"You have a plan too?"
Yoruichi immediately gave him a look of doubt. Beside her, Fong Shaolin was still acting like a 'steam princess,' unable to recover from their previous intimate contact for a long time.
In her impression, Naraku Sora was usually the person with the most efficient execution. Often, the target would be set one second, and he would already be charging toward it the next. Planning, acting after deliberation, or assessing the situation—it was as if none of these things existed for him. Once a stereotype is established, it is difficult to change.
"What do you mean by that!?"
Naraku Sora felt his peerless wisdom was being insulted and questioned her loudly, "Do I really look like such a brainless person?"
To be honest, Yoruichi really wanted to nod, but considering that doing so might be too hurtful, she stopped the thought just in time.
Ignoring the conflicted Yoruichi, Naraku Sora said seriously, "You must be clearer than I am about the composition of the members within the Maggot's Nest."
Yoruichi nodded. "The 'Special Detention' members are mainly Gotei 13 Soul Reapers who declared their withdrawal. In essence, they haven't committed any actual crimes."
"But because of the strange logic of those guys in Central 46, they've decided that the Gotei 13 is a noble organization that cannot have members who were once 'qualified' but are now 'unfit'."
"Therefore, they take those dangerous individuals who might be 'unfit' and handle them secretly under the guise of resignation, subjecting them to detention."
"They just cut them all off and lock them inside the Maggot's Nest."
Naraku Sora grinned. "To be more precise, they are only dangerous individuals determined by Central 46, not criminals in the true sense."
"Some time ago, I conducted a social experiment in the first level of Shino Prison, the Hell of Reviving. It was called 'Hope Therapy,' and the results were remarkable."
"The sinners all burst into tears, repenting for the mistakes and crimes they had committed."
"Since it worked on them, why not try it on these so-called 'dangerous individuals'?"
Yoruichi sat on the ground, a thoughtful expression appearing on her face.
...
The Maggot's Nest was located in the northwest corner of the Squad 2 barracks, surrounded by a massive moat. From the scale alone, it was quite impressive.
When they saw a group of three crossing the moat and approaching, the members of the Punishment Force responsible for guarding weren't surprised. The two guards lowered their heads simultaneously.
"Lady Yoruichi!"
"Oh, good work."
Yoruichi waved her hand, signaling the two to open the gates. As an important institution of Squad 2, the outer layer of the Maggot's Nest was endowed with multiple layers of Bakudō barriers by the Kidō Corps, which were maintained regularly. However, since its inception, the Soul Reapers under Special Detention had never had a jailbreak incident. Most were quite well-behaved.
Under Yoruichi's lead, Naraku Sora and Fong Shaolin officially entered the depths of the mountain. Passing through a quiet cave and opening another door, a spacious and bright underground prison appeared before them.
Unlike Shino Prison, the Soul Reapers here weren't under any physical restrictions; there weren't even specific cells. They could move and interact freely, with the sole condition that they could not leave the Maggot's Nest.
But right now, the place was clearly in the middle of a riot. The clamor echoed against the ceiling, and materialized Reiatsu intertwined, reaching a boiling point. Noticing others entering, many Soul Reapers subconsciously turned their gaze toward the doorway. When they realized the identities of the newcomers, several dangerous looks appeared in their eyes.
"It's the recently appointed Captain Yoruichi."
"She even brought two followers. Is one of them the new Detention Unit Captain?"
"How weak. You don't honestly expect these two little kids to subdue us, do you?"
As defined dangerous individuals, they had no entertainment in their daily lives. The best way to relax both mind and body was to teach those so-called high-and-mighty "Soul Reaper Lords" a lesson. Once inside the Maggot's Nest, even the Captain of Squad 2 had to remove their Zanpakutō. In terms of Hakuda skills alone, they wouldn't fear those who were famous in name only!
"Hope Therapy, as the name suggests, is about giving hope to the other party amidst despair."
Naraku Sora moved his shoulders, his joints cracking with a sharp sound like a tightened bowstring. Blood-red Reiatsu swirled around him like mist. The injuries left from the previous battle with Aizen had already mostly healed under his High-Speed Regeneration ability.
Fong Shaolin looked at the figure beside her in bewilderment, not understanding what was happening at all. In just a breath's time, the harmless boy from a moment ago had instantly transformed into a demon walking out of hell. His vicious aura was suffocating.
Amidst the crimson haze, Naraku Sora revealed a ferocious smile. "Come, everyone. Whoever can defeat me will be a free person from now on!"
As soon as these words were spoken, an uproar broke out in the Maggot's Nest. Countless disbelieving eyes fixed on Naraku Sora. But they didn't really believe this brat's words until they saw Yoruichi beside him remain silent, offering no rebuttal.
The Maggot's Nest instantly boiled over. Roars and howls seemed ready to flip the entire cave upside down. Heavy Reiatsu, like a burst dam, surged toward the exit. Fong Shaolin's face turned pale, but she still stood firmly in front of Yoruichi, carrying out her duty to the end.
However, in the next moment, the first figure to lunge forward stopped abruptly. A massive head was gripped tightly by someone's hand. The exaggerated size difference made it look as though a child had palmed a basketball.
Naraku Sora gripped the man's head, looking at the remaining Soul Reapers with a smile. He let out a soft breath, appearing completely relaxed. Compared to previous sparring matches, the current battle felt no different from simple relaxation.
Although there was no shortage of seated-officer-class elites among the Soul Reapers imprisoned here, it didn't mean they could gain an advantage in Hakuda. Not every Soul Reaper had 200% growth potential and Hollow power.
He casually threw the muscular man who had crashed into his palm, smashing a solid human-shaped silhouette into the wall. Countless stones and dust fell. Naraku Sora looked up at the rioting Soul Reapers, flashing a kind smile.
Then, wrapped in blazing Reiatsu, he charged directly into the crowd like a high-horsepower dump truck. In an instant, there was a deafening roar.
Fong Shaolin watched the inhumane scene unfolding before her in shock; it completely redefined her understanding of Hakuda skills. She had never imagined that after losing their Zanpakutō, a Soul Reaper could still be strong to such an exaggerated degree.
Not a single person could last a round against Naraku Sora. Between those five fingers, air currents erupted out of nowhere, shooting in all directions. They instantly turned into a fierce hurricane, crushing all attacking Soul Reapers like decaying wood.
Even Yoruichi couldn't help but click her tongue. Previously, because the Onmitsukidō had taken a commission from the Araki family, she had personally fought Naraku Sora. At the time, she had suffered a slight loss due to underestimating him, but Yoruichi prided herself on being able to easily crush him if she used her true strength.
Now, just looking at the battle, she could faintly perceive the oncoming sense of pressure. How much time had passed? If he continued to grow for a while longer, he might not even hold the Head Captain in his eyes.
In less than a minute, almost all the Soul Reapers lay on the ground, unable to get up. Naraku Sora held the last person by the collar, a smile still on his face.
"Now... do you understand what hope is?"