Time flowed in Soul Society under a peaceful facade; some time had passed since the graduation exam incident at Seireitei Academy that had shaken the entire Seireitei.
On this day, the routine captain's meeting concluded, and the captains of each division filed out of the First Division's meeting room.
Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto sat upright at the head of the table, his deep gaze sweeping over everyone before finally resting on Shihōin Hiroki, who was just about to turn and leave.
"Captain Shihōin,"
Yamamoto's deep, commanding voice echoed in the now-emptying room,
"stay for a moment."
Hiroki paused, a hint of well-timed surprise appearing on his face, which usually carried a touch of playfulness and laziness. He quickly recovered his composure, turned around, and nodded slightly:
"Captain Commander, what are your orders?"
In his mind, he quickly calculated Old Man Yama's intention for keeping him behind.Yamamoto did not answer immediately; his gaze, as scorching as molten lava, fell upon Hiroki, carrying a sense of scrutiny and some indescribable, complex emotion.
Only the two of them remained in the meeting room, and the air seemed to grow a bit heavy.
After a moment of silence, Yamamoto finally spoke slowly, his voice steady:
"Captain Shihōin, what do you think of... the Kidō Corps?"
"Hm? The Kidō Corps?"
Hiroki was slightly taken aback; this question was somewhat unexpected. He did not know much about the Kidō Corps. In his impression, this special organization, which was once responsible for Barriers, seals, and the research and casting of high-level Kido, now had a presence that had faded into dust.
Fragments of relevant information flashed through his mind: Grand Kido Master Tsukabishi Tessai had followed Urahara Kisuke in defecting from Soul Society. Vice Grand Master of Kidō Hachigen Ushōda had been caught in Aizen's Hollowfication experiment, becoming a victim of Hollowfication, and had also disappeared without a trace. Having lost these two pillars, the Kidō Corps could be described as leaderless, with its talent withering away.
Hiroki recalled the intelligence gathered by the Second Division: the current Kidō Corps had basically been reduced to a purely logistical unit.Except for when the Seireitei Barrier occasionally needed maintenance, or when specific Kido rituals needed to be set up for certain important occasions, the Kidō Corps only made a symbolic appearance. The rest of the time, this organization was as silent as a forgotten corner.
Hiroki knew the root cause of the Kidō Corps' decline—a severe lack of actual combat capability!After losing the Grand Kido Master and the Vice Grand Master of Kidō.Most members of the Kidō Corps only had below-average aptitude.
Those who could, like the elite Vice-Captains or even Vice-Captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, cast low-to-mid-level Kido (such as Hado #31: Shakkahō) instantly without incantation or by just chanting the Kido name, were rare in the Kidō Corps.
The vast majority of members had to rely on long incantations to fully unleash the power of Kido.On a rapidly changing battlefield, this long preparation time was undoubtedly fatal.Their Kido power might be acceptable in specific situations, but when facing Hollows or hostile Shinigami head-on, it was almost useless and could not constitute effective combat power.
"Captain Commander,"
Hiroki organized his thoughts and weighed his words.
"As far as I know, the Kidō Corps currently... has a relatively singular function, focusing on logistical support work such as Barrier maintenance. Its members are specialized in Kido research and casting, but in terms of actual combat mobility... they are somewhat lacking."
He used a rather euphemistic way of speaking, pointing out the core problems of the Kidō Corps being a "logistical unit" and having "weak combat capability."Yamamoto-Genryūsai Shigekuni listened to Hiroki's evaluation; no joy or anger could be seen on his dignified face, only his aged yet sharp gaze seemed to deepen a little.
He nodded slightly, as if Hiroki's words had confirmed some of his own thoughts."Hm." Yamamoto's voice remained steady, but he threw out an earth-shattering proposal: "Captain Shihōin, I would like to ask you to act as the Grand Kido Master."
"Huh? Let me act as one?!"
Even though Hiroki was deep-thinking and accustomed to storms, he couldn't help but show genuine surprise at this moment. His pupils constricted slightly, and his brain went into overdrive. Appointing him as the acting Grand Kido Master? What was Old Man Yama trying to do? The Shihōin Clan was already one of the Four Great Noble Clans, with a deep foundation. He himself was the Captain of the 6th Division, controlling the punishment and order of the nobility. The Captain of the Second Division, Soi Fon, was also his subordinate. Now adding the Kidō Corps on top of that? Even if the Kidō Corps was currently lacking in strength, it was, after all, an independent, division-level organization!.
It controlled core technologies such as the Seireitei Barrier, seals, and space transfer!This was equivalent to handing a potential, strategic force into the hands of Shihōin Hiroki.Was Old Man Yama not worried about the Shihōin Clan's influence expanding to the point where it couldn't be checked? This seemed to run counter to his previous attitude of warning Hiroki "not to let it happen again."
"After my investigation," Yamamoto's voice interrupted Hiroki's thoughts,
"you can instantly cast a number 90 Hado. Your strength is completely sufficient to hold the position of Grand Kido Master."
Yamamoto mentioned the astonishing Kido mastery Hiroki had displayed during a previous exam when he instantly killed Aizen—the instant casting of Hadō #90: Kurohitsugi!
This was an extremely high-level Hado that no other captain could master. Yamamoto's judgment was based on strength, a point Hiroki could not refute. Possessing such Kido ability, he was indeed an overwhelming presence within the Kidō Corps.
"This..."
Hiroki was momentarily speechless, his heart filled with doubts. Having enough strength was one thing, but what was Yamamoto plotting by proactively shoving this position onto him?Based on his understanding of Old Man Yama, this Captain Commander was definitely not someone who would easily relinquish power or nurture a threat.
What was Old Man Yama doing? What kind of conspiracy did he have? Hiroki's vigilance instantly shot up.Yamamoto-Genryūsai Shigekuni watched Hiroki's shifting expression, his own heart filled with helplessness and a trace of imperceptible embarrassment.
This Captain Commander, known as the "strongest Shinigami in a thousand years," was currently deeply troubled by a problem he could barely bring himself to mention—the financial crisis of the Gotei 13!
Six years ago, Hiroki's huge "donation" had temporarily relieved the financial pressure on Seireitei, giving him the confidence to implement multiple policies, including increasing benefits for all members. At first, the results were significant, and cohesion greatly increased. However, it is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but difficult to go from luxury to frugality! Once benefits became the norm, they turned into rigid expenditures. Six years had passed, and the treasury had been hollowed out again, even more strapped for cash than it was six years ago. Yamamoto knew that if he cut benefits now, it would be tantamount to destroying his own defenses, inevitably leading to restlessness and low morale, severely affecting the stability and combat effectiveness of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. This was something he could not afford.
He could not resort to extortion like some unscrupulous nobles, and he certainly could not take the lead in violating Soul Society's laws to plunder. As Captain Commander, he had to lead by example and maintain order. Once he started the precedent of breaking the law, others would follow, and the very foundation of Soul Society could be shaken. How could he quickly obtain a large sum of legal income without breaking the law or cutting benefits?
This question had troubled Yamamoto for a long time. It was not until he re-examined the Kidō Corps, an organization almost forgotten, that a thought formed in his mind—the inspiration Hiroki had given him!
Yes, it was that flashy maneuver of "buying" the position of Captain of the 6th Division.