Shiraishi reacted quickly. Without waiting for the blast to hit, he used Steel Tempest to leave the cave and reach the entrance.
The setting sun was blood-red. The thunderous boom came a moment later as the cave collapsed, shaking the entire mountain.
Billowing dust poured out of the collapsed cave.
Shiraishi drew his sword and, without using any skill, gave it a simple swing.
The dust split in two and scattered.
Half the mountain split apart as well, creating a narrow vista between sheer cliffs.
He kept his sword raised, his eyes dark. There was only one person in the Gotei 13 capable of doing something so despicable. "Mayuri Kurotsuchi."
Before he could extend his spiritual sense to search-
"Oh, the flesh bomb had no effect at all. Was that the ability you used to pass through Captain Soi Fon's body? Interesting. I really want to take you apart and study you."
Mayuri Kurotsuchi stepped out of his own accord. His real face was entirely hidden beneath artificial skin. He looked bizarre, with an exceptionally ugly scissor-shaped hairstyle, a face painted pitch-black, and the edges of his cheeks made pure white.
Objects resembling golden conch shells adorned his ears and chin.
His shihakusho had an upturned purple high collar, and his Zanpakuto was distinctively tucked in front of his crotch.
"When did you find me?"
"Ten days ago. The fool who helped cover for you has already died suddenly in an accident."
Mayuri spread his hands. He had no objection to his subordinates earning extra money, provided it didn't interfere with his experiments.
After he had personally said he was looking for Shiraishi, that man had still dared to conceal the truth. He had been asking for death.
All it had taken was a little trick to find out who was responsible. Then came a routine physical, a trip to the operating table, and a sudden, fatal illness.
That was the explanation submitted to the Central 46 Chambers.
He had been a squad member, after all. There had to be some explanation for his death.
Shiraishi frowned. "Then why did you wait until today to make your move?"
"Simple. I needed to make some preparations to deal with your ability."
Mayuri knew the limits of his ability in a direct fight. He was far from strong, and if he wanted to capture a Captain-level fighter, he had to rely on science.
"You thought you could hurt me by using Uncle Kyōhei and the others?"
"No, I just used them to try it out."
Mayuri answered without a care.
Killing intent surged.
Shiraishi could hold back no longer. He used Steel Tempest to advance, passed through Mayuri's body, and followed up with another Steel Tempest, swinging a circular golden slash at his neck.
He knew full well how twisted this man was. Unless he cut off his head, Mayuri definitely wouldn't die.
Mayuri couldn't see it, but his spiritual sense detected the deadly danger. His neck seemed to turn into a swamp, swallowing the head atop it whole.
The slash missed?
With his back turned, Shiraishi had no idea why it had missed.
Mayuri's Reiatsu was still right behind him; he clearly hadn't dodged.
The ground ahead suddenly burst open, and a rapidly spinning arm resembling an electric drill stabbed toward his abdomen.
Bang!
A golden vortex burst apart. It was the passive shield he had built up with Way of the Wanderer, and the sneak attacker's blow clearly lacked the power to break through it.
"Ah!" A feminine cry rang out as the attacker was sent flying by the recoil.
Mayuri, behind him, was also knocked several meters away.
"You have an ability like that too? I'm getting more and more interested in you."
Mayuri's head popped back out of his neck. His golden eyes were full of excitement, and he could hardly wait to dissect Shiraishi on the spot.
He wanted to know everything about Shiraishi: the structure of his body, those strange abilities. He wanted to see how that body would react to all kinds of mental torment and physical stimulation.
Skinning him alive, cutting him again and again, crushing him...
As he indulged in his excited fantasies, an exceptionally icy Reiatsu spread through the mountains. Its silent weight affected the Rukongai residents in Rice Village.
Shiraishi tried to turn around, only to find that he couldn't move his arms or legs. The space around him seemed to have solidified. No, it was as if the air had been injected with a great deal of glue.
"You finally noticed. The way a fool thinks really is easy to predict. I already asked Captain Soi Fon all about your ability: passing through someone's body and slashing from behind."
Mayuri's eyes filled with pride. "So I modified the area beneath your feet beforehand and installed a Reishi solidification device to restrict your movements.
"In other words, you're a turtle trapped in a jar."
As he spoke, Mayuri tilted his head and slowly drew his Zanpakuto with his right hand. "Out of respect for you, I've decided to use an equal amount of power to bring you down for good."
"An equal amount of power?"
Shiraishi echoed the question, then said with a mocking look, "Fool."
"The fact that you can recognize your own stupidity makes you better than eighty percent of fools, but you're still a fool."
Mayuri fired back with a taunt of his own, then shouted, "Bankai, Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo!"
The blade rapidly swelled, changing from metal into a mass of flesh. Two plump golden arms braced against the ground on either side, a crimson cloak fell around it, and an enormous golden baby's head rose. Its grayish-white eyes were frightening, yet an angelic halo hovered over its head.
Purple poisonous mist spilled from its mouth.
A nonlethal dose would render Shiraishi completely helpless.
That was Mayuri's plan.
"When did you start imagining your power was equal to mine?"
Shiraishi sheathed his sword. The enormous Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo behind him split in two, and Mayuri was cleaved from head to toe.
The situation reversed in an instant.
Steel Tempest had no cooldown; it simply couldn't be used on the same target without interruption.
So he could use E on the wind to keep using E without interruption.
The Reishi solidification device couldn't possibly work unless it created a separate, enclosed space. Only then could it restrict his range of movement.
Mayuri had evidently mistaken Steel Tempest for an ability that needed time to cool down.
One miscalculation led to another.
"Lord Mayuri!!" A heart-rending cry rang out as a woman with braided hair rushed over, seized the damaged Zanpakuto, and stabbed it into his severed body.
Shiraishi was about to tell her it was useless when the two halves of the body turned to liquid and fused before his eyes. Stunned, he said, "You're not fucking dead?!"
"Heh heh, I told you I made preparations. To counter your three attacks-the downward chop, the horizontal slash, and the upward cut-I moved all my organs, including my brain, heart, and stomach. Your attacks didn't hit any of my vital points."
Mayuri, now a mass of slime, explained his current condition. "It seems I misjudged your ability somewhat. Next time I definitely won't give you-what are you doing, brat? Stop! Stop that right now!!"
Psssh.
Shiraishi took a piss on him.
"Don't get too cocky, brat!!"
"You're the arrogant one. You toy with lives as you please and don't understand how precious life is. All you ever talk about is experiments and research. I'm going to show a scumbag like you what it means to lose something."
Shiraishi pulled up his pants and hooked a finger through the red ring around the woman's neck. Overwhelmed by his Reiatsu, she was completely unable to resist and let him lift her up. "This woman belongs to me now."