Kuchiki Ginrei looked at his son's expression carefully for a few moments, and after confirming that he did not share the same thoughts as Kuchiki Kyōka, he let out a small sigh of relief.
For Ginrei, such a reaction was quite incredible. But there was nothing strange about it. No matter how Kyōka had become a member of the Kuchiki family, since he now bore the Kuchiki name, Ginrei naturally treated him the same as everyone else.
Ginrei's personality was extremely stern and rigid. In the Gotei 13, apart from being able to speak with Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, he had nothing to say even to the much older Captain of Squad 4, Retsu Unohana. But it was precisely because of this sternness and rigidity that he did not treat people differently.
After transferring Kyōka to Squad 6, Ginrei had made him a seated officer, but only a low-ranking one.
In Kyōka's eyes, this was probably a concrete manifestation of Ginrei's disapproval. But in reality, it was Ginrei's way of caring for him.
Kyōka's ability was certainly excellent, but his character could hardly match his power. He relied too much on his own ability and preferred to fight alone, never cooperating with others.
A Shinigami and their Zanpakutō are indeed two sides of the same coin, inseparable. But on the other hand, a Shinigami cannot completely rely on their Zanpakutō, trusting only it. If this continues for a long time, it will not be the person wielding the sword, but the sword controlling the person.
In Ginrei's opinion, Kyōka's Zanpakutō, called 'Muramasa,' had the potential to be such a 'demonic sword'. Therefore, he wanted to temper Kyōka more, to let his character grow along with his power.
A helpless smile appeared on Sōjun's face.
That's right, he understood his father's thoughts better than anyone. In a way, for this Squad 6, Sōjun was more important than Ginrei. Ginrei's sternness and rigidity created too much distance between him and the squad members below him. Even if his intentions were good, he would never say it, and his stern face could easily be misunderstood. At such times, it was often Sōjun who had to cleverly translate Ginrei's 'meaning' and convey it.
Regardless of ability, Sōjun was an indispensable softener between the Captain, Ginrei, and the squad members below.
Was it because of this? Sōjun knew both his father's considerations and his brother-in-law's anxiety and uneasiness. He was even more aware that his own sister also misunderstood their father and was eager for him to acknowledge Kyōka.
If he didn't understand Ginrei, then Ginrei would be fighting a lone battle.
But understanding did not mean approval.
"Captain, you should also communicate more with Kyōka."
Ginrei just narrowed his eyes slightly and did not speak.
Sōjun's smile became even more helpless. Ginrei's reaction was not unexpected. If he weren't like this, then he wouldn't be Kuchiki Ginrei, the famously stern and rigid Captain of Squad 6.
"But Kyōka's merits have indeed reached a point where they can no longer be suppressed. Captain, you have to show your stance."
A problem that could be solved with just a few words of communication had become so complicated. Sōjun also had his unspoken grievances. But on the other hand, this was probably how relationships between people worked. Ginrei's concern was always kept in his heart, and because of this, he would sometimes do things that would hurt the other person, actions that could even be called foolish, without knowing it.
To put it nicely, Kuchiki Kyōka was a genius. To put it bluntly, he was self-centered. Interpretations from others were just words of comfort to him. If it wasn't the personal acknowledgement of his designated target—Kuchiki Ginrei—he would not accept it.
The two of them were like the tip of a needle against the point of a spear.
"...Sigh."
Ginrei let out a long sigh, a rare occurrence. He turned to look out the window at the sky of the Seireitei again, no longer looking at his son. He thought to himself that it would be nice if everything was as clear and transparent as the sky of the Seireitei.
However, he finally relented.
"Go and call Kyōka over. Sōjun, what do you think... the 4th Seat... no, let's make it the 3rd Seat. How about that?"
Ginrei's rare change of mind also reflected his inner complexity. He still believed it was better to suppress Kyōka a little, to blunt his sharp edges. But not promoting him was one thing; promoting him only to the 4th Seat, just short of the top, would seem like a deliberate act of malice. So in the end, he changed it to the 3rd Seat.
In a squad, apart from the Captain and Lieutenant, the 3rd Seat was the highest-ranking officer, the pinnacle of the seated officers, ready to take over the Lieutenant's duties or even become a Captain at any time.
"Kyōka will probably be very happy," Sōjun also breathed a slight sigh of relief. "I'll go and inform him."
A moment later, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed outside the Squad 6 Captain's office, and then the door was thrown open.
"Father-in-law, I heard you were looking for me!"
Even Sōjun had to call Ginrei 'Captain' in the Squad 6 barracks, let alone his son-in-law, Kyōka. Normally, Ginrei would also require Kyōka to call him Captain. But today, Kyōka was obviously too excited and had completely forgotten about it.
His statement was not a question but an affirmation. Sōjun must have tipped him off on the way here.
Ginrei, with his back to the door, let out a long breath. Since he had already made the decision, he couldn't show any displeasure.
Returning his expression to its usual sternness, Ginrei turned to look at Kyōka. Seeing Ginrei's serious demeanor, Kyōka seemed to wake from a dream and reined in his emotions.
Just as Ginrei was about to speak, suddenly, without warning, with a loud bang, the entire Squad 6 barracks shook several times.
Kyōka subconsciously drew the Zanpakutō at his waist and shielded Ginrei.
"Captain!"
Sōjun, who was a step behind, seemed to have already received a report. A moment later, he appeared at the door of the Captain's office and said to the two inside, "Please come over here for a moment. Something has fallen into the barracks."
"We'll talk later," Ginrei's gaze shifted from Kyōka, who was shielding him, and he said to him. He then turned to Sōjun. "You two, follow me."
"Yes!"
Kyōka and Sōjun also knew that this was not the time to talk about that. They immediately followed behind Ginrei.
Since it was in their own barracks, it didn't take them long to get to the scene of the incident.
Many Squad 6 members had already gathered around, but upon seeing Ginrei, they immediately made way, revealing the cause of the commotion.
It was a huge pillar, like that of a tall building. However, perhaps due to the angle of its landing, it was stuck diagonally in the ground, leaving a huge crater in the Squad 6 barracks.
-------
If you'd like to follow all of our other novels, you can subscribe in advance on our Patreon here. If you like a particular story, feel free to hit the heart button—we'll prioritize and focus on that one for you, as long as there aren't any issues with it.
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (400 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (254 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (140 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (158 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (400 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (140 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (172 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(80 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (200 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (200 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (120 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (96 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (140 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (160 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (Ending)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (70 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (80 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (140 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (165 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (70 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (100 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (100 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (80 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (80 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (40 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd Your Boyfriend is Really Amazing (40 Chapter)
Warhammer 40K: My Fiancée, Fulgrim (180 Chapter)
Classroom of the Elite: Trying to Capture Me! (120 Chapter)
Genshin Impact My Named Senji Muramas (150 Chapter)
A Chef, the Vice-Captain of the Rocks Pirates? (160 Chapter)
Naruto : My Uchiha Girlfriend is Too Tsundere (130 Chapter)
Type-Moon: Reincarnated in a Lostbelt, I Became the Alien God (90 Chapter)
The Way These Horse Girls Look at Me Is Terrifying! (160 Chapter)
Naruto: Tsunade's Deskmate (130 Chapter)
I Just Want to Live a Normal (50 Chapter).
Genshin Impact: A Hundred Confessions? It's Just a System Task (70 Chapter)
OnePiece : Starting as a Veteran of the Roger Pirates (60 Chapter)
Uma Musume : I Have Special Horse Taming Techniques (190 Chapter)
Uma Musume : My other self is a Horse Girl (130 Chapter)
Jujutsu Kaisen : All Affection Stats Maxed Out (200 Chapter)
Satou Kazuma's Decision to Live by Swindling, Starting from Re:Zero (60 Chapter)
Bleach : Ichigo! Take Over the Soul Society (89 Chapter)
Crossover Anime: The Master of Plagiarism with a 'Love Obstacle (140 Chapter)
Arknights Succubus Nurturing System, But I'm a Quiet Office Worker (90 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: Using My Personas to Break the Hearts of Players (50 Chapter)
One Punch Man : i am King? (150 Chapter)
Genshin: My Stats Are Irresistible (70 Chapter)
Naruto: Master of Dream Fulfillment! (70 Chapter)
Why Are All My Chat Group Friends Spin-Off Characters? (120 Chapter)
Arknights : Batman System (30 Chapter)
Chat Group: Swapping Bodies with the Bad-Ending Herta from the Start (57 Chapter)
DanMachi: Why Did My Dungeon Turn Into a Soulslike Game? (67 Chapter)
Losing Money on Uma Musume...What Do You Mean You Actually Won? (80 Chapter)
I'm Gotou Hitori—Who Are You? (40 Chapter)
Were You Ever Even a Uma Musume? Stop Making Things Up! (60 Chapter)
Moon Project: A Full-Time Love Adventure for the Lobotomy Corporation (70 Chapter)
The Leisurely Days of the Hyuga Main House (60 Chapter)
Arknights : A Draco Surviving in a Matriarchal Terra (58 Chapter)
Arknights: What if My Luck Is Too Good? (75 Chapter)
Honkai: The Romance System Only Shows Up After I Marry Mei (53 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it