Rei woke with a start, his back drenched in cold sweat. He had dreamed of facing Old Man Yamamoto again, only to be killed in an instant... The root cause of his nightmare was that Kuruyashiki had taken Rei to see Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai yesterday, seeking to secure him the position of Expeditionary Force captain...
Thinking back to yesterday, Rei had followed Kuruyashiki with mixed feelings, wearing only white socks on his feet as he stepped across the yellow-painted wooden floor.
It was the first time Rei would meet Captain-Commander Yamamoto, the strongest Soul Reaper, since joining the Gotei 13. Given the weight of his reputation, Rei was somewhat curious about just how strong he was.
A long life of fighting had forged Rei's own confidence. He had thought the Captain-Commander was, at most, a good deal stronger than Kuruyashiki.
But once they met, Rei realized just how limited his experience had been...
"Kuruyashiki and Lieutenant Nangong Ling request an audience with the Captain-Commander!"
Kuruyashiki led Rei to the door of the Captain-Commander's office, where Lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe opened it for them.
The two came to stand behind a bald old man who was hunched over, leaning on a cane. This was the Captain-Commander, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai. Though he looked to be in the twilight of his life, he was the strongest Soul Reaper, unmatched for thousands of years.
Curious about his strength, Rei used a little of his reiatsu to probe him, only to sense something as unfathomable as a vast ocean. If he had to put it into words, the man was strong—absurdly strong.
Rei judged that, released at full power, his reiatsu was at least twice Kuruyashiki's. If it multiplied with Shikai and Bankai, that would be even more terrifying...
"What is it?"
The Captain-Commander's voice was deep and hoarse. He had noticed Rei's little probe long ago but had not stopped him, because this proud young man needed to learn that there was always someone stronger.
"Rei!"
"Yes!"
Kuruyashiki gestured for Rei to speak for himself. After answering, Rei took two steps forward, nodded slightly, and bowed to show his respect for the Captain-Commander as a powerful fighter.
Rei cleared his throat, then stated his business in a strong, steady voice. "Nangong Ling, lieutenant of the 11th Division, requests the position of captain of the next Expeditionary Force. I hope you will grant my request, Captain-Commander!"
At that, the Captain-Commander slowly turned around. His narrowed eyes opened fully, and his sharp gaze swept over Rei first, making him feel a faint pressure.
Only when his gaze shifted to Kuruyashiki did the pressure on Rei ease somewhat.
"You've only just become a lieutenant, and you already want to go to Hueco Mundo? Kuruyashiki, is this your idea or his own wish?"
The Captain-Commander questioned Kuruyashiki. If Kuruyashiki had told him to go, then perhaps he would also give Rei some fairly dangerous orders.
"Rei volunteered. I didn't force him. He wants to temper himself and then challenge me..."
Kuruyashiki answered the Captain-Commander with a calm expression.
"Challenge?" The Captain-Commander glanced back and forth between them and thought, I hear he still can't use Bankai, but judging by the confidence on his face, he should be close. To have this much reiatsu while he's still growing—a genius seen once in a thousand years. Perhaps he really can surpass Kuruyashiki. But what is his purpose in becoming a Soul Reaper...?
It was said that Kuruyashiki himself had brought Rei over and made him a Soul Reaper, with at most the addition of Kyōraku, who had tagged along and slacked off.
Now, however, Rei intended to challenge Kuruyashiki. Captain-Commander Yamamoto was beginning to understand their relationship a little, and he also wanted to see how far Rei could go.
Since Rei wanted to become captain of the Expeditionary Force, Captain-Commander Yamamoto would certainly test his strength. Thus, a "most simple" test began...
Captain-Commander Yamamoto gradually began releasing his reiatsu, directing all the pressure at Rei alone. Kuruyashiki started to step forward, but then seemed to think of something and stopped.
Rei also understood that the Captain-Commander was testing him, using reiatsu to gauge his basic strength. He could only release his own reiatsu to resist.
The affected area was very small, and the pressure grew stronger and stronger. Cold sweat broke out on Rei's forehead. He had already brought all his reiatsu into play; without using Shikai, it was at least 1.5 times that of a standard captain.
Old Man Yamamoto really is strong. Maybe I should make a reference chart for captain-level reiatsu!
As Rei muttered to himself, the pressure abruptly vanished. Old Man Yamamoto had measured his limit and withdrawn his reiatsu. Rei had passed the test...
Rei thought that if captain-level strength were divided into standard, intermediate, upper, super-strong, and Soul Reaper pinnacle tiers, then 1.5 times the reiatsu of a standard captain would be enough to reach the intermediate captain tier.
Three times the standard reiatsu would reach the upper captain tier, and four times would be the super-strong captain tier. As for the pinnacle of Soul Reapers, their base reiatsu might be around eight to ten times that of a standard captain.
Reiatsu could be divided into tiers, but combat strength still depended on a Zanpakuto's abilities after release. After all, some abilities countered one another, and if the difference in reiatsu was not great, it was hard to say who was stronger.
Having determined that Rei's basic abilities fully met the requirements to become a captain, the Captain-Commander addressed him formally. "In that case, Nangong Ling is appointed captain of this Expeditionary Force. You will recruit your own personnel and have the authority to decide everything concerning the force. You are to depart for Hueco Mundo within three months. That is all!"
"Thank you, Captain-Commander!"
Rei thanked him solemnly. At the side, Chōjirō Sasakibe had already written the appointment letter and stamped it with the Captain-Commander's great seal. He handed the letter to Rei.
It was the pressure he had felt from the Captain-Commander that gave Rei nightmares for several days and made him realize that he still had a very, very long way to go...
After seven days of recruiting, enough people unafraid of death had finally come forward to fill every spot. Departure was set for half a month later, when everyone would assemble in the square before the Senkaimon.
Rei was looking over the roster. These fifty-nine people were his team members for the time being, and he was responsible for bringing them back.
"Sōjun Kuchiki? Is he from the Kuchiki Clan?"
"Yes, Captain. He is Captain Kuchiki's son, born when the captain was already old. He became a Soul Reaper ten years ago and is currently the Fifth Seat of the Sixth Division."
"Kuchiki Ginrei? He really was old when he had him. He could still manage that at his age? Impressive!"
"Uh, well, I heard he takes some kind of medicine..."
"I see!"
"Hehehe..."
As Rei read through the names on the roster, his two henchmen explained the backgrounds and strengths of the people who had signed up.
When they came to Kuchiki Ginrei, Kuluo lowered his voice to a whisper and told Rei the rumors he had heard. Understanding dawned on Rei's face, and the three gradually took on lecherous expressions.
"Who is Tsunayashiro Tokinada? A young master of the Tsunayashiro Clan, one of the Five Great Noble Clans?"
"Yes. He ranks last among the younger generation of the Tsunayashiro Clan. He's currently a Squad Member in the Seventh Division and graduated a hundred years ago. Outstanding members of his graduating class, such as Captain Kyōraku and Captain Ukitake, have already become pillars of the Gotei 13, while he uses his status as a great noble to bully others. He's a good-for-nothing young master through and through..."
Yuanshan, the second henchman, filled Rei in on Tsunayashiro Tokinada. After learning that the man was far inferior to Sōjun Kuchiki, Rei asked, "Then why did he join the Expeditionary Force?"
"Uh... probably for the thrill!"
"That's right. His whole gang of good-for-nothing young masters joined. I'd guess they're looking for some thrilling fun. That bunch of trash used to toy with the residents of Rukongai together. Disgusting bastards..."
Both Kuluo and Yuanshan wore expressions of contempt for the group of good-for-nothing young masters.
"I don't care what they want to do. They're a bit of a nuisance, but in my force, they'll follow my orders. If they disobey, I'll execute them on the spot!"
Rei's tone was perfectly calm, but his two henchmen heard the killing intent in it. They secretly rejoiced, thinking they would probably have a good show to watch this time.
Of the Five Great Noble Clans, Rei currently knew only four: Kuchiki, Shiba, Tsunayashiro, and Shihoin... The remaining clan was very mysterious, unknown even to Rei at present. It was said to have withdrawn from the world for some time, though the details were unknown.
Nangong Ling, captain of this Expeditionary Force, was dressed entirely in red, a stark contrast to the black of Soul Reaper uniforms. What made the members standing in line under the sun even more dissatisfied was that he was hiding beneath a parasol, eating chilled watermelon.
It was summer in Seireitei, and under the scorching sun, watermelons were very expensive and hard to come by.
People below were whispering that Nangong Ling was putting on too many airs. Unfortunately, none dared say it to his face, mainly because they were intimidated by his overwhelming strength. Rei clearly heard them but pretended he had not.
There was no regulation requiring Soul Reaper uniforms to be identical. Most were primarily black, but some unconventional individuals wore white outer robes resembling Captain's Haori.
The specifics of a division depended entirely on how its captain wanted to run things. Kuruyashiki certainly would not do anything to Rei over the minor matter of an inconsistent uniform. In the 11th Division, only combat strength mattered.
"Captain Nangong, may I ask when we're setting out...?"
The five members of the Kidō Corps wore haughty expressions. Although they had no parasol, they had been given watermelon, and once they finished it, they began urging Rei to leave.
"Pth, pth, pth... I said to assemble at ten. It's already ten twenty, and we're still five people short. What's going on?"
Having finished his watermelon, Rei spat out seeds in a continuous stream like a machine gun and began asking about the latecomers.
"Well, the latecomers are... huh?"
Just as Yuanshan was about to say who they were, five young men in flashy clothes came strolling leisurely toward them, laughing and chatting.
"Vice-Captain Nangong Ling, Tsunayashiro Tokinada reporting..."
Bang! Boom, boom, boom!
The playboy in the lead stepped forward and was about to announce his arrival in a highly disrespectful tone, but before he could finish, his whole body became a black blur as he was sent flying backward.
"..."
"W-what happened?"
"Where's the one who was reporting in?"
Silence fell over the scene. Only afterward did someone ask in a trembling voice. Among the Soul Reapers in formation, only one person had seen what happened...
That speed... What a terrifying man. Did he punch Tsunayashiro Tokinada away and return to his seat in an instant? He's a genuine captain-level fighter...
Sōjun Kuchiki, whose face still bore traces of youth, was filled with shock. People said Vice-Captain Nangong Ling might be stronger than some captains, but no one believed it without seeing it for themselves.
It was just like his brother-in-law Kōga. Everyone knew that Kōga, who had already become the Third Seat of the Sixth Division, was stronger than their lieutenant, but no one had seen that strength for themselves, so naturally they did not quite believe it...
Three consecutive crashes rang out. After flying a hundred meters, Tsunayashiro Tokinada smashed through three walls before coming to a stop. He had already passed out, and it was unclear whether he would survive without emergency treatment.
"T-Tokinada Tsunayashiro!"
"You bastard! Do you know he's from the Tsunayashiro Clan? You've offended a great noble, and you're just a measly... a... lieu..."
Boom!
"Shut the hell up!"
As the two young dandies denounced him, Rei roared and released all his reiatsu, making it difficult for the one who would not stop blabbering even to breathe, let alone speak.
Rei's reiatsu encompassed not only the four of them but the entire formation. Just as the Captain-Commander had done to him, he used it to intimidate everyone present.
Quite a few people in the formation could not withstand it and fell to their knees. When the reiatsu vanished, they all began gulping down air. After just thirty seconds under Rei's pressure, they felt as exhausted as if they had trekked dozens of kilometers across the countryside.
Only Sōjun Kuchiki remained standing upright. His reiatsu was not weak; his body was merely a little frail.
The four young noblemen had it even worse. They lay sprawled on the ground, unable to get up, heedless of their appearances, and one of them had even passed out...
"A few pieces of trash like you dare look down on me? Get this straight: I'm the commander of the Expeditionary Force, personally appointed by Captain-Commander Yamamoto."
Rei pulled out the appointment letter bearing the great seal and displayed it to the Soul Reapers, who were still scattered in disarray.
"Under my command, I don't care whether you're nobles or not, men or women. You'll all obey orders. I believe only in the supremacy of strength. If any of you think you're stronger than me, you're welcome to challenge me for my position."
Rei stood on the small table where the watermelon had been and looked down at the Squad Members below. No one dared meet his eyes, and no one dared contradict him.
"One more thing, and it's very necessary to make this clear: in Soul Society, the only people who can look down on me are those stronger than me. As for you pieces of trash... what the hell are you?"
Rei turned his gaze back to the four young masters who had caused trouble, making no attempt to hide the disgust on his face. He looked at them as though they were four bloodsucking bedbugs.
"I-I'm the heir of the Kasumioji Clan. M-my clan won't, won't let you get away with this!"
This person was the sole heir of the Kasumioji Clan. Unfortunately, he was a lost cause; whenever something happened, all he could do was call for his mother, who was still a captain.
"The Kasumioji Clan? Hahaha, that's hilarious. You're proud of it instead of ashamed? With a useless heir like you, your clan will probably rot completely over the next few hundred years..."
Rei was full of scorn. The way these good-for-nothing young masters thought was truly strange. After offending someone stronger, they were not afraid; instead, they announced their identities to frighten others.
Unfortunately for them, Nangong Ling had never knelt to any noble, and that was nowhere near enough to scare him.
While Rei was amusing himself, a slight fluctuation of reiatsu came from nearby. It was Kuruyashiki's, and it was clearly telling Rei to hurry up and deal with this farce.
Rei understood at once. Turning serious in an instant, he said, "I'm done playing with you. Put the five latecomers on the deserters' list and submit it to the Captain-Commander. Everyone else, rest for ten minutes, then we depart. Kidō Corps, prepare to open a Garganta!"
Kuruyashiki was not the only captain watching in secret. Several others were present, and even Kasumioji Yakumo, the current female head of the Kasumioji Clan and Third Division Captain, was watching.
Her lovely face was clouded with gloom. Rei's words had made her very uncomfortable, but they were true: her son was a lost cause.