The Unforgiven from Shinigami
My head is spinning.
Perhaps it was because of the wind after drinking, Shiraishi's originally clear consciousness was suddenly veiled by a thin layer of gauze, similar to a mosaic in a movie.
He stopped his Steel Tempest. The bright sunlight shining on his head intensified the dizziness. He staggered to a shady spot, leaned against a wall, and vomited, "Ugh."
After vomiting for a while, he heard crisp footsteps. He looked up and saw a black-haired maid holding an oil-paper umbrella. Her deep green eyes were as bright and clear as snowmelt in winter.
" Nemu," he wiped his mouth, puzzled, "Am I seeing things? How did you get here?"
This is the entrance to the Research and Development Institute.
Nemu Kurotsuchi pointed to the signboard above the door.
Shiraishi looked up and saw that the words "Research and Development Institute" were indeed hanging on the wall, and the place where he vomited was right under the sign.
"I'm so sorry." He stood up unsteadily, his mind still racing.
Nemu Kurotsuchi didn't care about those things. A hint of joy flashed across her delicate, doll-like face as she said, " Shiraishi, congratulations on becoming the acting captain of the Tenth Division. There's freshly slaughtered beef in the kitchen today. Would you like to try some?"
"Mmm, it's been a long time since I've had your cooking."
Shiraishi nodded, completely abandoning his idea of buying sake to go back and compete with Rangiku Matsumoto.
That woman can drink too much.
The sobering feeling after vomiting allowed him to calmly reflect on his actions and realize that drinking should be done in moderation and not excessively.
"Come with me. There are quite a few Reishi traps in the bureau. Would you like to see Mayuri?"
Nemu Kurotsuchi tentatively asked a question.
Shiraishi immediately replied, "I'm not interested in him."
"Oh."
This answer was somewhat expected, so she didn't pursue the matter further and changed the subject, asking, "How were you doing while we were apart?"
"Don't even mention it. Without you cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry, it's so tiring for me to do all that by myself."
Shiraishi complained about her miserable life living alone, saying, "The house is full of trash, and I'm too lazy to even throw it away."
Nemu Kurotsuchi paused, quite puzzled as to why she felt both angry and somewhat happy.
Unable to figure it out, she decided to think about it later and continued, "How long do you plan to stay in Seireitei?"
"I don't know. I'll leave when I feel like it. Right now, I feel like I've gained enough and want to relax a bit."
Shiraishi is the kind of person who, after working hard for a while, wants to relax and reward himself, rather than constantly pushing himself to the limit.
Nemu Kurotsuchi nodded and said, "Then during this time, I'll cook for you and clean your room so you can relax."
" Nemu, you're so kind."
Shiraishi looked deeply moved.
"This is all I should do."
As they spoke, the two crossed the courtyard and arrived at the main gate. She folded her oil-paper umbrella and gently poked the tiger's mouth on the door with the tip of the umbrella.
The main entrance opened to both sides, and a blast of cold air rushed out, sweeping away all the heat from one's body.
Inside was a dimly lit hall, completely devoid of decorations, just cold tables and chairs set up to entertain guests.
Shiraishi followed and stepped inside; the door behind him closed automatically. "Wow, that's really advanced."
"Yes, the Research and Development Institute is the top research institution in the entire Soul Society, gathering outstanding talents in all fields. In terms of intellect, it is definitely the smartest of all the divisions."
Nemu Kurotsuchi explained gently, pointing to the benches in the hall, "Experiments are often conducted here, and outsiders can't just go in. You wait for me here."
"Hmm, I'll just lie down for a bit." Shiraishi stretched, walked over to the bench, lay down, put his hands behind his head, and thought how comfortable the air conditioning felt.
Nemu Kurotsuchi left with her oil-paper umbrella; she was going to the kitchen to help Shiraishi prepare some delicious food.
Before long, Shiraishi heard a buzzing sound in his ears. He opened his eyes and saw a large swarm of wasps flying in from the corridor. He quickly gripped the hilt of his knife.
The wasps stopped abruptly in mid-air and arranged themselves in an orderly fashion to form the sentence, "Who are you?"
Shiraishi rubbed his eyes, making sure he wasn't seeing things, and asked curiously, "My name is Shiraishi, who are you?"
The wasp then changed its tune, saying, "So you're Shiraishi."
What is his relationship with Lieutenant Kurotsuchi?
Faced with this guy who ignored everyone else's questions and only cared about asking his own, Shiraishi had nothing to say. "What's it to you?"
"So that's how it is. You two have a secret relationship."
A statement made up by the wasp made Shiraishi realize that this guy was not only rude, but also loved to gossip.
He never tolerated such people. He Steel Tempest forward with a swift, sweeping motion, his blade like an umbrella, leaving no opening.
Needless to say, wasps of that size, each one carrying an electric spark, fell from the sky to the floor, none escaping unscathed.
He turned back to his chair, lay down lazily, and after all that, he was no longer sleepy and could only close his eyes to rest.
Before a minute had passed and the chaotic flow of Reishi swept across his cheek, he opened his eyes and thought that the wasp's owner was indeed quite clever. Knowing his reputation and understanding that he couldn't win, he called for reinforcements from above.
Unfortunately, even this reinforcement couldn't defeat them.
" Shiraishi." Mayuri Kurotsuchi Shunpo in the hall with a Shunpo, his voice hoarse and dry, clearly the kind of person who had been up to no good for years.
His hairstyle was different from last time; it wasn't that ugly scissor cut anymore, but a fluffy hairstyle similar to a pharaoh's, with gold inlaid around his face. Most of his face was still black, except for his very white cheeks.
"I don't recall ever inviting you to the Research and Development Institute."
Mayuri Kurotsuchi's tone was hostile, his pupils like those of a venomous snake searching for its prey, full of danger.
Shiraishi said lazily, "Why don't you put it more clearly?"
Mayuri Kurotsuchi's eyes grew even colder as she said, "You leave the Research and Development Institute immediately. You are not welcome here, unless you want to be research material."
Shiraishi said slowly, "I'm only looking for Nemu, I have no intention of dealing with the rest of you."
"You." Mayuri Kurotsuchi's Reiatsu gradually surged upwards.
"Save your breath."
Shiraishi shook his head. This Reiatsu was simply not enough.
With Mayuri Kurotsuchi grim expression, Mayuri Kurotsuchi reached out to pull out his latest invention, intending to teach this guy a lesson.
" Mayuri, what are you doing here?"
A gentle voice drifted in like a spring breeze.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi turned her head, her face expressionless, and said, " Nemu, I should have said it before, the Research and Development Institute doesn't accept any garbage!"
She didn't understand the metaphor at all, and nodded, saying, "Yes, you did say there was a problem?"
Mayuri Kurotsuchi pointed at Shiraishi and said, "Then you shouldn't bring this guy back."
" Shiraishi is not trash, he's a person."
Nemu Kurotsuchi corrected the mistake in his words, carrying a plate of fragrant roast beef and chilled bayberry soup, and sat down next to Shiraishi.
Too lazy to get up, Shiraishi rested his head on her lap and said, "Ah."
Nemu Kurotsuchi tore off a piece of meat with her chopsticks, blew on it, and put it in his mouth.
"If you can't even feed yourself, what are you if not trash!"
"Hehe, you're really envious, aren't you?"
Shiraishi made a sarcastic remark.
Nemu Kurotsuchi suddenly realized and said, " Mayuri- sama, please wait a moment, I need to make sure Shiraishi is full first."
"Who cares!"
Mayuri Kurotsuchi flew into a rage.