Reila Isanagi

* Hell arc
* TYBW
* Karakura
* TBTP

> "I may not be the most patient. I may not be the wisest. I may not be the kindest. But I am trying. And it slowly pays off. My lungs are finally filled up with peace. What else could I ask for in this eternal life?"
>
>

— **Reila in *TURN BACK THE PENDULUM***

* Overview
* Battles & Events

Reila Isanagi (意差凪 霊羅, *Isanagi Reira*) is the co-lieutenant of the 1st Division, serving under Captain Commander Shunsui Kyōraku. She shares her position with Nanao Ise and Genshirō Okikiba. Reila is the former Captain of the 10th Division, before and during the Turn Back The Pendulum Arc. After the Visored tragedy, she is imprisoned in the Nest of Maggots. Reila is married to Shinji Hirako, the Captain of the 5th Division.

Reila VS Shinji Hirako (in the past) - Most draws
Reila VS Kenpachi Kiganjō (in the past)  - Loss
Reila VS Isshin Shiba (in the past) - Won
Reila & Tōshirō Hitsugaya VS Harribel - Won
Reila VS Sōsuke Aizen - Flash loss
Reila VS Äs Nödt & Mask De Masculine - Interrupted
Reila VS Bambietta - Won
Reila & other Gotei Captains VS Gerard Valkyrie - Interrupted

Reila & Shinji Hirako VS Hollowfied Keizo Isanagi - Won, but Keizo is heavily injured

## Debut & Voice Actors

### English Voice Actor

Martha Harms

Reila is an averagely tall Shinigami that has short, straight gray-pink-ish (past) / white (present) hair and grey eyes.

While she was in the Shin'ō Academy, Reila had long gray/pink-ish hair tied in a high ponytail. She obtained the scar on her nose during her first year.

When she joined the 8th Division under Captain Shunsui Kyōraku, she cut her hair in a bob and wore the basic Shinigami uniform. After her Captain, Kyōraku, saved her from a Hollow that tore his hat, she kept the two red beads and always carried them with her ever since.

As the lieutenant of the 11th Division under Captain Kenpachi Kiganjō, she shaved an undercut and tied her hair in a bun. She wore a sleeveless typical uniform and the same trousers as the Stealth Force. She tied her lieutenant's armband on her left arm.

As the Captain of the 10th Division, she divided her hair in two parts, held by two red beads she got from Kyōraku's hat, letting her bangs flow. She wore a white backless Captain's haori with a hood, on which her Squad emblem was represented. She tied her outfit with a bright red large obi, which had a large bow hanging in her back. Reila tucked her Zanpakutō in the tie of the bow.

After being dismissed from her Captain's seat, she spent over a century in the Nest of Maggots. The high level of stress made her hair turn white, and it has grown out to reach her upper back. She wore a simple white prisoner's uniform.

When she was released from the Maggot's Nest to participate in the war against Sōsuke Aizen, she dressed in a typical Shinigami uniform with a hood, though she let her robes hang loose for a purple backless body to be revealed. As she thought all the Visoreds, including Shinji, her husband, died after the Visored's tragedy, she wore her engagement ring as a necklace (widow's sign). She swapped her red obi for a purple one, matching the color of the First Division, her current one. Her lieutenant's badge is attached in a non-traditional way on her back bow in order to show her disagreement with Gotei's policy for what happened to the Visored, and to her.

Seventeen months after Aizen's defeat, Reila cuts her hair short again, braids it on the right side, but keeps the white hair color. She started wearing makeup to cover up her white lashes.

During No Breathes From Hell Arc, the right side of her head is shaved. In fact, Shinji was playing truth or dare with their children, Seiko and Keizo, and he dared them to shave Reila's head, who was sleeping. But while he said it as a joke, the twins went for it, and Reila accepted her new haircut. Years after Shinji and Reila were reunited again, Shinji convinced Reila to wear her engagement ring on her finger again.

## Personality

*MBTI personality type: INTJ*

Reila's personality changed a lot over centuries. She was a free and selfless spirit when she was human. She became taciturn when she joined the Soul Society, wandering across Rukongai Districts for decades.

When she was in the Shin'ō Academy, to better fit in, she suppressed her personality to become what the others seemed to expect from her. She became very unassuming, a people pleaser, in order to not disappoint her teachers and other students. But by meeting Lisa Yadōmaru and Shinji Hirako among the students of her class, and Kaito Kurosawa as her Kidō teacher, who all have strong personalities, she eventually understood she needed to be her true self, if she ever wanted to succeed. Her fake manners would have not impressed anyone. Reila slowly learned who she really was and how to be herself. It was tricky, since she didn’t remember her human life very well.

She then unveiled herself as a prideful hard worker, who is very proud to be a Shinigami. Before and during Turn Back The Pendulum, her only pride was to serve the Gotei 13 and climb the ladder, but her beliefs were violently shattered with the Visored tragedy.

Reila is brutally honest and won’t even notice it. At first sight, she can seem rude, cold, prideful and full of herself, especially after the Battle of Karakura. But the truth is that she forgot how to simply live in a society and how to talk to people. After spending over a century in the dark, cold and silent cell, only visited by Captain Kyōraku every month, she lost all social skills.

But when people would dig down a bit under the surface, they'll just see a very proud but stubborn and hurt woman, who developed serious trust issues, and who found her way out by fighting. She's not caring, she would be the first person to say it, but she will express her fond feelings differently, mostly with actions. If she appreciates someone's company, she would just start doing little things she won't even notice herself, but that will be noticed by others.

Reila has always been a hard worker, and that's why she became the lieutenant of the 11th Division when the previous Captain, Kenpachi Kiganjō, needed some organization skills the most. But her cold and haughty everyday attitude is deceiving; she is one of those Shinigami who are absolutely thrilled by the battleground. She does not live for it, but she surely lives to defend her most precious values, that have been deeply shaken in the past. Her long stay at the Nest of Maggots taught her so much more than all her experiences and centuries in Soul Society. Reila understood she once fought for the wrong reasons, and when she opened her eyes and went against everything she believed in, it got her imprisoned. When she was released from her cell to fight against Sōsuke Aizen, she swore to herself to never let such a tragedy occur in Gotei ever again, as the one that falsely incriminated her best friend and her husband, who she thought dead for decades.

## History

### Human Life

    Reila was born in the World of the Living, in Japan in the XVth century, during the Muromachi period. Her family were low-ranking members of the nobility, whose finances and distinction withered a lot with generations. Reila then became a courtesan at a young age to help the decaying finances of her family, by providing artistic entertainment, and sometimes romantic and sexual favors.
Then, her family had the opportunity to regain some prestige by organizing an arranged marriage between her and a samurai to strengthen a military alliance; at that time, the Ashikaga shogunate (the Japanese military government) failed to come to an agreement with the *daimyō*, which led to a civil war in 1467.

But Reila did not approve this war that her husband and family actively took part in. Secretly, she helped the injured people regardless of their side. It lasted several months, but eventually, her husband found out about her activities. But he did not denouce her, afraid of the shame that could besmirch his name if it was ever brought to light. He never appreciated her free spirit and disobedience, and decided to poison her makeup. Reila then slowly died of poisoning.

### Soul Society

When Reila arrived to the Soul Society, she did not remember her past life very well from the beginning, and time did not help. Before entering the Academy, she has lived in the West Rukongai. She wandered for several decades through Districts with no purpose, trying to find one. Her life had nothing special, besides the ambient poverty. She became a Shinigami to escape her situation when she met a Shinigami by chance, who made her realize her spiritual pressure was high enough to join the Shin'ō Academy. It was not a hard decision, because she has never really had any relatives in the Rukongai.

### Shin'ō Academy Years

In the Shin'ō Academy, Reila was in the same class as Shinji Hirako and Lisa Yadōmaru.

Reila got the scar on her nose during her first year in the Academy. She would tell everyone that a Hollow injured her, but it’s far from the (embarrassing) truth. In reality, Reila had an awkward crush in the Academy and they agreed on a date at night. But when they went for their first kiss, stressed and not seeing much in the dark, they smashed their heads so hard it broke her nose. Reila ran away and came back to the dorm at 3am with a bloody face, and Shinji and Lisa have never laughed so hard in their lives when she told them what happened. They would often tease her about it, even decades later.

Reila did very bad at Kidō. She just couldn’t figure it out. On the contrary, Lisa mastered it, and she helped her a lot. So did Kaito Kurosawa, who taught Kidō when Reila was in the Academy. He gave her extra Kidō lessons, but it didn't seem to help her a lot. He was known to be a very tough teacher, especially to her, and since then she holds a grudge against him, despite herself. Because of her poor grades in Kidō, Reila was very insecure and thought she wouldn't graduate in the end. But Lisa and Shinji always supported her, and so did Kaito, in a way, pushing all her limits in hope to unveil her true potential. To cheer Reila up, and to make her look forward to her graduation, she and Shinji made a childlike promise: if she graduates, he would cut her hair to celebrate it. Which happened, and ever since, Shinji has always been the one to cut Reila's hair.    Despite her weaknesses, she was the best at Zanjutsu; her dream was to join the 11th Division. But her Zanpakutō, Hebihime, is Kidō-based - an absolute shame for these purely physical fighters. And their narrow minded attitude just increased her determination to join this Division to show her real strength and value, especially as a woman. But by the end of the Academy, she met the Captain Shunsui Kyōraku, who was visiting the Academy, and he invited her directly to his Division. He convinced her that she would feel better in his own Division than in the 11th because of their constant rivalry and their pretentious attitude towards Kidō-based fighters. He believed that companionship and trust were the key to progress. And she believed this man that intrigued her so much. Reila then joined his Division along with Lisa, while Shinji joined the 5th one.
### Debut in Gotei: 8th Division

    By the end of every Academy year, Gotei’s Captains show up in the Shin'ō Academy in order to recruit students in their Divisions. Naturally, Kyōraku met Reila and Lisa, and asked them to join his Squad straightaway.         During a mission, Kyōraku intervened in Reila's fight against a Hollow, during which she was in a bad position. But during the fight, the Hollow torn his sakkat (=straw hat) before the Captain could defeat him. Reila was surprised and thankful, because Kyōraku probably saved her life. In order to always remember her captain's inspiring strength, Reila picked up the two red pearls of his torn sakkat and always carried them with her since then. Reila has a lot of respect for Kyōraku.
As time flew by, Reila and Lisa became best friends. They also were very close to Shinji, Hiyori and Mashiro, and during some nights out, Rose and Love joined them as well.

Kyōraku's late lieutenant was promoted to the Onmitsukidō of the 2nd Squad, and he had to pick another one. He hesitated a lot between Lisa and Reila and talked to them about his doubts. Reila refused the promotion in a heartbeat, being secretly frightened to take on such responsibility. Nevertheless, she fully trusted Lisa and convinced her to accept this promotion, which she did. Lisa then became the new lieutenant of the 8th Division, and Kyōraku let Reila take the 3rd seat.

In the end, Reila spent over a century under Shunsui Kyōraku's orders.

### Lieutenant of the 11th Division

    Time flew by in Gotei and one day, 11th Division's Captain Kenpachi Azashiro was killed by Kiganjō, who became the new Kenpachi.
But Kiganjō was only a strong fighter, who has never been in the Shin'ō Academy, and who didn't know much about Gotei's overall system. He didn't think about all the responsibilities that came along with his new seat of Captain. He struggled with administration, reports and the overall system. He didn't show up at meetings. All Captains were tired of his unwillingness to follow orders, and he didn't want to pick a lieutenant. Captains were always the ones to choose their lieutenants, but only once the Captain Commander Genryūsai Yamamoto didn't follow this rule.

Yamamoto knew Kyōraku wanted to name either Lisa or Reila as his lieutenant, and that he hesitated a lot. So, trusting Kyōraku's guts, Yamamoto decided to name Isanagi Reila as the lieutenant of the 11th Division without the consent of Kenpachi. The bureaucratic situation of his Squad was disastrous and he seriously needed some help. Reila's organization skills and seriousness were precisely what the 11th Division needed back then.

Back in the Academy years, Reila absolutely wanted to join the 11th Division, but Kyōraku changed her mind and she was turned off by the disdain of this Division for Kidō-based Zanpakutō. But she was still resentful, and she secretly wanted to "prove her value" to those brutal and physical fighters; and this opportunity was perfect.

Kenpachi and Reila didn't get along at all in the beginning and the 11th Division was a synonym of strong intern conflict for a very long time. But eventually, they overcame it and bonded over their passion for fight. In the end of the day, Kenpachi has been the one who helped Reila better understand Hebihime's bloodthirst, and then he helped her to achieve her Bankai.

Reila achieved her Bankai before Shinji does, and she trained him in order for him to unlock it. He had a very hard time dealing with *Sakanade* because of its tricky and mysterious nature, and that's why Reila's training was so beneficial: Hebihime's definitely not a model of kindness and compassion. With time, Reila got used to Shinji's games and tricks, and she managed to bypass some of *Sakanade*'s abilities. Since his Shikai changes all its foe's perception, Reila always put on a blindfold and earplugs to prevent falling into *Sakanade*'s trap. And since Reila has known him for so many decades, she precisely knows how he moves and what he does in order to trick his enemy. Reila's a very observant fighter, but she also had to rest on her intuition.

Being the lieutenant of the 11th Division, Reila fought on the frontline during the Quincy Extermination, which ended up in a Quincy genocide.

Reila changed a lot while she was the lieutenant of the 11th Division, becoming more reckless, spontaneous, confident. Shinji, who knew her for quite some time, was afraid this Division would change her too much (and he didn't appreciate Kenpachi), and his worry unexpectedly brought them closer. After many decades of teasing and beating around the bush, and with the help of Kyōraku and Ukitake who clearly saw their mutual attraction, they started dating. At that time, Shinji was the lieutenant of the 5th Division, before he got promoted as the Captain of the 5th Division.

### Captain of the 10th Division

Twenty years before the Turn Back The Pendulum Arc, the late Captain of the 10th Division died during a mission and the Gotei had to recruit a new one. Kyōraku and Shinji, who became a Captain few months before Reila, recommended her for this position. She already proved her value as the 11th Division lieutenant, and she achieved her Bankai by the side of Kenpachi Kiganjō. Genryūsai Yamamoto, Shunsui Kyōraku, Jūshirō Ukitake and Yoruichi Shihōin were the ones to witness her in her Captain test.

By becoming Captains, they had to choose their lieutenants. At that time, Shinji was already suspicious of his lieutenant Aizen and brought him closer to him. Meanwhile, Reila went with the very promising 3rd seat of the 10th Division, Isshin Shiba, and chose him as her lieutenant.

Reila and Shinji have never been very loud about their relationship, their career being more important to them. But some people knew it, like Kyōraku, Ukitake, Rose and Yoruichi. But the rest of the Gotei found out about it when they already were Captains. And some Captains were clearly against it, especially Yamamoto. Two Captains having an affair seemed no good for him; he was afraid that during a crisis moment, both would prioritize their partner instead of Gotei's interests. But Kyōraku, Ukitake and Yoruichi stood up for them and, with a lot of energy, convinced Yamamoto to give them a chance.

In the end, Reila and Shinji didn't disappoint his expectations. In fact, if the Gotei didn't know the truth, nobody could've told they were having an affair. Both of them always stayed professional and, little by little, Yamamoto trusted them entirely and they could have kept their positions.

## Plot

### Turn Back The Pendulum

    As every other Captain, Reila has been informed of the 12th Division Captain Kirio Hikifune's promotion. The 12th Division needed a new Captain, and Yoruichi Shihōin warmly recommended Kisuke Urahara. After he passed his test, all the Captains had to gather in the First Division's headquarters to solemnly welcome the new Captain.
Shinji Hirako and Aizen Sōsuke arrived at the gates of the First Division few moments before Reila and Isshin do, waiting for the doors to open. As Reila and Isshin arrived, they were welcomed by Hiyori Sarugaki flying to hit Shinji. Not impressed, the 10th Division passes by them, being used to their antics. After Love AIkawa put Hiyori in her place, they all proceeded to join the meeting room. Shinji noticed that Kenpachi was not present once more, criticizing him again, before Reila and the freshly entered Kyōraku defend him. The topic of the conversation rapidly concerned Hikifune, 12th Division ex-Captain who has been promoted to the Division 0, and Aizen seemed very surprised to learn it. Finally, all the Captains joined the meeting room. Urahara was late to his own promotion ceremony and Shinji quickly judged his attitude, while Reila failed to analyze the newcomer.

Shinji, who has known Hiyori for a long time, sees she is deeply disturbed by the sudden leaving of Hikifune, whom she considered to be her mother. Reila relates to her situation, because she felt the same way towards Kyōraku, who has always took care of her. Urahara struggles to make himself respected in the eyes of Hiyori, so Shinji tried to clarify things with him, while Reila tried to talk to Hiyori, trying to find a way out of this situation. But instead of talking, they ended up fighting, which was a more natural way of communication for both of them.

But nobody could've changed Hiyori and eventually, things just got better with time, while Shinji and Reila curiously observed the 12th Division's situation.

The news of Mayuri Kurotsuchi being released from the Nest of Maggots rapidly spread all across the Gotei, and some Captains were denouncing Urahara's abuse of power. But Yoruichi, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukidō, allowed Kurotsuchi to quit the Nest of Maggots, and Yamamoto trusted Urahara and let him create the Shinigami Research and Development Insitute.

Reila has never understood why Shinji chose Aizen as his lieutenant. She has always had a wicked feeling when he was around, but she couldn't tell why. Aizen had always been very nice and pleasant to her. But with time, his attitude towards her became more and more honeyed, which weirdly alerted Reila. She tried to talk about it to Shinji several times, but he has always remained vague and incomprehensible when it came to the choices he made and to the thoughts he had about his lieutenant.

Nine years have passed and Shinji and Reila got engaged, and then got married. Shinji wanted to propose to Reila for a very long time, but he didn't know how to perfectly organize it. But when he finally decided to make in the traditional way, he was so stressed he lost the box containing their rings. He frenetically looked for it all around his Division's headquarters only for Reila to find it by accident. She immediately understood what he was looking for and what he was about to do, so instead, she was the one to propose to him.

    Shinji's engagement ring is made out of gold, and Reila's - out of silver. While choosing their rings, Shinji wanted to match their eye colors (golden brown for him and silver for Reila). On the outside of the rings, the 13 flowers of the 13 Gotei Divisions are engraved, as they are Captains. Gotei represents their whole life. But on the inside, four words have been engraved: 友情 (Friendship), 愛 (Love), 運命 (Destiny), 永遠 (Eternity). It represents them well: on the outside, they are Captains who must keep Gotei's interest above everything else. But on the inside, they are friends, lovers, immortal partners who do not will to display their relationship in full view of everyone.
Their marriage happened four months before the Visored tragedy. Kyōraku walked Reila down the aisle, as she always considered him as her father figure. As for Shinji, he's always been very close to Kirio Hikifune back when she was the Captain of the 12th Division, and she got a special permission to leave the Soul King Palace for a few hours to attend their wedding. She walked down the aisle alongside Shinji .

When the first disappearance cases of souls in Rukongai have been reported to the Gotei, a Captain meeting has been organized. It has been decided that the Captain of the 9th Division, Kensei Muguruma and his lieutenant, Mashiro Kuna, will be deployed in the East of Rukongai to investigate. Reila asked Yamamoto to investigate the West Rukongai simultaneously with her lieutenant Isshin Shiba to cover as much ground as possible in the same amount of time. And since she grew up in the West of Rukongai, she knew this locality. Yamamoto accepted her offer and ordered them to depart as soon as they could.

Reila and Isshin got ready quickly and Shinji came to say goodbye, worried about what this strange phenomenon hides. But Reila, confident, told him to not worry. After a brief goodbye, certain they will see each other in the night, Isshin and Reila left.

The day passed slowly, and Kensei's group found ten Shinigami uniforms, probably belonging to their scout group from whom they had no information. He decides to spend the night there, certain that the responsible will eventually show up. Reila and Isshin have been informed about that and they were asked to be very careful. But as far as they were concerned, they found nothing suspicious in the West Districts of Rukongai. And as they were wondering if they wouldn't be a better help by the side of Kensei, a hell butterfly flied to them, informing that Kensei and Mashiro's Spiritual Pressures disappeared. They were ordered to come back to Gotei quickly because they will probably need them. The butterfly also reported that the Captains of the 3rd, 5th and 7th Divisions, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, Shinji Hirako and Love Aikawa, as well as the lieutenants Lisa Yadōmaru and Hiyori Sarugaki and Hachigen Ushoda from the Kidō Corps were urgently sent to the scene. Hearing that Lisa and Shinji could be in danger, she hurried back to the Gotei.

But when they managed to get back, it was already too late. The eight Captains and lieutenants have already turned to Hollows. Tessai Tsukabishi, the Commander-in-chief of the Kidō Corps has been accused of using prohibited Kidō, while he was caught in the act with Urahara. Reila, who learned everything from Kyōraku, was completely lost. Isshin, Kyōraku and Ukitake tried to calm her down, but nobody believed in miracles. Hollowfication was an unknown and forbidden research to conduct that no one knew how to reverse.

Urahara and Tessai have been taken to court in the Central 46. They didn't believe them when they said that the lieutenant of the 5th Division Sōsuke Aizen was the responsible because there were witnesses. They both were condemned, and the Hollowfied Shinigami have been sentenced to death.

When Reila found out that the Central 46 ordered to execute the eight Hollowfied Shinigami, thinking about Shinji and Lisa, she snapped. Blinded and anger and sorrow, she tried to break in the Central 46 to have a proper explanation because she definitely did not believe Urahara was the responsible of this. It took Kyōraku and Isshin to stop her from hurting any more Shinigami, before Yamamoto showed up and saw what was happening. He has always been afraid that someday, Reila and Shinji's feelings would be stronger than their sense of duty towards the Gotei. And seeing such a cold headed and collected Reila being ready to cut anyone's throat to go against the Central 46's decision, he concluded she was not able to serve the Gotei anymore. He dismissed her from her Captain's title and the Central 46 approved this decision later, sentencing her to imprisonment in the Nest of Maggots for insubordination. Her Zanpakutō, Hebihime, was entrusted to the Shinigami Research and Development Institute to be sealed and Reila has been imprisoned.

But what she did not know, and what no one was allowed to tell her in that Urahara, Yoruichi and Tessai actually escaped to the World Of The Living with all the hollowfied Shinigamis. And to cover up this incident, the Central 46 spread the information of the accomplished death sentence of all the hollowfied Shinigamis. And they made sure that Reila learns about it to discourage her from trying to escape.

Twenty years later, Yoruichi sneaks in the Soul Society for personal matters and she slips in the Nest of Maggots to tell Reila the truth. That the Visored did not die and that Urahara managed to save them. She offers her to escape to the World Of The Living, but Reila declines. She has already spent two decades in prison, thinking Shinji and Lisa died. She felt relieved that they were alright but she didn’t think joining them was the right thing to do. At this point, Reila only wanted them to forget about the Soul Society, as it probably was just a painful memory. She only wanted them to leave it all behind, to begin a new life and to move forward. And returning by Shinji's side would only remind him of the injustice they endured in the Soul Society.

Reila ends up spending over a century in the Nest of Maggots, resigned and hateful. Kyōraku visited her every month, saddened by the turn destiny decided to take.

While imprisoned, Reila had a lot of time to think about a lot of things. One of them came to be her human life, before she joined the Soul Society. She did not remember it well, but with time, she did. She recalled everything that happened during her human life.

### **The Battle of Karakura**

After the betrayal of Sōsuke Aizen, Kaname Tōsen and Gin Ichimaru, war was expected. Aizen murdered the Central 46 and Yamamoto has been the one who took the Central's responsibilities. To ensure victory, he had to find strong Shinigami.

Reila was still imprisoned in the Nest of Maggots since the end of Turn Back The Pendulum. Except Kyōraku who would still visit her every week, she had to idea about what was going on in Gotei. But Yamamoto needed strong Shinigami to go against Aizen, and Reila was a Captain back then; he had to try to recruit her. Even if she weakened by spending over a century in the Nest of Maggots, with some training and the little time they got before the expected awakening of the Hōgyoku, she could have been really helpful.

Yamamoto went down in the Nest of Maggots to find a silent and cold individual cell. While all the other prisoners were free to move around the Nest of Maggots, Reila, just like Mayuri Kurotsuchi back then, was isolated from the others. She has been a Captain, and they could not let roam freely around.

In the cell, for the first time in a century, he saw her. Her hair grew out and turned white, her skin had a sick undertone, she lost a lot of weight and her eyelids seemed exceedingly heavy. Everything in her silhouette screamed loneliness, boredom and despair. Yamamoto started by telling her the whole truth about what happened 110 years ago. He told her about Aizen's plan, about three Captains betraying the Soul Society. He told her the fact the Visored were alive and well in the World of The Living, and that they were no longer considered as criminals. He told her about a human possessing the power of Shinigami, Ichigo Kurosaki, and how weirdly he changed so many things in such a short amount of time. And finally, he told her that the Central 46 was murdered and that he was the one who had the power to take decisions in their place.

Reila listened to everything he had to say silently, not telling him she already knew about the Visored, because Yoruichi paid her a visit, ninety years ago. She did not wanted to expose her. But she knew for sure that Yamamoto needed something from her. He would not just bother to come to finally tell her everything, without apologizing, just for the sake of truth, after so many years. And she was right, because his main intention was to propose Reila a deal. If he frees her, and he could, because the crisis situation allowed him a lot of power, she had to participate in the war by the side of the Soul Society. He knew Reila would want to take her revenge for what happened to the Visored, especially since they have been found innocent.

With this request, he asked her if she was willing to take a Captain's seat again, since the Gotei had three vacant ones. But she refused this offer because she judged herself unworthy after all this time. And somehow, time and Yamamoto's speech did not magically erase all the bitterness she accumulated over years. So, instead of a Captain seat, Yamamoto named her as the lieutenant of the First Division alongside Chōjirō Sasakibe, so she can be directly under his orders, for him to keep an eye on her. Reila was not so enthusiastic about it as she maybe should have been, but she realized that this opportunity was probably the best alternative she had. Yamamoto and Sasakibe precisely knew what happened to her, and who she was. It was not the case of the majority of the other Captains and lieutenants she did not know. By joining the First Division, it assured her less awkward questions and situations. She did not had to present herself to other Divisions, and explaining who she was and where did a Captain level Shinigami come from.

So, she accepted Yamamoto’s offer, regaining her freedom. Even if she had all the reasons of be angry at Yamamoto, she understood his position. He also had tied hands because of the Central 46. At that time, even if he's the one who dismissed her from her Captain's title, her sentence depended only on the Central’s decisions, and the Captain Commander couldn’t interfere in it. Even if he wanted to. So, in a way, she understood that Yamamoto took this opportunity to set Reila free. Without the death of the Central 46, she could have never regained her freedom in a legal way.

Rela will always remember the first time she stepped outside the Nest of Maggots. After she spent over a century in a cold, humid, dark and lonely cell, she was welcomed by the bright sun, by noisy unknown people. She had lost all her points of reference and her social skills. She was absolutely lost, and carried a huge trauma behind her. She needed a lot of time to acclimate to a normal life again.

The first thing she did when she was set free was wandering all her way to the shacks of the 12th Division. She knew her Zanpakutō, Hebihime, was entrusted to the Shinigami Research and Development Institute in order be sealed. And when Reila got Hebihime back, the Zanpakutō gave her a rough time. The night the Central 46 decided to execute the Visored, everything happened really fast. In no time Reila was dismissed from her Captain's seat and sentenced to the Nest of Maggots. Hebihime got no time to react, nor to understand what was going on. Suddenly, she was left all alone, without sensing Reila's spiritual pressure near her, and she could not try to contact her. She had no idea what was going on, and it drove her crazy. Hebihime understood that if she was still alive, that meant that Reila was alive too. But if she could not feel her presence, that meant Reila just abandoned her for whatever reason. As Reila was imprisoned in the Nest of Maggots, Hebihime was imprisoned, against her will, in her own world, all alone.

Hebihime, who is a very moody Zanpakutō spirit, could not forgive that so easily. The bond that they have built over so many decades broke, and Hebihime was never so angry in her entire existence. She felt conflicted emotions when she saw Reila again, hate and sorrow, happiness and disgust. But overall, deception. Reila has greatly disappointed her, and to take her revenge, she refused to give her her Bankai back, unless she makes it up for everything. Reila wanted to fix everything, to bond with Hebihime again, to regain her trust. But she didn’t manage to do it on time for Karakura's Battle, so she went on the battlefield against Aizen Bankai-less.

But after spending a century in prison, it is needless to say that Reila was not in good shape. And the only reason why Yamamoto set her free was that she would fight alongside Gotei. So, Reila had a few months to get ready for the upcoming battle. Being the ex-lieutenant of the 11th Division, the most natural thing for her was to go to their shacks to train with those brutal fighters; and physical training was the only thing that kept her from being in the doldrums. That's how Reila met Kenpachi Zaraki, the man who killed her ex-Captain, Kepachi Kiganjō. But she does not hate him for this, nor was she angry. She spent a few years by the side of Kiganjō, and she knew he wanted to die on the battlefield, by the hand of the future Kenpachi. And that's exactly what he got. Since the died the way he wanted to, she had no reason to hate Zaraki. Reila mostly was saddened because she didn't had the opportunity to thank Kiganjō for everything he has done for her. But she never hold a grudge against Zaraki.

This way, she trained hard by the side of Kenpachi, Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa, who were sometimes joined by the lieutenants of other Divisions. At first, they were curious to know who she was. Reila obviously kept some reflexes and her Captain's level spiritual pressure did not go unnoticed. But soon enough, they realized those questions only embarrassed her, and they stopped asking them, simply enjoying the fact that a powerful Shinigami joined the war.

Reila worked herself to death mostly because she was trying to drown her trauma in physical pain. The Nest of Maggots left a stain on her mind that she could never forget. Overnight, she lost everything she has ever built in Gotei and she got imprisoned, thinking her husband and best friend died. And she thought so for twenty years, until Yoruichi tells her the truth. Spending so much time cut off from the rest of the world destroyed all her social skills and caused some traumas. And these traumas were holding her back. No soldier can go to war with a broken spirit. And Reila perfectly knew it. At that time, when even Hebihime turned her back on Reila, Retsu Unohana, Hanae Kyōraku and Chōjirō Sasakibe helped her a lot. They supported her mentally, and said the right things Reila needed to hear. With kindness and gentleness, Unohana made her burden more bearable, and with her help, Reila was able to forgive herself. She did not manage to completely overcome her trauma, and even years later, it's still there, but she could at least do the first baby steps. For this reason, she has an immense respect for Unohana and Hanae.

    During the battle, Reila stayed at Karakura, by Yamamoto's side. When the three strongest Espada showed up, she fought Harribel by the side of Tōshirō Hitsugaya. She was curious to see the new Captain of her late Division. And he did not disappoint her.
After they both thought Tōshirō beat the Espada with his Hyōten Hyakkasō, Reila came back by the side of the Captain Commander, wanting to face Aizen as soon as Ryūjin Jakka's flames are extinguished. But Wonderweiss Margela suddenly appears and he brings with him an army of Menos Grande.

Precisely at that moment, the Visored showed up after Chōjirō Sasakibe found them wandering around the protection installed around the fake Karakura town. If he did not see them, they probably could not have participated in the battle.

After the Visored easily prevail all the Menos Grande, Lisa left to greet Kyōraku. At the same time, Shinji greets Yamamoto. By the Commander's side, Reila's absolutely stunned to see Shinji out of nowhere, after all this time and after what happened. The Visored almost did not recognize her, if it was not her spiritual pressure and the scar on her nose. Both of them were shocked, but none of them knew what to say. Especially in the heat of the action. So, they acted like complete strangers. And it was the most painful thing for both of them, knowing how close they were. Yamamoto noticed that, but did not said a thing.

The arrival of the Visored redistributed the cards of the battle. Aizen was freed from Ryūjin Jakka's flames and Reila wanted to aim for him. But Shinji has been faster than her, and she didn't want to interfere in his fight and unsettle him. He is stopped by Tōsen, and continues his fight against Ichimaru. But when Reila tries to go against Aizen, he almost lectures her, before he slashes Harribel, his own ally.

While Aizen provokes the Visored, Hiyori cannot take it anymore and she recklessly attacks him, but Gin Ichimaru fatally injures her. Shinji, out of his mind, catches her midair, cursing Aizen. The Visored are too shocked to react, but Reila is overwhelmed by her rage when she sees Hiyori fatally injured. As Shinji's shouting Ichigo's name for help, Reila spares with Aizen, but he rapidly eliminates her too by striking her in the back. She was an easy target for him, since she was blinded by her emotions, as she was not in her best shape, and that she could not use her Bankai. Seeing his (ex?)-wife also being slashed by his nemesis, Shinji got no other wish than to fight Aizen and make him pay, which he does, unbelievably composed.

When Urahara sealed Aizen, the war ended. Reila, healed by Unohana and Orihime, came across Isshin, who was exhausted. Their reunion felt a little awkward, but they got some things to say to each other. The first one being an apology from Reila. She felt guilty for her behavior back then, when she only thought about her own self, and was not worthy to be a Captain anymore. Not after she acted without taking her lieutenant and her entire Division in consideration. Isshin forgives her as it was a long time ago, and he understands her feelings, as he also ran from the Soul Society years later. Then, Reila finds out that the human kid, Ichigo Kurosaki, the one who defeated Aizen and who sacrificed his Shinigami powers, was in fact his son.

Reila then pays a visit to the injured Lisa, her best friend from a century ago, with whom she has a surprisingly warm reunion. She notices Shinji, but she doesn't talk to him, as she still didn't know what to say. He tries to begin a conversation, but she avoids him and goes back to Soul Society.

### Timeskip

When the battle against Aizen was over, things slowly settled down. Reila could finally breathe out for the first time after she left the Nest of Maggots. And she mostly spent that time alone, during the first year of the timeskip.

While the urgent situation has passed and the Gotei's daily grind came back, Reila realized how badly the Nest of Maggots marked her. She developed a fear of the dark, sleeping only with a lit candle (and later with a cat-shaped night lamp that Shinji gave to her), and with an open window. But these changes not only marked her on an individual level. For spending a century in prison, even before the battle, she understood her social skills were non-existent anymore. She was used to the heavy and bland silence, in a humid and dark cell, but she switched to the noisy surroundings of Gotei, full of unknown Shinigami, and where she once again held a high rank. Despite the fact that Kyōraku visited her every month for so many years, she struggled a lot to talk to other Captains and lieutenants. She was not used to simply speak anymore. Her vocabulary decreased, and her speaking was erratic. Reila needed to relearn how to communicate, and in general, how to live in a society again. And nobody barely had the time to teach her again, everyone being in a hurry to prepare for war. But Captain Unohana, lieutenant Sasakibe and Hanae Kyōraku did. They took the time to work on Reila's trauma caused by her imprisonment. And that's why Reila thinks so highly of them.

It took Reila several months to adapt again to the Soul Society's life, even after the battle against Aizen. And shortly after the war, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, Shinji Hirako and Kensei Muguruma became Captains in the Gotei once again. While Shinji and Reila acted like complete strangers during the war because they were both surprised to see each other, it could not last. Their confrontation was unavoidable, and Reila could hide herself in the First Division quarters as much as she wanted because she was feeling guilty, they eventually ran into each other one night. Shinji could not wait much longer, and Reila was still not in a mood to confront him. In a way, she still did not believe he was alive, and in good health. And she was blaming herself for refusing Yoruichi's proposition back then, when she snuck in the Soul Society, twenty years after Reila has been imprisoned. Yoruichi told her the truth about the Visored, but Reila chose not to follow her in the World Of The Living. She wanted the Visored to start their life over again and to completely forget about the Soul Society who disgustingly rejected them.

But Shinji did not understand it that way. He always thought that is she chose to not join them in the World Of The Living, it meant she did not love him as much as he thought, and as he did. That she chose suffering over the opportunity to see him again. That she preferred her life in prison over a life with him. He has accumulated frustration during so many years, and that night, when they bumped into each other, he expressed himself. Shinji blamed her for the decision she took, not understanding her point of view. They fought for a long time, and did not come to an agreement. Both held on the anger they felt rather than being relieved from seeing each other. They still had strong feelings for the other, but the time and all the events and mistakes only made them drift apart.

For over a year, they fought like cat and dog, and their relationship has never been that cold. But Yoona Oda, a young Arrancar disguised into a Shingami by his father, Akihiko Oda, the lieutenant of the 5th Division along with Momo Hinamori, made them realize how foolish they were. Akihiko explained him the tricky situation between Shinji and Reila, and with his childish innocence, Yoona could not hold back and said to them that if they loved each other so much, why would they possibly fight. They both realized that this child was right, and after this fight, they tried hard to put the pieces back together instead of blaming each other.

The first sign of them having patched things up was Reila's short hair. Shinji has always been the only one to ever cut it, and after it grew out long in the Nest of Maggots, he started cutting it again after they clarified things between them.

The first thing Reila did when she was released from the Nest of Maggots was getting Hebihime back. The Zanpakutō was entrusted to the 12th Division in order to be sealed when Reila was imprisoned. But Hebihime gave her a rough time, enraged because she left her on her own, not trusting Reila anymore. And as a punishment, Hebihime did not let Reila use her Bankai, until she would make up for everything. Reila worked hard to recover her Bankai for the war, but she did not make it in time. As a result, she trained a lot without using her Bankai.

Even after the war, Hebihime was still very moody and Reila tried hard to recover her Bankai for over a year. Akihiko Oda, the lieutenant of the 5th Division, helped her to retrieve her power, as she was the one who helped him to achieve his Bankai, before and during the Turn Back The Pendulum Arc.

The whole recovery process took a turn when Shinji and Reila reconciled, and Hebihime's behavior appeared to soften. Shinji also assisted Reila in her intense training, as she was also the one to help him achieve his Bankai back when they were lieutenants. After more than a year, Reila and Hebihime finally made peace, and she fully recovered her Bankai. But by feeling so vulnerable without it, Reila trained hard and developed even further her other skills, like her physical strength, Hohō, Hakuda and Zanjutsu, mainly by going to the 11th Disivion's quarters, where she was always welcome. Momo Hinamori, the lieutenant of the 5th Division, Isane Kotetsu, the lieutenant of the 4th Division and Nanao Ise, the lieutenant of the 8th Division even taught her some more advanced Kidō, since she has always been bad at it.

### The Lost Substitute Shinigami

Along with all the other Captains and lieutenants, Reila put her Spiritual Pressure in the sword Rukia Kuchiki used to give Ichigo Kurosaki his Shinigami powers back. She did not come to the World Of The Living with the Captains and the lieutenants to fight the Fullbringers, but she did recall the name of Kūgo Ginjō, as he became the first Substitute Shinigami while she was the Captain of the 10th Division, before the Turn Back The Pendulum Arc.

Reila visited Ichigo few days after he regained his Shinigami powers, as Isshin invited her over. Knowing Ichigo is the son of her ex-lieutenant, she somehow feels protective of him.

### The Thousand-Year Blood War

    WIP
When the seven Quincy stormed in the First Division's headquarters and fought the lieutenant Chojiro Sasakibe, Reila was in the 12th Division, taking Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi's report for the Head Captain. But as soon as she felt Sasakibe's Spiritual Pressure weaken to a life or death point, she used her shunpo to go back to the First Division, extremely distressed. She arrived in Yamamoto's office one second after the Quincy disappeared in the shadows, and, still not understanding the situation, heard Sasakibe's last words: that the enemy could seal Shinigami's Bankai.

Lieutenant Sasakibe's death was extremely heartbreaking for Reila, as he was one the men he respected the most in the whole Gotei. He helped and supported her a lot when she was released from the Nest of Maggots and joined the First Division at the same position as him, so Yamamoto could keep an eye on her.

But Reila didn't have time to give way to sorrow and had to take care of the 116 soldiers of the First Division who died patrolling at the *Kokuryōmon.* All these deaths whithin her Division marked her a lot. Being the lieutenant of the First Division, she felt responsible for all these soldiers, and she felt like she failed.

During Sasakibe's funeral, Reila is standing further back by the side of Yamamoto, with her eyes closed, paying her respect to her colleague.

The first Quincy attack took everyone by surprise. As the blue Reishi pillars rose across the Seireitei, Reila was waiting alongside Genryusai Yamamoto and Genshiro Okikiba in the First Division headquarters, observing the situation and waiting for the her Captain's orders. Then, they all heard Rangiku Matsumoto performing a Tenteikura and warning all the Shinigami that the enemy could steal, and not seal, their Bankai, after Toshiro Hitsugaya sacrificed his own. Hearing that, Reila felt Hebihime squirm in her blade. For a few seconds, Reila entered her inner world and Hebihime warned her to not even risk her Bankai, at any cost, or she would never forgive her. And Reila noded, understanding why Hebihime was so categorical: when Reila was released from the Nest of Maggots, Hebihime was so mad at her she refused to give Reila her Bankai back, until she makes up for everything. After months and months of intense training, Reila could get her Bankai back. She already lost it once, and there was no way she would risk to lose it again, in the hands of the enemy. After this short conversation in her inner world, Reila emerged to the real world.

When the Shinigami Research and Development Institute made everyone know that Ichigo Kurosaki was on his way to the Soul Society, and that somehow, his Bnakai couldn't be stolen, Reila is skeptical, but she does remember the battle of Karakura, where Ichigo's been a centerpiece.

The more time moved on, the more Reila could feel the despair spread in the spirits of soldiers. She was itching to fight, to avenge the memory of Sasakibe. And the moment Byakuya's Spiritual Pressure almost disappeared was too much for her to handle. Without the permission of the Captain Commander Yamamoto, she decided to go to the 6th Division battle area, where Byakuya and Renji fought As Nodt.

On site, Reila finds a fatally injured Byakuya. At the same time, Renji is kicked out far away from the battlefield by Mask De Masculine as he was about to unleash his Bankai. As Nodt reprimands Mask De Masculine for stepping in, as he could've steal Renji's Bankai. "The Superstar" is surprised, as he thought only Captains had a Bankai. Reila steps in their conversation, assuring that not only Captains had a Bankai, and that they were severely underestimating Gotei's potential. Discreetly, Reila glace at Byakuya to make sure a spark of conciousness is still here, even though he is fatally injured and could die at any second. But her low knowledge of Kido, especially of healing Kido would not have been enough to hope to save him, and she was facing two Sternritters. She knew she had to stall for time without using her Bankai, until the 12th Division would come up with a solution for their enemies' sealing ability.

In the hope of saving Byakuya, Reila sends a Hell Butterfly to the 4th Division, reporting Byakuya's critical condition, as she avoids As Nodt's attacks. But they both stop as soon as they feel Yamamoto's Spiritual Pressure. The enraged aura of the Head Captain sends shinvers down Reila's spine, who has never seen him so angered. She simply didn't ever see him directly taking part in any conflict, even back when she was a Captain, or even before. This mix of fear and hope empowered her, and she fiercely faced the two Sternritters.

But Shinigami are not the only ones to be thrilled to see their leader fight; the Quincy too, are empowered by seeing Ywach taking action. As Nodt and Mask De Masculine end up ditching Reila to go and give a hand to Ywach in his fight against Yamamoto. It unsettles her a lot, but she does not seek to continue the fight, as Byakuya needs urgent medical help. Reila picks up Byakuya and Sebonzakura and carefully uses Shunpo to get to the 4th Division as quickly as possible. And during her race, she suffers the consequences of Yamamoto's Bankai.

While on her way, she witnesses the barracks of the First Division exploding. As the headquarters were on her way to the 4th Division, she decides to make a detour to see if there are any wounded people. SHe manages to save Okikiba, who was stuck under the fallen structure, and continues her way.

Slowed down by enemies, Reila tries to not engage any fight. But then, Yamamoto's Spiritual Pressure disappears. TIme seemed to stop at this exact moment, and it became painful to breathe. It took her several moments to understand what just happened, but she eventually did: the Shinigami leader died at the hands of the enemy. Pure despair takes over her being, as she couldn't move any muscle. Some soldiers took care of Byakuya, as she still stood there for an indefinite amount of time. She felt the whole world crush down, as a never-ending night took over the Soul Society.

Reila felt mixed feelings when Yamamoto died. He was the reason why she got imprisoned (as he dismissed her from her Captain seat), and she understands he released her from the Nest of Maggots only for her strength. He used her. And he named her as his lieutenant only because he didn't trust her and wanted ot keep an eye on her. But at same time, Reila understood Yamamoto was one of the Soul Society's pillars. And his death was a very heavy realization to carry for all Gotei soldiers. Not only they lost their Head Captain, but with him, they were on the verge of losing their will to fight.

New Quincy soldiers emerged from the shadows, Reila could not move forward and had to fight to protect the injured Byakuya. Reila uses her Shikai to quickly strike a lot of Quincy, but was heavily injured as well. The sorrow of losing Sasakiben Yamamoto and thousands of Gotei soldiers turned into blinding rage and she went on a killing spree.

The arrival of Ichigo surprsised everyone, and he stormed in to see the injured Byakuya. Reila protects them both as they were talking, and sees Ichigo heading towards Ywach to fight him.

After some time, before the eyes of an injured and tired Reila, all the Quincy disappeared in the shadows, and she passed out.

Reila regained consciousness in the 4th Division few hours later, with Shinji by her side. The desperate situation makes way for a warm reunion. Shinji comforts Reila, as she lost both Sasakibe and Yamamoto in a very short period of time, and she's been close to them. Reila is still shocked by the death of the Captain Commander, but at least, according to the 4th Division, her injuries are not that serious. After a long and silent moment in each other's arms, Shinji leaves her to watch Renji and Rukia's states. At the same time, Reila gets ready to leave the hospital room to get back to the 1st Division quarters, where the soldiers needed their lieutenant more than never. But befre she could leave, Hanataro comes in her room, saying he had important news to tel her.

Hanataro analyzed her blood test and he realized Reila actually was pregnant for a few months. He tells her that, and Reila is in complete disbelief, saying it's impossible, that she would've noticed it. But Hanataro explains her what a pregnancy denial is: the body completely ignores all pregnancy's symptoms. Reila can't wrap her head around this news, thinking about all the current events, and the future war. If her pregnancy news was known, a handful of people wouldn't let her fight in the expected war. And after the death of Sasakibe and Yamamoto, she couldn't abandon the soldiers of her Division, who needed support and their lieutenant. Reila then thought about abortion; but with all the injured people the 4th Division had to deal with, she couldn't imagine herself being so selfish and taking their precious time, while they were saving lives

For a few minutes, Reila stayed quiet, her mind racing. Abortion was not an option. Telling the others was not an option neither, because the Gotei needed strong soldiers for the future battle. So, she had to take a hard decision. Reila made Hanataro promise he wouldn't tell anyone about her pregnancy, which he contested. But she didn't leave him the choice, ordering it as the lieutenant of the 1st Division. Then Reila condensed her Spiritual Pressure and used it to conceal the babies' Spitirual Pressure, so no one would ever notice their existence. She had to do it on a daily basis until the end of the war, which would tire her a lot. But it was the only solution she had for the moment.

After somehow being able to swallow the truth, Reila left the 4th Division and regained the 1st Division quarters. She tried to cheer up the spirit of the soldiers, unsucessfully. She stumbled on Okikiba, her new co-lieutenant, and she made sure his injuries didn't need the 4th Division help.

Few moments later, all the Captains met in the meeting room of the 1st DIvision, where the remained pieces of Yamamoto's Zanpakutō that Kyōraku found were placed on the table. The harsh reality hit Reila like a truck once again, as she was reliving her Captain's death once again. But she tried to stay dignified, as the 1st Division needed to be strong in a moment like this.

When the news about Captains' Kuchiki and Zaraki concerning condition, Reila was convinced that hiding her pregnancy was the right thing to do; the Gotei couldn't afford to loose any more Captains and lieutenants. Soi Fon exploded and accused the Visored and Reila for being so calm, implying they were delighted about Yamamoto's death since they hold a grudge against him. Hearing these accusations, Reila was about to loose her cool, absolutely furious, but Shinji warned her with a gaze, and Komamura spoke volumes in her place.

When the Squad Zero was about to arrive in Seireitei, Kyōraku invited Reila to attend their arrival, as she knew Kirio Hikifune when she still was the Captain of the 12th Division. Seeing the Division 0 for the first time, Reila was quite skeptical about their behavior, but she couldn't ignore how pwerful they really were. Kirio greeted Shinji with a tap on his head and tightly hugged Reila, surprised by the sudden change of her hair color, bit not asking for further details. And to her surprise, Kirio whispered "Congradulations" to her ear, probably seeing through Reila's attempt of concealing her babies' Spiritual Pressure. Kirio winked at a stunned Reila while letting her go, and she was grateful the Squad 0 member stayed discreet and did not ask for further details. Shinji gave Reila a, inquiring look, feeling something was off between the two women, but she brushed it away. Seeing her old colleague and friend after so long enlightened Reila's mood, who's known a hard time since Sasakibe's death.

Reila was one of the first persons to know about Kyōraku's nomination to the Captain Commander and Captain of the 1st Division seat. This news relieved her, and reminded her of the past; after all, she spent over a century under his orders, joining the 8th Squad after she graduated from the Academy. The 1st Division already having two lieutenants, Kyōraku also wanted to take Nanao with him in the 1st Division. During his meeting with the Central 46, he affirmed that he wanted to have three lieutenant to help him: Genshirō knew how to deal with the 1st Division, Nanao knew how to deal with him, and Reila knew both, for having worked under him for o century in the past, and for being the lieutenant of the 1st Division for the last two years. In the end, Kyōraku did not leave the choice to the Central, and Reila welcomed her new colleague, Nanao.

During the century Reila worked with Kyōraku, she grew very close to him, to the point where he spilled the tea to her about Unohana, and her duty of First Kenpachi, and she got this confirmed when she became the Captain of the 10th Division. The sudden disappearance of Zaraki Kenpachi and Unohana, and Kyōraku's worried mood did not lie, and she understood what was going on. After all, her former Captain, Kiganjō Kenpachi, was killed by Zaraki when she was imprisoned in the Nest of Maggots. But she never reproached Zaraki this turn of events, as she always understood what the Kenpachi role was all about. And wen it came to Zaraki and Unohana, Reila tried to remain impassive, even though Unohana meant a lot to her.

-> Volume 62: Look At Me

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In the end of the war, Reila's been injured during her fight against Bambietta, and later on, against Gerard Valkyrie. But she also still was pregnant for 5 months, finding out about it only after the first Quincy attack on the Seireitei, and only Hanataro knew the truth. But by the end of the war, she couldn't hide it from Shinji anymore. Right after they left the Royal palace to join the Seireitei, Reila stopped concealing the twins' Reiatsu and, exhausted, told the news to Shinji. The news hit him like a truck when he realized she haven't told him the truth, and that she fought in her state. He started freaking out, seeing Reila was out of breath and injured, while finally feeling the twins' Reiatsu radiating from her belly. Shinji quickly found Orihime and requested her to heal Reila. But despite her being fully healed thanks to Orihime's powers, the 4th Division and Shinji forced her to stay in intensive care for a few days after the war.

Reila managed to shorten her stay in the 4th Division as much as she could, but Shinji absolutely wanted to make sure she and the twins were fine. He reproached her for not telling him the truth, upset that she didn't trust him with such an important matter, which was also his business. Through tears, Reila apologized, but said she had not other choice: the Gotei needed soldiers more than ever, and after the death of Yamamoto and Sasakibe, she couldn't abandon her soldiers too. As the only head of the 1st Division left, she felt responsible for all of them, and she needed to be strong for all of them. Because if he knew the truth back then, he wouldn't have let her fight on the battlefield. Shinji understood the pressure she felt and why she made that choice, but he made her promise to never hide something that important from him anymore. They were a family, and he wanted Reila to know that she could fuly trust him. After all the complicated times they lived after they reunited after the Karakura's battle, both still had difficulties to make things work between them. But if they worked hard together, they could prevail over all difficulties in their personal life.

### Can't Fear Your Own World

#### Volume I

WIP

During the war, Reila's been injured during her fight against Bambietta, and later on, against Gerard Valkyrie. At that time, she was also pregnant for 5 months. After Reila finally told the big news to Shinji, despite her being fully healed by Orihime, he forced her to stay in intensive care for a few days But Reila made sure to shorten her stay in the 4th Division as much as she could, as the 1st Division needed her like never before.

During the war, Aizen's been temporary let out of Muken so he could help Ichigo in defeating Yhwach. For several days after the end of the war, Aizen's been under the surveillance of the Gotei's higher ranks. And the day before he was about to be sent back to Muken, Reila was the one to watch him in the 1st Division quarters. It wasn't a piece of cake for her, as Aizen tried by any means to unsettle her and make her drop her guard all night long, talking about the past, back when Shinji and her were Captains, and telling her all the experiences he made to create the Visored.

In the morning, some of Gotei Captains and lieutenants gathered in front of the 1st Division, waiting for the Onmitsukidō to imprison Aizen back. But Shuhei Hisagi, the lieutenant of the 9th DIvision was easily unsettled by Aizen's claims about Kaname Tōsen. Reila steps in the conversation, asking Hisagi to keep his emotions in check, and teasing Aizen, saying he became such an annoying chatterbox during the few days he stayed out of Muken.

When Aizen was finally brought back to Muken, Reila invited Hisagi to her office. Hisagi was afraid he would get scolded for his unprofessional behavior in front of Aizen and the other Captains and lieutenants, but Reila noticed how distrubed he was and wanted to comfort him; being the lieutenant of the 1st Division, and a former Captain, she always felt responsible for the other lieutenants, and especially the younger generation. Once in her office, she made some tea and told him she understood how alluring revenge and hatered were. She advised him not to control his emotions, but to simply keep them in check. Reila told Hisagi her story, how her blinding rage cost her everything back when she was a Captain, and how it got her imprisoned. Only a handful of Gotei members knew she was a Captain in the past, and this revelation surprised Hisagi a lot. But Reila only wanted to share her experience, making sure he understood how vicious revenge and hatred could be, so he would avoid them at any cost.

Few months after the end of the war, Reila finally gave birth to her and Shinji's children: the twins Keizo and Seiko Hirako. Despite a chaotic start of pregnancy, where Reila had a pregnancy denial, and then having to fighit during war while being pregnant, the last half of her pregnancy went very well, to her and Shinji's relief. But this relief was quickly replaced by concern: Shinji could feel a Hollow Reiatsu radiating from Keizo, who was naturally born with an enourmous Spiritual Pressure, while Seiko barely had any. To help them, Kyōraku gave both of them some time off as a maternity and paternity leave, but both Shinji and Reila still were working from home. Their colleagues Nanao, Genshirō and Momo would stop by their house to get their reports and paperwork. Surprisingly, after having twins, Reila quickly recovered her past shape and could get back to work soon.

Six months after the end of the war, Hisagi was looking for people to interview about the Great War, so he could assemble the big puzzle of the war's events. He asked Reila to interview her about her experience of the war, her being the lieutenant of the 1st Division that lived through the death of her colleagues Sasakibe and Yamamoto. She accepted the interview, unconvinced.

Reila being the co-lieutenant of the 1st Division, she knew the truth about the Tsunayashiro family murders, that only Kyōraku, his lieutenants and Soi Fon knew.

### Echoing Jaws Of Hell

Soul Society peacefully lived for twelve years after the end of the Thousand-Year Blood War against the Quincy. Reila and Shinji had twins, Keizo and Seiko, who grew up to be very troublesome. Between their family and work life, all four were more or less quietly living their life.

During this time, Soul Society modernized a lot, to Reila's biggest dread. The few times she went in the Human World with Shinji, since she was released from the Nest of Maggots, she realized how much humans have technologically progressed. And while Shinji knew how all of this stuff worked, Reila, not so much. And she had a hard time figuring it all out. New technologies were absolutely not her cup of tea, but it started to become problematic when these new inventions were adapted to Soul Society and were present in her daily work. She would often seek Tanizaki Morri's help in the 12th Division quarters.

Reila's been in her office in the 1st Division with Nanao and Genshirō when Kurotsuchi uses a hologram to talk to all the lieutenants about the first stage of the "The Preliminary Ritual - Capture of the Masked Spirit" of the Soul Funeral Festival for Ukitake's funeral ceremony. All the lieutenant were asked to join the World Of The Living, but the 1st Division having three lieutenants, only Nanao was sent there. Genshirō was expected to stay alongside Captain Commander Kyōraku anyway, and Reila didn't feel confident enough with the World Of The Living for joining the other lieutenants. So, she was expected to attend the ritual alongside the other Captains.

When all the Captains were gathered, will-o'-the-wisp from Hell surround them. Kyōraku tells them a story that still was taught in the Academy when Reila attended classes. When a Shinigami died, their body returned to the earth of Soul Society, but it did not apply to people ho were classified as a Grade 3 or higher, because of their too dense Spiritual Pressure. And that the only way to make these people join the earth of Soul Society was the Soul Funeral Festival. But Kyōraku reveals that according to a superstition, Grade 3 or higher souls could not return to the earth of Soul Society, no matter what, and that they were sent down to Hell to avoid the loss of balance.

With Kyōraku's confession, they all realized they were sending all their deceased Captains, colleagues and friends, down to Hell.

## Zanpakutō

**Hebihime** [蛇姫, *Snake Princess*] is a playful, arrogant and bloodthirsty Zanpakutō spirit. She loves fighting over everything else, influencing Reila's behavior in that way over the decades.

**Zanpakutō Release Command:** *"Mite"* (見て, *Look/Stare).*

Hebihime is another Zanpakutō amongst the illusion category, along Sōsuke Aizen's *Kyoka Suigetsu*, Shunsui Kyōraku's *Katen Kyōkotsu* or Shinji Hirako's *Sakanade*.

In its unreleased state, the Zanpakutō has a mint handle and a deep green sheath. Made of pure gold, the guard is rectangular, framed by angular diagonal spirals. A labyrinth-like spiral is also engraved on the middle part of the guard, reminding of Ancient Greek ornamentations. On the sheath, a triangular decoration made of gold is attached. When Reila doesn't tie the two red beads in her hair, she ties it on the sheath of her Zanpakutō, held by a white cord.

### Personality

When Reila managed to make an Asauchi her own, Hebihime was deeply disappointed in who turned out to be her master. Back in the Academy, Reila severely lacked self-confidence, rather being a peaceful Shinigami, a people pleaser. This lack of confidence strongly clashed with Hebihime's personality and deeply irritated her. So, the Zanpakutō made it her duty to change Reila and develop her confidence. Despite their differences, Hebihime, being extremely haughty, believed, that if she existed, that would've only mean that Reila had a hidden potential. Otherwise, Hebihime would not be who she is. And despite her reckless nature, she understood Reila needed to be pushed in order to reveal her true personality. And that's what she did; she drove her into a corner so many times just for her to push her boundaries. And it worked. With a very strong discipline, Hebihime became the main key for Reila's ascension as a Gotei member, and as a soul. But Reila also influenced Hebihime's personality.

Hebihime's appearance and power are inspired by the Ancient Greek myth of Perseus and Medusa. Herself, Hebihime is represented as a tall, voluptuous and beautiful woman with dark skin, but her beauty is very characteristic. She has a piercing deep green gaze with thick green lashes, but she often is seen wearing a blindfold. Hebihime's very distinctive feature is the countless snakes, twisting on her head. In accordance with the myth's description of Medusa, she also has wild boar's tusks, claws and wings. Black linear tattoos adorn her face, two from her eyes down her cheeks and two from her mouth down her chin. Emerald reptile-like scales are scattered all over her body, and beautifully reflect light. Hebihime wears a black body with a low-cut neckline, topped with golden shoulder armor and a knee length skirt made of golden coat of mail.

### Inner World

Reila's inner world is a never ending mirror maze, and Hebihime hides within the millions of reflections. The very first time Reila made it into her inner world, Hebihime greeted her with a warning: if a living soul endowed with reason had to meet her gaze, even through a reflection, they would inevitably be turned to stone. Reila deduced that, in order to stay alive, hiding from the very power of her own Zanpakutō, she had to trust her other senses only. So, every time she entered her inner world, she purposely blindfolded herself and wandered through the mirror maze, looking for Hebihime, as the Zanpakutō was mocking her, moving through her mirrors.

### Shikai

To initiate Shikai, Reila sheathes her Zanpakutō back in its sheath. Starting to change its form, the sheath disappears and a curved shorter mirror blade appears. The color of the handle does not change, but two twisted snakes decorate the tip of the handle. The guard disappears, replaced by another twisted flat snake. The blade itself is slightly curved, and is in fact a mirror. The Shikai looks like a longer Ancient Greek *kopis*: a heavy, curved knife used during animal sacrifices, and during battles. In Perseus and Medusa's myth, the goddess Athena gives Perseus a *harpe*, a mythological version of a *kopis*, to cut off Medusa's head.

Its size and weight allows Reila to hold it with one hand as she likes, increasing her mobility, and allowing her to quickly strike, "cut and thrust" her enemies. But unlike the original *kopis*, Hebihime is a double edged sword, just like her ability is. This way of fighting suits Hebihime well, since she is a bloodthirsty spirit. Her Shikai gives great mobility and allows to slain a lot of enemies in a short time.

Despite its fragility, thought to slain its foes in one strike rather than sparring with them for a long time, just like a mirror, this Shikai's ability is to reflect enemies' attacks. If Reila does not manage to cut down her enemy with a single shot, but encounters her foe's blade instead, Hebihime will absorb the physical strength of the attack and will reflect it back twice as powerful the next time the blades clink. And the second time the blades clash, the attack will be multiplied by two once again, and so on. The longer the sparring lasts, the more powerful Reila's attacks are, exponentially multiplied with every clash. But every time Hebihime reflects an attack, it draw in Reila's Spiritual Pressure, and if the sparring lasts, and/or if her enemy has a high Spiritual Pressure, it will eventually tire her, as with every blow, the double of the previous attack's power is being used. That's why she always prefers to slain her foes in one single stealthy shot.

### Bankai

**Hebihime no Shinjitsu [蛇姫の真実, *True Hebihime/Hebihime's Truth*]**

Reila spent years looking for the exit of her inner world, the mirror maze, thinking it was the right way to achieve her Bankai. But she realized she completely misunderstood Hebihime. Reila didn't have to find the exit, which did not exist either way. She needed to find the true Hebihime hiding within the mirrors, to see her with her own eyes, and not just through a reflection. And after Hebihime established such a fear of her gaze in Reila's heart, that's when Reila found her after decades of wandering and came to finally look her in the eyes that she achieved her Bankai.

Hebihime is an instinct fighter. She enjoys the battlefield. And Reila started to enjoy it along with her. And that is precisely why Reila achieved her Bankai with the help of Kiganjō Kenpachi, back when she was the 11th Division lieutenant. Surprisingly, he was the one who helped her understand her Zanpakutō and her tricky nature.    To release her Bankai, Reila will violently break her mirror blade by crushing it against the ground, shattering it in a million pieces. Only the handle of her Shikai will remain in her hand, allowing her a better control of her Bankai. Her eyes change their color to deep green with a vertical and slit pupil, just like Hebihime's. And in her Bankai, Hebihime is capable of seeing through Reila's eyes.
The shattered pieces of her blade will be suspended midair on a certain diameter around her and her foe. Reila can extend or reduce this area by will, the only thing that would change being the concentration of broken pieces of mirrors around.

The broken mirrors play with the enemy's senses, creating an illusion and reflecting everything: images, sounds, odors, Spiritual Pressure. Reila's silhouette is multiplied, making it hard for the enemy to figure out which one is the true one. Reila's whole silhouette becomes vague within the million broken glasses, and her Reiatsu is scattered and reflected across the whole area of her Bankai, making it even harder to find the real her. Reflecting everything, the Bankai's first goal is to disorientate its opponent's senses. And if they try to progress blindly, they will be deeply cut by the mirrors.     The mirrors are directly connected to Reila's inner world, and when Hebihime is feeling like fighting, she would join her master. Which occurs very often. While Hebihime's gaze is dangerous even for Reila, her Bankai is an exception: her eyes become Hebihime's eyes and Reila is immune to her dangerous gaze. Which is not the case of everyone else. When Hebihime comes out, looking at the battlefield through her mirrors, her eyes are reflected in all scattered broken pieces. And if a living soul endowed with reason catches her eye, they will be paralyzed as long as she is looking them in the eye. And her mysterious and magnetic gaze make it easy for her to kill whoever falls into the trap. But Reila's eyes do not have this ability, they only provide her immunity for Hebihime's gaze.
Connected to her inner world, Hebihime can cross the border very easily, hiding herself in the mirrors when needed, or coming out to physically fight. She prefers to play with her victims, making fights last longer during Reila's Bankai. But if Hebihime comes to be injured, the Bankai's whole strength would decrease.

Just like Hebihime, Reila can come in and out of her inner world, dodging attacks or traveling across the whole area of her Bankai in an instant, surprising her enemy. All the mirrors are connected to each other. In this way, Reila can stretch her hand into the mirror world to make it appear in another spot of the area of her Bankai, attacking by surprise.

**Kagami Keimusho [鏡刑務所, *Mirror prison*].** With the handle of her Zanpakutō, Reila would gather all the broken mirrors together to imprison her enemy in a shapeless mirror prison. Their every attack against the mirrors shall be reflected directly, hurting them. Hebihime has access to the inside of this prison, making the prisoner an easy target for her. To finish the attack, Reila can run all the fragments through the body of the prisoner.

**Kagami no Hana [ 鏡の花, *Mirror's Blossom*].** Just like Buyakuya Kuchiki's *Senbonzakura*, Reila can control every shattered piece and use them as piecing weapons that quickly moves around. Being mirrors, they reflect their surroundings and are difficult to notice, letting only a glassy sound be heard.

**Reichi no Ko [霊地の子, Child of the sacred place].** Reila's Bankai exists in a million pieces, and its major force is that in cannot be destroyed. Unless she choses to destroy it herself with this ultimate attack. Reila reduces the mirror fragments into dust, allowing her a full control of the remaining. Much quieter than the fragments themselves, this deadly "fog" is very versatile, silent, difficult to dodge and practically invisible. This fog inflects the deadliest wounds. Every time it hurts an opponent, tiny pieces of dust remain in the wound, of which Reila is fully aware, and what she can entirely control. Those tiny pieces can make their way in the opponents' system, mixing with the blood in vessels, until they reach and wound vital organs. This is the final attack of Reila's Bankai, which breaks it in theory. Hebihime needs a cooldown to restore the Bankai (and the Shikai) to its fullest if this technique is used.

### Weaknesses

* Long sparrings in Shikai can weaken Reila because every clash exponentially draws her Reiatsu.

* Hebihime's glare is useless against Hollows as they are not considered as living souls endowed with reason. It's not Hebihime's gaze that has the power to paralyze, it's the living condition of the opponent that makes them paralyzed, just like Medusa's glance.

* If Hebihime comes to be physically injured during Reila's Bankai as she fights, the Bankai's whole strength would decrease. And if Hebihime dies, Reila's Shinigami powers would wither.

* Reila cannot use her Shikai or Bankai anymore after she has used her **Reichi no Ko [霊地の子, Child of the sacred place]** Bankai technique. It needs a cooldown so Hebihime can restore herself.

## Powers & Abilities

**Stamina/Physical Strength:** Reila has been the 11th Division's lieutenant, and old habits die hard, she used to work out a lot, which developed her muscular mass. During her time in the Nest of Maggots, her body and powers weakened a lot, and when she was released, physical exercises were the only thing that kept her from being in the doldrums. So, she rapidly regained her past shape back.

**Swordsmanship Master:** Ever since the Academy, Reila showed exceptional Zanjutsu abilities. She believes her Zanpakutō is the reason why she achieved such a high level of Swordsmanship. Hebihime drove her into a corner so many times just for Reila to push her limits, as Hebihime's handle was not easy to wield. But they found common ground, and their harmony is reflected in Reila's smooth fighting style. Reila's high speed allows her to quickly spar with her opponent, making it hard for them to keep up. She always trained at the 11th Division's quarters, in the past or after the Battle of Karakura, as she is its former Lieutenant. She feels nostalgic every time, and likes to train by the side of these purely physical fighters.

**Hakuda Expert:** Just like for Zanjutsu, Reila showed talent in Hakuda since the Academy. She doesn't use it a lot during real time fights, mostly using her Hakuda knowledge to parry or to dodge attacks, mixing it with her speed. But since she trains a lot in the 11th Division, she practices it very often. Her strong but supple physical condition allows her to hold her own.

**Hohō Master:** Due to the nature of her Shikai, Reila quickly understood she needed to train her speed to get the best from Hebihime's power. Reila developed her own battle technique, relying on strong and stealthy strikes. Reila can use her Shunpo on mid-long distances, but prefers doing it on short ones for more precision and less fatigue.

**Kidō Practitioner:** Reila has always struggled when it came to Kidō, since the Academy. She had a hard time memorizing spells and concentrating her Spiritual Pressure; it always overflowed. Her Academy Kidō teacher, Kaito Kurosawa, was particularly tough to her because of that. He knew she had a great potential, and couldn't understand why it didn't apply to Kidō. After the Battle of Karakura, Reila decided to try again and was helped by Isane Kotetsu, Momo Hinamori, Nanao Ise and her former teacher Kaito Kurosawa to master new spells and develop her Kidō skill. Reila can use spells up to Hadō #33 Sōkatsui without an incantation, and some spells up to Hadō #57 Daichi Tenyō with an incantation, if she happens to remember them, which is very approximate. Given her limited Kidō knowledge, she does not even try to rely on it during a fight. But she did acquire some healing Kidō techniques thanks to Isane.

**Immense Spiritual Pressure:** Reila has an immense Spiritual Pressure, for having been a Captain in the past. She needs a massive amount of Reiatsu when she uses her Shikai, as part of her ability. Her Shikai, despite being lightweight, uses an exponentially growing amount of Spiritual Pressure. When Reila found out she was pregnant after the first Quincy attack, she wanted to keep her children's Spiritual Pressure concealed to hide her pregnancy; so, she caused her own Reiatsu to overflow to suppress the twins' presence. It cost her a lot of energy and daily effort, knowing that she trained very hard before the second attack and fought during the war.

**Tactician:** In order to get the best out of her Zanpakutō's abilities, Reila learned how to quickly analyze her opponent to find weaknesses in the middle of the fight. She is a highly perceptive fighter, who will compare her abilities and her opponent's powers to find the best match that will ensure her victory.

## Trivia

* Reila's name is based on the GazettE's song called Reila.

* Isanagi Reila is written 意差凪 霊羅 in kanji. 意 (I) means "*mind, heart"*. 差 (sa) means "*difference*". 凪 (nagi) means "*calm, lull*". 霊 (Rei) means "*Spirit, Soul*", and is the same kanji as in "*Reiatsu*". 羅 (ra) means "*thin silk*".

* Hebihime's name was inspired by Boa Hancock from *One Piece*. "Hebihime" is her noble title.

* When Reila joined the Gotei after graduating from the Academy, she wrote her will and testament. She expresses the wish to be buried on an isolated, snowy moutain in the Rukongai. When she married Shinji, she modified the document so all her posessions would be given to him if she were to die. And when Keizo and Seiko were born, she modified the testament again, including them in the document. Reila recommends all new 1st Division's recruits to write their testament as well, if they still didn't.

* Reila hates the rain. That's why she has a hood on her uniform.

* Reila is ambidextrous. She can equally use her right and left hand. But she prefers to wield her Zanpakutō with her left hand, and write or hold chopsticks with her right hand, in order to dissociate the battlefield and the normal life.

* When Shinji found out how Reila's Bankai was called, he made fun of her because it has the sound "Shinji" in it, even if it means something different.

* Reila is very good at fighting blindfolded, since she had to live with Hebihime's dangerous gaze. That's why she always had an advantage when fighting against Shinji using *Sakanade*.

* If someone asks her where the scar on her nose came from, Reila would always say a Hollow injured her. All that to hide the embarrassing truth only few people know about: in the Academy, she had a crush and when they went for their first kiss, they smashed their heads so hard it broke her nose.

* Reila collects coins from the World Of The Living. Human's different currencies always mesmerized her. She would start her collection back when she was the lieutenant of the 11th Division, when she was sent to the World Of The Living for missions. When Shinji got exiled in the World Of The Living, he started gathering different coins from his numerous travels. So when Reila saw all the coins Shinji gathered over so many years just for her, she was moved by his kind thought and preciously kept them all ever since.

* When Shinji and Reila got married, they purchased a small house to live together. After Shinji's been Hollowfied and Reila's been imprisoned, Kyōraku made it his property so no one else could live in it. It remained empty for a century. And when Reila and Shinji patched things up, [1]Kyōraku gave them back their old house.

* Shinji is the only one who ever cut her hair, and he's also the one who chooses her haircut. He really enjoys it while she doesn't like to do it by herself. He already tried using *Sakanade* to cut it, but Reila wasn't as enthusiastic about it as he was.

* During her long stay in the Nest of Maggots, her hair grew out and slowly turned white. A high level of stress rapidly depletes the stem cells and causes gray/white hair. It doesn't happen overnight like in Marie-Antoinette's myth, but Reila spent a century in prison.

* After her hair turned white, she started wearing makeup to cover her white lashes because she did not like them.

* Reila is afraid of the dark, for having spent a century in the Nest of Maggots. To sleep, she now needs a nigh light and an open window.

* Reila has been in 4 different Divisions throughout her Gotei career: 8th Division (unseated), 11th Division (lieutenant), 10th Division (Captain) and 1st Division (lieutenant).

* Mayuri Kurotsuchi is the only person she's uncomfortable with, almost afraid of. She's afraid of whatever could cross this evil genius' mind, hoping he really is on the Gotei's side. For that very reason, she avoids the 12th Division barracks as much as she can, unless her duty calls her and she has no other choice.

* Kyōraku is the only Captain Reila always called "*Captain* Kyōraku" because she respects him the most. She usually goes for the first or last name and the simple suffix *-san* for everyone else.

* Few months after Aizen's defeat, Kyōraku gave Reila back her album of coins she collected and her old Captain haori. He has kept them all this time. Even after all that happened, Reila feels very emotional towards her old haori, as it represents such a huge and important part of her life. She keeps it preciously in her room.

* Since she's been released from the Nest of Maggots, Reila didn't talk about her past. Only a handful of Gotei members know she's been the Captain of the 10th Division a century ago, or that she's ever been imprisoned in the Nest of Maggots.

* A year after the battle against Aizen, Hisagi heard rumors about Reila being a former Captain who's been imprisoned in the Nest of Maggots. Being the Editor-in-Chief of the monthly Seireitei Communication magazine and always looking for new and interesting people, he wanted to interview her about her past. Which she categorically refused.

* Few years after The Thousand-Year Blood War, Shinji was playing truth or dare with their children, Seiko and Keizo, and he dared them to shave Reila's head, who was sleeping. But while he said it as a joke, the twins went for it. When Reila woke up and saw the clippers in her children's hands, and a horrified Shinji, she understood what was going on. Then, as a revenge, she took the clippers and cut Shinji's bangs. They turned out to be two-leveled and uneven.

## Quotes

* (Reila poetry) *"Two souls, united as one, shattered in a million pieces. Two souls, reunited in the end, can they be repaired? The ugly cracks may be embellished, but nothing can replace the lost pieces."*

* *"I may not be the most patient. I may not be the wisest. I may not be the kindest. But I am trying. And it slowly pays off. My lungs are finally filled up with peace. What else could I ask for in this eternal life?"*

* (To Isshin) *"Question your decisions, but don't doubt them."*

* (Reila about Hebihime and the Visored) *"Hebihime is defined by her bloodthirst. So, in the end, I guess I am as bloodthirsty as she is, despite myself. She made me enjoy fighting. She made me love wielding her. She made me realize my place was on the battlefield. But while she does it for the pleasure of killing, I do it for the sake of revenge. I believe we both got our wicked ways. Because never again I'll let such a tragedy occur. Not while I'm alive."*

* (Reila about Shinji) *"My biggest regret, that day, was not having taken him in my arms. As if it could have changed everything."*

* (To Harribel) *"So, your aspect of Death is Sacrifice? I'm sorry, Espada... I've already sacrificed way too much."*

* (To Aizen) *"The greater you are, the higher you fall. I learned it the hard way."*

* (To Isshin) *"I abandoned everything in the name of love, you abandoned everything for what turned out to be love... Are the 10th Division's Captains really that cheesy?"*

* (To Ichigo) *"I've known your father for a long, long time. You turned out to be his exact copy. I didn't expect less. But now, you make me expecting more... I'm sorry, kid."*

* *"I have lived for centuries, fought endless battles, saw gallons of blood being shed, witnessed my comrades die before my eyes... But nothing can be compared to the toughness of maternity."*

* *"It is on the verge of death that an enemy is the most dangerous."*

## Relationships

### Canon characters

**Shinji Hirako:** "We've known each other for a very long time. We met in the Academy and stuck together with Lisa. While we thought we would be inseparable, he joined the 5th Division while with Lisa we joined the 8th one. We drifted apart for some time, certainly because we needed to cope and to get used to Gotei at our own pace. A lot of things happened between us. I felt nothing but hatred and sorrow for years when I was imprisoned, I felt so empty and guilty when I saw him for the first time again… After that, we fought, we maybe even hated each other. But I think none of us really stopped loving the other, and that's why we were so hurt. A lot of things happened. We eventually patched things up. And it’s still so surreal for me to say, but we have beautiful twins, and Soul Society is peaceful now, and we got married a few years after the war… Our lives just seem so soothing now. Shinji stuck with me since the very beginning, we grew as souls and Gotei members together. I married my best friend and the weirdest person in the whole Soul Society and I couldn’t be happier we tried so hard to patch things up. Both of us heal by the other’s side."

**Shunsui Kyōraku:** "Captain Kyōraku's the one who invited me in his Division by the end of the Academy, and I joined it with Lisa. These first years were a whole roller coaster of emotions. He tried to enroll me as his lieutenant, but I convinced Lisa to take the promotion. He's always been very supportive, but working with him can be as pleasant as frustrating. Everything's so slow with him. But he's actually very smart, wise and kind. He gave me the right advice when I needed some the most. He visited me every month for over a century in the Maggots' Nest, and I'll never forget that. He always took care of me. I've never had a father figure since I arrived in the Soul Society after dying in the World Of The Living, so I think he's the closest one I have. And now, I get to work with him again in the 1st Division. I only wish people would take him more seriously. But I know for sure that he doesn't care at all about their opinion."

**Nanao Ise:** "My lieutenant colleague. She stuck with Captain Kyōraku for so long I almost feel sorry for her. She has a very strong personality, not very flexible, just what Captain Kyōraku needs for a lieutenant. She is a hard worker too, I have to give her credit for that. She also helped me with Kidō. A very patient teacher. We get to work daily together, and I think we get along well. Deep down, I know she lacks self confidence, so I hope she'll manage to assert herself."

**Genryūsai Yamamoto:** "A strong leader. The leader the Gotei needed. It *has* lasted for over a 1000 years because of him. It doesn't mean I agreed with all his decisions, but for having been a Captain, I can understand the sacrifices it takes. Especially the sacrifice of your own humanity. Even if he's the one who ordered to put me in the Nest of Maggots, I can understand. I was unstable. I hurt a lot of Shinigami the night Shinji and Lisa turned into a Hollow. I was ready to cut anyone's throat to get to see them. Yamaji took the right decision for Gotei's safety. But I did not forgive all the truth they hide from me. Starting with the fact that the Visored survived. They knew it, and no one told it to me. The one who did was Yoruichi, sneaking in the Soul Society, 20 years later. Ironic, now that I'm the lieutenant of the 1st Division, its motto being "Truth and Innocence"."

**Chōjirō Sasakibe:** "This name... Is still painful to hear. I've always known Sasakibe as the lieutenant of the 1st Division. When I joined the Goitei. When I became a lieutenant, then a Captain. When I was released from the Maggot's Nest. When Yamaji made me his co-lieutenant to keep an eye on me. In my mind, he was immortal and unalterable. Gotei without him didn't exist in my mind. He was like an old tree in the park, growing peacefully without disturbing anyone. The kind of tree that has always been there, and that will always be. How wrong I was, and how painful it is to realize that life is more fragile than we think, us, egocentric Shinigami. How ironic for Gods of Death. And how painful to mourn. He certainly was one of the most extraordinary people I've ever met. May he rest in peace."

**Retsu Unohana:** "The kindest soul of the whole Gotei. When I was released from the Nest of Maggots, she helped me adapting to the life in a society again. Of course, I knew she was the first Kenpachi, having served under Captain Kyōraku for years and having been 1st Division lieutenant under Yamamoto, they mentioned it once or twice. Still, I believe Unohana was an example of kindness, strength and beauty combined."

**Kiganjō Kenpachi:** "Well... That's a tough one, in every sense of the word. Yamamoto assigned me as his lieutenant though Kenpachi didn't want one. I only accepted because I strongly wanted to join the 11th Division back when I was in the Academy... A dream come true? Not really. I wasn't welcome in this Division, and everyone made it clear. But I didn't give up and I pit myself against Kenpachi. We didn't get along well in the beginning, the first years were tough. But eventually, we did, in a way, long story short. Kiganjō was always seeking strong opponents, and he wanted to die on the battlefield. And he did. In the end of the day, I'm a bit bitter I couldn't properly thank him for everything he's done for me. After all, I unlocked my Bankai with his help, surprisingly. He helped me to better understand Hebihime. Maybe he wasn't the nicest to me, or to anyone to be honest, but everyone have their own ways and I will never forget him."

**Lisa Yadōmaru:** "I hate this cheesy word, but she's my best friend. We've known each other since the Academy, we joined the same Division, we both suffered from Captain Kyōraku's antics. I guess it was pretty obvious to her, but I had a big crush on her for years, back then. I never confessed, but I'm sure she knows. I cried my eyes out when I found out about the Hollowfication because of Shinji, but also because of her. I'm really glad to see she didn't change at all. She's maybe just a bit more reckless, but it suits her so well. Lisa totally deserves her recent promotion, I'm so proud of her. She's such a hard worker, even if some people assume she's not."

**Isshin Kurosaki:** "After I was imprisoned in the Nest of Maggots, I know that my late lieutenant, Isshin Shiba, took my place. And from what I learned, he also ran away, abandoning his duty years later. From that, I understood he didn't change at all. I visited him once in the World Of The Living. He invited me over when Ichigo got his Shinigami powers back. That was an awkward family-like reunion; he was happily showing me his wedding pictures while telling awkward stories of the time Ichigo was a baby. All of that fuss only for me to find that Isshin's still impatient, blunt and noisy. And at that moment, I felt like the weird aunt to that kiddo Ichigo."

**Tōshirō Hitsugaya:** "He may be a gifted young boy, but he works his ass out. We fought Harribel, the 3rd Espada, together, and I was blown by his combat mastery. He still has so much to learn, but I'm really proud to see what my late Division became. Eventually, he found out I was the 10th Division ex-captain, and he seemed more surprised than I was embarrassed. Since then, he asks me to train him quite often, and I'm always gladly accepting. Especially when his Bankai got stolen. But I'm trying to not push my "old" Captain vision on him, and it's pretty hard; I don't want to influence his decisions. He's doing great. He just needs some more time to fully bloom."

### Non-Canon characters

**Keizo & Seiko Isanagi:** "My children. Never in my life could I imagine myself as a mother, and Shinji always agreed on that point with me. We didn't need children to feel like a family. And to be honest, I didn't know I actually could have kids. Back when I was in the 11th Division, I got badly injured by a Hollow, who ripped off my guts. Hanae healed me, I have a big scar across my belly, and I knew my uterus was damaged. But unexpectedly, I got pregnant few months before out war against the Quincy, but I didn't know it. I found it out after their first attack, when the 4th Division healed me. As war was expected, it was not the right time, so I decided to hide my pregnancy by suppressing the babies' Reiatsu. I survived the war, and I've never seen Shinji so mad and worried when I announced the big news. But thankfully, everything else went perfectly fine, and now we have Seiko and Keizo, who we dearly cherish. They look so much alike, their personality and their looks, that strangers have some trouble telling them apart. They both are curious, independent troublemakers, and I am delighted to know they can experience their childhood in such a peaceful Seireitei. But I still worry for them. When they were in my womb, Keizo appeared to have absorbed almost all of Seiko's Spiritual Pressure, as well as the Hollow he inherited from Shinji. Raising a Visored kid with a powerful Spiritual Pressure from birth, and the other who had barely enough Reiatsu to even become a Shinigami is tricky. I am so happy to see them being such partners in crime, it would break my heart to see them growing apart because of their differences. I also hope the fact that Shinji was a Captain, and that I am a lieutenant and a former Captain won't put too much pressure on their shoulders. I am so glad to see them grow so fast, but they weren't born in the most simple family, and I feel sorry for them. They just need to know that we would never set any high bar for them to reach. I never wanted to be a mother, and I don't think I am the best mother they could have, but I am trying, and in the end, I just love them so much..."

**Hanae Kyōraku:** "Captain Kyōraku's wife... As long as I remember, I've always seen them together. Hanae is a very strong woman, who has done so much for me, and I didn't always repay her back as I should have. When I was 11th Division's lieutenant, she was the one who performed surgery on me and healed my wounds when a Hollow ripped off my guts. Now I understand that I certainly could have children thankfully to her. Just like I lost Shinji and LIsa, she lost her son, that terrible night... I can't imagine the pain she and Captain Kyōraku went through all these years. Family, friends, colleagues, Gotei lost so many people that night. And after I was released, she was the one who took me in charge with Unohana. She used her psychological Kidō therapy on me, and continues to do so until this day. I don't know if I could've deal with all my thoughts without it... And even if you put Kidō aside, she is just such caring and inspiring woman. I am so glad Captain Kyōraku has her, and she has him."

**Akihiko Oda:** "Aki is like a little brother to me. Funny to see how much he has grown up over the past century. An eternity ago, when he was Shinji's lieutenant in the past, I trained him to achieve his Bankai. And now, a century later, I am very proud of the Shinigami he has become. But I must say, he surprised me when he came back with Yoona, an Arrancar child from Hueco Mundo. He couldn't keep the secret away from his Captain, Shinji. In extenso, he couldn't keep the truth from me. We've known each other for so long, he knew he could trust us. And he was right. Yoona's departure at the end of the war seriously affected Aki, and I try to cheer him up like I can. It's always a pleasure to hang out with him, he's a calm force in Seireitei's chaos. He also takes care of Seiko and Keizo when we are out on a mission with Shinji, he's a good influence for them. I just hope they aren't too harsh on him."

**Yoona Oda:** "Yoona... has always been a handful. We've been skeptical with Shinji when Aki told us the truth about this Arrancar kid, but quickly, we realized he was literally just a kid. Doing kid's stuff. We often looked after him with Shinji, when Akihiko was busy. I like to believe he had fun here. Seireitei felt quite silent when he left for Hueco Mundo at the end of the war against Quincy, but now, ten years later, he visits us sometimes. The only difference being that he has grown a lot. But deep down, he will always be our little baby shark."

**Kaito Kurosawa:** "One of the people I've known the longest in Soul Society. He was my Kidō teacher in the Academy. Since I was so bad at it, he always gave me extra lessons. He was a tough teacher to me. With Shinji and Lisa, we gave him a rough ride during our Academy years. But he taught me patience and tenacity, that's for sure. Now, we are colleagues, and his sister, Mao, is actually the third seat of my Division. She's a sweetheart. Our families grew closer with time, and he is the good influence Keizo and Seiko needed. Kaito was kind enough to let Seiko access the immense library of their clan, since he is so thirsty for knowledge, which we appreacite a lot. And he trained Keizo, took her under his wing. With his mentorship, she can achieve great things. They are so similar, it's as funny as scary. I'm glad we had the opportunity to deepen our families' relations. Kaito is a strong Shinigami, and a positive model for younger generations."