With Kyoya's appearance, he simply didn't fit in with the rough-and-tumble guys of the 11th Division, did he?
"Compared to healing arts like Kaido, I think fighting with a Zanpakuto suits me better."
Patting the Zanpakuto at his waist, Kyoya grinned at the laughing group.
Seeing Kyoya's expression, the Shinigami who had been about to tease him paused for a moment before clapping him on the shoulder: "Hahaha, well said!"
"A real man should fight with steel and blood!"
"Those sissy healing arts? Not even dogs would learn that!"
Hearing this, the corner of Kyoya's mouth twitched.
'Are you kidding me?'
'Is it okay to say something like that?'
Not to mention the current Captain of the 4th Division, who is also the first-generation Kenpachi of the 11th Division-
In fact, among the entire Gotei 13, the division that interacted most with the 4th Division was the 11th Division.
Whether it was battles against Hollows or sparring matches among the 11th Division members, nearly every day, countless injured were sent to the 4th Division.
If the Shinigami of the 4th Division heard the 11th Division members calling them 'sissies', there was no doubt that the 11th Division would receive some… special treatment from the 4th Division in the future.
Of course, as the medical and relief division, the 4th Division wouldn't tarnish their own reputation.
But during treatment… well, some of the less polished Kaido techniques, or the fresh recruits who had just joined the 4th Division, would surely leave a lasting impression on the 11th Division's members.
"After this battle, I'll personally take you into the division.."
"Thanks, senpai."
"By the way, do those two senpai up ahead have some kind of grudge? It looks like neither of them is holding back in their fight."
"Hey, isn't that obvious?"
Hearing Kyoya's question, the overly friendly Shinigami replied, "In battle, going all out is the only way to show respect… both to your opponent and to yourself."
"If you've already drawn your sword, then you've already prepared to fight to the death!"
"Cut the crap, Tanaka. Don't mislead the new guy."
Another Shinigami rolled his eyes at the one named Tanaka and smiled at Kyoya, "Listen, rookie, don't let Tanaka fool you."
"Normally, our internal spars in the 11th Division aren't this intense. We usually stop once the winner is decided."
"The reason those two are going all out is because this is a Seat Challenge!"
As if worried Kyoya didn't understand, the Shinigami kindly explained, "A Seat Challenge is the only type of fight in the 11th Division where death is permitted."
"Any member of the 11th Division can challenge a seated officer, the Lieutenant, or even the Captain directly. If they win, they take that person's position."
"Even the Captain isn't exempt."
"So, to defend their rank, the challenged will fight the challenger with everything they've got."
"In situations like this, the two might as well be enemies. That's why casualties are common in these fights."
"So, rookie, remember… unless you're confident you can survive, don't start a Seat Challenge."
"Otherwise, if you lose, no one can save you."
"Thank you."
Kyoya could tell when someone meant well.
But unfortunately, he might have to disappoint this senior.
He hadn't joined the 11th Division just to enjoy the thrill of battle like the lower-ranked members.
He was here because the 11th Division was the fastest path to promotion… as long as one had the strength.
Seated officers, Lieutenant, even Captain… none of it was out of reach.
From what Kyoya knew, the fastest climber in the 11th Division's history was the 11th Kenpachi… Zaraki Kenpachi.
That guy went from joining the 11th Division to becoming its Captain in just a few minutes.
"By the way, senpai, who's the current captain of our division?"
Because of the uncertainty about the timeline, Kyoya didn't know who the 11th Division captain was right now.
All he knew was that the 7th Kenpachi, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi, had one of the longer tenures as Captain.
After Kuriyashiki, Azashiro Kenpachi only served as Captain for less than three years before surrendering himself after attempting to destroy the Seireitei and being imprisoned in Muken.
Following that, Azashiro's Lieutenant, Gosen, succeeded him as the 9th Kenpachi, becoming Gosen Kenpachi. At the same time, he became the weakest Captain in the history of the 11th Division.
Since he was the weakest, Gosen likely didn't even last a full year in the position before being killed by Kiganjo, who then became the 10th Kenpachi.
Kyoya wasn't sure how long Kiganjo held the position.
However, a hundred years before the start of the main Bleach storyline, during the Captain's meeting, the Captain of the 11th Division was already Zaraki Kenpachi.
In other words, within just five years, the 11th Division had gone through three captains.
Well, four, if Zaraki is included.
Knowing who the current captain was would help Kyoya plan his challenges more effectively.
"You don't know?"
The moment the Shinigami said this, he smacked his own forehead.
"Ah, sorry, I forgot you just graduated from the Shin'o Academy today. You probably don't know much about the Gotei 13 yet."
"You probably just want to join our division because we're the 'combat division', right?"
"Speaking of which, didn't the Shin'o Academy recently produce some kind of genius??"
"Do you know him? If you do, maybe I can take you to the Lieutenant and have him approve you going back to the academy to recruit him for our division?"
"Senpai… what if I told you that I am the genius you're talking about?"
Kyoya was speechless.
He hadn't expected that the two seniors who had been the first to talk to him, and the most friendly, would turn out to be so unreliable.
They'd chatted with him for so long, yet they still hadn't answered his actual question.
"You?"
"Doesn't look like it."
The two 11th Division's members looked Kyoya up and down before shaking their heads in unison.
"Sigh…"
Kyoya rolled his eyes and said, "Senpai, just tell me who our Captain and Lieutenant are."
"I don't want to accidentally offend them later because I don't recognize them."
"Tch, this rookie's got no sense of humor."
Clearly, Kyoya's words had rubbed them the wrong way.
However, they weren't the type to hold a grudge over something so minor.
On one hand, Kyoya had just claimed to be the rumored genius from the academy.
Even if they didn't believe him, what if he was?
Having been Shinigami for so long, especially in a battle-heavy division like the 11th Division, they knew better than anyone just how terrifying a true genius could be.