"…"
Yoriichi had no objections; she was just a goddaughter, similar to Rukia.
He believed Uta would also agree.
However, there were still a few issues to be aware of.
"I certainly won't stand by and watch her die, but what do you plan to do if she loses control?"
Yoriichi stared at Mayuri, continuing to ask,
"Also, what kind of personality do you intend to shape for this artificial soul?"
Mayuri's eyes darted, and he chuckled, "So Captain Tsugikuni is worried about that… Rest assured."
"While my techniques might not be the best in the Three Realms, they are certainly among the best in the entire Soul Society."
"Lose control? Absolutely impossible. Even if she were to lose control, I am fully confident I can bring her back under control."
"After all, everything about her, whether it's her body, soul, or every single cell, was created by my own hands."
Mayuri spoke as he paced over to Nemu VII's embryo.
He gently caressed the transparent glass vessel, muttering to himself, "As for her personality, I plan to create and improve it based on the template of a perfect daughter."
"Coincidentally, Soul Candy already contains the corresponding personalities. Captain Tsugikuni, you should be aware of these, even if you don't use them…"
Mayuri said much more, every word filled with eager anticipation for Nemu VII.
Yoriichi ignored the unnecessary details and directly asked the crucial question:
"When will she grow up?"
"She is still an embryo. I heard all your previous six experiments failed. This time…"
"This time, it will definitely succeed!" Mayuri suddenly turned, with an attitude of success or bust.
He had absorbed the lessons from the previous six failures, and now had the perfect embryo created by Kiyonosuke Yamada to assist him.
There was no reason to fail.
"…" Seeing Mayuri like this, Yoriichi said nothing more.
Perhaps for these scientists, doubt was the last thing they wanted to hear.
However, the possibility existed.
…Let's wait for now, wait for her to be born successfully.
If everything is normal, it won't be too late to agree.
Thinking this, Yoriichi let out a soft sigh, chatted with Kisuke Urahara for a moment, and then turned and left the Twelfth Division.
In the following days, the Twelfth Division's research on Quincies continued, and the mass-produced "shadows" gradually increased.
During this time, Yoriichi Tsugikuni received news from the Ishida lineage in the Human World.
From those messages, he learned some information that the Quincies had not disclosed.
For example, there were more than twenty-six Sternritter.
A Quincy named Gremmy could freely imagine and create Sternritter.
At the same time, on the surface, it seemed that each Sternritter only had one wielder, but occasionally there would be special cases where two people shared one Sternritter.
According to this logic, there were more than twenty-six Captain-level experts within the Wandenreich.
It seemed that not acting hastily was the right decision. If they had rashly attacked the Wandenreich for efficiency before the "shadows" were perfected,
getting trapped there would be a minor issue.
If the Wandenreich perceived the Soul Society's forces as empty and weak, and seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack, that would be a major problem.
Yoriichi conveyed this information to the Gotei 13, intending to make some Captains pay attention, lest they underestimate the enemy and suffer a crushing defeat.
Feigning weakness to ambush a tiger was a common occurrence.
After informing them,
a relatively peaceful period followed.
One day,
Mayuri sent word that Nemu VII was about to be born.
Yoriichi once again came to the Twelfth Division and immediately saw the baby sleeping with closed eyes in the cultivation tank…
No… calling her a baby wasn't accurate. It was unclear how Mayuri managed it, but less than a year had passed since their last separation.
Nemu VII had transformed from an undeveloped embryo into a child the size of a five-year-old.
Did he use some technique to accelerate physical growth?
Yoriichi stood beside Mayuri, lost in thought.
Just as he was thinking,
the child in the cultivation tank gradually opened her eyes…
…
"Gurgle gurgle…"
The sound of liquid churning constantly echoed in Nemu VII's ears.
The moment she opened her eyes, Nemu VII felt the light ahead was somewhat blinding.
Her head felt heavy, like being suddenly woken up from a deep sleep.
Two slightly blurry shadows appeared in her vision.
"…" At this moment, Nemu VII was like a pure, unblemished blank slate, so there were no complex thoughts in her mind.
There was no panic, no attempt to figure out where she was.
She simply felt that everything around her was incredibly warm, and her heart longed to stay there forever.
However, the implanted personality quickly transformed into human id consciousness, and she began to ponder a question.
—Who am I?
As soon as the thought emerged, Nemu VII felt a little tired.
With her current intellect, she couldn't possibly understand this question.
She longed to sleep indefinitely.
However, at this moment,
she suddenly saw someone approaching.
That person wiped away the mist on the glass, making a resonant "woo woo" sound.
Once the mist dissipated, Nemu VII saw the faces of the two people clearly.
"Good morning, Seventh."
The approaching person had paint on his face and spoke softly, as if afraid of disturbing something.
Nemu VII remembered this voice. Before falling back into slumber, she heard the words of the other person:
"Mayuri, she is a life now. Don't you plan to give her another new name?"
Name… what is a name?
Nemu VII looked confused. She opened her mouth, but could only blow a string of bubbles.
Gurgle gurgle…
Due to the use of physical maturation technology, Nemu VII was currently not fully developed, similar to an infant, with extremely short periods of wakefulness.
She followed her instincts and wanted to ask her questions.
However, limited by her mind, weariness overcame her, and she was forced to fall back into slumber.
When she woke up again, she found herself no longer in that glass tank.
…
"Your name is Nemu Kurotsuchi."
The surrounding light was soft, the air fresh. Nemu VII… no, Nemu Kurotsuchi sat quietly on the bed.
She gazed at the man in front of her, recognizing him instantly as the owner of that voice.
The one who asked about the name.
"Nemu… Kurotsuchi…"
Nemu Kurotsuchi lowered her eyes, murmuring to herself, her eyelashes trembling slightly with the words.
By this time, she had grown to about seven years old.
After technical adjustments, the defect of physical and mental incoordination had disappeared.
All physiological indicators had returned to normal.
Only her knowledge base was still shallow.
She still needed slow guidance.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni saw Nemu Kurotsuchi's slightly confused expression and nodded gently:
"Yes."
"This is your new name."
"Then what is Seventh?" Nemu Kurotsuchi looked up,
"Why did that person call me Seventh? Who are you? And where is this place?"
The implanted personality made her id consciousness increasingly prominent.
She looked at the warm surroundings, pink decorations, dolls everywhere.
Although it was a lovely room layout in the eyes of ordinary people, she didn't feel anything special.
However, she felt kindness, so she didn't move around, sitting quietly and waiting for Yoriichi Tsugikuni's answer.
Looking at Yoriichi, for some reason, an urge to get closer welled up inside her, as if it were an instinct.
Fortunately, her human consciousness suppressed her animalistic instincts, otherwise she would have clung to Yoriichi like a small animal.
Mammals are also animals.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni was unaware of Nemu Kurotsuchi's complex feelings at the moment. He merely gave a general explanation of the current situation, then said:
"Simply put, this is your home. Since your body isn't very strong, from now on, you will eat, sleep, and study here."
"The one who created you, your true father, is named Mayuri Kurotsuchi. I am your godfather… You might not understand this knowledge yet, but I think you will soon."
After introducing himself, Yoriichi Tsugikuni gestured towards a wall to one side. Soon, two Shinigami from the Twelfth Division walked in.
They carried a pile of books and placed them in the room.
Nemu Kurotsuchi watched quietly. Although she didn't understand, she didn't stop them.
She merely searched silently in her mind for what 'father' and 'godfather' meant.
She searched for a long time, but due to a lack of relevant information, it ultimately ended in failure.
After everyone left, she got up from the bed and slowly walked to the books.
Following Yoriichi Tsugikuni's instructions before he left, she sat on a chair and slowly began to read.
…
Outside,
Mayuri was not in a good mood. Although there was no true father-daughter affection between him and Nemu Kurotsuchi,
suddenly seeing the life he created getting along well with Yoriichi Tsugikuni inexplicably gave him a feeling of his achievement being stolen by someone else.
But this had to be done.
If these two could not establish a close connection within a short period, then later, once Nemu Kurotsuchi's existence became known to the Captain-Commander,
she would surely be sentenced to death.
Nemu Kurotsuchi's current state was similar to a newly hatched chick.
She would regard the first living creature she saw upon birth as her parent, thereby developing a strong dependency.
By relying on this dependency and attaching herself to Yoriichi Tsugikuni, his subsequent research could proceed without worries.
Why defect when he could stay in the Twelfth Division?
Kisuke Urahara noticed Mayuri's complex and changing emotions at the moment. To avoid any unexpected situations, he smiled and smoothed things over:
"Alright, alright. Anyway, for you, Nemu Kurotsuchi is just a creation."
"There's nothing wrong with letting this creation experience some of the ups and downs of the Human World."
"You can't just let her be like an emotionless robot, can you?"
"What do you plan to do next?"
Kisuke Urahara's expression became a bit more serious.
Mayuri heard this, glanced at him sideways, and snorted coldly:
"Of course, I'll make her grow as quickly as possible to verify the correctness of my experiment."
"I can't wait to see her display her full power."
"In the future, who knows, she might even surpass Captain Tsugikuni."
"Tell Hiyori to add some combat methods to Nemu Kurotsuchi's study plan from now on."
"Let's set a small goal first: defeat a Captain within five years."
"Only then will I not have wasted decades of effort."
…
"Five years?"
Hearing this number, Kisuke Urahara secretly clicked his tongue, momentarily unsure what to say.
Under normal circumstances, this was absolutely impossible.
Leaving aside the difference in skill, Spirit Pressure alone was an insurmountable obstacle.
Even the strongest artificial Shinigami had to grow step by step.
However, this was not a normal situation.
Kisuke Urahara had not interfered with Mayuri Kurotsuchi's research, so he wasn't entirely clear on Nemu Kurotsuchi's potential.
But, after their conversation just now, he understood.
Nemu Kurotsuchi's brain had been modified, giving her a learning capacity ten times greater than that of an ordinary person.
What a normal person would take ten years to learn, Nemu Kurotsuchi could master in just one year, or even less.
After all, even for geniuses, no matter how high their IQ, it's impossible for them to exceed ordinary people by ten times.
This was an exponential growth.
"It seems I still underestimated her…" Kisuke Urahara gently stroked his chin, his gaze fixed on Nemu Kurotsuchi, deep in thought.
"Perhaps… in the future, she really might be able to surpass Captain-Commander Yamamoto."
"Surpassing Yoriichi… let's forget about that. Unless her status reaches the level of the Soul King, no one can contend with Hell."
"Let's see her performance first. I hope she doesn't lose control, otherwise…"
Kisuke Urahara narrowed his eyes slightly, subtly exhaling a breath, a hint of teasing in his tone:
"Oh my, oh my, how impressive, Vice-Captain Kurotsuchi."
"If this child can truly defeat a Captain within five years, your name will probably be etched into the history of Soul Society forever."
Clap.
Pulling out a fan from who-knows-where, Kisuke Urahara gently fanned himself.
While subtly concealing his true emotions, he continued,
"If you ask me, this child should be handed over to Captain Tsugikuni for training."
"If she can learn even one-tenth of the abilities Captain Tsugikuni possesses, those seasoned Captains might not even be her match."
"A tenfold learning talent cannot be wasted, don't you agree, Mayuri?"
Mayuri Kurotsuchi was still immersed in his excited joy, not yet fully recovered, when he suddenly heard these words and frowned.
His cold gaze fixed on Kisuke Urahara:
"What do you mean by that? Do you think my talent in education is inferior to Yoriichi Tsugikuni's?"
"What a joke! No one understands how to acquire knowledge better than me."
"Or are you, Kisuke Urahara, wary of this child…"
"Eh!" Kisuke Urahara waved his hands repeatedly, "I didn't say that. I quite like this child."
"Those words just now were merely conclusions I drew based on the current situation."
"Currently, Soul Society does not lack researchers."
"With the war against the Wandenreich imminent, the more powerful individuals, the better."
"Don't you think this child is very close to Yoriichi?"
"What if she's close, what if she's not, Kisuke Urahara, don't forget, this child's 'father' has always been me."
Mayuri Kurotsuchi's voice grew colder, his gaze fixed on Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who was studying behind the wall,
"I will never let her out of my sight, whether now or in the future, she is my possession."
These words were overly obsessive, yet this was exactly what Kisuke Urahara was worried about.
He wasn't wary of Nemu Kurotsuchi, but rather…
"Is that so?" Kisuke Urahara chuckled softly, and based on objective facts, reminded him,
"Mayuri, did you forget something?"
"As of now, Nemu's impression of Yoriichi is much deeper than yours."
"Furthermore…" Kisuke Urahara was speaking when his gaze suddenly shifted to a corner.
A man wearing a headscarf, his face concealed, was half-crouching there.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi also noticed him. Although it was their first meeting, his expression couldn't help but change slightly, his eyes filled with apprehension.
"They're here."
Kisuke Urahara recognized the newcomer at a glance, nodded slightly, a hint of undisguised melancholy in his tone,
"As expected, everything that happened here could not escape Captain-Commander Yamamoto's eyes."
"Mayuri, go. They are here for you."
"Explain yourself well, don't resist, don't say anything unnecessary. I don't want to have to pull you out of the Maggot's Nest again."
"I'm no longer part of the Second Division."
Kisuke Urahara's words sounded like a reminder, but to Mayuri Kurotsuchi's ears, they carried a hint of schadenfreude.
His gaze darted rapidly between the Inner Court Squad and Kisuke Urahara, and he subconsciously gritted his teeth:
"You scoundrel, why did these people arrive so quickly? Was all of this within your predictions?"
Mayuri Kurotsuchi was a bit annoyed; he felt he had been played.
Considering their previous conversation, he completely understood Kisuke Urahara's intentions.
It was nothing more than not wanting Mayuri Kurotsuchi to be completely under his control.
As long as he left the Twelfth Division, the education of Nemu Kurotsuchi would be entirely up to Kisuke Urahara…
It's hard to turn black paper white, but to turn white paper black, it's just a matter of words.
Damn it!
How could he accept such a thing?
But…
Nemu Kurotsuchi had no way out.
"Hahaha, what are you talking about? How could I possibly guess the Captain-Commander's thoughts? One can only say that all of this is destined."
Kisuke Urahara used his fan to half-cover his face.
His smile gradually faded as his words changed, and he slowly spoke in a voice only he could hear,
"Besides, I don't believe that our Twelfth Division doesn't have anyone from the Gotei 13."
When he was researching the Hōgyoku, he knew that Yamamoto Genryusai had planted a group of observers in the Twelfth Division.
These observers were no different from ordinary members on a daily basis, hidden extremely deeply.
If he hadn't been the Captain and noticed some clues from the past years' enrollment lists, he truly wouldn't have discovered them.
Now.
Their purpose had arrived.
For this, Kisuke Urahara could only secretly apologize in his heart.
His slightly smiling eyes clearly reflected Mayuri Kurotsuchi's retreating figure as he was forced to leave.
That unwilling voice immediately rang in his ears.
"Kisuke Urahara! You just wait!"
"I…"
Mayuri Kurotsuchi hadn't finished speaking when his voice abruptly cut off as the Inner Court Squad used Shunpo.
Seeing that the outside was empty, Kisuke Urahara put away his fan and let out a sigh of relief:
"It seems walking on the edge of a blade isn't without its advantages. At least, these people's actions were very timely."
"Nemu probably won't be back for a while. I wonder what kind of personality this child, Nemu, has… I hope she hasn't been influenced by Mayuri Kurotsuchi."
Kisuke Urahara, feeling lighthearted, quickly entered the room.
At this moment, Nemu had already finished learning the knowledge from three books.
On average, that was basically one book per minute.
At this rate, it wouldn't take a year for her to be more knowledgeable than the Captain-Commander.
"Amazing."
Kisuke Urahara sincerely praised her.
He approached Nemu Kurotsuchi and, in a gentle tone, softly asked:
"Nemu, now that you've read these books, what are your thoughts?"
Nemu Kurotsuchi was immersed in the ocean of knowledge. Hearing the voice, she came back to her senses. She pondered for a moment, then slowly said:
"It's very good. My thoughts are clearer than ever before. Godfather is different from Father. I probably understand what that feeling just now was."
"This might be what the books refer to as love born from protective instincts, or perhaps, familial affection."
At this moment, Nemu was different from the original plot. Although her appearance was the same, her way of thinking, intelligence, and even abilities were worlds apart.
Seeing this, Kisuke Urahara's face bloomed with a relieved smile:
"Is that so? Good answer. Keep it up. I believe both of them will be proud of you."
"Now I have a task for you, Nemu. Are you confident you can complete it successfully?"
"Yes." Nemu Kurotsuchi replied decisively.
Kisuke Urahara smiled:
"I haven't even told you what the task is yet. Don't be so quick to agree. Finish reading these books first."
"They were all carefully selected for you. I believe that after reading them, you will gain considerable insights."
His tone was pregnant with meaning.
Although Nemu Kurotsuchi was full of anticipation for the task, due to the prerequisite, she could only read all the books one after another.
Clap.
When she put down the last book, the vast knowledge was already deeply ingrained in her mind.
As her gaze shifted, after exhaling softly, even her eyes became incredibly calm.
"I'm ready."
…
Dozens of minutes later, in another room.
Some weapons were displayed inside.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni had just left, only to be called back, and was now a bit helpless.
He looked at Nemu Kurotsuchi directly opposite him, his tone filled with concern:
"Nemu, are you serious? If I remember correctly, you're still young, aren't you?"
"According to Nemu Kurotsuchi, you're only one year old."
"Won't learning my fighting style be too much for you?"
Nemu Kurotsuchi shook her head:
"No, Godfather. I'm only memorizing your movements, not engaging in actual combat."
"These memories will not fade for the next fifty years."
"Mister Urahara said that if I learn your fighting style, I will surely make you and Father proud in the future."
"I want to try."
Hearing this, Yoriichi was silent for a few seconds, then nodded:
"I see. It seems your memory is stronger than I imagined."
"In that case, very well. Of course, I won't refuse my daughter's request."
"But there's one thing you must remember: do not use these techniques to bully the weak."
"These are merely means of self-defense."
"Yes, I understand." Nemu Kurotsuchi's voice was firm and resolute.
Not far away, Kisuke Urahara watched this scene, his anticipation for Nemu Kurotsuchi's upcoming performance growing stronger.
He leaned quietly against the wall, thinking that all the necessary preparations had basically been made.
Next, he just needed to wait for the right moment to subtly instill some things in her.
When Mayuri Kurotsuchi returned, he would surely be greatly surprised, wouldn't he?
Snap—the fan opened, half-covering his face.
No need to thank him.
…
Meanwhile, on the other side, Mayuri Kurotsuchi had no time to worry about what Mayuri Kurotsuchi would become under Kisuke Urahara's modifications.
He gritted his teeth internally, but his expression remained unruffled as he looked at the old man in front of him, adamantly insisting that he had done nothing wrong.
Damn Kisuke Urahara!