Mayuri Kurotsuchi & Nemu Kurotsuchi vs. Pernida Parnkgjas is a conflict taking place during the Quincy Blood War that focuses on 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, his lieutenant Nemu Kurotsuchi, and 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki's battle against the left arm of the Soul King, Sternritter "C" Pernida Parnkgjas.
Prelude[]
Kenpachi Zaraki reveals he has followed Mayuri Kurotsuchi through the gate.
Following the Gotei 13, Visored, and defecting Sternritter entering Wahrwelt on a separate branch, 12th Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi stays behind to reopen the gate on the city of Vier Ast instead, where he passes through it alongside his lieutenant, Nemu Kurotsuchi, as he gleefully comments on how easy it is to get away from everyone by reopening the gate after repositioning the coordinates. Mayuri notes that the others must be panicking now that they have realized he is not with them and proclaims that he will be able to test the results of his research as much as he wants without being bothered by them, but is shocked when 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki walks through the gate behind him and concurs with this.[2]
Kenpachi and Mayuri threaten to attack each other instead of the enemy now that they are away from the rest of the Gotei 13, distressing Hanatarō Yamada, who was brought along by Kenpachi against his will.
When Mayuri demands to know why he is here, Kenpachi explains that the others left while he was using the bathroom and admits that it is good for Mayuri to have reopened the gate when he did. With Kenpachi looking to him for agreement, 4th Division 7th Seat Hanatarō Yamada weakly affirms this. While Hanatarō laments going to the bathroom when he did between 11th Division 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame and 5th Seat Yumichika Ayasegawa, Kenpachi declares that this works out because he does not have to worry about cutting down any allies, which will let him go all-out, and sneeringly asserts that Mayuri will not die easily even if Kenpachi cuts him. In turn, Mayuri counters that it is the perfect time to exterminate some pests now that the others are not around, and with the two of them glaring at each other, Hanatarō continues to lament his timing as Yumichika tells him to not cry and Ikkaku promises to leave him behind if he lags here.[3]
Kenpachi finds himself confronted by Pernida Parnkgjas.
After Nemu informs Hanatarō that she does not feel anything when he inquires about how she feels about this,[4] Kenpachi runs off with Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Hanatarō as Mayuri follows seconds later with Nemu.[5] Some time later, Kenpachi suddenly comes to a halt upon seeing Sternritter "C" Pernida Parnkgjas standing before them, and when he wonders what it is, Mayuri questions if he is actually asking this or just talking to himself because there cannot be anyone in the Gotei 13 stupid enough to ask someone about something that neither of them has ever seen before.[6]
Battle[]
Kenpachi has his arm mangled by Pernida after getting too close during his attack.
While Mayuri continues to insult his intelligence, Kenpachi decides to kill Pernida and rushes forward, leaving Mayuri to bluntly ask Nemu if there is anything she wishes to say and Nemu to deny this. However, just as Kenpachi begins to slash at Pernida, a shocked Mayuri warns him to wait, prompting a startled Kenpachi to stop his attack and leap backward just as a flicker of light appears between himself and Pernida. When Mayuri addresses him after he lands, Kenpachi claims that he is fine and simply lost an arm, which has been heavily twisted and mangled, in exchange for cracking open Pernida's head, which bleeds heavily into the air. Despite this, Pernida remains upright and contorts its body further underneath the hood before several tendrils appear and extend into the nearby buildings with great force, punching holes in the walls and littering the ground with rubble.[7]
Nemu Kurotsuchi watches the confrontation alongside a concerned Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa.
With a bewildered Kenpachi questioning what this is, a grinning Mayuri simply asks him if he is asking a question or talking to himself again.[8] As Pernida's body continues to ripple underneath the hood, Kenpachi observes that its head is growing bigger, and when Mayuri admits that these changes seem unsuitable for combat and calls it creepy, Kenpachi counters that he is not fit to call anything else creepy. From far behind them, Ikkaku watches the confrontation in an alleyway with Yumichika and Nemu, where he muses that they missed their opportunity to join the battle. When an aghast Yumichika points out that they were never going to do this because Kenpachi would get upset, Nemu concurs, leading Ikkaku to note it is rare for her to voice her opinion.[9]
Kenpachi rips off his mangled arm when it begins rotating and twisting even further in an attempt to attack his head.
In response, Nemu explains that she is always under orders to stand by until Mayuri calls for her, though she does not think that Mayuri will ever feel threatened enough to require her assistance. In turn, a smirking Ikkaku asserts that the same holds true for them and Kenpachi. Suddenly, Kenpachi's mangled arm begins rotating and twisting even further, spraying blood in all directions, before beginning to move his Zanpakutō in the direction of his head, forcing Kenpachi to grab his right arm by the fist and rip it off at the shoulder. After retrieving his Zanpakutō from the relaxed grip of his severed arm, Kenpachi watches as it is drawn toward Pernida and contorts further until it is ripped apart in a shower of blood in front of Pernida.[10]
Mayuri explains that they must deal with Pernida without getting close to it since they do not fully understand how its power works.
With Ikkaku and Yumichika astonished by this, Mayuri approaches Kenpachi and praises his decision to rip off his arm immediately because his body would have been reduced to meatballs otherwise. After wondering if Mayuri is praising him or looking for a fight, which Mayuri declines to answer, Kenpachi questions how Pernida's power works, leading an exasperated Mayuri to point out that he is asking a question with no answer again and state that the best option right now is to stay away from Pernida, to Kenpachi's surprise. While Nemu bandages his stump at Mayuri's behest, Kenpachi curses and wonders how he is supposed to cut Pernida without getting close to it, which prompts Mayuri to assert that cutting is not the only way to fight.[11]
Kenpachi slams his Zanpakutō down onto Pernida's head.
Mayuri promises to find a way to deal with Pernida without going near it, but Kenpachi claims that he was talking to himself. Running forward despite Mayuri's protests, Kenpachi declares that he does not need to know how Pernida's power works if he can just cut it in half before its power reaches him and slams his Zanpakutō down onto Pernida, whose head folds around the blade. With Mayuri drawing his own Zanpakutō, a grinning Kenpachi finds his entire body beginning to twist and fold in on itself, resulting in his legs breaking and blood gushing out from several parts of his body. As Ikkaku and Yumichika call out to him in concern, a groaning Kenpachi is stabbed through the chest from behind by Mayuri's Shikai, Ashisogi Jizō, which severs the movement signals from his brain and paralyzes his limbs.[12]
Mayuri stabs Kenpachi through the chest and paralyzes him with Ashisogi Jizō, Kyōdo Yon.
Kenpachi drops his Zanpakutō and looks back incredulously at Mayuri, whom he curses, as the latter confirms his hypothesis of the rest of Kenpachi's body breaking when his limbs are paralyzed. When Mayuri initiates Ashisogi Jizō, Kyōdo Yon by sticking his thumb into the left eye on his Shikai, causing it to begin screaming, Nemu warns Ikkaku and Yumichika to cover their ears because hearing this for four seconds will paralyze them. Four seconds later, Kenpachi's entire body is paralyzed and Mayuri seals his Zanpakutō while expressing relief at the anesthesia working, as he can still make use of Kenpachi's physical strength later.[13]
Mayuri reveals that The Compulsory consists of Pernida controlling others with its nerves.
After approaching Pernida and stopping several feet away, Mayuri observes that the success of the anesthesia explains the nature of Pernida's power and reveals that The Compulsory consists of Pernida slipping its nerves into its enemies' bodies to control their movements. Recalling how Quincy can turn Reishi into physical power by pouring it into their veins, Mayuri asserts that it is reasonable to assume some can go further and control parts of their bodies with Reishi before concluding that there is no need to fear Pernida's power now that he understands it. In response, Pernida rips up the ground with several thick nerves.[14]
Mayuri counters The Compulsory by splashing a vial of acid across Pernida's bare nerves.
However, when the nerves hurtle toward him, Mayuri simply takes out a vial of acid and splashes it across them, causing Pernida to screech in pain and hunch over as the nerves retract. While he calls Pernida's power intriguing and promises to take his time enjoying it since he has countless drugs for the nervous system,[15] Mayuri walks over to Kenpachi and asserts that he paralyzed the latter for his own good, which is why he does not deserve to be looked at like this. With Kenpachi moving his eye to glare at him, Mayuri calls him a monster for still being able to move even this and decides to improve the paralyzing capabilities of Ashisogi Jizō.[16]
Nemu asserts that she hopes Mayuri has not changed at all, confusing Yumichika.
Mayuri proclaims that he has nothing but gratitude for Kenpachi because the latter helped him identify both the enemy's power and an area of Ashisogi Jizō that needs improvement. Nearby, Ikkaku curses Mayuri for intentionally letting Kenpachi charge in to test The Compulsory, and after musing that Kenpachi was in the way of Mayuri getting to fight an intriguing enemy alone, Yumichika tells Nemu that her captain has not changed at all, but Nemu merely states that she hopes this is true, to Yumichika's confusion. Returning to Pernida, Mayuri clarifies that they have obtained valuable information about its abilities by sacrificing a Gotei 13 captain.[17]
Pernida reveals its true form as a giant left hand with a dual-pupiled eye on its palm.
With Pernida not responding to him asking it if it knows what this means, Mayuri elaborates that this touching sacrifice brings tears to his eyes because noble victories are always achieved through noble sacrifices, to Ikkaku's frustration, before concluding that Pernida should honor this sacrifice by offering itself to Mayuri as a test subject. However, Pernida begins screeching as the two dots of light underneath its hood rapidly move around, leading Mayuri to assume that it does not understand the beauty of this, prior to expand its body far enough to rip through its cloak, revealing itself to be a giant left hand with a dual-pupiled eye on its palm. Initially surprised by this, Mayuri admits that this is not what he was expecting and identifies Pernida as the left arm of the Soul King just before Pernida grows a full arm from the bottom of its body and extends nerves from the end of it to anchor itself into the ground and raise its body upright to tower over the Shinigami.[18]
Pernida grows out an arm from the base of its body and towers over the Shinigami.
As a shocked Ikkaku and Yumichika wonder if this means the Soul King was a giant, Mayuri states that he does not know since he has not met the Soul King and clarifies that Pernida's Reiatsu is almost identical to what he collected from 13th Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake after the latter performed Kamikake. After recounting how Ukitake formed a contract with Mimihagi, the right arm of the Soul King, Mayuri points out that it is not surprising for the left arm of the Soul King to also be detached and roaming around freely, though Yumichika disputes this, and that Pernida's form of a large hand with a single eye matches the legend that Kisuke Urahara recounted. When a roaring Pernida extends several nerves into the ground, forcing Ikkaku and Yumichika to flee, Mayuri simply extends a Kikaisan to intercept them.[19]
Mayuri reveals that he is completely thrilled to have a new test subject like Pernida exceeding his expectations.
The Kikaisan screams in pain while Mayuri wonders why the left arm of the Soul King is choosing to work for Yhwach. Extending another Kikaisan to intercept more nerves, Mayuri admits that this question pales in comparison to the joy he feels right now, and when Pernida inquires about this while firing more nerves, Mayuri continues protecting himself with multiple Kikaisans and praises the development of Pernida being able to speak as he wonders what organs are being used to produce its voice. Far behind Mayuri, Ikkaku tells him to run and questions how he can be so happy under these circumstances, only for Mayuri to explain that he has found a subject to observe which he has never met before and who is exceeding every expectation, which thrills him.[20]
Pernida reveals its name to Mayuri, who counters that he will decide what Pernida's name is.
Pernida rears up and begins rapidly firing nerves around itself in all directions, tearing up the ground and forcing Mayuri to move back while encouraging it to show him more and addressing it as the left arm of the Soul King. When Pernida asserts that its name is Pernida Parnkgjas,[21] an underwhelmed Mayuri claims that this is too long and that discovering Pernida gives him the right to name it, though he admits that he could make a special exception this time since Pernida is the one making the request on the condition that he decides how the name is spelled, leading an unimpressed Ikkaku and Yumichika to comment on how he is always talking nonsense.[22]
Pernida fires its nerves into the ground to create a stone replica of its hand.
Unable to fully understand what Mayuri is saying, Pernida assumes that it is an insult and that it extends to all Quincy, and when Mayuri inquires about what will happen if he was insulting it, Pernida declares this is unforgiveable and fires more nerves into the ground, where they spread across the stone and raise a gigantic stone hand in front of Mayuri, who is shocked that it can extend its nerves into inorganic matter and claims to love it just before leaping into the air to avoid the hand as it slams down. Releasing Jabarakaina with his left hand, Mayuri uses it to grab onto a distant tower and pull himself toward it.[23]
Mayuri is seemingly crushed between the two stone hands formed by Pernida.
With Pernida extending its nerves into the ground and up the side of the tower that Mayuri is reeling himself onto, Mayuri sees them covering the wall in front of him and kicks back from it just before they form another stone hand that rips out of the wall and begins following Mayuri through the air. After latching onto another building with Jabarakaina, Mayuri quickly pulls himself away and onto a lower rooftop, but as he jumps off the end of it, Pernida forms another stone hand from a nearby tower and slams both hands into Mayuri from opposite sides, creating a large cloud of debris and seemingly crushing Mayuri.[24]
Mayuri reveals his Hirenkyaku Shoes.
Despite this, Mayuri emerges unharmed from the cloud of debris without his glowing clothing and reveal that his Explosive Reactive Armor detonated. Mayuri hurtles toward the ground, which is still covered in Pernida's nerves, and responds to Yumichika's panicked warning by smirking and pressing a button on his shoes, which creates a disc of blue Reishi underneath each and allows Mayuri to stand on the air above the ground. With Pernida startled by this, Mayuri infers that this looks familiar to it and reveals that he is using Hirenkyaku, which he describes as the aerial Hohō used by Quincy and admits might have a different original name since this is what Uryū and Sōken Ishida called it during his interactions with them, though he does not care if it is true or what that might be.[25]
Mayuri severs Pernida's pinky finger by detonating a Jinmen Himo around it.
Mayuri concludes that Pernida's nerves are harmless even if spread through the ground so long as he does not step on them and launches a Jinmen Himo, which groans and laments its situation as it wraps itself around Pernida's pinky finger. Once Mayuri presses a trigger to take a sample as planned, the Jinmen Himo detonates, severing Pernida's pinky in a shower of blood as it screams in pain. With the large pinky flopping on the ground before him, Mayuri douses it in a preservative and explains that he will prepare a storage tank once the battle is over, with the preservative meant to keep the finger fresh until then.[26]
Mayuri rapidly reconfigures his right arm with his left.
Suddenly, an eye opens on the first joint of the pinky and unleashes several nerves, catching Mayuri off-guard as they begin infiltrating his right arm. Upon seeing his pinky bend backward until it breaks, Mayuri rapidly operates on his right arm with his left arm until it is covered in stitches to reconfigure its arrangements of nerves, muscles, and blood vessels, which he explains to Pernida prior to proclaiming that he will not be controlled so easily.[27] With Mayuri calling his work sloppy and embarrassing because he is out of practice from not performing surgery with one arm for a long time, Pernida wonders if he is referring to himself for panicking. Though Mayuri denies this, Pernida asks him if he wants to panic more before the severed pinky rapidly grows into a full hand and runs on its fingers toward Mayuri, who launches another Jinmen Himo at it using Jabarakaina in order to repel it with the explosion and looks at the hand writhing on the ground, now bearing an eye on its palm as well. Realizing that the severed finger has become a copy of Pernida, Mayuri muses that taking it back with him in pieces is no longer an option just before Pernida rips off its middle finger.[28]
Pernida creates two full clones of itself from severed fingers using its power of advancement.
Pernida repeats its inquiry about Mayuri panicking more while the severed finger begins growing additional fingers, and while Pernida complains about blood from the stump dripping into its eye, Mayuri recalls reading a book when he was young that stated the Soul King's right hand controls stillness while the left controls advancement and admits that knowledge gained from books is merely knowledge which he does not believe until he has proven it himself, but expresses delight at being able to experience both in succession like this. With Pernida and its two clones rearing up before him, Mayuri activates his Bankai, causing Yumichika to assume that he is going to flood the area with poison using Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō and rush toward Kenpachi in concern alongside Ikkaku.[29]
Mayuri reveals his Modified Bankai, Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō: Matai Fukuin Shōtai.
However, Mayuri decries the idea of doing something so wasteful as a large purple mass emerges from the tip of his Zanpakutō and takes the shape of a massive baby, which falls on its side on the ground. With the mass growing into a fully-formed infant that waves its limbs around before several layers of organs appear to prop up and support it, Mayuri addresses it as Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō: Matai Fukuin Shōtai. Stopping alongside Yumichika while running away with Kenpachi on his back, Ikkaku looks back and demands to know what this is, leading Mayuri to identify it as a Modified Bankai which he created.[30]
Mayuri's Modified Bankai gives birth to an Ashisogi Jizō with nerves on its skin.
Mayuri explains that Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō: Matai Fukuin Shōtai has the ability to give birth to a new Ashisogi Jizō based on data that he sends it during combat, and as Pernida's eye widens in confusion at this, Mayuri promises it will understand soon prior to the large infant roaring in pain and splitting its stomach open to produce a large, black-eyed Ashisogi Jizō that falls on the ground and immediately begins screeching in agony while Mayuri details how its nerves are on the outside of its body, causing it immense pain just from touching the air or ground, which he dismisses as an irrelevant aspect of its existence.[31]
The Ashisogi Jizō consumes Pernida and its clones after demonstrating its immunity.
When Pernida fires three nerves at the Ashisogi Jizō, they splay across its face as Mayuri reveals that its nerves are separated into 70,000 layers, which means that The Compulsory can only peel back one outer layer at a time. With the areas of its face touched by Pernida's nerves peeling back a single layer of skin, the Ashisogi Jizō roars and charges toward Pernida and its clones, whom it devours whole one at a time. Assuring Pernida that it is okay to resist if it can fire its nerves 70,000 times before being consumed, Mayuri cackles madly while the Ashisogi Jizō burps and Nemu watches solemnly from the side.[32]
Several areas of the Ashisogi Jizō bulge outward as Pernida begins firing Heilig Pfeil.
After cackling for several seconds, Mayuri stops abruptly and inquires about how the stomach of the Ashisogi Jizō is doing since it swallowed Pernida and its clones whole, which will make digestion take some time, though he muses that birthing the Ashisogi Jizō without teeth was the right move because it would not have survived if Pernida was able to continue duplicating itself. Suddenly, dozens of areas of the Ashisogi Jizō rapidly bulge outward and deflate as firing sounds are heard from within, and the Ashisogi Jizō screams in agony before vomiting up its insides and exploding, leaving chunks of its organs lying on the ground.[33]
Pernida bursts out of the remains of the Ashisogi Jizō with its Heilig Bogen.
From within the stomach, a massive Heilig Pfeil punches through the meat and hurtles toward a startled Mayuri, who narrowly evades it before it destroys a tower behind him. As it laughs gleefully, Pernida stands with an equally large Heilig Bogen formed between its fingers and admits it is mimicking Mayuri's laughter prior to reminding him that it is a Quincy who can kill enemies with a bow and arrow, only for a smiling Mayuri to claim that he did not forget this. With Mayuri declaring that he simply did not expect the left arm of the Soul King to shamelessly proclaim itself to be a Quincy, Pernida questions how this is shameless.[34]
Mayuri Kurotsuchi is left perturbed by Pernida's vocabulary unexpectedly improving.
Pernida rapidly regrows its missing fingers while its voice deepens and it asserts that it has always been a Quincy, and while its voice returns to normal, Pernida tells a perturbed Mayuri that it is tired of his endless badmouthing of Quincy, leading Mayuri to internally pick up on its voice changing momentarily and note that its vocabulary has been steadily improving since the start of the battle, though he is uncertain if it is regaining its memory as the Soul King or somehow evolving. Straightening up, Pernida creates five smaller Heilig Bogens on the tips of its fingers and begins rapidly firing Heilig Pfeil at Mayuri.[35]
Pernida begins rapidly firing Heilig Pfeil that have individual nerves attached to the end.
Beginning to quickly dodge between them, Mayuri is alarmed to see that each Heilig Pfeil has a nerve attached to the flechette end. When one of the Heilig Pfeil pierces through his left arm as he moves back and its nerves begin branching into his arm, Mayuri immediately detonates it at the shoulder before the rest of his body can be infiltrated, but the Heilig Pfeil bends before it can touch the ground behind him and turns in midair to hurtle back toward him, prompting Mayuri to realize that Pernida's nerves in the ground can redirect the Heilig Pfeil and that he will not be able to evade the one currently aimed at his back.[36]
Nemu saves Mayuri from the nerve-infused Heilig Pfeil.
However, before the Heilig Pfeil can reach Mayuri's back, Nemu leaps into the air, grabs the Heilig Pfeil with her right arm, and cuts off her arm with her left hand before her body can be infiltrated, leaving her and her severed limb to fall to the ground below while Pernida's nerves encroach beneath. After briefly landing on the ground several yards away, Mayuri lunges toward Nemu and pulls her away from the nerves, which twist around her former location, prior to dropping her on a building and berating her for intervening without being ordered to, as she was risking being reduced to a lump of meat by the nerves on the ground.[37]
Mayuri is nonplussed to learn that Nemu made a decision to assist without him.
In response to Nemu asserting that she judged he was in need of a shield during this battle, Mayuri counters that he does not recall ever teaching her to assist him at her own discretion, and when Nemu confirms this, Mayuri inquires if she is saying that she learned on her own without him teaching her, though Nemu admits that she does not know. Turning away, Mayuri addresses Nemu as Nanagō Nemuri, to her surprise, and recounts how she has been through many battles and learned too many things since Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends first showed up before asking her if she understands the toll it will take on him to develop the next her to this level.[38]
Mayuri regenerates his missing arm with a Hojiku-Zai that Nemu gives him.
With Nemu affirming that she does not, a yelling Mayuri demands that she not act on her own judgement if she does not understand this because she does not have the freedom to die by her own judgement and will die only when he tells her to die, which Nemu accepts as she remembers waking up and being addressed as "Number 7" by Mayuri for the first time, which she loved very much.[39] Seconds later, Nemu hands Mayuri a Hojiku-Zai, which she reveals is what she intervened to give him, and Mayuri uses it to regenerate his missing left arm while inferring that Nemu noticed he failed to bring it with him from the start of the Wahrwelt incursion.[40]
Pernida and its clones fire hundreds of Heilig Pfeil.
Confirming this, Nemu takes the Hojiku-Zai back from Mayuri and uses it to regenerate her missing right arm as she explains how Mayuri did not go through the medicine cabinet as he always does ahead of a battle when this conflict began, which Mayuri calls a creepy attention to detail while staring at Pernida alongside Nemu, who apologizes. After a pause, Mayuri jumps off the roof and presses a button on his Hirenkyaku Shoes to initiate a more powerful jet burst from them so he can begin evading hundreds of Heilig Pfeil fired by Pernida and its clones, who surround him with individual Heilig Bogens formed on their fingertips.[41]
Mayuri dodges the Heilig Pfeil fired by Pernida and its clones while releasing anesthetic.
After flying around for several seconds and narrowly dodging the Heilig Pfeil, Mayuri contacts Nemu, who is running down the side of the building they were standing on, and details how he is releasing a highly concentrated anesthetic across the area because he measured the nerve density of the Heilig Pfeil during his last encounter with Pernida and is certain that this concentration is high enough to neutralize them. Admitting that Pernida and its clones will have an unknown reaction to the anesthetic and it is high enough to slightly affect him as well, Mayuri dismisses this as unavoidable while Nemu leaps off another building.[42]
Mayuri reveals that the Nerve-Freezing Agent will forcibly stop Pernida's organs.
Mayuri informs Nemu that her job is to inject his Nerve-Freezing Agent directly into one of the nullified Heilig Pfeil, and as he rushes along the ground to avoid a burst of Heilig Pfeil from one of Pernida's clones, Mayuri notes that this does not weaken nerves by obstructing transmission like an anesthetic does, but instead freezes those transmissions and forcibly stops all organs connected to the nerves in the state they were in when the Nerve-Freezing Agent reached them, meaning that open eyelids cannot close, contracted hearts will not expand, and open mouths cannot close, which he ecstatically shouts about.[43]
Pernida and one of its clones are stopped in place by the Nerve-Freezing Agent.
After reprimanding Nemu for telling him that he is being too loud, Mayuri recalls confirming that Pernida has blood even though he cannot tell what organs are in its body and announces that the Nerve-Freezing Agent will kill it by coagulating the blood in its body. With Nemu running across the ground that Pernida's nerves are embedded in, Mayuri assures her that his anesthetic has neutralized them, making the ground safe to step on, and orders her to inject the Nerve-Freezing Agent into a Heilig Pfeil before Pernida retracts its nerves from it, which Nemu does, causing Pernida and one of its clones to be frozen. However, though Pernida and the one clone turn dark purple and Mayuri proclaims that it is over, the remaining clone severs its thumb before the coagulation can spread beyond it, to Mayuri's astonishment, and demands to know if he thinks he can kill it with this while addressing him by his last name.[44]
Pernida sheds its skin.
In turn, Mayuri notices that it is speaking like Kenpachi and deduces that it evolves by absorbing data from everything its nerves touch, leaving him nervous since Nemu's reaction speed will not be sufficient if its nerves have evolved to Kenpachi's level and leading him to tell Nemu to get back. Suddenly, Pernida sheds the dark purple layer of skin and shreds the remnants of its coats as it overcomes the Nerve-Freezing Agent, which a shocked Mayuri identifies as the layered skin ability of the modified Ashisogi Jizō he created earlier. With Pernida arching over Mayuri, Nemu glares at it from the ground and expresses concern for Mayuri,[45] and after crouching, Nemu launches herself toward Mayuri and Pernida with enough force to shatter the ground around her launching point.[46]
Nemu rescues Mayuri and smashes through the original Pernida with tremendous force.
Seconds later, with her eyes turning white, Nemu grabs Mayuri and smashes through Pernida, leaving a massive hole in the center of its palm while a bewildered Mayuri demands to know where she got this power. In response, Nemu reveals that this is the power Mayuri gave her by bestowing Nemu with the body of a Shinigami. Nemu details how she has enhanced its power to 0.8% below the threshold where it would break down and responds to Mayuri's shock by assuring him that she can last for another 400 seconds, but Mayuri angrily declares that this is not what he is mad about because he did not give Nemu the order to do this. When Nemu clarifies that it is her mission to protect him, Mayuri counters that her mission is to continue to grow, only for Nemu to assert that she can show her growth by protecting him.[47]
Nemu destroys the clone of Pernida by firing 6% of her Soul as Gikon Jūrinjū.
After Nemu places him on a rooftop and departs, Mayuri wonders where she learned to talk back like this and admits that he never thought he could leave a battle to her. With a disheveled Mayuri calling this humiliating, Nemu hurtles toward Pernida's remaining clone and gathers energy around her right palm as she internally notes that she is shaving off 6% of her Soul to fire it at the clone in the form of Gikon Jūrinjū, which takes the form of a golden energy blast that warps the clone's flesh around itself and creates a circular hole while passing through it with enough force to destroy several buildings behind it and rip apart the clone.[48]
Nemu is ripped to pieces by the pieces of the clone after they gain sentience.
In the aftermath, Nemu falls through the air with the pieces of the split clone scattered around her and looks fondly at Mayuri, who watches her descend in awe. Suddenly, the pieces of the clone sprout individual eyes, extend their nerves into a shocked Nemu's body, and cause her flesh to swell up before she explodes in a shower of blood and organs, which splatter on the ground around a stunned Mayuri as her severed hand is left to spin through the air. While Mayuri numbly expresses his disbelief at this, the scattered pieces of the clone begin reforming into their original shape, and as Mayuri hunches over, a kneeling hallucination of Szayelaporro Granz appears.[49]
A hallucination of Szayelaporro Granz mocks Mayuri for grieving Nemu's death.
Questioning if Mayuri just felt grief or despair over this and assuming he misheard this, Szayelaporro asks to get a better look at Mayuri's face and sarcastically refuses to believe this since Mayuri is the one who lectured him about what it means to be a scientist before reminding him that he has no reason to be sad about his modified life form dying because he believes perfection has no meaning to scientists and abhors it. After proclaiming that this means Mayuri should celebrate Nemu's death because it means she was not perfect and has left room for him to create something better, Szayelaporro admits that this is what he thought Mayuri would say.[50]
Mayuri dispels the hallucination of Szayelaporro and admits that it was right about him.
Szayelaporro mockingly infers that he was beginning to believe Nemu was perfect, which he stands up to look down upon Mayuri for thinking, and with the clone of Pernida continuing to regrow behind him, Szayelaporro claims that Mayuri should thank it because it crushed his arrogance and negligence by killing Nemu and reminds him that he is now alone despite his efforts with what he thought was perfect destroyed, which Szayelaporro concludes is something he could only laugh about if he were in Mayuri's situation. However, a further disheveled Mayuri crushes and dispels the hallucination with his hand and concurs that it was right.[51]
Mayuri retrieves Nemu's brain before the clone of Pernida can consume it along with her flesh.
With Mayuri asserting that it is utterly comical for him to have needed a false scientist like Szayelaporro to remind him of his own negligence, the clone of Pernida slams down onto the rooftop where Mayuri is standing reveals a tongue with a large eyeball sprouting from its palm, leading Mayuri to deduce that it has come to feast on Nemu's flesh and encourages it to do so until the last scrap of skin is gone. However, upon seeing the clone scooping up a chunk of Nemu's flesh with her brain on it, Mayuri plugs a cord into his ear, reaches into the clone's mouth, and firmly snatches back the brain to keep it from the clone of Pernida.[52]
Pernida's clone is destroyed after consuming Nemu's cell division organ, which causes its body to undergo rapid and uncontrolled growth and regeneration.
When the clone attempts to reach for him, electricity crackles around Mayuri, forcing the screaming clone back while Mayuri asks it if it if feels numb after experiencing this. Mayuri insists that the clone finish eating Nemu because it will quickly die otherwise, and with the clone convulsing in pain and demanding to know what this is, Mayuri explains that Nemu's pituitary gland, which the clone ate, contained an Involuntary Cell Division Acceleration Organ designed to surpass an artificial Soul's cell division threshold. As the clone's flesh begins drastically swelling and bulging outward, Mayuri elaborates that the organ functions at all times to allow cells to continuously grow beyond their theoretical limit and is regulated by the parietal lobe via a connection to the basal ganglia. Deciding to rephrase it so even an idiot like the Pernida clone can understand, Mayuri clarifies that the organ alone being ingested without Nemu's brain will cause the consuming organism to grow out of control and self-destruct just before the screaming clone explodes, splattering large chunks of its flesh and blood across the nearby buildings.[53]
Aftermath[]
Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Rangiku Matsumoto are released after being fully restored to health and cured of their zombification.
In the aftermath of the clone's remaining body collapsing, Mayuri walks away with Nemu's brain, only to collapse and realize that a surviving nerve mutilated his legs at the last second, which he observes makes him no different from Kenpachi, just before Ikkaku and Yumichika approach him. Surprised that Ikkaku and Yumichika have not fled yet, Mayuri calls them stupid beyond belief, only to commend them for not interfering with the battle. Moments later, Ikkaku and Yumichika carry Mayuri through the streets with his arms over their shoulders as he directs them to body preservation pods hidden in ruins down the street that contain 10th Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto, now cured of their zombification.[54]
Ikkaku and Yumichika kneel and thank Mayuri for saving Kenpachi's life.
Instructing Ikkaku and Yumichika to go on with them, Mayuri admits that their lifespans were greatly reduced and assumes they will not hold it against him for saving their lives. With Hitsugaya departing alongside Rangiku and thanking him, a scoffing Mayuri has Ikkaku and Yumichika place him into one of the pods and allows them to place Kenpachi in the other one. After promising to see Kenpachi soon, Ikkaku and Yumichika close the pod over him, kneel before Mayuri, and thank him for saving Kenpachi before running off. Bemused by how much he is getting thanked today and calling it disgusting, Mayuri dismisses this as irrelevant.[55]
Mayuri envisions Nemu floating above him.
Mayuri expresses elation because he has finally created a Soul that evolves on its own from nothing and looks down at Nemu's brain, which is secured in his haori, as he revels in having surpassed Kisuke Urahara. Regenerative fluid fills the pod while Mayuri decides to wait to see the look of envy on Urahara's face in person since he cannot picture it right now and promises to show him how much distance now lies between them alongside Nemu, whom he envisions floating above him in the pod.[56]
References[]
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 536, page 16
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 629, pages 7-8
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 629, pages 9-10
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 629, page 10
- ↑ Bleach anime; Episode 399
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 635, page 13
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 635, pages 14-17
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 635, page 17
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 636, pages 1-3
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 636, pages 3-6
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 636, pages 6-8
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 636, pages 8-13
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 636, pages 13-15
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 636, page 15
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 636, pages 16-17
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 637, pages 1-2
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 637, pages 2-5
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 637, pages 5-11
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 637, pages 12-14
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 637, pages 14-16
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 637, pages 16-17
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 638, pages 1-3
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 638, pages 3-7
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 638, pages 8-10
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 638, pages 10-12
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 638, pages 12-15
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 638, pages 15-17
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 639, pages 1-5
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 639, pages 5-9
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 639, pages 9-12
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 639, pages 12-14
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 639, pages 14-17
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 640, pages 4-7
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 640, pages 7-10
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 640, pages 10-13
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 640, pages 13-15
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 640, pages 16-17
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 640, pages 18-19
- ↑ Bleach anime; Episode 402
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 641, pages 1-2
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 641, pages 2-7
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 641, pages 7-8
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 641, pages 9-10
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 641, pages 10-14
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 641, pages 14-17
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 642, pages 4-5
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 642, pages 10-13
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 642, pages 13-17
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 643, pages 1-8
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 643, pages 8-9
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 643, pages 9-12
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 643, pages 12-15
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 643, pages 15-17
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 644, pages 1-4
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 644, pages 5-8
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 644, pages 8-9