Hueco Mundo's wasteland.
A brand-new research institute rose amid encircling rock formations, standing tall in the endless white sands and adding a touch of exotic flair to the unchanging landscape.
Back in Soul Society, the Department of Research and Development's style had already stood out from every other building. It was no different in Hueco Mundo.
Thanks to Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Su Feng's twisted sense of humor, the newly built institute looked more like an oversized stag beetle, its rear pointed downward and its enormous horns thrusting straight into the sky.
Silvery-white walls surrounded it, supporting the giant beetle at the center like stars surrounding the moon.
The institute was not particularly large—at least, it was still somewhat smaller than the palace of Las Noches.
But because its overall structure was based on extradimensional technology, its interior was incredibly vast. Excluding the warehouses used to store experimental materials, it was as large as a city in the Human World.
Even Karakura Town alone could not compare to the institute's interior.
"Guhahahaha, this is the kind of research institute a captain ought to have!"
Mayuri spread his arms and burst into crazed laughter, utterly radiating the aura of someone barely human.
"An endless supply of living materials, inexhaustible experimental plans."
"I truly want to live here for the rest of my life!"
Seinosuke Yamada stood to one side and reminded him expressionlessly,
"Don't forget today's main business."
"Azashiro Soya's Hollowfication control is urgent, and the Arrancar experiments involving Vasto Lordes need to be put on the agenda as well."
"The Hollow Kingdom's rate of expansion has already fallen slightly behind Las Noches."
"After all, you wouldn't want Kisuke Urahara to surpass your achievements in science, would you?"
The moment those words fell, Mayuri's laughing expression froze. He looked as though his