C8 Even the Black Prison Disappeared

"System, turn this door into wine," Taku commanded, his eyes gleaming with the thrill of daring experimentation.

As a progressive scholar, he was well aware that truth is born from practice.

"Ding-dong, convertible material detected..."

"Ding, transformation complete. You have obtained a pot of supreme spiritual wine of divine grade."

"Upon consumption, the host will experience an increase in spiritual pressure. If used as a weapon, it can strip the target's spiritual energy for 24 hours."

The system's otherworldly voice chimed in.

Taku stared at the wine pot in his hands, its black stone appearance rendering him utterly unsettled, his lips twitching uncontrollably.

The thrill of acquiring divine wine through the Wine God’s Hand was unexpected and delightful.

Yet, the sight of the black stone cell he occupied vanishing into nothingness was disconcerting.

No, it wasn't just his cell; the entire row of black stone cells had vanished.

This revelation was enough to shake Taku's composure.

His intention had been simple: to transform the black door into wine. He hadn't anticipated the system's bandit-like audacity, turning an entire row of cells into wine.

Upon reflection, he realized that perhaps a single door wouldn't suffice to produce such divine wine. The intricacies of the process were likely numerous.

But now, faced with the gaping void of the former prison, Taku was at a loss.

How could he possibly explain this?

The last thing he wanted was to be expelled from the Court of Pure Souls so soon after his arrival.

Regrettably, despite wracking his brain, Taku could only sigh in resignation.

It seemed he had no choice but to face the consequences.

Perhaps he could negotiate with the system to reverse the transformation of the divine spiritual wine.

For now, however, Taku's immediate concern was the restless evil spirits, emboldened by the absence of the black cells.

Having fought off the mutated spirits while intoxicated, he was now sober and ready to hone his skills with the aid of the potent white wine.

He was determined not to rely on drunken brawling every time.

As the saying goes, the more you venture into the mountains, the more likely you are to encounter a tiger.

Taku had no intention of becoming easy prey.

"Lucia, you finished your report so quickly? You must really care about that guy. With over ten minutes to spare before the deadline, how about we chat?"

Outside the black cell, Abarai Renji's eyes couldn't help but brighten at the sight of Lucia approaching, yet he managed to maintain his characteristic aloofness.

Both hailing from District 78 of South Flowing Soul Street, he and Lucia had been admitted to Shinoreijutsuin together, making them true childhood friends. If the Kuchiki Clan hadn't decided to take Lucia in as a foster daughter, things might have been different.

Renji saw this as a golden opportunity and, with a heavy heart, encouraged Lucia to accept the offer. Since then, they had kept their distance, and it had been several decades since their last encounter.

"Renji, I'm truly grateful for your support this time. I regret involving you with the Black Prison," Lucia said, bowing in apology.

"However, Shiba Taku's involvement with Captain Ukitake's promise, and the connection to the Shiba Clan, meant that he was granted a chance to take the Shinigami exam by the head captain's orders. I just wanted to complete the task quickly."

"And... I'm also worried about what he might do next."

Lucia's mind raced with the image of a mutated evil spirit being destroyed by a single punch, her breathing quickening at the thought. Her concern for Taku was heightened by the resemblance she saw in him to Kaien Shiba.

She couldn't tell if Taku had acted out of drunken impulse or genuine concern when he saved her. Nevertheless, she felt an inexplicable unease about him being confined in the black cell.

"Lucia, rest assured. When I escorted him to the Black Prison, I checked his spiritual pressure. With only the strength of the third bamboo level, there's no way he can break out. As long as he's contained, no matter how poor his tolerance for spiritual wine might be, he won't stir up any waves," Renji reassured her.

"Besides, with his current level of spiritual pressure, he's unlikely to meet the entrance requirements for Shinoreijutsuin."

"Even if his feat of destroying a mutated evil spirit with a single punch might earn him some extra points and a shot at entering Shinoreijutsuin, I doubt his achievements will amount to much in his lifetime."

Abarai Renji had always been known for his cool composure, tinged with a hint of roughness and stubbornness. Yet, this time, even he couldn't fathom why he was so talkative.

Confronted with his childhood friend who had suddenly taken an extra interest in a young man, Renji's heart was clearly troubled.

"Three Bamboo?" Lucia mused, a flicker of disappointment crossing her gaze.

"Renji, regardless of your opinion, today marks the final day of the Shinoreijutsuin exams. I must carry out my duty and escort Taku to the assessment. I expect you won't hinder me; Captain Ukitake has given the order."

Lucia wasn't surprised by the test results Renji had brought up. Before anyone is confined to the Black Prison, a Spiritual Force Particle Detector measures each prisoner's spiritual energy to determine their cell assignment while they await trial. While the system might have its flaws, the margin of error was minimal.

Spiritual Pressure was categorized from one to ten Bamboo. Lucia and Renji had earned their places at Shinoreijutsuin by achieving a six Bamboo rating.

Five Bamboo was considered passing, six Bamboo elite, and seven to eight Bamboo denoted a genius.

But nine Bamboo? That was the mark of an unparalleled genius. As for Ten Bamboo Spiritual Pressure, it was unheard of since the founding of Shinoreijutsuin—except, perhaps, among its founders.

"Captain Ukitake?" Renji's face clouded over, but he finally conceded through clenched teeth, "Fine, I won't obstruct your mission. But remember, he's from a world entirely different from yours. You're of the Kuchiki Clan, while he's a declining noble who might not even graduate..."

Standing before Lucia and invoking Captain Ukitake, Renji knew his inexplicable jealousy had no outlet.

Yet, he left one truth unspoken: he and Lucia were from different worlds too.

It was because of her that he strove to improve, hoping to one day keep pace.

To him, the idea that Taku, who had suddenly emerged with a mere Three Bamboo Spiritual Pressure, could pose a threat was inconceivable.

"Renji, I'm merely executing a task. His graduation is not my concern. However, I've got a bad feeling there's no spiritual wine in this black cell," Lucia remarked, her brow arching ever so slightly at the end.

"Wine?" Abarai Renji let out a sigh. "This is the black cell; there's no chance of finding any wine here. Besides, with only Three Bamboo Spiritual Pressure, he's hardly capable of causing a stir. After all, this is the black cell..."

While speaking, Renji deftly unlocked the seal on the black cell's door.

The once deep and foreboding corridor was now eerily empty.

Renji was taken aback, the words he was about to utter abruptly swallowed back.

It had vanished!

The black prison had disappeared right before his eyes.

"Quick, let's check it out!" Lucia darted forward into the cell.

Upon entering the black prison, her complexion instantly turned ashen.

Scattered all around were dozens, if not hundreds, of prisoners sprawled on the floor.

Only at the far end, a lone figure with an unsteady gait was slowly approaching.