Chapter 18

The Next Day.

Shinji sat cross-legged in the center of the warehouse, his Zanpakutō resting on his lap.

Opposite him, Matsumoto Rangiku had a helpless expression.

"Where's that bastard Shiba?" Shinji asked expressionlessly.

"The captain was afraid you'd chop him off, so he ran off a long time ago," Matsumoto Rangiku sighed speechlessly and sat cross-legged beside him.

At that moment—

Out of nowhere, Shiba peeked his head in from the doorway, cupped his hands around his mouth like a megaphone, and called out, "Just remember, always use protection! You young people these days, one is more reckless than the other."

Matsumoto Rangiku: "..."

"Die, you bastard!!"

With a sharp swing of her blade, a blast of gray energy slammed into the iron door with a thunderous boom!

By the time the dust settled, Shiba was long gone.

"Seriously, how can there be such an irresponsible captain? He's as childish as a kid," Matsumoto Rangiku complained.

"You're not much better yourself" Shinji shot her a sidelong glance.

"Hey, I'm your senior! You ungrateful brat, at least I rushed here first when I heard about your accident in the Soul Society!" Matsumoto Rangiku huffed.

"Are we even that close? Why would you be worried about me?" Shinji asked, puzzled.

"Well, first time we're strangers, second time we're acquaintances, and third time you'll be sitting on me," Matsumoto Rangiku said with a teasing smirk, casually draping her arm over Shinji's shoulder.

Shinji: "..."

Damn it, for the fourth time, are you already planning what to name the kid?

Something's seriously wrong with you!

Shinji quietly inched backward before abruptly standing up. "I'm going on patrol."

This woman was about to derail the conversation straight into madness—he couldn't afford to play along. Time to get out of here.

Watching his retreating figure, Matsumoto Rangiku stretched lazily, sighing, "Ah, youth."

Compared to the old captains who had lived for centuries, Kuchiki Shinji was still just a young man.

And young men had young waists.

Hiss… No wonder Kurosaki Masaki wasn't interested in her squad captain. Makes perfect sense now.

Matsumoto Rangiku patted the dust off her uniform and stood up.

---

Karakura Town – The Rooftop of the Tallest Building

Shinji sat perched on the edge of the rooftop, his eyes closed, his Zanpakutō resting on his lap.

Hundreds of meters below him, the city stretched out in every direction.

Sword meditation—Zazen—was a fundamental practice for every Shinigami.

Only by continuously deepening their understanding of their Zanpakutō and refining their connection with it could a Shinigami awaken its true name, master Shikai and Bankai, and gain even greater power.

"Soon... it's almost there... this feeling..."

Shinji's eyes snapped open. His right hand clutched at his chest.

The sensation of overwhelming power was becoming almost tangible. His immense Reiatsu had been compressed to its absolute limit.

If he wanted to advance further, there was only one path forward—

To step into the "Collapse Two Fusion State."

Shinji's gaze flickered, and suddenly, he looked toward the distance—his senses piercing through the limitations of mere sight.

"This fluctuation... is that a barrier?"

It was faint, nearly imperceptible, but Shinji caught it.

"If it weren't for Hōgyoku, I probably wouldn't have sensed this barrier at all... Who could it be?"

A captain-level Shinigami likely wouldn't have detected such a faint distortion in space.

If Shinji hadn't already stepped into the "Collapse One Fusion State"—and was even on the verge of reaching "Collapse Two"—he probably wouldn't have sensed it either.

That direction… the barren hills of Karakura Town?

Was it Aizen?

Or was there something else lurking in the shadows?

Shinji hesitated for a moment before shaking his head and sitting back down.

"Who cares. If someone is setting up a barrier of that level, it only means trouble. And I hate trouble."

But just as he was about to resume his meditation—

Shinji suddenly paused. He stared at his outstretched hand, where a faint flicker of spiritual flame burned for a moment before vanishing.

"...This is... Kurosaki Masaki's Reiatsu?"

---

Dark clouds rolled overhead.

A fine drizzle fell from the sky, hitting the dense foliage with a soft pitter-patter.

The air was thick, heavy with tension.

"Damn it, there's a barrier around us—we can't escape!"

A dark figure landed with a whoosh.

It was a middle-aged man in his thirties, a scar running down the corner of his eye. In his hand, he gripped a Spirit Longbow—the exclusive weapon of the Quincy.

Step. Step. Step.

From the depths of the forest, eerie laughter echoed.

A long and narrow shadow shrank into itself, and a figure emerged from the darkness.

A man with eerie yellow eyes, wearing a black-and-white mask reminiscent of a clown. His right hand had an unnaturally long, narrow fingernail—dyed a deep, sinister purple.

But the most shocking thing was his attire.

He was wearing a Shinigami's black Shihakushō. Over it, a captain's haori billowed in the wind—on the back, the bold "Twelve" was clearly visible.

The Captain of the 12th Division—Kurotsuchi Mayuri!

"Shinigami!" The Quincy leader narrowed his eyes. "You deliberately released Menos Grande's Reiatsu to lure us here. What the hell are you up to?!"

For generations, the Quincy had regarded Hollows as their sworn enemies.

Whenever they sensed the Reiatsu of a Hollow, they would immediately move to exterminate it.

This time was no different—sensing the presence of a Menos Grande, a team of Quincy had assembled and mobilized to eliminate it.

But when they arrived, they realized too late—there was no Menos Grande here at all.

They had walked straight into a trap.

Kurotsuchi Mayuri licked his lips, his fingers adjusting the lens over his right eye.

Above the lens, data flickered.

"Tch. What a disappointment. Just a bunch of small fry. No powerful subjects at all," he sighed, shaking his head.

Because of Shinji's suggestion, Kurotsuchi Mayuri had personally modified the Reiatsu detection device for the World of the Living. The result was the lens currently covering his eye.

This device had one primary function—to measure and analyze the Reiatsu of those around him.

Though it wasn't perfectly accurate, it was extremely useful.

"Such a pity... If only that brat from the Kuchiki Clan had joined my team."

Kurotsuchi Mayuri let out a sinister chuckle.

Then he spread his arms wide, his grin stretching.

"Now then—show me what surprises you experimental specimens have in store."

---

Rumble!

The explosion gradually subsided.

Kurotsuchi Mayuri stared blankly ahead.

"Tch, turns out they were just a bunch of trash. What a waste of my time."

In the Forest, all the Quincy had completely lost their ability to fight.

Kurotsuchi Mayuri moved his fingers uninterestedly, took two steps forward, then suddenly narrowed his eyes and disappeared on the spot.

The next second—

A blue Reishi arrow struck where he had just been standing.

Boom!

Dust filled the air.

From the distance, Kurosaki Masaki rushed in.

"Uncle Yamamoto! Uncle Asai! Are you alright?"

Seeing her fallen clansmen, Kurosaki Masaki's eyes flashed with anger.

It was her fault—because she had chased after that Hollow's Reiatsu too far away, by the time she sensed the battle here, it was already too late to return in time.

"Masaki… be careful… that guy… he's a Shinigami from Soul Society…"

The middle-aged man called Uncle Yamamoto leaned against a tree, warning her with difficulty.

"Damn you"

Kurosaki Masaki shouted angrily, standing in front of her fallen comrades.

She absolutely would not let them be harmed any further.

"Oh? Oh? This Reiatsu fluctuation…"

Kurotsuchi Mayuri adjusted his lenses, interest flashing in his eyes.

"It seems… you're different from them. You're a more advanced specimen."

"You b*****d, go to hell!"

Heilig Pfeil!

Kurosaki Masaki reached out, instantly forming a spiritual longbow in her palm.

The next moment, a blue arrow with a blazing tail streaked across the air!

"Oh? Not bad, quite a fine attack."

Kurotsuchi Mayuri slightly tilted his head, letting the arrow barely graze past his hair.

Boom!

A deafening explosion erupted behind him, but when the shockwave reached Kurotsuchi Mayuri, it dispersed as if hitting an invisible barrier.

"This is quite an interesting technique. Completely different from the attacks those other Quincy used before—on an entirely different level of power. I've never seen a phenomenon like this before."

"But compared to you, your people are utterly worthless. Completely useless specimens."

Kurotsuchi Mayuri pointed at the fallen Quincy with disgust.

"You mean to tell me you didn't even collect the most basic intelligence before attacking me? Absolutely reckless. At the very least, you should have memorized the names and faces of the thirteen captains of the Gotei 13, shouldn't you?"

"I am Kurotsuchi Mayuri, Captain of the 12th Division and Director of the Research and Development Institute. But it doesn't really matter if you don't remember… since you won't be conscious for much longer."

Kurotsuchi Mayuri observed the destruction behind him in amazement.

After the explosion dissipated, he continued, "How about it? Interested in becoming my test subject?"

"If you do, I promise to treat you well. Don't worry, I'm very gentle with women." [T/N: Sus 🤨]

"I'll provide you with the highest-level care."

"Eight doses of experimental drugs per day, five rounds of machine testing, and I'll do my best to ensure you don't die too quickly."

He moved his fingers morbidly, tilting his head.

"Pervert."

Kurosaki Masaki clenched her teeth, her face flushed with anger. She pulled back another arrow and questioned coldly, "Why did you attack us? You're the one who set up this barrier, aren't you?"

"What nonsense are you spouting, Quincy?"

Kurotsuchi Mayuri took a step forward.

"Shinigami and Quincy are mortal enemies. Killing you or repurposing you as experimental materials—it's only natural, don't you think?"

Swish!

He vanished on the spot, striking toward Kurosaki Masaki with his Zanpakutō.

"Ahh, you dodged? Your speed is comparable to Shunpo… My interest in you just keeps growing."

Kurotsuchi Mayuri looked at his missed strike and turned his head, his golden eyes gleaming in surprise at Kurosaki Masaki, who had just relocated to a treetop in an instant.

A rare and exceptional specimen indeed.

Could Quincy possess such speed as well?

He couldn't wait to dissect her.

As if already simulating an autopsy, Kurotsuchi Mayuri flexed his fingers, his golden eyes scanning her body from head to toe.

"Asshole! Not all Shinigami are crazy perverts like you! At least Renji-kun isn't like that!"

Kurosaki Masaki shouted angrily, loudly refuting Kurotsuchi Mayuri's words.

"Renji"? Where have I heard that name before…"

Kurotsuchi Mayuri scratched his head, then his face darkened.

"Stop spouting nonsense, woman. Discard your disgusting sense of justice already. You're really starting to irritate me, Quincy."

The moment his words fell—

Shunpo!

Kurotsuchi Mayuri suddenly vanished once more.

"So fast!"

Kurosaki Masaki's pupils shrank.

She quickly raised her arm to block!

Boom!

The incoming heavy blow struck her arm, but the follow-up slash was too overwhelming—

No time to dodge!

Boom!

With the impact of his Reiatsu, Kurosaki Masaki was sent flying.

Screech!

The ground split open with a deep gash nearly a hundred meters long. A large number of trees collapsed, shaking the earth as they fell. In the end, a chaotic, triangular crater was left behind.

"Oh dear, I need to control my strength a bit better. Wouldn't want to cause too much commotion."

Kurotsuchi Mayuri casually walked forward, spinning his Zanpakutō around his fingers.

"At this level, you should be completely out of commission, right? Hm?"

At that moment, his expression froze.

His golden pupils flickered as he looked ahead.

Kurosaki Masaki stood at the very center of the ruins.

With her as the focal point, the shattered ground split apart even further, expanding outward for hundreds of meters.

Her right sleeve had been torn away, exposing her bare shoulder.

There, a network of branch-like patterns grew and spread across her skin—

Blut Vene.

She had used her defensive technique to block his slash!

"Hoh~? Now that's an ability I haven't seen before. You're getting more and more interesting."

A look of joy flashed in Kurotsuchi Mayuri's eyes.

This trip to the Human World had proven to be quite fruitful.

Wasn't there already a prime specimen standing right before him?

"I… will never… forgive you!"

Kurosaki Masaki clenched her fists tightly, her delicate face filled with unprecedented rage.

She shook her arm, the numbness from his slash quickly dissipating.

Then—She launched forward!

Blut Arterie!

Almost like a phantom, the crimson lines on Kurosaki Masaki's body became even more vivid.

She had completely abandoned Blut Vene's defense and activated Blut Arterie, trading durability for an explosive increase in strength, speed, stamina, and Reiatsu!

"Die!"