In Gosuke Shigure's original era, there had been no Gotei 13.
At that time, though shinigami already existed, they were nothing like the disciplined protectors they would later become. They did not maintain order in the Soul Society. They were the chaos.
The so-called shinigami of that age were merely violent men and women who pursued absolute power.
They did not only slay hollows—they slaughtered other souls as well.
In such a lawless world, survival depended on one simple truth: whose blade was sharper.
After tidying his uniform and sorting through the flood of memories in his head, Gosuke Shigure stepped out of the Eleventh Division's barracks.
After all, he hadn't been injured in battle.
It wouldn't make sense to keep resting in the infirmary for too long.
"Gosuke, you're awake!"
A bold female voice called out from behind him. Shigure turned to see a tall woman approaching—a dark-skinned shinigami whose face bore a deep scar that had once cut through her beauty. More striking still was her right sleeve, which hung empty. Her right arm was gone, and the cloth fluttered freely with every step she took.
"Yumi." Shigure said, recognizing her at once. He greeted her with the same familiarity as before.
Gomisawa Yumi—the Ninth Seat of the Eleventh Division. A fierce shinigami with the heart of a warrior, as loud and brash as any man.
To outsiders, it might seem strange for a woman to hold rank within the Eleventh Division, the battle corps of the Gotei 13.
But here, it was nothing unusual.
Like it was stated before, the Eleventh Division of this era had earned a rather poetic nickname across Seireitei: the "Hana no Samurai Group".
It was said that within this squad of warriors bloomed the most fearless women of the Soul Society.
All of that was because of Kenpachi Kuruyashiki.
In the records Shigure remembered from the "original story", this changed drastically.
When the notorious Kiganjo became captain, he purged almost all female members, filling the division with vulgar brutes who lived only for slaughter.
Even after Kiganjo was slain by Zaraki Kenpachi, the division never truly recovered. By that time, only one woman remained—Vice-Captain Kusajishi Yachiru—and even she was an anomaly.
Now, standing among this lively Eleventh Division, filled with female warriors and camaraderie, Gosuke Shigure could feel the contrast sharply.
Even with the overlapping memories of two lives, this new reality still felt… strange. But in its own way, it was pleasant.
"Gosuke, you're really embarrassing!" Yumi said bluntly after their greeting. "How could you pass out from the captain's reiatsu like that? You've still got a long way to go in your training! How do you expect to become vice-captain acting like that?"
Shigure gave a small, helpless smile.
Gomisawa Yumi had always been straightforward like this. Because their names both included the word "Go", they had always shared a close bond. In fact, the original Gosuke Shigure had been on good terms with nearly everyone in the division.
Though not particularly strong in combat, he had served under Kenpachi Kuruyashiki since the early days, and his seniority and skill in administration made him indispensable.
The Eleventh Division, after all, was made up mostly of rough, battle-hungry men and women who despised paperwork and planning.
People like Gosuke Shigure—rarely seen, calm, and skilled at internal management—were valuable.
For this reason, he had eventually been appointed vice-captain, supported by the votes and recommendations of many within the division.
Of course, this only applied to the Eleventh Division.
In most other squads, the position of vice-captain was something fiercely contested—proof of prestige and power.
But here, in the Eleventh Division, things were different. No one wanted to be vice-captain. The role came with piles of logistical work: mission coordination, resource tracking, personnel organization.
To most of the division's warriors, that was just a distraction from fighting.
And since the captain was usually the type who couldn't care less about paperwork, all the real management fell upon the vice-captain's shoulders.
That was why most Eleventh Division members preferred to stay seat officers or lower-ranked fighters.
In their eyes, the vice-captain's chair was a burden.
Unless, of course, someone was strong enough to defeat the captain outright and claim the title of Kenpachi. Then, and only then, did ambition awaken.
But few dared dream that big.
Even now, many of them still struggled to accept what had happened—to see their captain fall in battle to the noble challenger, Azashiro Soya.
Thinking of it, Yumi's face hardened. Bitterness glimmered in her eyes, though she said nothing.
The rules of the Eleventh Division were absolute.
No matter how much one grieved, if the captain died in a duel, the victor became the new Kenpachi.
Even if the challenge had been ill-timed—coming right after Kuruyashiki's exhausting battle against the Menos Grande—it was still legitimate under the division's code.
After a long silence, Yumi sighed softly.
"Gosuke, you woke up just in time." she said at last. "Come with me to the captain's room. Something's happening there."
Shigure's eyes flickered briefly. He nodded.
Without another word, he followed Yumi through the division compound.
Along the way, she spoke again, her tone subdued. "I know you're upset about the captain's death, Gosuke. But you have to accept it. The captain died in battle. That's the Eleventh Division's way. No matter how much you hate that man, from the moment he defeated the captain… he is our new captain."
Shigure paused briefly, then nodded. "I understand."
…
They soon reached the captain's room.
Many officers and lower-ranked members of the Eleventh Division had already gathered there. The courtyard outside was vast, large enough to hold hundreds, and it was packed with black uniforms.
Every face reflected grief, frustration, or disbelief.
Kenpachi Kuruyashiki was gone.
Yet they had all assembled because of an order from the First Division.
The strongest Shinigami of Seireitei—Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni—had come personally to oversee the matter of the Eleventh Division's new leadership.
The succession of the Eleventh Division was unique among all squads.
Unlike other divisions, whose captain appointments were conducted in the First Division's ceremonial hall before all captains and lieutenants, the Eleventh Division's succession occurred on its own soil—witnessed only by its members.
A grim silence filled the courtyard as Yamamoto stepped forward.
His white beard shifted slightly in the breeze, his fiery eyes scanning the assembled Shinigami.
"...Azashiro Soya defeated Kenpachi Kuruyashiki in a one-on-one duel." the Captain-Commander announced, his voice heavy as stone. "The witnesses were Captain Kyoraku Shunsui of the Eighth Division, and members of Eleventh Division."
He paused for a moment, letting the murmurs settle before continuing.
"After review by Gotei 13 and Central 46, it has been confirmed that Azashiro Soya fulfilled the succession requirements for the captaincy of the Eleventh Division."
He raised his hand.
"From this moment forth—Azashiro Soya shall serve as the new captain of the Eleventh Division… the Eighth Generation Kenpachi."
The words hung in the air like thunder. Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Behind the Captain-Commander, a tall, indifferent young man stepped forward.
He wore the haori of a captain—its white fabric fluttering gently around him. There was no Zanpakutō at his hip, but the aura he carried was sharp enough to cut through silence itself.
His expression was calm, aristocratic, utterly emotionless.
He looked across the crowd of the Eleventh Division—his new subordinates—and gave a single, faint nod.
*****
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