Half a month after Zero and Kōga teamed up for a mission, Zero was summoned by the Central 46 for releasing those traitors without authorization. This was a report that Kōga had given prior notice of, and it was ultimately passed on to the Central 46.
But as Zero said, those people have lost their threat; in exchange for their freedom, they have completely lost their power.
Some of the old men in Central 46 who wanted to punish Zero couldn't get enough reasons, so they could only make a secret note of it.
In the Captain-Commander's office, Zero, Yama-jii, and Kuchiki Ginrei were discussing the matter of the Kōga...
"That guy is a bit arrogant, directly demanding command. Perhaps it's because he's overconfident in his own strength, and he's reluctant to let his subordinates get involved in the battle. His strength makes him somewhat impetuous."
"In short, he's so obsessed with his own power that he can't break free. He's probably made considerable progress over the years, but he lacks control over it!"
"I think his strength is enough to be Captain, but his personality isn't good enough, and he tends to overlook his subordinates' abilities. I'd give him a passing grade."
From the moment he took the initiative to seize command to his later explicit threat to report Zero, everything was analyzed. When Yinling heard that Zero didn't argue with him, Ginrei Kuchiki breathed a sigh of relief.
Upon hearing Zero's final assessment, Yama-jii and Ginrei Kuchiki, standing to the side, looked somewhat helpless. Pride wasn't the problem; the problem was that his impetuousness had always been there, though he had only slightly curbed it.
"Yes, as expected... a common problem among you young people: a lack of self-awareness and an inability to recognize the existence of others."
The first half of Yama-jii's sentence was fine, but the second half was talking about Zero. The current young Captain probably only has Zero when it comes to the problem of 'being overconfident in his own strength'.
They wouldn't attack the Holy City alone if they lacked confidence, nor would they request to act alone; they aren't afraid of being hunted in the World of the Living.
"I'm young too, but there's no comparison!"
Zero scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly, "I've made quite a few mistakes, so I'm very clear about my own strength level... and I often delegate tasks to my subordinates."
"So that's how it is. You're always slacking off!" Yama-jii blew his beard, a hint of anger in his voice.
"Alright, whatever you say... Anyway, I suggest letting him fail once or twice before making him Captain, so he can recognize his own limits and become a qualified Captain."
Zero recalled his experiences in Rukongai, where he was first suppressed by Yanis and then forced to his limit during a battle with Kenpachi, nearly dying.
He regained his confidence after continuing his journey through Soul Society, and his confidence soared again when he defeated Captain-level enemy with his Bankai Shikai the Seireitei. However, he was nearly crushed by a few punches from Yama-jii.
This kind of failure, which is within his tolerance level, helps Zero to recognize his own strength and position...
However, Kōga did not have such an experience. He came from Rukongai, and after becoming Soul Reaper, he showed his talent. He was chosen by Ginrei Kuchiki to become her son-in-law, and learned Bankai, so he had Captain-level strength at a very young age.
His Zanpakuto's power allowed him to gain an absolute advantage in any battle against Soul Reaper, and his smooth sailing after becoming the Third Seat of the First Division led him to firmly believe in his strength.
In Zero's opinion, Kōga was actually quite good; it was just that his understanding of power was insufficient, which made him a little arrogant.
After Zero took his leave, the two old men exchanged a glance, agreeing that Zero was right; Kōga needed to fail once so he could grow better...
Zero walked alone down the corridor of the First Division when he was met by Kōga and three of his subordinates who were flattering him. They were all core members of the Special Forces First Division.
As the two sides met face to face, three suspicious-looking men appeared between them. They were wearing white sleeveless jackets: a bald man, a bespectacled man, and a slightly sleazy-looking fellow. The three men chuckled and left through another passage.
Ling glanced at them and then teased Kōga, "Oh, the strongest son-in-law, did Yama-jii summon you too?"
"Uh, thank you for the compliment, Captain Nangong, but it's better to say less of that. I'm not even Captain, so how can I be called the strongest?"
Kōga blushed slightly from the praise and became a little shy. He also modestly replied that being a live-in son-in-law was not ridiculous in this world, and Kōga cared about was the word 'strongest'.
'Those three guys were also from the First Division, a new faction that rose to prominence after Kisaragi Shingō. They seem to have some issues with the son-in-law Kōga, but that's none of my business...'
Ling, who had just been thinking about those three strange Seated Officer, snapped out of her reverie and replied, "Don't say that! There are vacancies, aren't there? If you try your best to show yourself, you might get a chance."
'A vacancy? It's been vacant for who knows how many years. If it were my turn, I could have filled it long ago, but my father-in-law and the Captain-Commander...'
"Captain Nangong is really joking. I have other things to attend to, excuse me."
Upon hearing this, Kōga was taken aback, then left. The three Seated Officer following behind Kōga also bowed to Ling and followed closely behind.
Kōga recalled all the unhappy things in his mind. No matter how hard he tried, those two just wouldn't approve of him.
Watching Kōga leave, Ling shook his head inwardly. "Not only is he impatient, but he also seems unable to see through other people's intentions..."
When Zero was punched by Yama-jii, it could be seen as him being abused, but wasn't it also Yama-jii's way of guiding him?
As for Kōga, although being transferred to Yama-jii's side raised suspicions of being monitored, it was also intended to cultivate him and prevent him from going astray. Unfortunately, Kōga couldn't see that clearly.
The second examiner of Kōga was Kyōraku, who also gave it a passing grade; the third examiner was Shiba Kūsei, who gave it a zero, and the two got into an argument.
Zero no longer cared who the fourth one was; he had already returned to the World of the Living to suppress the Quincy's Quincy...
At the home of the bald Seated Officer of the First Division, both the bespectacled man and the sleazy man were present, discussing the recent events that had happened to Kōga.
"Three Captains have already accompanied him on the inspection trip, so it's certain that the Captain-Commander intends for him to succeed as the Captain of the Seventh Division."
"It was alright when Lord Qin Wu was in charge, but now his prestige has surpassed ours. If Kōga becomes the Captain, their Expeditionary Force will definitely outshine us. What should we do?"
"We're still under evaluation! What's the panic? We still have a chance. After all, he's just a kid, eager to prove himself. We just need to use a little trick..."
"Hehehe, good idea."
"Heh heh... Cheers!"
In contrast to the murders and vendettas that are rampant in Rukongai, the Seireitei is more about power struggles, and even Captains sometimes get caught up in these pointless conflicts.
The fourth Captain to accompany the inspection was Ginrei Kuchiki, Kōga's father-in-law. Ginrei Kuchiki had to come along because Kōga had argued with Shiba Kūsei last time, so she could give him a wake-up call.
The main troublemakers were a minor noble family, which is why Ginrei Kuchiki, who was in charge of maintaining order among the nobility, came to punish them.
The minor nobles spent a lot of money to win over a large group of Soul Reaper and train family guards, but the battle was still one-sided, Kōga quickly eliminated several of the enemy's main forces.
"Lord Kōga, all the enemies here have also been wiped out."
"Very good, in that case..."
Kōga's face lit up with joy, three of his men were ambushed from behind and killed instantly.
What are you trying to do?
Shocked and enraged, Kōga questioned the few Soul Reaper before him, who had just come with him to quell the rebellion.
"What for? Haha, of course I'm going to fuck you!"
"Hehehe, our mission is to kill you during this suppression of the rebellion."
"Die, Kōga Kuchiki!"
"Let's attack together!"
Among the four, there was a Mushroom Head wielding two swords, which was enough to prove their extraordinary strength. However, when they attacked together, they were forced back by Kōga's sword.
"Don't think you can defeat me by outnumbering me! Bankai - Gokujō Tsumakiyori Muramasa!"
Kōga immediately unleashed his full power. After the terrifying Reiatsu Gale dissipated, a man with an eerie appearance appeared beside Kōga.
To the astonishment of the attackers, the man merely raised his hand slightly, and several strangely shaped figures appeared before them.
"What's this?"
"This feels weird. Wait, why can't I release my Zanpakuto?"
The four Seated Officer were all of the same rank and were quite capable; otherwise, they wouldn't have been assigned to assassinate Kōga. Unfortunately, they underestimated Kōga's strength.
"Heh, these are your Zanpakuto! I merely awakened their instincts, and you, who have always displeased them, will die at their hands..."
Muramasa briefly explained his abilities: Kōga's Shikai allows the enemy's Zanpakuto to control its master, causing him to indiscriminately kill his teammates or even commit suicide.
The ability after Bankai is to release a materialized Muramasa, allowing Muramasa to fight for him.
Muramasa's most important ability is to summon and materialize an opponent's Zanpakuto. The materialized Zanpakuto will be bewitched by Muramasa and become Isshin focused on killing its master.
Kuchiki Ginrei is interrogating the main culprits at the minor nobleman's house; they are about to be handed over to Central 46 for trial.
Just then, Ginrei Kuchiki sensed Kōga's overwhelming Reiatsu. His heart skipped a beat, and he rushed over.