“I’ve been able to preserve Hikone’s life.”
When Hisagi heard Seinosuke Yamada’s words, he smiled in relief.
“I see… Thank you very much.”
“No need to thank me. More importantly, you’re even more severely wounded. Looks like you were reckless when using your zanpaku-to. Your saketsu and hakusui are both worse for the wear.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Well, I’ll heal them. It isn’t part of my job to heal anyone except the nobles, but I’ll consider this treatment as a pastime during my break.”
With that remark, Seinosuke nimbly continued to heal Hisagi using kaido. Hisagi inquired meekly, “Um…so, Tokinada Tsunayashiro is…”
“They brought him here, but a group with documents stamped by the Gilded Seal Aristocratic Assembly immediately came to collect him.”
Seinosuke’s face clouded slightly as he said, “Even I couldn’t resuscitate a corpse. Regardless, his konpaku was already in a sorry state due to the effects of using his zanpaku-to. Even if they treat him by turning him into a zombie, I don’t think he would retain his sense of self.”
“…I see.”
Hisagi gripped his hand into a fist, seeming somewhat frustrated as Seinosuke continued, “Hikone should be waking soon. They might commit suicide if you don’t let them know gently.”
“Oh!”
“Tokinada, the one who was propping up their mind, died. Hikone might be happier dying. Of course, I don’t intend to allow them to die. Even if they said they wanted to, I would make them live, even by force. Giving up is not an option.”
Hisagi put on a strained smile and shook his head.
“Hikone is…okay. I think they’ve developed something new to support them.”
Seinosuke looked at Hisagi, who was thinking of Aura as he spoke.
“I see…in that case, I will leave it to you to tell them. I won’t ask you to do it immediately though. You may tell them when you feel the time is right.”
At first it seemed as though Seinosuke were washing his hands of the responsibility, but when he looked into Seinosuke’s eyes, Hisagi understood.
Seinosuke had decided that Hikone should hear it from Hisagi himself, because that was most likely to result in Hikone staying alive.
“It seems that I really don’t have a human heart. I’m not suited for such things. Hanataro does have that… It is a talent he has that I am lacking.”
Seinosuke let a spiteful smile come over his face.
“If it is a Soul Reaper’s work to control life, then isn’t giving others the will to live part of your role?”
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✦ ✦ ✦
“I wonder why it is that you didn’t secure this Hikone in the Kyogoku? To think you would allow the subject to be given over to Shino-Seyakuin under your very noses—what a useless bunch you are. If you think you can wander the world doing just what is asked of you, then I have a wake-up call for your future as corpses.”
As Mayuri grumbled, Cirucci complained back, “But you electrocute us whenever we do anything on our ow…AGH AGH AGH AGH!”
“Looks like you understand that very well. However, a Corpse Unit that can truly do their work well would take that electrical current, use it to accelerate their neurotransmitters, and finish up their work more efficiently.”
“What you’re saying is absurd—GAAAAAAH?!”
After Dordoni and the others shrieked for some time, Mayuri cut the electric current and looked over the data collected on Tokinada and Hikone, nodding in satisfaction.
“Well, anyway, you did as you were instructed. As a reward, I will increase your free time by two thousand seven hundred seconds per day. Well then, be sure to show your gratitude.”
Behind Mayuri, who went right back to his work, Luppi sighed as though he were exhausted and, with a newly lively expression, said, “Well, all right. Once I’m free, that’s when I’ll bring Grimmjow to his end.”
“You haven’t given up yet?”
“All Grimmjow promised to the Captain General here was that he wouldn’t let his fight with Ichigo Kurosaki get in the Soul Reapers’ way, right? In that case, I’m not a Soul Reaper, so while they’re in the middle of their fight I could come in from the side and…”
“Stop right there! What would I do if you killed that orange-haired niño?!”
While Dordoni and Luppi argued, Chuhlhourne smiled as if taking another path.
“Ha ha… Rivalry is a beautiful thing. Yes, though Halibel and Nelliel are both half a step stronger than me, when it comes to beauty, I have a full step lead…and that perfect balance makes me even stronger! And more beautiful! And more radiant!”
Najahkoop watched them from afar and shook his head.
“So, in the end, I’m the only Quincy left here. Luck seriously is not on my side.”
When Mayuri heard these complaints, he responded, “I made it seem as though I’d released them. Naturally, I’ve put a collar on them. Though I’ll be using you as a stopgap until the time comes when I call them back.”
Once Luppi and the others heard that, they again started to complain to Mayuri.
“Then why us?!”
“What? There’s no need to worry. You’re already dead, so it’s not as though you’d die from overwork.”
“That’s not the issue!”
≡
✦ ✦ ✦
As the Corpse Unit was sighing in the Soul Society, there was a moving corpse crying out in the world of the living as well.
“Seriously! I can’t believe two of you got captured because you weren’t paying attention! Looks like I’ve really got to keep levelheaded as your leader!” Bambietta Basterbine, whose skin was the same as always, but whose eyes had a strange liveliness to them, declared sonorously.
“Hey…what’s up with that?”
When Candice looked at Giselle with reproach, the zombie-tamer Quincy averted her eyes and spouted out excuses. “Umm, she ended up getting really beat up by that Tokinada guy, so I healed her, right? And I just accidentally gave her too much blood, I think?”
Candice and Meninas, who had superficially been released from the Corpse Unit but still contained tracking bacteria within them, apparently had some sort of communications equipment installed in their konpaku itself. It was likely that there were other apparatuses that had been inserted into their bodies. Though they had no idea when they would compulsorily be called back, for the time being, they had left with free will, which was a better result than Liltotto was expecting.
“Well, we’ll probably have a chance to disable those things at some point. Anyway, let’s just be thankful we survived.”
They presently weren't in their Quincy clothes, but were instead wearing their personal clothing and were at a cafe in a certain country. Though the zombielike color of Bambietta’s complexion garnered an occasional stare, they blended in like normal townspeople otherwise.
Bambietta, who was excited about having temporarily recovered her cognitive functions, was letting her mouth run without reading the mood. “Uhh…so ever since I fought that doggy and then he stopped being a doggy…what happened after that again? Ugh…my head… Well, it doesn’t matter! Anyway, if you’re saying his majesty is gone, then I’ve just got to succeed him in his place! I’m the queen for now, so how about we blast one of the countries around here and take over?”
A part of her brain was still zombified, so Bambietta’s memories and actions went off the rails occasionally.
“You think we’re terrorists or something? Sounds like a pain. If she keeps this up, she’s probably going to start offing hot guys again, eh?”
“We’ll be in trouble if she causes a commotion…”
“Ah well, guess I’ll have to just beat her up to get rid of some of that blood.”
“I think she’ll go back to normal soon even if you don’t.”
As they chattered on, just as Giselle had predicted, the spirit in Bambietta’s eyes started to wane.
“Huh…? I…what? Uh-huh…cake…is so good.”
Seeing Bambietta’s childlike smile, the Quincies looked at each other and sighed dramatically. Then, Liltotto half muttered as she ate her cake, “Well, we’ve got to think about what we’re going to do too.”
Giselle asked, “You want to go to Hueco Mundo again or something?”
Liltotto shook her head.
“Hollows aside, the Arrancars really are a pain to work with.”
“Most importantly, Hueco Mundo hasn’t got a ton of grub…”
≡