NOVEL WEB Chapter 13: CHAPTER 13
Tick!
Bright red blood dripped and soaked into the soil.
Not far ahead—
Ishida Ryūsen had collapsed in a pool of blood.
A gruesome, gaping wound ran across his abdomen, seeping steadily.
"This is probably the ability of a pure-blood Quincy," murmured Kurotsuchi Mayuri, adjusting his mechanical visor slightly.
"Two distinct structural shifts in spirit particles."
"One form prioritizes defensive harmony... and the other—a full-on amplification of physical prowess and Reiatsu."
"But these two modes shouldn't coexist, should they?"
As one of the Gotei 13's foremost scientists, Mayuri deduced a flood of data in mere seconds.
"If you hadn't voluntarily abandoned the defensive type, I might've needed several more minutes to take you apart."
"It's over."
Mayuri's face twisted into joy as he walked toward Ryūsen.
But the next second—
He vanished.
An arrow flew past the space where he'd been standing an instant ago.
"Asshole!"
Kurosaki Masaki darted forward. Her eyes burned with fury as she saw her clansmen fallen and Ryūsen gravely wounded.
"Masaki?!" Ryūsen gasped, forcing himself upright. "Get out of here—he's a monster. You're not his match!"
"Escape?" she echoed coldly.
"Did you really think I'd let you go?" Mayuri's voice slithered through the air.
"I believe I made it clear—I'm not leaving survivors."
He tilted his head, dodging an incoming arrow. It flew past, hitting a distant slope.
Boom!
A muffled explosion—dust flying everywhere!
The shockwave howled behind Mayuri, lifting his white feathered cloak like a ghost in the wind.
Shunpo.
Mayuri flickered in front of Masaki, slashing downward.
Bang!
The impact thundered. Masaki was launched backward by the sheer force!
The scene mirrored Ryūsen's defeat moments ago.
In raw power and combat modifications, Mayuri completely outclassed her.
"Tch," Mayuri scoffed. "I thought you'd be a rare Quincy specimen. Disappointing."
He strolled forward, Zanpakutō glinting in hand.
"Damn it... move!" Masaki hissed.
Her eyes shimmered with resistance and despair. Blood-veined streaks began forming over her skin like red tree roots—
her Blut Vene was starting to activate.
But it was slow—too slow.
Mayuri wouldn't just stand there and let her power up.
"You low-tier materials have no research value."
He sneered and raised his blade again—
Then—
A blue-purple flash burst through the air, flying in at incomprehensible speed.
Was that... Heilig Pfeil?!
BOOM!!
The thunderous roar cracked through the mountains. The sacred arrow vanished into the distance—but not before piercing clean through the terrain!
From the sky, one could trace a glowing blue-violet beam line scarring the earth, erupting in a gigantic mushroom cloud.
A single shot—
And it looked like a natural disaster had struck.
"...Impossible," Mayuri gasped, eyes wide behind his golden mask.
That kind of power... from a Quincy arrow?
Absurd!
Just how much spiritual pressure had that attack concentrated?
Then he felt it—
A burning sting in his chest.
Mayuri glanced down—
Half his torso was melted. Chunks of rib and organ were exposed.
Without hesitation, he jabbed syringes into himself.
A squirming noise followed. Granulation tissue burst forth, rapidly regenerating flesh and bone.
In seconds, his body had reassembled. He stood straight again.
This was one of Mayuri's private inventions—
a modified regenerative cocktail he'd implanted in his organs.
What could've been a fatal injury to any other Shinigami was just another day at the lab for a man who had replaced most of his insides.
Now—
He retrieved his dropped Zanpakutō and turned toward the figure standing beside Ryūsen.
That guy...
Was he the one who fired that?
After a pause, Kanbaru exhaled deeply and gently laid a white cloth over Ryūsen's wide-eyed face.
"Ryūsen, buddy... you died ugly."
"But don't worry."
"Miss Tifa gave me the manga list book. I'll copy it for you."
Masaki's eye twitched.
"Ryūsen, you dumbass. You're too young to die now."
"What'll happen to your wife and kids?!"
Ryūsen: "???"
I'm not dead yet!
Can you stop mourning me?!
And also—
What wife and kids?!
"What are you doing?!"
Ryūsen coughed up blood from pure rage. "If Mayuri didn't kill me, you almost did!"
"You're still alive?" Kanbaru blinked.
Ryūsen: "???"
Why do you sound surprised?!
"This should end here," Kanbaru said, as if calling a timeout in a school fight.
"Any more chaos, and things get annoying."
He first comforted Masaki, then turned to face Mayuri sincerely.
"So let's wrap it up?"
"Wrap it up?" Mayuri spat. "You think you're in a playground?"
"That was just research material you damaged."
But his arrogant tone was hiding genuine concern.
He couldn't read this boy at all.
That arrow...
Its energy composition exceeded any Quincy attack Mayuri had catalogued.
Compared to this newcomer, even Ryūsen looked like fodder.
(Ryūsen: Say it again, I dare you!)
Unbelievable.
One arrow nearly vaporized him.
This kid...
Was a Quincy freak.
"Young man," Mayuri said slowly, licking his lips. "Would you consider... donating your body to science?"
Ryūsen's pupils contracted. He knew Mayuri's tone—it meant he was about to pull something twisted.
But then—
Kanbaru nodded.
"Okay."
"...What?"
Mayuri's brain lagged.
Ryūsen was dumbstruck. Even Mayuri froze for a beat.
"Ever heard of the Thunderfire Sword?" Kanbaru asked cheerfully.
"..."
"Got a website I can check?"
"..."
"Can you drive?" Kanbaru tilted his head. "I love speed, but my friends say I'm too dangerous on the road."
"..."
"Ah, forget it. If you can't keep up, I'm not going." Kanbaru sighed.
Was he being trolled?!
Mayuri's face darkened.
"I see. You've accepted death."
"Wise choice."
"This is truly the end for you."
He raised his blade once more.
"Kid Quincy, I admit—you scared me."
"But you'll soon understand..."
"There's a dimensional gap between you and me."
Kanbaru scratched his head, looking sideways at Ryūsen.
Ryūsen: "???"
"Shikai!"
"Unleash, Ashisogi Jiz—wait!"
A dense purple Reiatsu burst, then—
stopped suddenly.
Mayuri's eyes bugged.
He pointed a trembling finger at Kanbaru.
"Wait a minute!"
"You—what the hell are you holding?!"