Restricted Death

Chapter 214 Mayuri Kurotsuchi's Research
Soul Society, Technology Development Bureau.

Inside this massive building located in the Twelfth Division, filled with sophisticated instruments and bizarre research, the air always carries a hint of cold metallic smell and traces of barely perceptible chemical evaporation.

At this moment, in a meeting room with a simple design but cold, hard lines, the sense of oppression has not completely dissipated, but is merely covered by a superficial calm.

Xin sipped his tea leisurely, crossed his legs, and adopted a relaxed and casual posture.

Lieutenant Nemu of the 12th Division stood upright, slightly behind Shin, like a finely sculpted statue. Her eyes were fixed on Shin, her pretty face devoid of any superfluous expression, as if even her breathing was precisely controlled to the minimum.

Xin had been sitting there for several minutes, but he wasn't in a hurry to urge him on. Nie Yinmeng quietly served him from the side.

Not long after, the conference room door opened, and Mayuri Kurotsuchi walked in. The mask on his face was different from the one he had seen last time; it was a new style, but it was just as strange.

Knowing his purpose in coming here, Mayuri Kurotsuchi said upon meeting him, "Captain Tachikawa, what brings you here?"

"Hasn't Captain Nie figured out my knife yet?"

Mayuri Kurotsuchi let out a sharp and eerie laugh.

"Unfortunately, Captain Tachikawa! The research is at its most critical moment. If you were to withdraw your sword now, all the painstaking preparations and countless analyses would be for naught. I believe Captain Tachikawa can understand that, right?"

His tone of voice was strange, and one could not sense any kindness from it.

"So many years have passed, and Captain Necrophosa has only made some progress?" Shin raised his eyes slightly, looking at Mayuri Necrophosa through the thin steam rising from the rim of his cup, his words revealing neither his belief nor disbelief.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi said with a faint smile, "Captain Tachikawa is joking. That is the Soul King's right hand! Everything about the Soul King has almost become a legend in Soul Society. Starting from scratch is no easy task. If some records are accurate, we are now exploring the origin of the three realms."

The sword that was possessed by the right hand of the Spirit King was like an inanimate object in Xin's eyes.

It was ultimately not Shin's Zanpakuto. Even if Mayuri Kurotsuchi really did something secretive or caused a huge problem, it wouldn't have a fundamental impact on Shin himself. His repeated inquiries about the results were less about demanding information and more about periodically urging and probing Mayuri Kurotsuchi's research progress.

He wanted to know what truth this most insane mind in Soul Society had gleaned from this fragment of God over the long years.

To be honest, Mayuri Kurotsuchi was gradually surprised that Shin dared to leave his Zanpakuto with him. Was this guy really not afraid that he could tamper with his sword?

For most Shinigami, their Zanpakuto determines most of their combat power, and once the Zanpakuto malfunctions, it can basically be said that this person's Shinigami career has come to an end.

As a captain, Shin was someone Mayuri Kurotsuchi didn't know whether to say he was incredibly skilled and daring, that he would "trust" him so much.

Of course, Mayuri Kurotsuchi didn't really care or bother to delve into the true "original intention" behind Tachikawa Shin's "confidence" in handing over the sword to him—whether it was fearlessness, confidence, or ulterior motives.

Moreover, he did indeed sense something from that seemingly ordinary sword that overturned existing understanding and was enough to turn the entire Soul Society upside down! The feeling was so clear and so alluring, like a brilliant corner of a mineral vein hidden deep underground being unearthed.

How could he possibly, how could he be willing to hand it back now? That would mean countless unsolved mysteries and readily available achievements were about to slip away from him.

Of course, if Shin were to break off all pretense and forcibly demand the Zanpakuto, Mayuri Kurotsuchi knew perfectly well that he had no legitimate reason to unreasonably withhold someone else's Zanpakuto for an extended period of time.

After all, that knife belonged to Xin.

Over the years, Xin had come more than once, but Niejian had always used various excuses to brush him off. Each time, after receiving these obviously perfunctory replies, although his eyes were deep and unfathomable, Xin never lingered and simply left with a faint smile.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi took this as a tacit consent.

"Besides, isn't Captain Tachikawa's Zanpakuto a Hodo-type sword? For you right now, its usefulness isn't actually that important, is it? Why don't you leave it with me for a while longer and let it play a greater role?"

His words, like slippery vines, tried to entangle Xin's patience.

"That's well said."

Shin slowly put down the almost empty teacup in his hand, the bottom of the cup making a crisp sound as it touched the table. He slightly raised his eyes, his gaze calmly meeting the eyes of Mayuri Kurotsuchi hidden behind the strange mask, revealing a half-smile, undisguised scrutiny.

"However, Captain Nexus, you should at least let me see some actual 'progress' with my own eyes. Only then can I determine if what you're saying is true. If after so many years of research you're still stuck in the same place, having gained nothing... then there's really no need for us to continue this pointless arguing."

Nie Yinmeng remained motionless, like a backdrop.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi's eyes, visible through the holes in his mask, flickered sharply a few times, as if he were deep in thought.

Silence fermented in the cold conference room, with only the faint hum of the sophisticated instruments in the distance. A few seconds later, the corners of the mouth under the eerie mask seemed to slightly smirk.

"follow me."

Shin calmly stood up, his face expressionless, and followed Mayuri Kurotsuchi to a closed laboratory. The place was oppressive and enclosed, and the cold white walls of the corridor were filled with an aura that kept strangers away.

The room was filled with all sorts of instruments, but Xin couldn't understand them at all with a glance, since this wasn't his area of ​​expertise.

In the center of the room, on a mechanical platform, Shin's simple and unadorned Zanpakuto was quietly placed. The base used to hold it seemed to be specially made, and there were some special instruments for this sword on the platform.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi rummaged through a stack of documents next to him, took one out, and handed it to the letter.

"This is the biggest achievement, and the only achievement, we've had all these years."

Xin took the paper and looked at it carefully, then seemed to be deep in thought.

Just as the letter was pondering its contents, Mayuri Kurotsuchi spoke up: "Captain Tachikawa, do you know about the Transcendental Body?"

"Transform into a divine body?"

Upon hearing this, Xin's brows furrowed slightly, almost imperceptibly. He was interrupted from his thoughts and looked up with a hint of surprise.

He remembered that this thing was created when Kisuke Urahara was the first director of the Technology Development Bureau. It was a dangerous device that could forcibly materialize and visualize the soul essence of a Zanpakuto. Theoretically, it could accelerate Zanpakuto training, especially the learning of Bankai.

Kisuke Urahara, relying on this Transcendental Body, mastered Bankai in just three days.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who considers himself no less capable than Kisuke Urahara in any way, harbors a strange prejudice against everything Urahara left behind in Soul Society.

The ability to forcibly extract and materialize the Zanpakuto's physical form, the black cloak that conceals spiritual pressure… these inventions of Kisuke Urahara had long been thoroughly studied by Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who further refined them with his own unique style. He did this as if to prove that he was far more intelligent than Kisuke Urahara.

However, because of Kisuke Urahara's defection, he felt that he would probably have little chance of being able to prove this "fact" to Kisuke Urahara in person.

"I've heard a little about it," Xin nodded. "What does this have to do with the Transformation of the Divine Body?"

Mayuri Kurotsuchi's eyes were unreadable as he said, "I have a rather unsettling guess. Captain Tachikawa, would you like to hear it?"

“…Tell me about it.”

Mayuri Kurotsuchi stared intently at the letter and slowly said, "Captain Tachikawa once said that the Soul King's right hand resides within this Zanpakuto. According to the information I have reviewed, this so-called 'Soul King's right hand' is very likely to be an intelligent being."

He had tried to establish "communication" with the right hand of this Spirit King using an instrument similar to the principle of the Transcendental Body.

As a result, he succeeded.

Although it wasn't a true form of communication, Mayuri Kurotsuchi was still able to sense its "will."

The document that Shin read contained some conclusions that Mayuri Kurotsuchi could determine and deduce after "touching" the Soul King's right hand, and it recorded the most important thing.

The Spirit King's right hand has the power to stop everything!

This was something that was already known in the letter, and through his research, Mayuri Kurotsuchi had completely figured it out!
Xin countered, "What does this have to do with what you call the Transformation Body, and your less-than-favorable guess?"

Mayuri Kurotsuchi first gave a brief explanation of his research process on the sword, and then said, "According to the principle of the Transcendental Body, I did not successfully materialize Captain Tachikawa's Zanpakuto, which led me to make a guess after I made sure to confirm it."

"Has the Soul King's right hand completely taken over Captain Tachikawa's Zanpakuto? Or has it become Captain Tachikawa's Zanpakuto? As for your original Zanpakuto, it has probably been devoured by the Soul King's right hand."

Upon hearing this, Shin remained silent for a moment, then said, "Are you saying that this sword is no longer my Zanpakuto?"

"Unfortunately, it is highly likely."

"..."

Xin's face didn't show much surprise. This knife was just an ordinary, unremarkable shallow knife. How could the Transformation Body be effective on it?

It's understandable that Mayuri Kurotsuchi would have such a guess, but he hadn't considered that the sword wasn't Shin's Zanpakuto.

After he finished speaking, he kept a close eye on Xin's changing expression.

If an ordinary person knew that their Zanpakuto had undergone such a change, they would surely find it difficult to remain calm. However, Shin's calm reaction made Mayuri Kurotsuchi's eyes flicker.

"Captain Tachikawa doesn't seem worried at all," Mayuri Kurotsuchi said quietly. "Or perhaps you already knew about this beforehand, which is why you entrusted your Zanpakuto to me for research?"

This is a reasonable speculation.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi's conclusion that the Zanpakuto was devoured by the Soul King's right hand confirms that this happened before Shin handed the sword to him.

Since Zanpakuto is connected to its master's mind, it would be strange if Shin didn't notice if something unexpected happened.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi is an extremely accomplished person in the study of Zanpakuto, so it's hard to believe that someone would make up some reason to deceive him. The other party's cognitive bias is also due to a mistake in information.

Instead of answering his question directly, Xin asked, "Does Captain Nephew have any solutions for this kind of situation?"

Mayuri Kurotsuchi then said, "This requires even more careful study, so Captain Tachikawa, for your sake, you cannot take this sword back."

Shin glanced at the paper in his hand. His focus remained on Mayuri Kurotsuchi's research on swords. He also knew that Mayuri Kurotsuchi was definitely not concerned about restoring his own Zanpakuto.

He suddenly asked, "You plan to analyze the principle behind the Spirit King's right hand's 'stop' ability, and thus control this power?"

Beneath Mayuri Kurotsuchi's eerie mask, two beams of light shot out as he said, "I will succeed."

If Mayuri Kurotsuchi succeeds, he will have mastered the power of the Soul King's right hand... If he really succeeds...

Shin's eyes flickered slightly. Mayuri Kurotsuchi was an extreme and unconventional person, and in some ways, a pure person. If he had any ambition, it probably only lay in his thirst for knowledge.

Such people probably enjoy the process of exploring the results more than the final outcome.

Xin then asked, "So, I wonder how far Captain Nie has progressed, and whether he has found a suitable method yet?"

Mayuri Kurotsuchi only said, "It's a critical period."

Xin chuckled: "Captain Nie, don't forget, this is my knife."

“I know.” Mayuri Kurotsuchi’s eerie smile remained unchanged. “So Captain Tachikawa should thank me even more. I’m working hard to help you.”

The letter neither confirmed nor denied this.

The "stopping" power of the Spirit King's right hand is different from the "stagnation" of this shore and the other shore.

The former is purely "stopping" in a broad sense.

The "stagnation" of faith can not only be applied to a specific object, but also to some abstract concepts.

Shin can "freeze" a person's emotions. For example, if Shin encounters a person who is feeling sad, he can use his Zanpakuto ability to keep them in a state of sadness.

Shin was deeply moved by Mayuri Kurotsuchi's achievements.

Xin asked, "This is an extremely terrifying power. If you were to master it, what would you use it for?"

"Who knows?" Mayuri Kurotsuchi chuckled. "It's possible that I simply use it as a trump card to enhance my combat power, or it's possible that I use it in my daily life, such as keeping my body and mind at their peak. I suppose at that time, I would be the only person in the world with infinite wisdom."

(End of this chapter)