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"Hiss…it hurts…"
"Heal…heal me, I absolutely…argh…won't attack you again…"
"Help…me…"
Agonized cries filled the entire Maggot's Nest, making this already chilling underground prison even more terrifying.
Nijima hid in a corner, watching the prisoners writhing in pain on the ground. Though his face was pale with fear, there was also a hint of schadenfreude.
Serves them right!
They'd been beaten by that lunatic so many times, and they still went and provoked him. Isn't that just asking for death?
"Aaaahhhh—!"
Just then, a wail filled with heartache, regret, and bitterness echoed throughout the Maggot's Nest.
Upon hearing it, Nijima's expression immediately turned strange.
He looked towards the Maggot's Nest entrance, from where the sound originated, and saw that the original Cell No. 1 was gone, replaced by a simple yet comfortable-looking wooden house.
This was the house that lunatic built himself, where he occasionally came to sleep.
Though Nijima couldn't understand why, with Seireitei being so vast, Ishikawa Katori insisted on sleeping in a place like the Maggot's Nest.
And…
The most outrageous thing was that he even came here to recover after getting injured.
If one only listened to the wails, they might think the person wailing was like the other prisoners on the ground, all severely injured in the recent fight.
But Nijima could say with certainty that those wailing prisoners on the ground hadn't even touched a single hair on Ishikawa Katori.
As for why Ishikawa Katori was wailing even more miserably than the prisoners, Nijima could only say…
That guy, whom they had always called a lunatic, might truly be insane!!
…
Regret!
Super regretful—!
Inside the wooden house, Ishikawa Katori, covered in bandages, rolled frantically on his small bed.
That drunk woman!!
"Aaaahhh—"
Ishikawa Katori clutched his head, his body curled up. Why did he drink with her back then?
And…
Why was she such a heavy drinker? Was she some kind of alcohol aggregate?
Most, most importantly…
['Matsumoto Rangiku' Current Favorability: 15]
A female Vice-Captain increasing her favorability by 15 points in just half a day—ordinarily, this would be a godsend.
But…
"My experience points, ah—ah…ah ah—"
Ishikawa Katori's head hurt again, and he rolled on the bed, clutching his head.
One had to know that nearly 34,000 experience points were something he had painstakingly saved up.
According to Ishikawa Katori's original plan, to avoid accidentally exposing his strength during combat, he had intended not to use experience points unless he encountered a bottleneck in his cultivation.
He would wait until he had enough experience to directly reach Captain-level Reiatsu, then invest it all at once.
In short…
Train quietly, then shock the world!
The result…
It was all over.
Reiatsu: Advanced (37902 / 100000)
The nearly 15,000 experience points invested in Reiatsu were fine; it was just a matter of sooner or later.
But the nearly 20,000 experience points spent on Physique and Raikōhō made Ishikawa Katori's heart ache just thinking about it.
While it was a good thing that Raikōhō had reached Advanced level and successfully integrated into Hakuda, Ishikawa Katori could have also raised it to Advanced level through his own slow cultivation without investing experience points.
And the nearly 8,000 experience points invested in Physique were a complete waste.
Although after Physique reached a certain level, the strengthening of Reiatsu could no longer drive its growth, as long as his Reiatsu strength reached Captain-level, his Physique should also continue to grow under its influence. Even if it didn't reach Advanced, it should be close.
At least, judging from the current situation of the Gotei 13 Captains, Physique wasn't particularly important.
For example…
A certain sickly Captain who often caught colds and spent half the year in bed—his Physique couldn't possibly be high just thinking about it.
And that white-haired Captain, an alcohol aggregate, whose Physique wasn't strong due to age limitations, though this also limited his potential.
But it was already enough to prove that before Reiatsu reached a certain level, there was no need to waste experience on Physique.
Ishikawa Katori had initially taken many detours.
He thought about developing comprehensively to improve his combat ability.
This allowed him to easily defeat enemies with similar, or even slightly stronger, Reiatsu.
But when he encountered Genji, whose Reiatsu far exceeded his, he found himself in a situation where no matter how he attacked, he couldn't cause any damage.
After that battle, Ishikawa Katori changed his mind, instead using all his experience points to improve his Reiatsu, and cultivating combat techniques through his own efforts.
Ishikawa Katori couldn't say he regretted his previous choices.
The wrong choices, while slowing down the growth of his Reiatsu, did make his combat ability stronger, allowing him to have corresponding countermeasures no matter what kind of enemy he encountered.
Moreover, without investment in Kido and Hakuda, and solely pursuing Reiatsu strength, he might still not have learned techniques like Shunko.
He would have ended up like those villains, engaging in a chicken fight with only Reiatsu.
Getting back to the point…
While the wasted experience points made Ishikawa Katori's heart ache, they were secondary compared to the impact of this battle.
Originally, he was a nobody in Seireitei. The only ones who paid attention to him were the Onmitsukidō and the Fourth Division.
But Seireitei was so vast, and each Squad had different responsibilities, so their connections weren't deep. Apart from the Captains and Vice-Captains at the top, let alone Ishikawa Katori, even the Seated Officers of the Second and Fourth Divisions were unknown minor characters in other Squads, and no one paid attention to them at all.
They wouldn't even be recognized unless they revealed their identities.
But now…
Every Squad was investigating who fought with Zaraki Kenpachi, and those few individuals he feared most might have noticed him.
Furthermore, that lunatic, Kenpachi Zaraki, was sending Squad Members everywhere to look for him.
Just thinking about all this made Ishikawa Katori feel an urge to live in the Maggot's Nest and never leave.
Because to avoid causing panic among Squad Members of other Squads, the existence of the 'Maggot's Nest' had always been a secret.
Even the Vice-Captains of each Squad only knew that the Supervisory Team was an organization that monitored Shinigami, but they didn't know about the existence of the Maggot's Nest.
In terms of Concealment, this was undoubtedly the best place.
…
"Aaaahhh—"
Listening to the painful wails from the wooden house, Nijima couldn't help but shrink further into the corner.
He suddenly missed the old Maggot's Nest, although the living conditions were harsh, the air was nauseating, and all the facilities were rotten… well, there wasn't much to miss.
Nijima's mouth twitched slightly. While Warden Ishikawa was eccentric, enjoyed abusing prisoners, and frequently conducted physical examinations in the Maggot's Nest…
With this guard, the Maggot's Nest had indeed improved a lot.
Fresh air, clean environment, stable order…
And brand new beds, replacement prisoner uniforms, various recreational facilities, and occasionally the Supervisory Team would even give them a good meal…
From these points, the other party was indeed a very good warden.
"Hiss~ it hurts… Warden Ishikawa… I really was wrong…"
Of course…
Provided one ignored the wailing prisoners on the ground.
Nijima glanced at the prisoners on the ground, and couldn't help but praise Warden Ishikawa's Hakuda.
The prisoners he struck down, while losing their ability to move, wouldn't die or suffer lasting injuries; it was just pure pain… so much pain they couldn't even faint, a pain worse than death!!
It truly demonstrated the meaning of 'torment' to the fullest.
"Hey—!!"
Just then, a shout came from the direction of the entrance, making the prisoners hiding in corners and in their respective rooms shiver.
Nijima's face changed. He then realized that Ishikawa Katori, dressed in a clean white prisoner uniform, had walked out of the wooden house at some point.
He wouldn't take it out on us, would he?
"Those who can move, carry all those bastards on the ground over here. I'll treat them."
Ishikawa Katori's words made everyone breathe a sigh of relief. They all emerged from their hiding spots and skillfully lifted the prisoners.
Nijima was the first to jump out, carrying two prisoners and walking towards Ishikawa Katori with a fawning smile, clearly acting as the chief lackey.
"You're quite obedient."
Ishikawa Katori looked at Nijima.
Probably because he was the last one sent into the Maggot's Nest, this kid was always well-behaved during prisoner riots, hiding to the side and not getting involved.
Nijima said, "Warden Ishikawa, I'm different from them. I was completely wronged."
"Heh heh."
Ishikawa Katori sneered and began treating the prisoners using Kaido.
What's there to be wronged about…
These people aren't imprisoned for committing crimes. If they had really done something, they would have been executed by the Onmitsukido long ago and wouldn't have come here at all.
Nijima chuckled nervously, then turned around to help the other prisoners transport the injured.
The treatment lasted for nearly an hour. After healing the last prisoner, Ishikawa Katori stood up and entered the wooden house, walking over to the wardrobe.
Opening the wardrobe, half of the not-so-large space was filled with black work uniforms and long boots; the other half held loose prisoner uniforms, which Ishikawa Katori used as sleepwear.
While hiding in the Maggot's Nest was easy, he couldn't keep running forever.
Five days had passed since the battle with Zaraki Kenpachi, and the commotion outside had mostly subsided.
If he was careful, there shouldn't be any problems.
After changing his clothes, Ishikawa Katori left the Maggot's Nest directly.
The two Squad Members guarding outside were startled when they saw Ishikawa Katori, and said with some surprise, "Warden Ishikawa, you've come out?"
"Yes."
Ishikawa Katori nodded, then said, "Tell the brothers in the Supervisory Team not to bring me food anymore. I'm returning to Rukongai tonight."
"Yes."
The two Squad Members replied respectfully.
They weren't respectful of Ishikawa Katori because of his identity; after all, 'Warden' was just an honorific they learned from the prisoners, and Ishikawa Katori actually held no position in the Second Division.
However, after Ishikawa Katori came to the Supervisory Team, he often guided the Squad Members of the Supervisory Team in their training. This made the Squad Members of the Supervisory Team, who hadn't had Captain-level guidance for over a hundred years and could only train with Squad Members from other sub-Squads, regard Ishikawa Katori as a Captain-like existence in their hearts.
…
Vice-Captain's Office.
"You finally decided to come out?"
Ōmaeda looked at Ishikawa Katori on the sofa and smiled, "If you didn't come out soon, the Captain was planning to keep you locked up forever."
"How's the situation outside?"
Ishikawa Katori didn't waste words and directly stated his purpose.
Ōmaeda didn't mind, stuffing a handful of snacks into his mouth and mumbling, "Everyone investigating you has been turned away by the Captain. As for the Eleventh Division, you don't need to worry too much. I've already had the Patrol Corps Squad Members go and expel them on the grounds of 'disturbing the peace.'"
"However, there are quite a few patients in the Comprehensive Relief Station who were severely injured by their Captain. There's no reason to expel those people, so it's better if you avoid them; and Rukongai isn't under the jurisdiction of the Patrol Corps, so you'll have to figure that out yourself."
"Anyway, according to intelligence from the Byakudo Gate, Ikkaku Madarame, the Third Seat, and Yumichika Ayasegawa, the Fifth Seat, have been going to your tavern every day recently."
"…" Ishikawa Katori.
Are these battle maniacs out of their minds?
No…
They've always been out of their minds!
Shaking his head slightly, Ishikawa Katori said with some gratitude, "Thank you."
"If you want to thank someone, you should thank those prisoners in the Maggot's Nest."
"Hm?" Ishikawa Katori was startled.
Ōmaeda sneered, "To successfully help you quell this commotion, Central 46 also contributed, because those high-and-mighty individuals don't want Shinigami to know about the existence of the 'Maggot's Nest.' They were the ones who prompted the other Squads to stop their in-depth investigations."
Upon hearing this, Ishikawa Katori's expression immediately became somewhat strange. He had never imagined that managing the 'Maggot's Nest' could bring him such benefits.
"The Captain said to keep a low profile from now on. If you cause something like this again, even with Shiba backing you, those people in the Central 46 won't continue to let you roam around Seireitei, and might even order your capture."
Ōmaeda finished speaking, then looked at Ishikawa Katori, saying seriously, "I don't want to one day receive an order to capture you through the intelligence channels."
"I promise this time was just an accident…"
At this point, Ishikawa Katori felt another pang of heartache, which aggravated his injuries, making his face turn pale.
"Speaking of which, aren't you ridiculously strong!?" Ōmaeda said with a peculiar tone.
Ōmaeda had rushed to the Eleventh Division immediately after the battle ended. The Squad barracks was completely unrecognizable, making it hard to imagine how intense the battle must have been to destroy it to such an extent.
There were even rumors that…
Kenpachi Zaraki was injured in the battle.
Ōmaeda didn't quite believe this rumor, but for Kenpachi Zaraki to unleash power capable of destroying the barracks was already enough to shock him.
"It should be said that that lunatic, Zaraki Kenpachi, is ridiculously strong."
Ishikawa Katori said through gritted teeth. Being beaten to his current state, it would be a lie to say he wasn't frustrated at all.
Don't let his current ability to move freely deceive you; in reality, every movement made him feel various parts of his body constantly wailing.
The injuries on his body were secondary, merely causing some pain.
However, the overloaded replenishment of Reiatsu by his Spirit Core had caused damage to the Spirit Core itself. Even with Ishikawa Katori's Kaido abilities, it would require at least half a month of recuperation.
During this half-month, using his Development Spiritual Mark would only worsen the damage to his Spirit Core.
However…
There was nothing he could do about the frustration; he had brought it upon himself.
…
Bidding farewell to Ōmaeda, Ishikawa Katori originally wanted to use apologizing to Soi Fon as an excuse to see if his excellent attitude of admitting fault could increase Soi Fon's favorability.
But he was turned away at the door…
Soi Fon didn't want to see him at all right now. Forget increasing favorability; continuing to linger in front of Soi Fon risked losing the mere 1 point of favorability he had.
However, while Soi Fon's favorability towards him didn't increase, his favorability towards Soi Fon did.
Regardless of the reason, the Onmitsukidō had indeed helped him a great deal this time.
"Captain Soi Fon, I will definitely work even harder in the future!" Ishikawa Katori secretly resolved in his heart.
Leaving the Second Division, Ishikawa Katori quietly made his way to a nearby Commercial Street. Only after confirming that his shop's surroundings were not under surveillance did he enter the shop.
"Sir Ishikawa, you're finally back."
The two employees of the Everything Store branch immediately approached Ishikawa Katori upon seeing him and said, "Many requests have piled up these past few days, and people keep coming to urge us… Uh… Sir Ishikawa, are you sick?"
Seeing Ishikawa Katori's pale face, both of them stopped their work report.
"It's nothing, just some minor injuries. They won't affect work."
Ishikawa Katori took the request forms from their hands. Although he wasn't suitable for combat, basic work was still fine.
He just wanted to earn some experience points as soon as possible. Without experience points, he always felt a bit uneasy…
"Why don't you rest for a bit?"
The female clerk asked with some concern. When she was first transferred here from the Omaeda Residence, she actually felt some dissatisfaction towards Ishikawa Katori.
But after a few days of working together, she found that this new boss was truly a very gentle and kind person, and working here was very relaxed.
"Thank you, but I'm really fine." Ishikawa Katori's pale face showed a gentle smile.
The female clerk hesitated for a moment and did not continue to persuade him.
The male clerk seemed to recall something and said, "Oh, right, Boss, the 7 million Kan you left in the shop—I took 6 million Kan from it to pay for your drinks that day… Huh? Boss, what's wrong?"
Pfft—!
Seeing Ishikawa Katori suddenly vomit blood and collapse, both of their faces changed.
"Boss? Boss!!"
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for dozens of advance chapters for over a dozen fics | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter