Bleach V: Well that was a waste of time (Fullbring? What's that?)

[Calemyr]

Tell me if this makes sense in regards to the Hoagie (great nickname, by the way):

The crumbling treasure requires three things before it can display its true reality-warping abilities: The Desire, the Need, and the Will.

The Desire is something a person wants with every fiber of their being. Something they're willing to risk their life for.

The Need is a situation in which they have no chance for survival without their desire being granted, where not just their life but their very existence is on the line.

The Will is the force of will to claim the gifts when they are offered, to double down on a losing hand and take hold of something they never knew they had.

Rukia's situation is pretty clear: she wants redemption. Ichigo's resemblance to Kaien is so striking that her guilt makes her willing to take a crippling blow (and frankly a fatal one, as she's not able to protect herself from the hollow anymore) to save him. Now with both of them mere moments from a fate worse than death, she is willing to give up everything she has to make him strong, just as he is willing to run himself through with a stranger's sword in the hopes that he'd be able to save his family. Her wish is granted: she gives everything she has to make him strong. His wish is granted: he sacrifices the life he had for the power to save his family.

Chad and Orihime's cases are even more clear cut: they cannot stand to watch powerlessly while people they care about suffer. When they finally find a chamce to stand at that point between do and die, and they choose to go forward regardless, their wish is granted.

For Aizen, what he was originally lacking was the need. He was in no danger from anyone, he was top of the food chain. He forged that need by carefully sculpting Gin and Ichigo into enemies that could challenge him, calling the Hoagie to grant his desire for a new level of power beyond any limits he might have once had. In the end, however, what broke was his will. Seeing Ichigo overshadow him that much destroyed his will, and with it his connection to the Hoagie.

If you read it this way, the Hoagie may need to be close to the event to grant the desire, but close is a relative term. In this realm of reality, on this planet, in this country, in this city... from a certain perspective, all of these events are happening very close together.

Which leads me to this conclusion: Rukia activates the Hoagie (while it's in Urahara's possession) while trying to save Ichigo. Urahara panics and takes advantage of Rukia's condition by hiding it in her soul and then attempting to render her soul inaccessible using stealth gigai to turn her into a human.

Naturally this fits into Aizen's plans, because it takes the Hoagie out of Urahara's direct possession. He manipulates events so that Renji and Byakuya bring her back to the Soul Society, making it fairly straight forward to claim the crumbling treasure for himself. Then it becomes a simple game of waiting and manipulating events to craft the Need necessary to obtain what he truly Desires.

[The-Mage-King]

And so we learn that Yamamoto could compete with Alucard on the "Scary as hell" factor, just from a glare.

Spoiler

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Also, army of scorched undead minions=BEST BANKAI EVER.

[Socratov]

Now all there is left is 'north'...

[Morph Bark]

Can't wait for North myself. The different parts of his bankai have been getting more awesome than the last.

[Kaez]

Bach is probably scared in his boots lol. Nothing seems to work on Genocide (his name fits now that we see his army XD)

Also, he JUST killed Overkill..... lol should be interesting.

[HandofShadows]

Yama must have spent most of his time in his office coming up with more and more ways to use his abilities to kill Bach instead of doing paperwork like everyone though he was doing.

[jindra34]

Now all there is left is 'north'...

There might also be a 'center' form depending on how Kubo traces things.
Still this is a bloody scary thing.

[Maugan Ra]

Ah. Now that is interesting. Initially, it appeared that Yama's Bankai was limited purely to a precise offensive and a personal defense measure. But Bach reckons without his special technique, he'd have been burned to ashes just by standing there. So that's a very indiscriminate offensive power as well, though it might be a natural side effect.

And now it turns out he can resurrect the charred corpses of everyone he's killed with his power. Which presumably includes Bach's old comrades.

...Yamamoto is capable of murdering you with the enslaved, ever-burning souls of your friends and family. Wow.

[Kaez]

Which makes Yamaicide a bad person to mess with.

"I'll kill you here with my flame sword, enjoy"

"Nooo-!"

A few years later:

"I bring back all those who I have killed with my sword"

"ooooo.... wait, I'm alive?"

"Under my command.... I killed you and you are my undead servant"

"*sigh* Crap"

[Frozen_Feet]

I'll be really disappointed if Ol' Flaming Whiskers doesn't get to kill Back at this rate.

I wants those whiskers!

[DiscipleofBob]

Which makes Yamaicide a bad person to mess with.

"I'll kill you here with my flame sword, enjoy"

"Nooo-!"

A few years later:

"I bring back all those who I have killed with my sword"

"ooooo.... wait, I'm alive?"

"Under my command.... I killed you and you are my undead servant"

"*sigh* Crap"

If they're shinigami and part of Seireitei's military already, doesn't that already make them undead servants?

[Dante & Vergil]

If they're shinigami and part of Seireitei's military already, doesn't that already make them undead servants?

The difference is that Soul Reapers are more like ghosts, while these things be zombies... THAT ARE ******* ON FIRE!!!

[jguy]

My guess would be more skeletons than zombies

[Drolyt]

And so we learn that Yamamoto could compete with Alucard on the "Scary as hell" factor, just from a glare.

No. No he cannot.

Spoiler

Show

Also, army of scorched undead minions=BEST BANKAI EVER.

This is true though.

There might also be a 'center' form depending on how Kubo traces things.

I would think so, there is usually a center in eastern thought.

My guess would be more skeletons than zombies

What's the difference? I mean, I know D&D has them as different, but in general they are basically the same thing (ignoring for now that as a general term "zombie" means something quite different from what it originally meant).

[thubby]

What's the difference? I mean, I know D&D has them as different, but in general they are basically the same thing (ignoring for now that as a general term "zombie" means something quite different from what it originally meant).

going from other fiction. skeletons are usually faster, more frail, more intelligent (armies of skeletons using weapons are more common than zombies), and more likely to "regenerate" in that they can put back any pieces that fall off.

also, love the art style on those things, really creepy.

[Drolyt]

going from other fiction. skeletons are usually faster, more frail, more intelligent (armies of skeletons using weapons are more common than zombies), and more likely to "regenerate" in that they can put back any pieces that fall off.

But there are "zombies" in fiction with all those traits. I don't really see a meaningful distinction there; not that that is a big deal.

also, love the art style on those things, really creepy.

I agree, I don't know about creepy, but for all his storytelling faults Kubo is a good artist.

[INoKnowNames]

You'd think he'd be a bit more urgent in his fighting, rather than the usual more talking about what you're doing and less actually doing it style of Bleach, since he's sorta burning down the entire Soul Society.

If he loses this fight, and Ichigo is forced to win it, I hope I'll finally be able to use the frustration from it to be able to quit Bleach, or that it ends. I hate that I'm hooked on it some how, yet detest so much about it...

Though that ability is Badass...

[LaZodiac]

You'd think he'd be a bit more urgent in his fighting, rather than the usual more talking about what you're doing and less actually doing it style of Bleach, since he's sorta burning down the entire Soul Society.

If he loses this fight, and Ichigo is forced to win it, I hope I'll finally be able to use the frustration from it to be able to quit Bleach, or that it ends. I hate that I'm hooked on it some how, yet detest so much about it...

Though that ability is Badass...

You do know that the Thousand Year Blood War is the final arc, right? After this, Bleach is over.

Incidently, SOMETHING has to happen to stop Genryusai. There is no way he's winning. No way.

[INoKnowNames]

You do know that the Thousand Year Blood War is the final arc, right? After this, Bleach is over.

It ain't over 'till the Fat Lady sings. Even Word of God may change over time. He might decide that -moar- has to happen...

Incidently, SOMETHING has to happen to stop Genryusai. There is no way he's winning. No way.

What could -possibly- occur that can actually deal with him at this point? It's shaping up that nothing short of Hogkyoku Aizen could deal wi...

Oh my god.

No.

No.

No no no no no no no no no.

Please tell me there's not a snowball's chance in hell of that happening. Please.

[VanBuren]

I doubt it somehow. Word on the street is that Kubo has been working on this arc for a long time, and through the past several years of Bleach he's been waiting to tell this part of the story.

Which probably explains the much tighter plotting and quick progression.

[thubby]

i dont see anyone DEFEATING captain genocide.

they might, however, force him into a position that minimizes his damage or removes him from the field long enough to get something done.

for example: moving the fight into the infirmary would force him to turn off his bankai or roast everyone in the area alive.

in fact, that's where i put my money on this going. unohana will proceed to eviscerate him, so we get to see her in action.

[LaZodiac]

It ain't over 'till the Fat Lady sings. Even Word of God may change over time. He might decide that -moar- has to happen...

Aizen

I'm not saying this is just Kubo saying this is the last arc off hand, I mean "strait up, press conference, everyone hold onto your hats this is IT" level source.

"Did you really think the last couple of years were real? Ufufufufu"

[INoKnowNames]

"Did you really think the last couple of years were real? Ufufufufu"

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[Traab]

Can someone post a good pic of yama using this technique? I dont have the manga.

[LaZodiac]

I will. As per most sites that I see posting pictures, I'll attempt to bock out the text (though the translation added at the bottom says what it is anyway).

Totally a move a good guy is using.

To clarify, the white things are Bach's attempt at casting an "unbeatable spell" like the Shinigami spell things that never get used. All the zombie skeletons that are on fire? That's the good guy.

[Frozen_Feet]

Nah, he's at best, the Lawful Neutral guy.

[Tenno Seremel]

Well, he is Yama, the lord of death and order. Seriously.

[HandofShadows]

Actually, is you look at most of the more nasty/**** moves made by the SS, you will notice that the Central 46 where behind them, not Old Man Yama. Take a look at how things are with The OLd Maa in charge. You have someone who was supposed to be killed on sight (The Visored) as one of his Captains. I think he tends towards goodish when he is able.

[Dusk Eclipse]

I would say he is LAWFUL good-ish, he clearly has the best intentions of SS and his subordinates in mind; but he tends to follow the letter of his superiors (Central 46 and the Soul King). By the way did the Martial Law invoked during Rescue Rukia arc was officially lifted? For that matter did they replace the central 46?

[Ramza00]

I would say he is LAWFUL good-ish, he clearly has the best intentions of SS and his subordinates in mind; but he tends to follow the letter of his superiors (Central 46 and the Soul King). By the way did the Martial Law invoked during Rescue Rukia arc was officially lifted? For that matter did they replace the central 46?

They replaced the central 46, for the original central 46 were killed by Aizen (Gin and Tosen possibly helped). Yamamoto was their temporary replacement. Yet we see a new central 46 choosing Aizen's sentence of 18,800 years which is then raised when Aizen talked back to them and raised the sentence to 20,000 years.