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"Captain, will he really go?"
Inside the Captain's Office, Ōmaeda stood by the window, the view outside precisely that of the Maggot's Nest, enveloped by the moat.
He hadn't quite grasped it earlier, but after his conversation with Ishikawa Katori, it dawned on him… wasn't this just trading a communication permit for a Supervisory Team Captain?
And one without the corresponding treatment, without the corresponding power, only the corresponding responsibilities.
If there was any benefit, the only benefit was the lack of restraint; apart from having to go to the Maggot's Nest periodically, he didn't even need to obey anyone's orders, not even Central 46.
Treatment, power.
These two terms in the Gotei 13 were not just empty words; normally, someone qualified to become a Supervisory Team Captain of the Onmitsukidō could naturally concurrently serve as the Third Seat of the Second Division, or even the Vice-Captain…
However, as long as someone from the Omaeda Residence was in the Second Division, the Vice-Captain position was usually reserved for a member of the Omaeda Residence.
But even just being a Third Seat was the highest Seated Officer position in the Gotei 13, second only to the Captain and Vice-Captain, holding immense power, allowing entry into many restricted areas by simply revealing one's identity.
Salary, housing, food and clothing, family benefits…
All sorts of generous benefits, not only benefiting oneself but also extending to relatives and descendants, allowing future generations to become a new class of nobility in Seireitei.
Because the responsibilities they undertook were dangerous to this extent, or rather, they were simply irreplaceable!
If he were the kid who ran the Everything Store, compared to accepting such a commission, he would rather directly join the Second Division; it would be much better than the current treatment, which was worse than that of a temporary worker.
"I don't know."
Soi Fon, who was processing documents behind the desk, said without lifting her head, "Whether he accepts or not, his choice will reveal his attitude towards Seireitei. Bringing him here this time was a test to begin with."
For the past six months, she had been reviewing information about Ishikawa Katori almost every day.
If all this information was viewed together, it would become clear… that kid named Ishikawa Katori had been making friends everywhere for the past six months, primarily targeting females, and especially enjoying conversations with female Shinigami.
Whenever she thought of this, Soi Fon felt somewhat inexplicable.
If that kid was simply lecherous, then so be it, but he had made so many female friends, yet maintained only platonic relationships, without any inappropriate actions, even directly stating that he only wanted to stop at friendship with 'her' and did not wish to go further.
He acted as if he was truly just an outgoing person who simply enjoyed making friends.
But…
If that were the case, why was his attitude towards men so different?
Although he did have male friends, his attitude towards most men was merely that of a normal business acquaintance; he never treated them with the same courtesy and care as he did women, never actively seeking to befriend them.
Forget it…
Soi Fon shook her head, no longer dwelling on it. In any case, no matter what his purpose was, it was almost certain that he liked to make friends with women, especially female Shinigami!
That's why she came up with such a method.
Since you like making friends so much, I'll give you the opportunity to enter Seireitei.
If Ishikawa Katori accepted this commission, not only could he be brought under her watchful eye for supervision, but his strength could also be tested through the prisoners in the Maggot's Nest, and the only cost would be a communication permit.
As for whether Ishikawa Katori would use this communication permit to do anything that might threaten Seireitei's stability, Soi Fon wasn't worried at all.
Because the temporary communication permit was only valid in the outer perimeter of Seireitei. Aside from the Second Division, which was in the outer perimeter due to its duties, he would not be able to go to other Squads without permission.
Moreover, with the person on her own turf, supervision would become much easier.
Besides…
Soi Fon also had a bit of a selfish motive. Ever since Urahara Kisuke stepped down as the Supervisory Team Captain, the duties of the Supervisory Team Captain had been handled by Soi Fon. Managing the Maggot's Nest was not difficult for Soi Fon.
But… it was absolutely impossible for her to clean the Maggot's Nest!
Even though prisoners could move freely within it, a prison was still a prison. Prisoners would never clean the place that confined them, and coupled with being confined for no reason, the prisoners would resort to various ways to vent their dissatisfaction, engaging in crazy and disgusting behaviors.
Many of them were indeed insane, wandering inside like walking corpses.
In such a situation, with no one cleaning it for a hundred years, the environment within was unimaginable… For all these years, aside from prisoner brawls, Soi Fon had always avoided entering the Maggot's Nest.
"Hm?"
Just then, Ōmaeda, who had been gazing towards the Maggot's Nest, suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "That kid actually came!"
Hearing this, Soi Fon, who was behind the desk, also stood up and walked to the window, looking towards the Maggot's Nest. She saw the figure carrying a large cloth bag slowly walking towards the Maggot's Nest, her expression somewhat strange.
Does this guy really want to make friends that much?
…
That's right!
Ishikawa Katori just wanted to make friends with female Shinigami!!
"Damn it, I'm going all out!"
Standing at the bridge leading to the Maggot's Nest, Ishikawa Katori cursed under his breath.
He could vaguely guess Soi Fon's purpose. This kind of long-term commission, with only responsibilities and no benefits, made Ishikawa Katori hesitate for a long time whether to accept it.
But he had to admit…
The communication permit to enter Seireitei was simply too tempting for Ishikawa Katori!!
Anyway, he only needed to come and clean once every few months, and each visit would earn him 200,000 Kan. It shouldn't be a losing deal… right?
Ishikawa Katori tried to comfort himself in his heart, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt he was at a disadvantage. But…
A communication permit!
Friends everywhere waiting for him to befriend, countless experience points waiting for him to harvest!
Ultimately…
Ishikawa Katori still chose to take a step, as if stepping onto a battlefield, walking along the bridge over the moat towards the center.
At the end of the bridge was a stone gate, with an Onmitsukido member standing on each side.
They must have received news of Ishikawa Katori's arrival beforehand, as they didn't stop him but directly pushed open the stone gate, signaling that Ishikawa Katori could enter.
"Tsk tsk, this architectural style is truly inherited from Sister Kukaku," Ishikawa Katori couldn't help but complain as he looked at the stairs leading underground behind the stone gate.
The stairs were long, and it grew darker the further down he went.
The dungeon was extremely damp, and the air was filled with a rotten smell, making Ishikawa Katori frown involuntarily.
After walking for about three minutes, Ishikawa Katori finally reached the bottom and stopped before a massive door. The door wasn't locked, but it was inscribed with sealing Spiritual Crests.
Ishikawa Katori reached out and grasped the door handle, pouring his Reiatsu into it. As the Spiritual Crests on the stone door gradually lit up, the massive stone door was immediately pushed open by Ishikawa Katori, creating a gap.
"So they did collect my spiritual energy signature beforehand… Holy crap!?"
Ishikawa Katori's words came to an abrupt halt, because as soon as he pushed open the door, a nearly tangible gas rushed out.
Damp, putrid, foul… all sorts of unbearable odors, as if finding a vent, squeezed out from the door crack, making Ishikawa Katori involuntarily step back.
What the hell is this?
Ishikawa Katori had taken on public restroom cleaning commissions before, but the smell emanating from behind this door was a hundred times worse than during those cleanings. After inadvertently inhaling a breath, Ishikawa Katori actually felt a slight dizziness!!
"This money really isn't that easy to earn."
Ishikawa Katori's mouth twitched slightly, but since he was already here, he couldn't just turn back.
After forming a Reiatsu defense around himself to block out the foul odor, Ishikawa Katori gritted his teeth, pushed the door open, and walked inside.
Inside the stone gate was an incredibly vast and empty space, with rooms scattered all over the surrounding stone walls.
And on the uneven, messy ground, there were prisoners in white prison uniforms everywhere. These people were sitting or lying, their eyes filled with thick death qi and resentment.
They looked completely unlike living people, more like breathing corpses.
When they saw Ishikawa Katori arrive, almost everyone near the entrance simultaneously turned their lifeless gaze towards Ishikawa Katori.
This scene was incredibly terrifying, and even the air silently filled with a murderous aura.
Grievance, resentment, anger, killing intent…
All sorts of negative emotions, as if they had found an outlet, made horrifying, grotesque smiles appear on these people's faces.
Ishikawa Katori paid no heed to these gazes, simply closing the door. With a bang, thick dust immediately fluttered down like snow.
Bang!
Ishikawa Katori threw a huge package onto the ground, emitting a dull thud.
"Hey, kiddo!!"
Just then, a voice called out. Ishikawa Katori looked in its direction, and what met his eyes was a man of about forty with a fierce face: "Are you new?"
Ishikawa Katori didn't reply, instead carefully scrutinizing the man.
Compared to the lifeless appearance of the others, this man felt much more normal, and for some reason, Ishikawa Katori kept feeling like he had seen him somewhere before.
"Ah, it's you!"
Ishikawa Katori remembered. He had indeed met this man a few years ago.
When he first met Kukaku, this man had been captured by four members of the Onmitsukido right before his eyes. At the time, Kukaku had said that the man would be imprisoned in the Maggot's Nest.
"You know me?" The man was startled.
"No, I don't."
Ishikawa Katori's words made the man's face darken, and a flash of killing intent instantly crossed his eyes.
He already wants to kill me?
Ishikawa Katori nodded at the sight. It seemed there was a reason these people were locked up; at the very least, they all had certain personality flaws.
But…
What did that have to do with him?
Ishikawa Katori had seen plenty of flawed individuals; he himself was one of them, though Ishikawa Katori felt he had cured himself… well… probably!
Getting back to the point, there weren't necessarily fewer lunatics in the later-numbered areas than in here. To be honest… when Ishikawa Katori first entered, he even felt like he was back in the tavern, all the same murderous aura, the same fierce looks.
However, the brutes in the tavern were more lively than these people.
And the people here…
Their Reiatsu fluctuations were far stronger than those of the villains in the tavern. Although their Zanpakuto had been confiscated, just as Ōmaeda said, the people here were free; not only were there no restraints whatsoever, but even their Reiatsu hadn't been sealed.
Ignoring the strange looks from those around him, Ishikawa Katori put on a rubber cleaning apron and, under a multitude of dangerous gazes, calmly went about his preparations.
Ishikawa Katori's actions made the prisoners, who were observing him, look even more dangerous. A few insane individuals were already approaching Ishikawa Katori. They didn't care what this kid was here to do; he was just a piece of trash with Reiatsu as weak as an insect.
Even if the other party was a new prisoner, they could completely tear him apart before the guards reacted.
If the other party was a Shinigami from the Onmitsukidō, even better!!
Anyway, except for that short woman, they didn't need to fear anyone.
"Ah ah ah~~"
A beast-like roar, like a fuse, instantly ignited the killing intent of all the prisoners. A dense crowd of inmates rushed towards Ishikawa Katori, vying for the lead, as if fearing they would miss out if they arrived too late.
Leading the charge was a burly man nearly six meters tall, appearing only slightly shorter than Jidanbō, who guarded the Byakudo Gate. His every step made the ground tremble, and in an instant, he charged behind Ishikawa Katori, a ferocious grin on his face as he clapped his large hands towards Ishikawa Katori.
This clap, seemingly simple, actually involved him mobilizing almost all of his Reiatsu.
If the clap landed true, this little kid in front of him would burst open like a mosquito. He could almost already see the scene of blood and flesh splattering.
Bang!!
A deafening explosion rang out as his hands clapped together, an invisible shockwave spreading out from the center of his palms.
However…
The burly man suddenly froze in place.
Because a hand, no bigger than his eye, had somehow pressed against his right eye.
Reflected in his sole remaining left eye was… the black-haired young man who had just been organizing tools on the ground.
Only…
At this moment, the young man's expression was grim, and an extremely chilling aura emanated from his body.
He, is a prisoner?
The moment this thought surfaced in his mind, intense pain surged from his right eye. The burly man vaguely felt the five fingers pressing on his right eye gradually closing, as if to gouge his right eye out of its socket.
But then, the grim young man frowned, as if thinking of something. His hand paused, stopped closing, and then slammed violently.
Before the burly man could understand what had happened, a terrifying force directly broke through the Reiatsu he had instinctively gathered, and his massive body crashed to the ground!
Boom—!
After a deafening crash, the burly man fell headfirst, his head burying directly into the filthy ground. From his skull, spiderweb-like cracks spread outwards.
"Can't cripple them!"
And this… was the last sentence the burly man heard before losing consciousness.
This scene, though seemingly long, actually happened in an instant. The burly man's sudden collapse made the other prisoners rushing towards Ishikawa Katori pause slightly, but in the next second, like a bunch of madmen, they surged towards Ishikawa Katori again.
For them, death did not inspire fear; it was even…
A kind of release!
Ishikawa Katori frowned at the sight, his aura growing even colder, so much so that even the air became bone-chilling under the aura emanating from the depths of his soul.
"Cannot kill, cannot cripple, cannot leave lasting injury…"
Ishikawa Katori repeated the same words, as if reminding himself, keeping his last shred of sanity and preventing him from falling into complete madness.
However…
The moment a scrawny middle-aged man swung his fist to attack, his tone suddenly changed:
"Die!!"
With a bang, fists met, and the crisp sound of shattering bones rang out. The scrawny middle-aged man's arm was directly bent and distorted by Ishikawa Katori's punch, with the arm bone piercing through the skin at the elbow.
But Ishikawa Katori's punch did not stop for a moment, directly smashing into the man's face.
Blood mixed with teeth flew, and the prisoner was sent directly hurtling backward, smashing into a distant wall which crumbled apart. He lost consciousness without even a grunt.
Having sent the opponent flying, Ishikawa Katori's figure flashed, disappearing from his original spot like a ghost!
He actually didn't dislike this place.
As soon as the fight began, Ishikawa Katori discovered that, compared to those villains with no skill whatsoever, the prisoners here had a certain level of mastery in Shunpo and Hakuda!
Since you're interfering with my work, I guess it's okay for me to vent on you, right?
A fanatic glint flashed in Ishikawa Katori's eyes. He hadn't fought anyone in nearly half a year. When he entered this place, the reason he didn't try to communicate with these people was partly because he felt communication was useless, and partly… because he also really wanted to use these people as training dummies for his cultivation!!
This situation could be said to have been entirely brought about by his semi-cooperation.
However, Ishikawa Katori did not completely fall into fanaticism. His Reiatsu was always maintained between that of a high-ranking Seated Officer and a Vice-Captain, and he only used Hakuda techniques.
Bang!
A huge rock, swung at him, was shattered to dust by Ishikawa Katori's punch, and the figure who swung it instantly vomited blood.
Immediately after, Ishikawa Katori burst forward, instantly meeting the first few individuals, his fists turning into afterimages as he fiercely slammed them out.
Punches, elbow strikes, knee strikes… even shoulders. All the Hakuda techniques he had learned were displayed to their fullest extent at this moment.
Boom boom boom.
At this moment, Ishikawa Katori was like a fighting machine; every part of his body could become a weapon. Wherever his fists and feet struck, he countered every move and hit every person!
Just like a lion charging into a flock of sheep, no one was a match for a single blow from him, completely demonstrating an overwhelming dominance.
One could only see prisoners who approached him being sent flying backward at a faster speed than they came.
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