The different Shinigami had different reactions to these two pieces of news, but nearly all of them were shocked and eager with anticipation.
The Third Division's patrol had just changed shifts when two Shinigami carrying standard longswords squatted in a corner, eating rice balls.
"Did you hear? Those two graduates—the ones the Captains fought over, Harry and Toshiro—became Third Seats as soon as they joined their divisions!"
The shorter Shinigami nearly dropped his rice ball, his eyes wider than the messenger badge at his waist.
"Our Lieutenant Captain spent a whole hundred and eighty years climbing from Third Seat to Lieutenant Captain!"
The taller one was stuffing pickled radish into his mouth when he suddenly let out a derisive laugh.
"What do you know? For someone Captain Zaraki wanted to 'cut me down and take my place as Captain,' even being a Third Seat is beneath him.
I heard Third Seat Toshiro's Hyōrinmaru froze an entire training ground back at the academy, while Third Seat Harry's Dankai Reido can double the power of Kidō!"
In the Fourth Division's infirmary, several Shinigami carrying medicine boxes chattered around injured patients having their bandages changed.
"Lieutenant Captain Shiba is going to fight Third Seat Harry!"
The twin-tailed Shinigami's eyes lit up. She did not even notice that she had wrapped the bandage incorrectly.
"Lieutenant Captain Shiba is a genius seen only once in a century. I heard his Flash Step is faster than even the Second Division's members, and his strength has reached Captain level!
Third Seat Harry only just graduated. Can he really fight him?"
An elderly Shinigami grinding herbs beside her tapped the back of her hand.
"Silly girl, how could you possibly understand a duel at that level? Just the collision of their Spiritual Pressure could overturn half a street.