Too Lazy to Split the Chapter (A Ten-Thousand-Word Chapter for You!)

Under the dim night sky, the Seireitei had fallen into silence.

However, the patrolling Shinigami had not dispersed. Although there had been no reports of Ryoka causing trouble for the past day and night, there were still Ryoka whose whereabouts remained unknown, hiding in the shadows and plotting something.

This left the Seireitei unable to relax in the slightest.

In a certain dark corner, two figures dressed in Shihakusho were sneaking through the Seireitei; these two were none other than Uryu Ishida and Inoue Orihime!

Because there were too many patrols during the day, the two had chosen to rest during the day and travel at night.

Furthermore, as a precaution, they had knocked out two Shinigami and taken their Shihakusho to wear. While this stealthy approach made them much slower, it was also quite safe.

In the days since, the two had not encountered any dangerous battles and had arrived near the prison district safely.

However, despite their caution, they were eventually discovered outside the prison district.

They were spotted by a drunken Shinigami holding a sake flask.

Makiuzo Aramaki, a member of the 11th Division!

"Hey, who exactly are you two? Where are your Zanpakuto?" Makiuzo Aramaki asked, looking at Uryu and Inoue. Although he was drunk, his right hand was already resting faintly on his Zanpakuto.

Uryu and Inoue couldn't help but become vigilant. The moment they heard his question, they knew they had been exposed. Just as they were about to act, however...

Bang!

Accompanied by a dull thud, Makiuzo Aramaki's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed limply. This scene stunned Uryu and Inoue. Looking behind them, they realized that five or six Shinigami were holding wooden clubs; clearly, the scene that had just unfolded was their handiwork.

"Are you two alright? You're really unlucky to run into a guy who suspects his own comrades."

"Can't be helped, the 11th Division is full of guys with muscles for brains."

"Thank you for saving us," Inoue said, thanking them.

"No, it's nothing. As fellow members of the 12th Division, it's only right that we save you."

"That's right, and it's perfectly normal not to have your Zanpakuto on you when things are so urgent."

"Right, let's go. We'll take you to the barracks."

Uryu's brow furrowed instantly. These people were clearly being overly enthusiastic, to the point that they hadn't even asked for their identities.

Something was wrong. These guys were definitely not right.

At this thought, Uryu subconsciously activated his Quincy ability to sense spiritual pressure, only to discover that these individuals were all infused with a volatile type of reishi.

"Inoue, leave quickly! It's dangerous!"

Sensing this, Uryu didn't have time to think; he lunged forward and dragged Inoue out of the group's vicinity.

Boom!

Almost the instant he pulled Inoue away, the few Shinigami exploded violently, flames shooting into the sky.

"Hmph, those guys were truly useless!" A cold, sinister laugh echoed out. A figure wearing a captain's haori with a bizarre appearance slowly emerged from the shadows; it was none other than the captain of the 12th Division--Mayuri Kurotsuchi!

The Shinigami from before had been his subordinates. Even as they died, those 12th Division members hadn't realized that the captain they respected had used them as human bombs.

This was Mayuri Kurotsuchi, a mad and cruel scientist!

Mayuri looked up at the blast radius. In an explosion of that magnitude, those two Ryoka should have been blown to smithereens, but...

"Hm?"

Mayuri paused. He saw that within the blast zone, a yellow shield of reishi was blocking the area of the explosion. Behind the shield, Uryu, Inoue, and even the 11th Division's Makiuzo Aramaki were completely unscathed despite the intensity of the blast!

"That shield? What an interesting ability." Mayuri's pupils gradually dilated, his eyes filled with greed. To a scientist, the ability Inoue displayed held immense research value!

"This is the first time I've seen a technique like this."

As he spoke, Mayuri walked toward Inoue and Uryu. He had changed his mind; this woman... he wanted her!

"Hey, woman, become my test subject! You won't be treated poorly as my subordinate. I've always been very gentle with women. You'll only take medicine eight times a day, and mechanical experiments will be limited to five. Even if I modify you, I will try my best to avoid endangering your life. That is exceptional treatment, you know."

Inoue naturally did not answer him, as she was trembling all over. For a high school student, and a girl at that, how could she possibly adapt so quickly to the sight of human bombs?

Her body and mind were filled with terror, and tears of fear flowed uncontrollably.

Makiuzo Aramaki stared blankly at Inoue. He didn't understand why this girl was crying, nor did he understand why, in the moment of the explosion, she had saved him—an enemy—from the blast radius.

Was she naive?

Or was she kind?

But at that moment, Uryu, who had been standing in front of them, vanished from the spot. When his figure reappeared, he was already behind Mayuri, his reishi-concentrated bow aimed directly at him!

"Not bad speed, is it?"

Mayuri had locked onto Uryu's position instantly. Standing where he was, he tilted his head slightly and looked at the bow in Uryu's hand, smiling cruelly: "So, you're a Quincy. I haven't seen a living one in years, but..."

Mayuri rolled his neck as if he hadn't even seen the arrow aimed at him, his tone filled with disdain: "My research on you people ended long ago. I have no interest in you anymore. Move aside!"

Research ended?

Uryu's pupils constricted slightly. He vaguely guessed what that meant, but he still demanded coldly: "Who exactly are you?"

"You broke into the Seireitei without investigating anything?" Mayuri shrugged, tilting his head as he looked at Uryu: "That's really quite lax. At the very least, you should have learned about the thirteen people who stand at the pinnacle!"

As these words fell, an incredibly terrifying spiritual pressure swept out from him like a tidal wave, causing everyone present to tremble as their bodies instantly tensed up.

Although the spiritual pressure of Mayuri Kurotsuchi could not compare to that of Kenpachi, he was, after all, one of the thirteen strongest members of the Gotei 13, and his spiritual pressure was tyrannical to the extreme.

"Captain of the 12th Division and second director of the Department of Research and Development, Mayuri Kurotsuchi!"

Under the weight of Mayuri Kurotsuchi's terrifying spiritual pressure, a sense of dread welled up in the heart of Uryu Ishida.

This guy... he's so strong!

However, a look of determination flashed across the face of Uryu Ishida; he had to hold him off at the very least, as Orihime was still here!

"Orihime, run!"

Orihime, who had just stopped trembling, froze, then stood up with a face full of anxiety: "No, I want to fight too!"

Uryu ignored her. Throughout their journey, he had already discovered that while Orihime possessed certain abilities, her personality meant she was not cut out for combat and could only serve in a supporting role.

To put it bluntly, if she stayed here during a fight, she would be a burden!

"You over there from the 11th Division, hurry up and take Orihime away," Uryu said, looking at Makiuzo Aramaki, who was preparing to sneak away behind Orihime.

Me?

Take her and run.

Makiuzo Aramaki paused, looking at Uryu with a frantic expression as he roared: "Are you kidding me? Why should I take her..."

Uryu Ishida cut him off directly: "You don't want to die, do you? If you keep dragging your feet, you'll get dragged into this too! Even if you have to force her, take her away, otherwise... I'll shoot you dead!"

The corner of Makiuzo Aramaki's mouth twitched. What a jerk!

However, thinking back to how he had been saved by this girl earlier, he hesitated for a split second before gritting his teeth, stepping forward to hoist Orihime over his shoulder, and turning to run into the distance.

"Did I say you could run away?"

Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who had remained silent until now, sneered as his right hand extended, chasing after the fleeing pair like a tentacle.

However...

Whoosh—

A brilliant blue light arrow struck across the air, and with a thunderous explosion, the hand Mayuri Kurotsuchi had extended was blasted into fragments.

Uryu held his bow, pushed up his glasses, and stared at the gaze Mayuri Kurotsuchi turned toward him.

"Did I say you could chase them?"

"Oh my, oh my, I have no interest in you!"

As he spoke, Mayuri Kurotsuchi performed an action that left Uryu Ishida utterly astonished: he actually tore his severed hand off completely. He then pulled out something resembling a syringe from his body and stabbed it into his stump; in an instant, Mayuri Kurotsuchi's arm grew back entirely.

"That woman managed to get away!" Mayuri Kurotsuchi flexed his newly grown right hand, adapting to it for a moment before offering a cold, sinister smile: "But it doesn't matter. As long as I have a single hair, I can find her with ease!"

Monster!

Uryu cursed under his breath; it was the only word he could use to describe this captain named Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Shifting his gaze slightly, he looked at the girl behind Mayuri Kurotsuchi and frowned inwardly.

If this monster is a captain, is that girl behind him his lieutenant?

But she didn't move at all even when the captain was being held at bow-point; her combat ability shouldn't be very high.

In that case, the only enemy is this captain right in front of me!

Thinking of this, Uryu suddenly released his grip, and the energy arrow on his bow streaked out, reaching Mayuri Kurotsuchi in an instant.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi smiled coldly and dodged the energy arrow with a slight tilt of his body.

But in that very moment, Uryu had already utilized Hirenkyaku to vanish from his sight. When he reappeared, he was already on the building behind Mayuri Kurotsuchi, drawing his bow and firing in one fluid motion, sending a brilliant blue arrow flying.

Did it hit?

No!

Uryu's pupils contracted as he looked toward the other end of the building, where Mayuri Kurotsuchi was standing, watching the effect of Uryu's arrow with a calm and relaxed expression.

"Not bad!"

Mayuri Kurotsuchi met Uryu's gaze, a faint smile curling his lips: "The power is decent, and that technique you just used was Hirenkyaku, wasn't it?"

How is that possible?

Who exactly is this person, and why does he even know about the existence of Hirenkyaku?

Uryu's heart was filled with confusion, but his hands did not slow down; he aimed at Mayuri Kurotsuchi once more, condensing a spirit arrow!

"Using spirit particles gathered under your feet to move at high speeds is an advanced footwork technique of the Quincy. For a young man like you to have already mastered it, your talent seems quite high. However..."

Mayuri Kurotsuchi slowly drew his Zanpakuto: "The Quincy are such an obsolete race that I really can't muster any interest in researching them. I still have to go and drag that woman back, so you can just die here!"

"Claw out, Ashisogi Jizo."

A dark purple mist rose from Mayuri Kurotsuchi's Zanpakuto, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a blade with a baby's face at the hilt, shaped like a trident.

But then, his next move left Uryu stunned.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi was charging straight at him, heading directly into the trajectory of his spirit arrow; if Uryu simply released the two fingers of his left hand, he could shoot him down right now.

No!

After all, he is a captain-level figure.

It is impossible for him to attack so recklessly.

Or perhaps his Shikai ability can absorb reishi, to the extent that it can neutralize my reishi arrows?

If that is the case... I cannot attack him lightly.

Just as Uryu Ishida's entire focus was on the charging Mayuri Kurotsuchi, a figure suddenly lunged up from below. It was that girl; caught off guard, she had managed to reach his side.

To Uryu Ishida's astonishment, the girl reached out, grabbed the energy arrow on his bow, pressed her entire body against him, and simultaneously grabbed his collar with one hand.

"What?"

Uryu Ishida was startled, but with a shove from the girl, the two of them fell straight off the wall.

Could it be...

Uryu Ishida suddenly recalled the scene of the 12th Division member self-destructing earlier, and a sense of foreboding rose in his heart.

Just as he had feared, Mayuri Kurotsuchi's figure suddenly accelerated, appearing directly behind the girl. Ashisogi Jizo... slashed straight through her.

Splurt!

Blood sprayed into the air, and a bloody gash was carved into Uryu Ishida's left shoulder. As for the girl, a massive wound was torn from her back to her waist. While some of the splashing blood belonged to Uryu Ishida, the vast majority belonged to the girl.

He actually went as far as to cut down his own lieutenant... Why? Aren't they comrades?

Uryu Ishida crashed to the ground, while Nemu Kurotsuchi struggled to stand up. She smiled at the slowly approaching Mayuri Kurotsuchi, her face faintly revealing a look of longing for his praise.

She looked pitiful, yet... utterly tragic!

But when Mayuri Kurotsuchi reached her side, he didn't offer any encouragement, not even a single glance. Instead, he smashed his fist into her.

The girl, already severely wounded, was sent flying without any resistance, only stopping when she slammed into the wall. A pool of blood instantly gathered on the ground beneath her.

"Idiot, didn't I tell you? Even if your body is severed, you are absolutely not to let go!"

Although the girl was weak to the point of collapse, upon hearing Mayuri Kurotsuchi's reprimand, she immediately braced her broken body and knelt at his feet: "I am... very sorry, Lord Mayuri Kurotsuchi!"

"Forget it. I never had any expectations for you anyway!"

After Mayuri Kurotsuchi finished speaking, he ignored the girl on the ground and turned to look at Uryu Ishida: "Since you've already been struck, finishing you off will be as easy as strangling an infant."

As he spoke, Mayuri Kurotsuchi walked toward Uryu Ishida: "You're sweating so much, it must hurt, right? But to be able to endure it without even a whimper, you're quite resilient. This probably isn't your first time being slashed by a blade, is it?"

Uryu Ishida ignored him, his gaze shifting toward the girl to the side. He could not understand, no matter what, why a captain would choose to fight in such a manner.

Does he not care about the lives of his comrades at all?

"Cough, cough, cough, cough..."

A series of coughs interrupted Uryu Ishida's thoughts. Not far away, the girl was lying on the ground, coughing violently. With every cough, a large mouthful of blood sprayed from her mouth.

"So noisy, can't you be quiet for a moment?" Mayuri Kurotsuchi turned his head slightly, his tone extremely dissatisfied.

"I am very sorry, Lord Mayuri. The wound seems to have reached my lungs. Please give me some flesh-repairing agent; if this continues, I might... be unable to maintain... my bodily functions, cough."

As the girl spoke, she coughed up several more mouthfuls of blood.

But even though she could be called a living creature, there was one thing she didn't know: never question the results of a scientist.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi's face darkened as he strode over to Nemu Kurotsuchi. Then...

Bang!

With a dull thud, he actually stepped directly onto the girl's wound and ground his heel into it forcefully for a long moment. With a ferocious expression, he roared: "You brat, are you mocking me? How could your body possibly fail because of an injury of this level!"

Clearly, being questioned by his own 'research result' had triggered his murderous intent!

Even standing from an opposing position, Uryu Ishida could not accept this: "Hey, what the hell are you doing? Aren't you comrades? If you keep this up, she's really going to die."

"Are you mocking me too?"

Mayuri Kurotsuchi grabbed the girl by her hair, lifting her up as if she were trash, and tilted his head to look at Uryu Ishida, saying coldly: "She'll die from this level of injury? Don't make me laugh. This is a body I created; how could it lose its function from such a minor wound? Even if you're trying to mock me, there should be a limit."

"Created by you?" Uryu Ishida was stunned!

"That's right. Let me tell you this brat's name." Mayuri Kurotsuchi smiled triumphantly: "Her name is Nemu Kurotsuchi. She is a masterpiece I created by combining the essence of Gigai technology and Gikon technology. She is my creation!"

"Compared to that, you should hurry up and cast aside that nauseating sense of justice of yours. I don't need an outsider like you interfering with how I dispose of this thing!" As he spoke, he slammed Nemu Kurotsuchi violently against the wall, back-first.

"Ah!"

Nemu Kurotsuchi let out a miserable cry and vomited another mouthful of blood. At the same time, blood was gushing from her back; Mayuri Kurotsuchi's actions had caused the wound to widen even further.

"Stop it." Uryu Ishida shouted, instinctively trying to stand up, but he suddenly discovered that his left arm was completely immobile.

"You're only noticing now? You're too slow." Mayuri Kurotsuchi raised the Ashisogi Jizo in his hand: "The ability to make the target's limbs immobile—that is the power of my Ashisogi Jizo."

"A paralytic poison!" Uryu Ishida frowned.

"Paralytic poison? Hmph, it's not some outdated thing like that."

Mayuri Kurotsuchi said disdainfully: "It merely severs the signals your brain sends to move your limbs. Which means..." Mayuri Kurotsuchi slowly walked up to Uryu Ishida, who was slumped on the ground, and thrust Ashisogi Jizo straight into Uryu Ishida's shoulder!

"Ah...!" The intense pain made Uryu Ishida scream out involuntarily.

"Pain cannot be paralyzed." Mayuri Kurotsuchi sneered, then turned his head to look at the fallen Nemu Kurotsuchi: "Hey, Nemu, come here. You give this person who pities you the final blow!"

"..." Nemu Kurotsuchi, already on the verge of death, naturally could not respond to his command.

A cold glint flashed through the eyes of Mayuri Kurotsuchi as he turned and walked back toward Nemu Kurotsuchi.

"Right, you were also slashed, so you can't move, can you?" Standing before Nemu Kurotsuchi, Mayuri Kurotsuchi raised Ashisogi Jizo directly, scolding her with extreme dissatisfaction: "What a useless piece of trash." As he spoke, he prepared to stab the fallen Nemu Kurotsuchi.

"Stop." Uryu Ishida shouted loudly.

"You really are annoying."

Mayuri Kurotsuchi paused his movement, then sneered: "Even if they are enemies, one should show some sympathy when a girl is injured. Or is this the pride of you Quincy?"

Uryu Ishida's expression turned cold: "Why do you know so much about the Quincy?"

"Because before you Quincy die, you always say something like, 'Even if it means betting the dignity of the Quincy, I cannot do such a thing.' You are all truly annoying, so long-winded. Oh, right."

Mayuri Kurotsuchi looked up at Uryu Ishida, as if trying to discern something from his face.

"Come to think of it, by the time I became the captain of the Research and Development Institute, the Quincy were already a rare breed. The remaining ones were all under surveillance, so I ordered the Shinigami in charge of surveillance to intentionally delay their rescue. That was how I obtained the souls of the Quincy. And the last one was a filthy old man who kept chanting the name of either a disciple or a grandson; he really annoyed me."

Uryu Ishida's pupils began to dilate, and the suspicions he had long harbored in his heart were gradually being confirmed!

"Right, do you want to see a photo?" Seeing Uryu Ishida's reaction, a perverse smile immediately appeared on Mayuri Kurotsuchi's face: "Though this is a photo taken after the research; you can't even tell what he looked like originally."

Mayuri Kurotsuchi threw the photo in front of Uryu Ishida, then turned his head and rubbed his own head, saying: "Right, what was the name of that grandson or disciple again? I can't remember. I have no interest in things that have already been researched."

Looking at the photo, Uryu Ishida's body couldn't help but tremble!

A familiar face, a wretched, mangled corpse—that was...

His grandfather and mentor!

In the next moment, spiritual pressure surged from Uryu Ishida's body, a spiritual pressure condensed into threads!

"Let me tell you the name of that person who was both a disciple and a grandson. Uryu, Uryu Ishida. That man's name is Soken Ishida!"

Uryu Ishida spoke with his head bowed, but his calm tone suppressed a monstrous hatred.

"Oh, right, you don't seem to know my name yet. Let me introduce myself first. I am the last Quincy, Uryu Ishida. That man was my mentor and my own grandfather."

"Oh, and so what?" Mayuri Kurotsuchi saw Uryu Ishida stand up, but still said with an indifferent expression.

"Betting on the dignity of the Quincy, I will kill you." The spiritual pressure on Uryu Ishida's body continued to surge, and killing intent filled the surroundings.

"How are you able to move your limbs when they were slashed by Ashisogi Jizo?"

A look of contemplation appeared on Mayuri Kurotsuchi's face, but he soon smiled: "I remember now, it's Ransotengai."

"So hungry, I'm going to starve to death!"

Outside the temporary prison in the inner court of the Seireitei, two figures walked slowly out of the main gate. Behind them lay an entire group of guards who had fallen into a state of unconsciousness. The one speaking was a bald youth with a gleaming scalp.

It was none other than Wu Biao and Sado, who had just broken out of their cells—though, strictly speaking, it didn't really count as a prison break.

In the eyes of the only witness, Sado, this was a story of a prisoner unilaterally brutalizing the guards...

"Don't these guards ever need to eat? There wasn't a single bit of food in the entire prison!" Wu Biao muttered with dissatisfaction while stuffing a piece of bread into his mouth.

The corner of Sado's mouth twitched as he glanced back into the prison.

He hoped those prisoners would be discovered soon, otherwise... they would probably starve to death!

Because all the food allocated to the prisoners had been snatched away by this glutton in front of him, who kept complaining about starving to death!

However, this guy really was strong!

A trace of shock still lingered in Sado's eyes. The Shinigami responsible for guarding the prison were like clay chickens and pottery dogs under the hands of this man who called himself 'Brother Biao'; not a single one could withstand even a single punch from him!

"Um... Brother Biao!" Sado hesitated for a moment, ultimately deciding to follow Ichigo's way of addressing him. He and Ichigo were the same age, and since Ichigo called this man 'Brother', he must be older than Ichigo!

"What's up?" At this moment, Wu Biao looked exactly like a convict—a gleaming bald head, a white prison uniform, walking with a swaggering gait... well... that was because he was hungry. The meager food of the entire prison's inmates wasn't even enough to fill the gaps in Brother Biao's teeth...

But fortunately, at least the 4th Division had given him a set of clothes; otherwise, after fighting Kenpachi, he would have been basically stark naked!

"How did you get caught?"

"Don't even mention it, it makes me angry just thinking about it." Wu Biao scolded with an indignant look: "I had a fight with a captain named Kenpachi, or something like that. I spared his life, but that jerk actually sent me to prison! And the most important thing is that he didn't even give me any food!"

The most important thing is the food, huh!

Sado was speechless for a long time, but after carefully recalling what Brother Biao had said, he couldn't help but be stunned.

He fought a captain-level person and even spared their life?

The look Sado gave Wu Biao was instantly filled with shock. He knew that he himself had been sent in by the captain of the 8th Division, and he deeply understood the terror of the captain level. Moreover, that man named Shunsui Kyoraku hadn't even released his Zanpakuto; it was completely like he was playing around, and Sado hadn't had the slightest ability to resist in front of him!

"Next time I run into him, I'm definitely going to beat that bastard to death!"

Wu Biao, however, kept rambling on endlessly. Sado, standing to the side, sighed and asked: "Brother Biao, where should we go now?"

"How would I know!"

"Uh..." Sado used a single word to express his speechlessness, then looked toward the distant Senzaikyu: "Shall we go to Kuchiki first?"

"Sure!"

Wu Biao nodded nonchalantly, then looked at Sado and asked, "Who is that Kuchiki person?"

"..." Sado.

Then what the hell are you doing here!!!

How on earth has Ichigo managed to get along with this Brother Biao for so long?

This guy definitely has something wrong with his brain!

"That's the person we're here to save!"

"That's Rukia, and you're talking about Kuchiki..." Brother Biao looked at Sado with a face full of disdain: "You come here saying you want to save Rukia without even remembering her name? Don't you know that's very rude?"

Sado's face darkened. Who was the one being rude, and who was the one who couldn't remember a name? You are the last person who has the right to say that!!!

However, after some thought, the taciturn Sado didn't say it out loud. Partly because of his personality, and partly because... he felt like he probably couldn't beat this jerk in front of him!

"I'm so hungry, let's find somewhere to eat first..." Wu Biao's words came to an abrupt halt. He twitched his nose, and a flash of coldness flickered in his eyes for a split second!

This scene was caught by Sado, who was standing beside him, and his expression immediately turned tense: "What's wrong?"

Wu Biao ignored him, walked straight to the wall at the side, stood there for a moment, and then punched it!

BOOM--

The wall shattered instantly, and a scream of extreme terror followed!

"Ahhh--"

Sado looked over at the sound and saw a middle-aged Shinigami being dragged over by his collar by Wu Biao. When he saw the person tucked under the middle-aged man's arm, his expression turned cold.

"Inoue!"

This middle-aged Shinigami was none other than Makiuzo Aramaki, who had fled from the battlefield between Uryu Ishida and Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

"Don't... don't kill me!" Makiuzo Aramaki kept his eyes tightly shut, thinking to himself that he was done for; the captain of the 12th Division must have come after him. At the thought of this, he felt a numbness below, and he actually lost control of his bladder out of fear...

"What the hell!"

Wu Biao was also startled by his actions. He snatched the unconscious Orihime Inoue from under the man's arm and tossed her aside: "Are you kidding me? Isn't your courage a bit too small?"

"Eh?"

Makiuzo Aramaki, who had been tossed aside, was stunned. That voice clearly didn't belong to Mayuri Kurotsuchi. He hesitated for a moment before opening his eyes a crack. When he saw the two of them clearly, he jumped up from the ground.

"Which division are you two from? Don't you know you can scare people to death like that? I'm definitely going to report you to your division... wait, are those prison uniforms?" Makiuzo Aramaki stood up and scolded, but he froze the moment he saw their attire.

Connecting this to how they had addressed the young girl earlier, his face turned deathly pale.

Ryoka again?

What kind of luck is this? I've run into Ryoka twice in a row, even though others can't find them no matter how hard they look. Are you trying to kill me?

"Inoue, Inoue..." Sado took Orihime Inoue from Wu Biao and laid her down gently to check on her!

"What's wrong with her?" Wu Biao asked, looking at Makiuzo Aramaki.

"I knocked her out!" Makiuzo Aramaki answered instinctively when he saw Wu Biao's fierce expression. But then he waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no, that's not it. It was that guy with the glasses who told me to take her and run!"

"The guy with the glasses?"

BOOM!

Continuous explosions rang out one after another. On the battlefield, two figures were flashing back and forth at incredible speeds.

Uryu Ishida kept shifting his position, sending a relentless barrage of spirit arrows flying toward Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

But Mayuri Kurotsuchi stood right where he was. He didn't move his feet, and even his upper body only turned slightly to completely evade the spirit arrows Uryu Ishida fired.

Even under the extremely dense volley of arrows, those he couldn't avoid were easily shattered by the Zanpakuto in his hand, causing him no harm whatsoever.

This showed that there was still a massive gap between Uryu Ishida and a captain-level entity.

After a moment of carelessness, he was slashed across his right leg by the charging Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

Although he was in the state of Ransotengai and could ignore the injuries to his body, the pain did not diminish. The agony of being sliced by the blade caused his movements to falter.

At that very moment, Mayuri Kurotsuchi pulled a sickle connected to a chain from his ear and swung it, carving wound after wound into Uryu Ishida.

Under the assault of the chain-sickle, Uryu Ishida had no chance to draw his bow and fire, completely suppressed by Mayuri Kurotsuchi. He could only rely on the physical bow condensed from concentrated spirit particles to constantly block the relentless strikes of the sickle.

Even when using Hirenkyaku to constantly change his position, Mayuri Kurotsuchi's sickle always managed to strike at him instantly!

Soon, several more bloody gashes appeared on Uryu Ishida's body, each one located at the joints of his limbs.

"I told you, didn't I?"

Mayuri Kurotsuchi spun the sickle in his hand and said: "My research on you Quincy is very thorough, so I understand you very well. I know that even though Ransotengai is the strongest combat technique of the Quincy, it has its limits and cannot be sustained forever."

Having said that, he looked up at the sky: "I've wasted enough time already. Be a good boy and come back to the laboratory with me. Resistance is useless; I know many ways to bring you back without killing you."

Mayuri Kurotsuchi pressed a button on the sickle, and the long, extendable chain retracted back into his ear.

Is it finally over?

Uryu Ishida stood up unsteadily, his gaze slowly falling upon the Sanrei Glove that encased his entire right arm.

Sanrei Glove, a treasure passed down among the Quincy, is a glove possessing high-level spirit particle dispersion capabilities.

As long as a Quincy wears it, they are hindered by its powerful dispersion force, making it impossible to form a bow using spirit particles.

However, once a bow is successfully formed in this state and maintained for seven days and seven nights, the Quincy can rapidly approach the absolute limit of their potential.

Yet, it can only be used once. Once worn, it cannot be removed, because under its influence, the Quincy's spirit particle convergence has already surpassed their own limits.

An overly vigorous flame will eventually burn itself out. When the glove is finally removed, the user will instantly gain immense power, but afterward, they will lose all their abilities as a Quincy.

For this trip to Soul Society, Uryu Ishida had struggled for a long time before deciding to put on the glove. It could be said he had long been prepared to unleash the power of the Sanrei Glove, but... when the moment truly arrived.

As expected, it was still somewhat hard to accept!

After all, he was the last Quincy... Once he lost his Quincy abilities, there would be no more Quincy left in this world!

But so what?

Although I still don't understand what it is I want to protect... nor do I want to understand what it is I want to protect.

But, I know what is unforgivable!

Uryu Ishida's eyes suddenly turned resolute. He raised his left hand and placed it on the sealing button of the Sanrei Glove. As long as he snapped this button, the power stored within the Sanrei Glove would be released in an instant.

He...

Was also about to lose his Quincy abilities!

BOOM!

Just then, the wall beside Mayuri Kurotsuchi shattered with a deafening roar!

"What?"

The sudden change caught both men in the arena by surprise.

But before Mayuri Kurotsuchi could even turn his head, a figure had already whistled toward him. A right arm wrapped in wisps of black energy arrived in a flash, carrying an unstoppable, terrifying momentum amidst the howling wind and the rain of flying debris.

Cannot block it head-on!

Mayuri Kurotsuchi's expression changed drastically. This thought flashed through his mind in an instant; the terrifying punch made his hair stand on end even before it landed.

Without time to think, he twisted his body, surged his spiritual pressure, and slashed his Zanpakuto violently toward his side.

BOOM!

The terrifying force left a sweet taste in Mayuri Kurotsuchi's throat and numbed his sword-wielding arm. While horrified, he used that very force to retreat rapidly, putting distance between himself and the intruder!

Wu Biao's not-so-thick right leg sank into the ground, carving a deep crescent-shaped trench before he stopped, spinning half a circle to land exactly where Mayuri Kurotsuchi had been standing.

Uryu Ishida looked at the sudden turn of events in the arena, stunned for a long moment before reacting: "It's you!"

However, he couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief and move his left hand away. Since this guy had arrived, it was better not to release the Sanrei Glove; after all, he didn't know what kind of battles were still waiting for them!

"Ishida!" A shout came from behind. Uryu Ishida looked toward the sound and saw Sado carrying Orihime Inoue as he ran toward him. When they reached him, Sado asked with a worried expression: "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" Uryu Ishida shook his head, but his gaze shifted to Makiuzo Aramaki behind Sado, asking in confusion: "How did you guys run into each other?"

"We met right after getting out of the prison!"

"Prison?"

"I'll explain later!" Sado's gaze bypassed Uryu Ishida and looked toward the battlefield, his expression filled with gravity: "Is that person also a captain?"

Uryu Ishida's expression darkened: "That's right, and he's terrifyingly strong." After saying that, he hesitated, looking at Wu Biao's back: "He..."

"I don't know either!" Sado knew what Uryu Ishida wanted to ask and shook his head directly, then added: "But I heard that he once fought a captain to a draw."

"What?" Uryu Ishida was shocked. Only after encountering a captain could one truly understand the terror of the captain-level. This man before them, who could shamelessly shout 'Pegasus Meteor Fist', had become this strong in just half a month?

"So you're that... what's-it-called, 'Mayuri'?" Wu Biao tilted his head to look at the shocked Mayuri Kurotsuchi, curling his lip in disdain: "Your mom must have had a grudge against you to give you such a name!"

Mayuri Kurotsuchi frowned, flexing his numbed right hand, and looked at Wu Biao with cold, icy eyes: "That level of power, no fluctuation of spiritual pressure, and that distinct human scent... you must be that Ryoka who broke in first!"

"Correct! I am the righteous Spirit Detective!" Wu Biao replied while cycling through various poses: "Chief Disciple of the Kanonji Style--Wu Biao!"

"He actually performed the starting stance of Seiya's Pegasus Meteor Fist, Ikki's crossed-arm pose, and Hyoga's bizarre 5.7-second dance in a matter of seconds, all without a hint of awkwardness. And in the process, he even used that ultimate Saint Seiya move... closing his eyes so he doesn't have to look at you!"

Uryu Ishida covered his face. He had to admit, knowing this guy was truly embarrassing.

Compared to last time, when he only shouted 'Pegasus Meteor Fist' and 'Rozan Sho Ryu Ha', this guy's level of chuunibyou had only increased...

And such fluid transitions between movements clearly meant he practiced this often. This idiot couldn't possibly be dancing around while watching Saint Seiya, could he?

If Kurosaki Ichigo were here, he would definitely give him a thumbs up, because... he was actually right!

Sado, meanwhile, twitched his mouth as he looked at Wu Biao, then looked at Uryu Ishida with a bizarre expression!

To be able to instantly analyze the source of those movements...

--

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(End of chapter)