Chapter 43: On the Honor of the Quincy

6 Days before Execution, Seireitei

Well into the night and within a certain plaza of the Seireitei, Shinigami search vigorously, a familiar feminine voice shouting, "No, sir! We couldn't find anyone over there, sir!"

The commanding, mustached Shinigami responds, directing the group towards another area, "All right, good! Go check Higashi-Nijo! These Ryoka are cunning! Don't let them slip past you! Search every nook and cranny!"

The other Shinigami shout back as they leave, "Yes, sir!"

The commanding Shinigami looks over to the one who shouted earlier, "Thanks for the update. Hold on… I don't remember seeing you two before. Are you new?"

The man's gaze shifts to Orihime and Uryu, garbed in Shinigami attire, the girl's hair tied into a bun.

Orihime salutes and responds with a peppy smile, "Yes, sir! I'm Inoue! This is my first term of service! Reporting for duty, sir!"

Uryu frowns, his head tilted somewhat downward, as he states dejectedly, "I'm Ishida… reporting for duty, sir…"

The mustached Shinigami places a hand on his chin as he hums before taking a better look at Orihime, flaring his nostrils, "Not bad…"

Orihime becomes somewhat uncomfortable as the man smiles widely and places a hand on her left shoulder, "How 'bout coming over to my place tonight?"

The orange-haired girl sweat drops in mild confusion, "Excuse me…?"

The man blushes lightly, maintaining his smile, as he continues, "You know who I am, don't you? I'm Toshimori Umesada! I've been selected as one of the fifteen 20th-seat officers in Squad 9 this year! I hate to blow my own horn, but I'm the most successful guy in my class! You won't be sorry…"

Uryu calmly steps between the man and Orihime, causing the Shinigami to furrow his brows in anger, "Hey. What's the idea?"

The Quincy reasons, "With Ryoka on the loose in the Seireitei, and a special wartime exemption issued, a man of your position doesn't have time for that kind of activity, does he?"

The Shinigami growls, "What's that?! Are you lecturing me, boy?!"

Suddenly, the other Shinigami call out to him, "Sir! There's nobody here! What are your orders?!"

The mustached Shinigami, holding Uryu's collar, looks over to the others, "Huh? Um… blast!"

He runs off to the others, shouting back at the Quincy, "I'll remember this! Once this mess is settled, I'll make you pay!"

Orihime pokes her head out from behind Uryu, watching the man leave, as the boy himself sticks his tongue out in disrespect at the Shinigami, "Okay by me. As soon as this mess is settled, I'll be long gone."

The girl then gives the boy an appreciative smile, "Thanks, Uryu!"

Uryu blushes lightly, adjusting his glasses in embarrassment, "That's okay. I just don't like men like that."

Orihime then looks off to her right, wearing quite a satisfied expression, "This plan is working great. I know it was my idea, but I never thought it would go this smoothly. I'm pretty clever!"

The Quincy quietly looks over at the girl before agreeing with her, "Yes, you are…"

1 Hour Ago, Seireitei

Orihime and Uryu hide behind a small hedge along a wall, the Quincy completely baffled, "What?! Steal their uniforms?!"

The Fullbringer shouts quietly at him, "Shh! Keep it down! Not steal, borrow!"

Uryu sweat drops, "What's the difference?"

The girl looks away from the boy slightly, explaining herself, "We look more or less like the Shinigami, except for our clothes. If we dress like them, we can move around unnoticed."

The Quincy attempts to protest, "Yes, but—"

The girl cuts him off as a duo of Shinigami approach, "Shh! Here they come! On three, okay?"

After three seconds, the duo of Ryoka jump out from behind the hedge and assault the Shinigami, knocking them out.

Storage Room, Seireitei

Uryu and Orihime leave the two Shinigami, stripped of their clothes, tied up with their mouths bound, lying behind some crates in the back of the storage room they are currently occupying.

The girl looks down at the black Gi in her hands, before regarding the duo of Shinigami, "I'm sorry. We just need to borrow them."

Uryu stares blankly at the girl before speaking, "You surprised me. You knocked them out so fast. I didn't know you were that strong in close quarters."

Orihime looks back at the boy with a wide, friendly smile, "Really? Tatsuki has been teaching me Karate during our training. She said I was pretty good, too! She said I could even give her a run for her money if I set my mind to it!"

The boy widens his eyes, flinching slightly, "Woah… I'd better remember never to fight her…"

The girl then suddenly begins to take her shirt off, revealing her ample bosom held within her bra, causing the boy's glasses to crack and his eyes to comically shoot out of his head.

The boy awkwardly adjusts his glasses as a bit of blood spurts from his nostrils, waving his hand in front of him, "Orihime! What are you—? WAIT!"

Orihime looks at the boy, somewhat confused, "What?"

After a moment, her eyes widen slightly before she puts her shirt back down and rubs the back of her head sheepishly, "Oh yeah, sorry! You're right. A boy and a girl shouldn't change in the same room. I thought I was with Tatsuki for a second."

Orihime then enthusiastically motions towards a knitted blanket draped over a bar placed on some parallel crates, reading 'Uryu's Fitting Room' with stars, hearts, and various other shapes on it, "Here you go! Go ahead, Uryu!"

Uryu dejectedly walks into his 'Fitting Room' as Orihime hums energetically, "Isn't it supposed to be the other way around…?"

Present, Seireitei

Uryu sits on some stairs, a slight blush of embarrassment on his face as he recalls the memory.

The boy's attention is grabbed as he notices Orihime, a short distance away, writing something in a small notebook, "Okay! We found out the location of the Senzaikyu from those people earlier. The others must all be on their way there right now."

Uryu is silent for a moment before rising from his seat, "We'd better hurry then before the others can screw everything up. They've already shown their incompetence in protecting my cousin once, I won't leave her to them again!"

Orihime's eyes soften as she looks into Uryu's eyes, the worry so evident that her brother's worried face from when he was alive flashes briefly across the boy's features.

The girl then nods with a friendly smile, "Right! We'll save Yuzu!"

The pair walk off, further discussing their plan of blending in, while, unbeknownst to them, the wall next to the stairs Uryu was just sitting on begins to seemingly peel off, revealing the features of Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

Secret Underground Passage, Seireitei

As the trio comprising of the Shiba man, the Xcution Leader, and the Shinigami from Squad 4 make their way through the passageway, the two Ryoka listen intently as the boy explains himself.

Hanataro prefaces, "Right before Miss Kurosaki was transferred to the Senzaikyu, she was held within the Squad 1 Barracks. It is rare for those outside of Squad 1, Captains, and Vice-Captains to go there. But given the potential impending invasion and recent events with the Hollow White, which put us down at least two captains, all combat Squads, including Squad 1, were given explicit orders from the Head Captain himself to prepare for war. Because of this, I ended up with cleaning duty that day…"

The trio take shelter in a small, enclosed area along the wall, seating themselves as the boy continues, "They thought nothing of me, I think. I mean, I'm a weakling from Squad 4 who nobody much likes and apparently forgets about quite easily… So, nobody must've given it a second thought when they let me have access to every room in the Barracks… or maybe they thought I'd be too scared to speak with her. They were right about that, to an extent…"

The boy purses his lower lip, "At first, I was a bit wary of her… I had overheard the frightening rumors about the Quincies from the men of Squad 1… as if they were to be treated with the highest level of caution, or else they would strike us down when we had our backs turned…"

Hanataro looks to the ground, "But…"

Ganju raises a brow as Ginjo remains silent, "But what?"

The boy smiles somewhat distantly, "As soon as I called her Miss Kurosaki, she corrected me… she told me to call her Yuzu… her smile was so pure… like that of an angel… I wondered, 'How could such an evil creature emit such warmth?' Somewhere in the back of my mind, I recalled how the Quincies were allegedly deceitful, but that thought was washed away as soon as she began to speak of her family…"

Hanataro closes his eyes, a frown on his face, "I could tell when she spoke of them… she spoke from the heart… she told me, 'So long as my dad and Karin are alright, they can do whatever they want with me.'"

Ginjo and Ganju widen their eyes and grit their teeth in anger, realizing what the girl must be going through right now.

The boy continues, trembling as well, however more out of sadness and despair, "She is so young… yet she is so kind, selfless, and brave… I can't imagine what she would've had to have gone through up to that point to think like that… knowing that I was powerless to save her, she told me all of that anyway. That tells me she is proof that the rumors about the Quincies are false… so I don't understand…"

Hanataro grits his teeth in frustration and confusion, "Why are they putting a little girl like her to death?!"

Ginjo's frown deepens, "Now that's the question, isn't it…?"

The boy looks up, recoiling under the vicious expressions of the men.

Ganju cracks his fist, "Thanks for telling us that, little guy. I'm suddenly feeling a second wind."

The Fullbringer narrows his eyes as he grips the hilt of his sword, "Yeah… it doesn't matter who we have to take down… we'll save her, no matter what…"

Hanataro stares with widened eyes at the men before him, their blood-lusted auras causing him to gulp.

Elsewhere, Seireitei

Orihime and Uryu continue to traverse the Seireitei, the Quincy looking over at the girl, "So you're saying you can not only protect and attack but heal too?! You must've won the lottery of all Fullbrings!"

The girl smiles in appreciation, "Thanks! Tatsuki said something similar a while back, but I'm just honestly happy to be able to support my friends!"

Orihime then looks off distantly, "That's why I'm so worried about Chad… no one else in the group comes close to being able to heal like me…"

The girl narrows her eyes as she recalls the words of a certain man, specializing in barrier spells, 'It is reassuring to know that your group will have such a talented healer on their side… you will have to watch out for everyone else, their lives will be in your hands.'

Uryu notices Orihime's look of dismay before trying to comfort her, "I told you that you shouldn't worry about Sado. He's the toughest guy we know. Besides, I felt his opponent go down first. We just have to trust that he made it out of there alive—there's nothing more we can do for him right now."

Orihime nods at the boy, wearing an appreciative smile, "Thanks Uryu…"

Uryu widens his eyes slightly as Yuzu's smiling face briefly covers Orihime's features, causing him to look away, furrowing his brows, "Why do they have to be so similar… now I feel like a jerk for what I said about her brother, even though I know I'm right…"

The orange-haired girl meanwhile tilts her head in slight confusion, wondering why the Quincy appears troubled.

Just then, a voice calls out to them from behind, prompting them to skid to a halt, "Hey! You two!"

The duo turn to regard a mustached Shinigami with slicked back hair holding a bota bag, "What Squad are you in? And what are you doing here?"

The Ryoka respond promptly, "We're in Squad 11."

The man raises a brow, "Really?

He tosses the bota bag to the side, beginning to approach them, "That's funny. I'm with Squad 11 too. We're a combat unit. Who in the 11th Squad would be stupid enough to walk around without a Zanpakuto?"

Uryu furrows his brows, cursing internally, "I blew it! I didn't realize the Squads specialized!"

The man suddenly grabs Orihime by the collar of her Gi, snapping the Quincy out of his thoughts, as he eyes a patch sewn into the inside, "This is Squad 12's emblem… not Squad 11's. But then, you wouldn't know that."

The man glares at the pair of Ryoka, "Who are you, really?"

Uryu scowls, anticipating an incoming fight, "Aw well, so much for blending in."

Before a fight can break out, the Shinigami is whacked on the head from behind by a wooden stick, sending him to the ground unconscious.

A group of Shinigami appear behind the dropped man, smiling at the duo, "That was close! Are you two alright?"

Another comments, "Looks like the guy's drunk."

The one who whacked the Shinigami in the head groans, "The nerve! Accusing fellow Shinigami? What an oaf. You guys can go ahead and give him a good kick."

Orihime smiles at the man in appreciation, "Thank you!"

The Shinigami with the stick waves her off, "Oh… it's the least I could do. Squad 12 looks out for its own, right?"

Another Shinigami behind him comments, disgusted, "These guys from Squad 11 are always trying to start trouble with us. The clods. Anyone could forget his sword!"

Uryu stares at the group, who are now chatting it up with Orihime, having a bad feeling, "Wait a second. This isn't right. Something's wrong. He may have been drunk, but he had a good point. We said we belonged to Squad 11, but we're wearing the emblems of Squad 12. That's obviously suspicious. So why help us?"

The Quincy's face pales before he shouts, "O-ORIHIME! GET AWAY FROM THEM!"

Just as Uryu says this, the man who whacked the Shinigami in the head earlier explodes, his guts flying all over the others.

The other three Shinigami scream in fear as they run towards the one responsible, one of them shouting out, "W-wait! Captain! This isn't what you said we'd do—!"

The remaining three Shinigami promptly explode as well, leaving four trails of smoke leading to the sky.

Mayuri, a short distance down the road, stares passively at the sight while holding a pen-shaped device with a button on it, "It can't be helped. Once a grenade is thrown, it shouldn't come flying back."

Nemu, meanwhile, stands shortly behind the captain, staring emotionlessly at the carnage.

As the dust settles, Mayuri widens his eyes to find an unphased, bright orange, triangular energy shield, which leaves Uryu, Orihime, and the guy from Squad 11 completely unharmed.

Orihime trembles on her hands and knees while Uryu stands somewhat protectively over her, "Thanks. If you hadn't called me… I…"

Uryu exhales, his face looking relieved, "I'm just glad that you reacted in time…"

The girl continues trembling, "What about the other three people?"

The boy states matter-of-factly, "They're dead. But don't worry about them."

Orihime's shield then retracts, her hairpins returning to their normal state.

Uryu immediately turns around, glaring at the captain behind him, "Right now, you should just worry about yourself!"

Mayuri's eye twitches in interest, "What a fascinating move! The shield… is the girl behind you responsible for making it?!"

The Quincy stares coldly at the Shinigami, "I'm not in the mood for conversation."

The scientist continues despite the boy's obvious show of disinterest, "Marvelous! I've never seen such a thing! You, girl! How would you like to be my research subject?"

Uryu barks at the captain, "That's enough! We're not making any deals with you!"

Mayuri proceeds, ignoring the boy's protests, "I'll make it worth your while. Don't be afraid. I'm kind to women."

The guy from Squad 11 lays on the ground in front of Orihime, his expression shifting to one of confusion as he looks up at her tear-filled, frustrated face, "Wha-what the…? Why is she crying? Is she scared? No, that's not it. She could've just hid inside her shield. She didn't have to jump into the line of fire like that to save me… then why is she crying for dead Shinigami? Why'd she save me, anyway? I'm her enemy! Why would she save me?! I don't get it…!"

Mayuri suddenly holds his hands in front of him, as if trying to make the Quincy understand how 'reasonable' he's being, "I know! I'll offer the best possible terms! I'll restrict the daily drug regime to eight doses, and only five hours of biomechanical experiments! You'll be fed orally! And you'll be given clothing when you sleep! And I'll try hard not to perform any modifications that might kill you! What do you say?! These are exceptional terms for a research subject!"

The scientist suddenly shifts his attention to his left, regarding Uryu who now has his bow, with a Reishi arrow drawn, pointed at his face.

The captain narrows his eyes, glancing back at the spot in front of Orihime with traces of dust in the air before shifting his gaze back to the boy, "He's fast."

The man regards Uryu, humming, "A Quincy… huh? I should've known."

Uryu raises a brow as the scientist elaborates, "I had heard that you were related to the prisoner… what was her name again… Kurosaki? Yes. Is this true, Quincy?"

The boy grits his teeth, hissing at the scientist, "If you laid so much as a finger on her, I'll—"

Mayuri shakes his head, lamenting, "Sadly, I have been forbidden from experimenting on her. But you, on the other hand, are a different story. You can see why I wish to confirm your blood relation."

Uryu scowls, "I'm afraid the only blood connection we share is being the last of the Quincy…"

The scientist's hands fall to his sides before he sighs in disappointment, "I see… in that case, I have no reason to study you. You see, I've already conducted extensive research on your species, so if you are saying that you are not a hybrid like her, then I'm afraid you'd simply be a waste of my time."

The Quincy widens his eyes in slight horror, "Y-you've what…? 'Conducted extensive research'? 'No reason to study'? What do you mean? Who are you?!"

Mayuri eyes the boy curiously before humming, "Do Ryoka not study their enemy first before invading? How foolish. I would think you'd at least know what the captains look like!"

Uryu's heart sinks when he feels Reiatsu rain down on him as Mayuri continues, "I am the captain of Squad 12, Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Also known as the Chief of Research and Development. But you can forget that because soon, you won't know anything."

The Ryoka buckle under the captain's Reiatsu, prompting Uryu to shout to the girl, "Orihime! RUN! NOW!"

Orihime rises to her feet, desperately protesting, "But… No! I want to fight too!"

The boy widens his eyes, the scene of a betrayed and hurt Yuzu coming to the forefront of his thoughts, 'I understand, Uncle… if that's how things are going to be…'

The Quincy quickly shakes his head, ridding his thoughts of his cousin as the girl continues, reasoning, "If you get badly hurt, who's going to help you?!"

Uryu narrows his eyes, "Having observed her over the past few days, it's clear she detests seeing people get hurt, even her enemies. Battles aren't good for her, especially one like this. Despite that, she still wants to fight…? Her training with those Shinigami might have prepared her for something like this…"

The Quincy furrows his brows as he is left conflicted, "Should… should I let her help…? I don't doubt that we could take him on together…"

The boy then notices the Shinigami from Squad 11 beginning to tiptoe away, giving him an idea, "Hey, you! Squad 11 guy!"

The Shinigami flinches, slowly glancing at the boy, who continues, "You owe that girl your life! The least you could do is stay here and fight with us. Your Squad likes to fight, right?"

The Shinigami retorts, "You think I'm crazy?! I don't have a death wish! Also, my name is Makizo Aramaki!"

Uryu stares coldly at him, "I don't care what your name is, if you so much as turn your back and try to run, I will point my bow away from this guy and shoot you instead!"

Makizo flinches fearfully, "Uh… uh…"

Orihime, meanwhile, wipes her eyes of any remaining tears, steeling her expression as she broadens her stance, preparing for battle.

Uryu, seeing the look on her face, can no longer deny her, "I'll leave the woman behind him to you two."

Orihime nods while the Shinigami trembles, still not on board with the plan.

Mayuri chuckles, "So you want the shield girl and an unseated Shinigami to battle my Vice-Captain? Interesting. If nothing else, it will be a good opportunity to observe her powers further. All I need to do is kill you quickly and I shall be free to observe her fight. NEMU!"

The woman behind him nods, starting to walk past the captain, "Yes, Master Mayuri."

The scientist turns to regard the Quincy, but widens his eyes, narrowly avoiding an incoming arrow by shifting his head to the side. Uryu shoots another arrow at the captain, forcing him to sidestep to the left. The captain looks to Uryu in surprise to find him not there anymore as another blue arrow comes down at him from behind. The boy, standing atop the wall lining the street, looks down at the dust created by his work.

Uryu widens his eyes in shock, however, as a voice speaks to him from his left, "Not bad. You move well."

The boy looks at Mayuri in shock, as the scientist continues, "What you did earlier, and now this. It was Hirenkyaku, wasn't it? Moving at high speed by creating a current of spiritual energy beneath your feet. That's an advanced Quincy technique, is it not? Its speed even rivals that of the Shinigami's Flash Step. I'm surprised that a fellow of your age has mastered it. You're good. You must be quite talented."

Uryu winces, "I didn't see him move… when did he…?"

Mayuri's eyes seem to light up, realizing something, "Oh! Tell me, which of you is faster? Kurosaki or yourself?"

The Quincy grits his teeth, "I'm not telling you a damned thing!"

The captain becomes excited, "Oh, so you do know?! I was under the impression that you had very little to do with her training. Based on the interrogation, she was trained under those other two Quincies… are they here as well?"

The boy widens his eyes in mild horror, "Other… two…? How do you…?"

Mayuri elaborates, "It took quite a bit of digging and persuasion to allow that old man to grant me access to the files pertaining to the interrogation of the Kurosaki girl… their names were… hmm, I don't recall. They weren't exactly important, but I'm sure you know who I am talking about. They're women if that helps."

Uryu can't help but tremble in rage as the captain prattles on, "No… I'm afraid she lied to you… Yuzu and I are the only two Quincies…"

The scientist tilts his head, somewhat confused, "Do not worry. I'm not one of those Shinigami who fear your kind and would needlessly butcher them. In fact, I was thinking about letting you live and capturing the lot of you—and I wouldn't even use you as research subjects. No. That would come later after you breed."

The Quincy has heard more than enough, an arrow firing from his bow as his face relays not but wrath.

The Shinigami disappears with a flash, evading the blow, before reappearing behind Uryu, continuing as if nothing happened, "If you don't like that option, then there is the much more painful route of dragging your dying body before Isshin Shiba… perhaps seeing his nephew in such a state will make him want to talk."

Mayuri hums briefly before drawing his Zanpakuto from the middle of his belt, "Yes. I think that would be the most time-efficient option, at this stage. You shall feel the most pain you can possibly imagine before you finally die, boy."

The captain hisses darkly, "Tear him up, Ashisogi Jizo."

The man's sword turns into a three-pronged, bladed weapon, not unlike the head of a trident, with a face in the middle with closed eyes and mouth, leaking some kind of purple haze into the air. Uryu doesn't falter, however, far too angry to be phased by something like a Shikai release, as he charges another arrow in his bow.

Orihime (and Makizo) vs Nemu

Makizo's legs shake back and forth in fear as he stares at the approaching Nemu. He shifts between the woman and Orihime with his sword drawn, which also visually trembles in his grasp.

The Shinigami somehow manages to steel himself somewhat, "Y-you won't touch the girl—"

"You're in the way.", Nemu states emotionlessly, before ordering, "…move."

Makizo flinches before growling lowly, "You Squad 12 punks can't boss me—"

Before the man can finish, Nemu closes the distance between them, immediately kicking him in the head and sending him into the nearby wall, causing a small crater in the wall and knocking him out instantly.

Orihime widens her eyes in shock at the sight, taken aback by the cold brutality, "Sh-she took him out with one kick!"

The woman slowly lowers her foot before eyeing the Fullbringer intently.

The orange-haired girl steels herself as she is once more under the other female's gaze, "I'll have to use everything I have to fight her… I hate that I might end up hurting her, but this is for Yuzu… I can't hold back for my own selfish ideals when her life is on the line!"

The Fullbringer narrows her eyes, analyzing how best to approach the Shinigami woman, "That said, she's clearly an advanced close-quarters fighter—she might even be better than Tatsuki… I probably shouldn't rely on Tsubaki to attack… Baigon, Hinagiku, Lily; you're up!"

Nemu raises her right leg, sending a kick at Orihime, but three of the pedals on the girl's hairpins light up before forming around her left leg, creating a barrier that reinforces it, as she counters the Shinigami with a kick of her own. Nemu's face remains emotionless as the two's legs lock in a clash against each other.

While the orange-haired girl's face is mostly passive, mentally she is freaking out, "T-thank goodness that worked! If it didn't, my leg would be a goner…!"

Orihime returns from her thoughts as Nemu briefly disengages, causing the girl to stumble forward somewhat. The Shinigami pivots on her right foot before sending a roundhouse kick from her left foot at the orange-haired teen. Orihime sees the attack coming, however, is unable to mentally urge her shield to block it, so winces as the kick draws near. A fourth hairpin lights up before shooting off at the woman violently, which causes Nemu to force her body to spin mid-air, before rearing her right foot at it, kicking it back at Orihime, who catches it.

The girl cries, "Tsubaki?! Why—"

The Ninja-looking winged creature, now looking worse for wear, snaps at the girl, "What are you doing?! You can't do karate moves and use us at the same time!"

Orihime pouts, "But… how am I supposed to fight her? She's faster and stronger than you, Tsubaki!"

The Ninja winces, his pride seemingly trampled on, "Well… Uh… Lily!"

Nemu lands on the ground, eyeing Orihime seemingly conversing with the air curiously.

Lily begins speaking with the girl now, "Here's the deal—you've been using us for quite a while now, and training with that barrier guy really helped your fundamental understanding in that area of your powers."

The girl furrows her brows, "I know. What about it?"

Lily smirks, "Well, I'm not going to brag or anything, but at your current level, you don't even need to think to use us for us to come out! All you need to know, even on an instinctual level, is where you need a shield and when."

Orihime tilts her head, still not quite getting it, "Uh… I don't…"

Tsubaki growls, "Oh for the love of—LOOK! You just focus on knocking that girl's lights out and we'll handle the rest, got it?!"

The girl widens her eyes before smiling, "Okay!"

Orihime looks over at Nemu once more but deadpans at what she sees.

The woman hastily writes in a notebook nodding to herself as she mutters, "Master Mayuri will want to know that…"

The orange-haired girl raises a brow, "Um…"

Nemu regards the girl once more with a blank expression, asking in a monotone, "Excuse me, but could you tell me what or who this Tsubaki is? My captain will want to know for his research."

Orihime begins to respond, "Well, it's like…"

The girl pauses before frowning and furrowing her brow, "Wait… I shouldn't be telling her anything! She…"

Orihime genuinely scowls at the Shinigami, a rare sight from her indeed, "I'm not telling you or him anything! You two killed your friends! You'll just use that information to hurt others, and I won't have it!"

Nemu places her notebook and pen back in her pocket, "That means you wish to proceed fighting?"

The orange-haired girl frowns, "Well, I don't really want to fight at all, to be honest…"

The Shinigami tilts her head to the side, questioningly, "Don't worry. I will leave you alive and intact—Master Mayuri will still need to examine you, after all."

Orihime shivers but quickly recovers as Nemu charges, jumps in the air, and brings her right foot down for an axe kick. The kick is immediately blocked by a triangular shield, underneath which Orihime soon disappears with a green flash.

Nemu widens her eyes slightly at the sight, "Green…? That isn't Flash Step or Hirenkyaku!"

The Shinigami woman is brought from her thoughts as the shield soon shoots a bright beam of light at her—Tsubaki. She quickly dodges and makes to kick it again, before gasping slightly as she just now notices Orihime rearing a kick of her own, in the woman's previous blind spot. Nemu can't react in time as the orange-haired girl slams a kick into her torso, causing her to cough before being sent flying back a distance.

Before landing on the ground, Nemu orients her body to land on her feet, regaining her bearings. She eyes Orihime blankly, seeing small, flying winged objects occupying the air around the girl, who stares back at her defiantly.

Orihime declares, "You fight by yourself, but I am fighting with a group! You can't win!"

Nemu raises a brow, "What do you mean…?"

The Ryoka girl frowns slightly, "I told you; I'm not telling!"

The Shinigami stares blankly at her, stating, "Very well…"

Nemu then rushes at the girl once more, striking at her with her hands this time. Orihime narrowly dodges the right hook, before blocking the left with a shield, causing Nemu to bounce off slightly. The orange-haired girl drops herself to the ground, sending her leg in for a sweep at the Vice-Captain's ankles. However, Nemu evades this by jumping slightly into the air, allowing the girl's leg to fly across the ground under her. Unexpectedly, however, Orihime grabs the ground beneath her head before holding her body upright and continuing her momentum by performing a flurry of upside-down spinning kicks, slamming into the woman's side. Nemu grits her teeth through the pain before she grabs ahold of Orihime's leg, swinging the girl in a circle before sending her crashing against the side of the wall.

Orihime struggles to pick herself up from the rubble as blood trickles down from the back of her head. Nemu approaches quickly, jumping into the sky before coming down at the girl with both feet pointed downward, intent on landing a final blow. A triangular barrier quickly forms between the woman and the girl, but surprisingly, the woman shifts her body to the side, sending her crashing to the ground right next to Orihime, who stares wide-eyed at the woman, who surprisingly seems unphased.

The girl gasps as the Shinigami immediately grabs her face in a vice grip, holding her in the air, "My calculations were correct… it seems your shield only appears when you have time to perceive incoming danger…"

Uryu calls out from his battle, "O-Orihime!"

The boy is forced to remain on the rooftop, however, as Mayuri sends a bout of purple haze at him, forcing him to evade.

Nemu then promptly jabs Orihime in the stomach before bending her finger inwards, causing a crack sound. The orange-haired girl's muffled screams cry out as blood spurts from her mouth and tears stream furiously down her cheeks.

Nemu removes her hand and narrows her eyes as she observes a miniature shield appear in the wounded area, "It responds to the area of most pain… in that case…"

The woman brings her hand back, taking Orihime with it, before slamming the girl's entire body harshly against the wall, sending debris across the street. Orihime's body twitches slightly before the shield forms around her whole body, helping her regain her consciousness.

Nemu eyes the bottom corner of the shield, "Then in this location… it should be weak."

Orihime widens her eyes in horror as Nemu suddenly slams her foot down at the corner, crushing something under it, prompting the shield to shatter, "B-Baigon! No!"

Just then, an intense light orange light, much faster than before, pierces Nemu through her right bicep, a sign of Tsubaki's fury. The Shinigami winces before she releases her hold on the Fullbringer due to the pain.

In her momentary disorientation, Orihime grabs the woman by the collar, causing her to instinctively flinch as the girl mutters, "I won't forgive you… no matter your reasons… I won't!"

The orange-haired girl tilts her head back slightly, causing Nemu to raise a confused brow, "What's she doing…?"

Orihime then promptly, with gritted teeth, slams her forehead harshly against Nemu's, causing the Shinigami's eyes to slightly pop out of her head, somewhat comically, as well as blood to trickle from her forehead in the aftermath. Orihime lets go of Nemu's collar, a dark bruise appearing on her own forehead, as there is still a blazing fire in her eyes.

As Nemu staggers, her thoughts are panicked, "She's just a human… how… how did my enhanced body take more damage than hers?! How thick of a head does she have?!"

The Fullbringer cries a battle cry as she spins on her right foot, spinning her body around and continuously building up momentum for a roundhouse kick. Tsubaki rushes to her side, pushing against her left foot, further increasing the momentum and potency of the attack. The girl's spins continue to speed up even more as her foot starts to become engulfed in green flames—a sign of her Bringer's Light being used to increase the speed as well.

Nemu widens her eyes slowly before Orihime's now flaming green foot slams into the side of her face with such intensity that it practically warps in slow motion before the Shinigami is sent crashing through the nearby wall, causing it to crumble. Like the captain of Squad 7 before her, Nemu lies on the ground, twitching and with pupil-less eyes, clearly unconscious.

The girl breathes heavily, her both of her feet completely scorched due to the friction from Bringer's Light, before falling on her hands and knees, crawling towards where Nemu slammed her foot earlier. In both of her hands, she retrieves Baigon, staring down sadly at him as the five others fly above her.

The girl then looks over towards Uryu and the captain, her face and body beaten and battered, before she smiles, giving a weak thumbs-up and uttering softly, "You can… stop worrying about me now… Uryu… go all out… and beat him…"

Uryu vs Mayuri

Uryu dodges another bout of the scientist's purple haze, before glancing over knowingly as he makes eye contact with Orihime, who casts a two-point shield over her body, healing it, "Thank you, Orihime… and good job."

Mayuri glances over at the girl, "So she defeated Nemu, did she? Impressive. Most impressive—?!"

The captain widens his eyes as Uryu jumps into the sky, turning his body upside down and pointing his bow at him. Mayuri hisses as he swings his sword at the Quincy, again sending toxic haze his way.

The Quincy this time does not dodge, instead draws his bow back, uttering, "Licht Regen."

What follows is a massive barrage of arrows that rain down on the captain, piecing through his haze easily and leveling the walls along the street below. Uryu remains in the air, confirming the attack missed Orihime as he watches the dust settle.

The boy's eyes widen as he watches an unnatural, segmented white arm come out of the dust towards the Fullbringer. The Quincy, with expert marksmanship, accurately calculates the necessary trajectory as he launches an arrow at the hand, instantly vaporizing it. Uryu then uses Hirenkyaku to reappear on the ground, in front of Orihime.

As the dust clears, Uryu narrows his eyes as he watches Mayuri inject a drug into the stump that used to be his left arm before a new one sprouts from it in a sickly, unnatural manner. The scientist pulls some kind of button from his coat, pressing it. This makes the Quincy raise a brow, as in his eyes nothing happened, but unbeknownst to him, it causes Nemu's body, behind him and out of sight, to spasm, before the woman slowly and unnaturally starts getting up.

Mayuri puts the button back before raising his golden Shikai to his right and charging at Uryu, purple haze trailing behind him. The Quincy decides to put the issue of the button on hold as he readies another arrow on his bow. He prepares to fire but pauses as the battered and bloodied form of Nemu suddenly appears between himself and the captain, her eyes looking crazed.

Uryu widens his eyes in shock, "B-but Orihime just knocked her out! How can she—"

That train of thought halts abruptly as the woman firmly grabs ahold of the Reishi arrow in her right hand, causing it to start burning, before grabbing the boy by the collar in her other hand and promptly slamming his body to the ground, holding it in place.

Uryu gasps, "L-let go!"

The boy widens his eyes as he sees Mayuri continuing his approach, bringing his sword down to cut through both the Vice-Captain and the Quincy. Uryu winces as Nemu starts breathing even more heavily, her hands falling to the boy's sides. All the while, the battered form of Orihime watches the scene play out before her in horror. Mayuri's eyes narrow as he looks down at Nemu before he quickly and viciously kicks her in the stomach, sending her crashing against the wall opposite of Orihime.

The woman starts coughing wildly in pain as Mayuri rebukes her with his words, "I taught you never to let go, even if your arms were torn off!"

Nemu struggles to push herself up from the ground, although still on her hands and knees, responding with haggard breaths, "I… I'm sorry, sir…"

Mayuri grunts, "Forget it. I wasn't expecting much from you anyway. Besides…"

The scientist holds his sword out in front of him, grinning madly, "…at this point, it'll be as easy as strangling a newborn."

Uryu frowns as he sits on the ground near Orihime, who is too taken aback to move. The boy tries to move himself but widens his eyes in horror as he realizes he is unable to.

Mayuri lords over Uryu confidently, "Look at you sweat. It must hurt quite a bit. But you're not screaming. I'm impressed. You must have quite the high pain tolerance. Is this your first time getting stabbed?"

The Quincy narrows his eyes as he recalls being run through the chest by a certain horned Hollow, "It's the second!"

The scientist glares at the Quincy, humming lightly, "Well, now you have a wealth of experience."

The captain raises his Shikai, preparing to deliver another blow before pausing as Nemu continues coughing from behind. He turns to regard the woman, who coils into a ball due to the pain.

Mayuri clicks his tongue, "Would you be quiet?"

Nemu coughs before sputtering out her words between further coughs, "I… I'm sorry… Captain Kurotsuchi… please give me some Hojiku-Zai healing medicine. I think my lungs are damaged… I can't maintain… my vital functions…"

The scientist glares at the woman before marching over and slamming his foot into her wounded gut again, causing her to spit up blood and howl in pain.

Both Uryu and Orihime flinch at the sight, "W-what?!"

Mayuri continues to kick the downed woman as he rants, "Who… do you… think… you're talking to?! WELL?! Do you think… your body… would break that easily?!"

Orihime begins crying helplessly at the sight as Uryu decides he's had enough, "Stop! What're you doing?! Isn't she one of you?! You're killing her!"

As Mayuri holds Nemu up by the hair, he glares back at the Quincy in annoyance, "Are you mocking me too?! Do you think she'd die from this?! You think that these little, not even mortal, wounds could kill her?! I created this body myself! Well, I won't be laughed at!"

Uryu's eyes widen, his mouth hanging open, "You… created her?"

The scientist huffs, "That's right. Do you want to know her name? It's Nemu Kurotsuchi. She's the result of my experiments with Gigai and Gikon. In other words, she is my daughter."

The Quincy stares helplessly as Orihime cries out in fury, "You treat your family like that, too?! You're the lowest of the low—pure evil!"

Mayuri frowns, clicking his tongue, "Research subjects like you should keep quiet! The amount of pain I will subject you to will only increase! And besides, it's none of your business how I treat my daughter!"

Orihime recoils as Mayuri cruelly slams Nemu's head against the side of the wall, causing it to bleed further.

Uryu snaps, "STOP!"

The boy widens his eyes as he is forced to recall that he's been paralyzed.

The scientist discards Nemu before approaching the Quincy once more, "Ah, yes. I'm sure you've noticed by now that you are unable to so much as lift a finger. Allow me to explain: my Ashisogi Jizo immobilizes its victim."

Uryu clicks his tongue, "So that's it… some kind of paralyzing poison!"

The captain levels his blade directly in front of Uryu's face, causing his eyes to widen, "Please… it's nothing so vulgar. You see, it selectively blocks only the neural impulses involved in movement. It synthesizes a very complex drug. It's not normal paralysis. You only lose the ability to move. In other words…"

Mayuri runs his sword through Uryu's left arm, causing him to scream in pain.

The scientist grins, evilly, "…you'll feel every last bit of pain."

The madman continues to stab Uryu in various locations, working to increase the volume of his pain. Orihime cries at the sight, desperately starting to pull herself up from the ground.

Mayuri pauses as he notices this, raising his left hand and uttering, "Bakudo Number 4: Hainawa."

Suddenly, a bright yellow rope of Reishi shoots from the captain's hand before quickly wrapping around and binding Orihime's arms, completely halting her movements.

Mayuri tilts his head back, away from Uryu, grunting, "Anyway… compared to a woman's screams, a man's… lacks charm."

The scientist turns away from the boy and begins walking back toward Nemu, "Nemu! Get up! You're going to carry him so that I can drop him before that fool, Isshin Shiba!"

There is no response, prompting the captain to cock his head to the side, "Oh… that's right. I cut you with Ashisogi Jizo too."

Mayuri brutally slams his foot into the woman's gut once more, "YOU WORTHLESS MAGGOT!"

Uryu hisses at the man from behind, "Stop."

The captain glances back at the Quincy uncaringly, "What…?"

The Quincy grits his teeth, angrily, "I told you… to stop."

Mayuri scoffs, now fully turning towards the boy, "Haven't you had enough? Or are you just that much of a fool? You feel pity for a woman, even though she is your enemy?! I thought your kind HATED us?! Or is this… is this the Honor that you Quincies are so proud of?"

Uryu narrows his eyes, "What…?"

Mayuri stares blankly at the boy, "It must really mean a lot to you because each and every one of you speak of it when you are on death's door."

The Quincy trembles, "What are you talking about?!"

The scientist smirks evilly, "I told you. I've conducted extensive research on your kind. I applied all manner of stimuli to their minds and bodies and observed their responses! I drilled holes into their skulls while they were still alive! I made them burn their own children! I vivisected them and crushed them! I studied them until they were nothing but pulp! And every single one of them said at some point that on their Honor as Quincies, they couldn't do such and such! On their Honor as Quincies, they would stop me! You're all so annoying!"

Uryu's eyes widen as he takes this in. Orihime, meanwhile, continues to cry, her body completely trembling upon hearing this man admit so openly to all of the atrocities he's committed.

Mayuri raises his Shikai in front of his face, eyeing it dubiously, "One stab from this will make all words of resistance meaningless."

The Quincy gnashes his teeth, "You scumbag…"

The captain waves his hand defensively, "Now calm down. This is where I tell you about my hardship. It was really difficult work. When I became Chief of Research and Development, Quincies were already a rare species. Shinigami were monitoring the few that were left. So, I had to persuade the Shinigami assigned to them to delay their rescue. Then I turned the Quincy souls that they brought back into research subjects. Do you have any idea how hard it was to arrange all of this?"

Uryu gasps in shock, "Wh-what… huh…?"

The captain fiddles through his coat, pulling out two pictures, "Come to think of it, the reason I stopped my studies was because the Quincies were essentially narrowed down to less than a handful. At a certain point, I realized it was no longer worth the effort of hunting them down to research. The last one I planned to study was a woman… seven years or so ago to you in the World of the Living. They couldn't retrieve the soul, as the Hollow ate it too quickly, but here's a picture of the corpse."

Mayuri tosses the first picture coldly before Uryu, who widens his eyes in complete bafflement, finding it housing a woman with long, wavy, dirty blond hair tied in a ponytail, lying on her chest in a pool of her own blood. A boy in a yellow raincoat with bright orange hair lays unconscious on top of her.

The boy gasps in disbelief, "T-that's…!"

The scientist continues, "Anyway, the last one I did study was a nasty old man. He kept calling out the name of a student, or maybe a grandchild. It was disgraceful."

Uryu flinches at this, his eyes still wide in disbelief.

Mayuri callously tosses the second photo to the ground, landing atop the first one, "Would you like to see a picture of him too? This photo was taken after I conducted my experiments. There's not much left of his original form."

Uryu fully takes in the picture—an old man with a gray mustache and a receding hairline. Scars, blood, and bruises litter his body. There are also quite a few unnatural-looking bumps in various locations, secreting a purple fluid—definitely not blood.

The scientist turns away from the boy, beginning to fiddle with his right ear, "Now, what was that student's name? Ah well. I tend to lose interest with my subjects after my experiments are over—"

The area behind the captain erupts in a bright blue light, causing him to turn to regard it, "What?!"

Uryu slams his foot on the ground as he stands, "I'll tell you… his student's name. It was Uryu. Uryu Ishida."

The air around the Quincy's body glows a furious blue as strands of string-like Reishi come from his limbs, his left hand holding both photos, "The woman's name… was Masaki Kurosaki—she was my aunt and Yuzu's mother."

Mayuri furrows his brows, "Blast! To think I missed such an exquisite catch! I could've told them to at least strike down the boy and bring his soul to me…!"

Orihime widens her eyes, horrified at the reveal, as tears continue to fall in surplus, "No…!"

Uryu continues, still clutching to the photos, "As for the man… his name was Soken Ishida. He was my teacher and my grandfather."

The captain looks comparatively disinterested at this, "Oh? So what?"

Uryu glares darkly at the man, "Look away, Orihime… you won't want to see what I'm about to do…"

The girl hiccups as she cries before shutting her eyes closed and looking away.

The Quincy continues, with not but vengeful wrath, "On My Honor as a Quincy, I'm going to kill you."

Uryu's Past

A much smaller, younger Uryu sits atop a rooftop in Karakura Town, across from a small old man with a gray mustache, a receding hairline, and glasses. He also wears a unique white cape and a white uniform underneath. Uryu wears a similar-looking white uniform, although without a cape.

The boy suddenly speaks to the man, who is currently enjoying his lunch, "Master?"

The man looks up, regarding the youngster, "What is it, Uryu?"

The boy continues, "That story you told about our annihilation. You left out the details. Were the Shinigami wrong in the end?"

The elder takes a bite of his food, swallowing, before explaining, "That's not it, Uryu. I think… I think the Quincies were in the wrong for failing to heed to admonitions of the Shinigami."

Uryu begins to argue, "But… it was the Quincies who were eradicated!"

Soken nods, "Exactly. Our people died. And after that, it mattered little who was right and wrong. What we had to think about was how to make sure that such a thing never happened again. That is all. Seeing the sad faces of Shinigami or Humans… pains me."

Uryu looks in mild confusion at the elder, letting the words sink in.

My Master wanted to make peace with the Shinigami…

…to convince them that the Quincies were necessary…

…after all, there are only so many humans that the Shinigami can protect from hollows by themselves…

…but one day, my Master was up against five hollows by himself…

…the Shinigami didn't show up until long after he had died…

…now I know why.

Sometime Later, Karakura Hospital

Ryuken stands in his office, looking over a particular book, as Uryu stands with furrowed brows, gazing pitifully at his father.

The white-haired man lectures, "Uryu… I know you've been spending time with my father again. How many times have I told you not to go there?"

The boy meekly manages a response, "B-but…"

Ryuken, still examining the book, responds sternly, "I don't want to hear excuses. I've told you about that, too. There's no sense in saving the dead. That's the job of the Shinigami. Your time would be better spent learning to save the living. I'm not interested in Quincies. And you have no talent for it anyway. Let the Quincies die out with my father's generation. Understood?"

Uryu frowns, "But… Dad… why do you hate Quincies so much?"

Ryuken, finally, takes his gaze away from the book, staring coldly at his son, "Because there is no profit in it."

Later, Forest, Karakura Town

Soken hums as Uryu stands crying in front of him, "Well… he does have a point. It's not easy making a living as a Quincy these days. And your father has a family to support. Well, there's nothing wrong with what he said. But of course, you aren't wrong either, Uryu."

The boy continues crying, now shouting at the ground, "But… I can see them! The Hollows and the people they attack. The Shinigami can't handle it by themselves. I've seen it with my own eyes! Why?! Dad must be able to see those things too. So how…? How can he ignore them?!"

Soken's eyes soften as he continues watching his grandson, "Master… I want to be strong! I want to be a powerful Quincy and protect everyone from the Hollows! Then maybe Dad will think Quincies are worth something!"

The man's eyes further soften, "Thank you… Uryu."

10 Minutes Later, Karakura Town

As Soken and Uryu walk along one of the various streets in Karakura Town, the elder lectures, "Uryu… try to understand your father. What you think is right depends on what you want to protect. That's how people are."

Uryu looks to the side, "What does Dad want to protect? His money?"

Soken stares knowingly at Uryu before patting him on the head, "You'll find out one day. And when you do, you'll know what you want to protect, too."

The man then hands the boy a unique box with a blue cross on it, "Uryu, for when that day comes, I'm entrusting this to you. You'll eventually learn what your father cares about most. When you find out what you truly want to protect, and if you still wish to walk to path of the Quincy, you will face a battle you cannot avoid. A battle beyond your abilities. A time will come when you have to sacrifice yourself. When it comes, use this."

Uryu eyes the box curiously, prompting Soken to explain further, "This is Sanrei Shuto, or Scattered Spirits Glove. Put it on and train for at least seven days and seven nights. You will reach the peak of your Quincy powers. But don't forget, Uryu. Once you put that glove on, you can never take it off. If you do, your powers as a Quincy will be lost forever."

Present, Uryu vs Mayuri

Uryu holds his bow in front of him, reaching slowly with his left hand for the front of the glove, "I do understand my father much better now, Master. But I do not agree with his methods… even so, I must ask for your forgiveness, Master. You wanted peace between our kinds, but what I'm about to do will completely act against that… I'm sorry, but I'm disobeying you one last time."

In the next moment, Uryu pulls off the silver rod protruding from his right, glove-covered wrist, causing the glove to ignite a brilliant blue color. The Reishi soon engulfs his entire body.

Mayuri widens his eyes in confusion and urgency, "W-what… WHAT IS THIS?!"

As the light settles, Uryu stands proudly in the center, a singular bright blue Reishi wing sprouting from his right shoulder as well as white armor covering his torso, right arm, and the bottom right half of his body.

Mayuri stares in awe at the sight, "S-such Reiatsu! I've never seen anything like it! Never!"

The man's eye twitches as he notices the nearby wall begin to break down into spiritual particles before being absorbed into Uryu's wing.

The scientist cannot help but continue to stare dumbly, "Is he absorbing the buildings?! The buildings in the Soul Society are made of Reishi! He's preventing the Reishi from bonding, forcing them to become part of his strength! The Reishi is being… torn apart! He's bending them to his will!"

Mayuri smirks wickedly, "You're exceeding your human limits, boy!"

Uryu merely raises his left hand, a Reishi arrow slowly forming in it, produced from the Reishi gathered in his wing. Mayuri widens his eyes before instinctively jumping backwards, however, Uryu quickly fires the arrow, which the captain is just barely able to dodge by shifting his body downwards. Mayuri gasps as Uryu suddenly appears directly above him, firing another arrow that causes the ground to explode from the impact.

The Quincy gives the captain a disrespectful side eye as he lands on the ground, "Beg for mercy and I may make your death quick. Refuse, and I'll drag YOU to my uncle and see what HE does to you when he finds out what you were planning to do with his wife."

Smoke trails off the captain's body as he begins to pick himself up from the ground, before screaming at the Quincy with blood spurting from various locations of his body, "DON'T PUSH YOUR LUCK, BOY!"

Mayuri now stands on both his feet, his left arm completely vaporized, before he holds his Shikai in front of him, "Stupid Quincy… very well, I'll return the favor… Bankai."

Uryu flinches in confusion, "Huh? Bankai?"

The boy's eyes widen as he watches an abomination make its way out of the captain's blade. Behind Mayuri is a massive, fetus-like being with many stubby, human-like legs, and soul-less, pupil-less eyes. The creature's back is covered in a red cape, tied around its neck at the front, and a large halo with bells hanging on the rear hangs above its head. A similar, purple toxic gas emits from its comparatively small, humanoid mouth.

Mayuri calls out the creature's name, proudly, "Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo!"

The maddened captain stares with utter insanity at the Quincy, "Now… your death is sealed! My Bankai sprays lethal poison made from my blood for a 100-mile radius. It won't hurt me, of course, but both you and the girl will unfortunately die. Sorry. It seems the two of you were not fit to become research subjects after all."

Uryu narrows his eyes, staring unimpressed at the captain as he forms another arrow in his hand, "I won't be the one to die… I'll shoot and kill you before you can spray the lethal dose."

Mayuri growls, the fetus sprouting blades from underneath its neck as it begins to charge, "Oh, please! Be my guest!"

The Quincy calmly and quietly pulls back the arrow before releasing it, causing the street to become completely engulfed in blue as the arrow flies beyond lightspeed at the captain and his Bankai. A massive explosion occurs, which lights up the nearby streets, coating them in angelic blue. After a moment, Orihime and Nemu stare wide-eyed at the aftermath, the yellow binding around the former fading.

The Shinigami stutters in disbelief, "C… cap… captain…"

As the smoke clears, a profusely bleeding Mayuri is revealed, with a massive hole through the center of his chest. In front of him, his Bankai has been split cleanly down the middle, completely destroyed as it comes crashing down on both sides of the street. Uryu, meanwhile, stands solemnly in his victory, blood leaking from his left hand, still in the position he released the arrow. His bow string has snapped, and his wing disappeared. Mayuri growls at the Quincy, uttering something incomprehensible, before raising his shattered Zanpakuto and running it through his neck, shocking the boy.

The captain's body explodes into green goop, which seemingly slithers away, beginning to seep into the ground. Uryu grits his teeth and attempts to follow, but his movements feel much heavier all of a sudden.

The boy curses, "Damnit! My control on the strings is slipping!"

Suddenly, a bright orange light zips past the boy, striking and disintegrating some of the goop, preventing it from escaping, but unable to stop the rest of it. The boy widens his eyes, looking behind him at Orihime, who breathes heavily with her arms held out in front of her.

Uryu sputters in disbelief, "O-Orihime… did you… did you just try…?"

Orihime continues breathing heavily, her eyes softening before becoming full of tears once more, "That man… he did all that… to those people… to your family… and he just gets away with it?! It's not fair!"

Uryu's gaze softens as he watches the girl shift her gaze toward the ground, her body tensing up, "This is the first time I've thought… that someone… deserves to die…"

The boy walks over slowly before placing his left arm on the back of the girl into an embrace. She continues to cry into his shoulder, prompting tears of frustration to form in the boy's eyes as well. As the pair console each other, Nemu looks away somewhat guiltily.

Uryu grits his teeth, "Masaki… Grandfather… I'm sorry… that bastard deserved to die and despite all that power I had… I still failed to avenge you!"

The sun begins to rise in the Soul Society signaling the start of a new day.

5 Days before Execution, Repentance Cell, Senzaikyu, Soul Society

Yuzu curls up into a sniveling ball in the corner of her cell, "No, Uryu! Not you too… please, everyone… just stop!"

The girl opens her tear-filled eyes, half of her left eye taking on black sclera, "I-I… I want to help… b-but…!"

The faces of Isshin and Karin come to the forefront of the girl's mind, immediately forcing the black in her eyes to recede, "I can't… I'm sorry!"

Yuzu curls herself back into a ball, continuing to cry helplessly.

Seireitei

Hanataro opens a hatch, sticking his head out of an open tile, and checking his surroundings briefly, before turning his head down to regard the duo under him, "Alright. The coast is clear."

One by one, Hanataro, Ganju, and Ginjo pull themselves out of the hole, briefly dusting themselves off, before staring up at the massive white tower that they're looking for.

Ganju lets out a low whistle, "Damn. Up close, it's even bigger than I thought!"

Ginjo's brow twitches as he walks forward, his gaze on a massive flight of stairs, "We didn't come to sight-see. C'mon, it looks like we'll have to scale those stairs—"

The man immediately tenses up, halting his stride as his eyes widen.

Ganju furrows his brows before looking at the stairs, his expression immediately paling thereafter, "Wait, that's…"

Hanataro's face pales as well before he attempts to hide behind Ganju, who himself has taken a few steps back.

Ginjo, still with widened eyes, stares at the figure at the edge of the stairs. Long, white hair blows softly in the wind, which parallels the white coat the figure wears, with the Japanese character for "Thirteen" plastered in black on the back. The figure slowly unsheathes the sword strapped to its waist before letting it hang freely to his right. Ginjo's eyes narrow as his right hand grabs the pendant around his neck, which begins to glow a bright green color.

Wearing a deadly serious expression, the figure, Squad 13 Captain Jushiro Ukitake, declares, "Kugo Ginjo! Today, you will face justice for your crimes against the Soul Society!"

Author's Note:

This chapter ended up being quite similar to the manga regarding Uryu and Mayuri specifically, but I don't think it's an issue—their fight and the story around it is quite necessary and near perfect. It needs to happen no matter what for Uryu's character to properly develop. At least, that's my opinion.

Anyway, onto what's different…

Orihime! Yeah, I know. A lot of you are probably surprised she got the chance to fight a named character one on one and also win! But it's very much undersold how much of a monster Orihime could be in a 1v1 if she decided. First of all, she has a shield that blocked an attack from SOUL KING Yhwach, so her defense is easily the best in the series. Same thing applies to her healing, actually, as it has been shown to be able to bring people back from the dead, as was the case with Menoly. Lastly, as mentioned in this chapter itself, Tatsuki considers Orihime to have an insane level of talent for martial arts, as well as performing the feat of being able to knock out Shinigami casually. This is consistent with what is mentioned in canon as well. This means Orihime can excel in close quarters if she had to fight in such a situation. Orihime in canon just simply chooses to delegate herself purely as the supportive 'cleric' role of the team, which makes sense as that is what she's best at by far.

Of course, Orihime will fall off due to her low attack potency. Her Fullbring is made to be defensive, so she really won't be able to break into captain tier as far as offense goes. Still, I thought she would be capable enough to handle a Soul Society Arc Nemu in a 1v1, especially after training with Kisuke and a Tatsuki with powers for over a year and then later with Hachi.

I also made additions to Mayuri to make him come off as even more depraved than he was initially presented as, which, in my opinion, works to make Uryu's anger and want to kill him even more justified, which will be important to his character later on in the story. Also, when writing this chapter, it occurred to me that Mayuri may have, in canon, known about Ichigo's mom and that she died… so, of course, I decided to integrate that into this to make it possible for all of the Kurosakis to have beef with him later on, as well. I did actually read some Fics in the past that played around with the idea of Mayuri wanting to or outright experimenting with Masaki's soul, but I either dropped them or they are unfinished. Either way, I think it could be interesting, but who knows? I haven't quite developed those plans yet, so if y'all have suggestions, I'm all ears.

The next chapter will be focused on Ginjo, if you all couldn't already tell. It will be the last chapter before Ichigo returns to the fold.