'Could it be that what those guys said earlier was true?'
'Did Kyoya really defeat and kill Captain Kiganjo?'
Such a thought suddenly emerged in Ichinose's mind.
But then, this idea was discarded by Ichinose.
'Just two days ago, I had fought against Kyoya.'
'Though I lost, Kyoya had only defeated me after releasing his Zanpakuto.'
'If he were to fight against Kiganjo-sama, Captain wouldn't even need to release his Zanpakuto, just a slight bit of seriousness would be enough for Kiganjo-sama to easily defeat or even kill him.'
'Based on the strength Kyoya had shown the other day, there was no way he could compare to Kiganjo-sama.'
Yet, as he stared at Kyoya's darkened expression, Ichinose found himself unable to voice the word 'challenge' again.
After all, their battle two days ago had already proven that he was no match for Kyoya.
Now, if he dared to challenge Kyoya again, he was certain Kyoya wouldn't hold back and would kill him outright.
However, taking back what he had said earlier was also impossible!
Kiganjo had done him a great favor, and no matter what, he refused to believe that the Captain was the kind of person his comrades had described.
Seeing Ichinose remain silent, Kyoya understood his thoughts.
With that, Kyoya spoke: "Ichinose, I know Former Captain Kiganjo's defeat is a heavy blow to you."
"But, just as you said before, the 11th Division is a squad where strength reigns supreme."
"I welcome you to challenge me anytime and take my current position."
"However, until you defeat me, I expect you to follow the traditions of the 11th Division… obey the orders of the stronger."
"Otherwise, I won't hesitate to expel you from the 11th Division!"
"Think carefully about your actions."
Having said that, Kyoya ignored Ichinose and turned to leave.
As the newly appointed Captain of the 11th Division, he had many matters to attend to.
Right now, his priority was to quickly familiarize himself with the 11th Division's affairs.
Because of his circumstances, the 11th Division had been left without a Captain or Lieutenant for three days, causing many missions requiring the division's involvement to be delayed.
If no one was assigned to handle them soon, countless souls in the Rukongai would likely fall prey to Hollows.
In the training ground, after Kyoya left, the Shinigami cast glances at Ichinose before shaking their heads and dispersing, leaving him alone on the field.
If Ichinose Makoto couldn't change his mindset, then Kyoya wouldn't keep such an unstable element in the 11th Division just for the sake of slacking off.
This was Kyoya's stance.
Arriving at the captain's office, Kyoya flipped through the 11th Division's previous mission records.
To his surprise, the documents showed that Kiganjo had taken on missions at a remarkably high frequency.
Because of this, the number of 11th Division's Shinigami casualties during missions was actually lower than those injured or killed by Kiganjo in fits of rage.
Ichinose was one of those who had been saved by Kiganjo during a mission, which was why he held Kiganjo in such high regard and remained fiercely loyal to him.
After reviewing all the documents, Kyoya had a clear understanding of how the 11th Division operated.
The residents of the Rukongai in the Soul Society serve as an important means for the Shinigami to maintain the spiritual balance between the three realms.
By calculating the number of souls consumed by Hollows, they determine how many Hollows the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force must purify, or, conversely, how many souls in the Rukongai must be eradicated to offset the disappearance of Hollows in Hueco Mundo… all to preserve the equilibrium of Reishi across the three worlds.
Most of the 11th Division's combat missions involve rushing to the scene the moment Hollows appear in the Soul Society to purify them.
As for how they know when and where Hollows will descend upon the Soul Society, that's the responsibility of the 12th Division's Research and Development Institute.
Whenever spatial fluctuations from a Garganta opening are detected, the 12th Division notifies the 11th Division via Hell Butterflies, and the 11th Division then decides how many Shinigami to dispatch based on the intelligence provided.
Fortunately, despite the absence of the 11th Division's Captain, Lieutenant, and third seat over the past three days, Suzuki, the clerical officer, had competently arranged for other Shinigami to carry out the missions.
And thanks to Kyoya's influence, Suzuki, who was once a bullied administrative Shinigami in the 11th Division, had now become the Captain's right-hand man. Naturally, the other Shinigami dared not neglect their duties.
The clever part was that Suzuki didn't boast about handling the division's affairs in Kyoya's absence. Instead, he simply waited for Kyoya to notice on his own.
"Well done, Suzuki. You've handled this excellently."
Indeed, Kyoya was pleased with Suzuki's approach.
This meant he could delegate the division's administrative work without worry.
"From now on, you'll oversee the 11th Division's affairs. If anyone disobeys your orders, report directly to me."
"It's an honor, Kyoya-sama."
Overjoyed, Suzuki bowed deeply, a faint smile curling on his lips.
'As expected, Kyoya-sama was nothing like Kiganjo-sama.'
Under Kiganjo's command, if any 11th Divison's member was dissatisfied with their assigned mission, they would take it out on Suzuki, and Kiganjo would turn a blind eye.
But Kyoya would back him up!
With this, Suzuki's status in the 11th Division would skyrocket. He would no longer be a target of bullying. Instead, he would find Shinigami currying favor with him, just to secure the more dangerous missions!
In other divisions, Shinigami preferred safer assignments to minimize risk.
But the Shinigami of the 11th Division hope that the missions they encounter will be dangerous ones that require them to fight for their lives.
Well, such was the nature of the 11th Division!
"Next, gather all available division's members in the training grounds."
"As the new Captain of the 11th Division, it's necessary for the division to truly know me… and to redefine the 'spirit' of the 11th Division."
"The division's spirit?"
"Exactly."
Kyoya closed the file in his hands and leaned back in his chair.
"The 11th Division is a combat division."
"So its members must wholeheartedly embrace the meaning behind their battles."
"Former Captain Kuriyashiki did a good job before."
"Former Captain Azashiro's tenure was too brief to judge."
"But under Kiganjo's leadership, the 11th Division became a brutal, bloodthirsty division… and I dislike that."
"Which is why… changes must be made."