The Onmitsukidō operatives moved with ritual precision. One unfastened the cord at Minato's lower back, lifting his Zanpakutō free. The chamber seemed to exhale with them, as if a living presence had just been torn away.
The moment the blade left his side, Minato felt it like a hollow ache inside his chest, a silence where once there had been warmth. His shoulders sank ever so slightly, though his head remained high.
The operatives carried the sword forward and placed it into Yoruichi's hands.
For the briefest instant, her golden eyes softened. She stared at the blade, then at Minato, and her jaw clenched hard, as if she were grinding her teeth to keep from speaking. She turned away sharply, hiding the grief behind her composure.
Rangiku could not. Her lips trembled, and her eyes glistened as she watched them bind Minato's wrists with black kido cuffs. She wanted to scream, to cry out for them to stop, but her voice failed her.
All she could do was stare, her heart breaking silently as they pulled him to his feet. She wondered what she'd tell the boy. Whether to tell him what had happened to his master or not. She imagined how it would break his heart and she couldn't bear it.
"Escort him to the Maggots' Nest," the Head Captain ordered.
The heavy doors of the chamber creaked open. Minato was led away, his expression calm, almost serene, even as the chains clinked against the stone floor.
Yoruichi's gaze followed him until he vanished into the corridor. Rangiku's hands clenched into fists at her sides, nails cutting into her palms, her breath shallow.
The council receded into silence, their shadows satisfied. Yamamoto struck the floor once more, the note final.
The captains filed out in clusters, voices hushed but sharp with judgment. Kenpachi barked a laugh, his grin wide and feral. "Two hundred and fifty years, huh? Keh-heh… like that'll hold him. I'll bet on him clawing his way out. And when he does..hah! I'll be waiting."
Rose crossed his arms, his tone edged with disdain. "Frankly, it's still lenient. He nearly crippled two Captains in battle. That's not something we brush aside with confinement."
Ginrei Kuchiki inclined his head slightly, his voice cold and exact. "Agreed. In another era, his actions would have warranted execution. This sentence shows restraint, perhaps too much."
Shunsui tilted his hat low, his voice calm but unusually firm. "Or perhaps you're looking at it the wrong way. He's reckless, sure… but he's also one of the few who's stood to protect the Rukongai from threats we weren't there to stop. Strip him of his sword and lock him away, and what happens when we face something even worse?"
Ukitake stepped beside him, pale but resolute. "Kyoraku is right. He's dangerous, yes, but not beyond reach. With guidance, he could become an ally. Someone we need, not someone we bury underground."
Their words drew eyes to Yamamoto, who walked ahead, staff tapping against the stone. He did not pause, did not look back.
"Power without restraint," he said finally, his voice like a drawn blade, "is more dangerous than an enemy's strike. Soul Society cannot gamble its future on an outsider's will."
The finality in his tone left no room for debate. Shunsui and Ukitake exchanged a glance, the fight draining from their shoulders. They knew there would be no changing the Captain-Commander's mind.
At the rear, Rangiku lingered at the doors, staring down the empty corridor where Minato had been taken. Her chest heaved, torn between relief that he lived and anguish at what he had lost.
Yoruichi passed by without a word but placed a firm hand on Rangiku's shoulder as she went, a fleeting gesture of solidarity before vanishing into the shadows.
The captains' footsteps faded, swallowed by the vast halls of Seireitei.
And beneath them, in the depths no sunlight touched, the Maggots' Nest waited.
*
The journey was silent.
Minato's hands were bound in black restraining cloth, his spiritual pressure sealed to a suffocating degree. On either side of him, two faceless Omnitsukidō operatives moved like shadows, their steps in perfect rhythm. Kisuke walked behind, hat tilted, fan in hand, and Yoruichi led the way.
The closer they came to the Maggot's Nest, the colder the air grew. The stone corridor narrowed, walls lined with spiritual wards that pulsed faintly in the dim light.
Kisuke finally broke the silence. His voice carried its usual cheer, but there was a sharp edge of curiosity.
"Say, Minato-kun… I read Kensei's report. You absorbed Reishi during battle, almost like a Quincy. Interesting, no? Was it some clever trick you devised?"
Minato did not answer. His gaze remained fixed forward, the shadow of resignation in his eyes.
Unbothered, Kisuke continued, tapping his fan against his chin.
"And then there's your Zanpakutō. Most souls can't awaken one without guidance, without being Shinigami first. Yet here you are, wielding it as if it had always been a part of you. Quite the mystery.."
"Kisuke."
Yoruichi's voice cut sharp, echoing off the walls. She glanced back at him, eyes narrowed.
"Not here. Not now."
For a moment, the silence was heavy again. Kisuke sighed and closed his fan with a snap, the playful curve of his lips hiding the unease beneath.
At the end of the corridor, the iron doors loomed. Carved with heavy seals, they opened with a deep groan as the operatives pressed their palms to the locks. From within came a rush of stale, oppressive air, and voices. The murmurs of the condemned.
The Maggot's Nest.
They stepped inside. Prisoners turned their heads, some with crazed smiles, others with hollow stares. A few whispered to each other at the sight of the newcomer, the one who had defied Captains and lived. The guards ignored them, guiding Minato deeper until they reached a solitary chamber cut off from the others.
"This is it." Yoruichi's voice was steady.
The operatives moved him inside, unfastening the restraints just enough for him to move but not enough to unleash power. The cell was empty stone, a space meant not for torture, but for silence.
As the doors closed, Yoruichi lingered a moment. Her golden eyes softened, a rare break in her composed exterior.
"Genma will be fine," she said quietly. "I'll take care of him. Like Rangiku."
For the first time since the trial, Minato's lips curved faintly, not a smile, but something close. He gave a slow nod.
The doors sealed shut.
Outside, the prisoners' whispers rose and fell again, and Kisuke let out a long exhale as he adjusted his hat.
"Well, that's that."
Yoruichi turned, her face unreadable as she led the way back.
And Minato was left alone in the silence of the Nest.
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A/N: This chapter, I admit will be shorter than the others. I'll make it up to you don't worry guys.