Help! I am bound to Aizen!-Chapter 286

Chapter 286

2-in-1 chapter:

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“Bankai!!

Kokujō Tengen Myō’ō!!”

With a thunderous roar from Komamura Sajin, a massive, armored samurai rose from the earth, towering high above the land.

“Whoa…”

Not far off, Kaelith stood atop a small hill, voicing his admiration. Kokujō Tengen Myō’ō had changed considerably from the first time he’d seen it. Under Mayuri Kurotsuchi’s direction, Komamura’s Bankai had been modified twice already.

Normally, a Bankai resets each time it’s used—any injuries it sustained, or modifications it received, vanish once the Bankai is dispelled. But Mayuri had found a way to make those modifications permanent by embedding artificial cells—developed during the “Nemuri Project”—into the Zanpakutō, then stabilizing them with Mod Soul energy. In other words, he could remodel a Bankai into anything he wanted.

Mayuri’s own Bankai had originally taken the form of a centipede-like insect. To facilitate these alterations, he’d integrated the remains of his failed “Nemuri No. 5” experiment into his sword, transforming it into a half-insect, half-baby monstrosity. When Kaelith first saw that bizarre Bankai, he was nearly scared off—not by the Bankai itself, but by the possibility that Mayuri might lose it and blame him. Yet Mayuri was unexpectedly pleased with the outcome, even thanking Kaelith for his help.

Shifting his gaze back to Komamura’s Kokujō Tengen Myō’ō, Kaelith took in the hulking figure—over a hundred meters tall—encased in black armor. On its left shoulder sat a colossal multi-barreled Gatling gun; on the right, a huge cannon engraved with Kido Corps seals. When infused with spiritual energy, that cannon unleashed a fearsome Kido blast. In a certain “Recollections” incident, under Yamamoto’s command, the Kido Corps had once used a Kido cannon to annihilate an entire pocket dimension—its power needed no further explanation.

Such a weapon had always been restricted by two major factors. First, the cumbersome size made it difficult to transport. Unless the enemy kindly announced its intentions to fight head-on, it was nearly impossible to set up a Kido cannon in advance. But with Kokujō Tengen Myō’ō carrying it around, that obstacle vanished. The massive giant could simply shoulder the cannon and move anywhere on the battlefield.

The second problem was the immense spiritual pressure required. Typically, several hundred Kido Corps members had to work together, building up energy just to fire a single shot. However, Komamura possessed spiritual reserves far beyond ordinary Shinigami. If he had enough power to animate a behemoth like Kokujō Tengen Myō’ō, his “blue bar” of energy was no joke. In Kaelith’s assessment, Komamura could handle the Kido cannon’s demands—though in rapid succession, he might only manage two shots at best. Still, that was plenty in most battles.

As for the giant blade in Kokujō Tengen Myō’ō’s hands, it looked identical to the original form, but that was a mere façade. Against normal foes, hacking away with the sword would do fine. If the enemy proved exceptionally tough, though, Komamura could deploy a hidden trick. A large black canister was strapped to the Bankai’s back, filled with Kaelith’s “Shatter Defenses—Rixiang Jimie” flames—stored in advance. Kokujō Tengen Myō’ō could pull a nozzle from its waist and spray those flames. Given that the Bankai itself had fire-type properties, it could guide Kaelith’s flames to achieve more extensive area attacks.

Yet the most dramatic changes were the numerous small, tile-like plates embedded all over the armor. Developed by Mayuri, these tiles were cutting-edge technology: whenever Kokujō Tengen Myō’ō detected an attack exceeding its tolerance, those plates could detonate outward, unleashing a shockwave. The shoulders and arms had an especially dense covering of them. Kaelith had vivid memories of Komamura’s Bankai losing its arms—chopped clean off—whenever it faced a powerful opponent. This time around, Komamura could smile smugly and proclaim, “Your slash may be impressive, but I’ve rigged the spot you’re aiming for with explosive reaction tiles. How will you handle that?”

Just imagining that scene made Kaelith grin.

Next to him, Mayuri rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“Kaelith, I think there’s still room for improvement. This upgrade isn’t strong enough yet.”

“Oh? Let’s hear it.”

“See, if we turn both of Kokujō Tengen Myō’ō’s arms into seven or eight tentacles each, with a weapon gripped in every tentacle, wouldn’t that dramatically increase its damage output? In fact, if we add tentacles to its back as well, each holding its own weapon…ah, just the thought excites me!”

Kaelith paused, considering Mayuri’s proposal. Then he glanced at him warily.

“I’ll ask first: where exactly would these ‘tentacles’ come from?”

“Heh, excellent question,” Mayuri answered with a wide grin. “I caught several Hollows in the Rukongai that appear to have been artificially altered, each possessing unique abilities. One of them can manifest tentacles out of thin air. If we can reconfigure those…”

“Stop right there.” Kaelith cut him off with a blank stare. Grafting Hollow limbs onto a Shinigami—even if just for the Zanpakutō—was far too risky. He wouldn’t let Mayuri use Komamura as a test subject for that.

Mayuri only shrugged. It wasn’t unexpected. He could always look for some support from Kisuke Urahara. With that man’s curious mind, he’d probably cooperate. Or even Aizen Sōsuke…though there was something unsettling about him, that shouldn’t matter in the name of science.

Indeed, Kaelith’s circle of friends was strangely blessed with talent.

After a few final keystrokes on his console, Mayuri finished calibrating Kokujō Tengen Myō’ō. Kaelith, unable to hold back any longer, leaped into the air and yelled, “Come on, Komamura! Let’s see what you can do now!”

“Understood!” Komamura’s own excitement had been building. He’d been itching to test the full potential of his new-and-improved Bankai. As Kaelith soared overhead, Komamura immediately fired the massive cannon.

A brilliant silver beam tore through the sky. Even in broad daylight, it lit the heavens so intensely that far-off Seireitei took notice.

At the Fifth Division barracks, Shinji Hirako lay on the roof, yawning lazily. He’d been busy lately. Though he lacked hard proof, his gut told him his lieutenant Aizen was connected to all sorts of recent turmoil in the Soul Society. Twice he had tailed Aizen, only to find nothing suspicious.

Glancing at that flash of light streaking across the sky, he clicked his tongue. Unlike Aizen, who was always so secretive, Kaelith relished making a spectacle of everything he did. Hirako couldn’t fathom how a brash fool like Kaelith had become friends with someone like Aizen.

If his instincts turned out right, and Aizen truly was up to something, how would Kaelith handle it once he found out? He’d never accept it.

Hirako sighed, picturing the chaos that might bring. He was still pondering that when a voice sounded in his ear. Two or three seconds later, he bolted upright.

“…Got it, I’ll be right there!”

Frowning slightly, he vanished from the roof in a single flash step.

…

Ratatatatat!

A torrent of bullets poured from the Gatling gun, streaking across the sky in dense, fiery arcs. Kaelith darted back and forth with Shunpo, sometimes snatching a bullet out of midair and tossing it aside.

“You need a faster rate of fire. At this speed, a high-mobility opponent can slip through pretty easily,” he commented, momentarily zipping over to Mayuri’s side to offer advice.

Mayuri rolled his eyes. He’d designed this weapon for foes roughly on Komamura’s level. Kaelith was operating at a whole different echelon of strength. If Mayuri ever built armaments capable of actually hurting Kaelith, he wouldn’t be messing around with artificial life; he’d be mass-producing lethal weaponry for the whole Soul Society.

He could even call them the “Kaelith-Type Mark I, Mark II”…

After trying out each of Komamura’s new weapons—and even taking a direct hit from the Kido cannon—Kaelith wore a satisfied expression. “It’s still got some flaws, but it’s miles ahead of the original. A bit more fine-tuning and you’ll be one of the strongest Captains around!”

Beaming at the praise, Komamura looked like he wanted to speak, but just then an Onmitsukidō operative arrived via Shunpo.

“Captain Kaelith, the Captain-Commander has summoned you to the First Division at once!”

Kaelith’s first thought was that the Wandenreich had finally turned up some new clue. Eyes shining in anticipation, he shot away like a streak of light. Komamura retracted his Bankai, watching Kaelith’s fading silhouette.

He felt certain that achieving Bankai made him one of the strongest in the Soul Society. But…was that enough to repay Kaelith’s kindness? When Mayuri approached to give him a post-test medical exam, Komamura couldn’t help asking as much.

Mayuri flashed him a mocking grin.

“A foolish question. ‘Can I help him?’ is a pointless proposition. In what field, and to what extent? No matter how strong someone is, there are always tasks they can’t handle or simply don’t want to do.

“If your plan is to surpass that guy in raw power and fight enemies he can’t beat, you may as well abandon that fantasy now. I’ve never seen anyone grow so fast in the entire history of the Soul Society.

“If you really want to assist him, do it in your own way. For instance, he loves anything fluffy—you could let him pet your head. He’d be thrilled.”

Komamura was speechless. That was…some suggestion.

Mayuri sneered. “What, too simple for you? If you want something more complex, there’s always another option. Kaelith might be tough, but he’s tenderhearted. He can’t always bring himself to do certain things. If you can figure out what those are, and quietly take care of them yourself, that’s the greatest help you can offer.

“Then again, judging by your brainpower, that’s probably out of reach for now. You might as well start with the first idea.”

Finished with his scans, Mayuri tossed off a creepy laugh and walked away, leaving Komamura lost in thought.

…

At the First Division barracks, Kaelith gazed in surprise at the people gathered inside: Yamamoto Shigekuni, Kirio Hikifune, Shinji Hirako, and…a white haori floating in midair.

As soon as he saw that haori, Kaelith raised an eyebrow. “Who just left a Captain’s haori lying around? Do they think it’s disposable?”

Yamamoto said nothing, but he silently questioned how Kaelith dared make such a remark. Of all people, Kaelith had no right to talk.

Before the old man could respond, the haori itself spoke in an indignant tone:

“You brat! Are you deliberately provoking me? You know what my ability is, yet you pretend otherwise… Are you trying to pick a fight?”

Kaelith snickered. “Oh? If you’re upset, why not come down here from the Royal Palace and settle it? One-on-one.”

He goaded the speaker without the slightest fear. Kirio had mentioned that members of Squad Zero rarely descended to the Soul Society. The seventy-two layers of barriers between Seireitei and the Royal Palace, not to mention the insane distance, made traveling down and back more troublesome than circling the globe on foot. Typically, only Senjumaru Shutara projected herself here—she didn’t even use her true body. She simply transferred her consciousness into a “Heavenly Garment” stationed in the Soul Society, much like right now.

Surely she wouldn’t come all this way for a mere verbal spat. But instead of getting angry, the voice emanating from the haori gave a playful laugh.

“Oh? Well said. Let’s see if you keep that same swagger when we meet in person…Kaelith.”

Kaelith’s smile froze. “…Wait, you really intend to come down here?”

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The floating haori swayed as if shaking its head. “No, no. I won’t be the one traveling. You, Kaelith, are the one who’ll be coming up.”

Floating over beside Kirio, the haori continued in a clear voice.

“By order of the Soul King, three days from now, Kirio Hikifune shall be officially promoted to the Royal Guard. At that time, she will leave the Soul Society and enter the Royal Palace. The Fifth Division Captain, Shinji Hirako, and the Eleventh Division Captain, Kaelith…both of you are to accompany Kirio Hikifune as her escorts.”

All eyes in the room widened in surprise—even Yamamoto looked taken aback.

Kaelith felt his heart pound. He’d known about the Zero Squad, but he never expected to set foot in the Royal Palace so soon. The question was…why him? Shinji made perfect sense as a veteran Captain with more experience.

But what had earned Kaelith this invitation?

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