Bleach: Reborn — Chapter 319 - The Night After the Battle (Patreon)

Chapter 319, The Night After

"Group Two, squads eleven through sixteen, head to West District Fifty-Six — the rest of you, with me!" Night had fallen and the fighting had temporarily ceased. Soul Society lurched into a frantic rescue operation. At dusk, under driving rain, the entire 4th Division mobilized and moved out to recover the Soul Reapers left broken in the Wandenreich's wake. "Bodies come last, wounded first! Anyone still breathing, drag them back to the 4th Division's emergency ward!"

"Yes, sir!"

The one issuing orders was the current 3rd Seat of the 4th Division, Yasochika Iemura. Captain Unohana and Lieutenant Isane had already assembled at the 1st Division barracks, where the captains of every division were gathered.

Well, all except a few. 1st Division Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. 8th Division Captain Shunsui Kyōraku. And Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who was occupied with rescue efforts and Zanpakutō repairs.

"What's the status on Captain Kyōraku's side?" Inside the meeting hall, nearly every captain present was wounded. All of them, save for Shiro-chan, Unohana, and Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who hadn't managed to reach the battle at all. The one growing most visibly impatient was 2nd Division Captain Soifon.

"Central 46 is still deliberating." Jushiro Ukitake lowered his head and spoke in a quiet, heavy voice. "Captain-Commander Yamamoto apparently foresaw the outcome of this battle and left a letter in advance. Should he meet with misfortune, the position of Captain-Commander was to pass to 8th Division Captain Shunsui Kyōraku. Let us wait."

"Tsk... damn it." Soifon ground her teeth. Then she turned her glare toward the man seated not far away, unhurriedly drinking tea.

"You." Soifon stepped forward. "At a time like this, you're still in the mood for tea?"

Wayne drained his cup without hurrying, set it on the table beside him, and never once looked at Soifon. "Is this how you speak to the one who drove the enemy out of Soul Society?"

"Tsukishiro Hinamori!" Soifon's eyes went wide, her Reiatsu surging. "You clearly had the ability to save Captain-Commander Yamamoto. Why didn't you act?"

"Enough! Soifon!" Sajin Komamura's bellow cut across the room. "Wayne is no longer a captain of the Gotei 13. He is an ally from Hueco Mundo who came to our aid. Mind your words."

"Hmph!" Soifon shot Komamura a furious glare and moved off to the side.

When Wayne made his move against Cang Du in Soul Society, every captain had sensed his Reiatsu. When Genryūsai Yamamoto was cut down, Wayne's Reiatsu had appeared almost immediately at the heart of the battlefield. No one had been standing right there, but every captain knew Wayne could teleport through space. So when it came to the Captain-Commander's death, veterans like Soifon harbored real suspicion. Why had Wayne not stepped in to save the old man?

Among those gathered, some knew more of the truth. Toshiro Hitsugaya, for one, was arguably the most troubled of all. Wayne had rushed to the battlefield right after saving him, and by any reasonable reading of the timeline, there was no reason he couldn't have reached the Captain-Commander in time. Yet the Captain-Commander had died all the same. What had Wayne been doing during that entire stretch in between?

He didn't know. But he wouldn't confront his older brother about it, for the reason already stated. That was his own flesh and blood.

Captain Unohana also knew something of it. She knew Wayne had gone to intervene. She knew that while the Captain-Commander was fighting, Wayne had to have been somewhere near that battlefield. That he chose not to act most likely meant the Captain-Commander himself had told him to stay out of it. And the reason Wayne never moved, right up until the end, was either the Captain-Commander's own insistence, or the possibility that the Captain-Commander had long since made peace with dying.

Whichever it was, the fact that Wayne had driven the enemy away was undeniable. Ichigo Kurosaki had played a part, but Wayne was the true and direct reason the enemy retreated.

As for what had actually happened to the Captain-Commander, Wayne said nothing. It was enough for the assembled captains to know that Genryūsai Yamamoto was dead. As for why he hadn't intervened, Wayne had hesitated during the battle. In the end he still hadn't moved.

When Yhwach delivered that final slash, Wayne could see plainly that Old Man Yamamoto had already lost his will to fight. In that instant, the old man made no attempt to dodge. He simply watched that brilliant blue blade sweep toward him.

Was he tired? Had the deaths of those under his command broken something in him? Had losing his Bankai stripped away his will to continue? Wayne couldn't say. But the deathly calm on the old man's face in the moment before the blow landed, that alone was one of his reasons for standing down.

As for his other reasons, those were his own private business.

"Rather than interrogating me, you'd do better to ask yourselves." Wayne gave Soifon a cold sideways glance. "Every one of you had your Bankai stolen. The enemy's elite force left you in complete disarray. In all of vast Seireitei, not a single captain capable of crushing the opposition actually showed up, are you serious? Kenpachi aside. At least Kenpachi cut down three members of the Wandenreich."

"And one more thing. Over a year ago, I pointed out — however indirectly — that Seireitei's defenses were far too lax, and that security and combat weaponry needed reinforcing. Setting Mayuri aside, Akon should have passed those words along. So I'll ask: did any of you actually listen to what that 3rd Seat had to say?"

"..." The captains fell silent. Some furrowed their brows. Others lowered their heads.

Because about a year ago, Akon had bypassed Mayuri Kurotsuchi entirely and personally raised the idea of strengthening Soul Society's defenses, only to have it rejected. The one who rejected it was none other than Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto himself.

His reason was simple.

"As long as I am here, that is the strongest defense there is."

In truth, the old man had been cornered on this matter. His reluctance was only part of it. What mattered more was that the Central 46 and the great noble houses residing within Seireitei had refused to allow it.

Increasing Seireitei's defenses and installing heavier fortifications was seen as a threat by the nobles living there. Nobody wanted swords and artillery hanging over their doorstep night and day. To them, arming Seireitei was exactly that kind of intrusion.

"The Shinigami way of fighting is the Zanpakutō, Hakuda, and Kidō, not Reiatsu Cannons and Reishi Ballistas." Central 46's blunt refusal left the old man no room to maneuver, but outwardly he had shouldered all of it himself. Just how much of that line, that he alone was the strongest defense, was helplessness, and how much was pride and disdain for Wayne's words, no one could say.

"The old man is dead, and instead of finding ways to build your strength and prepare for the next attack, you're standing here complaining. I wonder if Byakuya and Kenpachi — both of them barely alive — would think their fights were worth it if they could see you now."

"Tsuki-chan." Unohana spoke. "That's enough."

"Fine." Wayne shrugged and went quiet. The meeting hall fell into a heavy silence.

It stretched for a long moment. Then 8th Division Captain Shunsui Kyōraku walked in at an unhurried pace. He took one look at the room and reached for the tension. "Honestly, the old man really knows how to make things complicated for me."

"Kyōraku." Jushiro Ukitake glanced up instinctively, asking after the Central 46's deliberations without needing to say more.

"All in all, I probably won't be getting much rest going forward. The old man, on his way out, handed the Captain-Commander's seat to me, there was no way to refuse." Shunsui Kyōraku scratched the back of his head. "For now, everyone settle down. Return to your posts, tend to your injuries, and start getting your division's affairs back in order. I'll be issuing directives on defense and counteroperations soon. I ask for everyone's cooperation."

"Then... regarding the Captain-Commander's funeral arrangements..." Sajin Komamura raised the matter carefully. The old man had died in battle, but his body had never been found. None of the captains had dared bring it up until now. With the Captain-Commander's death confirmed and Shunsui Kyōraku's succession settled, the negotiations concluded, the news would spread through Seireitei soon enough. This was finally the right moment.

"I'll see to arranging a cenotaph for the Captain-Commander as soon as possible." Shunsui Kyōraku put on his straw hat. As he lowered his head, he let his gaze drift quietly toward Wayne. Seeing that the other man hadn't seemed to notice, he let a faint smile settle back onto his lips. "All right, everyone. It's been a long day, and there's still plenty to be done. I won't keep you. Everyone except Captain Unohana and Captain Hitsugaya, go get some rest."

The assembled captains exchanged glances. Especially the newly appointed ones, Shinji Hirako, Rose, and Roh! Sha! Ken! Sei!

They swallowed their questions and filed out. Before long the room held only Unohana, Shiro-chan, Shunsui Kyōraku, a handful of vice captains, and Wayne, still sitting to the side.

"Good. Now that everyone's gone, Wayne, let's speak plainly." Shunsui Kyōraku stretched with easy, unhurried looseness. In that same careless motion, the pink haori printed with cherry blossoms slipped from his shoulders and fell to the floor. His lieutenant Nanao Ise, standing behind him, picked it up without a word.

"First, I want to ask." The drowsy ease was gone. What replaced it was a grave, dangerous stillness. That single remaining left eye held a light of deep, careful calculation. "Can the old man actually be brought back to life, if he's in your hands?"

"..." Wayne's hand stilled just slightly as he lifted his teacup. His expression didn't change at all. A fraction of a second, then he continued raising the tea to his lips. "What are you talking about, Captain-Commander Kyōraku?"

"You took the old man's body, didn't you?" Shunsui Kyōraku moved, not toward Wayne, but toward Toshiro Hitsugaya. "After helping Captain Hitsugaya against his opponent, your Reiatsu disappeared quickly. And the instant the old man's Reiatsu vanished, you appeared just as fast at the battlefield where he fell. If I were in your position, the most efficient approach I could imagine would be a sneak attack. So I believe that in the instant the old man died, you struck the enemy from behind, and then Ichigo Kurosaki arrived and the enemy leader fled. Judging by the timing, the old man's body should still have been on the battlefield. But I quietly asked Ichigo Kurosaki, and when he arrived, there was no body. As for the one attack that could have destroyed the old man's body, you blocked it completely. So I conclude: you took the old man's body."

"...A brilliant deduction." Wayne held Shunsui Kyōraku's gaze, a faint smile at the corner of his mouth. "Then, if I did take Old Man Yamamoto's body, what would the purpose be?"

"Consuming him to increase your own power? Resurrection? Or perhaps simply allowing the old man to die without interfering, so that Hueco Mundo's strength could stand completely unchallenged above Soul Society's?" Shunsui Kyōraku's tone stayed easy. Every word pressed harder anyway.

"Then, given all those purposes that would benefit Hueco Mundo, why would I choose to resurrect Old Man Yamamoto?"

"So you're admitting the old man's body is in your possession?" Something in Shunsui Kyōraku eased slightly. As long as it was in the hands of someone on their side, there was room to negotiate. Provided, of course, that Wayne genuinely had no intention of consuming the old man.

"Some time ago, you successfully brought back the young girl from the Yagami family. She became an Arrancar, but her consciousness and memories were fully intact. So I believe you have the power to resurrect the old man. As for why you didn't act to save him directly, either the old man's own stubbornness kept you out of it, or you had your own motives. Once the old man died, there would be no force left in Soul Society capable of standing against you head-on. That is the basis of my reasoning."

"Ha. As expected of the new Captain-Commander. Meticulous." Wayne didn't bother disputing Shunsui Kyōraku's reasoning. After all, the old man's body was very much in his possession.

"Then let's talk terms." Shunsui Kyōraku stepped back and placed himself behind Shiro-chan. "What price does Soul Society need to pay to get the old man's body back?"

"That depends on you." Wayne dropped the pretense. He set down his teacup and stood. The movement made Unohana's hand close instinctively around her Zanpakutō.

"Big brother." Shiro-chan frowned at the sudden motion. "This is Soul Society."

"Alas..." Wayne let out a long sigh. "My foolish little brother. You've already been made a hostage, why are you still counting money for the other side?"

"Hah?" Shiro-chan looked completely lost.

"Never mind. Kids." Wayne waved a hand. "Captain Unohana. Captain-Commander Kyōraku. Using Shiro-chan as leverage against me is not a wise move. If you truly want the old man's body back, what price needs to be paid depends entirely on what kind of Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto you want returned to you."

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Shunsui Kyōraku's brow lifted.

"Follow me." Nothing more. Wayne tore open a spatial rift and stepped straight through.

Unohana and Shunsui Kyōraku exchanged a glance. A few seconds passed. Then both stepped forward and entered together.

Still a short distance behind, the thoroughly bewildered Shiro-chan finally pulled himself together.

"Matsumoto." He called out as he walked toward the rift. "Go find Captain Kurotsuchi."

"Yes, Captain."

➤ Next: Negotiation