"So this is what power feels like…"
After only a few days as Captain-Commander, Kazuma's hatred for the job had mysteriously begun to fade.
In fact, he was starting to enjoy himself.
Back when he was merely a captain, there had always been work waiting for him.
Now he could sit behind a desk, bark orders, and make other people handle things.
It was wonderful.
If he'd known being Captain-Commander came with this many perks, maybe he should have fought for the job sooner.
One afternoon, Kazuma sat comfortably in his office and called toward the door.
"Rukia, come in. Anything important from the divisions today?"
A figure appeared almost immediately.
Kuchiki Rukia.
Kazuma's promotion had dragged her upward with him.
She was now one of the First Division lieutenants, putting her ahead of everyone from her Academy class in terms of position.
Sure, several of her peers had become lieutenants too — Renji, Kira, and Momo, the walking health bar among them — but being a First Division lieutenant carried considerably more weight.
For one thing, First Division lieutenants were even permitted to wear a haori.
Kazuma's decision to appoint Rukia had caused a bit of discussion.
Upon taking office, he'd declared that he was unfamiliar with the Captain-Commander's workload and needed extra help.
Following the precedent Shunsui would use in the original timeline, Kazuma simply appointed two lieutenants.
One was the obvious choice: Iba Tetsuzaemon, who had worked under him for years and had proven both loyal and competent.
The other was Rukia.
In the original timeline, Shunsui had Ise Nanao and former First Division Third Seat Genshirō Okikiba.
Sorry, Okikiba.
Not this time!
Some people thought Rukia lacked the seniority for the position.
Kazuma was always happy to discuss the matter with them.
He was, after all, a firm believer in winning people over through virtue.
His particular brand of "virtue" just happened to be the sword at his waist.
Anyone who disagreed was welcome to come argue their case.
Kazuma would put on his new villainous cackle, explain his reasoning personally, and then arrange a luxurious multi-day stay at the Fourth Division.
Unlike Shunsui, Kazuma also had very few institutions capable of restraining him.
Central 46 had never been properly restored after its members were wiped out.
Their chambers still existed, but they were completely empty.
Kazuma was already considering solving that problem permanently by blowing the entire place up.
Then he could build something useful there instead.
He already had an idea.
A gigantic statue of Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni.
Some might call that tacky.
Kazuma disagreed.
Old Man Yama could be an infuriating bastard, but he was still the founder of the Gotei 13. His achievements spoke for themselves.
A statue was hardly excessive.
As for why Central 46 needed to be demolished first?
Simple.
Kazuma had no interest in ever seeing an institution like it regain power in Soul Society.
And the interests of the noble clans?
Not his problem.
Squad Zero wasn't much of an obstacle either.
Even Adnyeus himself treated Kazuma with a certain degree of respect now.
Ichibē Hyōsube and the others certainly weren't eager to provoke him.
Besides, Squad Zero rarely interfered with the Gotei 13's internal affairs unless Soul Society itself faced an existential threat.
"Sensei, nothing major has happened."
Rukia hesitated.
"There is one thing, though."
"Some people aren't happy with your recent appointments. They've been spreading rumors that you and the Kuchiki Clan have some kind of shady backroom arrangement."
Kazuma's rise had undeniably benefited the Kuchiki Clan.
They already controlled the Sixth Division through Byakuya.
Now they had effectively gained another captain and half a captain's worth of influence on top of that.
To be clear, Rukia herself only counted as the half.
The full captain was that treacherous bastard Kōga.
Despite stabbing Kazuma in the back during the Captain-Commander fiasco, Kōga was still his prized student.
And once Kazuma vacated the Seventh Division captaincy, Kōga had been the obvious replacement.
There was nothing improper about the appointment.
Kōga had commanded Kazuma's special forces for more than a century.
He had the strength, experience, and seniority to become a Gotei 13 captain without anyone needing to bend the rules.
The complaints were mostly coming from people who disliked seeing the Kuchiki Clan gain even more influence.
Jealousy was hardly complicated.
"Pfft!"
Kazuma sprayed his drink across the desk.
"A shady deal with the Kuchiki Clan?!"
His eyes widened.
Rumors were one thing.
This was slander.
"Investigate it!"
He slammed a hand onto the desk hard enough to scatter documents across the floor.
"Find out exactly which bastard started this!"
Kazuma considered himself a broad-minded leader, perfectly capable of accepting criticism.
If someone accused him of favoring the Kuchiki Clan, fine.
That was even true.
Both of his students happened to be Kuchikis. Of course he was biased toward them.
But claiming there was some filthy secret deal behind it?
Absolutely not.
That crossed the line!
Seeing Kazuma genuinely furious, Rukia and Iba immediately dropped to one knee.
"We'll investigate at once."
...
Kazuma was furious.
He'd spent the morning in his office waiting to see which idiot had been reckless enough to start slandering him.
Before long, hurried footsteps approached. Iba Tetsuzaemon entered with a young Shinigami in tow, his expression grim.
The prisoner took one look at Kazuma and immediately pointed at him.
"Don't play innocent! Everyone knows you've got some shady deal with the Kuchiki Clan!"
Kazuma's face darkened.
"Watch your mouth."
His voice turned cold.
"Fabricating accusations against the Captain-Commander is a serious offense. Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
A crushing wave of reiatsu rolled across the room and bore down on the kneeling Shinigami.
The young man trembled under the pressure, but forced his back straight.
"Don't hide behind your title! You and the Kuchiki Clan are obviously working together behind everyone's backs. The entire Seireitei is paying the price for your favoritism!"
He glared defiantly at Kazuma.
"Someone like you has no right to be Captain-Commander!"
"Enough!"
Kazuma snatched up a document and hurled it at him.
The edge struck the man squarely in the forehead, splitting the skin. Blood ran down into one eye.
Yet he still refused to back down.
"Look how angry you are!"
The young Shinigami lifted his chin.
"Guess I hit the mark!"
He seemed fully prepared to martyr himself in the First Division if that was what it took to "save" the Seireitei from corruption.
Kazuma stared at him for a long moment.
Then he sighed through his nose.
"Take him outside and beat some sense into him."
His eyes narrowed.
"And make sure he tells us who put him up to this."
It had been years since Kazuma had met someone this stubborn.
The brat was standing there like some heroic whistleblower confronting an evil tyrant, and somehow Kazuma had once again been cast as the villain.
Iba didn't hesitate.
He signaled to the nearby officers, who dragged the young Shinigami out of the room.
A few moments later, agonized screams began echoing from the corridor.
Rukia looked uneasy.
"S-Sensei…"
She hesitated.
"Isn't this a little harsh?"
The young man's righteous tirade had unsettled her more than she wanted to admit.
For one uncomfortable moment, she even wondered whether Kazuma really had made some secret arrangement with the Kuchiki Clan.
"Rukia."
Iba's voice cut in sharply.
"Mind what you say."
She flinched.
Though clearly unhappy, she fell silent.
Kazuma finally looked up.
"Harsh?"
His expression was calm now, but his eyes were cold.
"Remember this. Whether his accusation is true or false isn't the immediate issue."
"I'm Captain-Commander. Openly challenging that authority in front of my own officers cannot be allowed to become normal."
He leaned back in his chair.
"If I can't enforce discipline when someone crosses that line, how am I supposed to keep the Gotei 13 under control?"
Kazuma knew perfectly well that his response might look brutal from the outside.
But the Gotei 13 was, at its core, a military organization built around force, hierarchy, and discipline.
If openly defying superior officers carried no consequences, order would collapse quickly.
As far as Kazuma was concerned, not ordering the man executed already counted as restraint.
Rukia was still young. She hadn't yet learned how ugly leadership could become when authority and stability were on the line.
Iba understood much better.
He saw no problem with Kazuma's decision.
A short while later, Kazuma glanced toward the door.
"That should be enough."
He waved a hand.
"Bring him back in."
A moment later—
Thud.
The young Shinigami was dumped onto the floor like a sack of laundry.
The man who'd entered full of righteous fury now looked barely recognizable. Bruised and battered, he lay motionless without so much as a groan.
Kazuma frowned.
"Is he dead?"
No response.
"If you're alive, sit up and answer me."
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then the battered Shinigami twitched.
With obvious effort, he pushed himself upright.
His body looked ready to give out, but apparently his mouth remained in perfect condition.
"You'll die before I do."
Kazuma gave a cold laugh.
He rose from his chair and walked over, stopping directly in front of him.
"You claim I have some improper arrangement with the Kuchiki Clan."
Kazuma looked down at him.
"Fine."
"Where's your evidence?"
The young Shinigami gritted his teeth through the pain.
"Evidence? It's right in front of everyone!"
"The moment you became Captain-Commander, you appointed Kuchiki Kōga as captain of the Seventh Division and Kuchiki Rukia as lieutenant of the First!"
He glared up at Kazuma.
"What more proof do you need?"
Kazuma stared at him.
Then he smiled faintly.
"That's it?"
Yes, he had personal reasons for promoting Kōga and Rukia.
He wasn't going to pretend otherwise.
But both of them were fully capable of doing the jobs they'd been given.
Kōga had more than enough strength, experience, and seniority to become a captain, while Rukia's rapid growth and current ability were hardly a secret.
Calling that proof of some corrupt backroom deal with the Kuchiki Clan was a stretch.
A very large one.
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