During my comeback again to best, got some new 5/6 star characters! Plan on trying to get the new Christmas character of Noelle from Burn the Witch! And really looking forward to the return of Bleach!!
Hisagi Shūhei spat blood and a cry of agony from his mouth, in this state he falls on his knees to the ground below.
“What’s the matter, Shūhei. Weren’t you going to teach me about so-called ‘rights’?”
Whilst looking down at him, Muguruma Kensei —— the captain of squad 9 whom Hisagi works directly under —— uttered harsh words.
“…I’m just getting started…”
As he spewed a remark that could only be seen as a clear act of bravado, Hisagi began to rise to his feet.
“Huh? He wants keep going? At this rate I’ll just end up getting hungry, and Shū~hei~ will just end up dead won’t he?”
To his side, the self-proclaimed 'Super Vice captain’ Kuna Mashiro leisurely raised her voice in complaint from under her mask.
At this particular juncture, they are still in the middle of a conflict with the “Wandenreich”.
It was a time in which the captain commander Yamamoto Genryūsai was killed at the hands of Yhwach; marked indications of defeat and a sense of anxiety brought with it was in the process of spreading like a plague among the Shinigami.
Amid a situation where as many as four captains have been robbed of their Bankai and unable to grasp even a single clue as to how to proceed with battle —— Muguruma daringly instructs Hisagi to “perform Bankai.”
—— “I wasn’t robbed of my Bankai this time, but that may not be the case next time.”
—— “The more guys we have capable of performing Bankai, the better.”
They had heard that the Department of Research and Development were currently conducting research into a method that would prevent the stealing of Bankai. However, the prospect of whether the research would be completed in time for the next invasion, as well as the prospect of whether or not the stolen Bankai could be recovered, are both in an untenable state.
Either way, if it was possible to even formulate those countermeasures, then there was no doubt that Bankai would become a pivotal turning point of large scale combat.
Hisagi was not against this principle in itself, however ——
Muguruma’s plan was a 'forced awakening of his Bankai via the fierce attacks of a Hollowfied Mashiro.’
Although Mashiro once held the same vice captain rank as Hisagi, she was the militant type who continued to operate with Hirako and the others in the Human world as one among the Visored, and her true strength when Hollowfied also compares favourably with a captain rank.
Despite possessing that degree of raw power, she was not very good at exercising restraint. That Hisagi would proceed to do battle having such a difference in ability compared to her, it could be said that this very fact was a deed which entailed a risk of death.
To put it simply, the plan was ‘if you don’t want to die, acquire Bankai.’
Having said that, it was not the case that Muguruma had also opted for that training method through the mere belief that 'where there’s a will, there’s a way.’
In the past when Kurosaki Ichigo trained in order to draw out his mask —— that is to say his Hollow powers, it came to be that he had trained using a risky method in which his body would be taken over by his inner Hollow if he made the slightest miscalculation. Kensei had also participated in this undertaking and as a result it provided a significant boost in the power of the boy known as Kurosaki Ichigo.
Under normal circumstances, it would be necessary to train for a lengthy period of time to attain Bankai, however, Kensei understood that if one tries to shorten that period, one would need to pay in order to compensate for that.
If it appeared to be the case that he could not withstand this course of training, it’s likely Hisagi would die in the battles to come.
Finding a way to conduct himself in battle was impossible unless he was capable of Bankai, but Hisagi Shūhei is not a man who could imitate such dexterity.
Be that as it may, Kensei is also aware that he had enough true strength to be worthy of vice captain.
In all honesty, Kensei had mixed feelings towards Tōsen Kaname who had thoroughly trained that sobbing young boy from Rukongai to the point where he is now, including the fact that the man was once his own subordinate.
For this very reason, Kensei deliberately mentioned Tōsen Kaname’s name through a cold remark.
—— “Do you doubt that I’d really let her kill you?”
—— “I ain't… a soft touch like Tōsen.”
Upon posing such a question to a bewildered Hisagi, the effect of those words became apparent immediately.
—— “Now hold on… captain Muguruma.”
—— “I looked up to you, and I respected you too.”
—— “But…”
—— “You’ve got no right to badmouth captain Tōsen…!’
And thus, over the span of more than half a day, a training session was carried out which took the form of actual combat with Mashiro.——
"In any case… I have no right to badmouth Tōsen you say? Don’t be such a spoiled brat. Just who the hell do you think is to blame that he’s being badmouthed? Though I guess it’s because you’re asking us to cut him some slack.”
Every time Kensei uttered words of provocation, Hisagi recovered a little more.
“I’m well aware of that…”
Although this sounds like a so-what attitude, the expression of Hisagi’s eyes did not admit defeat.
Rather, they transformed into an expression brimming with a determination to challenge a deeper pit of hell.
“But even so, there’s no way I can so readily allow anyone to drag that person through the mud.”
“That doesn’t stand to reason.”
“You’re right… it doesn’t.”
On his feet in spite of his unsteady balance, Hisagi once again bows his head to Kensei and Mashiro.
“Captain… please accept my thanks. You too Kuna.”
“What’s this all of a sudden?”
“What I mean is, I’m not the only one who’s putting their life on the line.”
“…Humph.”
Hearing that, Kensei averted his eyes seeming somewhat uncomfortable.
Bankai is the innermost power that a Zanpakutō can possess, one can obtain it after materialising and subjugating a Zanpakutō.
Therefore, at the height of the challenge towards this dialogue and submission of the Zanpakutō which occurs during that process, more often than not one can roughly predict what kind of Bankai would come into being and be capable of handling that power naturally upon acquiring it.
However, when it comes to rapidly drawing out the power of Bankai as in this current case, then the potential of the Bankai running wildly out of control could also emerge.
In a situation where for instance, a Bankai capable of 'scattering a lethal poison among a vast radius’ like that of Kurotsuchi Mayuri’s Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō, is abruptly activated, it could lead to both Mashiro and Kensei dying if that power cannot be fully controlled.
Even if things did not develop to that stage, in many cases Bankai would carry unique powers, as a consequence, there is a risk that the person in question could adversely involve all that was in their vicinity despite maintaining complete control.
Realising that this is precisely why they were conducting a training session in a location that was this remote from Seireitei, Hisagi expressed words of gratitude to Kensei and Mashiro who had willingly set foot into that sort of danger.
“Quit acting so high and mighty. It’s a piece of cake to us even if your damn Bankai goes berserk or whatever.”
“Please don’t say anything that may discourage me.”
“Though, I sure as hell hope it’s nothing like Sakanade.”
“Sakanade…? Captain Hirako’s Bankai, is it really that dangerous?”
At Hisagi’s question, Kensei, looking somewhat awkward, gave a click of his tongue and then shook his head.
“…If you don’t already know then forget about it. The details of another individual’s Bankai is not a matter we need to discuss.”
“…You’re right.”
Despite his curiosity, if details on a Bankai’s abilities are leaked to the enemy, then there is also a likelihood that the enemy could formulate countermeasures, consequently many choose to hide their Bankai’s properties.
Although there are also those who pride themselves on not concealing their Bankai since they will continue to stand firm regardless of any kind of countermeasure, it’s possible to say that such individuals are often the type of Shinigami who make a point of meticulous self-discipline.
In order to change the subject, Kensei begins to speak of Hisagi’s Bankai.
“Anyway, real talk, the power of Shūhei’s 'Kazeshini’ is already quite high when in Shikai. As for Bankai, I suppose the possibility that you’d fail to adjust to the power is also present. That’s why, I’m counting on Mashiro who seems capable of handling the situation regardless.”
Then, Mashiro, who had been listening to the conversation appearing bored up until now, raised a complaint against Kensei with a pout on her face.
“Eh, what is that supposed to mean? If that’s the way it goes, then it looks like Kensei will just be standing around doing nothing huh! Come to think of it, I’m the only one who’s been fighting all this time, isn’t that right!? That’s not fair! You call yourself a captain! Not fair, not fair! You sly gorilla!”
Mashiro continues to chant “gorilla” even after this outburst, however, using all his willpower Kensei manages to ignore her even as veins were visibly throbbing at his temple; after taking a deep breath, he turns to face Hisagi with a serious look on his countenance.
“On the other hand, I find it more surprising than anything that to this day, Shūhei has been unable to acquire Bankai. When it comes to performing Shikai, I’m guessing you’re able to go as far as opening up a dialogue right?”
“…Yeah.”
In the case of Zanpakutō, a user responds to its inner call and by calling out an assumed name the sword transforms from Asauchi to Shikai. Consequently, at that juncture, it becomes possible to have a dialogue with the soul that dwells within the Zanpakutō in its inner world, or rather with what could be called the Zanpakutō’s bodily form.
Given that in Hisagi’s case, he too had achieved good mastery of his Shikai without much of a problem, the next step is to cause the bodily form which exists within his Zanpakutō to materialize in this physical world, and then force it into submission using his true strength, however ——
“To tell you the truth, even though there is a dialogue between me and 'Kazeshini’, I don’t think we are able to see eye to eye with each other…. I mean, even in his inner world, he practically never lets me see his true form or whatever, sometimes he appears before me kinda like a black shadow or a black puddle or a black tornado among other things, and that’s just about it.”
“…When you put it like that, I guess he’s another oddball huh.”
“Though in the past, he briefly materialized after I got caught up in a major incident. For a moment I couldn’t tell that it was 'Kazeshini’ because he was sort of different.”
“I see, even though I don’t know the details, it seems as if he was forcibly made to materialize.”
With no particular intention of speaking any further of said incident, Hisagi simply recounts the essence of Kazeshini alone.
“Maybe it’s because he’s aware that I find it hard to stomach this thing’s shape, that he’s hardly willing to speak to me at all. Even on the rare occasions he does address me, he makes nothing but disturbing remarks like 'give me blood’ or 'sacrifice this life.’ I know he’s not a bad guy at heart, but honestly, sometimes I wonder. If I came to understand this guy completely… could it not be the case, that I’d end up being tainted by his character?”
“Are you afraid?”
“…I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t.”
At the words of Hisagi which were being assembled as he gazed at a Kazeshini that was made to enter its Shikai state in the midst of training, Kensei mumbled as if speaking to himself after a brief moment of contemplation.
“A Zanpakutō’s words are not always its true sentiments.”
“Eh?”
“Well, anyway, it’s become glaringly clear that the usual way of doing things will not suffice.”
As he approaches Hisagi, Kensei brings his right hand close to his own forehead.——
Coupled with an action that almost resembled tearing off his own face, Kensei dons his Hollow mask which had been drawn out from thin air.
“Whaa…!?”
The atmosphere grows tense, and a pronounced Hollow Reiatsu came coursing through Hisagi’s Reiatsu Chikaku.
In addition to Mashiro who was still clad in her mask, a more heavy Hollow Reiatsu interjected and roused an echo in Hisagi.
“Huh? Is Kensei taking it from here? In that case, can I go grab a snack?”
“You can’t, idiot.”
Whilst negating the words of Mashiro, Kensei cast a Reiatsu imbued with a fierce intent to kill towards Hisagi.
“From this point onwards, it’s going to take the two of us to get this done.”
“……!”
In Hisagi’s mind, he was struck by the mental image of his death that was far more vivid than in the moment he had battled Mashiro.
Unlike the deaths of human beings in the World of the Living, it would be a death of his very soul.
Both his memories and experiences will completely fade away, a journey towards the void where one would turn to Reishi dust.
For an instant, the flashback of a certain scene is played in Hisagi’s mind.
Seared into his soul from its very core, a most distinct personification of death was revived in him.
Without fail it would float into Hisagi’s head when confronted by formidable enemies like the ferocious Arrancar or Aizen, and this time, formidable enemies like the Quincy, for him it was the scene of 'death’ itself.
It was not the scene of the time he was attacked by a Hollow in his childhood, neither was it the moment he was almost butchered by the monster called Ayon, nor the moment he was almost killed by the Quincy who robbed Sasakibe Chōjirō of his Bankai.——
It was a scene from the time he was attacked by a countless number of Huge Hollows, when he lost his comrade Kanisawa.
That he was made to overcome this fear, it was down to the teachings of none other than Tōsen Kaname himself, however——
The fact remains that even now, he could still see that scene.
To sum it up, the Reiatsu of the Kensei before his eyes was so dangerous, that Hisagi’s instincts were warning him to the fact that he was standing on the abyss of his own death this very moment.
In response to Hisagi who was starting to grow motionless, Kensei in his masked state speaks.
“The fear of one’s Zanpakutō, is it? Even that guy Tōsen spoke of such things. That’s why he gave all this damn talk about being able to fight.”
“……”
“I, can’t eliminate your fear. But, if you are able to fight precisely because you have fear, just as that guy Tōsen said….”
Readying his Zanpakutō which took a form that resembles a combat knife, Kensei cast a more boosted Reiatsu towards Hisagi.
“Then prove it.”
Recalling the man who once betrayed him and murdered his comrades——
And at the same time, in order to ascertain whether Tōsen was still a detestable enemy, or the mentor who cultivated the man known as Shūhei, Kensei himself pondered this point.
“I wonder whether or not your sorry ass has the right to talk about Tōsen too.”
And so, time flows by once more ——
Human World - Karakura Town - Mitsumiya
The Mitsumiya neighbourhood is situated in the western part of Karakura Town.
Within it is a small-time candy store venting a strange presence, Urahara Shōten.
Ordinarily the place would be bustling with the frequent comings and goings of children and the like, nevertheless, whether it was a containment barrier that cleared the area of people or something else that had been put into operation, currently not even a single cat could be seen walking around the streets.
What is present there instead, are the several black suited individuals collapsed around the shop, and the form of a red jersey clad young girl carrying two Shinigami on her shoulders.
“…What the hell? Those guys are doing battle with something.”
“Hn?”
After hearing the words of Sarugaki Hiyori —— the girl in the red jersey, Yuki Ryūnosuke who was on the verge of passing out on her shoulder, raises his eyes to the sky whilst suppressing his nausea.
“…Yikes!? What is that!?”
In order to grasp the situation in Karakura Town which had suddenly been blockaded in a spiritual nature, they had come up to the storefront where Urahara Kisuke could be found.
However, what they saw when they arrived there was some kind of unusual battle.
Urahara Kisuke and Hisagi Shūhei.
Urahara a former captain and the first president of the Department of Research and Development, Hisagi Shūhei an actively serving vice captain and the editor-in-chief of Seireitei Communication.
As they animatedly leapt around the air, a fierce battle was unfolding against 'something’ unknown.
“Urahara san… I know I’m asking again but… are you sure this really isn’t some Bankai-like innate ability?”
“Yes, it’s like our Kidō. A basic ability that any Fullbringer is able to use. I fear it’s likely that the true nature of that thing over there is iron rust or something that is infused with one’s blood to greatly enhance the properties of the soul. It’s being driven through 'soul manipulation’ which is a power belonging to Fullbringers.”
“Soul manipulation… you have a point, the concept is foreign to us.”
“It also differs slightly compared to Quincy enslavement. The mass itself is no big deal… but if you were swallowed up by something of that magnitude, then it would be quite possible that both Hisagi san’s body and Zanpakutō would be 'manipulated’ too wouldn’t it?”
What confronted them, was a multitude of gargantuan dragons, formed through dark red spurts of blood.
They were not Western-style dragons, rather the dragons were shaped like limbs sprouting on a serpent as five heads akin to those in Eastern folklore, silhouetted a deep red and rushing around the light ashen skies.
“But this is unbelievable…”
As he muttered that, Hisagi observes the huge dragons floating before his eyes.
On closer inspection it was an aggregation of symbols and patterns, though they converged together like a shoal of fish in the sea, flailing around in unison; transforming into one giant organism the dragons’ body is made to twist and turn.
The jaws belonging to the dragons who measured about the size of a heavy-duty truck’s cargo bed in girth, drew closer in an attempt to engulf Hisagi and Urahara.
Urahara evades it by a hairbreadth, his Zanpakutō which had entered its Shikai state is made to glisten in the light.
“——Kamisori Benihime.”
The red slashing attack produced from the point of his sword easily lops off a dragon’s head.
However the cleaved surface flickered like smoke and regenerated completely as if the fact that it had just been cut had never occurred.
“——Shibari Benihime.”
This time a black sash extends out from the tip of his Zanpakutō, weaved into a lattice-like state it entangles two dragons.
“——Hiasobi Benihime, Juzutsunagi.”
In an instant —— the knots of that black latticework explode in a chain reaction, the skies over Karakura Town are dyed red by explosive flames.
It lit up the slight cloud cover which mantled the town together with the isolation barrier, the flames illuminating Karakura Town like a second sun.
“Insane…! But, is this really okay!?”
Hisagi is worried about what could happen when the humans at ground level come to observe the spectacle, yet Urahara grinned broadly as he spoke.
“Let’s hope that president Vorarlberna will manage to figure something out for us. Come now, when push comes to shove, I can deal with it using a wide area type Kikanshinki (*Account Replacement Spirit Device)”
Although, even in the past, several large-scale battles have taken place in the Human World, with the exception of the decisive battle against Aizen, cases that are this level of dramatic are still likely to be a rare occurrence.
If it were combat between Shinigami and Hollow, the living would never be able to perceive the presence of either party, however in this case, the enemy Aura, though a Fullbringer, is still a living human being.
If there were anyone surveying her from the ground, how on earth would it appear to them?
Bearing such a thought in mind Hisagi probed around for her form, but that form was not to be found.
“That woman… where did she go!?”
“Perhaps, she is hidden somewhere among the dragons. No, if she is able to transform her body into a smoke-like state, then there wouldn’t even be a need to hide in the first place would there?”
“So that’s how it is, is there not a way to defeat her using Zanpakutō?”
“It depends on the Zanpakutō. I suppose the person with the most ideal compatibility, is Hitsugaya san.”
“…I see what you mean.”
If it were an ice-type Zanpakutō like the ones owned by Hitsugaya Tōshirō and Kuchiki Rukia, or alternatively the type of Zanpakutō which can burn down a vast area akin to that which had been in the possession of Yamamoto Genryūsai, then it would be made possible to thoroughly overwhelm this opponent whether or not she turns to fluid or gas.
In that sort of sense, it follows that the compatibility is worst for Hisagi’s Kazeshini which mainly comprises of physical attacks.
“Is this going to have to play out as a Kidō-focused battle?”
“Yes, that’s the plan for the time being.”
Hisagi was not aware. -
- Aware of the fact that up till this point, the very moves Urahara had played, are the various tactics he had once employed against a Hōgyoku fused Aizen.
“There’s no holding back. Let’s give it everything we’ve got.”
However, that the Fullbringer known as Michibane Aura is a presence that demanded said degree of precaution, Hisagi had also understood this by now.
Hearing the Kidō incantation Urahara began to chant immediately after that, Hisagi’s eyes widened as he also prepared himself for the impact.
“The tips of a thousand hands,
Honourable hands unable to reach the darkness,
Shooting hands unable to reflect the heavens,
Path that sheds light,
Wind that fans the embers,
Gather and have no doubt,
Observe my indication,
Bullet of light, eight bodies, nine clauses, heavenly scripture,
Treasure of ailments, great wheel, grey turret,
Take aim towards the distance, and fade brightly.”
When it comes to an individual who is as adept as Urahara, it is possible for them fire Kidō even if the incantation is discarded.
However, by boosting its strength through deliberately chanting the incantation, Hisagi had sensed that he was attempting a test on something.
“Hadō 91 一一一一 Senjū Kōten Taihō”
A cluster of light rays that are spread out in the sky converged before Urahara, forming a high density barrage it bores into the swarm of dark red dragons along with the surrounding atmosphere, burning them away.
Oddly enough, it closely resembled the 'Gran Rey Cero’ which Grimmjow and his company were unleashing at the same time in the Rukongai.
Even on the aspect of power, it is by no means outdone by Gran Rey Cero, perhaps the blow of a formidable Kidō even has the potential to surpass it.
Watching the Kidō which demonstrated an enigma of a man named Urahara Kisuke, Hisagi reflexively caught his breath.
Despite having just fired a Kidō of that level, and without upsetting neither his breathing nor his Reiatsu, Urahara observes the state of affairs around him while remaining composed.
“I see, is it that you’re also able to manipulate the Reishi of my Kidō after all?”
Finally, when the smoke before his eyes cleared away, a lone figure came into sight.
As the remnants of what used to be the dark red dragons float around aimlessly in the surroundings, Michibane Aura was standing there flashing a smile that was as bold as ever.
“No, if anything, it’s like she controlled the soul within nitrogen and constructed it into a barrier… I guess that’s how I’d describe it. Oh my, that you’re able to do that in the Human World which has a weaker Reishi presence, it is truly an amazing thing.”
With an expression that said it was within expectation that she would not be shot down, Urahara observes Aura.
“However, it would appear you couldn’t very well get away with no damage.”
Although she had sustained no obvious external injuries to her body or garments, even Hisagi had sensed the change.
Could it be that she had run out of reserve power to dilute her presence by means of Fullbring? Just a moment ago, her Reiatsu should have thinned out completely, but now it can be felt clearly even through Hisagi’s Reiatsu Chikaku.
Moreover, a fluctuation could be sensed in the Reiatsu itself similar in feeling to exhaustion, Hisagi had concluded that the woman before his eyes was beginning to lose room to manoeuvre.
“Phew, that’s a relief. If you were to tell me she was unscathed just now, then we would surely need to take measures on the level it took to deal with Aizen Sōsuke after all.”
“…This is Kidō? It’s the first time I’ve been directly on the receiving end, but it certainly seems like a formidable technique. Looks like I have somewhat underestimated you Shinigami beings.”
—— I’d be worried if she’s taking Urahara san’s level as the standard to measure us by….
Though Hisagi had such a thought, he figured there’d be no harm with that in itself if his opponent got the wrong idea and is wary of Hisagi’s Kidō too, he decides against specifically pointing out this miscalculation.
“…At any rate, won’t you be so kind as to lend us that power?”
In spite of the damage she was suffering, Aura once again cast words of gentle persuasion towards Urahara.
“I appreciate your kind invitation, but a Hōgyoku… is not something that can be so easily manufactured, and no matter how many reasons you may have, it’s something I cannot so readily forge. If I was capable of achieving mass production and control, I would have already invested it into the last war and also have handed one over to Kurosaki san.”
Urahara speaks jokingly, but then ——
“That’s a lie… isn’t it?”
“……”
Aura poses this question with a smile still on her face.
Urahara responded with silence.
“If Kurosaki Ichigo is given a Hōgyoku, it’s true, perhaps the world would become more stable. However, that deviates from the outcome you seek does it not?”
“ ? ”
Unable to comprehend the meaning behind these words, Hisagi tilted his head; after a self-deprecating smile revealed itself on his face, Urahara replied as a slight tinge of loneliness hung over his smiling face.
“You got me there, my apologies, I lied. If it passed into Kurosaki san’s hands, I suppose it would be turned into something entirely different from a Hōgyoku.”
“Urahara san?”
To the side of a puzzled a Hisagi, Urahara fires a question back at Aura.
“So then… how much do you actually know?”
“Oh, is this fine with you?”
With a chuckle, Aura fixed her eyes on Hisagi and continues to speak.
“The gentleman over there is a 'journalist’ correct? I don’t think it’s the appropriate content to inadvertently discuss in front of such a person.”
“What’s the meaning of all this? What are you guys talking about?”
Without being able to make any sense of it, Hisagi searches for answers, but Aura simply wears a thin smile whilst gazing intently at Urahara.
Then, Urahara glanced at Hisagi fleetingly, and in a display that was somewhat rare for him, Urahara opens his mouth to speak with a serious expression plastered on his face.
“The moment it involved the Tsunayashiro clan, I believe Hisagi san would have come to learn of it anyway… so it doesn’t matter if I discuss the topic right?”
“What topic? The fact that the Tsunayashiro clan are brewing trouble for both the Soul Society and the Human World, as you might expect, even I know that.”
“That’s not it. Hisagi san, I’m sorry this may end up turning into a test of your resolution as a journalist… no, your resolution as a Shinigami.”
“My resolution as a Shinigami…?”
Though bewildered by the unexpected subject matter, Hisagi notices sweat running down the hand currently gripping Kazeshini.
His many years of experience as a Shinigami may have alerted him to a certain fact by instinct -
- The fact that he is now on the verge of setting foot into a matter which belongs in some kind of forbidden grounds.
“I will tell you what I’m able to speak of from my own mouth later… but when that time comes, will Hisagi san swear that regardless of what he hears, he will continue to uphold the justice of the Gotei 13?… That’s the kind of matter this concerns.”
Though his tone was light, it was his words that held an odd pressure.
“I could leave things as they stand and feign ignorance. Before that person says anything, maybe there’s no question about it that I would also be capable of making them hold their tongue. Rather, perhaps I ought to do so for the sake of Soul Society…. But Hisagi san, given that you are also part of Soul Society, I have no right to stop you from learning of the matter.”
“……”
As he felt beads of sweat run down his spine, Hisagi listens intently to Urahara’s talk in silence.
“If there had been no conflict with Yhwach, then under normal circumstances the issue could have been dodged. I’m at a loss myself. Aizen was going to change the way of the world as an individual. I still believe that was wrong. Having said that, if the world itself, that is if the Soul Society desires change, I am not entitled to judge whether that is right or wrong.”
Urahara then pauses from his speech for a brief moment, he intentionally let a gentle smile reveal itself on his face as he addressed Hisagi.
“That, is something a 'reporter’ like Hisagi san should ask the world. From this point onwards, that is the kind of matter you’ll be dealing with.”
“I’ll be-……”
“Well now, let’s continue this later. First things first after all, we have to do something about the situation in front of us.”
Interrupting Hisagi as he was about to say something, Urahara turns to face Aura.
Hisagi felt a strange sense of discomfort towards this Urahara.
—— What the heck?
—— It’s true that Urahara san is talkative, but a person who would chat this much in the midst of battle?
Although he could come up with any number of pointless jokes, he would not make idle chit-chat with a serious demeanor. That is Hisagi’s impression regarding Urahara.
It is for this reason, the very act made Hisagi feel perplexed at this matter which happens to be the sort of thing that 'should be discussed later’, and bewildered as to why Urahara had recounted this tale to him just now, however, without giving answers to Hisagi’s misgivings, Urahara points the tip of Benihime towards Aura who is standing in a spot separated by a small distance.
“Oh my… how unexpectedly considerate of you to not mount a surprise attack on us during our long conversation, Aura san.“
"You must be joking.”
Aura calmly shakes her head.
“While you were talking with the vice captain over there, were you not just preparing a several number of Kidō by processing your Reiatsu?”
“Isn’t it the same for yourself? The dragons that were dissipating just now, you’ve been spreading them around this whole area.”
“Huh.”
Hisagi didn’t even have the slightest idea of any such thing in the background of the exchange until he had heard the pair bring it up.
—— It’s just what you’d expect from Urahara san… that doesn’t matter right now.
Noting his own inexperience, He feels a sense of helplessness, even so Hisagi still faces forward.
—— While that may be true, there’s no way I can afford to become a hindrance.
On the basis of acknowledging his lack of true strength, Hisagi resolved himself all the more to take on the battle, before him, the two 'magicians’ began to move into action.
“…Invert.”
No sooner than Aura had muttered that in a manner of speaking akin to some kind of command, the surrounding air transformed completely.
Just a moment earlier, Aura had reconstructed matter concealed in the atmosphere back into the air by means of soul manipulation, and simultaneously used the dragon fragments as a medium.
In an instant —— A grey tinted stream of water dominates the ashen sky.
In the skies above Karakura Town, a 'sea’ appeared which is small compared to the real thing, yet extraordinarily vast considering its location.
Two Shinigami who were watching the spectacle from the ground, let slip an astonished shriek as they were struck dumbfounded.
“There’s a sea… in the sky?”
“Yikes! If that sort of thing came crashing down on us, we’d be sure to drown Shino san! L-Let’s escape!”
Just how much water did it comprise of?
The 'sea’ which was no more than a mass which veiled the sky, eventually generated a directional swell of waves, before long it transforms into a 'large river’ and coursed around the sky meandering left and right.
Faced with an overwhelming spectacle which possessed both beauty and terror, Hiyori gave yells of abuse and scolds the Shinigami.
“Quit freaking out! A Zanpakutō is capable of something of that level too! Heck even that Espada shark lady pulled a similar stunt….”
Just as she was saying that, Hiyori stopped mid-sentence. -
- Because the next violent threat made its appearance in the atmosphere, as though forming a twin to the great volume of seawater.
“…*Gasp*”
Tessai and the others who were watching the spectacle from a distance, are forced to stay their hands from the counter-attack on the black suits who had materialised around them.
It was that much of a peculiar sight.
As if becoming paired with the stream of water, a river of lava stained in vermilion, rushed about like an enraged fire dragon between a dragon made from seawater.
“It seems we had better speed this up….”
Jinta and Ururu each knock down the enemy they were confronting as though reacting to Tessai’s words.
“Jeez, just what the heck is the deal with these guys!? They come spawning out without a damn warning! Are they insects!?”
Whilst receiving an annoyed Jinta’s yell at her back, Ururu gazed fixedly at the sky and muttered to herself.
“There’s something else… it’s coming.”
“Huuhh!? What in the hell!? What can possibly follow the water and magma!?”
In response to the question he had raised himself, Jinta exclaimed in a sudden flash after a moment of contemplation.
“…So then, it turns out to be drill bit and missile dragons!? They’re probably the strongest right!?”
Completely disregarding those yells, Ururu spoke of the true identity belonging to this stream of Reiatsu perceived through her own eyes.
“Kisuke san’s dragons.”
“Hadō 99 ———— Goryūtenmetsu”
At Kisuke’s words, the sky splits open.
What made an appearance, is five pillars of light taking the shape of dragons and composed of Reishi.
By nature, it was one among the Hadō which possessed tremendous power comparable to that of forbidden spells, creating Reishi dragons from the Spiritual Pulse of the earth, and shattering the ground around it whilst engulfing the target.
Urahara made his own adjustments to it, circulating his Hadō into the atmosphere, he hacked into the very Reiatsu of the souls Aura was setting to work and turned it into a substitute for the Spiritual Pulse.
“…I’d never have guessed that you’d actually go this far.”
The composure disappears from Aura’s face, instead, a slight look of mechanical surprise rises to the surface.
“At long last, you’ve let us see a genuine expression.”
When Urahara whispered that, Aura let her lava and water dragons leap towards Urahara and Hisagi as if to negate it.
Meanwhile, among the dragons that were generated by the Hadō, three hovered over Kisuke and Hisagi in order to protect them, and the remaining two charged headlong towards Aura in a manner that sought to enclose her from above and below.
Then, as soon as the three varieties of dragon intersect in midair ——
Explosive pillars of water vapour shot upwards, every corner of the area was completely buried under a newly born brilliant white.
—— What sort of level is this battle on?
Despite the minimal defence by way of Kidō which had been put up, he had still sustained damage in the aftermath of the explosion, Hisagi curses his own inability to do anything in the face of a battle of titans who were several steps above him.
However, he did not intend to run away from it.
Hisagi understood that he would only get in the way. Urahara’s power was so tremendous that Hisagi had even lost sight of why he had said “let’s, the two of us, tackle this one together.”
Such was the manner of battle demonstrated before Hisagi that it gave the impression that Shihōin Yoruichi is quite possibly the only person capable of keeping pace with him even in a raw ability kind of sense, nevertheless, his pride as a Shinigami kept him rooted to the spot.
If Hisagi was a Shinigami who acts through reason —— then it’s likely he would have already set down his Zanpakutō from the moment he entertained a fear of death.
Whether it be for better or worse, Hisagi Shūhei was an inept man.
He was hailed as a talented student at the Shinō Academy, in fact he was a heroic figure able to manage almost anything beyond the conventional standard of a Shinigami, but an underlying sense of irrational pride always compelled him to select the less favourable option.
However, as a consequence of that, Hisagi became stronger.
It is because of his pride as a Shinigami, or perhaps his pride towards the philosophy he inherited from his superiors as a Shinigami, that he had kept walking the path lacking rationality many times over, and each time he continued to linger on the borderline between life and death.
Even if he made a fool of himself at times, he was able to survive in the end; he did not allow himself to flee thanks to that ineptitude, he steps towards the battlefield and holds his ground by his own volition this time as well.
“Urahara san! I’m not sure whether or not this will work but, using Bakudō I can cut-off her power————”
Thinking about what he could do in his own way, Hisagi sought to raise a suggestion to Urahara, however, it was only then that he had realised that Urahara’s Reiatsu had disappeared from the vicinity.
“Urahara…san?”
As the water vapour gradually cleared away from Hisagi’s field of vision, it appears that the damage which had been incurred is substantial, the pale looking form of Aura came into view.
However, the form of Urahara is nowhere to be found.
Before a bewildered Hisagi, Aura contorted her lips once more; as if it was a cue, a voice interlaced in static noise echoed across the space like it was travelling through a loudspeaker.
“Completion status. Mission clear, Aura san.”
“Thank you, president Yukio.”
“With that score, we won’t be given an SS rank. At best that was a B I guess.” ¹
At the words of Yukio who spoke in a dispassionate manner, Hisagi instinctively raised his voice.
“Hey… what’s the big idea!? What the hell have you done with Urahara san!?”
“I’m sure I already told you from the very onset? Our objective is Urahara Kisuke.”
When he carefully examined his surroundings, there in the spot Urahara had just been standing in before the explosion, a disturbance of Reiatsu could be felt as if curling up the space itself.
—— Urahara san… was abducted?
—— That’s absurd. It’s Urahara san for crying out loud!? What the heck happened!?
As if to mock the panicked Hisagi, through the breaks in the electronic blocking noise which would occasionally leak out from the distortion, Yukio’s voice alone continues to echo across.
“Since we’re all set, I had Urahara Kisuke come up to my stage. That is all.”
“Stop bullshitting me! Hey, release Urahara san right now!”
“Sorry but, why not set a flag for our future progress?” ²
After Yukio speaks teasingly whilst remaining expressionless, Aura spoke up.
“…I suppose it won’t be long before we meet again——”
Giving a respectful bow, she herself disappears into the black, static blocking noise that Yukio had generated.
“I wish you good fortune.”
“Wait damn it…”
He darted through the air using Shunpo, yet in the next instant, he had failed to make it in time.
Only the residue of a distorted Reiatsu remained there, for a short while Hisagi searched for an opening in the surroundings, however——
“Fuck…!”
Ultimately he discovered nothing at all, left floating in midair Hisagi raises a voice steeped in deeply held resentment.
Not towards Yukio nor towards Aura, rather a voice of resentment aimed at his own inability to do anything about it.
Urahara Kisuke had been abducted whilst Hisagi was at his wit’s end.
Much like how he is unable to obtain a single clue as to what it all means.
Translator’s notes:
¹ This is a ranking system in video games originating from Japan, SS rank would be equivalent to flawless and anything below a C would generally be considered ‘mission failed’.
²The 'flag’ terminology used mostly in visual novel games which can alter in-game character’s future status or trigger certain events. Here, when Yukio is talking teasingly about setting off a flag for their future progress, he is really just joking about tempting fate in that something inevitable will follow now that they’re “all set.”
Q.31: Out of all the poems that appear at the beginning of each volume, which volume’s poem is the one that you are most pleased with?
Kubo:Which volume I wonder. I’d say I’m more or less pleased with all of them.
—— J: Are there any that stand out to you the most?
Kubo: In terms of my basic preferences, I’m quite fond of poems that involve numbers, like when Orihime appeared on the front cover (volume 27) “we have not one in common, no two are shaped alike~”, and the poem where Yhwach appears on the cover (volume 55) “take one step in and never return~”, I like these two poems. This is completely unrelated, but in terms of character techniques, I’m also quite pleased with “Burner Finger 1, 2, 3~” the technique used by Bazz-B which was demonstrated in his final chapters.
Q.32: A large number of characters have made an appearance in “BLEACH”, but who has become Kubo sensei’s absolute favourite male and female characters from among them?
Kubo: As for my characters, I like them all. Even though I like voluptuous figures, drawing them is difficult so I cannot make that a sweeping generalisation of who I prefer drawing. When “BLEACH -Brave Souls-” came out, Nelliel, Orihime and Rangiku were what my focus was more drawn to. I like drawing busty characters wearing sexy swimsuits after all (laughs).
—— J: What about male characters?
Kubo: I like all the male characters roughly the same. I do not like nor dislike anyone in particular.
Q.33: Among the characters that appear in “BLEACH”, is there anyone who makes sensei go “I want to be this guy!” If so, please tell us.
Kubo: There’s no one I’d want to be (laughs).
—— J: Conversely, is there anyone you would absolutely not want to be?
Kubo: I have never given any consideration to which character “I would like to be, or not like to be” (laughs).
—— J: Maybe a squad 12 soldier or something…?
Kubo: I don’t want to be a character whose days are numbered (laughs).
Q.34: Which character among the cast of “BLEACH” does sensei believe most resembles himself? Furthermore, does sensei project a bit of himself into his characters?
Kubo: There is no character that takes after me. I don’t think I project myself into my characters. When I’m composing my story and characters, I’m looking at it through the eyes of an onlooker, I don’t deviate from that position. Like when you’re observing unfamiliar characters in action within a dream for example, it’s entirely the standpoint of an onlooker.
—— J: Does it feel like you’re watching a movie?
Kubo: That’s right. There’s absolutely no bit of “myself” to be found there at all, it’s like I’m watching the scene from the viewpoint of a third party. Unless a character that embodies “myself” appears in that space, I am not a party to said dream. Thus I have maintained that “BLEACH” is the story of Ichigo and others all the way to the end, so it has nothing to do with me.
Q.35: If Kubo sensei could enlist in the Gotei 13, which squad would he want to join?
Kubo: Huh!? I don’t think I could enlist. It seems tough so I don’t want to join (laughs). You must have to go through an absurd amount of physical training right!? However, if there is a position where one can draw illustrations on the other hand….
—— J: What if you were a member of staff working on the production of Seireitei Communication?
Kubo: But that would mean I’d be Hisagi’s underling won’t it…(laughs).
—— J: Speaking of Seireitei Communication, it’s produced by squad 9 isn’t it?
Kubo: Correct. If I had drawn an illustration and it was criticised by Hisagi, I would end up thinking something like “that’s rich, coming from Hisagi…”, so on second thought, I don’t want to join at all (laughs).
Q.36:Throughout the whole story, which battle scenes were drawn with the most emotional attachment and enthusiasm?
Kubo: What I want to draw for each battle scene is different. Some scenes I wanted to draw purely for the action, and other scenes I wanted to draw for story progression…. What I enjoyed drawing with regard to action, is the final Ichigo versus Grimmjow fight for instance.
—— J: How about in terms of story?
Kubo: Thinking about it now, if I had to choose the drawing phase which came the closest, I’d say Bazz-B versus Haschwalth is the most unforgettable.
Q.37: Please tell us which character you can draw with the most ease.
Kubo: Ikkaku!
Q.38:In the story there are various characters who put up a united front, but which pair or team does sensei take a liking to? If Kubo sensei personally found it challenging to depict the sense of distance and relationships between these fellow characters, or if there is any aspect within this subject that sensei was particular about and so on, please tell us about it.
Kubo: Since I portray the teams on the basis of their relationships from the start, I have never had any difficulties with this. On the contrary, after I read the work over again I think there are certain things that made me go something like “I haven’t depicted the relationship between this guy and this guy huh?” In that kind of situation, I may decide to reveal it in the form of a side story in the future. Also speaking of the challenges I faced, I decided that I always felt that way about the relationship between Kensei and Mashiro for instance, however I wasn’t able to draw much interaction between them in the manga. As the story progressed, I remember thinking “finally I’m able to draw the relationship between these two” in ‘The Past Arc’.
Q.39:Which movie adaptation is Kubo sensei’s favourite?
Kubo: What left the biggest impression on me is the opening sequence of “Hell Verse” where I had the battle between Ichigo and Ulquiorra remade, I remember how relieved I was by the superb execution. This pleased me greatly. I re-watched that scene alone many times over.
Q.40:Do you ever go back to read “BLEACH”? Are your own illustrations and manga the way you’d like them to be?
Kubo: I think I feel the same for everything, but there are both areas that I love, and areas that make me think “I could have drawn a little more to expand on this.” Conversely, when I try to re-examine my work after thinking “I guess I was too excessive here”, I discover there are also things I had drawn better than expected. In addition, I think my own drawings are all generally to my liking. I draw manga because I want to draw the way I wish, that being the case, if I didn’t like my own art, I wouldn’t be drawing in the first place.
Q.41: I get the impression that throughout the entirety of “BLEACH”, Kubo sensei has depicted the themes of right and wrong. I would like to ask about Kubo sensei’s personal views on right and wrong.
Kubo: I depict the things that are not uniform within myself, in my manga. There are many ways to perceive concepts like “right and wrong”, the one within myself is not necessarily the one that is correct. By nature I like to consider things from various angles, so when I see news surrounding an incident on television, I like to examine it through the initial details. If for example the incident happened to be “a person was attacked in a certain place”, person by person, I consider the motives that the whole cast may have in the event that the person in question is the culprit. Even if the answers to those questions have already been given out on the news, I ponder things like “if some part of this information turns out to be false, would the answers become the complete opposite?”
Q.42: After composing a work like “BLEACH”, is there anything that you made you think “this was non-negotiable”?
Kubo: I don’t much draw with a sense of flexibility (laughs). Basically everything was non-negotiable, although, Asada san the editor during my one-shot before serialisation, made various suggestions like “I want you to do it in this way”, but since I didn’t make any amendments at all in accordance with those suggestions, he no longer asked me to do so midway through (laughs). I knew it would be accepted if it was interesting even if I hadn’t made the amendments as pointed out, so I thought “this will do.”
Translator’s notes:
Hisagi has an unpopular segment in Seireitei Communication called “Teach Me! Shūhei Sensei!!” which is what Kubo is likely making a quip at!
