On the way back, Jun and the others made something of a spectacle, drawing people out to gawk all along their route through Rukongai. It was rare to see Hollows bound up so tightly they looked like rice dumplings and couldn't attack anyone.
Naturally, they encountered members of other divisions along the way. To be honest, even Soul Reapers rarely saw anything like this, so they followed along and watched for a while out of curiosity.
Jun chatted along the way with the two seated officers ranked in the teens. Fourteenth Seat Taki, who hadn't been very cooperative before, was noticeably different this time, so they got along very well. The two officers praised Jun in every way they could think of, and Jun returned the compliments. After all, he had spent a few years in the workplace in his previous life.
A few people had left the group to notify the Seventh and Twelfth Divisions ahead of them. The Twelfth Division was their destination, while the Seventh Division was the Inner Court Guard Squad. If they brought Hollows into Seireitei without letting the Seventh Division know, there was bound to be trouble. Fourteenth Seat Taki had been the one to remind Jun of that.
When they reached Seireitei, the Seventh Division came out to meet them with considerable fanfare, led by its lieutenant. But they had only come to check whether Jun's Kidō bindings were secure, not to make trouble, so no conflict broke out between the two sides. Instead, they struck up a conversation.
Through their conversation, Jun learned that the lieutenant was named Kotetsu Bunta. On hearing the surname, Jun remembered a pair of sisters from the original story with the same name, Isane Kotetsu and Kiyone Kotetsu. After taking another look at this middle-aged man, Bunta, Jun wasn't sure whether they were related. He decided to ask around another time.
But Bunta didn't leave Jun to ask around. The middle-aged man patted Jun on the back and laughed. "Hahaha, what a fine young hero! If I had a daughter, and you didn't have a fiancée, Jun, I'd make you my son-in-law!"
Jun broke out in a sweat. The man was a bit scatterbrained. When the other squad members heard him, someone teased him.
"Lieutenant, don't scare Ninth Seat Shimizu! Your son's already fourteen!"
"Hahahaha! Didn't you fucking hear me say I don't have a daughter? Damn it!!"
Jun found the current Seventh Division pretty goofy, completely different from the serious squad Sajin Komamura led in the original story. Then he remembered that the current captain was Love Aikawa, and he seemed to understand.
So the 11th Division wasn't the only squad strongly influenced by its leader's temperament. Every division in Soul Society was the same: whatever the captain was like, the squad members were just like him.
The Seventh Division finished its inspection quickly. There was certainly nothing wrong with Jun's seals. What was more, Jun had immobilized and sealed the enemies on the spot in actual combat, carrying out the whole sequence smoothly. The squad members had spread word of that too, prompting everyone in the Seventh Division to see Jun in a new light.
As mentioned before, Incantation Abandonment and the ability to use Kidō in actual combat were two different things. Take the Twelfth Division's researchers, for example. Their Kidō skills were incredibly advanced, every last one of them, but they were a bunch of keyboard warriors. They had plans upon plans, yet couldn't put any of them to use in a real fight.
Even among single-digit seated officers, few could use Kidō in actual combat. Higher-ranked officers faced enemies with higher Reiatsu, so they needed higher-numbered Kidō. That made Incantation Abandonment even harder, and using it in combat harder still.
Take Aizen instantly defeating Sajin Komamura in the original story with a level-ninety Hadō. Of everyone on Sōkyoku Hill at the time, only Aizen could pull that off. How many captains were there? Sajin Komamura, Byakuya Kuchiki, Gin Ichimaru, Kaname Tōsen, and Sōsuke Aizen. Five out of thirteen, and four of them couldn't do it.
So fighting with Kidō was extremely difficult. Compared with fighting with a sword, training in Kidō took more effort. Jun's feat had earned the heartfelt admiration of a great many Soul Reapers.
Then, on the way to the Twelfth Division, word spread. Soul Society was only so big, and the Thirteenth Division had only about a thousand people all told. Quite a few people came to watch along the way.
The worst were those idiots from the 11th Division. Kuruyashiki Kenpachi led them over to watch, and the guy even teased Tachikawa Zan.
"Ah, Zan, your disciple seems to be better at Kidō than swordsmanship, huh!? How have you been teaching him?"
What could Instructor Tachikawa say? Jun was speechless too. What, have you already decided I'm joining the 11th Division? Am I not allowed to learn Kidō now?
The previous chapter mentioned the locations of the Gotei 13 divisions. The 11th Division was right across from the Tenth Division. By comparison, the Tenth Division was very reserved. Jun belonged to the Tenth Division, so it was enough for them to quietly reap the benefits of his moment in the spotlight.
Most of the group returned to their division as they passed the Tenth Division. It was close by anyway, and they could just follow along and watch. Their destination was right next door.
Jun continued toward the Twelfth Division with the brothers dragging the Hollows. From a long way off, he spotted his own beauty and called out a greeting. Isuzu couldn't hold herself back and was about to run over, but—
The next moment, Jun felt that somewhat familiar sensation. Ah.
"Yahaha~, little Jun-Jun, you're amazing! We were just planning to study Hollows, and you caught some and brought them back for us. Thank you~!" Captain Hikifune was as enthusiastic as ever.
Isuzu was as jealous as ever too. She hurried over and pulled Jun back into her own embrace to stake her claim. Jun felt rather embarrassed, mainly because there were so many people watching this time.
"You're welcome. My Lingling has received a lot of care from you and your division too. If you need anything, just say the word. I'll take care of whatever I can. You can think of me as the Twelfth Division's son-in-law."
"Oh my~~"
"Captain~~!!"
As she spoke, Captain Hikifune moved to pounce again. Isuzu risked her life to stop her, but the young couple ended up being pulled into that broad embrace together. This time, Jun was pressed against her from the front. So soft. Mm~ kimoji~
The Twelfth Division took charge of the Hollows. Captain Hikifune insisted on bringing Jun inside for a reward, and Jun glanced over at his own division. Isshin Shiba gave him a thumbs-up, so Jun stopped turning her down.
Jun noticed, however, that Captain Hikifune's behavior didn't draw much of a reaction from the onlookers. Thinking back to what Shinji Hirako had said in the original story, her behavior seemed to have always been this enthusiastic. The veteran captains had probably long since gotten used to it.
Jun spent the afternoon at the Twelfth Division and toured its workshops. They didn't yet have the high-tech feel they had in the original story and were very plain.
Around dinnertime, Jun returned to the Tenth Division and received commendation from Captain Shiba Kazato. Apparently, the Twelfth Division had indeed requested live Hollows. The First Division had been working out mission points for capturing them alive, but Jun had gone and brought back five, so they approved the prepared proposal on the spot without discussion.
Only then did Jun learn that the proper way for a Soul Reaper to advance was through mission points. In the Tenth Division, guarding the gates and cleaning earned no points. Patrols did, but exterminating Hollows was the main source. If they had fought and killed the Hollows today, Jun would have earned the most points as well. Extermination points also depended on each person's role and contribution.
Now there was a new category for live captures, which earned a lot of points because the job was difficult. Your Kidō had to be above level eighty-five, or how were you supposed to capture one? So this was a mission for single-digit seated officers. The points earned in such cases weren't division points, but points reported to the Head Captain, which could affect changes to single-digit seats.
Jun had earned quite a few points this time, of course, but he certainly had no chance of changing seats through points anytime soon. The Eighth Seat ahead of him had been a Soul Reaper for over 140 years and was several digits ahead of Jun in points.
Teaching assignments, dispatches to the World of the Living, and evaluation meetings were also major sources of points. Evaluation meetings in particular awarded the most, but there was one way to earn even more.
Expeditions to Hueco Mundo. But with a fifty percent mortality rate, Jun felt he might live to earn those points but not to spend them. Still, participation was mandatory. The rosters were selected by Central 46 and the Head Captain, with no arguing about it. Whether Jun would take part in an expedition in the future was up to fate, though he figured it was impossible to avoid going. It was only a matter of time.
That evening, Jun returned to the dormitory and went straight up to the second floor. He opened the window, and the young woman who had been waiting for a while in the dormitory opposite climbed over the wall separating them. Hehehe, another happy night. It felt like the holiday was continuing.
And so Jun's first day of work ended in complete success. Both what he gained and what he experienced were wonderful.
"Mm~ Looks like being a Soul Reaper feels pretty good too," Jun said, holding his beloved, thoroughly content.