Sorcerer of Heaven Chapter 16: Finding Ran'Tao

The First Division barracks loomed ahead under the darkening skies. Its long wooden corridors, polished smooth with age, smelled faintly of incense and ash — reminders of the countless centuries they had borne witness to. For many shinigami, walking these halls was enough to stir dread in their hearts, for here resided the seat of the Gotei 13’s true might, its Head Captain, touted as the strongest Shinigami since the founding of Gotei 13.

Harry felt the weight of the moment weigh on his shoulders as he walked into his former division. However, he was no longer a member of the First Division and burdened with new responsibilities. His lieutenant’s badge was snug against his arm, but today it felt heavier than ever.

The moment after a massive explosion rocked Squad 12’s barracks was the moment everything went to hell.

Harry, along with many other soul reapers, converged on the spot immediately, only to find Ichigo Kurosaki and other human teens. From them, they learned more about Jin Kariya and his plans. The information about the Jokaisho hidden beneath the Squad 12 barracks was a shocker, prompting a deeper investigation into the Bounts. For this reason, Captain Kyoraku and Captain Ukitake were charged to find more information about the nature of Jokaisho.

Now, their investigation was complete, and Harry carried with him the findings of Captain Ukitake.  

At his side, Lieutenant Nanao Ise of Squad 8 carried a thick stack of documents, her expression as controlled and unreadable as ever. Together, they moved with measured steps, the wooden floorboards creaking softly under their feet.

This was no simple report.

Captain Ukitake and Captain Kyōraku had spent considerable effort and time combing through the Central Library, delving into forbidden sections that had been sealed for centuries. What they found had not been entrusted to messengers or scattered briefings. No, it was deemed important enough that two lieutenants would present it directly before Head Captain Yamamoto himself.

The old captain’s door loomed ahead, flanked by guards who straightened at their approach. Nanao spoke first, her voice steady.

“Lieutenants Nanao and Harry, reporting with urgent findings on behalf of our captains.”

The guards exchanged a look, then stepped aside. One slid the door open.

Inside, the chamber was spare. At the far end, seated in a rigid posture behind a low writing desk, was Head Captain Yamamoto. His long white beard trailed like flowing silk, his eyes hidden half beneath heavy lids. Yet when they lifted, Harry felt as though his very soul was laid bare.

“Enter,” Yamamoto said.

His voice was gravel and fire, sharp but commanding.

Harry bowed deeply, as did Nanao, before stepping forward. They knelt at the appropriate distance, neither too near nor too far. The silence stretched, thick and unyielding, until Yamamoto finally spoke again.

“Ukitake. Kyōraku. They unearthed something.”

It was not a question. It was an observation.

“Yes, Head Captain,” Nanao answered, nodding sharply.

She untied her satchel and drew out a bundle of aged scrolls, bound with seals that crackled faintly with spiritual wards. She placed them reverently before her. The seal stamped on the scrolls was clearly visible and bore the insignia of the Central 46.

“We were tasked to deliver these findings. They concern the origins of the Bounts… and the construct known as the Jōkai Crest.”

At the name, Yamamoto’s gaze sharpened. A flicker of heat coiled in the brazier, though no hand touched it.

Harry cleared his throat softly.

“With your leave, Head Captain, I’ll recount Captain Ukitake’s notes. Lieutenant Nanao will provide Captain Kyōraku’s corroborating details.”

Yamamoto inclined his head by the faintest fraction.

“Proceed.”

Harry nodded.

“The records we examined date back to the time following the earliest days of the Seireitei’s establishment,” he began. “According to Captain Ukitake, they describe an experiment overseen by a researcher named Ran’Tao. She sought to create artificial souls… but her methods strayed from the Central 46’s sanctioned practices. What resulted were the beings we now know as the Bounts.”

The fire cracked softly. Yamamoto said nothing, but his silence was as pressing as a blade.

Nanao adjusted her glasses, continuing in her precise tone.

“Captain Kyōraku notes that Ran’Tao’s methods, while brilliant, were volatile. The artificial souls she created were cursed with immortality of a kind — their bodies absorbing spirit particles endlessly, yet never ageing. But to sustain themselves, they developed the need to consume the souls of others.”

“The records suggest that the Soul Society attempted to erase all mention of this experiment. The Bounts were cast out, their existence buried. But Ran’Tao’s work did not end with them. She also created something called the Jōkai Crest. Its purpose…” Harry hesitated. The words still made his stomach clench. “…was to allow the Bounts to absorb reishi on a scale far beyond natural limits. We’re talking about power to wipe out an entire district of Rukongai.”

Yamamoto’s eyes opened wider at that, twin embers fixed on Harry.

“Entire districts,” he repeated, as though testing the weight of the phrase.

“Yes, Head Captain,” Nanao confirmed.

She unrolled one of the scrolls, revealing diagrams of concentric rings inscribed with intricate kanji and binding sigils.

“The Crest acts as both siphon and amplifier. It anchors to the environment itself, drawing spirit particles into a nexus that the Bounts can feed upon. Captain Kyōraku’s notes suggest that if activated within Seireitei, the result would be catastrophic.”

Harry felt the oppressive heat in the room intensify as Yamamoto’s spiritual pressure rose with his displeasure. But he pressed on, forcing the words out.

“Worse still, the notes confirm that Ran’Tao was never executed for this mishap, but she was forced into exile with her spirit energy sealed. She went into hiding and likely knows more about other locations in Seireitei where Jokaisho exists.”

“Are you suggesting there is more than one?” Yamamoto asked in alarm.

“Yes, sir.” Nanao said, pushing her glasses up a bit. “We do not have the exact locations of Jokaisho sites across the Seireitei, but there has been a reference in these scrolls about an accident occurring at one of these sites. This made Lieutenant Harry think the Kido Corps might’ve been involved in dealing with the aftermath, and he was right.”

Harry produced a scroll carrying the insignia of the Kido Corps and set it before the Head Captain.

“We found sealed records of a mission sanctioned by the Central 46 to seal nine sites under Kido barriers for all time. Unfortunately, much of the information has been redacted, so it leaves us ignorant of the location of these Jokaisho across the city.”

“I see.” Yamamoto said gruffly. “I can see how Jin Kariya intends to play out his plan to destroy Seireitei.”

“That’s right, sir.” Harry said, letting out a breath he was holding. “We deduce that Kariya intends to use the power he absorbed from the Jokaisho during his fight with Ichigo Kurosaki to ignite the other sites.”

“There is also a significant chance Kariya already knows at least some of these sites.” Nanao added with a grim look.

The silence that followed was suffocating. Harry felt sweat bead at the back of his neck. Nanao remained perfectly composed, though her hands rested very still upon her knees.

At last, Yamamoto exhaled, the sound like a bellows.

“Ran’Tao,” he said, his voice heavy with the weight of memory. “I remember her. A woman too clever for her own good. We believed her dead.”

His gaze lowered to the scrolls, then lifted again, hotter than flame.

“And now her sins return to haunt us.” Yamamoto grunted with a displeased look. “She must be found before the night gives way to daylight. We need to know the exact locations of these Jokaisho sites.”

Yamamoto stood up and stared straight at Harry.

“Lieutenant Harry. I’m charging you to complete this mission. You may use whatever resources the Gotei 13 could spare.”

“I’ll have those locations brought before you, sir.” Harry vowed.

After that meeting, Harry and Nanao stood atop the roof of a building overlooking the city under the night sky.

“How do you plan on finding this woman?” Nanao asked.

“She is somewhere in this city, and that means there is a chance I can find her.” Harry said with confidence. “You, on the other hand, need to assemble a team of Shinigami well versed in barrier kido. I need you to gather them and be ready to send them out to the Jokaisho sites as soon as I bring the information.”

“Then I’ll trust you to find Ran’Tao.” Nanao said with a nod before disappearing using a flash step.

Harry was left alone on the rooftop with the moon as his sole witness. It was better this way, as normal methods would not work on Ran’Tao, who had avoided discovery all these years.

He unsheathed his Zanpakuto and stabbed it into the roof.

‘Amaterasu, I need your help.’ Harry thought.

‘Actually, you need the help of your other side.’ Amaterasu said from his soul.

‘Is that a good idea? What if he doesn’t help me?’ Harry said back.

‘Ask nicely and he might help.’ Amaterasu said with a giggle.

‘Fine.’ Harry thought back grouchily. ‘Hey, my dark half. Can you help me locate Ran’Tao, preferably before that mad Bount blows us all up?’

His request was met with silence. Just as he was about to throw some verbal jabs at Amaterasu, he felt knowledge of a spell flooding into his mind.

‘Huh! How does he know these spells?’ Harry wondered as the knowledge of an echo location spell set in his mind.  

For the first time, Harry couldn’t help but wonder how the manifestation of his magical powers could hold such knowledge when he never learned such spells from Hogwarts or anywhere else. He wondered whether dark Harry creates new spells on the fly.

‘If you’re that curious to know, I didn’t create any of these spells.’ Dark Harry said from his inner world, making Harry frown.

‘Then how do you know?’ Harry thought back.

‘If you think carefully enough, you will understand. But if you want a definite answer, find me once you survive this Bount.’ Dark Harry replied before pulling back his presence.

“Drama queen.” Harry muttered under his breath.

Harry shook his head and concentrated on the issue before him. He cleared his mind and pushed his magical power into the Zanpakuto while chanting the long incantation of the spell. The spell took effect, and large ripples of magical energy passed through every nook and cranny of the city.

“Locate, Ran’Tao.” Harry whispered, constructing the image of the woman in his mind from the sealed records Captain Ukitake unearthed from the spirit library.

Suddenly, Harry felt his senses expand from his body. His awareness expanded as the magical energy within him erupted outward in search of his target. For several minutes, his magic searched relentlessly through the city until his awareness came to a stop before an abandoned shack nestled between two storehouses.

His eyes opened wide, shining like two emerald gems.

“Found you!” Harry grinned at his success.

Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind.

‘If I can find Ran’Tao, then I can find Jin Kariya.’ he thought.

“Find Jin Kariya.” Harry urged his magic as he cast the spell.

The magical energy coalesced around his zanpakuto, and the spell directed him towards a construction zone at the northeast edge of the city.

“This is useful.” Harry hummed before he disappeared, using a flash step with two locations in mind.

But he went straight towards the abandoned shack where Ran’Tao was hiding. He suppressed his reiatsu as much as possible as he approached the shack. Once he finally reached the destination, he could feel a distinct change in the air in the immediate area.

The buildings here leaned with age, unused by any division, the wood dry and brittle. Dust coated the lanterns that had not been lit in decades. To most, it was a forgotten corner of the Seireitei.

He drew his Zanpakuto, holding it low at his side, and stepped carefully into the shadows of the buildings.

Then he felt it: a faint pulse of reiatsu. Not strong, but deliberate. It came from a crumbling shack at the end of the lane. Its doors hung crooked, paper charms faded with time. The lanterns were dusty and blackened. On closer look, the shack appeared to be an abandoned shrine.

He found a dusty old signboard on the side of the street that read: "Shrine of Mimihagi."

‘Mimihagi? Such a strange name.’ Harry mused as he walked by the sign towards the shrine.

In his time in Rukongai, he had encountered several shrines dedicated to the Buddha and even the Soul King. But never did he discover a Mimihagi shrine.  

He stopped halfway as he sensed a faint shimmer in the air.

“A barrier.” Harry murmured, sharpening his senses to see what the barrier was hiding.

Harry pressed his palm against it, and the barrier flared to life. He pooled his reiatsu into his right hand and forcefully broke the barrier. Immediately, he could feel the suppressed reiatsu inside the shack flicker.

He knew Ran’Tao was aware of his presence. He also knew Ran’Tao had nowhere to run, and even if she ran, she’d not get far.

So, Harry moved forward.

Inside, the shrine was dim. Dust motes danced in the moonlight slanting through broken beams and holes of the roof.

Seated before a low table, surrounded by some lit candles and strange surveillance equipment, was a woman. Her hair was black, tied loosely behind her head. Her robes were plain white, patched in places, but her eyes gleamed with sharp intelligence.

She did not startle at his intrusion. She merely looked up, as though she had been expecting him.

“So,” Ran’Tao said quietly, her voice rough with age. “They finally sent someone to find me and a lieutenant at that.”

Harry kept his blade at the ready, though not raised.

“Ran’Tao?”

She gave a small, humourless smile.

“You know my name. Then I assume you know my sins as well.”

“I know the Bounts exist because of you,” Harry said, his voice even. “I know you created the Jōkai Crest. And I know you’ve been hiding here, in Seireitei’s own shadows after the Central 46 sealed your experiments.”

Her gaze flicked over him, lingering on the kanji on the badge tied on his left arm.

“Lieutenant of Squad Thirteen. Captain Ukitake is blessed to have someone with such sharp senses.” Ran’Tao said before sighing. “What do you want to do now, Lieutenant?”

“I don’t know what your game is, and I don’t care. I will be taking you straight to the Head Captain, and you’ll deliver all information directly to him. We know there are multiple Jokaisho sites scattered across the city. You’ll provide us with the accurate locations of all sites, and then the Head Captain will pass his judgment on your fate.” Harry stated, eyeing the woman firmly.

“Do I not have a say in it?” Ran’Tao asked.

“Jin Kariya will blow apart this city tomorrow. I don’t think we have much time to argue.”

“True.” Ran’Tao nodded. “But even if I cooperate, you cannot overcome Kariya. His powers have grown beyond a normal Bount. He is invincible inside Seireitei.”

“I’m sure the Gotei 13 can handle him.” Harry said with a snort.

“No. With Kariya absorbing so much power into his Jokai crest, he’ll be unstoppable. His ability to dominate reishi will make him invincible and immortal inside the Soul Society. The only way to stop him is to seal his ability to absorb reishi, and I’m the only one capable of doing that.” Ran’Tao claimed.

Harry became immediately interested in what Ran’Tao was claiming. But he refused to let it show on his face.

“And how do you propose to seal this ability? It’s not as if Kariya will happily welcome you to place a seal on his power.” Harry said with a snort.

“All I need is a distraction. If I can have a small opening, I can do it.” Ran’Tao said with a confident look that made Harry hesitate.

Harry decided to indulge the woman.

“All right. Explain your plan and how this seal works.” Harry said reluctantly.

When the woman explained her little plan to confront Kariya and somehow distract the Bount with dialogue, and then stab the man with a syringe containing a solution designed to negate Kariya’s power, Harry made his decision on how to go forward. He also asked for the location of Jokaisho sites, and Ran’Tao was cooperative on that front.

After learning everything he wanted to know, Harry was now ready.

“Your plan is okay, but there are too many unknown variables. We cannot take any risk, so I’ll suggest an alternate plan.”

 “An alternate plan?” Ran'Tao asked, taken aback by the suggestion.

“Yes, one that guarantees your Kariya does not get to use the power he absorbed to destroy any part of the city." Harry said with a sharp nod, his face devoid of any deception. "Will you trust me?”

Ran’Tao stared at him long and hard before reluctantly nodding, showing her agreement.

“In that case, I’ll need to inform the Captains about the Jokaisho sites, and I need to alert the Kido Corps. But before all that, I need permission from the Head Captain for the plan.” Harry said firmly.

He was already on thin ice with the Head Captain over his past actions. He didn’t want to exacerbate the situation by grandstanding and making plans without the approval of the Head Captain when the safety of Seireitei was at stake.  

*******

Jin Kariya stared into the darkness of the underground chamber while sitting up against a wall. It was eerily silent, and more than ever, he felt the crushing solitude of his existence. He had seen so much in his lifetime from the moment he became self-aware in Seireitei. The soul reapers may have made him and considered him a monster, but he knew far more monstrous beings among the soul reapers. He had seen them with his own eyes when his people were slaughtered again and again.

The Bounts were nothing more than a failed experiment for the soul reapers and their precious balance. But Jin knew them as comrades. He had seen many of those comrades being cut down for centuries simply for the crime of existing.

His heart had grown cold from seeing so many of his kind getting slaughtered for centuries. But it also made him see that there was only one future left for the Bounts, and it was the death of their kind. There was no future awaiting his kind, and he was convinced of it.

That was the reason why he was willing to sacrifice his comrades and himself to destroy Seireitei. If the Bounts had no future, then he resolved to ensure the soul reapers would also have no future.

But Jin was not cruel enough to destroy everything in a moment. He gave the soul reapers ample time to say their goodbyes to their loved ones. He also gave them the opportunity to stop him. In this, he considered himself more than fair. After all, he was magnanimous enough to give the soul reapers a warning before their annihilation. It was more than his kind ever got from their creators.

Jin looked up when he noticed a tentative light from the slightly ajar tile above his head.

He stood up from the floor and pushed the tile above his head. The sky looked dark, but in the distance, light was slowly gaining the edge. Dawn was upon Seireitei.

“The last dawn of Seireitei.” Jin said with a smirk.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Kariya.”

Jin’s eyes widened upon hearing that voice. He whirled around to see a short, white-haired soul reaper with a captain’s coat standing atop the roof of a building.