At the secret headquarters of the Abyssal Knights…
Berenice Gabrielli stared forebodingly at the diagram on the computer screen before him. That consisted of a diagram that showed countless number of dots all connected by a patten of lines.
The Abyss Knight then lowers his head and closes his eyes.
Operation black fall...' Berenice reminisces in his mind. 'A last resort conducted by the abyss knights and the nobles over three hundred years ago. That involves creating a project that would whip out the Silver-city to cripple the whole infrastructure of the Holy Kingdom. Then when the nobles emerged from the safety of Taraterus and blamed the attack on the Abyss Knights. His Majesty Yhwach would have no choice but to fully reinstate the noble's power, influence, and authority to rebuild the nation'
'Just like how it was in the great days of old...'
Berenice then opened his eyes and then looked back up at the screen. 'When it was first proposed by Joseph Black, after Yhwach succeeded in fending being assassinated and a Quincy of his ilk couldn't be found. Many nobles were outright horrified by the sheer depravity of the plan and dismissed it as madness'
The Knight then let out a resigned sigh. 'But of course, as the Nobles began to lose power, wealth, and influence within the Soul Society over the past centuries. Many of them reconsidered the plan while silencing others who disapproved. If only if every other option to maintain their power had been exhausted….which of course ultimately came to be'
Berenice then slouched in his seat as looked at another monitor showing a squadron of Quincy along with the vanguard into the first prison level Sheol.
The man then let out a bitter laugh. 'Such a tragical comedy...to see myself and my people fall so low'
Meanwhile…
Walking down the prison cells was a whole squadron of Quincys that were led by four Sternriters one being Robert and a vanguard of Xcuation Keigo and three other knights.
Yet one of them felt the least willing to be here.
'Man I don't why they have to send us to look for this Ichigo guy in Tataterus of all places...' An old-looking teenage Quincy complain. Who had brown hair tied in cornrows and a chain piercing that connected from his nose to his ear. 'Wouldn't it be better to get one of the older recruits to do this job?'
'It can't be helped...' a young teenage boy with brown wavy hair, eyes and wearing a white jacket with a hood and black pants explain. 'All the other knights are busy rebuilding the city, hunting down Arracnars who are still fighting or recruiting in more soldats' he then eyed the older man. 'Besides, by going on this mission, we will get a lot more experience as fellow knights ourselves'
The chain-nosed man then rolled his eyes in annoyance. 'I've gotten plenty of experience from fighting both arrancar and hollows none stop just a few days ago!' He complained. 'And now I have to go into some stanky ass dungeon to look for some guy who may not even be down there?
Robert looked at the older teenager in disapproval. 'You should be honored to be on this mission Yokochini. After all, he is the savor of soul society'
The man then twitched an eye. 'It's bad enough those of lower of rank still call me that but you too even when I just got myself promoted!?'
The wavey-haired boy smiled. 'It's just a lot easier to remember you that way' he explained again cheerfully but this just irritated the man even more.
'I rather you all remember my actual name Yūichi Shibata' He sighed in frustration and rubbed his brow with his fingers. 'Whatever, anyway do we all have to search the entire bottom level to find this guy?'
'Not entirely...' Robert explains. 'Each of the Soldat in this squadron of fifty carries an ultra-level spiritual scanner that expands over twenty miles to detect Ichigo's spiritual pressure and by dividing them into fifty sectors across Tataurus we should be able to determine if Ichigo is kept there or not'
Yuichi then smiled. 'And since we are using the flying step it would take us only an hour at most to find him'
'That still too long for me...' Yokochini complained while picking his ear. 'I mean what would happen if we did find Ichigo here and he turned out to be an actual crimma-'
'Ichigo is not a criminal' Keigo said bluntly and Yokochini looked at him skeptically. 'I may not have known him that long, but I know that Bazzad was lying through his teeth during that entire hearing. Especially since it's likely he was the one who worked with the Abyss Knights, to begin with'
Yokochini looked at Keigo and sighed in resignation. 'Well, we will know when we find him won't we?' he said with a shrug while he and the rest group continued to walk down the stairs. Until they reached the second level of the prison.
Gehenna.
From what one could see it looked less like a prison and more like a giant open furnace constantly lit, as powerful fires that were colored a deep shade of indigo scorched the air with blazing heat.
To Keigo, it reminded him of the blue flaming pillars the Quincy used to teleport themselves to Hecuo Mundo and other realms. But felt far more overwhelming in intensity.
'So this...'Asano looked on nervously at the furnace 'Is where they executed traitor Quincy?' and Robert stepped in.
'Originally Gehenna was built as a place for ultimate punishment by the first Sternritter, in order to keep their subjects loyal and prevent them from becoming corrupt...' Robert explained then narrowed his eyes. 'However, as the generations passed , it became less of a warning to others and more of a dumping ground for the Nobles to get rid of undesirables, such as potential threats, bitter rivals, protesters...or those that inconvenience them'
Asano, Yuchi, and Vokochini winded their eyes in apprehension. 'Seriously they erase a person's soul just because they annoy them, couldn't they just imprison them in Sheol?' Yuchi asked in bewildered disgust.
Robert then let out a bitter sigh. 'It had less to do with morality or standards and more of it being...easier and simpler'
Keigo then dropped his jaw in disbelief and horror. 'Easier and simpler!?'
Accotrone solemnly nodded his head. 'Sheol is an effective prison...but it was far from inescapable and there was always the chance that anyone could get out by connections on the outside or those who wish to pay for their sentencing similar to how the modern prisons in the world of the living work…but by sending someone to Gehenna there was no coming back'
'Gezz...' Vokochini grimmence. 'Makes one wonder why Yhwach still keeps this place around' Robert then glance at him.
'In case it needs to serve its original purpose' Robert explained evenly. 'And the fact, if he did try to order its dismantle it, could have resulted in a civil war between his forces and the Nobility who favored Gehenna and if he purged them. All it would have done is destroy the entire social structure of the soul society' Rober then paused. 'Or at least it would have a century ago...'
Vokochini then shrugged. 'Well at least that gives us one bright side to this te-!?' he then suddenly stop himself much to everyone's alarm and then placed his hand on the ground. 'Something is wrong here...in this room' His eyes then slowly winded in terror.
'EVERYONE GET OUT OF THE WAY NOW!' Vokochini shouted at the top of his lungs and quickly most of the people managed to use the flying step to evade the Indigo flames that rushed at them before traveling to a hidden room along with five others from the furnace.
But those who couldn't escape screamed in agony as their very body and souls were vaporized into nothingness.
'Did someone mess with the furnaces!' Robert shouted out and Vokochini determined to find out placed his hand on a nearby wall and he gasped in even greater horror.
'No...' Vokochini spoke in a whisper filled with dread. 'This furnace...is just one of hundreds of thousands spread out through hidden chambers that are now slowly being lit up as we speak...and if all of them are turned on...' he then looked up above the ceiling. 'The entire silver city will be destroyed!'
Robert grimaced in distress and then looked at everyone else in his party. 'Everyone I want all of you to do everything you can to prevent those fires from reaching the other furnaces!' he ordered everyone including Keigo, Yuichi, and Vokochini who then attempted to spread out to stop the flames.
Only for all of them to be imprisoned inside a cage of Reshi and Robert immediately recognized who cast it.
'Quigle...' Robert said lowly.
The Sternritter of the Jail then stepped out of the shadows now wearing a black version of his Quincy outfit and smiled. 'It's quite uncanny that my Schrift can now hold even Quincies at bay through the power of our Lord' He explained while grinning sinisterly. 'But such actions are necessary for the good of the Holy Kingdom'
'By bringing about its annihilation!?' Robort shouted out in rage and Quigle gave him a knowing look.
'An unfortunate but necessary action for the future' He then scowled at the elder. 'Which you have long since lost sight of!'
Kegio then stepped in front of his alley. 'Loss of what!? He spat angrily 'Don't you realize that you are basically killing your own people and everyone else just for the sake of regaining some overrated status or the fact that you are destroying the very kingdom that every one of us here risked their lives to protect!?'
Quigle then stared at Asano for a few seconds...before bursting out laughing.
'Oh, you poor naive fool...' The spectacle man mocked in a soothing tone. 'You are the ones who risked your lives for a nation that has been corrupted down to its core and become a mockery of what it once was!' He then pushed his glasses up with his right finger. 'After all, who do think was the one who sent vital information to the Arrancar's, gave them access to the Silver City, and lured Ichigo and the imperial Guard into Las Noches and announced their presence within?'
Robert's face then twisted into disgust. 'So...you were the spy that we have been suspecting...I can also guess it wasn't the fact that Ryoud was spotted as a mole that led to Ichigo, Lille, and Gremmy getting trapped'
Quigle then chuckled. 'That's more of a half-truth, the Arrancars have already figured that out by that commoner's incompetence well before I even told them...but it was I who suggested using said incompetence to their advantage, by trapping Kurosaki and those Imperial guards in Las Noches'
Keigo then gripped his fist. 'So you were already responsible for trying to massacre the city beforehand...and right now you're just trying to finish it off!'
The rogued Sternritter then snapped his fingers. 'Correct!' he confirmed. 'While it will take ages to rebuild the order, it will finally be what it was always meant to be. A perfect Society where those who are pure will rule without flaw and the impure either know their place or get purged!' He then leans his head to Keigo. 'Along with that wretched hive of a city that dares make its place within the Silver-City's shadow and with all of you trapped in here in this inferno no one else would be able to stop us!'
Quigle declared loudly while raising both of his hands dramatically...and to his confusion and irritation, he heard a loud yawn from one of the group.
'Alright, I heard enough...' Vokochini spat out in disinterest at Quigle's boast. 'I mean I was half curious of what your motives were' he then glared directly at Quigle. 'but it turns out you and the rest of your posses are just a bunch of racist fucks...'
The rogue sternritter then laughed. 'Do you honestly believe you can escape here!?' he boasted with smugly. 'My Jail was capable of holding even the Zero Espada Grimmjow back! What can a measly recruit like you could possibly-'
Suddenly with a single step from Vokochini the Jail around the group opened casually like a fast-moving blooming flower before dissipating and leaving Quilge speechless.
'You were saying?' Vokochini said curiously.
