When Naraku Sora put down the wine glass, he suddenly felt his exhaustion vanish, replaced by a sense of high spirits.
Furthermore, the chaotic thoughts in his mind disappeared along with the wine as it went down his stomach.
Originally, he had been in low spirits due to the influence of the Araki family's atrocities, but now he had recovered his usual calm.
Deep in his heart, there was tranquility, as if he possessed no worldly desires at all.
Soon, Naraku Sora reacted, looking down at the shimmering glow rippling inside the wine glass. "What is this?"
"A Puncture Point borrowed from that friend of mine. To put it simply, it is an anesthetic," Shutara Senjumaru explained with a smile, propping her cheek up with one hand. "The General Relief Station usually uses it to anesthetize the wounded for surgery."
"After a few insignificant improvements, the current effect alleviates mild fatigue after battle and calms the human mind."
"Consider it a small compensation for letting you act as a test subject these past few days."
Naraku Sora grinned and lay down on the tatami mat without a care for his image, completely disregarding Shutara Senjumaru's presence beside him.
"Just this bit of compensation isn't enough. We agreed on rewards before, and I want every single one of them."
"Relax, relax."
Shutara Senjumaru narrowed her eyes slightly, her tone carrying a trace of imperceptible doting.
"I am not the type of person to go back on my word."
"By the way, did you gain anything from your first mission outside?"
Hearing this, Naraku Sora let out a long breath, slowly opened his eyes, stared straight at the ceiling, and murmured, "Lady Warden."
"Hm?"
"Is ambition really that important?"
"To some people, ambition is their everything."
After this simple dialogue, the room fell into a deathly silence. After an unknown amount of time, Naraku Sora finally spoke again, roughly describing what had happened in Rukongai.
"According to the Soul Society laws formulated by that group of people, the Araki family unauthorizedly violated prohibitions, researched emergency matters, slaughtered civilians in Rukongai, and trespassed into the Central Great Prison to attack Soul Reapers."
Naraku Sora recited the laws he had memorized with great difficulty.
"With the accumulation of crimes, they should be stripped of all spiritual power and imprisoned in the Sixth Level Underground Prison, Ennetsu Jigoku."
"But because they are high-ranking nobles, some regulations do not apply to them. As a result, the most severe punishment they face is merely imprisonment in the First Level, the Tokatsu Jigoku."
"They might even be released before long."
After seeing the literal mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and receiving the lecture on Soul Society regulations that Nishikawa had specifically given him, he felt somewhat unwilling to accept this.
He was unwilling to accept that this group of so-called nobles, who had committed countless sins, would only have to endure a negligible amount of torture.
Just as Naraku Sora was feeling melancholy, Shutara Senjumaru sighed with a tone of 'hating iron for not becoming steel'.
"Sometimes I really don't know whether to say you are kind or just honest."
"Silly boy, you don't actually think those high and mighty fellows in Central 46 would lower their status to come to the Central Great Prison to verify if the punishment is being carried out properly, do you?"
Naraku Sora froze.
He looked up, gazing at the 'bad woman' beside him in astonishment.
"You don't do this often, do you?" He had discovered a blind spot once again.
Shutara Senjumaru widened her eyes and waved her hands repeatedly.
"It wasn't me, I didn't do it, I haven't done it. You cannot stain my innocence out of thin air."
"I am merely stating facts. Since stepping down from the duties of Squad 12 and coming to the Central Great Prison, I have never seen anyone from Central 46 come to verify if punishments were implemented."
"Of course, one cannot be too excessive."
"For example, if someone who is supposed to be in prison suddenly appears outside and is seen by others, that is absolutely unacceptable."
Naraku Sora looked thoughtful.
"Furthermore, we have a more appropriate method. The kind where even if investigated, we won't be punished," Shutara Senjumaru imparted her experience to Naraku Sora.
"Aside from the Eighth Level, Muken, the space in every level of Hell is limited. If the specific Hell commanded by the sentence has no spare room..."
"According to regulations, they can be transferred to another Hell first."
"In this way, even if those guys at Central 46 find out, they won't have anything to say."
Perhaps because she held leverage over Naraku Sora, or perhaps for some other reason, Shutara Senjumaru often showed a relatively authentic side when alone with him.
For instance, she would speak bluntly when evaluating the decisions of Central 46.
"I understand."
Naraku Sora nodded solemnly. "In short, even if the matter is exposed, as long as I say Lady Warden taught me, there won't be any problems."
Shutara Senjumaru: "?"
Why does this kid always look at things from such a novel angle?
You do the good deeds, but I take the blame?
It looks like the intensity of the next experiment needs to be doubled.
Having resolved his greatest confusion, Naraku Sora instantly regained his energy and leapt up from the tatami mat.
After greeting the 'bad woman', he ran toward the holding cell without looking back.
Since the judgment handed down by Central 46 was not important, there shouldn't be any problem if he acted in advance, right?
Staring at his receding figure, Shutara Senjumaru raised her eyebrows thoughtfully, a pleasant smile rising on the corners of her mouth.
"Nearly dragging down a high-ranking noble on his very first mission."
"Compared to those idiots with brains full of deep-rooted, stubborn thinking, this kid suits my tastes perfectly."
"The originally unchangeable future now has many variables. It is truly something to look forward to, seeing what it will become."
...
Inside the holding cell, Nishikawa was so busy his head was spinning.
That kid Naraku Sora not only failed to guard the sinners he brought back, but he also just dumped them here and patted his butt and left.
Several of them had severe injuries and required immediate treatment.
They could die anywhere, but they absolutely could not die inside the holding cell.
This was the area he was responsible for.
"Senior Nishikawa, leave these sinners to me."
Naraku Sora took the chains from Nishikawa's hands. Without allowing any objection, he bound Araki Shuto and the others with Kidō and marched them out of the holding cell.
Nishikawa wanted to speak but stopped; his chest full of words ultimately turned into a helpless sigh.
Ennetsu Jigoku.
This level of Hell contained a built-in volcanic furnace. Blazing high temperatures roasted the entire space, which was filled with countless iron pillars.
Sinners were usually bound firmly to these pillars by jailers with chains to undergo the punishment of burning; or placed on iron beds to be struck with iron hammers, or have boiling oil poured on them...
Compared to the previous levels, the punishments in this level were clearly more diverse, and also more cruel and terrifying.
He casually locked Araki Shuto into the nearest cell.
Ripples like shark silk emerged, and the long-absent black light screen appeared before his eyes right on time.
[Success in suppressing sinner Araki Shuto, Sin Value 1172, Participation 100%!]
[Your Reiatsu has increased, current Spirit Power Level Nine!]
[Your understanding of Bakudō has increased, perfectly mastered Bakudō #39: Enkosen!]
[Your Hakuda has increased, current level LV28!]
[Your understanding of Flash Step has increased, current level LV24!]
[Your Soul Body Strength increased by 100%!]
It appeared again.
Naraku Sora stared tightly at the words on the light screen. What did it mean by Soul Body Strength increased by one hundred percent?