The sound of a violent cough echoed in the empty space.
It was like coughing up all the lungs.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri's posture was not at all what a captain should look like.
"Ahem, although I had long anticipated the destruction of a Zanpakutō and made corresponding preparations for it..."
He barely stood upright and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "But this is the first time I've encountered such a situation—being destroyed by the enemy—it still makes this body a little unbearable."
As a mad scientist, Kurotsuchi Mayuri not only transformed his own body but also his Zanpakutō.
In addition to augmenting it with various enhancements, he increased its lethality.
However, because of his extremely limited strength level, these methods couldn't significantly enhance his combat effectiveness.
Without prior knowledge of an enemy, encountering one as powerful as Shendu left Kurotsuchi Mayuri in a precarious situation.
But the situation wasn't much better for the other captains.
Shendu's current strength was absolutely no less than that of any regular captain, and it even far exceeded theirs.
"You win."
Kurotsuchi Mayuri raised his hands, surrendering without a trace of dignity.
"Judging from the Reiatsu and combat power you've shown so far, killing me would be easy for you."
"But you didn't do it."
As a scientist, his observational abilities were keen.
"That proves that I have a more important role for you..."
"It's really humiliating."
Kurotsuchi Mayuri grinned weirdly.
"Never before—not even that Urahara guy—has anyone made me this embarrassed."
Shendu was not at all surprised by his submissiveness.
But given Kurotsuchi Mayuri's peculiar nature, simply trusting him was not a reliable option.
Thus, under Kurotsuchi Mayuri's surprised gaze, Shendu took out a piece of paper from his pocket.
With the writing of demonic words, the originally ordinary paper took on the power of a devil.
"Although you know more about current affairs than that guy in the distance,"
Shendu commented, "you two essentially belong to the same kind of existence."
"I won't trust you that easily."
"Sign it, or I'll chop off your limbs and put you in containers for experimentation."
The nature of Kurotsuchi Mayuri was also extremely twisted.
If he were allowed to operate freely under Shendu's command, all of Hueco Mundo would become his testing ground within days.
"What is this?"
The appearance of something new immediately attracted Kurotsuchi Mayuri's attention.
He took the contract, examined it carefully, analyzed it thoroughly, and even tried to integrate it with Reiatsu.
"A contract of submission."
Shendu didn't explain much. "Sign or die. Your choice."
"Ten, nine, eight, seven..."
As if the countdown ended, he was ready to act.
Time was precious and couldn't be wasted.
"How do I sign?"
Kurotsuchi Mayuri didn't want to die; he still had countless scientific experiments to conduct, and he hadn't yet surpassed that disgusting guy.
"Blood."
Concise and clear.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri didn't hesitate. He dipped his finger in blood, then signed his name on the contract.
As the final stroke fell, his soul suddenly felt constrained.
It was as if his entire being was now held in Shendu's palm, his life and death at Shendu's mercy.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri's eyes widened, his golden pupils fixated on Shendu, and his black-and-white mask was full of disbelief.
"My soul…"
Shendu nodded calmly, his magnetic voice resonating.
"The devil's contract, of course, is based on the soul."
"Now, if you even think a single treacherous thought for a moment, punishment will follow."
Kurotsuchi Mayuri sighed in relief upon hearing that.
Punishment? At worst, some minor injuries.
For the great Kurotsuchi Mayuri, this was a minor inconvenience.
"Of course."
Shendu said lightly, "Some punishments are worse than death."
With that, he used his sharp claws to tear open a crack in a different dimension. A dragon's head emerged, roaring deafeningly.
After stuffing the contract into the dragon's mouth, Shendu canceled the summoning.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri's eyes widened in shock.
What... what is this?!
A lifeform he had never seen before!
It resembled a Menos Grande, yet its aura was entirely different, with only tyrannical eyes devoid of any individual consciousness.
"I'll let you study it later."
Shendu, controlling Kurotsuchi Mayuri's soul, was in high spirits.
Besides Szayelaporro, the research into the Arrancar method would undoubtedly progress rapidly.
Moreover, rather than relying on external means, Shendu aspired to achieve an independent Arrancar.
For this, he pinned his hopes elsewhere.
Hearing Shendu's words, Kurotsuchi Mayuri temporarily suppressed his curiosity.
From the moment of their encounter, he realized that the Vasto Lorde-level Shendu before him harbored no fewer secrets than Hueco Mundo itself.
Perhaps even more.
And this was only from a brief interaction.
"Stop the fighting in the other battlefields."
Shendu commanded, "That guy Szayelaporro has been spectating for long enough."
Kurotsuchi Mayuri used Shunpo to gather his subordinates.
Even though more than a dozen Shinigami stood with him—absolute elites by the Soul Society's standards—they were powerless against a Vasto Lorde-level opponent.
Ordered to stop, they collapsed one by one, devoid of any will to continue fighting.
Szayelaporro's bizarre methods didn't even feel like combat.
Like a puppeteer, he toyed with their hearts and souls.
"Captain, is there any hope for us to return to the Soul Society?"
One of the team members asked with a look of despair.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri hesitated, then shook his head and nodded, uncertain himself.
"Everything depends on His Majesty's will."
After signing the contract, he had already lost autonomy in certain matters.
But although he had lost some freedom, it didn't seem difficult for Kurotsuchi Mayuri to accept.
Moreover, from Shendu's words, he vaguely deduced a purpose, filling him with curiosity about these unknowns.
Szayelaporro walked up to Shendu and asked, surprised:
"Your Majesty, is such an inferior creature worth signing a contract with?"
Hearing this, Shendu looked at Szayelaporro with a serious expression, the half-smile in his eyes making Szayelaporro shudder slightly.
"Kurotsuchi Mayuri will be with you day and night for a long time to come."
"His value is no less than yours..."
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