Joining the Thirteenth Division

The Captain-Commander had given this decision a great deal of thought. Whether he assigned Yoru Machi to the Eleventh Division or the Fourth Division, it would provoke displeasure from both Unohana Retsu and Kenpachi Zaraki, potentially stirring up unnecessary trouble.

So, to play it safe, placing Yoru Machi in another division was the best option. As for why he chose Kyoraku Shunsui—partly because that bastard had been enjoying the show the most, grinning so wide his gums nearly showed.

On the other hand, the Captain-Commander also trusted Kyoraku's strength. If Unohana Retsu or Kenpachi Zaraki came looking for trouble, there weren't many captains here who could handle them.

The other captains saw through the Captain-Commander's intent, and so they all offered Kyoraku their congratulations.

"Congratulations, congratulations. For a rookie Shinigami to make both Captain Unohana and Captain Kenpachi throw down, there must be something special about him."

"Congratulations to Captain Kyoraku's Eighth Division for gaining a fierce warrior."

"What a shame. I was just about to ask for him myself, but... since it's the Captain-Commander's order, there's nothing to be done."

Watching these captains gloat with insincere words, Kyoraku's face nearly twisted in frustration.

Then he glanced at Yoru Machi and felt a fresh wave of resentment. If Yoru Machi had been a beauty, Kyoraku wouldn't have minded taking him in despite the trouble.

But the key point was that Yoru Machi wasn't a beauty—he was a handsome bastard, with looks that made even Kyoraku himself step back. Bringing him back to the Eighth Division would ruin Kyoraku's chances of flirting with women.

Lately, for some reason, young girls had started favoring handsome pretty boys, when before, his melancholic uncle vibe had been far more popular.

"Captain-Commander, the Eighth Division is currently at full capacity. We don't need any new members right now.

The other day, when I was drinking with Jushiro, he mentioned that his Thirteenth Division is short on personnel. Why not send this Shinigami there instead?"

Hearing Kyoraku's words, the Captain-Commander glanced at the recruitment banner in the main hall for the Eighth Division.

The banner read: 'Eighth Division Recruiting! Urgently seeking talent skilled in intelligence gathering. Meals and lodging provided, great benefits, low danger. Young female Shinigami preferred.'

"Cough, cough. Captain-Commander, if the Eighth Division can't accommodate this Shinigami, then let him come to our Thirteenth Division.

As Shunsui said, we really are short-handed right now. If he's willing to join us, it would be a huge help."

Hearing Ukitake's words, Kyoraku's face lit up with satisfaction, and he casually threw an arm around his coughing friend's shoulders.

He'd known all along that his good buddy Ukitake would take the fall for him. And this Shinigami named Yoru Machi—while he was a hot potato for any division, he wasn't one for Ukitake.

Everyone knew that Ukitake Jushiro was the nicest guy in all of Soul Society. Not only was he the first captain ever appointed from the Shino Academy, but he also had excellent connections. On top of that, his frail health meant that even Unohana Retsu and Kenpachi Zaraki would pick on anyone else before they'd bother him.

"In that case, this Shinigami named Yoru Machi will be assigned to the Thirteenth Division. As for the punishments for the captains of the Fourth and Eleventh Divisions, they will be carried out immediately."

Both Ukitake Jushiro and Kyoraku Shunsui were students of the Captain-Commander, and he knew their personalities well.

Ukitake was well-liked and highly responsible. Entrusting this matter to him was far more reassuring.

But Kyoraku had been laughing too hard earlier, and Ukitake was too sickly. The Captain-Commander hadn't wanted to burden him unnecessarily.

And so the farce came to an end. Yoru Machi hadn't expected that his simple goal of joining a division to coast through retirement would stir up such a storm.

In the end, he couldn't join his top pick, the Fourth Division, but he did get into his second choice, the Thirteenth Division.

The captain of the Thirteenth Division, Ukitake Jushiro, was one of the strongest captains in Soul Society and a genuinely good person. He had been one of Yoru Machi's preferred divisions.

Though he couldn't get close to Sister Hana, and the Thirteenth Division had far fewer women than the Fourth, given the situation, he didn't have much room to choose.

"Your name is Yoru Machi, right... cough, cough. Come with me back to the Thirteenth Division barracks. From now on, you're a member of our division.

The Thirteenth Division is also known as the 'Purification Squad.' Our duty is to purify the souls in the Rukongai that have become Hollows due to corruption. Cough, cough..."

In the Soul Reaper World, when people die, they appear as spirit bodies with a chain on their chest. If they experience extreme emotional turmoil or stay too long in the Human World, they turn into what are called Hollows.

The Rukongai is filled with wandering spirits, so sometimes 'Hollowfication' occurs suddenly. Also, countless ordinary people die in the Human World every day, and performing 'Soul Burial' on those souls is the Thirteenth Division's responsibility.

Ukitake Jushiro walked ahead, coughing after every sentence, his frail state making Yoru Machi worry that he might collapse at any moment.

But there was no denying that Ukitake Jushiro was one of the top-tier fighters in Soul Society. Not only did he possess one of the only three pairs of Zanpakuto in Soul Society that could achieve Shikai, but his true identity was that of the right arm of the Soul King!

"Captain, you're back? How did things go at the Spirit Training Academy? Did a Vastolorde from Hueco Mundo invade?"

When they reached the Thirteenth Division barracks, a man with black hair, deep smoky-blue eyes, long lower lashes, and a tattoo on his exposed shoulder approached them and spoke.

The Hollows in Hueco Mundo were divided into four ranks: low-level Hollows, Gillian, Adjuchas, and Vastolorde. A Vastolorde-level Menos Grande was said to have combat power comparable to a Gotei 13 captain, and sometimes even an average captain couldn't match one.

After all, Vastolordes were practically the ceiling for Hollows, possessing unique Ceros, extremely hard Steel Skin, and High-Speed Regeneration.

The Reiatsu that had erupted from the Shino Academy earlier was undoubtedly at the captain level. The only thing Shiba Kaien could think of was a Vastolorde-level Menos invading the Seireitei.

"It was actually a little conflict between Captain Unohana of the Fourth Division and Captain Kenpachi of the Eleventh Division. Cough, cough. I'll explain later when I have time.

Also, this is our new member, Yoru Machi. Fill him in on the Thirteenth Division's duties and some important points."