Bleach: From the moment I was invited by Squad Zero.

Chapter 124 The Nest of Maggots

Leaving the cold, dark underground council hall, they met with the elite First Squad led by Vice Captain Chojiro Suzaku.

When the three former sages, wearing heavy shackles and with deathly pale faces, were escorted back to the surface of Seireitei, it was nearly noon.

News always travels faster than the wind.

Especially when the news involved the wise men of the Central 46th Bureau, and explosive terms such as "accepting bribes," "obstructing investigations," and "public arrest."

Countless gazes, both bright and dark, were cast from all directions, focusing on this extremely special escort team.

Liu Chuan, who was leading the group, had a calm expression and a steady pace, as if he were just conducting a routine inspection.

Behind him, Vice Captain Chojiro Sasakibara stood solemnly, his hand on the hilt of his sword, scanning his surroundings warily.

Further behind were several elite members of the First Division, who spread out in a fan shape, subtly protecting the core of the team.

Those being held captive at the heart of the group were none other than the three former sages.

They had long been stripped of their splendid robes and hoods that symbolized their status and honor, and replaced with rough and simple white prison uniforms, their hands and feet shackled with heavy, menacing stone chains.

The shackles clanged together, producing a dull and humiliating "clatter" that sounded particularly jarring in the quiet street.

They were forced to lower their heads, their faces devoid of any former dignity and arrogance, only showing endless dejection.

Along the way, there were members of various squads on patrol duty and shop assistants busy at the shops on the street.

Even the noble servants, hurrying along, couldn't help but stop and gaze at the procession from afar.

"Look! Isn't that... isn't that the Sage of the West Hall? And Lords Oniwa and Narumi too!"

"My God! Why are they...why are they wearing prison uniforms? And why are they wearing murderous stone shackles?!"

"I heard... that Lord Yanagawa personally brought him out of the 46th Chamber! His crime was accepting bribes from the Kasumioji family and preventing the Captain-Commander from investigating the 'Baku-yō-tō' back then!"

"Really? Even sages accept bribes?!"

"Didn't you see that even the vice-captain of the Sparrow Division was personally escorting them? And Lord Liuchuan was leading the way! How could this be fake?"

"Hiss—Lord Yanagawa... he really... dares to do such a thing! He even dares to arrest a sage!"

"Serves them right! If it weren't for them, the Xia Dalu family wouldn't have suffered such a terrible fate!"

"Keep your voice down! But... you're right, who would have thought that the high and mighty sage would be like this behind the scenes..."

The hushed whispers surged like a tide at the edge of the crowd.

His eyes held shock, curiosity, schadenfreude, and a deep awe of Liuchuan's audacious act.

Once upon a time, the sages of the Central 46 Chambers were unattainable figures in the hearts of ordinary Grim Reapers and the general public.

Now, these three disheveled figures have completely shattered that illusory halo, exposing the decay and depravity hidden beneath the solemn facade to the sunlight in a bloody manner.

Every gaze cast upon them was like a red-hot iron, searing the souls of the three sages.

They never imagined that one day they would be escorted away as criminals in such a humiliating manner, in full view of everyone.

The past glory, power, and the awe of others have now turned into the sharpest irony.

This public humiliation was more painful for them than any form of punishment.

The group's destination was not the First Division. Yanagawa and Chojiro Sasaki led the three through most of the inner Seireitei district.

Finally, they headed deeper into the Second Division's territory, near the headquarters of the Hidden Mobile Force, to the infamous prison known as the Maggot's Nest.

After passing through several checkpoints guarded by masked men in black, the team finally arrived at a relatively isolated area inside the moat.

A pure black building, like a silent behemoth, lies prostrate on the bank of the moat.

The building material is not ordinary stone or metal, but a special synthetic substance similar to a killing stone, which can effectively isolate the impact of internal and external spiritual pressure.

This is the Nest of Maggots, a prison facility managed by the Second Division's Covert Mobile Unit.

It is a special place to detain those "special beings" who are deemed "unmanageable by conventional standards".

Once inside, they are usually given excuses such as "leaving the team" or "disappearing," which means they are completely "erased" from the normal world and will never see the light of day again.

The building's entrance consists of two heavy black metal doors, in front of which stand four guards dressed no differently from the other covert mobile team members.

However, the person standing in front of the guards, responsible for receiving the escort team, was someone who seemed completely out of place with the surroundings.

This person was extremely tall and fat, almost twice the width of an average person, with a round belly.

What was most striking was his adornment—a thick, glittering gold necklace around his neck.

Wearing a gold bracelet on his wrist, he stood there exuding an overwhelming aura of nouveau riche.

It was none other than the second division vice-captain, Ōmaeda Kichiyo.

The Ōmaeda family are renowned wealthy merchants in the Soul Society, and he himself has the word "rich" etched into his very bones.

Rumor has it that the advanced facilities of the Second Division were built with funds from his family.

At this moment, the vice-captain of Seireitei, known for his "generosity," was greeting Yanagawa and his party with a smile.

"Isn't this Lord Yanagawa and Vice Captain of the Sparrow Club? And all my colleagues from the First Division, thank you for your hard work!"

Omaeda Kichiyo's voice was loud and clear, carrying the shrewdness and enthusiasm characteristic of a businessman. He strode forward, his pregnant belly protruding, the gold chains on his body jingling.

"I received orders that prisoners were to move into the Maggot's Nest, so I've been waiting here for quite some time!"

"Vice Captain Ōmaeda, thank you for your trouble." Chojiro Sasaki was clearly used to this man's style, nodding in a businesslike manner and handing over the relevant documents before handing the three men over to Xing Jun.

"The criminals Nishidoin, Oni-tei, and Narumi are here to be detained in accordance with the law. This is the order from the Captain-General."

"No problem, no problem!" Ōmaeda took the document, handed it to a guard behind him without even looking at it, and then rubbed his chubby hands covered in rings.

Chojiro Sasaki said, "Thank you for your trouble. Now that the handover is complete, we will report back immediately."

Then Chojiro Sasakibe left with the members of the First Division.

“Vice-Captain Ōmaeda,” Yanagawa suddenly asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"I'm quite interested in the internal structure and management of this 'nest of maggots.' Would it be possible to go inside and take a look?"

A look of confusion appeared on Ōmaeda Norichiyo's broad, round face; she was clearly somewhat surprised by Yanagawa's request.

However, since it was Yanagawa's request, he naturally wouldn't refuse:

"If Your Excellency Liuchuan wishes to make an inspection, that is certainly possible. Please follow me."

Chapter 125 Soi Fon's Obsession

"Lord Yanagawa, please." Ōmaeda led the way, his large body moving with remarkable stability through the narrow passage.

"The Nest of Maggots is directly under the Second Division and is managed and guarded by the core forces of the Covert Mobile Force."

At this point, the two had passed through a long passage and arrived at a relatively spacious transition area.

Several technical staff members, also dressed in gray-white uniforms, were recording something at their workstations. When they saw Omaeda and Yanagawa, they simply nodded slightly and continued working.

"All detainees will complete their initial registration here and will be forcibly stamped with this exclusive spiritual seal."

The limited spiritual seal, Yanagawa, knew that the captain and vice-captain, Shinigami, had come to the human world in order to prevent their powerful spiritual pressure from causing unnecessary harm.

When they travel to the mortal world, a limited spiritual seal is placed on a certain part of their body, which restricts their spiritual pressure.

After introducing the core restraint methods, Ōmaeda led Yanagawa through another heavy gate.

The moment the door opened, what lay behind it was not the grim prison scene I had imagined.

This is an exceptionally spacious and bright interior space.

Countless ghost-path crystals were arranged on the ceiling, illuminating the entire space.

The air circulation seems to be working well; there's no foul smell, only a faint disinfectant scent.

What's most surprising is the "people" here.

In the spacious area, many figures dressed in uniform white prison uniforms were moving slowly.

Some of them walked along the wall, heads down, pacing in circles.

Some were squatting alone in a corner, scratching something on the ground with their fingers or pebbles;

Some gathered in twos and threes, but did not communicate with each other at all; they just stood or sat blankly.

Some people lay face up on the cold ground, staring blankly at the ceiling, motionless.

Their expressions were mostly blank and dazed, as if they were immersed in some kind of inner world that only they could understand.

The entire scene presented a slow-paced, even tranquil atmosphere, almost like a large sanatorium.

Several guards were scattered at the edge of the space or at several high points.

They quietly surveyed the entire room, but did not step forward to interfere with, drive away, or stop anyone's behavior.

As long as the prisoners don't do anything particularly violent, they seem to be able to move around "freely" here.

"As you can see, Lord Yanagawa." Ōmaeda's voice rang out from the side; he too was observing the space, his tone returning to its usual calm, conversational style.

"After the spiritual pressure is completely restricted by the sealing of the spiritual seal, the threat level of most prisoners has been reduced to the minimum."

Therefore, provided they adhered to the basic rules, they were allowed to move freely inside.

However, at that moment...

"Bang! Thud! Crack—!!!"

A powerful sound of flesh colliding came from somewhere deeper inside the building!

Just as Yanagawa was feeling puzzled, Ōmaeda explained:

"Lord Yanagawa, it's probably the captain training."

When the two arrived at the scene, in the center of the venue stood a petite yet incredibly sharp black figure.

Like a black lightning bolt, it weaves and strikes with dazzling speed and precision among more than twenty prisoners of different shapes and fierce eyes!

It was Soi Fon, the captain of the 2nd Division and commander-in-chief of the Onmitsukido.

She was dressed in a black military uniform that allowed for easy movement, and her short hair drew sharp lines as she moved at high speed.

At this moment, there was no expression, only absolute calmness and focus.