Shigure Segawa stood patiently outside the Forbidden Gate, waiting quietly.
Before long, the gate opened automatically once again.
From within, Mayuri Kurotsuchi stepped out, with Nemu Kurotsuchi following closely behind him.
As soon as Mayuri saw Shigure, a peculiar smile spread across his face.
"Shigure Segawa, do I need to introduce myself?"
Shigure chuckled softly and bowed slightly. "Of course not. Captain Kurotsuchi, your name is well-known throughout Seireitei."
He wasn't merely being polite. Among the nobility of Seireitei, Mayuri, as the head of the Department of Research and Development and the inventor of numerous extraordinary tools, was indeed a household name.
For instance, the Spirit-Cutting Haori owned by the Segawa family was a product of the Department of Research and Development. It allowed individuals with low spiritual energy to gain a speed boost when worn.
Hearing Shigure's words, Mayuri let out a short laugh before turning and walking to the left.
"Follow me."
"Understood," Shigure replied, falling into step behind him.
They continued forward until they reached a corner where a green sphere was embedded in the wall.
Mayuri pulled out a strangely shaped device from his robes and placed it into a slot in the green sphere. Immediately, the sphere emitted a white light, which gradually turned transparent.
Before them appeared a hidden passage leading underground.
Mayuri gave a brief command. "Nemu, stay here."
"Yes, Master Mayuri," Nemu replied promptly.
"Come with me," Mayuri said to Shigure as he bent down and entered the passage.
Shigure followed him, and the green sphere reappeared, sealing the entrance behind them.
With a snap of Mayuri's fingers—
Snap.
The sound echoed, and a series of lights illuminated the passage, casting a bright glow throughout.
Shigure couldn't help but marvel. The Department of Research and Development truly operated on a different wavelength. Compared to the rest of Seireitei, it felt like an entirely separate world.
As they descended deeper, the lights grew brighter. Eventually, the narrow passage opened into a spacious hall, giving a sense of sudden liberation after the confined tunnel.
Ahead were numerous workstations, each laden with a variety of instruments and devices.
To someone like Shigure, who had no understanding of Soul Society's technological advancements, this was an entirely foreign domain.
Mayuri grinned widely. "This way."
He strode purposefully toward the right, and Shigure followed until they stopped in front of a white workbench.
Upon seeing the object on the table, Shigure raised an eyebrow.
It was a transparent glass sphere, roughly the size of an adult's fist.
But within it… was lightning.
It was a surreal sight. Inside the crystal-clear sphere, white lightning bolts danced and crackled incessantly.
Mayuri gazed at the glass sphere and spoke in an even tone:
"This is the Thunder Orb. It can seal lightning within itself and, when infused with the user's spiritual pressure, release it as a weapon."
"I've preloaded it with the spells Hado #4: Byakurai, Hado #63: Raikoho, and Hado #67: Raimei San. All three kido techniques are sealed within this orb."
"The result is a fusion of their properties, creating a lightning force that combines the paralysis of Byakurai, the impact of Raikoho, and the area-of-effect of Raimei San."
Hearing this, Shigure's heart skipped a beat.
Mayuri truly was a genius…
With a smile, Shigure remarked, "Captain Kurotsuchi… your creativity is remarkable."
"Remarkable?" Mayuri repeated, turning his head sharply to stare at Shigure. "You think it's remarkable?"
Caught off guard by Mayuri's sudden reaction, Shigure explained, "The combination of Byakurai's paralysis, Raikoho's impact, and Raimei San's wide range—having all three characteristics in one tool creates a power far beyond the original spells. It's indeed remarkable."
"Oh, is that so…" Mayuri chuckled softly, his gaze fixed on Shigure.
"But… I only came up with this after seeing your Zanpakuto's Shikai."
Shigure's eyelid twitched.
"Your Shikai," Mayuri continued, speaking rapidly, "releases a storm of lightning that surpasses the Thunder Orb's power by a hundredfold."
"And that's with your spiritual pressure suppressed. Based on my calculations, if you unleashed your full power, the lightning storm would be ten thousand times stronger than this Thunder Orb."
"So… after hearing all this, do you still think it's 'remarkable'?"
Mayuri's gaze bore into Shigure, filled with an odd, almost manic glee.
Shigure was momentarily stunned before letting out a wry laugh.
Now he understood. To Mayuri, the Thunder Orb was nothing more than a pale imitation of Shigure's Zanpakuto.
Even so, Shigure shook his head. "Captain Kurotsuchi, you're comparing apples to oranges—kido and Zanpakuto are fundamentally different."
Mayuri's grin widened as he replied slowly, "But the entire purpose of creating the Thunder Orb… was to replicate the effect of your Zanpakuto."
Shigure raised an eyebrow. "If that's the case, why not aim higher? Why not try to replicate the flames of the Commander-General, which are the pinnacle of power?"
He had intended the comment as a joke, but to his surprise, Mayuri's grin grew even wider.
Walking over to the workbench, Mayuri suddenly tossed the Thunder Orb into the air. Then, with a flick of his finger—
Hado #1: Sho.
A beam of light shot from his fingertip, striking the floating glass sphere.
Bang!
The sphere shattered instantly, its lightning dispersing harmlessly into the air.
The shards clattered to the ground with a crisp sound.
Mayuri turned to look at Shigure, his eyes gleaming with excitement. He grinned and said:
"Because the Commander-General would never collaborate with me."
"But you, Shigure Segawa… I believe you will."
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