"Bankai—Keishō Seijō Wabisuke!"
As Kira released his bankai, a bizarre sensation spread from his body.
Aizen and Hinamori felt nothing strange at first—but Kira's own body twisted into something terrifying.
He bent as if under a tremendous weight, his waist forced down, his head thrust forward like a prisoner stretching his neck for the guillotine.
He looked…
Ugly—and frightening.
Before Hinamori grasped what was happening, she suddenly felt a 'gravity' crush down on her.
Her body mimicked Kira's—stooping, neck extended—like a chicken awaiting slaughter.
But…
This wasn't mere gravity!
At that moment, Hinamori felt a peculiar pressure bearing down: scenes of individuals murdered, bodies dissected, crowds slaughtered…
Kira had told her about his recent experiences—what he'd seen.
Hearing is one thing. Experiencing it is another.
Now she was experiencing precisely what Kira had described!
Not only that—after Kira's memory-images flashed by, Hinamori's own inner pressure surged up to meet them.
Especially the first time she visited the projection hall and read the Seireitei's history—those images intertwined with the earlier ones and became a tangible pressure that crushed Hinamori!
Under it, her neck stretched even farther—if anyone outside the domain could see, they'd think it a grotesquely comical sight.
Kira and Hinamori looked like hunched octogenarians—necks stretched so far, their heads looked about to snap off.
"This is my bankai…"
Kira seemed a deformed monster, head bowed, barely able to see the ground.
He spoke softly, "People think I'm gloomy. Captain Ichimaru always says I look like I'm carrying something, so I've always thought I suited the 3rd Division."
"The 3rd Division's flower is the marigold. Its meaning is 'despair.' Our creed is… battle must be filled with despair, darkness, fear, and… misery."
"So people will fear battle—and thus avoid it."
"From shikai on, I thought my Wabisuke fit the 3rd Division's spirit best. I just never imagined that upon bankai, it would fit… a bit too well."
"As you see, when I bankai, all the despair, darkness, and misery I've carried become tangible gravity. And the first target isn't the enemy—it's me."
Kira looked about to kneel. Sweat beaded his brow. His back seemed bent near a right angle, his neck stretched like it might snap.
He continued, "Once I've borne this pressure, others within the domain feel it. The nasty part for the enemy is… you don't just bear what I feel. You bear your own despair too."
"In other words, within this domain, the enemy first feels the pressure from both me and themselves. The more pressure they feel, the heavier it becomes—until they collapse."
At this moment…
Hinamori could barely breathe. It felt like every bone in her body was breaking; the massive gravitation crushed down on every inch of her flesh, her cells—even her deepest consciousness and soul!
Kira couldn't see her state, but could imagine it. He gave a bitter smile and said:
"The one consolation is: within this domain, I absolutely cannot die. Whatever pressure or attack I endure, until I personally collapse, I will not die."
Kira Izuru—someone who habitually internalizes everything. In Mayuri's words, "You refuse your own value as naturally as breathing, and yet you still wretchedly try to maintain a link to this world."
"You seem to like carrying things…"
Wabisuke doubles the weight of those it strikes—but in truth, it heaps weight on himself. He often says those cut by Wabisuke bow their heads as if apologizing—but in reality, he, who refuses his own worth, is the one apologizing to the world.
When his Zanpakutō manifested and he met Wabisuke, Kira understood his essence.
Wabisuke shouldered an iron ball, iron plate like a penal device strapped to the back, chains binding him—a prisoner, a sinner.
Thus his bankai took this form: all he carries becomes tangible gravity—and others feel that despair too. Because they sense the despair of battle, they turn from it. That is the 3rd Division's battle aesthetic.
Wabisuke is camellia; the camellia is the tsubaki—the beheading flower. After the marigold's despair, there are only two endings.
One: in keeping with the marigold's "despair," the target avoids battle and leaves the domain.
But few can still act under such pressure.
So, the first ending tends to become the second.
Two: the marigold gives way to Wabisuke's camellia—the beheading flower. Unable to bear the weight, the stretched neck is crushed; even the head falls.
Right now, that's the pressure Hinamori felt.
The scene was nauseating—Kira and Hinamori's postures were too grotesque.
Knees bent, backs near right angles, necks strained to their limits, heads bowed as if kneeling…
Like a horror movie still.
No wonder Kira's soul ability is dubbed disgusting bankai. The form alone unsettles; inside the field, it's worse.
Hinamori had the best reason to think so. Gasping, her inner despair kept compounding, the pressure escalating.
Just as she was about to break, a warm hand rested on her head.
"Don't be afraid. Don't despair…"
A gentle voice came. Hinamori's eyes widened.
She couldn't raise her head, couldn't see—but the voice and the touch told her who it was.
"Captain… Aizen?"
Aizen stooped before her, one hand on her head. "As long as you follow behind me, there's nothing to fear."
"In my world, despair does not exist."
Despair does not exist…
Hearing that, Hinamori's pupils trembled.
In that instant, Aizen's simple words dispelled her inner gloom.
In this dark world, she saw a light—and it gave her limitless strength.
Yes. With Captain Aizen at her side, what was there to fear? What could make her despair?
Whatever she faced, Captain Aizen would be in front of her—shoulder to shoulder…
Warmth suffused her. The pressure lightened—and vanished!
The crushing weight that nearly snapped her neck was gone!
She straightened, looked at Aizen, and courage welled within.
Aizen looked to Kira. "To feel despair—indeed a powerful ability. But I hope you remember this, Kira-kun."
"So long as you follow behind me, you need not be lost—and you will not feel despair."
Kira was stunned to find his bankai's domain gone. The pressure had vanished. He straightened and stared at Aizen.
"I understand."
Aizen continued, "Perhaps because of this ability, you saw those things—your soul instinctively wants to bear the world's darkness. In that case…"
"I'll show you the world's true face."
...…
As for how Aizen hoodwinks people—Yoshio wasn't interested. He'd already returned to Naruki City.
After the relocation, their new base in the Living World wasn't ready, so Yoshio had Wings of the World do purification in Hell Solitude for now.
He'd finally completed the final step to purify the Defrauder Node.
Now he would implant that node into Kūgo Ginjō.
And while he was at it, see if he could nab Tsukishima's "Big Cousin" ability.
He'd built up over 50 favor points. If he could reach 60, he'd be able to use "Big Cousin" once.
So Yoshio would stay in Naruki City for a while—until he hit 60.
At the base, he found more people than two years ago.
Back then it was just Tsukishima and Ginjō.
Now there was one more.
A middle-aged man in an eyepatch, polishing a bottle behind the bar like a bartender.
One look and Yoshio knew who he was.
Giriko Kutsuzawa—Fullbringer with time power.
His ability: "Time Tells No Lies"—praying to a time god to set a timed mechanism that causes a change in an object. The simpler the change, the greater the effect. The more complex the mechanism, the weaker the effect.
So, in the future, Kutsuzawa chose the strongest effect—transforming into a powerful Hulk to test strength with Kenpachi—and got one-shot.
Tragic. Of all things to test against Kenpachi, you pick raw strength? A real character, this one.
Kutsuzawa saw Yoshio. His pupils dilated.
"A Shinigami?!"
His body tensed for battle.
"Don't panic."
Ginjō lounged on the sofa. "Yoshio isn't like other Shinigami. He's not our enemy."
"Really now…"
Yoshio glanced around—the place felt even gloomier now.
He walked in. "You're not going to deliver the same line every time you recruit someone new, are you? I don't want to be treated as hostile every time I visit."
"No. That'd be tedious," Ginjō said blandly. "This is Giriko Kutsuzawa—just call him Kutsuzawa, our new ally."
"Kutsuzawa, nice to meet you," Yoshio said.
Kutsuzawa was still dazed—he hadn't expected Ginjō to speak so calmly with a Shinigami.
"Ah… n-nice to meet you."
"Good to see you've found new comrades," Yoshio said to Ginjō, then asked, "Where's Tsukishima?"
"Who knows." Ginjō shrugged. "He's not a kid. Why would I keep tabs on him?"
"Really? I don't buy it," Yoshio said dryly.
As for Kutsuzawa's soul ability… well, Yoshio wasn't impressed.
"Ability Conversion: Convert special abilities into pure power."
Ehhh…
It was a bit like how he died—but ultimately, it didn't matter.
Even if Kutsuzawa pushed "Time Tells No Lies" to its limits, he'd still lose to Kenpachi.
Converting everything into pure violence is fun—back to basics—hack the three worlds with a single swing!
But it didn't fit Yoshio's own battle aesthetic.
He wanted reiryoku and hax—balanced.
And this uncle had killed his wife for an experiment. Yoshio had zero interest in farming his favor.
Such people… don't hand out 60+ favor easily.
So Yoshio spared Kutsuzawa only a glance.
Ginjō asked, "What brings you here this time?"
"Can't I just visit?" Yoshio smiled. "But you're right—I have business."
"I suggest you switch cities for now. If you stay in Naruki, go out as little as possible."
"Hm?" Ginjō frowned. "What happened?"
"Nothing good," Yoshio said. "The Seireitei is investigating Karakura's reishi instability—and has increased patrols in surrounding cities."
"If you're out often, you'll get spotted."
"…," Ginjō fell silent, then said in a low voice, "Karakura's reishi is unstable?"
"You know it's a heavy-spirit zone. Lately hollows have been streaming in."
"When hollows are killed, their reiryoku degrades. Instead of returning to Hueco Mundo, it lingers in Karakura. It accumulates, raises the reishi concentration higher and higher."
Yoshio sighed. "So until they figure it out, the Seireitei will only send more people."
"No wonder I saw two Shinigami on the street," Tsukishima said, opening the door with a bag in hand. "Typically this city only has one assigned."
"You're fine. The Seireitei doesn't know you exist," Yoshio told Tsukishima. "I'm warning Ginjō."
He turned to Ginjō. "How's your recovery?"
Ginjō had been hit in the Hakusui—the source of a Shinigami's reiryoku—by members of the Tsunayashiro family. Yoshio had patched it somewhat, but only preserved a small portion of his Shinigami power.
"I've given up," Ginjō said, indifferent. "With my Hakusui damaged, my Shinigami powers can't be restored. I'm focusing on Fullbring."
"What little Shinigami power I have—combined with Fullbring—works surprisingly well."
Yoshio scoffed inwardly. Look—people like Ginjō don't trust others.
Lies flow.
Did he really think he could hide from Yoshio whether his powers had recovered?
Yoshio could see his Hakusui was repaired. He'd trained Fullbring, yes—but hadn't neglected Shinigami power.
And the method was simple: once Tsukishima's mastery of the Book of the End grew, he could cut Ginjō and rewrite the past—make it so the Hakusui was never destroyed. With Yoshio's earlier help stabilizing it before total destruction, the repair wasn't so hard.
But if Ginjō didn't want to talk, Yoshio wouldn't force him.
"Anyway, I came to warn you. In the end, only you need to lay low. Tsukishima and Kutsuzawa don't need to," Yoshio said, standing. "By the way, Ginjō—want to spar?"
"?"
Ginjō looked surprised. Yoshio snapped his fingers. "You want to know how far you are from a captain, right?"
"I don't want you rushing off half-cocked for revenge."
"Oh?" Ginjō smiled darkly. "You sound pretty confident."
"I just want to check your progress," Yoshio said coolly.
"Fine. Let's fight," Ginjō said, seeming excited.
"Here?" Tsukishima asked. "If you fight here, the Shinigami outside will notice."
"True—but if he's saying this, he must have a workaround," Ginjō smiled. "Right, Yoshio?"
"Something like that," Yoshio said. "Let's go to Hueco Mundo."
Hueco Mundo?
Ginjō was surprised. He'd spent time in the Seireitei—he knew Shinigami didn't have access to Hueco Mundo.
And why would a captain go there?
Yoshio produced a key, turned it in empty air, and opened a door.
Darkness twisted, then spread into a gate.
"Let's go."
Yoshio stepped through first.
The Fullbringers followed.
A white desert greeted them—an empty world saturated with despair.
They all had some hollow factor. In this environment it grew lively within them.
"Hey, isn't this against the rules?" Ginjō said. "Captains can't just enter Hueco Mundo without permission."
"I've broken plenty of rules," Yoshio chuckled. "Covering for you is a violation too, isn't it?"
In the dim world, Yoshio and Ginjō separated. "There aren't many hollows around. Makes for a good training ground."
"The reishi density here is high—higher than Soul Society," Ginjō said, touching his necklace. He drew it out—next moment, it became a greatsword.
"Come on!" he shouted. "Show me what a Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads can do!"
He charged.
"Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws! Hadō 33: Sōkatsui!"
Yoshio speed-chanted. A beam of flame shot from his hand.
Boom!
Power blasted the white sand skyward. Under the dark dome of Hueco Mundo, scarlet fire rolled—and engulfed Ginjō.
"So strong!"
Tsukishima and Kutsuzawa gasped, worried for Ginjō.
But Ginjō split the flames with a swing, scorched but still charging.
Yoshio could tell—Ginjō's current strength rivaled his manga self after absorbing Ichigo's Fullbring.
Pure Fullbring Ginjō wasn't strong. After absorbing Ichigo's Fullbring, he split the power among his club, keeping only a portion. With that portion, he barely fought Ichigo after he regained Shinigami power.
Now, with retrained Shinigami power synergized with Fullbring, Ginjō might be no weaker than then—minus Getsuga Tenshō, anyway.
He had entered his Shinigami-like state; lacking Ichigo's Fullbring absorption, he had no hollow-like exoskeleton.
For Yoshio, an opponent of this tier was trivial.
Even without his soul abilities, purely as a Shinigami he felt near the extremes—close to Aizen and Yamamoto-level.
With soul abilities—far beyond.
He flicked his right hand.
Sandstorm!
The white reishi sand rose in a howling gale.
The dust carried an aura of desolation. Within it, Ginjō felt wither.
"What is this?"
Ginjō was shocked. Kidō? But Yoshio hadn't chanted—and at this scale, too strong for standard kidō!
The swirling grit seemed to siphon reiryoku from his body; within the storm, Ginjō felt his reiryoku and vitality draining.
Damn!
A shadow flashed before him.
"Cero Oscuras."
A black beam tore the dust aside and lanced for Ginjō's chest.
Ginjō's eyes widened. His greatsword flared red—like a Cero—fired to meet it.
But…
Upon collision, the black beam didn't pause for even a second. It pierced the red light, then his greatsword—and then—
!!!!
A ten-centimeter hole opened in Ginjō's chest.
"…"
He couldn't speak. Eyes wide, he dropped to one knee.
A sandstorm and a single Cero Oscuras left him unable to continue.
He toppled onto his back, the rumbling sand scouring away his reiryoku.
Yoshio walked over, placed a hand over the wound, and used Kaidō.
He set the Defrauder Node in the chest cavity and healed the damage—then, confirming Ginjō had integrated the node, let out a breath.
Ginjō's soul ability changed—from Lesser Auswählen to Demonic Avatar: Andromalius.
A shame he didn't get Lesser Auswählen—but he'd never expected to farm Ginjō to 80 favor for Auswählen.
Ginjō was… tough to please.
And he was already pushing Baelz to develop Auswählen independently. By the time Ginjō hit 80, Baelz might have it already.
So a swap was fine.
After finishing, Yoshio dispelled the sandstorm. Only then could Tsukishima and Kutsuzawa see the field.
Ginjō looked pale. "Are all captains like you?"
As a Substitute Shinigami, he'd never fought captains like Ichigo had—so he didn't really know their level.
Yoshio's strength left him reeling.
Especially since Yoshio had only recently become a captain—when Ginjō was a Substitute, Yoshio had still been a lieutenant!
Yet he had no power to resist him at all?!
"Of course not," Yoshio said mildly. "I think I'm pretty strong—but other captains aren't that far behind either."
"I just didn't want you getting cocky. I wanted you to understand the gap."
He sighed, looking down at Ginjō. "I'm not telling you to give up—just don't throw your life away. Wait until you're ready before you talk revenge."
"And you?" Ginjō stared at him. "What will you do then?"
"…I don't know. But I probably won't move against you," Yoshio said softly. "I know what happened back then. You were victims."
That hit home. Ginjō's favor rose by ten—but still not to sixty.
Tsukishima hurried over to check Ginjō. "Don't worry," Yoshio said. "I healed him. He's fine."
"What I said goes for you too, Tsukishima," Yoshio added. "Don't assume you're strong. You and Ginjō are still far off. Don't blame me for being blunt—this is how you stay alive."
Tsukishima wasn't ungrateful—especially after seeing Yoshio defeat Ginjō so quickly. He knew Yoshio was right.
"You're right," he said. "If we start revenge now, we have no chance. Thank you."
Ginjō had gotten a bit inflated. Now he was sober.
Tsukishima was grateful—if not for Yoshio, Ginjō might have rushed to his death.
Tsukishima's favor hit sixty, and Yoshio gained a one-time "Big Cousin."
That was a pleasant surprise. He thought he'd need a few days, but he'd accomplished two tasks at once.
With no reason to linger, he opened a Garganta.
"Let's go. Hueco Mundo isn't for humans."
…
After returning the Fullbringers to Naruki, Yoshio went back to Soul Society.
After routine work, he looked at Rangiku, who had just come back from the Living World. "You look awfully happy. Someone buying you drinks?"
"Sort of," Rangiku said. "Didn't you notice? Kira seems back to normal."
"…Oh, that? Makes sense. Kids have moods," Yoshio said, indifferent.
Rangiku's face twitched. "You call Kira a kid, but you're not much older than him, right?"
"Still older," Yoshio grinned. "Even a year counts."
Kira's recovery meant Aizen had reeled in the 3rd Division lieutenant.
Next up: use those two to turn him and Gin.
To play this right, he'd have to stick around Soul Society for a while—no more frequent trips out.
"By the way, why are you back from the Living World so soon?"
Because of Karakura's anomalies, a lieutenant had to be stationed there—Rangiku was sent first.
"No choice. I was supposed to stay three months, but Captain Kurotsuchi sent us all back."
"R&D's got some pull—kicking a lieutenant back just like that," Rangiku grumbled.
"R&D?" Yoshio feigned surprise. "What for?"
"Who knows?"
"Whatever. I can pile up the work you missed and you can catch up!"
"Ah? You didn't… hold it all for me, did you?!"
"Of course."
"Ugh!"
...…
In the Living World, Kurotsuchi Mayuri led the R&D in reconnaissance.
He was very interested in Karakura's anomalies—but even more interested in the mysterious Shinigami he'd seen last time.
His instincts told him the two were connected.
So what he set up here was actually a net for Gabriel.
Right now, Gabriel was right above him.
"Yoshio… really does understand Shinigami psychology," Gabriel murmured from within the clouds, looking down at Karakura several kilometers below.
Before Yoshio left, he had told her: Mayuri would seize this chance to come to the Living World—and would try to finish what he'd failed to do last time.
Capture Gabriel and Ishida Sōken.
And now—here they were.
From high above, Gabriel saw Karakura's entirety.
If she fought Mayuri here, the town would suffer major damage.
So her task was to lure R&D outside—to an uninhabited zone.
Discreetly…
She drew her Zanpakutō. A blue aura spread from it.
The moisture in the clouds rose.
Patter…
Rainclouds formed above Karakura, and a light drizzle began.
The raindrops left faint traces of reiryoku in Karakura.
Mayuri looked up. His eyes darkened.
Hmph!
A provocation?!
Very well—if you're showing yourself, I'll deal with you first.
He had considered—if he couldn't find Gabriel—going for Ishida Sōken next.
But…
The annoying part was those self-righteous Central 46 idiots kept blocking him from approaching Ishida Sōken!
Babbling about "not damaging the relationship between Shinigami and Quincy."
Ridiculous! Since when was there a relationship?
If there was one, it was victor and vanquished. The vanquished have no human rights before the victors!
Mayuri was not like Yamamoto. If Yamamoto wanted to be the nobles' blade, fine. Mayuri would not.
But… when under a roof, one must bow.
He couldn't openly disobey Central 46.
He could, however, act in the shadows—like this time. During the investigation of Karakura, he could kill Ishida Sōken. Who could say otherwise?
But since this target jumped out first, he'd handle this.
A manic glint flashed in his eye.
Sensing the faint reiryoku, he took Nemu and followed.
He didn't care if it was a trap. He followed the rain to the midstream of the river.
Downstream lay a stretch of uninhabited land.
Mountains, water—no people.
When Mayuri and Nemu arrived, a figure took shape on the flowing river.
Wrapped in a skin of water—when that shell burst, a petite figure stepped forth: Gabriel.
"Interesting."
Mayuri watched, intrigued. "A water-type Zanpakutō? One I've not seen in the Seireitei. You… aren't a Shinigami from the Seireitei, are you?"