Although Kazuma already knew this was the Soul Society, he feigned ignorance and asked, "Miss, may I ask what kind of place the Soul Society is? And who might you be?"
The woman frowned. "The Soul Society is the place where the souls of the dead belong. From your surprised expression just now, I thought you knew me! Since you asked, I'll tell you. I am the Captain of the 8th Division of the Gotei 13, Katori Batsu'unsai."
Her expression darkened.
"Did you just call me 'Miss,' brat?" she asked, her hand moving to rest on her Zanpakutō.
'Sure enough, she's the Captain of the 8th Division. Hmm? No, wait. She said she's Katori Batsu'unsai, not Yadomaru Lisa like I thought.' Kazuma froze in shock.
This wasn't after the Thousand-Year Blood War—this was the Soul Society from a thousand years ago!
Katori Batsu'unsai was the original Captain of the 8th Division.
The first Gotei 13, while called a "court guard," was in reality a group of bloodthirsty killers.
The original Captains were all vicious, heinous villains, a far cry from the later iterations.
Looking at Katori's grim face, Kazuma swallowed hard. 'I'm screwed. I just called her 'Miss.'
Judging by her stance, is she going to draw her sword and cut me down?
I just managed to transmigrate to the Soul Society, am I going to die again?'
'You ask why I don't just charge at her? Wasn't I reckless before? Please, I'm reckless, not an idiot! That's a Captain of the original Gotei 13. What am I supposed to attack her with? My head? She could kill me without a second thought.'
"So it's Captain Katori. My apologies, please forgive my rudeness." Kazuma dropped into a kneeling position in front of her.
He had no choice.
To survive, he would swallow his pride!
A real man knows when to yield and when to stand firm.
Besides, a Captain of the original Gotei 13 was a pinnacle of power in the Soul Society. Kneeling to her wasn't shameful.
Seeing Kazuma's move, Katori blinked and removed her hand from her Zanpakutō.
"What an interesting brat. You learn fast. You're just a newly born Soul, killing you doesn't really matter."
'Huh! Wait. I didn't look closely. This brat just arrived, but his Spiritual Pressure is already at the sixth rank. He's at the threshold of a Lieutenant. If he receives systematic training, he could become a top-tier powerhouse.'
In the world of Shinigami, Spiritual Pressure is divided into twenty ranks.
The Reiatsu of a regular Gotei 13 member sits at the twentieth rank, Seated Officers span from the seventh to nineteenth ranks, Lieutenants hold the fourth to sixth ranks, and Captains occupy the first to third ranks.
"Brat, tell me your name," Katori said, her expression softening.
"Captain Katori, my name is Satou Kazuma. It is my honor to meet you!" Kazuma beamed.
"Satou Kazuma, do you know what the Gotei 13 is?" Katori asked.
"I've just arrived in the Soul Society. The Gotei 13... judging by the name, should have thirteen divisions. As for what kind of organization it is, I have to ask you to enlighten me. Also, may I ask which division you lead? I didn't quite catch it earlier," Kazuma said.
He could not reveal that he knew the Bleach storyline. He had to play the novice, otherwise getting killed would be a massive waste.
Katori turned, revealing the character for "Eight" on the back of her haori.
"As you can see, I am the Captain of the 8th Division. The Gotei 13 is an organization established to protect the Seireitei. For now... you could call it a group of assassins. Who knows what it will evolve into."
"Kazuma, are you willing to join the Gotei 13? You possess sixth-rank Spiritual Pressure just after arriving. I think Old Man Yama would be happy to have you. With his guidance, you too can become a powerful Captain."
'Old Man Yama... that must be Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni. If I can stick with him, I won't have to worry about being cut down out of nowhere.' Kazuma let a hesitant look cross his face.
'But during this era, Old Man Yama is a ruthless killer too.'
Kazuma fell silent, then looked up at Katori. "I can join the Gotei 13, but I have one condition."
Katori raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What condition? Let's hear it."
"I want to choose my division," Kazuma said, his gaze firm.
Katori laughed. "Interesting. You've got personality, kid. However, that's not an easy thing to do. Each division has its own characteristics and missions. How will you choose?"
Kazuma smiled. "You don't need to worry about that, Captain. I believe I can find a suitable division."
Katori nodded. "Alright, since you're confident, I won't say more. When you've made up your mind, tell me. But don't keep me waiting long, or I might change my mind." With that, she turned and walked away.
Kazuma watched her leave and exhaled. He knew the road ahead was long, but he had taken the first step.
Next, he had to plan his life in the Soul Society and prepare for the challenges ahead.
...
Following close behind Katori, they soon arrived at the gates of the Seireitei from the Rukongai.
The Seireitei was a vital area in the center of the Soul Society.
It served as the political and military headquarters, housing the Central 46 Chambers, the barracks of the Gotei 13, the noble mansions, the Muken prison for heinous criminals, and the Shin'ō Academy that commoners yearned for.
He wondered if the academy had even been established yet.
The Seireitei had four great gates: West, East, North, and South—Hakutōmon, Shōryūmon, Kokuryōmon, and Shuraimon.
Kazuma looked at the massive structure in front of him, wondering which one it was.
He was finally entering the Seireitei as Old Man Yama and the original Captains awaited.
"Danzōmaru, open the gate." At Katori's command, the heavy doors swung open.
'Danzōmaru... so this must be Kokuryōmon, the North Gate.' Kazuma noted the name.
"Ah, Captain Katori returns. Is the brat behind you a new recruit?" a booming voice called out. "How lucky he is to earn your favor. Perhaps he'll be a great figure one day."
"Hello, Lord Danzōmaru. My name is Satou Kazuma. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Satou Kazuma, is it? I'm no lord. I'm just the guardian of the North Gate, a humble hero of the Soul Society."
"Kazuma, stop wasting time," Katori interrupted. "Follow me. I'll take you to the Captain-Commander."
As expected, the Seireitei was far more prosperous than the Rukongai.
Although he had seen it countless times in the manga, witnessing it with his own eyes was staggering.
Watching the Shinigami traverse the streets, Kazuma followed Katori toward the First Division barracks.
'Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni.'
He was finally going to meet the man known as the strongest Shinigami in history.
He could hardly wait!