Hollow Moon: A Lost Shadow

Chapter 19: Laughter In the Void

Silas's mind cleared after recalling that minor event in his past. It might have been small, but it played a significant role in his current predicament. He missed his wife, his son, and his daughter.

'They will never find the artificial soul,' he thought to himself.

Even in these confines, he was still coming up with deductions and plans to help him secure the Hōgyoku. Of those thesis' running in his head, returning to his body was a crucial matter. Without the extraction tool, he would forever lose the Hōgyoku.

The only other way to remove it was by using the guillotine on Sōkyoku Hill. However, something like that would be impossible unless he were to slay everyone in the Seireitei. Members of squad zero would never let that happen.

'I'm starting to get annoyed... What sort of punishment would they really give me, I wonder?'

Central 46 understood that Silas was still a man. That meant they couldn't confine him to Muken for long. Much like the last Substitute Soul Reaper, Kūgo Ginjō, who revolted from the Soul Society and went on a killing spree, Silas was likely to receive what punishment he had. That punishment revolved around having one's rights as a Soul Reaper revoked and their powers stripped away.

After all, they would be hypocrites if they executed Silas or kept him in prison for years. The Soul Society's purpose was to protect the balance of all the worlds. Harming a man from the world of the living went against their own rules.

If they weren't going to eliminate the source of his powers, they would likely try rehabilitation. Whatever they decided, he was not going to yield or confirm anything. His mind was not going to change after making it this far.

The only other thing on his mind was what else Central 46 had asked. They claimed that they didn't see any text within the Bible he had.

He always kept that Bible on his person. It was safely tucked under his garment. Even when he separated from his body, it appeared alongside him. It wasn't like Ichigo's Hollow mask that would appear randomly; it was a physical book. The only strange thing about it was that after Silas was cut multiple times by Zaraki, the latter tearing away his outfit, the book remained unharmed.

"You've been staring off into space for days now!" someone said close by. "Don't tell me you've lost your mind. Kekekeke!"

Silas hadn't responded. He merely kept his concentration, ignoring the voice in his head. But it wasn't a voice; it was a spirit. And not just any other spirit. It was the spirit of Sōya Azashiro's Zanpakutō!

During the fight between Zaraki and him, he activated his Bankai. But it wasn't Zangetsu's Bankai; it was Enrakyōten's Bankai. Enrakyōten was never written to have a Bankai, but Silas knew that it did. He even knew what it needed for it to be subjugated: a promise, something he had made long ago.

Upon activating its Bankai, it no longer allowed him to mimic the power of other Zanpakutō's Shikai abilities. Rather, he could now mimic their Bankai abilities!

The Zanpakutō of his choosing was none other than Sōya Azashiro's Urozakuro. Urozakuro possesses the power to fuse with his surroundings and manipulate them at will. This control extends to everything, from the very air to the ground beneath his feet.

There were some downsides to it, but there was only one that truly bothered Silas—upon using the Bankai, the spirit of Urozakuro would manifest itself and wouldn't leave its wielder alone, constantly hounding him or trying to make small talk. It wasn't the real Urozakuro, but Enrakyōten, who had taken on its shape and size.

While in this state, only he could hear its voice and see its figure. This was also who Silas was referring to when he felt "annoyed at the laughter" upon being captured by Zaraki's squad. It was also why he was "starting to get annoyed" earlier. Enrakyōten wouldn't stop trying to communicate with him.

No longer the pale witch, it had now taken on the form of a tall, busty female with long black hair fastened with a golden braid into a fan shape in the back. It also had two ponytails and two straps covering both its eyes. What was also apparent about its new form was what it was wearing: a large lavender robe with exceptionally large sleeves and a black lining around the shoulders, exposing its cleavage.

If Silas were to remove its mask, Sōya's sister's face would likely be under it. That was because she became the embodiment of his Bankai moments before her death.

For the last few days, Silas has been using its power to fuse his own being with various portions of Muken. Doing so made the prison itself a mere extension of his being, allowing him boundless perception of his surroundings. Additionally, he can merge two or more substances together, his power transcending the physical to encompass the mental and spiritual.

The process was taking a lot longer than he expected each second gnawing away at his life force.

"Why don't you bust out now?!" Enrakyōten screamed in protest. Not only had the spirit's form changed, its personality matched Urozakuro's. It was now unhinged and quite insane, often laughing in a psychotic manner while being playful, simply to tease Silas at regular intervals. "Oh, I get it! You've been biding time so you could fuse with more of the Seireitei!"

Enrakyōten might have already known this from the beginning. It was simply speaking its mind out, trying to get a verbal response from Silas. It knew he could hear it, so it began fake crying. Only then did Silas finally open his eyes.

A whisper of his spiritual pressure flowed through the entire prison. His form faded, and the restraints on him was rendered useless. By the time they struck the ground, he'd forged a tenuous connection to what lay beyond. He moved from his cell with ghostly ease, leaving no trace or alarm. Suddenly, he found himself soaring above moonlit clouds, a dark look crossing his face as he surveyed the Seireitei below.

"You did it, you did it, you finally did it!" Enrakyōten cheered.

All Silas could do was remain calm and collected, ignoring the constant applause. However, the spirit was right to commend him on this feat. Escaping from the Muken by force was not something anyone could do.

In all the Soul Society, only one Soul Reaper had ever broken out of the strongest prison they had. Yet that Soul Reaper hadn't done it yet, and likely wouldn't for some time.

Now that he had beaten that Soul Reaper to it, Silas would forever be recorded as the Seireitei's greatest enemy.