a pretext, sealing all of Soul Society's top fighters inside barriers.

Three or four days had passed now. He had no idea what state any of them were in.

"Well... shall I be going?" Wayne asked tentatively.

"Yes. Go, my friend." The Dominator of Hueco Mundo gave a slight nod. "Next time, I wonder when we will be able to meet again."

"When you have finished building Hueco Mundo. When you have walked every inch of this land. When you..." Wayne's gaze softened.

"Huh?"

"My promise to you stands forever. If one day you grow tired of everything here, I will take you away, away from this world entirely. To see what lies beyond."

"You... have found a way?" Anticipation filled her voice.

"Yes. After I fully fused the Hōgyoku into my body, I sensed something, a particular presence. Perhaps because the Law of Space is my base power. I may have a means of opening a passage to another world. But it still needs time to put into practice." Wayne gave a firm nod. "The Hōgyoku is already part of you. Once you've seen all the splendor this world has to offer, come find me at Tsukishiro. When that time comes, we open the passage together."

"If that's truly the case... I think I could be ready right now."

"Ha ha ha, there's no rush. I'm not going anywhere." Wayne burst out laughing. "I still have countless ties holding me here. Plenty of things I meant to do and never got around to." As he spoke, he turned and looked back at Nel and Yagami China.

"Most importantly... I still need to take them home to see Granny."

Ten years slipped by in the blink of an eye.

During those ten years, Wayne released the people of Soul Society from their confinement and formally reached a strategic non-aggression treaty with Shunsui Kyōraku. With Wayne controlling over ninety percent of Hueco Mundo, he could guarantee that all conscious Hollow creatures of mid-Adjuchas rank and above would not rampage freely into the World of the Living or Soul Society.

If a special situation arose, Soul Society could reach out to Jekain and Timd on Wayne's side, and Wayne would intervene at the earliest opportunity to suppress any Hollow causing destruction. Of course, Soul Society was perfectly happy to occasionally let a Menos Grande through for their members to train against.

Soul Society and Hueco Mundo entered an eager period of growth. Peace gave both sides a tranquility that had been absent for a very long time.

Wayne also formally wed both Nel and Yagami China in a ceremony witnessed by all three realms. Those in attendance included Hueco Mundo's upper echelon, Soul Society's leadership, the Visored from the World of the Living, Isshin Kurosaki, Kisuke Urahara, and many others.

For everyone's safety, Wayne held the wedding in the World of the Living. All attendees came in Gigai. Security for the event was handled entirely by the Inheritors, there was not the slightest concern about anyone causing trouble.

"Big brother, congratulations." At the wedding, Shiro-chan raised his glass to Wayne with a face full of smiles and barely contained emotion. This older brother who had entered his home later than the rest had brought him endless surprises from the very first day. And now, with his own strength alone, he had secured ten years of peace. That was enough to earn every last person's gratitude.

"Big brother... wuu wuu wuu..." Momo stood in her formal dress, crying like she couldn't stop. Her big brother was getting married. Two brides. Whatever their backgrounds, the man standing before her would always be her big brother. And both sisters-in-law would always let her keep calling them that.

"Alright, alright, enough crying." Wayne laughed and reached out to ruffle Momo's hair, wiping away her tears. "Today is big brother's happy day, no crying. You're supposed to be happy."

"I know, I know. Wuu wuu wuu..." The tears wouldn't stop. Happy tears. Joyful tears. She was happy for Wayne. Happy for both her sisters-in-law.

"Okay, dry your eyes. We're about to start the ceremony." Wayne patted her back and pinned the bridesmaid's flower to the front of her dress. "Go on, we're ready."

"Okay!"

And with that, everyone moved together into the wedding hall.

The bridesmaids were splendid, Momo, Rangiku, Orihime. Nearly every woman who had ever shared a connection with Wayne had gathered together. The groomsmen party, by contrast, was extremely modest: Shiro-chan alone. Wayne had originally tried to pull Byakuya in as well, but Byakuya, out of pride, chose to watch from a distance. Renji had been vetoed outright, on account of all those tattoos.

Kira was a student, and it wasn't the right setting for him. Wayne wasn't close enough to the others. Ikkaku and Yumichika were more like older-brother figures, which didn't suit the role either. So in the end, the only groomsman at Wayne's side was Shiro-chan. Old Bai, Starrk, and the rest handled venue security, watching from the sidelines, and they couldn't entirely understand Wayne's behavior anyway, since Hollows couldn't reproduce, though becoming Arrancar had granted them that ability.

Bride and groom, bow to Heaven and Earth!

Honoring tradition, Wayne chose a Chinese-style wedding rather than a Japanese one. Nobody questioned it, apart from the Isshin Kurosaki household, no one in Soul Society observed those customs anyway.

"Bow to Heaven and Earth, may Heaven and Earth bear witness to our King's great joy!" Jekain and Timd, serving as officiants, announced together.

Wayne looked out beyond the doors of the hall into the vast distance. He had been born in the sands of Hueco Mundo and fought his way, step by step, to the very peak of this world. This Heaven and Earth had been fortunate enough to witness it. This Heaven and Earth had earned his bow.

"Bow to the elders, in gratitude to those who raised and guided us!" Up in the seat of honor, Granny sat upright with quiet dignity, tears of joy streaming freely and without end.

"Granny, I've started my own family!" Wayne grinned and bowed again and again alongside Nel and China.

"Wonderful, wonderful!" Granny's face was streaked with tears. Nothing in this world was more joyful than watching your child grow up and marry.

Granny didn't know the full scope of what Wayne had accomplished out there in the wider world. She only knew that whenever Wayne was tired, whenever Wayne came home, she would always have a hearty meal waiting for him, to ease whatever weariness the outside world had put in his bones.

And now, with Wayne standing right before her alongside both his partners, she felt that everything she had ever done had been worth it.

"My dear child. My dear, dear child."

"Wayne, congratulations." Beside Granny, Yui Mizusue stood with tears in her eyes as well, her face full of excitement and a pride that had no words for itself.

She had raised this person with her own hands. Cared for him without reservation through all of it. She had watched him from his days as a commoner, all the way through his rise to captain, beyond captain, to the strongest being in this world. She had always been there, watching quietly from behind, and she had never once left. That was why she was the one person with the right to stand in the seat of honor beside Granny, the one person worthy to receive Wayne's partial bow.

"Mizusue-dono, I'm the one who should be giving thanks." Wayne bowed deeply to her. "Thank you for seeing something in me. Thank you for your guidance, and for your trust. Thank you for looking after Granny all this time, and after my brothers and sisters in my absence. There aren't words enough for what I owe you."

"You foolish boy." Yui Mizusue stepped forward and lifted him back upright. "Being able to watch you walk all the way to where you stand today, I am happy for you, from the bottom of my heart. Now go. The ceremony still has to continue."

"Yes."

"Bride and groom, bow to each other, may our King and his Queen be forever united in heart!"

"Hehe, Tsuki-chan, you're finally in my hands." Yagami China's eyes were full of light, joy spilling out from somewhere deep inside her that she couldn't hold back even if she tried.

"I'm not entirely sure why, but everyone seems very happy." Nel didn't fully understand the meaning of a wedding, but Wayne had told her that once this ceremony was finished, she would be able to stay with him forever.

"Heh." Wayne looked at the two women before him. For a moment, no expression came to him but a smile.

Once upon a time, facing danger after danger, it had been Nel who stepped forward, again and again, and pulled him back from the edge. Once upon a time, a young woman of good family who had drawn close to him on her family's instructions had been willing to spend her young life for his sake.

To have found both of them in this world. Wayne felt complete.

The three of them bowed together as one. The rite was done.

Ten years after that day, Wayne's two wives gave birth to a pair of children. The boy was named Ryan. The girl was named Moen. Today was the day of their one-month celebration. And it was the day Wayne had chosen to take his family and leave this world.

"Are you really leaving?" In Tsukishiro's conference hall, Shunsui Kyōraku held his cup and asked. "Once you're gone, aren't you afraid this world falls back into chaos?"

"In ten years I reclaimed all of Hueco Mundo. The Quincy have been wiped out. The scattered Fullbring users in the World of the Living are being kept in check by the Visored. There are no external threats left. What you should worry about is the discord within your own ranks." Wayne shook his head slightly. "I've already found the method to break through the boundary of this world, and I have Old Nemu and Urahara to thank for that. Without their help, I never could have done it."

"Beyond this world... are there truly other worlds out there?"

"I came from another world, at the very least." Wayne stopped hiding the truth of his origins. "I don't know whether I'll truly be able to return to my original world this time. But going to see an entirely new one, that might not be so bad."

"In that case, I won't try to keep you." Shunsui Kyōraku raised his cup and drained it in one swallow. "All the same, thank you. For the promise you made all those years ago, and for everything you gave. Ten years of peace. I've wanted this my entire life. I thank you on behalf of Ukitake, and on behalf of Soul Society."

"What's all that for." Wayne gave Kyōraku a light clap on the shoulder. "You still have this place to look after. As for Hueco Mundo, don't worry, I've arranged everything. And I've left a mark here. If something truly goes wrong, I'll come back."

"Ha, then let's hope you never have to." Shunsui Kyōraku let out a rueful laugh. Then the two of them sat in silence for a moment.

"When do you set off?"

"Once she arrives." Wayne took a quiet sip from his cup.

"She?" A moment of confusion, then Shunsui Kyōraku understood.

"I see..." He nodded, reluctance written plainly in his voice. "Then let's say our goodbyes here. She probably wouldn't want to run into us anyway. And watching friends leave, I really can't stand it."

"Ha ha, fair enough." Wayne tapped Kyōraku on the shoulder one more time. "When I have the time, I'll come back and share another drink with you."

"I'll have Little Nanao keep a good vintage sealed and waiting."

Before long, Wayne saw Shunsui Kyōraku off, then made his rounds to say farewell to everyone remaining in the hall.

"Everyone, thank you for coming to Ryan and Moen's one-month celebration. And I know, after today, it may be a very long time before we meet again."

The hall went completely quiet. Everyone present knew Wayne was leaving. In each of their eyes, there was no shortage of reluctance to let go.

"After years of fighting, we've finally found our peace. Now the time has come for me to go and do what I was meant to do. I hope all of you will treasure this hard-won calm. Our races are different. Our strengths are different. But it is my sincere hope that when I return to my homeland, this place will still be a world of peace and prosperity."

"We bid our King farewell!" Every Hollow and Arrancar in the hall dropped to their knees. They had never imagined that ten thousand years of enmity between Hollows and Soul Reapers would find resolution in their lifetimes. They had never imagined that they, who had spent so long living in trembling fear inside this white desert, would one day see sunlight. Would one day know a life free of terror. Every last bit of it had been given to them by the King standing before them.

"Hey, everyone, I'm off." He left them with one last wide grin. Then Wayne teleported out of Tsukishiro with Nel, China, and both children, and returned to Hueco Mundo.

Ten years of the Dominator of Hueco Mundo's labor had given Hueco Mundo all manner of new terrain. The place Wayne arrived now was a vast grassland, thick with the pulse of living things.

"Wayne, you've come." The moment he appeared, the Dominator of Hueco Mundo materialized at his side.

"Yes. I'm here." He looked at her, still dressed exactly as she'd been ten years ago, and couldn't help smiling. It felt strangely like looking at his former self.

"I'm ready. We can leave whenever you are." She moved with light, unhurried steps. She had been waiting for this day for a very long time.

"Hold on." Wayne raised a hand.

"Hmm? What is it?" The Dominator of Hueco Mundo, Nel, and China all turned to look at him.

"Nothing. I just have some feelings I want to sit with for a moment." Wayne smiled faintly. "I've said goodbye to everyone else, but it seems I still haven't properly said goodbye to myself."

He raised his hand and transported everyone to a stretch of desert.

This was the white-sand terrain the Dominator of Hueco Mundo had preserved. Hueco Mundo as it once was.

Wayne expanded his perception and began searching for signs of life in the surrounding area.

"Lord Wayne, what are you looking for?" Nel tilted her head, sensing his awareness spreading outward.

"Shh. Looking for a lizard." Wayne curled the corner of his mouth and kept his eyes closed.

"A lizard?" The others exchanged puzzled looks, but no one interrupted.

Before long, Wayne locked on. The lizard wasn't large, about a meter in length.

"Tsuki-chan, is this what you were after?" China looked at the creature in bewilderment. A Hollow beast this weak, what could he possibly want with it?

"When I first arrived in Hueco Mundo, I was also a lower Hollow. Weak to the absolute extreme." Wayne crouched on the ground and looked at the small beast-type Hollow lizard in front of him.

"And back then, to grow stronger, the first Hollow I ever killed was one just like this."

"So... you want to..." The women seemed to understand.

"Saying goodbye to my past self." Wayne grinned. His eyes were full of something else entirely, the weight of everything that had come before.

From death, to becoming a Hollow. From a Hollow, to a Soul Reaper. From a Soul Reaper, back again to Hueco Mundo. Three full turns of the wheel, and at the end of it, a brilliant and storied life.

"I think I finally understand why my Zanpakutō is called Hollow World Samsara. Where it began is where it ends."

He smiled.

"My life has been extraordinary."

His hand rose. The blade fell. The lizard Hollow was cut down in a single stroke.

And at that same moment, a corridor spanning time and space opened before him.

A new journey begins here.

A new journey, that will surely be just as extraordinary.