To be honest, Shirō was never the ambitious type. Back when he first transmigrated, he spent his days relaxing, doing everything he could to avoid hard training. All he wanted was to live the life of a spoiled noble brat.
It wasn't until he realized this world was the Soul Society that he started to feel some motivation. He finally understood that even lieutenant-level characters could get wiped out in the future. Ordinary seated officers wouldn't even qualify as background extras. Without effort, he was doomed.
But as time passed, Shirō gradually began to be shaped by the world around him. Seated officers are weak? What a joke. Anyone within the top ten seats in any squad was basically equivalent to a city deputy in the real world, high-ranking and powerful.
Having just graduated, Shirō had risen to the position of Eighth Seat in Squad Eleven in under a month, a feat most Shinigami could never dream of achieving in their entire lives
Aside from the direct heirs of the Four Great Noble Houses, even the children of minor noble families would be more than content with such a position.
Shirō had climbed to that rank with sheer determination and willpower. If there were still room to climb, he wouldn't stop. But now… he'd hit a wall. His invisible Zanpakutō was no longer a surprise. The top seats in Squad Eleven, being a combat-focused squad, were all monsters in terms of power.
Worse yet, in actual combat, most opponents would release their Shikai right away. Under such circumstances, Shirō found himself at a complete disadvantage. He wasn't just stuck, he could be challenged and demoted at any time.
But that wasn't even the most frustrating part.
What really left Shirō speechless… was Saber's opinion.
In her words:
"This kind of combat may be utterly meaningless… but once it begins, then losing is absolutely unacceptable!"
And Saber didn't stop there. She insisted that this type of head-to-head dueling was excellent for Shirō's growth. While not on par with a true life-or-death battle, the Squad Eleven members never held back in a fight. Every match was full force, win or lose.
People didn't usually die, but ending up hospitalized with serious injuries was standard procedure.
Even so, these challenges always paired Shirō against those closest to his skill level, making every match a brutal yet rewarding learning experience.
So, Saber's order was clear:
"Keep going. Don't stop! You'll gain more from this than training with Yoruichi and the others. Remember, losing is not an option!"
And so, under Saber's relentless pressure, Shirō spent every single day, aside from when he was recovering from injuries, challenging his superior officers one by one.
In no time, Shirō became a well-known name throughout the Gotei 13. Whenever someone heard his name, they couldn't help but give a thumbs-up and say:
"Now there's a kid with real fire in his blood!"
Meanwhile, Shirō had to deal with his parents constantly telling him not to push himself too hard, urging him to rest more. He had no choice but to put on a brave face and spout lines like "youth is for striving!" while letting his personal maid slather him in medicinal ointment. At night, he'd curl up under his blanket and quietly sob.
Saber knew him far too well. Any attempt at excuses, laziness, or faking illness was crushed before it could even begin…
====
Some time later, Shirō was officially promoted to Fifth Seat of Squad Eleven.
Still very young, he had already reached the same rank his father once held, surpassing him in potential and promise.
Had he not already been engaged to Soifon, countless noble families would've likely stormed the Emiya estate vying for his hand in marriage.
By Shirō's own estimation, unless he encountered some miraculous opportunity, it would take at least a century to reach the rank of Vice-Captain in Squad Eleven under normal growth.
If he were lucky enough to transfer to a different squad, perhaps he could become a Vice-Captain earlier. But as for becoming a Captain, that was still an incredibly distant dream. He had zero leads on achieving Bankai, and even the base spiritual pressure required was far beyond him.
During this not-so-long, yet not-so-short period, many things happened in the world. But two events had the greatest impact on Shirō personally.
First, was the Quincy Extermination Incident.
The balance between the Shinigami and the Quincy completely collapsed. The decision was made: the Quincy race would be eradicated.
For certain special reasons, Shirō didn't participate in that battle. He used a combination of self-inflicted injuries and political connections to avoid being sent to the front lines.
Thankfully, because Shirō carried the nickname "The Bloody One," not many people doubted his absence. Most simply believed he'd been injured during intense training right before deployment.
After the war, Shirō was automatically promoted from Eighth Seat to Fifth Seat, since three officers ranked above him had died in combat. The Soul Society had paid a steep price to wipe out the Quincy.
Second, Yoruichi was promoted to Captain of Squad Two.
This news made Shirō burn with envy, frustration, and a touch of bitterness.
They'd grown up together. They were almost the same age. When he first achieved Shikai, Shirō even thought he had finally caught up to Yoruichi.
But without realizing it, the distance between them had grown significantly.
That contrast was already irritating enough. But what really got under Shirō's skin was Yoruichi herself, constantly flaunting it on purpose!
That day, due to injuries sustained during the recent war, Squad Eleven's core fighters were still recovering. Saber, not wanting to claim hollow victories, granted Shirō some time off to rest. He happily lounged at home, sipping wine while receiving massages from his maid.
But peace never lasted long for Shirō.
"Master! Captain Yoruichi is here to see you!" a servant came running to report.
Shirō didn't even open his eyes. He just gave a small nod. Nothing surprising.
"Doesn't that seem strange?" he muttered.
"What's strange?" the maid blinked.
"That she didn't climb over the wall," Shirō said bluntly.
"Pfft! Lady Yoruichi's a captain now. Of course she wouldn't act like she used to," the maid giggled.
"Wrong." Shirō raised a finger and shook it. "I know that woman way too well. The only reason she used the front door... was so someone would announce her as 'Captain Yoruichi.'"
"No way…" the maid covered her mouth in disbelief.
"Just wait. I bet she says the word Captain at least three times after she walks in."
And sure enough, the moment Yoruichi entered, with Soifon proudly following behind, she wore her new captain's haori like a war banner and declared,
"Hey, Fifth Seat Emiya, your beloved Captain has come to visit you in person! (First) Oh, silly me, I forgot. You're Fifth Seat now, huh? Congrats, congrats!"
(Shirō raised a brow at the maid: That's one)
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150 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter