Bai Zhu turned and charged the Holy Seat Proxy. His thumb pushed the sword guard loose, and he drew his Zanpakuto fully as he ran.
"We meet again, old friend."
The faces on the Holy Seat Proxy's chest twisted at once.
Some rolled their eyes back. Some opened their mouths wide. Two others were squeezed into the fungal flesh, leaving only their noses and half a row of teeth exposed.
At the center, the Pope's face snapped its eyes open.
Hyphae emerged around its eye sockets and burrowed down its cheeks into its chest. Then they all pulled taut. The clean wound Knov had just cut was forced open; the bones inside shifted aside to make room for the proliferating flesh.
For the first time, it retreated of its own accord.
One step.
Then another.
Piyu vaulted over the arm it had laid across the floor and landed, grinding several fungal tendrils reaching for her ankle beneath her shoe.
"It recognizes Bai Zhu."
She stared at the Pope's face, her hand already on her phone's side button.
"The other faces are running on instinct. That one is the real body."
Milluki raised his terminal. The heat signature on its screen was rapidly contracting.
"A duplicate?"
"Or it could hold part of his consciousness."
Piyu stepped aside, clearing the way.
"If the real body's already dead, it might even contain Post-Mortem Nen. Don't touch that face."
"You're a little late."
Bai Zhu was already within striking distance.
Knov leaned against the wall and caught his breath, leaving center stage to Bai Zhu.
The thing had far too much flesh. If Bai Zhu hadn't arrived soon, Knov might have worn himself out fighting it.
"It's yours."
Milluki recalled the remaining Mechanical Flying Insects and backed along the wall out of attack range.