C22 This Captain Kurotsuchi's Hobby Was a Little Strange

The vast examination hall was suddenly enveloped in an eerie silence.

The arrival of Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri turned the inebriated crowd into the focal point of all eyes.

Aizen's face betrayed a flicker of concern, but he quickly resumed his genial smile, saying, "Captain Kurotsuchi, you jest. My Fifth Division is merely a rescue squad. How could we possibly challenge the Technological Development Department's expertise in Spiritual One technology?"

"My concern is that other students might raise objections, potentially leading to an unjust accusation against Taku."

"With Captain Kurotsuchi willing to vouch for him, I trust there will be no dissenters among us."

With those words, Aizen turned and strode away.

In the Court of Pure Souls, if Aizen was wary of anyone, one of those individuals was the eccentric scientist, Kurotsuchi Mayuri—a man who played by no one's rules but his own.

There's a thin line between genius and madness, and Kurotsuchi Mayuri was the embodiment of that precarious balance.

Ichimaru Gin, observing from the sidelines, quickly grasped that Aizen had abandoned his sniping position and settled back to enjoy the unfolding drama.

Kyoraku Shunsui let out a quiet sigh of relief and inquired, "Captain Kurotsuchi, with your testimony, Shiba Taku's score stands as legitimate, correct?"

What was meant to be a routine assessment had taken several unexpected turns.

Though the situation was intriguing, Kyoraku Shunsui, as the chief examiner, was eager to wrap up the task assigned by Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni.

Yet, the sight of Kurotsuchi Mayuri's unsettling, scrutinizing green eyes made his heart lurch.

"Indeed, an excellent specimen for experimentation. Even my Kṣitigarbha is whispering for a slice of the action," he mused.

With a chilling grin, Kurotsuchi Mayuri drew his Soul-Cutter Sword and swiftly brought it down towards Qin Yu.

The abrupt escalation caught Kyoraku Shunsui and Zaraki Kenpachi off guard.

They hadn't anticipated another wave of turmoil just as the waters had stilled.

As Kurotsuchi Mayuri's blade loomed near, their intentions to intervene were clearly too late.

Clang!

The crisp sound of metal striking metal echoed through the testing hall.

Shiba Taku's steps, uncharacteristically steady, moved swiftly. His right hand shot out like a bolt of lightning, seizing the oncoming Kṣitigarbha blade.

The sight of him catching the blade barehanded stunned Aizen and the others, who had just begun to smirk with satisfaction, freezing their expressions once more.

Even they lacked the confidence to catch Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri's ferocious strike with such precision.

And certainly not a drunken Shiba Taku.

Especially after witnessing the bubble of snot on the inebriated Shiba Taku's face pop, clearing the drunken haze from his visage in an instant, leaving him looking utterly incredulous.

"Ah, that was a good nap. Time to head to the exam," he murmured.

Taku stretched leisurely, his bleary eyes coming into focus.

The alert from the system had chased away the fog of alcohol clouding his mind.

His most vivid memory now was of being in the black prison, facing off against nearly a hundred inmates.

He had intended to train his bare-handed combat skills to the extreme, aiming to take down a hundred prisoners single-handedly.

But upon seeing their overwhelming numbers, Taku had decided to surrender to the effects of alcohol instead.

Impossible!

It had to be a ruse!

Everyone present was baffled, fixated on a single thought.

They might not have seen a pig before, but they had certainly eaten pork.

They may not have experienced drunkenness themselves, but they had seen others inebriated.

Just a moment ago, he was a staggering drunk, and now he seemed completely uninvolved, as if nothing had happened. The stark contrast was difficult for them to digest.

"You little rascal, you were faking being drunk!" Kyoraku Shunsui burst out.

He had been frantically trying to pull strings for Taku, to sneak him through the back door.

But now, Taku was acting as if he hadn't a care in the world, which Kyoraku Shunsui found intolerable.

"You're Captain Kyoraku? This is the testing hall? Oh, I see, I was drunk a moment ago," Taku said, rubbing his head in feigned astonishment.

"Captain Kurotsuchi, is it? You do look as intimidating as the rumors say. But your stance right now... it makes me wonder if you were planning to take a swing at me while I was out of it!"

Taking a moment to survey his surroundings, as the memories started to crystallize post-intoxication, Taku began piecing together the events that had just unfolded.

However, as the instigator, Taku took the invincible principle of having a thick skin to the extreme.

Confronted with such a dismissive comment, even the typically amiable Kyoraku Shunsui lost his cool.

He reached for his Soul-Cutter Sword, intent on emulating Kurotsuchi Mayuri with a fierce strike.

"Hehe, you little rascal, managing to rile up Captain Kyoraku like that is quite a feat," Kurotsuchi Mayuri interjected, halting Kyoraku Shunsui with a chuckle.

"But let me remind you, my Soul-Cutter Sword isn't just any run-of-the-mill blade. It's been meticulously modified by me to contain neurotoxins."

"Just give it a touch and really feel it. Notice your hand going numb? That sensation will soon sweep through your whole body, leaving you completely paralyzed right here. Trust me, it's a lot worse than a hangover."

As the Twelfth Division Captain and the head of the Technological Development Department, Kurotsuchi Mayuri delighted in tinkering with his Soul-Cutter Sword.

Indeed, within the Gotei 13, Kurotsuchi Mayuri was the most enigmatic and unpredictable.

"You mean this thing that goes limp at a touch? I thought you were kidding. So you actually intended to cut me," Taku said, his eyebrows arching as he quickly released his grip.

The Kṣitigarbha he had been holding tightly suddenly bent like taffy.

This eerie spectacle left everyone in the vicinity dumbfounded.

Kyoraku Shunsui couldn't resist commenting, "Taku, don't get ahead of yourself. That's likely a feature of Captain Kurotsuchi's Soul-Cutter Sword. If you value your life, you'd better check yourself for any adverse effects."

While speaking, Kyoraku Shunsui shot a glance at Kurotsuchi Mayuri.

Seeing his utterly confused expression, Kyoraku Shunsui felt the urge to back down.

Could it be that the Kṣitigarbha's sudden softness was indeed the work of Shiba Taku?

Particularly given Taku's expression, which bore no sign of poisoning.

The more Kyoraku Shunsui dwelled on it, the more restless he became. That kid was likely harboring a multitude of secrets. In that moment, Kurotsuchi Mayuri was equally perplexed, silently invoking the Kodo Kṣitigarbha in his grasp several times before he noticed the blade, once limp, was slowly straightening out.

Yet, in the context of the situation, this gradual change seemed to provoke wild imaginations. A few girls, cheeks tinted with blush, were clearly letting their thoughts wander off track.

"Captain Kurotsuchi's quirks are really quite odd. He isn't... you know, is he?" The unexpected comment nearly sent Kurotsuchi Mayuri tumbling to the ground.

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