As the weather turned colder and snowflakes fluttered down, opening the window to take a breath of the freezing air made one feel much more awake.
Naraku Sora nestled by the stove, holding a cup of hot tea. Feeling the warmth provided by Vajrayati, his body and mind were completely at ease.
Although this slight change in temperature didn't affect him much, the comfort of his environment directly influenced his mood.
He usually pushed himself incredibly hard with his training, but after all that effort, it was time to enjoy himself.
Proper relaxation was good for physical and mental health.
Recently, Aizen had been busy researching the second stage of Hollowfication and had no free time, which meant Sora couldn't share the good things he had.
He had no choice but to slack off in the barracks for a few days.
It wasn't very appropriate to visit Unohana Retsu every day either. As the captain of Squad 4 and the head of the comprehensive relief station, her daily workload was quite heavy.
It was worth mentioning that during the few days Unohana Retsu was missing, her lieutenant, Yamada Seinosuke, went to Squad 1 alone to file a complaint, accusing a certain someone of the malicious act of harming a colleague.
He even brought out the 'letter' to serve as evidence.
After a brief read-through, Yamamoto understood exactly what had happened, and his previously anxious heart immediately settled down.
At the end of the day, it was just two brutes duking it out.
Judging by Naraku Sora's performance of blowing up the Dangai with a single strike, what could possibly go wrong? Not to mention he still had Hollowfication as a trump card.
Therefore, Yamamoto was quite relieved.
He simply consoled Yamada Seinosuke with a few words and sent him back.
Leaving the Squad 1 barracks, Yamada Seinosuke once again realized the corruption of the Seireitei's higher-ups.
Head Captain Yamamoto Shigekuni completely disregarded the laws of the Soul Society, shielding his disciple so he could commit acts of violence as he pleased.
As the lieutenant of Squad 4, he couldn't shake this towering figure in terms of either power or influence, so his only option was to report the matter to Central 46.
He could only hope that those sages and judges would uphold justice for Captain Unohana.
Not long after.
Yamada Seinosuke stood blankly at the entrance of the underground assembly hall, holding Central 46's response to the matter.
"What do they mean Central 46 has no jurisdiction over the internal private matters of Shino Prison?"
Naraku Sora was completely unaware of Yamada Seinosuke's actions, nor did he know Central 46's current attitude toward him.
Regardless, as long as those old fogies didn't play any dirty tricks behind his back, it was fine.
If they had any complaints, they could just confront him directly. At worst, he would just fight all forty-six of them at once.
If they still felt it was unfair, they were more than welcome to bring their family members along to join the fight.
Naraku Sora had absolutely no problem with that.
He downed his cup of hot tea in one gulp, casually pulled his Zanpakutō out from the stove's fire, and sheathed it, ready to begin inspecting today's work.
However, just as he stepped out the door, he bumped into Senna, who had an excited expression on her face.
"Greetings, Lord Naraku!"
"What's with this?"
Naraku Sora curiously looked the girl over. She was brimming with youth, and although her figure wasn't particularly prominent, she had a unique charm of her own.
She wasn't wearing the standard Shishakushō, but had instead changed into a researcher's uniform from the Department of Research and Development.
Senna paused for a moment. Seeing his gaze linger on her clothes, she suddenly realized.
"Oh, you mean this!"
"I was transferred to work under Lord Mayuri a while ago. Didn't Senior Kakyo tell you?"
Naraku Sora: "?"
Setting aside whether these subordinates had any respect for him, she was just a Shinenju spirit. Did she actually have a talent for research?
Seeming to read his thoughts—or perhaps Naraku Sora was just never good at hiding his emotions and thoughts in front of people he was familiar with.
Senna chuckled proudly, "Lord Mayuri said I have a great talent for research, ten or a hundred times better than a certain Prison Warden."
"How about it? Are you jealous?"
Naraku Sora raised an eyebrow, his interest immediately piqued. He promptly accompanied Senna to Kurotsuchi Mayuri's exclusive laboratory.
"You're finally here."
When the door opened, what greeted them was a face completely covered in white paint, eyes filled with bright red bloodshot veins, and an extremely twisted expression.
He seemed to be deviating from the boundaries of a normal human being.
"Ah, Senna, you're here. And Mr. Naraku."
Kurotsuchi Mayuri wasn't surprised by Naraku Sora's arrival.
After all, he was a frequent visitor to the lab. A long time ago, he had specifically recorded Naraku Sora's palm print and Reiatsu signature for the room.
If the palm print scanner failed, the door could still be opened instantly as long as it recognized the corresponding Reiatsu.
This was to prevent a certain someone from simply smashing the metal door to pieces in an emergency.
"Lord Mayuri, what is my research work for today?"
Senna looked full of motivation.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri glanced at her, his mouth curving into an unnatural arc as he answered in a low voice,
"Sit right here, and be researched."
Senna: "..."
Was it too late to take back her earlier mockery of a certain someone?
Why would her work at the research institute be getting researched?!
Was this some kind of hazing tradition for newcomers?!
Although she was somewhat resistant, out of her trust in Naraku Sora, she obediently sat down in a designated chair.
Soon, various bizarre instruments appeared around her and began scanning and taking samples of her entire body.
From her hair and skin flakes to her blood, more than three samples of each were collected.
Naraku Sora leaned in curiously. "Mayuri, what project is this?"
Kurotsuchi Mayuri took a moment to glance at the person beside him. If it were anyone else, he usually wouldn't bother answering.
But Naraku Sora was different.
Not only did he support him in conducting various forbidden experiments, but he also provided a massive amount of highly advanced equipment and instruments. Even their research funding had never run short.
Furthermore, he occasionally provided excellent experimental projects, such as the Hell Hot Springs and Zanpakutō forging.
This was countless times better than when he was in Squad 12.
"I wonder if Mr. Naraku has ever heard of Gigai technology and Artificial Soul technology?"
"I've heard a little about them."
Kurotsuchi Mayuri revealed a strange expression.
These were research projects that hadn't even been released to the public yet. Even the vast majority of researcher Soul Reapers in Squad 12 had never heard of them, yet Naraku Sora actually knew about them.
But considering the many miraculous traits his boss possessed, it didn't seem too surprising that he knew this.
"Since you know, there's no need for me to explain further."
Kurotsuchi Mayuri tapped on the console, saving and recording the data.
"Although they haven't been fully developed yet, I have found a new path inspired by these two technologies."
"..."
"To create a new soul out of nothing, and become the new creator of this world!"
At this point, the corners of his mouth split open, his smile growing increasingly manic.
"Even though these words sound incredibly foolish, somewhat like a daydream, I am very clear about my own condition."
He pressed his fingers against his temples, drilling them in forcefully.
"At this very moment, my brain is in an unprecedented state of clarity. Therefore, I have named this project—"
"Project Nemuri!"
Naraku Sora suddenly understood.
If he remembered correctly, in the original timeline, Kurotsuchi Mayuri's lieutenant, Kurotsuchi Nemu, was an artificial Soul Reaper born from this very project.
To think that Kurotsuchi Mayuri's greatest dream was actually to become an existence akin to a creator.
Such an act was undoubtedly stealing the authority of "God."
Looking at it this way, there really wasn't a single purely good character around him.
As a tech otaku, creating a person from scratch actually fit Kurotsuchi Mayuri's persona quite well.
It was just that the finished products he created had flaws to a certain extent.
In terms of personality, they were a bit too introverted and withdrawn. Moreover, seemingly influenced by Kurotsuchi Mayuri, their hobbies also revolved around experiments, especially in the field of human modification.
But regardless, this was a good thing.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri had found a new path, and Naraku Sora would gain a new toy.
A win-win!
Just as the two were conversing, Senna, who had been sitting in the chair being researched, asked cautiously,
"Lord Mayuri, you aren't planning to use me as material, are you?"
Hearing this, Kurotsuchi Mayuri glanced at her, spread his hands, and tapped the control panel in front of him.
"Creation from nothing is a modified soul in the truest sense, creating an independent, individual Soul Reaper."
"Using you as material would, at best, be nothing more than a human modification and optimization experiment."
"I stopped doing such low-level projects decades ago."
Senna breathed a sigh of relief.
Having collected enough data, Kurotsuchi Mayuri spoke mercilessly.
"Alright, Senna, you may leave now."
The girl had absolutely no desire to stay in response to this.
"..."
Even though Naraku Sora was in the lab, making the safety factor very high, the pressure Kurotsuchi Mayuri exerted on her was too great, constantly giving her a suffocating illusion.
Being a normal Soul Reaper suited her a bit better.
After she left, Kurotsuchi Mayuri looked at Naraku Sora, a trace of imperceptible madness flashing in the depths of his eyes.
"Mr. Naraku, are you interested in participating in the first stage of 'Project Nemuri'?"
Naraku Sora thought for a few seconds and gladly agreed.
The two moved to a bright and spacious laboratory.
They entered the collected data into the corresponding instruments. Under Kurotsuchi Mayuri's familiar operations, the equipment in the room immediately started up.
The metal floor slowly parted, and a giant container rose from underground.
What followed was a series of operations that Naraku Sora completely couldn't understand.
Based on Gigai technology and Artificial Soul technology, they were gathering Reishi to create a brand-new Soul Reaper.
Various pieces of information flashed on the screen behind them from time to time.
Things like Reiraku Disorder Effect, Number One Reishi Frequency Conversion, Gigai Fluctuation Transformation, Abnormal Spirit Wave Fixation...
Perhaps influenced by Aizen and the others, Naraku Sora vaguely felt as if he could understand these complex concepts.
So, he attempted to think deeply about them.
*'Crap, my head is itching!'*
Just as he was idling about, Kurotsuchi Mayuri's first attempt was already nearing its end.
He stared intently at the changes in the liquid inside the container. A barely detectable Reishi fluctuation emanated from it, followed by the formation of something resembling a ball of thread.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri pressed himself tightly against the outer wall of the container, his features twisted, his smile reaching the absolute peak of madness.
"Hehehe!"
"Ah, excellent, I've done it!"