bleach chapter 121.In Sane We Trust
"Why did it turn out like this?" - Nameless Cute GuyWhy did it turn out like this?
Recent memories resurface in the final moments of Cute Guy's life...
After graduating from the Central Institute of Spiritual Arts, I failed the Division Entrance Exam 3 times. I finally passed it on my 4th try and entered the 13 Divisions.
I was assigned to the 12th Division.
The truth was that I hoped I would enter the 5th Division where Upperclassman Hinamori is in, but I had no choice.
20 days after I entered the Division, an invasion by outsiders occured for the first time in the past several hundred years.
Cg remembers standing at a window, watching a flash of light in the sky as Ichigo and his crew impact against the barrier surrounding Seireitei...
It seems that there is a huge promotion in store for whoever can capture them, but to be honest, that's unlikely for a rookie like me.
After a night passed and today arrived, I received a personal summons from the captain. It seems to be a special mission.
Cg stands among his fellow rookies as Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri briefs them on their task...
Outsiders disguised as Shinigami were discovered, so our role is to befriend and lure them to the team's area without raising suspicion. There is danger involved but, if done with discretion, it wouldn't be a difficult task.
Cg smiles, amazed by his lucky break.
Honest, I thought this was my chance. If I did this successfully, then getting a huge promotion won't be just a dream! I might even be able to get one step closer to Upperclassman Hinamori, whom I long for... I'm so lucky!
I wondered why he chose rookies like me, but I decided not to speak up. If I say anything and the task gets taken away from me, then this perfect chance will amount to nothing.
So why did it turn out like this?
Cute Guy's terrified face and flailing arms are splattered with his companion's blood. This isn't what you told us... He stumbles toward his captain desperately. My part was only to befriend and lure them to the team's area... There are tears in his eyes.
Mayuri presses his thumb down on a button shaped like a frog's head.
Cute Guy stretches an arm out to the distant figure of the 12th Captain. This isn't what you said, Captain Kurotsuchi... This isn't... His arm becomes bloated, expanding, straining against his flesh before -
- three explosions occur at once, incinerating three innocent men from the inside out.(1)
Mayuri watches the explosion with the detonator in his hand. One peculiar thing about Mayuri (besides the black nail polish) is that his sword is strapped in front of his waist - not strapped to the side, like most people would do.(2) Nemu stands silent and expressionless behind him. They watch as the dust cloud disburses, waiting to see the extent of damage done to the outsiders by the explosion.
Instead, a triangular shield stands by the crater. It is being maintained at each corner by Orihime's Shun Shun Rikka (3) and there is a crack near the middle where the brunt of the explosion had hit. Protected on the other side, Ishida has his back to the barrier as he stands over a crouching Orihime.
"...Thank you..." Orihime shakes uncontrollably. "If you hadn't shouted... I..."
"...I'm glad... you reacted in time..." Ishida says. "It's all thanks to the training you did in case of emergency... so you can use your skills even when you overlook the incantations."
Ishida recalls when they were in the warehouse to hide in overnight.
He had approached Orihime as she took a moment to catch her breath while training. "Still haven't slept yet...?" he asked her. "It's not good for your body..."
"Sure, I will in a little while..." Orihime was sweating from the effort she put into her training. "I'm finally able to summon each of them without calling their names.
Ishida watched her thoughtfully as she continued, "Just a little longer... It looks like I'll be able to undermine the incantation and invoke it on reflex by just the spell name..."
Back in the present, Orihime is still trembling as she looks down and asks, "What happened to... the other three people...?"
"...They died," Ishida tells her, unable to put it in any nicer way. "...But you shouldn't suffer for them." A web of cracks spread across the barrier and shatters it as the 3 Shun Shun Rikka depart. "The one who must suffer..." Ishida turns to glare at Mayuri, "is you!"
"Oh! That barrier is an interesting technique!" Mayuri exclaims, undisturbed by Ishida's threat. "Is it the work of that girl behind you!?"
Ishida turns to face him. "...We don't intend to answer you," he says coldly.
"Now, that's intriguing! It's the first time I've seen a technique like that!" Mayuri calls out to Orihime. "How about it, girl! I don't suppose you'd like to work below me as research material!?"
"Shut the hell up!" Ishida shouts back. "I told you we don't intend to answer!"
Mayuri ignores him, "Nothing bad will happen to you if you come under my command! Don't worry! I'm kind to women!"
Orihime is still sitting, staring at the ground. She doesn't respond.
Wha... what's with her...? The forgotten man from the Team 11 is lying on the ground beside her where he had been knocked down on his back. He is the only one who is in a position to see her expression. He's the only one who sees the huge wet tears sliding down her face. Why... is she friggin' crying!? Is she afraid...? ...No! If she was scared, she would have put up the shield and quickly shriveled up! He remembered how she lunged to pull him behind the shield when the explosions occurred. She wouldn't have made herself vulnerable to danger and saved me!!
The man from the 11th Division looks up at Orihime in total bewilderment, So what is it? Is she crying for the ones who died just now!? Why did she save me in the first place!? I'm the enemy! What could she gain from saving me!? He watches as she wipes the tears away with her arm. Why... I don't understand...
"That's right!" Mayuri is still talking in a lively manner, heedless to Ishida's words or Orihime's demeanor. He seems very eager to have Orihime sign up with him, "I'll welcome you with first-class treatment! I'll administer drugs 8 times a day! We'll have mechanical experiments for up to just 5 hours a day! Meals will be administered orally! I'll give you garments even for times when you sleep! I'll try as hard as possible to abstain from remodeling you into a something that would die!(4) How about it!? As a test subject, I think it's exceptionally good treatment..." His words trail off as his gaze shifts to the right side, "...?"
Ishida stands there only two feet away, bow drawn and spiritual arrow aimed right at Mayuri's head.
Mayuri takes a quick glance back at where he last saw Ishida, but the only people by the smoking crater is the fallen Shinigami from the 11th and Orihime. His gaze snaps back to the boy. ...How fast, he thinks.
"Hoh... a Quincy, huh..." Mayuri says. "What a rare breed. It's been many years since I've seen a single survivor... Sorry, but I've already finished my research on you folk. I don't have any interest in your people anymore. Step away."
"Finished your research...? No interest...?" Ishida echoes angrily. "What do you mean by that... What the heck are you...!?"
"...Hoh," Mayuri's expression never changes, but nonetheless he seems amused by this. "What, you outsiders came to the enemy's home-turf without bothering to study your enemy? What a careless thing to do. I think you should at least keep the top 13 people in mind...!"
Mayuri releases his spiritual energy. The pressure weighs down the area surrounding him, affecting his opponents as he introduces himself properly, "Captain of the 12th Division and the Vice-Chief of Research & Development - Kurotsuchi Mayuri." He adds with a sadistic tone, "You don't have to remember that. After all, you'll know nothing soon enough."
"Ugh..." Ishida grunts as he feels the weight of Mayuri's overwhelming spiritual pressure, This guy...!! He keeps his arrow trained on Mayuri as he calls out to Orihime, "...Inoue-san!! Run away!! Hurry!!!"
"N... no way!" Orihime stumbles to her feet as she yells back, "I'll fight too!!"
Instead of arguing with her, Ishida's attention snaps to the Shinigami who is trying to sneak away from the battleground. "Hey!" Ishida hollers at him, "You there, from Team 11!! Take Inoue-san and run for it!!"
"Y... you gotta be shitting me," the man shouts back in disbelief. "Why do I..."
"You don't wish to die, right!?" Ishida interrupts him. "If you stay here, you'll get mixed up in this too!! You'll take her with you even if it must be by force!! If you can't... I'll shoot you!!"(5)
The man from the 11th doesn't need any more convincing to know that Ishida was being dead serious. "Sh... shit!! I'm outta here!" He quickly yanks Orihime along with him as he makes a break for it, "C'mon, lady!!"
"Did I say you could escape?" Mayuri whips his arm out at the fleeing man - literally. His hand shoots out of his arm, detaching into smaller sections as it extends farther from his body. His whole arm seems to be connected by a thick, elastic cord, instead of bone.
Suddenly, an energy force strikes Mayuri's extended hand, ripping through it and stopping its progression.
Mayuri turns his attention to the one who ruined his hand just now - and Ishida returns his gaze coldly.
Ishida's eyes narrow, "Did I say you could follow?"
"...Oh, well..." Mayuri sighs, resigning himself to the battle. "I don't have any interest in you, though..."
(1)Yup, copy & paste from the last summary. ^^; Err... well, it's basically the same scene - except this time the explosion is far more close up.
(2)I could try to describe Mayuri's appearance at this point but those who have seen him already know how indescribable he is, while those who haven't seen him yet - are darn lucky. :P
(3)"Shield of 6 Dancing Flowers." Barrier magic is performed by Hinagiku, Baigon, and Lily... but you probably knew that already. ^_^;
(4)Is this guy foreals? He makes experimental torture sound like Club Med. -_-
(5)Okay, that was freaking cool. If Ishida keeps this up, he'll end up back in the Top Ten in no time. ^^
Notes:
-KT did a good job by starting the chapter through Cute Guy's point of view - and I'm not just saying that because I'm obviously biased either. :P I think showing his final thoughts helped reflect why Orihime cried for their sake.
-Okay, he's dead and gone. Cg will always live on in my heart (*cue sappy music*) but I'm probably not going to mention him again... unless he comes back as a zombie or something. ^^;
-Mayuri's ego is so huge that it could probably crush Tokyo in one fell swoop. Damn, he loves to hear himself talk! This sounds pretty random, but I wish Zaraki got better soon so he can go kick Mayuri's ass for the hell of it - that would be so fun to watch.Celebrity Captain Deathmatch!^_^
-I just had to say this: I ♥ this week's chapter title! XD
"Why did it turn out like this?" - Nameless Cute Guy
Recent memories resurface in the final moments of Cute Guy's life...
I was assigned to the 12th Division.
The truth was that I hoped I would enter the 5th Division where Upperclassman Hinamori is in, but I had no choice.
20 days after I entered the Division, an invasion by outsiders occured for the first time in the past several hundred years.
Cg remembers standing at a window, watching a flash of light in the sky as Ichigo and his crew impact against the barrier surrounding Seireitei...
After a night passed and today arrived, I received a personal summons from the captain. It seems to be a special mission.
Cg stands among his fellow rookies as Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri briefs them on their task...
Cg smiles, amazed by his lucky break.
I wondered why he chose rookies like me, but I decided not to speak up. If I say anything and the task gets taken away from me, then this perfect chance will amount to nothing.
So why did it turn out like this?
Cute Guy's terrified face and flailing arms are splattered with his companion's blood. This isn't what you told us... He stumbles toward his captain desperately. My part was only to befriend and lure them to the team's area... There are tears in his eyes.
Mayuri presses his thumb down on a button shaped like a frog's head.
Cute Guy stretches an arm out to the distant figure of the 12th Captain. This isn't what you said, Captain Kurotsuchi... This isn't... His arm becomes bloated, expanding, straining against his flesh before -
- three explosions occur at once, incinerating three innocent men from the inside out.(1)
Mayuri watches the explosion with the detonator in his hand. One peculiar thing about Mayuri (besides the black nail polish) is that his sword is strapped in front of his waist - not strapped to the side, like most people would do.(2) Nemu stands silent and expressionless behind him. They watch as the dust cloud disburses, waiting to see the extent of damage done to the outsiders by the explosion.
Instead, a triangular shield stands by the crater. It is being maintained at each corner by Orihime's Shun Shun Rikka (3) and there is a crack near the middle where the brunt of the explosion had hit. Protected on the other side, Ishida has his back to the barrier as he stands over a crouching Orihime.
"...Thank you..." Orihime shakes uncontrollably. "If you hadn't shouted... I..."
"...I'm glad... you reacted in time..." Ishida says. "It's all thanks to the training you did in case of emergency... so you can use your skills even when you overlook the incantations."
Ishida recalls when they were in the warehouse to hide in overnight.
He had approached Orihime as she took a moment to catch her breath while training. "Still haven't slept yet...?" he asked her. "It's not good for your body..."
"Sure, I will in a little while..." Orihime was sweating from the effort she put into her training. "I'm finally able to summon each of them without calling their names.
Ishida watched her thoughtfully as she continued, "Just a little longer... It looks like I'll be able to undermine the incantation and invoke it on reflex by just the spell name..."
Back in the present, Orihime is still trembling as she looks down and asks, "What happened to... the other three people...?"
"...They died," Ishida tells her, unable to put it in any nicer way. "...But you shouldn't suffer for them." A web of cracks spread across the barrier and shatters it as the 3 Shun Shun Rikka depart. "The one who must suffer..." Ishida turns to glare at Mayuri, "is you!"
"Oh! That barrier is an interesting technique!" Mayuri exclaims, undisturbed by Ishida's threat. "Is it the work of that girl behind you!?"
Ishida turns to face him. "...We don't intend to answer you," he says coldly.
"Now, that's intriguing! It's the first time I've seen a technique like that!" Mayuri calls out to Orihime. "How about it, girl! I don't suppose you'd like to work below me as research material!?"
"Shut the hell up!" Ishida shouts back. "I told you we don't intend to answer!"
Mayuri ignores him, "Nothing bad will happen to you if you come under my command! Don't worry! I'm kind to women!"
Orihime is still sitting, staring at the ground. She doesn't respond.
Wha... what's with her...? The forgotten man from the Team 11 is lying on the ground beside her where he had been knocked down on his back. He is the only one who is in a position to see her expression. He's the only one who sees the huge wet tears sliding down her face. Why... is she friggin' crying!? Is she afraid...? ...No! If she was scared, she would have put up the shield and quickly shriveled up! He remembered how she lunged to pull him behind the shield when the explosions occurred. She wouldn't have made herself vulnerable to danger and saved me!!
The man from the 11th Division looks up at Orihime in total bewilderment, So what is it? Is she crying for the ones who died just now!? Why did she save me in the first place!? I'm the enemy! What could she gain from saving me!? He watches as she wipes the tears away with her arm. Why... I don't understand...
"That's right!" Mayuri is still talking in a lively manner, heedless to Ishida's words or Orihime's demeanor. He seems very eager to have Orihime sign up with him, "I'll welcome you with first-class treatment! I'll administer drugs 8 times a day! We'll have mechanical experiments for up to just 5 hours a day! Meals will be administered orally! I'll give you garments even for times when you sleep! I'll try as hard as possible to abstain from remodeling you into a something that would die!(4) How about it!? As a test subject, I think it's exceptionally good treatment..." His words trail off as his gaze shifts to the right side, "...?"
Ishida stands there only two feet away, bow drawn and spiritual arrow aimed right at Mayuri's head.
Mayuri takes a quick glance back at where he last saw Ishida, but the only people by the smoking crater is the fallen Shinigami from the 11th and Orihime. His gaze snaps back to the boy. ...How fast, he thinks.
"Hoh... a Quincy, huh..." Mayuri says. "What a rare breed. It's been many years since I've seen a single survivor... Sorry, but I've already finished my research on you folk. I don't have any interest in your people anymore. Step away."
"Finished your research...? No interest...?" Ishida echoes angrily. "What do you mean by that... What the heck are you...!?"
"...Hoh," Mayuri's expression never changes, but nonetheless he seems amused by this. "What, you outsiders came to the enemy's home-turf without bothering to study your enemy? What a careless thing to do. I think you should at least keep the top 13 people in mind...!"
Mayuri releases his spiritual energy. The pressure weighs down the area surrounding him, affecting his opponents as he introduces himself properly, "Captain of the 12th Division and the Vice-Chief of Research & Development - Kurotsuchi Mayuri." He adds with a sadistic tone, "You don't have to remember that. After all, you'll know nothing soon enough."
"Ugh..." Ishida grunts as he feels the weight of Mayuri's overwhelming spiritual pressure, This guy...!! He keeps his arrow trained on Mayuri as he calls out to Orihime, "...Inoue-san!! Run away!! Hurry!!!"
"N... no way!" Orihime stumbles to her feet as she yells back, "I'll fight too!!"
Instead of arguing with her, Ishida's attention snaps to the Shinigami who is trying to sneak away from the battleground. "Hey!" Ishida hollers at him, "You there, from Team 11!! Take Inoue-san and run for it!!"
"Y... you gotta be shitting me," the man shouts back in disbelief. "Why do I..."
"You don't wish to die, right!?" Ishida interrupts him. "If you stay here, you'll get mixed up in this too!! You'll take her with you even if it must be by force!! If you can't... I'll shoot you!!"(5)
The man from the 11th doesn't need any more convincing to know that Ishida was being dead serious. "Sh... shit!! I'm outta here!" He quickly yanks Orihime along with him as he makes a break for it, "C'mon, lady!!"
"Did I say you could escape?" Mayuri whips his arm out at the fleeing man - literally. His hand shoots out of his arm, detaching into smaller sections as it extends farther from his body. His whole arm seems to be connected by a thick, elastic cord, instead of bone.
Suddenly, an energy force strikes Mayuri's extended hand, ripping through it and stopping its progression.
Mayuri turns his attention to the one who ruined his hand just now - and Ishida returns his gaze coldly.
Ishida's eyes narrow, "Did I say you could follow?"
"...Oh, well..." Mayuri sighs, resigning himself to the battle. "I don't have any interest in you, though..."
(1)Yup, copy & paste from the last summary. ^^; Err... well, it's basically the same scene - except this time the explosion is far more close up.
(2)I could try to describe Mayuri's appearance at this point but those who have seen him already know how indescribable he is, while those who haven't seen him yet - are darn lucky. :P
(3)"Shield of 6 Dancing Flowers." Barrier magic is performed by Hinagiku, Baigon, and Lily... but you probably knew that already. ^_^;
(4)Is this guy foreals? He makes experimental torture sound like Club Med. -_-
(5)Okay, that was freaking cool. If Ishida keeps this up, he'll end up back in the Top Ten in no time. ^^
Notes:
-KT did a good job by starting the chapter through Cute Guy's point of view - and I'm not just saying that because I'm obviously biased either. :P I think showing his final thoughts helped reflect why Orihime cried for their sake.
-Okay, he's dead and gone. Cg will always live on in my heart (*cue sappy music*) but I'm probably not going to mention him again... unless he comes back as a zombie or something. ^^;
-Mayuri's ego is so huge that it could probably crush Tokyo in one fell swoop. Damn, he loves to hear himself talk! This sounds pretty random, but I wish Zaraki got better soon so he can go kick Mayuri's ass for the hell of it - that would be so fun to watch.
-I just had to say this: I ♥ this week's chapter title! XD