While Mayuri rummaged through the house, Nanatsuki used the Denreishinki to contact Akon, asking him to come and take the Bount prisoners away.
Nanatsuki and Mayuri still had to head to the Naruki District, and bringing two prisoners along would only slow them down.
So Nanatsuki arranged for Akon to retrieve the captives and deliver them to the Shinigami Research and Development Institute.
"Captain, I found the stuff."
Mayuri stepped out into the courtyard, carrying a large box.
"Let's see what you buried out here."
Akon would take some time to arrive, so with nothing else to do, Nanatsuki took the box from Mayuri and began going through it.
"I've seen this spirit tool on the battlefield before," he said, pulling out a cylindrical object. "Isn't this a standard Quincy tool—'Silver Tube'? You really thought this was worth burying?"
The Silver Tube was a standard Reishi storage device used by Quincies.
Because Quincies relied heavily on the external Reishi environment for power, their strength dropped significantly in low-Reishi areas.
These tools solved that problem by storing a limited amount of Reishi for battle.
"This one came from the belongings of an elite Quincy. It's not a standard model."
Mayuri shook his head. "Its storage capacity exceeds the regular type by a hundred times. The compression tech inside is what really matters."
He wasn't interested in the tool itself—but in the Reishi compression tech it used.
"A hundred times more capacity?" Nanatsuki was surprised. "That's definitely worth studying."
Since the tube was now empty, he hadn't noticed anything special about it before.
"Probably a new Quincy technology," Mayuri speculated. "They didn't get the chance to mass-produce it before the Shinigami came knocking."
"This kind of tech should be prioritized. If we can understand the Reishi compression, we could create more effective Spirit-Converging Pills."
Unlike Quincies, Shinigami couldn't freely draw on external Reishi. They relied on these pills to replenish their reserves.
Nanatsuki continued sifting through the box.
He pulled out a hilt-shaped object.
"This looks like another standard spirit tool. But I take it it's not so standard?"
Quincies used these hilts to generate Reishi blades and arrows.
After the previous surprise with the Silver Tube, Nanatsuki figured Mayuri wouldn't waste time with normal models.
"It actually is a standard tool," Mayuri said, raising his hands. "Quincy Reishi tech follows a totally different path from ours. Even their standard equipment is worth studying."
Since Quincy gears weren't compatible with Shinigami systems, most captured equipment was usually destroyed or archived.
But Mayuri, being a researcher, was more interested in their principles than the objects themselves.
"These tools generate high-frequency vibrating Reishi along the blade or arrow. That disrupts the internal Reiatsu flow of a Shinigami. It's a simple idea, but creating that kind of vibration in Reishi isn't easy."
"Hmm..." Nanatsuki nodded. "This is the product of centuries of Quincy development. Definitely worth analyzing."
Most of the contents in the box were standard spirit tools—Mayuri had clearly gathered a full Quincy set.
Some bows were custom-made, but Nanatsuki wasn't interested—he already had a finger ring from Yoruichi that served as his primary Reishi tool.
"Looking for rare ones, Captain?" Mayuri asked, seeing his lack of enthusiasm. "I remember something interesting..."
He rummaged through the box and pulled a small, nondescript silver bracelet from a corner.
"This spirit tool came from the same elite Quincy as the custom Silver Tube."
Mayuri's eyes gleamed. "Based on its characteristics, I found references to it being called Heilig Rüstung. It's a rare piece of gear."
Before he ran into the Onmitsukidō, Mayuri had gotten lucky on the battlefield.
He had encountered a dying elite Quincy—and both the Heilig Rüstung and the special Silver Tube had come from him.
"This one's especially intriguing." Mayuri wrapped the silver bracelet around his hand. "It lets a Shinigami experience a touch of Quincy power."
He opened his palm—and a grain-sized sphere of Reishi light formed above it.
"This is..." Nanatsuki's eyes sharpened. "You're drawing Reishi from the air?"
Mayuri had gathered Reishi particles from the environment—a core Quincy ability!
The Heilig Rüstung was letting him perform Reishi manipulation.
"Exactly. It lets Shinigami simulate the most fundamental Quincy technique. Pretty incredible, huh?"
Mayuri nodded, though he looked a bit regretful. "Unfortunately... it was damaged in battle. I suspect the effect is significantly weakened. I'll need to research it and see if I can repair it."
"Let me try it."
Nanatsuki took the bracelet and wrapped it around his arm.
Instantly, he felt his own Reishi Gathering ability grow stronger.
He checked his Status Interface.
Sure enough, the basic stats had changed:
[Reishi Gathering Lv50 (+1)]
While wearing the Heilig Rüstung, his Reishi Gathering had gained an extra level!
Even more noticeably, Nanatsuki could tell that his own gain was far greater than Mayuri's.
Since Mayuri wasn't a Quincy, he could only access a sliver of the effect.
But Nanatsuki, who had already awakened Quincy power, received the full boost.
"A tool that lets a Shinigami use Quincy abilities… This one's a keeper."
He smiled at Mayuri.
He had no interest in the standard tools left in the box. Those could go to Mayuri for research—anything that helped the Tech Bureau was fine by him.
But this bracelet was different—it directly boosted core Quincy power.
For a Quincy, this would be considered core equipment.
"Then let's say it's a gift to you, Captain—for helping me recover all this."
Mayuri was surprisingly generous, though he added, "It's badly damaged. Let me try repairing it first."
The bracelet was clearly fractured—a section of the silver chain was missing.
"Put this at the top of your repair list."
Nanatsuki nodded, removing the Heilig Rüstung and handing it back to Mayuri.
Even broken, it had given him a whole level. Once restored, the effect would surely be even stronger.
Aside from tools, the box also contained a few books.
These, too, were Quincy-related. Nanatsuki casually picked one up and began reading.
It turned out to be a training journal—a log of personal insights from a Quincy.
Once he started, he couldn't stop.
While Nanatsuki was engrossed in reading, a Senkaimon opened above the courtyard.
Urahara Kisuke and Akon stepped out.
"Why is Kisuke here too?"
Nanatsuki closed the book—he could always read later.
He'd only summoned Akon, so Kisuke's arrival surprised him.
"I happened to be discussing a technical issue with Akon when your message came through," Kisuke said, scratching his face. "I've read some files on Bounts, but I've never seen one in person. Thought I'd come have a look."
He had seen Bount research in Hikifune Kirio's lab, so he had some background.
His real reason for coming, though, was Mayuri.
If he hadn't tagged along, Nanatsuki would probably hand over the Bounts to Mayuri's lab.
Mayuri was extremely territorial about his research. He'd never let Kisuke interfere.
"If you want Bount samples, go capture your own."
Mayuri clearly had no intention of sharing.
"I figured you'd say that." Kisuke smiled helplessly. "Good thing I came along."
If he hadn't, he likely wouldn't get a chance to study the Bounts at all.
"If you're that interested, come to Naruki with us. The Bount leader is probably there."
Nanatsuki had just received a valuable gift from Mayuri, so he didn't want to offend him by giving the samples to Kisuke.
"More Bount info? Then I can't miss it!"
Kisuke nodded. He wanted to capture one himself.
"They're well-hidden. We don't have precise info yet," Mayuri said snidely. "The Captain and I are using Gigai—if you go like that, you'll tip them off."
Mayuri clearly resented Kisuke's rank as Deputy Director. There was always tension between them.
"Oh? So I need a Gigai to join the mission?"
Kisuke smiled and pulled out a portable stasis pod from his Reishi Pocket.
Inside lay a Gigai identical to him.
"What!?"
Mayuri was furious. The pod was an exact replica of one he had just prototyped—he hadn't even mass-produced it yet!
"When did you make that?!"
"I just happened to see your blueprint left in the public lounge..." Kisuke scratched his head. "It looked good, so I borrowed the idea."
"I've never brought that data outside the lab!"
Mayuri was livid. He'd never even logged that prototype.
Kisuke must've entered his lab, seen the pod, and copied it.
"Hmph. Guess it's time to upgrade my security again. My lab isn't open to just anyone!"
Mayuri was fuming. He decided to overhaul his lab's defenses immediately.
"Your lab's already secure enough. No need to waste resources," Kisuke said with a sheepish grin.
"Clearly not—since you got in!" Mayuri snapped.
What pissed him off the most was that he had tried to sneak into Kisuke's lab once—and failed.
Ever since then, their labs had become locked-down fortresses.
Once Kisuke suited up in his Gigai, Akon quietly led the Bount prisoners away.
"Amazing work, Mayuri. Your Gigai tuning is excellent," Kisuke said, stretching. "Just a few parameter tweaks, and it fits like a glove!"
Mayuri's expression darkened—that was clearly a jab at his own Gigai's poor compatibility.
"Heh… this was the first field test. But since you've already adjusted yours, does that mean you've tested it in the World of the Living?"
Mayuri grinned coldly. "Tell me, Deputy Captain—did you get clearance for that?"
Shinigami weren't allowed to enter the World of the Living without authorization.
Violating that rule was punishable by prison.
"Ah… come now, don't put words in my mouth. I respect the rules!" Kisuke chuckled. "I simply asked some Shinigami stationed in the World of the Living to test it for me."
Cautious as ever, Kisuke had left no loophole for Mayuri to exploit.
"Alright, enough banter. Let's head to Naruki."
Nanatsuki cut off their friendly bickering.
Being the captain of two genius researchers wasn't easy. Their rivalry saved him a lot of effort—but it also had to be managed so it didn't interfere with the mission.
"Let's hope we find the Bounts quickly."
"As long as you stay out of the way, they won't escape."
With that, Nanatsuki, Mayuri, and Kisuke headed for the Naruki District.