NOVEL WEB Chapter 12: CHAPTER 12
The sky loomed heavy with clouds, a downpour threatening at any moment.
Visibility barely extended beyond fifty meters. Thick mist blanketed the field, smothering everything in a damp, stifling weight.
"Hateful."
"We've been tricked. It's a setup."
Glaring at the fallen members of his clan, Ishida Ryūsen's eyes narrowed in fury.
Although he had a bit of a chūnibyō streak back in the day, his intellect was still intact. It didn't take long for him to deduce the nature of the current situation.
Today had been scheduled as a standard Quincy hunting expedition.
But a sudden appearance by a Menos Grande disrupted their operation.
To prevent civilian casualties, the Quincies had gathered and pursued the hollow's spiritual pressure here.
Then—
They had been trapped in this spatial Kekkai.
All of it... was a perfectly orchestrated ambush.
"Hehehe... What a delightful harvest."
"So many prime experimental subjects willingly walking into my 'cage'."
The laughter that echoed through the fog was laced with sadistic amusement and scientific madness.
Then—
Footsteps.
A figure slowly emerged from the veil of mist.
A man with snake-like yellow eyes, his face obscured by a grotesque black-and-white clown-like mask. His right middle finger bore a long, needle-like purple nail — glinting ominously.
But what struck fear into Ryūsen's heart wasn't the mask.
It was the black Shihakushō of a Shinigami…
And the white haori, draped over his shoulders.
Emblazoned on its back—
十二
"Twelve."
There could be no mistake.
He was one of the thirteen captains of the Gotei 13!
"Damn it…"
"A monster of that caliber—here in the human world?!"
Ryūsen's expression spasmed.
This was no ordinary Shinigami.
Each of the thirteen Gotei captains stood at the pinnacle of Soul Society's power structure. They weren't just soldiers — they were forces of nature.
"Calm down, calm down... He's just a captain, and I'm a pure-blood Quincy... Not necessarily that far apart…"
"Ordinary mindset, ordinary mindset... Who am I kidding?!"
Even Ishida Uryū would have cursed aloud.
"It seems you recognize me. I must commend your intelligence gathering capabilities."
"Allow me a proper introduction."
"I am Kurotsuchi Mayuri — Captain of the 12th Division of the Gotei 13, and Director of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute."
"And since none of you are making it out alive... I suppose there's no harm in telling you."
Kurotsuchi grinned casually while cleaning his ear with his pinky.
"Why target us?!"
"Did Soul Society give the order to annihilate us?!"
The Quincy line had already dwindled to a shadow of its former self.
And due to the Heilig Fluch — the hereditary curse placed upon them through overuse of holy powers — many clansmen had died off on their own.
Because of this, Soul Society had tacitly allowed a few Quincies to remain in Karakura Town, under observation.
So Ryūsen couldn't fathom the rationale behind a captain-level Shinigami attacking them.
"Soul Society?"
"Oh no, nothing so official. This is my own personal project."
"I've submitted countless research proposals involving the Quincy."
"All rejected."
"Those bureaucrats kept whining, 'This defies protocol,' 'It's unethical,' 'You're violating the sacred laws of Soul Society.'"
Kurotsuchi spread his arms, blood vessels in his eyes flaring.
"Rules... Bottom lines..."
"Disgusting."
"Those hypocrites cling to their 'ethics' while turning a blind eye to knowledge!"
"That's not science — that's sacrilege!"
Ishida Ryūsen stared at him for a moment before muttering two words:
"Mad scientist."
"Mad?"
"No, my dear boy — scientists are inherently insane."
Kurotsuchi tilted his head with predatory glee.
"You, for instance — as a pure-blood Quincy, you're a rare breed."
"Come with me."
"I promise the highest-class treatment."
"Only eight injections a day. Five machine scans. And I'll do my utmost to keep you alive during structural organ replacements."
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Veins bulged on Ryūsen's forehead. "You're out of your damn mind!"
Swish!
In an instant, he vanished — launching a direct assault on Kurotsuchi Mayuri.
But—
He stopped mid-stride.
His gaze shifted sharply to the rest of the Mieshi clan.
At some point…
They had all collapsed.
"You noticed. Took you long enough."
"I figured it'd be a bit before you caught on."
Kurotsuchi approached with measured, leisurely steps.
"Did you think I was here for idle chatter?"
"I'm on a strict schedule."
"I only bothered to speak because it buys time for my compound anesthetics to take full effect."
"But clearly... you pure-bloods are a tier above those hybrid rejects."
"Far more engaging."
Poisoned?!
Ryūsen's hands clenched.
What a treacherous bastard!
"I'll be careful not to damage your vital systems. After all, your body must remain intact for proper experimentation."
Before he even finished speaking—
Kurotsuchi vanished.
Shunpo!
It was a sneak attack.
No fair duel. No honor.
He wasn't some muscle-headed berserker like Zaraki Kenpachi.
(Zaraki: "OI! Who are you calling brainless, you needle-freak?!")
"What speed!"
Ryūsen's eyes widened as he instinctively conjured a Reishi bow to defend.
But the moment they clashed—
A force unlike anything he'd felt surged through Mayuri's Reiatsu, hammering his body mercilessly!
BOOM!
The earth split open as pressure waves exploded outward.
A massive crater formed, with Ryūsen at its center.
Completely outmatched.
"So this... is the power of a captain-class Shinigami…"
In the rubble-strewn pit, Ryūsen's face twisted with disbelief.
His pride, his strength — it felt feeble before this monster.
Were all captains like this?
"Oh?"
"Such resilience... Must be that Quincy defense technique..."
Kurotsuchi's eyes gleamed as he studied Ryūsen's glowing, rune-like skin.
Yes.
This was a pure-blood Quincy's Blut Vene.
This specialized blood-based ability had two main forms:
Blut Vene: A passive defense that coats the user's veins in spiritual energy, significantly reducing incoming damage. It works automatically — so long as the enemy's attack doesn't overwhelm the user's spiritual pressure, it activates.
Blut Arterie: An active boost to physical power, increasing strength, speed, and Reiatsu — but sacrificing defensive benefits while active.
The two modes could never be used simultaneously.
Just now, it was Blut Vene that shielded him from the fatal blow.
"I won't let you use me like some lab rat!"
Ryūsen's eyes burned with resolve. Reishi threads danced across his limbs, glowing blue as they synchronized.
He summoned his spiritual bow and drew an arrow of compressed Reishi.
Heilig Pfeil! — the Holy Arrow!
A sharp whine tore through the air — the sonic boom of condensed spirit particles moving at Mach speeds!
A blue flash streaked through the fog straight at Kurotsuchi.
But—
The captain only chuckled darkly.
"Still slow on the uptake, brat."
"Didn't I tell you?"
"Do you know why I wasted time talking?"
Blood sprayed.