Kurotsuki Renya followed Shiba Kūkaku toward the back of the estate. While walking, Kūkaku suddenly asked with a grin,
"Hey kid, don't you think you should thank me?"
Renya tilted his head in confusion. "Thank you? For what?"
Kūkaku smirked. "For pulling you away. I could see you were a little stiff sitting there with my big brother and sister-in-law. So I gave you an excuse."
Renya blinked, then chuckled lightly. "Ah, I see… thank you, Miss Kūkaku. I'm just… not used to being thanked so seriously."
Kūkaku burst into laughter and reached down to ruffle his hair. "Hah! You're just like me then. C'mon, brat, I'll show you my lab."
They crossed the backyard until they reached a side corridor that stretched the width of two houses. At the end was a wooden door, which Kūkaku slid open to reveal an enclosed yard. A single large building sat at its center. She pushed the door open, revealing a vast, cluttered room stuffed with strange devices, shells, and canisters.
"This," Kūkaku announced proudly, "is my workshop. Ignore the mess."
Renya stepped inside, his gaze wandering. He noticed a fist-sized sphere on a table. Picking it up, he asked curiously, "Is this… a firework?"
Kūkaku barked a laugh. "That? Nah. That's a bomb. That one's a smoke bomb. And this smaller one's a flash bomb."
Renya's brows rose in interest. "Could you… demonstrate?"
"Of course," Kūkaku said, snatching up the bomb. She led him outside, pulling a strip of propellant — like a match cord — from her belt. The bomb had no fuse, only a red dot. With a quick scrape, it ignited.
"Three seconds," Kūkaku warned, grinning.
Renya panicked. "Miss Kūkaku! Throw it already!"
Laughing, she held it until the last moment before hurling it. The explosion roared only three meters away, erupting in a pillar of fire. No shrapnel, no debris — only concentrated heat and force.
Renya shielded his eyes. Not like a modern grenade… pure destructive energy. Instant high-temperature impact.
Kūkaku held up a smaller orb, lit it, and tossed it. Smoke burst forth in a choking cloud, quickly enveloping them.
"Don't breathe too much! It isn't poisonous, but it'll choke you," she called, covering her mouth.
Renya didn't move. Instead, air swirled around his body.
Fūton: Kaze Shunpō.
A burst of wind surged outward, scattering the smoke in seconds.
Kūkaku's eyes narrowed. "Hoh? A Kidō technique?"
Renya smiled. "Something like that." In truth, it was his adapted wind-element Kidō, refined after he abandoned pure lightning focus.
"Wait here," Kūkaku said. She ducked inside, returned with two pairs of sunglasses, and tossed one to him. "Next is the flash bomb. You'll want these."
Renya slipped them on. Kūkaku laughed. "Pfft, kid, you look ridiculous!"
"Miss Kūkaku," Renya said flatly, "please just show me already."
Suppressing her laughter, she lit the flash bomb and threw it. A blinding burst of white light detonated — harmless thanks to the glasses.
"See? Effective, huh? These things can blind a squad in an instant."
Renya nodded. "Smoke for concealment, flash for disorientation… and your bombs for raw force. If these were used in combat, they'd be devastating."
The Onmitsukidō's strike force… if equipped with these, assassinations would be nearly unstoppable.
He looked up at her. "Miss Kūkaku… would you let me take some back? I want to propose equipping the Stealth Force with them."
Kūkaku's eyes lit up. "Oh-ho! So I could sell these to the Gotei? I'd be filthy rich!"
Renya grinned. "Of course. The Stealth Force would need them in bulk. The profits would be enormous."
Kūkaku's smile dimmed slightly. "Problem is, I can't keep up with demand alone. I don't have time to waste mass-producing basic stuff."
Renya thought for a moment. "Then… build a workshop. Hire workers from Rukongai. There are thousands struggling to survive. This would give them steady work."
Kūkaku's expression softened. "Kid… that's a damn good idea. You'd be feeding families, not just building bombs. Hah. Convince your captain and I'm in."
"I'll try," Renya promised.
They lingered in her workshop until a servant called them for dinner. Returning to the main house, Renya finally met Shiba Ganju.
Ganju was broad-shouldered and already towering. He leaned down, eyeing Renya with suspicion. "So you're the brat who saved sister-in-law? Hmph. Doesn't look like much to me."
Renya sighed. Again with this… He raised his hand, gently pressing it against Ganju's arm.
"Hadō #11: Tsuzuri Raiden."
Sparks erupted. Ganju yelped, convulsed, and collapsed in a twitching heap, smoke curling from his hair.
Shiba Kaien chuckled from across the room. "Well, Ganju? Still doubting him?"
Flat on the floor, Ganju raised a trembling thumb. "Heh… yeah. He's strong."