Arrival in Soul Society

After coming to this world following his death.

Natsuki had experienced a series of coincidences.

First, he was attacked by a Hollow, then rescued by Shinigami who were on an expedition to Hueco Mundo.

After the Shinigami had fallen in battle, Natsuki had been left with no choice but to pick up the Zanpakuto they had left behind and swing it by instinct to deal with the crisis.

The moment he swung the Zanpakuto, he was no longer an ordinary soul. He had become a Shinigami.

After that, he was lucky enough to meet the rest of the Expeditionary Force, who had rushed to the scene. Under Watanabe Yuji's tutelage, he had also learned many of the Shinigami's basic abilities. Now, with nothing but an Asauchi, he could easily slay Menos Grande of the Gillian class. With strength like that, becoming a Seated Officer in the Gotei 13 would be well within his reach—though he wouldn't yet dare hope to become a captain or lieutenant.

However, Natsuki still had one major problem.

His status as a Shinigami applied only within the Expeditionary Force.

His name did not appear in the Gotei 13's official registry of Shinigami, so he needed to register.

Natsuki wasn't like Kurosaki Ichigo in the original story. Since Ichigo was human, he had no particular interest in joining the Gotei 13 and becoming a Shinigami officially entered in its records, even though he had obtained Shinigami powers through a stroke of luck. In fact, the Gotei 13 had been the ones to grant him the title of Substitute Shinigami, because they needed his help to deal with the many crises of the time.

Natsuki wasn't human. He was dead.

After arriving in the world of souls, especially one as dangerous as this, becoming a true Shinigami was his only choice.

According to Watanabe Yuji, cases like Natsuki's were rare, but not unheard of. All he had to do was return to Seireitei, explain the circumstances, fill out an application to join a Division, and register.

As for which Division to join, Natsuki had no choice.

The 11th Division was the only option available to him.

There was no helping it. He wasn't a trained Shinigami, and he hadn't graduated from Shino Academy.

If he had graduated from Shino Academy, he might have received invitations from several Divisions upon graduation, provided his grades were good.

Of course, that didn't mean Shinigami who hadn't graduated from the academy could only join the 11th Division.

The main reason was that Watanabe Yuji belonged to the 11th Division.

Aside from Shinigami who had joined the Expeditionary Force to atone for their sins, those who volunteered for the expedition to Hueco Mundo were mostly from the 11th Division. The 11th Division was a combat unit, and whenever Hollows appeared, its members were always among the first to charge in.

That was true when they fought Hollows in Soul Society, and it was just as true when they had to venture into Hueco Mundo.

Both Watanabe Yuji and Ashido were decisive men.

Before long, Ashido took over command of the Expeditionary Force.

Watanabe Yuji, meanwhile, led a number of Shinigami and Natsuki to the place where Ashido and the others had previously opened a Garganta. Using a special device carried by the Expeditionary Force, they contacted Soul Society.

Soul Society reopened the Garganta.

A hole suddenly appeared in the sky. It stretched open like a mouth, revealing a pitch-black passage before Natsuki.

Watanabe Yuji led the way. Natsuki and several Shinigami stepped inside.

Once they had entered the Garganta, Watanabe Yuji gave Natsuki some special instructions.

"The passage from Hueco Mundo to Soul Society is different from the one between the Human World and Soul Society. After years of modifications, the passage from the Human World is very stable. Hueco Mundo is different. Shinigami rarely come here under normal circumstances, so inside the Garganta, we have to use our own spiritual power to form a path beneath our feet. Then the path, made of spiritual power, carries us forward..."

The other Shinigami had walked through the Dangai before, so Watanabe Yuji didn't need to explain much to them. Natsuki was different: this was his first time in the Dangai, so Watanabe Yuji made sure to teach him.

Thanks to his strong control over spiritual power, Natsuki easily mastered the little trick once he understood how it worked.

Soul Society and Hueco Mundo were far apart.

After all, they were two entirely different worlds.

Still, there was no need to worry about how much time they spent in the Dangai.

Time flowed a thousand times faster in the Dangai than in the outside world. A thousand years there amounted to only a year in reality.

In theory, this strange world should have been ideal for training.

Some Shinigami had tried it in the beginning.

But they later discovered that unless they were doing special training, it was difficult to improve through ordinary cultivation in the Dangai. That was because there was no Reishi here—or rather, there was some, but not enough to support a Shinigami's training.

After all, the Dangai was a strange world made up of the accumulated remnants of broken worlds, serving as a buffer zone between Hueco Mundo, the Human World, and Soul Society.

That wasn't the only danger in the Dangai.

It was home to the Kototsu and the Juryu. At regular intervals, the Kototsu destroyed all foreign matter inside the Dangai. It was a true cleaner.

Since the journey was monotonous and dull, Watanabe Yuji told Natsuki a great deal.

Natsuki was truly grateful to Watanabe Yuji.

Even after remembering what kind of world this was, Natsuki had already known a little about it. But his memories were distant, and he knew only the broad strokes. Without Watanabe Yuji's guidance, it would have been difficult for him to adapt to this world so quickly.

Dazzling light flooded his eyes.

A completely different sensation washed over him. Natsuki knew that he and the others had left the Dangai and arrived in Soul Society.

He was certain because he could sense the Reishi filling the air around them.

However, the Reishi here was less concentrated than in Hueco Mundo.

After spending so long in Hueco Mundo, Natsuki found this environment a little disorienting.

"Come on. I'll take you to Seireitei."

Watanabe Yuji spoke to Natsuki and the other Shinigami.

"So this isn't Seireitei?" Natsuki asked, puzzled.

"Of course not," Watanabe Yuji explained. "The passage to the Human World is stable enough that it can be opened within Seireitei. Hueco Mundo is different. To prevent Hollows from taking advantage of the Garganta to invade Seireitei, all passages connected to Hueco Mundo are opened outside Seireitei."

And so, Natsuki continued on his way.

After Watanabe Yuji identified himself, they easily entered Seireitei through the White Way Gate.

After that, Watanabe Yuji led them toward the 11th Division.

Before long, Natsuki met the strongest Kenpachi, the one Watanabe Yuji and Ashido had mentioned: Kuruyashiki Kenpachi.