Slap! Slap!
"Hey! Wake up! Lieutenant!!"
After securing Gegetsuburi, several Onmitsukido's members approached the unconscious Omaeda. Grabbing him, they slapped him twice, trying to rouse him.
But Omaeda remained unconscious. One member approached Sui-Feng. "Captain, Lieutenant is unconscious. What should we do?"
"Hmph, ignore him. Let's head back."
Sui-Feng said, a look of disgust on her face.
"My, my, how strict, Captain Sui-Feng."
Mayuri teased.
"Hmph, I'm far from being as 'strict' as you, Captain Kurotsuchi."
Sui-Feng retorted sarcastically.
...
12th Division, Technology Development Institute.
Staring at the experimental 'sample', Gegetsuburi, tied to a pillar, Mayuri prepared to begin his research.
Lacking experimental samples before, his research had stalled. Now that he had finally captured a 'sample', Mayuri was a little excited.
Tap, tap, tap...
Just then, hurried footsteps echoed. Mayuri turned to see Omaeda, who had been knocked unconscious by his 'friendly fire', approaching.
"Oh? You're awake already, Omaeda?"
Mayuri asked, feigning surprise.
"Huh? No! What is the meaning of this, Captain Kurotsuchi?!"
Unconsciously responding to Mayuri's question, Omaeda quickly remembered his purpose for coming. He pointed at Gegetsuburi tied to the pillar.
"What's this or that? I'm simply using this sample to unravel the cause of the Zanpakuto rebellion."
Mayuri replied displeased.
Then Mayuri called out to Nemu. "Nemu."
"Yes, Mayuri-sama!"
Nemu understandingly produced a serrated blade and handed it to Mayuri.
"Now, let's begin the experiment, Gegetsuburi."
Mayuri took the blade, ready to work on Gegetsuburi bound to the pillar.
"Mmph mmph mmph!!"
Gegetsuburi, his mouth sealed with tape, struggled desperately.
"Wait! Hold on!!"
Omaeda quickly intervened. "If you cut him, what will happen to my Zanpakuto?!"
"I wouldn't know that."
Mayuri said indifferently.
"What! You don't know, yet you're going to mess with my Zanpakuto anyway?!"
Omaeda was horrified.
"Of course! Because I don't know, that's exactly why I need to try it out!"
Mayuri stated as if it were the most natural thing.
"Now, let's continue the experiment..."
Saying this, Mayuri moved to proceed.
"Hey, hey! Stop! Stop!!!"
Omaeda grabbed Mayuri's right hand, the one holding the blade.
Although Gegetsuburi had rebelled, he was still Omaeda's Zanpakuto. If Mayuri 'ruined' him, Omaeda wouldn't even have time to cry about it.
Mayuri's face darkened. "What are you doing, Omaeda! I'm doing this to find a way to resolve the Zanpakuto rebellion. Using captured Zanpakuto as samples was decided in the Captain's Meeting. If you want to disobey orders, go complain to that Acting Captain-Commander, Hitsugaya!"
"No, no, no! I wouldn't dare disobey! It's just... even if he's a sample, we only have Gegetsuburi right now. So, um... maybe use him a little more sparingly?"
Omaeda advised cautiously.
"Mmph mmph mmph!!"
Gegetsuburi, tied to the pillar with his mouth taped, nodded vigorously.
Mayuri sighed as if helpless. "Hmph, such a troublesome guy. Fine. Nemu."
"Yes, Mayuri-sama."
Nemu acknowledged, raising her right hand.
"Whirrr..."
Nemu's right hand spun rapidly like a drill, and she suddenly lunged at Omaeda.
"Aaahhh!!"
Omaeda yelled, hurriedly dodging Nemu's sudden attack.
"Hey! Why are you coming after me?!"
Omaeda shouted in terror.
"Tch!"
Nemu clicked her tongue in annoyance as Omaeda evaded her.
"What do you mean 'tch'?! Why do you nonchalantly try to drill me?! And it should be the Zanpakuto you're cutting, not me!!"
Omaeda, drenched in cold sweat, pointed at Gegetsuburi.
Sensing the danger, Omaeda unhesitatingly threw Gegetsuburi under the bus.
"Mmph mmph mmph!"
Gegetsuburi angrily thought, 'You bastard! Aren't you here to save me?!'
With his mouth taped, Mayuri and Nemu couldn't understand Gegetsuburi's muffled sounds. But Omaeda, as his master, understood perfectly.
Understanding made him even more indignant. "Shut up! It's much better to cut you than to cut me! So just accept your fate quietly."
Mayuri, watching this exchange, remarked in amazement, "Oh? You can communicate with a Zanpakuto whose mouth is sealed? The connection between a Shinigami and a materialized Zanpakuto is truly fascinating."
"Heh heh, right? That's what I'm saying! The connection between Shinigami and Zanpakuto isn't something so easily understood, is it? Using him for experiments would be such a waste, wouldn't it?"
Omaeda said with an ingratiating laugh.
But Mayuri's response was ambiguous. "Not necessarily..."
Snap!
Mayuri snapped his fingers.
"Whirrr..."
Nemu's drill arm began spinning rapidly again, then suddenly lunged once more.
"Aaahhh——!!!"
A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the Technology Development Institute. Passing Shinigami, hearing the screams emanating from within, shuddered and hurried away from the area with their heads down.
Inside the Technology Development Institute.
Gegetsuburi, tied to the pillar, was motionless, as if petrified. A soul-like wisp drifted out of his mouth.
"He's dead."
Mayuri stared at the motionless Gegetsuburi, his tone flat.
"He's dead."
Omaeda stared blankly, repeating mechanically.
"That's not the point! What are you saying?! How are you going to compensate me for my Zanpakuto!!!"
Omaeda suddenly snapped back to reality and roared.
Mayuri pondered for a moment. "According to reports, once a Zanpakuto returns to its master's hands, it seems it can be restored..."
"Really?!" Omaeda immediately brightened.
"But a Zanpakuto that falls into the hands of someone other than its master seems unable to be restored."
Mayuri muttered as if to himself. Ignoring Omaeda, he turned and walked towards a chair in front of a research setup not far away.
"Hey! You're ignoring me?! You're ignoring me?! The Zanpakuto's master is right here, and you're ignoring me! Tell me how you're going to compensate me for my Zanpakuto?!"
Omaeda followed behind Mayuri, continuing to complain.
Mayuri, seemingly lost in thought, paid him no attention and kept walking.
Just as Omaeda was about to continue, Nemu instantly appeared before him, blocking his path.
"Please maintain silence in the laboratory. You must not disturb Mayuri-sama's thoughts!"
Nemu warned, gesturing with her drill arm.
"Maintain silence?! You're trying to kill me!"
Omaeda stared, covered in cold sweat, at the 'drill' hovering near his neck.
"Please maintain silence."
Whirrr...
The sound of the spinning drill resumed.
"I said stop it already..."
Amidst Nemu's warnings and Omaeda's pleas, Mayuri reached the chair and sat down.
"My, my. Although it's fascinating, it's just added more troublesome work."
Mayuri rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
...
Somewhere in a forest within the Seireitei.
"Hey! Let us out! Don't you hear us?!"
Rangiku's Zanpakuto, Haineko, shouted loudly.
"What a twisted woman! Locking her own Zanpakuto up in something like this!!"
Momo's Zanpakuto, Tobiume, also yelled.
It turned out that Haineko and Tobiume had been defeated by Rangiku and Momo working together and were now being held in a prison cart, awaiting transport.