The Gotei Thirteen is the violent organization that maintains order in Seireitei. But while serving as a force of military deterrence, it also handles many other duties, for example, the Fourth Division is responsible for medical care, and the Fifth Division handles emergency rescue.
And among all these divisions, there is one that is extremely special.
Thirteenth Division.
This division is responsible for "purification," meaning post-incident cleanup work, clearing karmic residue, and other miscellaneous chores. In theory, it's a clean and harmless post, but the work itself is very tedious.
However, the captain of the Thirteenth Division, Ukitake Jushiro, is a bit different.
He has been frail and sickly since childhood. Although his strength is great, he rarely makes a move, and he absolutely cannot work for long periods, or his body will be dragged down.
Coincidentally, Ukitake himself also has an extremely gentle personality, treating both friends and subordinates with great kindness.
These two factors combined have led to a situation in the Thirteenth Division where seated officers often hold relatively higher authority. Many small matters don't need to be reported upward and can be handled on their own.
As for the vice-captain position, it can practically be considered half the head of the division. When Ukitake Jushiro is recuperating, the vice-captain's authority and responsibilities are almost no different from those of the captain.
It must be known that all captains are ruthless figures with distinct personalities and powerful strength. To them, vice-captains are usually nothing more than clerks who handle trivial affairs. A special situation like that of the Thirteenth Division is extremely rare in the entire history of the Soul Society.
With such a background, this vice-captain position is naturally highly valued, especially by those noble and prestigious families.
After all, the difficulty of achieving "Bankai" is simply too high. Aside from the Four Great Noble Clans, almost no family can produce multiple captain-level powerhouses.
Compared to the distant and unattainable captain level, there are relatively far more noble descendants at the vice-captain level.
If one could become Ukitake's vice-captain, the influence brought by that alone would be enough to ensure the family name would not decline for a hundred years.
At present, there just happens to be such a small matter.
Ukitake Jushiro's current vice-captain is already quite old. Due to years of hard work combined with some old injuries, he is no longer able to bear the burden. At some point, rumors began to spread that he would soon retire.
Meanwhile, the third and fourth seats in the Thirteenth Division are not particularly outstanding figures. They would likely find it difficult to manage the division on Ukitake Jushiro's behalf, so Captain-Commander Yamamoto intends to transfer a capable person from elsewhere to assist Ukitake.
This news spread rapidly through Seireitei, stirring up countless undercurrents in secret…
But Iori had never imagined that he himself would be struck by one of those rising waves.
"Didn't she tell you? The people above are very impressed with her right now, and they're considering transferring Aizen Yuki to the Thirteenth Division as a third seat or fourth seat," Saito said with a drunken grin.
"That counts as really making a name for herself."
"I've never heard of this…"
Iori frowned deeply. "Is that true? My sister is still just a student right now. She hasn't even graduated yet. And jumping straight from a Shinigami candidate to a seated officer, that's too big a leap."
"She could've graduated long ago, right? I haven't met her myself, but I've heard people talk about her. She's a once-in-a-generation prodigy, hic!"
Saito let out a breath and continued, "According to the rumors, it was actually the vice-captain of the Thirteenth Division who made the request."
Iori looked up in surprise. "That really happened?"
"I don't know the details either, but it seems it was some kind of exam… Oh right, don't the upper grades of the Spiritual Arts Academy have practical combat training?
"That vice-captain was serving as the examiner. Something went wrong with the venue, and aside from some trash Hollows, several rather special ones got mixed in and killed quite a few students in a row.
"Luckily, your sister was also at that testing site. Not only did she complete her own mission objectives, she also took down the special Hollows along the way, ending the accident in time and preventing the disaster from expanding."
Saito stroked her chin. "If the matter had blown up, the vice-captain as the examiner would've had to take responsibility. Naturally, afterward he had to thank Aizen Soyuki…"
"I don't know what he was thinking, but it seems he took a liking to your sister at first glance and strongly recommended her to join the Thirteenth Division, even pushing for her to be promoted directly to a seated officer."
"From the looks of it, he wants to train her as his successor."
"This caused quite a bit of debate among the higher-ups, but the appointment of seated officers has always been decided by the captains. After Ukitake met your sister, he also seemed to appreciate her quite a lot, so there wasn't much anyone else could say."
"So that's how it is." Iori nodded. At first it felt surprising, but after thinking about it carefully, it didn't seem like a big deal.
'It's just a seated officer position, isn't it?'
'My sister has the bearing of the Soul King!'
Regardless of whether Yuki or Iori ends up inheriting the position of "Aizen," Yuki's talent is unquestionably real, and at present it even surpasses Iori's. Not to mention a mere seated officer, she could probably handle even a vice-captain position with ease.
"But what does this have to do with me being ambushed?" Iori still didn't understand.
"Those upper-grade students are average at best. They can't possibly be Yuki's competitors."
"They definitely aren't qualified!"
Saito sneered. "Just a bunch of pampered young masters who grew up in a comfort nest. They ambush people but don't even dare pull out a real blade, what future could they possibly have?"
"If it were me, who cares about the consequences? If I ran into you on the road, I'd just draw my sword and stab you to death!"
"…If it were people like you, I definitely wouldn't leave anyone alive either," Iori shot back. "Otherwise I wouldn't be able to sleep at night."
"Hahahaha~ That's exactly why you're to my taste! Not being born eight hundred years ago is such a waste!"
Saito laughed heartily. After a long while, she stopped to catch her breath, stretched her neck, and tried hard to pour the last few drops of wine from the bottle to moisten her throat. Only then did she speak again, unhurried.
"There really is someone who wants to compete. Seems like someone from a noble family, currently serving as a third seat in the First Division… Everyone knows the situation in the First Division."
"The captain and vice-captain positions haven't changed for a thousand years. Old man Yamamoto and his deputy will never step down. If the people below want to get promoted, they have to transfer divisions."
"That third seat has pretty good strength. Logically speaking, after transferring to the Thirteenth Division, if he waited a few years until the old vice-captain retired, he could naturally take the position. Who would've thought a female student would suddenly appear out of nowhere?"
"So the people who attacked me… were instructed by that third seat? To target Yuki?"
"Broaden your view a bit. Someone who can become a third seat wouldn't stoop to doing something so tasteless. Especially under old man Yamamoto, if he were an idiot, he'd have been cleaned out long ago. Chojiro wouldn't let someone with bad character get close to the Captain-Commander."
Saito curled her lip. "Those people probably just wanted to curry favor with the third seat. Directly attacking your sister would be too obvious and would damage his reputation, so instead they set their sights on you."
"If something happened to me, then Yuki might do something foolish while emotionally unstable, and naturally lose her qualification for promotion. Is that it?"
"Smart~" Saito clicked her tongue.
"Seireitei is really becoming more and more degenerate. Connections are layered on top of connections. A mere seated officer position is drawing this much attention."
"Everyone's mind is focused on scheming and backstabbing. Strength just gets worse with each generation. If another wave of Quincy invasion came, these people would all die!"
"I really didn't expect it… I'd end up being seen as Aizen Soyuki's 'weak point'…"
Iori suddenly felt like laughing.
So in most people's eyes, the siblings revolved around the sister, and he was really just a "younger brother."
'That's annoying~'
"Then what? Has my sister definitely decided to join the Thirteenth Division?"
"There's still a small issue. Even though she has recommendations from Ukitake and the vice-captain, your sister is ultimately still just a student."
"Including Captain-Commander Yamamoto, people generally aren't very reassured. After all, this position may someday involve succession and assisting Ukitake. They have to find someone reliable and capable."
Saito tried hard to recall. "It seems old man Yamamoto gave your sister a test. During the academy anniversary in a few days, she must win first place in the grand prize, then go on stage and show everyone her Shikai."
"They won't require her to explain the ability, that wouldn't follow the rules, but at the very least she has to show that she can release her zanpakuto."
"After all, it's just a fourth seat position. With Shikai and an outstanding record, people wouldn't say much… Hm? What's wrong with you?"
"Why do you look like you're thinking, 'You're all courting death'?"
"It's nothing. I just suddenly felt a bit emotional, that's all. Please don't mind it." Iori smiled faintly, his mood inexplicably lifting.
'Letting Yuki demonstrate her Shikai in front of all thirteen divisions? What a genius idea!'
'Brothers and sisters of Seireitei, I wish you good luck!'
'But I won't be joining in on such a wonderful event!'
———
After staying up all night and being hungover, it was only natural that Iori wasn't in great shape during class the next day. His haggard appearance was obvious, worrying quite a few classmates who were close to him, all of whom he brushed off.
The instructor in charge of kido teaching noticed it as well, but only frowned before no longer paying attention, feeling rather displeased inside.
Dark circles under his eyes, bloodshot veins everywhere, one look and it was clear he'd been awake all night. Even if it wasn't clear what exactly he'd been doing, being so undisciplined at such a young age, what future could he possibly have.
Originally, the instructor had quite a favorable impression of Iori. He too came from Rukongai, with no power or influence and only average aptitude. Everything he'd achieved so far was through his own efforts.
He knew how much sweat commoner students had to shed to get ahead, so he always looked upon the high-performing Iori with special regard.
But today, Iori had gone too far. That boy who used to be so serious and self-disciplined, just because he won one duel and got praised a few times, he ended up looking completely lost. 'Truly disappointing!'
As a Shinigami, one must always stay vigilant and never let oneself be blinded by various temptations. If you can't persistently work hard, how can you close the gap with the noble-born students?
With a feeling of frustration at wasted potential, during today's kido practice, when it was Iori's turn to demonstrate, the instructor deliberately emphasized his name and gave him the hardest problem among all the students.
"Sokatsui? That's the thirty-third Hado, something only fourth-years are supposed to learn!"
Students of the same year raised their heads in shock, looking at Iori as he walked into the target range. Quite a few wore expressions of either sympathy or schadenfreude.
It must be known that kido is divided into three types, Hado, Bakudo, and Kaido. While Hado (offensive) and Bakudo (defensive and binding) each have nearly a hundred spells, in reality, due to spiritual pressure consumption, kido above number sixty is very rare and can generally only be mastered by vice-captain-level Shinigami.
As for ordinary seated officers, being able to proficiently cast kido in the forties or fifties already makes one an elite. After all, everyone makes their living with a zanpakuto. Aside from the Kido Corps, no one places their main focus on this.
As for students… put simply, the graduation standard of the Shin'o Academy is "to have mastered at least one kido between numbers thirty and forty (of any type)."
In other words, the problem the instructor gave Iori was roughly equivalent to giving a junior high student a college entrance exam question, and a math one at that.
This wasn't just a case of going beyond the syllabus. Anyone with eyes could tell the instructor was trying to knock Iori down a peg.
"Ruler of the heavens, bearer of the mask of flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, you who bear the name of mankind, truth and temperance, upon the wall of dreams untainted by sin you stand with claws bared…"
One awkward incantation after another flowed from Iori's mouth. His hands spread forward, spiritual pressure gathering in his palms. Amid mysterious fluctuations, it was compressed in an orderly fashion, undergoing qualitative change.
Then, a dazzling red flame was born in the air...
[Hado 33: Sokatsui!]
Under the gaze of the entire crowd, Iori not only completed the chant smoothly, his control of spiritual pressure was also nearly flawless. A blazing flame bloomed in his palm, then was shot far away amid surging wind pressure, expanding into a head-sized fireball that directly struck the target twenty meters away.
BOOM!
The violent explosion snapped everyone back to their senses. The students' eyelids twitched uncontrollably.
Only then did they remember that Iori wasn't the same as them. For him, Hado number thirty-three might not be such a difficult thing after all…
The instructor's expression softened as well. He saw even more clearly, beyond fluent chanting, Iori's grasp of the details of spiritual pressure flow was extremely smooth. The incantation was merely guidance; what mattered was how the spiritual pressure was controlled.
It was obvious that Iori must have practiced for quite some time. Otherwise, it would've been impossible to complete this kido.
Considering Iori's usual humility and his outstanding performance in all four areas, zanjutsu, hakuda, kido, and hoho, the instructor sighed inwardly.
'This is talent… Truly helpless.'
"Alright, that one passes. Next are two low-level kido."
The instructor stopped making things difficult for Iori and replaced the remaining two questions with normal-difficulty ones.
"Let's go with… [Fuyo (11)] and [Byakurai (4)]."
'Byakurai?'
Iori was truly exhausted at this point. After chatting wildly with Saito all night, and experiencing his first hangover in this life, he rushed straight here during the day to take the test. His spiritual pressure was still sufficient, but both his mind and body were tired to a certain degree.
So when he heard it was [Byakurai], a low-level Hado he was very familiar with, and eager to go back to sleep, Iori didn't hold back. He immediately raised his hand, brought two fingers together, and brilliant lightning shot out, striking the target like a winding silver snake.
"..."
'Huh?'
The field suddenly fell silent. Iori looked around in confusion. Only then did his alcohol-numbed brain belatedly realize what had happened.
"Chantless casting!"
"When did he learn that? Isn't he from a commoner background?"
"B-but that power… this isn't reasonable!"
Iori's eye twitched as he realized his performance was a bit too eye-catching.
"Everyone…"
Just as he was about to explain that this was the only low-level Hado he could omit the chant for, a broad hand pressed down on his shoulder.
"Go back and sleep!"
Looking up, he saw that it was the instructor, wearing an unusually serious expression.
"A Shinigami's lifespan isn't as short as a human's. Your future is still very long. There's no need to be so anxious."
'Why are you speaking with such heartfelt earnestness? When was I ever anxious?'
"Maintaining a regular schedule is also very important. Pulling all-nighters to practice kido is absolutely not something you can do again in the future. Otherwise, not only will your spiritual pressure be overdrawn, your body won't be able to handle it either!"
Iori, "…Huh?"
"I understand. There aren't that many geniuses in this world. Most achievements come from ordinary people putting in a hundred times the effort."
"But methods matter too. You must balance work and rest. Do you understand?"
The instructor earnestly advised Iori with the tone of someone who'd been through it all, while the boy's face was full of confusion.
Only after a moment did Iori realize, could it be that they thought his haggard appearance was due to intensive kido training?
This…
"Go back, eat a good meal, take a bath, and get a nice sleep. This isn't a suggestion, it's an order!"
The instructor nodded at Iori in appreciation, then announced to the class that Iori was being given a day and a half off. He also told everyone to learn from Iori and not become complacent after achieving just a little success.
[Look at him. Not only is he more talented than you, he's even more hardworking!]
He didn't say it outright, but that was clearly what he meant.