Welcome back to another chapter of Ballad of the Strawberry and this is half of an anticipated fight. Mayuri vs Uryu and Mizuiro. Who will win and who will lose? Will either party die? Read here and find out what happens in the end. I give you our feature presentation.
Hey Uryu?" The Quincy looked over his shoulder and pushed up his glasses. The waning sunlight glinting off of his glasses.
"For the last time, I'm not your friend, call me Ishida." Keigo sighed, the Quincy just wasn't going to budge on the subject.
"I'd like to think we're friends but if you want to be stuck up all the time then fine! I don't see what Ichigo saw in you but at least you could tell he wasn't serious when he turned down my friendship!" Keigo turned and started to walk away. Ishida sighed dramatically and turned to his forced partner. He didn't need the teen walking off and getting himself killed. He owed Ichigo that much for stopping the shinigami from killing him. "Why are you following me?"
You and I both know Kurosaki wouldn't be happy if you got yourself killed in his name." Keigo shrugged his shoulders feigning not caring.
"Why do you care what he thinks, you're only here because the shinigami damaged your pride when they beat your ass so hard Ichigo had to save you." Ishida grit his teeth as he sucked up his pride and pressed forward.
"You're irritating." Keigo smirked, knowing Uryu wouldn't be able to see it. He saw through the facade. I got it from Ichigo more than enough to tell when someone was hiding behind excuses. He knew the orange haired teen wasn't studying when he turned down his requests to hang out. He chose to accept it because he trusted Ichigo. He might not show it in the same way that Chad did but he was here for a reason. He wanted to fight alongside his friends and not be left behind. He was glad they all got powers and could fight together, even if some of them were pricks.
"Whatever, just don't get yourself killed trying to protect your pride. I know you've felt the power that some of these guys have." Uryu grit his teeth as he remembered the sharp increase in spiritual power from their destination. It wasn't concerning as Tatsuki was there but he couldn't help but worry for the most volatile of their group.
"Hey you two!" The pair spun around so fast they got slight whiplash. "What squad are you from?" They hadn't been ready for the question with all the arguing they had been doing up to that point. They had even almost forgotten the Shihakusho they had stolen from some unsuspecting shinigami they had run into while on the way here.
"Uh…" Uryu sighed, Keigo was useless, he didn't understand what Kurosaki saw in him. At least he was fast.
"We're from the 4th." Simple and would explain their lack of zanpakuto. If they were healers then it would help them. The shinigami glared at them for a minute as he waved a flask in front of them.
"If you're from the fourth then why are you wearing the 12th division insignia?" The drunk had a point and now they were found, getting into fighting positions was quick for both of them. Before they could attack the shinigami was whacked over the head with a wooden stick. A grinning shinigami appeared behind the fallen drunk.
"Man, he must have been drinking too much. Glad we came here in time, us 12th division members have to stick together." Uryu felt something wrong and took a step back to Keigo's astonishment.
"You're such a pessimist you know that? Always seeing the negative in others, why is it so impossible that these people just want to help out?" Uryu felt a rise in reiatsu from the closest shinigami and quickly grabbed Keigo and zoomed away with a burst of Hirenkyaku.
"Should've seen that one coming." Keigo dusted himself off as the rest of the shinigami in the group, now covered in the bloody mess of their comrade, started to freak out. Uryu sent a death glare at the teen.
"You think?" Said teen simply whined before they saw the rest of the shinigami explode into pieces of charred flesh and limbs. Out of the shadows stood two people. A man wearing a white headdress that had twin points headed to one side with black and white paint covering his face. He wore a modified version of the Shihakusho and a single black nail extension on the end of his left middle finger. The most concerning feature being the white haori that he wore over his uniform. The shinigami beside him was female and wore a band on her arm with the kanji for 12 on it.
"Be careful Asano. This is a Captain and Lieutenant." Keigo pouted without a worry to speak of on his features though his body took the armor as he tensed for battle.
"I know, I was there when we got the brief." His voice never waved and eye contact held with the new additions to the field. "I only slept through half of it." Uryu allowed himself to roll his eyes before they both hardened their features. Uryu cocked an arrow.
"Well, if it isn't the Ryoka. You've been causing quite the commotion. You should have been killed by those fools, what a waste." Uryu narrowed his eyes in distaste. He was so willing to throw away the lives of his subordinates.
"You would kill your own men?" The Captain scoffed. Not receiving an answer put the two on edge. "What is your name Captain?" The Captain in question merely frowned before smiling widely.
"At least you know of my rank but you really shouldn't go invading people unless you know who their strongest fighters are. I am Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Captain of the 12 division and President of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute!" He grinned widely as Keigo and Uryu shared an uneasy look. According to Urahara, this guy was no joke. They had to take him seriously. This is what they had been training for. To fight and subdue a Captain. It was no easy feat but they had to try, this one in particular wouldn't let them go otherwise.
"We cannot allow you to stand before us, we will kill you." Mayuri smirked and widened his arms in an open gesture. The man had confidence, they'd give him that much.
"Silly boy, I have no need for you. I have already completed my research on Quincy's. You may leave and go on to do whatever it is that you wish to do while you are here. One of the others heathens can take care of you, no, I am interested in his ability. Say boy-" Keigo shivered under the scrutiny. "-how did you gain such an interesting ability?" Uryu shared a look with Keigo and they moved as one. Having already fought a battle together they worked in tandem. Keigo would blitz the Captain and Uryu would barrage him with arrows that were hopefully faster than the shinigami could track.
Needless to say, the plan failed. Keigo was grabbed from behind by Nemu and Uryu was trapped in a kido with a wave of Mayuri's sick hands. It was too easy for the shinigami. Turning to face the horrified teen the scientist grinned madly. He had won. Uryu was struggling, that was until he saw a shimmer, something subtle. Something he had only seen once before. Had the fool really done it?
"Now that you have no choice I am going to make you an offer, only 6 modification tests a day, you will be fed twice a day and even get to wear clothes when you are sleeping. This is the best I've ever offered and the fact the choice is yours makes this even better for you. I could just take you back and do what I please but I am a kind man." Uryu smirked as the kido broke and a voice came from behind Mayuri, stilling him before something that looked like fear crossed his eyes for an instant.
"At what point were you under the delusion that I was ever captured?" Keigo stood tall as the afterimage Nemu was holding faded to shimmering nothingness and Mayuri's grin widened impossibly.
"This is interesting, what speed. The amount of people that can move that fast I can name are few. Hehehe. This will be fun but enough moving for you." The scientist drew his zanpakuto from its sheath in the front of his hakama. "Rip, Ashisogi Jizo."