1st Division Headquarters
"Makoto!"
"Where the hell have you been hiding lately?"
"I couldn't! Find! You! Anywhere!"
Saitō Furakushi barged into the headquarters with her sword slung over her shoulder, her trademark swagger in full display. Spotting Fujimiya Makoto, her eyes lit up as she jogged over and gave him a hearty slap on the back.
Makoto rolled his eyes. "Saitō, while you get to laze around, the rest of us actually have work to do."
"Every time you drag someone into a spar, it lasts for hours. Only an idiot wouldn't run from you!"
"Hah? Sounds like someone's scared of losing!" Saitō puffed up proudly, raising her voice.
Makoto had only one standard response to this.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say!"
"Damn right!"
Completely oblivious to his sarcasm, Saitō triumphantly planted her hands on her hips, deliberately ignoring Unohana Yachiru's calm observation from the sidelines—as if to flaunt her victory.
She really is an airhead.
Makoto sighed inwardly.
I hope Furakushi stays this easy to handle forever.
After dealing with her, Makoto stood quietly beside Unohana, his eyes glazed over as he stared at his system panel floating midair.
---
[STATUS]
Name: Fujimiya Makoto
Reiatsu: 4th Class (Upper) — Vice-Captain Level
Combat Arts:
- Zanjutsu: 12th Stage (99/100) — [Swordsmanship Bottleneck · Tier 4]
- Hakuda: 9th Stage (26/100) — [Bone Striking]
- Kidō: 6th Stage (95/100)
- Hohō: 12th Stage (16/100) — [Talent-Limited]
Zanpakutō: Unreleased
Talent Points: 3
Bond Traits: Sword Prodigy, Footwork Enthusiast, Wall of Lamentation, Learn from All, No-Injury Zone, Final Dawn, Stopping Short, Soul Incinerator (Kannagi Shōgo/Yamamoto Genryūsai Lv1)
Romance Traits: None
---
After extensive training and accumulation, Makoto's stats had reached the peak of Vice-Captain level.
By now, he had a clear understanding of what each stage in the four combat arts represented.
For average Shinigami, Stages 1-3 were the norm. Limited by low Reiatsu reserves, their spiritual bodies struggled with advanced techniques—whether condensing Reiatsu for high-level strikes or manifesting willpower into destructive force, as Yamamoto had once trained them to do. These skills required Reiatsu foundation.
[Talent-Limited] referred to this bottleneck, not just physical constraints.
Stages 4-6 demanded at least low-level seated officer Reiatsu. However, some prodigies could push beyond, reaching 7th Stage or higher through unique techniques—earning them the label of "talented."
Stages 7-9 required 6th Class Reiatsu (high-ranked officer level). At this stage, spiritual bodies could potentially survive for a thousand years. With enough time, many could refine their abilities to near-perfection.
But breaking through this bottleneck was far harder than at lower levels—because the difficulty of mastering the four arts scaled exponentially.
And now, at Makoto's current 4th Stage...
His gaze lingered on [Sword Prodigy] and [Footwork Enthusiast].
To progress further, he needed genius-level talent—on top of relentless effort.
12th Stage was the pinnacle for most Vice-Captains... and even some Captains.
The path beyond?
Still uncharted.
But if he remembered correctly...
"Ichibē's Kidō is at the 21st Stage, isn't it?"
That single number hammered home the gap between him and the world's true monsters.
If Ichibē Hyōsube operated at that level...
Makoto's eyes flicked to Unohana Yachiru beside him.
Just how high is Sensei's swordsmanship?
This gentle-seeming woman was the undisputed apex of the original Genji Dojo—even Yamamoto admitted he couldn't match her in pure blade skill.
For a moment, Makoto almost succumbed to the urge to burn his Talent Points.
No. Not yet.
In this era of relative peace, grinding naturally was wiser.
The stronger he grew, the harder it became to earn points and Reiatsu upgrades—a lesson he'd learned the hard way.
If he splurged now and later hit a wall at Muguruma Kensei's level...
The despair would be unbearable.
"Makoto?"
Unohana sensed his stare and softly prompted, "It's starting."
"Right."
Makoto snapped back to attention.
Yamamoto had arrived.
---
Thud. Thud.
With two taps of his cane, Chōjirō Sasakibe announced:
"The first official Captain's Meeting of the Gotei 13...
"Commences now."
Silence fell.
Yamamoto spoke calmly.
"Genga, begin the report."
"Yes, sir."
Ōga Gengarō picked up a prepared document.
"Currently, 80% of the Seireitei's ruins have been cleared. Reconstruction is underway under the 3rd and 5th Divisions."
"Two nights ago, the former high noble houses of Ryūtōji and Hirata instigated a revolt, killing 117 Gotei members before being subdued by the 10th Division. They await trial in the Judiciary Palace."
"Thirty-six other noble families—Tanaka, Minamoto, Maho, among others—were implicated, all demanding the restoration of noble privileges. They've also been handed to the Judiciary..."
"Due to massive spiritual fluctuations in Soul Society over the past decade, multiple spatial rifts have formed in Hueco Mundo, affecting Rukongai Districts 45 through 60."
The early Gotei 13 was lean and efficient—reports were concise yet thorough.
But the underlying message wasn't optimistic.
The nobles wouldn't relinquish their million-year-old privileges without a fight. More rebellions were inevitable—though as long as the Five Great Noble Houses remained stable, these upstarts wouldn't pose a real threat.
As for Hueco Mundo?
Simple.
Just keep killing.
Makoto's gaze drifted to the 2nd Division's seat.
As expected.
The former Genji Dojo's intelligence master, Matsumoto Shihan—once Yamamoto's shadow—had vanished. Rumor placed him as the new Stealth Force Commander, operating from the shadows.
The current 2nd Division Captain was now...
Shihōin Sentō.
The cocky dark-skinned noble was lounging with a blade of grass between his teeth, looking utterly disinterested. Beside him stood Shiba Yozuru—a blatant political counterbalance, representing the Five Great Houses within the Gotei.
Classic Yamamoto maneuvering.
"Does anyone have solutions for the noble rebellions?"
Once Ōga finished, Yamamoto scanned the room—his gaze locking onto Makoto.
After his recent performances, Makoto had inherited Kinroku Genbara's title as the "Tactical Genius" of the Genji Dojo.
His strategies—whether during peace negotiations or post-Gotei restructuring—had proven alarmingly effective.
Even Kinroku himself admitted defeat.
But Makoto knew his limits.
I've already emptied my bag of tricks. If I spit out more, I'll have nothing left!
So he pretended not to notice, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Unfortunately, the entire room turned to him, eyes wide with expectation.
Well?
Speak up, Fujimiya!
You think Yamamoto actually wants our opinions?
Then it hit him.
Right. These people are all bloodthirsty maniacs.
"Vice-Captain Fujimiya?" Yamamoto's voice cut through the silence.
Makoto hesitated. "...Don't the noble houses have heirs?"
The Captains immediately misinterpreted him.
"Hostages! Brilliant!" Shigenori Taketsuna—former brawler—nodded sagely.
"Idiot! He means kill a few as warning, then justify purging the rest! Two birds!" Shimaru Tomokiri grinned like a poison master admiring a fellow schemer.
"You're all wrong!" Kumenai Entetsu snapped. "He's saying spare the kids, slaughter the adults. They won't cause trouble."
"..."
"That makes way more sense!"
The room erupted in agreement.
Shihōin and Shiba looked horrified.
Are you people even human?!
Realizing his reputation was at stake, Makoto shouted over the chaos:
"I meant expand the Genji Dojo! Integrate noble heirs into the Gotei's system—assimilate them through institutionalization!"
Silence.
Then, someone muttered:
"Lame."
The room exploded into debate over whose genocidal plan was superior.
Only Yamamoto's eyes gleamed. His Reiatsu flared, crushing the noise.
"Elaborate."
Makoto sighed.
"...Tie academic performance to Shinigami and samurai status. Heirs who fail lose inheritance rights. Post-Gotei violators face family-wide expulsion from the Seireitei—500-year enrollment ban. Enforce strict isolation during schooling to prevent cheating."
"Separate noble and commoner students. Charge nobles exorbitant fees—subsidize commoners' living costs with that revenue to ensure fresh talent..."
Carrot and stick.
What nobles cherished most was status.
Exiling them from the Seireitei?
Worse than death.
Kinroku Genbara stared in awe—Did he just improvise this?!
Yamamoto smiled approvingly.
"Excellent. Implement it."
"But 'Genji Dojo' no longer fits. From now on..." He gazed out the window. "Shino Academy."
"..."
Makoto said nothing.
Call it whatever you want, old man.
Yamamoto's smile deepened.
He'd had similar ideas, but Makoto's version was more refined—even accounting for commoners' welfare.
He truly took my words to heart.
"Treat commoners as people."
For a moment, Yamamoto's gaze turned unreadable.
But he swiftly refocused.
"13th Division Captain, Sakahone Saizō."
"Investigate the 'Empire of Light' recently spotted in the human world. Eliminate them if possible."
"Understood."
Makoto froze, then glanced at the worm-like elder with pity.
So this is how you died.
But he stayed silent.
No number of Captains could stop Yhwach now. Better to conserve strength and let the Soul King's forces handle him.
"Lastly."
Yamamoto's voice hardened.
"The Royal Guard has ordered a permanent expeditionary force to Hueco Mundo—to stabilize spiritual balance by culling Menos."
"Only three Captains will be deployed."
"Any volunteers?"
The room erupted.
Makoto, however, shot his hand up.
"I don't want to go."
"Excellent. You're in, Makoto." Yamamoto smiled like a scheming grandfather.
Makoto's face paled.
You old bastard!
But his reaction calmed the others. They now eyed Yamamoto warily.
He'll decide anyway.
"Since enthusiasm is lacking..." Yamamoto nodded to Chōjirō, who unrolled a scroll.
"3rd Division Captain, Kinroku Genbara."
"6th Division Captain, Saitō Furakushi."
"8th Division Captain, Shitori Hakushō."
"Dismissed."
"YES!!"
Saitō leaped into the air, punching wildly—starved for bloodshed.
Hakushō sighed. I didn't want this.
Makoto looked ghostly white.
How am I supposed to grind Bond Traits in Hueco Mundo?!
Unohana patted his shoulder "comfortingly."
"Makoto-kun."
"Don't come back until you achieve Shikai."
"EH—?!"
"Problem?" Her smile was terrifying.
"N-No, ma'am..."
Ah.
Classic Unohana-style "encouragement."
Makoto smiled through tears.