The Penitence Palace stood on elevated ground south of the Gotei 13 barracks, positioned in Seireitei's central district.
The prison cells within were organized by numerical designation.
Rukia was confined in the Fourth Underground Prison.
The entire Penitence Palace was constructed as a massive white tower.
Its building material consisted entirely of Sekkiseki—Spirit-Sealing Stone.
Sekkiseki ranked among Soul Society's most precious minerals, possessing the unique property of blocking spiritual particles and spiritual pressure.
This characteristic ensured Seireitei maintained strict control over its distribution.
It also served as one of the Penitence Palace's primary methods for containing criminals.
The underground prison where Shigure had previously been held featured cages constructed from the same Sekkiseki.
When Ichimaru Gin later destroyed those cages, their suppressed spiritual pressure erupted violently.
Before him, stone steps ascended the hill toward the tower's high-security cells.
On the tower's opposite side, a rope bridge stretched toward the execution platform known as Sokyoku Hill.
Shigure approached the stairway and immediately encountered the palace guards.
They wore pristine white uniforms that completely concealed their bodies, leaving virtually no skin exposed.
This gave them an unsettling, ominous presence.
As Shigure drew near, before he could speak, both guards simultaneously turned and bowed respectfully.
"Vice-Captain Segawa!"
Though they had never encountered Shigure personally, his identity was unmistakable.
His shoulder insignia clearly proclaimed his rank as 13th Division Vice-Captain.
Shigure paused and nodded curtly.
"I require access to the Fourth Underground Prison to visit the condemned prisoner Rukia Kuchiki. Escort me."
"At once!"
The left guard responded immediately, stepping forward to lead the way.
Orders from captains and vice-captains required no questioning.
Furthermore, given the Penitence Palace's unique construction materials, anyone who entered would find it impossible to cause significant disruption.
What they couldn't foresee, however, was that Shigure's spiritual pressure had long since transcended Sekkiseki's suppression limits.
Much like the Kido inscriptions in the 4th Division's training room, these barriers could effectively contain spiritual pressure.
But for Shigure, they suppressed less than one-tenth of his true power.
Should he choose, he could effortlessly unleash his full spiritual pressure.
However, since his purpose was merely to complete a sign-in, creating a disturbance served no purpose.
Shigure followed the guard up the stone steps.
Immediately, an odd sensation traveled through his feet—the distinctive effect of Sekkiseki's spiritual suppression.
Shigure maintained his composure, continuing his ascent without visible reaction.
Upon entering the tower, the passage split into two corridors.
The guard gestured toward the right pathway, speaking respectfully:
"This way, please."
Shigure proceeded into the designated corridor.
Approximately two minutes later, his escort brought him before a door bearing the character "Four."
"I cannot accompany you further. Please proceed independently from here."
The guard bowed his head deferentially.
"Understood. Thank you."
Shigure acknowledged him with a slight nod before resolutely passing through the doorway.
The instant he crossed the threshold, the system's notification chimed in his mind.
"Ding! Host has successfully reached Penitence Palace—Fourth Underground Prison!"
"Automatic sign-in will commence upon approaching within designated range of Rukia Kuchiki!"
Shigure raised an eyebrow, impressed by the system's precise range detection.
He advanced down the corridor, noting guards stationed every ten paces on alternating sides.
Upon seeing Shigure, they maintained their rigid postures without acknowledgment.
Shigure proceeded while scanning left and right for his target.
Moments later, he spotted a diminutive figure clad in white prisoner's garments.
She sat curled against the towering white wall, head bowed in contemplation.
Her complexion appeared even paler than her prison uniform.
Shigure halted before her cell. She seemed entirely oblivious to his presence.
But Shigure advanced no further.
At that precise moment, the system's notification sounded again.
"Ding! Congratulations! Host has reached the sign-in location and satisfied all conditions. Initiating sign-in sequence!"
"Sign-in duration: ten seconds. Early departure will result in failure!"
"Ten seconds... Nine seconds..."
...
The countdown commenced as Shigure centered his focus.
"Zero."
"Ding! Congratulations! Sign-in successful!"
"Task Reward: Sekkiseki Resistance!"
"Ding! Host has successfully elevated swordsmanship to Excellence level. Additional task completed!"
"EX Reward: Arrancar Steel Skin!"
Thump!
As the notification concluded, Shigure immediately experienced a subtle tearing sensation throughout his skin and bones.
Subsequently, intricate memories materialized in his consciousness.
While he hadn't yet fully grasped Sekkiseki Resistance, the additional task's EX reward astounded him.
Steel Skin represented a signature Arrancar ability.
It rendered their skin as hard as compressed spiritual pressure itself!
Nnoitra Gilga, the 5th Espada, possessed exceptionally dense Steel Skin.
This made conventional Zanpakuto attacks incapable of penetrating his skin or inflicting meaningful damage.
Upon receiving this reward, Shigure realized something crucial.
Due to his soul's unique nature, the Steel Skin ability had integrated directly with his spiritual essence.
This meant his Steel Skin's density could be regulated entirely through his destructive spiritual pressure!
At such levels, Shigure couldn't yet comprehend his Steel Skin's potential hardness.
The variables introduced by ultimate destructive spiritual pressure remained largely unknown.
After regaining his composure, Shigure intended to examine his new Sekkiseki Resistance ability more thoroughly.
However, Rukia's voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
"Vice-Captain... Segawa?"
Her voice emerged as barely a whisper, tinged with disbelief.
Shigure looked up, meeting Rukia's fragile gaze directly.
He offered a gentle smile and spoke softly:
"It's been quite some time, Rukia."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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