Bleach: Reborn — Chapter 322 - The Hero at Twilight (Patreon)

Chapter 322, The Hero's Twilight

After sharing a simple meal with Shunsui Kyōraku, Momo, Shiro-chan, and Captain Unohana, Wayne saw them off and returned to the lab. With the negotiations wrapped up, he handed off the work of collecting the documents and coordinating the treaty with Soul Society to Jekain. He then went back to the lab himself to observe the progress of the old man's revival, or more precisely, to watch the Hōgyoku as it drew out the old man's power.

"According to the Hōgyoku's energy fluctuation readings, it will take approximately half a day more to fully extract Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's Reiatsu." Szayelaporro stared at the data on his instruments. "Truly remarkable. A single Soul Reaper possessing Reiatsu at this level. It could crush a peak-stage Vasto Lorde without breaking a sweat."

"That's also why I had no desire to pick a fight with Soul Society before becoming the Hollow King." Wayne smiled. "That old man at his peak — even I have no confidence I could take his best strike head-on. Let alone anyone else."

"The mightiest Soul Reaper. The title is well-earned." Starrk offered the compliment in his usual unhurried way. "Though if we all moved against him at once, we'd still have had a fighting chance."

"I wonder whether this old one's Decay Power could have smothered that man's flames." Baraggan sat to one side, chin resting in his hand. If the person in that container weren't the strongest in all of Soul Society, he wouldn't have bothered coming to look.

"Hehe, now Lord Wayne alone is more than enough." Nel tugged at Wayne's arm, giggling.

"Once the Hōgyoku drains the Captain-Commander dry, no one in Soul Society will be able to match Tsuki-chan anymore, will they?" China said from the side, her voice wistful. "The Captain-Commander spent his whole life protecting the Seireitei. I never imagined he'd end up like this."

"No need to feel sorry for him." Wayne patted China on the shoulder. "In that battle, the old man clearly already had a will to die. Honestly, I wasn't particularly eager to revive him. But he is the backbone of Soul Society. The mess waiting in the Seireitei, and whatever comes next for the old man — I'll leave those headaches to him and Shunsui Kyōraku."

"Hah. Not being a Soul Reaper actually sounds pretty nice." China sighed again, then stepped in front of Wayne. "At least now I get to follow you here, Tsuki-chan, and enjoy life in a place like this. That's not a bad deal at all."

"Once I've dealt with Yhwach — that's when it'll truly be time to enjoy freedom." Wayne lightly flicked the tip of China's nose. "For now, let's focus on consolidating our strength. After the last battle, I still can't overwhelm Yhwach decisively. If he pulls out some strange ability, there's a real chance I could take a fall." He glanced over at the old man lying not far away.

"I'm hoping the old man's Reiatsu can push me one step further. Enough to sprint to a higher stage of the Hollow King."

Using the Hōgyoku to claim Genryūsai Yamamoto's Reiatsu, that had been the second reason Wayne stayed out of the battle. He hadn't planned on it from the start, but after witnessing Yhwach's raw combat power, and especially watching Old Man Yamamoto ignite that death-seeking resolve, Wayne had concluded that even given another chance, the outcome wouldn't change. On top of that, with Ryūjin Jakka sealed by the enemy, the old man's strength had already taken a severe hit. His Reiatsu alone was still enough to keep him standing, but the death wish written on his face meant he could no longer sustain the fight.

"Over in the Seireitei, Ichigo Kurosaki and the others should already be preparing to head to the Soul King's Palace. We still have a few days. The complete destruction of the Wandenreich will take some time to settle as well — which works out perfectly. We'll use that window to sharpen ourselves further. When the enemy comes back, they'll be on guard against us, and the fighting will only get more dangerous."

"Yes." Everyone present nodded. As far as Wayne was concerned, bringing down the Wandenreich had cleared the board of major threats. Soul Society had lost Old Man Yamamoto, and while Jushiro Ukitake and Shunsui Kyōraku would still be difficult to deal with, they weren't unbeatable.

As long as he kept some degree of treaty negotiations in place with Soul Society, even if they wanted to tear those agreements apart, they'd first have to ask whether Wayne's Cero of Annihilation would let them.

As for the Zero Division, so long as Wayne didn't set his sights on the Soul King, they would in all likelihood leave him alone.

"That said..." A thought surfaced. What if he used Yhwach to punch through the Seireitei and eliminate the Soul King outright?

The idea flickered through his mind and he dismissed it immediately. Setting aside who would inherit the Soul King's position afterward, it was completely unknown whether the Dominator of Hueco Mundo would be affected by the Soul King's death. If that title ceased to exist the moment the Soul King died, then what would happen to the Law Power residing within Wayne was anyone's guess. If it dissolved with the Soul King, or worse, was seized by Yhwach, then any chance of a comeback would be gone. That was a risk he couldn't afford.

"Better to fight this out the honest way. Tough nut to crack, but that's still better than getting played." Wayne exhaled and turned his gaze to the Hōgyoku, still quietly absorbing Old Man Yamamoto's Reiatsu.

Half a day was neither long nor short. For Wayne it passed in a blink, and it was within that span that the Zero Division descended upon Soul Society. Shunsui Kyōraku had reached out through one of Timd's clones to ask whether Wayne wanted to come take a look. Wayne politely declined.

Now wasn't the right time to meet the Zero Division. Nobody could be certain this wasn't Kyōraku's way of dangling Soul Society's hidden trump cards in front of Wayne to apply pressure. But Wayne knew those five members were not to be trifled with. That fat monk in particular, his abilities were a real problem. One careless exchange and Wayne would come out the worse for it, with a full-scale battle all but guaranteed. That was the last thing the current situation needed.

The other reason Wayne didn't go was simpler: he was urgently working to absorb Genryūsai Yamamoto's spiritual power. The sooner it was in hand, the more settled he'd feel.

"Absorption" was the word, but what Wayne was actually doing was using the Hōgyoku to merge Genryūsai Yamamoto's spiritual power into his own Zanpakutō. Direct absorption wasn't impossible, but converting a Soul Reaper's power into Hollow power meant a certain degree of loss along the way. Merging it through the Zanpakutō let Wayne draw out every last drop of what the old man's Reiatsu had to offer. His Zanpakutō ran on Soul Reaper power to begin with, absorbing through that path created no conflict and no loss through conversion.

The extraction moved quickly. The merging was no slower. In that same half-day, Wayne poured every last bit of the old man's spiritual power into his Zanpakutō. From there, through communication, through nurturing and conversion, he would gradually work that immense Reiatsu into his own body. It would take time. But it was the safest way.

The following day, Wayne brought Shunsui Kyōraku back to his palace. After a full day of recovery, Genryūsai Yamamoto's body had been completely restored by Orihime Inoue. Then Starrk infused it with the Life Law, and the Hōgyoku activated the soul, and at last, the old man stirred.

"Hmm..."

A low, weary murmur resonated through the chamber. Wayne immediately had Szayelaporro shut down the life-support apparatus and released Genryūsai Yamamoto. Shunsui Kyōraku moved fast, stepping forward and draping the robe he'd already prepared over the old man's shoulders.

"Old Man Yama, how are you feeling?" Seeing the old man truly awake, Kyōraku's heart trembled. This was his teacher. The mentor who had shaped his entire life. His power was gone, yes, but the fact that he had come back to life, that he would share the same world as Kyōraku once more, was enough. More than enough.

"I..." The old man had no idea what had happened. He only felt as though he had been inside a very long dream. In it, he seemed to be back at Shin'ō Academy, personally instructing students in swordsmanship and unarmed combat. The dream had been vivid. Peaceful.

"You're awake!" Wayne stepped forward. "The surgery was a great success — you're now a lovely wom — mmph mmph mmph!"

He barely got halfway through before China leapt up and clamped her hand over his mouth. She turned to the old man with a bright smile. "Ah-haha, Captain-Commander Yamamoto, please ignore the strange things Tsuki-chan says. Aha, ahaha."

She released her hand, stood beside Wayne, and gave Genryūsai Yamamoto a deep, respectful bow. "In any case. Welcome back."

"Back?" Old Man Yamamoto's eyes widened slightly. He tried to piece together what had happened before. Half a minute passed. The faint confusion faded from his gaze, and what remained was calm.

"That's right... this old one seems to have... lost."

"I'm sorry, old man. We couldn't let you leave us yet. Soul Society still needs you." Shunsui Kyōraku spoke with quiet sincerity, then slowly walked Genryūsai Yamamoto through everything that had happened recently, including how Wayne had brought him back.

"So then... the Hōgyoku actually has the power to bring the dead back to life." The old man processed all of it, then fixed Wayne with a scrutinizing look.

"Don't look at me like that, old man." Wayne smiled, turned his wrist, and Ryūjin Jakka, in the form of an Asauchi, appeared in his hand. He held it out to Genryūsai Yamamoto.

"There are things I can help you with. But there are also things where I must protect Hueco Mundo's interests."

"Having lost my power, I'm not sure what use I could be to Soul Society anymore." He said it, but his hand still reached out and took Ryūjin Jakka. The instant his fingers closed around it, the Asauchi's form dissolved into the most ordinary of blades. Through contact alone, Ryūjin Jakka poured every last remnant of its strength back into Genryūsai Yamamoto. The aged body, heavy with weariness, straightened itself in that moment. The exhaustion faded from his eyes. The former Captain-Commander's bearing settled back into something commanding.

"Looks like you'll have to train from scratch to get your power back." Shunsui Kyōraku laughed. "Old man, shall I teach you from the very beginning?"

"Ryūjin Jakka may have little left, but it has restored some of this old one's fighting ability. You little brat, when this old one was training in Reiatsu, you hadn't even been born yet."

A look of reminiscence drifted through Old Man Yamamoto's eyes. And alongside it, grief, because one of the dear friends, subordinates, and companions who lived in those memories would never be coming back.

"Old man, I don't care what was going through your mind when you took that final strike." Wayne's voice turned serious. "But the Hōgyoku cannot revive a person an unlimited number of times. In the days ahead, please take care of yourself."

"Hmm..." Genryūsai Yamamoto recalled that last battle. One stroke had cut him clean in two. And what he had felt in that moment had been, of all things, exhaustion. Confusion. And beneath it all, faint and barely there, unwillingness.

"Yhwach, he..."

"Has retreated for now. The next assault will likely come a few days from now." Shunsui Kyōraku spoke up. "Without our knowing, Wayne had already demolished the enemy's stronghold and cut their military strength by more than ninety percent. He saved us a great deal of trouble. As for the battles ahead, we haven't settled on a plan yet. If Wayne is willing to lend his strength, old man, I hope you won't oppose it."

"Heh... this old one has already lost the position of Captain-Commander. The acting Captain-Commander now is you, Shunsui." Genryūsai Yamamoto smiled, a gentle, easy warmth. "Losing one's spiritual power is not necessarily a bad thing. In the process of retraining my Reiatsu, perhaps I'll find again that tranquility I had during my teaching days, standing before children full of youthful energy."

As he spoke, every trace of weariness left him. What took its place was a longing for that vitality, a longing for life itself. When the day came that the old man recovered his strength, there would surely be a higher peak waiting for him to climb, though perhaps that day was still a very long way off.

"I am old. Managing the affairs of Soul Society is no longer my place. This old one is going back to Shin'ō Academy to teach. Shunsui, everything after this is yours to carry. I trust you won't disappoint me."

"Ah~" Shunsui Kyōraku made a face of exaggerated reluctance. "I knew I wasn't getting out of this headache. Fine. Leave it to me."

Unlike Old Man Yama, Shunsui Kyōraku had his own ideas. He wouldn't be as rigid and set in his ways as the old Captain-Commander, nor would he follow the Central 46 without question. As long as it saved Soul Society and drove back the enemy, he was willing to use every means available.

"Wayne, open the way home for us. I imagine there are quite a few people in Soul Society waiting for Old Man Yama to come back."

"Alright then. I won't keep you." Wayne raised his hand, and a spatial rift split open.

"Hinamori... no." The old man paused at the threshold and turned to face Wayne with gravity. "King of Hueco Mundo. Ace Wayne." He bowed slightly. "Thank you. For protecting our Soul Society."

Wayne stepped half aside at once, declining to receive it. "Please, you'll be the death of me, old man." He laughed. "Go home and rest. The enemies of Soul Society are my enemies too, I won't stand by and do nothing. All I ask is that in the future, when time allows, you don't mind me dropping by to drink tea and play chess with you and Retsu Unohana."

That address, King of Hueco Mundo, was the old man's acknowledgment of who Wayne was. It would count for a great deal in any future dealings with Soul Society.

"Heh heh. Of course. You are always welcome." A rare, composed smile spread across Genryūsai Yamamoto's face. In that gaze, the gaze of a man who had passed through death and come back seeing the world more clearly, there was something new. Hope. A genuine longing for what lay ahead. And his presence, his continued existence, would bring that same hope to countless generations that came after him.

Wayne watched the two of them disappear into the rift.

A hero may reach his twilight years. But the spirit of a hero endures.

And what, he wondered quietly, would his own future look like?

➤ Next: Reunion