On the third day after the banquet, Setsuna proactively visited the 12th Division's barracks.
Unlike the rough, crude style of the 11th Division, which seemed ready to tear down the building at any moment, the 12th Division's barracks were filled with an atmosphere of 'technology'.
Transparent Reishi isolation walls lined both sides of the corridor. Behind the walls were various oddly shaped experimental devices. The air carried a faint smell of chemicals, and some kind of... hard to describe subtle fluctuation, as if 'life' was being created or decomposed.
"Captain Chise."
Hikifune stood at the entrance of the laboratory, or rather, the kitchen… still wearing her cooking apron.
"I'm in the middle of a stability experiment on Gikon," she smiled. "You've come at the right time. You can witness the entire process firsthand."
Setsuna followed her into the 'laboratory'.
It was a massive space, almost half the size of a football field.
In the center was a circular operating table, on which were dozens of transparent containers. Each container held a Gikon in a different state.
Some were as ethereal as mist. Some flowed like liquid. Some had even begun to take on a preliminary 'life form'.
"The essence of a Gikon is an unformed aggregate of Reishi," Hikifune explained while operating the instruments.
"Through specific Kido formulas, we can temporarily 'condense' the free Reishi in the Seireitei's air, granting it the prototype of 'life'. But this process is highly unstable and usually lasts only three to five minutes."
She pushed a container in front of Setsuna. Inside, a milky white halo was slowly 'breathing'.
"My research aims to extend the existence time of this 'temporary soul'," Hikifune's eyes lit up with the sparkle of a researcher discussing their own field. "At the same time, during this process, I inject the concept of 'deliciousness'." (T/N: Gikon means Temporary Soul.)
Setsuna asked with interest, "How do you inject it?"
"Excellent question." Hikifune took an exquisite jade box from under the operating table and opened the lid. Inside was a row of golden needles as fine as hair.
"Through 'spirit needles', I convert my own Reiatsu into specific 'information' and directly write it into the Gikon's Reishi structure."
"For example, 'sweetness'." Hikifune inserted a golden needle into the halo, her movements as gentle as embroidery. "Not sweetness perceived through taste buds, but 'conceptual' sweetness acting directly on the soul."
The halo began to change.
An indescribable 'sweet fragrance' spread throughout the laboratory, capable of making one forget all worries.
It wasn't a smell… it was a 'sensation' acting directly on the spiritual body.
"Then, 'savoriness'." Hikifune picked up another needle, this time the tip was silver-white. "Each needle is the injection of a 'flavor', the bestowing of a 'concept'."
Setsuna considered himself well-traveled, but directly 'defining' flavor like Hikifune was unheard of.
"Amazing!" Setsuna praised sincerely.
After inserting seven needles consecutively, Hikifune took out the sphere and placed it on a white jade plate. "This is [Seven-Flavor Soul Jewel], my latest achievement. Theoretically, it can enhance the consumer's Reiryoku recovery rate by thirty percent for twelve hours."
For the next few hours, the two engaged in deep culinary exchange.
Setsuna shared his understanding of [Gourmet Cells], that special constitution that evolves by tasting 'deliciousness', that unique perspective of viewing 'food' as an 'information carrier'.
Hikifune detailed various techniques for handling Reishi ingredients, applications of various Kido formulas in cooking, and precautions for various 'concept injections'.
Until the setting sun slanted, bathing the laboratory in a warm golden light, Setsuna casually asked, "Captain Hikifune, has the 12th Division ever developed a drug called [Superhuman Drug]?"
Hikifune was startled. "You've heard of that Superhuman Drug developed by that kid Kurotsuchi Mayuri?"
Setsuna smiled faintly. "I've heard a little."
Hikifune said helplessly, "That kid Kurotsuchi Mayuri indeed has strong research and development abilities, but the things he researches are too dangerous, too extreme. We've now forbidden him from continuing his research."
Hearing that Mayuri was only forbidden from researching now, not thrown into the Maggot's Nest, Setsuna breathed a slight sigh of relief.
"Captain Hikifune, how about letting him go to me?"
"Let him go to you?" Hikifune hesitated considerably. "I have no problem with it, but you must be careful. Although he's not a combat-type talent, if allowed to do whatever he wants, the damage he causes might not be less than that of a Menos Grande."
Setsuna chuckled. "Does our 11th Division lack dangerous individuals? At least in the eyes of the Central 46, no matter how we rank the dangerous individuals in our 11th Division, he wouldn't make the list."
Hikifune felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. But thinking it again, that's true enough.
Compared to Setsuna, Zaraki, and Azashiro, that bit of harm from Mayuri could be completely ignored.
...
12th Division, third basement level, Seventh Laboratory… or more accurately, the 'ruins' of the Seventh Laboratory.
Originally a research space spanning several hundred square meters with complete equipment, it had now become a messy ruin.
The walls were covered with scorched black marks. Fragments of various instruments littered the floor. The air was filled with the pungent smell of chemicals burning.
In the center of the laboratory, Mayuri stood atop a pile of debris. His white research coat was stained with various colored blotches.
"Oh dear, this ratio indeed still isn't quite right." Mayuri stared intently at the strange bubbling purple liquid before him, completely ignoring the angry glares around him.
"Kurotsuchi Mayuri!" The 3rd Seat of the 12th Division stood at the edge of the ruins, his face livid, his voice filled with rage. "Didn't Captain explicitly forbid you from continuing your research?"
Mayuri finally looked up, glanced at him… a gaze as if looking at some lower life form.
He shrugged. "Captain only forbade me from researching the Superhuman Drug. I can research other things, can't I?"
"Other things?" The 3rd Seat pointed at the surrounding chaos. "This is your 'other things'? The Seventh Laboratory is the 12th Division's most important Reishi reaction research facility! Do you know how much budget the repairs will cost? Do you know how much precious data has been destroyed?"
"Precious data?" Mayuri sneered. "Those outdated, conservative, unimaginative things… destroyed is destroyed. True 'preciousness' lies in exploring the unknown, in breaking through boundaries, in..."
His words abruptly stopped as Setsuna and Hikifune appeared at the laboratory entrance.
"Captain!"
"Captain, you've finally come!"
"Kurotsuchi Mayuri blew up the Seventh Laboratory again!"
The researchers flocked around like finding a pillar, complaining in a flurry.
Hikifune raised her hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.
She walked to the center of the ruins and stopped before Mayuri.
"Kurotsuchi Mayuri, from today onwards, you are no longer a member of our 12th Division."
The laboratory fell into dead silence. Even Mayuri was stunned for a moment.
"Captain, you're kicking me out?" Mayuri's voice was low.
"I'm not kicking you out," Hikifune shook her head, her gaze turning to Setsuna. "It's Captain Chikai of the 11th Division. He greatly appreciates your work and 'forcibly' requested you."
She deliberately emphasized the word 'forcibly', as if stressing this was not her intention. But in reality, she was secretly breathing a sigh of relief.
"Hahahaha!" Mayuri laughed heartily, turned around, and looked triumphantly at the surrounding researchers. "See? I knew it. Only a true genius can understand the greatness of my work!"
The 12th Division's researchers' mouths twitched slightly. Though they wanted to retort, they forcibly held back, afraid of scaring Setsuna away.
Only after Setsuna left with Mayuri did they breathe a long sigh of relief as if a weight had been lifted.
"Thank god, this plague has finally left."
"This new 11th Division's Captain is such a good person, saving us from suffering."
"Tsk, I only hope the 11th Division can hold up."