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"This place is truly extravagant."
Kazuki couldn't help but be stunned after following the Dean into the Second Division, as unlike other Squads, the Second Division's barracks were lavishly decorated, gleaming with gold everywhere, filled with rare potted plants, and the courtyard was adorned with various expensive-looking ornaments.
"It's quite normal." The Dean in front of Kazuki said with emotion, "After all, the entire barracks were funded and built by the Ōmaeda family."
"The Ōmaeda family…"
Kazuki nodded in understanding. Upon hearing the name 'Ōmaeda,' he immediately realized why the barracks before him were so luxurious, as the surname 'Ōmaeda' in Seireitei was practically synonymous with 'tycoon.'
Just then, a masked Onmitsukido member came forward to greet them.
"Excuse me, are you Dean Kujou of the Shin'ō Academy?"
"That's me," Dean Kujou replied.
"Please follow me, the Vice-Captain has been waiting for you." The masked Onmitsukido member politely led the way.
Dean Kujou nodded and whispered to Kazuki behind him, "Stay close to me, don't wander off. This isn't our Academy."
Kazuki immediately nodded in response. Even though the barracks were extremely luxurious, it couldn't hide the true nature of the Onmitsukido. This place could be said to be the most feared location by all Shinigami.
The Second Division occupied a vast area. After walking for a while, they finally arrived at a barracks.
The barracks before them looked less like barracks and more like a grand hall. At the head of the hall was a massive, empty chair.
Below, a plump man with a topknot and a gold chain sat, continuously munching on a large pile of snacks.
"Vice-Captain."
The masked Onmitsukido member respectfully said, "Dean Kujou has arrived."
"Ōmaeda Vice-Captain," Dean Kujou and Kazuki said respectfully in unison.
They were not unfamiliar with this unassuming stout man, as he was not only the Vice-Captain of the Second Division but also the Captain of the Patrol Corps, the Second Division of the Onmitsukidō. The patrol duties of their Shin'ō Academy were precisely under his responsibility.
Crunch, crunch, crunch…
Ōmaeda Marechiyo stuffed potato chips into his mouth while picking up a file from the tea table and tossing it to Dean Kujou, saying impatiently, "This is the file for that kid who opened the Everything Store in West 38th District. You can ask the Onmitsukido member beside you for the specifics."
With that, he ignored the two of them and continued to focus on the snacks in his arms.
Dean Kujou, understanding his personality, didn't mind. Instead, he opened the file in his hand and began to read it carefully.
Kazuki, seeing this, quickly leaned closer to take a look.
The reason they had come here this time was precisely for this file.
Roughly half a year ago, students from the Shin'ō Academy, for some unknown reason, would always collectively go to Rukongai during their holidays. Moreover, those who went to Rukongai included not only students from Rukongai but also those who had lived in Seireitei for many years.
Initially, the Academy didn't pay much attention to this, as what students did during their holidays was entirely their freedom.
However, as time passed, they discovered that those students who went to Rukongai during their holidays would show certain improvements in all aspects of their academic performance after returning to school.
Upon discovering this, the Academy realized something was amiss, but the answers they received after questioning the students astonished all the teachers of the Shin'ō Academy.
A Shinigami Cram School specifically for 'Shin'ō Academy' students!?
It wasn't unheard of for students whose parents were Shinigami to be taught by them at home.
But Kazuki had been a teacher at the Shin'ō Academy for nearly two hundred years, and this was the first time he had heard of a 'cram school' that charged fees to teach students. After all, the Shin'ō Academy was not a private school in the Human World; the things taught there were not something just anyone could teach.
When he first heard this news, Kazuki's first reaction was that the students had been scammed, but the students' progress was undeniable.
Moreover, through in-depth investigation, he found that although the things students learned from the cram school were all basic knowledge, the person tutoring them had 'refined' these basics countless times, making it easier for students to understand and better master them.
Some of the knowledge even gave them, teachers who had taught for many years, a feeling of sudden enlightenment.
If the 'Shin'ō Academy' were a private school from Kazuki's memories before his death, then the existence of such a cram school would naturally be a good thing.
But the 'Shin'ō Academy' was not a private school; its purpose was not to educate people but to be a training base for 'Shinigami reserves.'
Simply put, if the Gotei 13 were likened to a company, then the Shin'ō Academy would be the training base for new employees of that company.
And this suddenly appearing cram school…
On the surface, it certainly had some benefits for the training of new employees, but who knew if the other party had some other agenda, or if they would use this to infiltrate spies into the Gotei 13.
Therefore, upon learning of this, the Shin'ō Academy immediately notified the Onmitsukidō, who were responsible for related matters.
"According to our investigation, the subject is named 'Ishikawa Katori,' and he suddenly fell from the sky into Rukongai four years ago…" the masked Onmitsukido member reported.
"Fell from the sky?" Dean Kujou interrupted.
"That's right. When our Onmitsukidō received the news, we went to investigate. The investigation results were all normal, confirming that he was just an ordinary soul. After judgment, it was determined that after his death in the Human World, the disturbance in the Reishi channel caused him to be sent to another location. Subsequent checks by the Twelfth Division revealed that there were indeed traces of disturbance in the Reishi channel at that time."
"According to the case records from that time, when he first arrived in Rukongai, his spiritual pressure was extremely weak, no different from an ordinary 'Plus.' And now, four years later, judging by the spiritual pressure he emits, it's only equivalent to that of a Shin'ō Academy student."
"However, through our investigation, we found that he possesses extremely rich knowledge in Kido, Zanjutsu, Shunpo, and Hakuda, and is also highly skilled in the manipulation of Reishi. Putting aside everything else, in Hakuda alone, he is not weaker than us Onmitsukido members who specialize in 'Hakuda.'"
"It can be said that the only difference between him and us Onmitsukido members is in spiritual pressure."
"How is that possible!?" Kazuki couldn't help but exclaim.
A soul from the Human World, going from knowing nothing to being no weaker than a Shinigami Squad member in the four essential Shinigami skills of 'Zanji Kenki,' all in just four years—this could truly be described as 'genius.'
"According to our investigation, Ishikawa Katori is very familiar with the 'Shiba Main Family' residing in Rukongai. He visits the Shiba Main Family almost every week. Due to the special nature of the Shiba Main Family, we couldn't investigate further, but the knowledge he possesses might have been learned from the Shiba Main Family."
"Shiba?"
Upon hearing this, Dean Kujou and Kazuki exchanged glances.
As one of the former 'Five Great Noble Families,' they naturally couldn't have not heard of the Shiba. Even though they had declined, it couldn't obscure the fact that the Shiba family had produced several Gotei 13 Captains and Vice-Captains in the past.
Moreover, the Shiba family not only had the Main Family in Rukongai but also branch families. The previous Captain of the Tenth Division was from a Shiba branch family, and there are many members of the Shiba branch family in Seireitei even now, though few people know about it due to the Shiba family's decline.
If that were the case, then it wouldn't be so difficult to understand how the other party possessed more extensive theoretical knowledge than Shin'ō Academy teachers.
As if seeing through their thoughts, the masked Onmitsukido member said, "Theoretical knowledge can be force-fed, but whether one can master it depends solely on individual talent. What I said earlier wasn't that his theoretical knowledge was equivalent to ours in the Onmitsukido, but that in a face-to-face fight, his Hakuda could fully contend with ours in the Onmitsukido."
"The only pity is that his spiritual pressure is too weak."
The masked Onmitsukido member shook his head. Unlike the four skills of 'Zanji Kenki,' while spiritual pressure could also be enhanced through training, there were also naturally gifted individuals who were 'born' with extremely strong spiritual pressure. Or rather, those who could become true powerhouses were basically these people.
Those who cultivated step by step were rare, and their status mostly stopped at Seated Officer.
However, it wasn't entirely impossible to become a powerhouse. For example, Hisagi Shuuhei, who was recently promoted to Vice-Captain of the Ninth Division, was an example of someone with ordinary initial talent.
It is said that he even failed the Shin'ō Academy entrance exam twice due to his poor talent. Yet, he eventually reached his current position through his own efforts.
But examples like him are ultimately few. In most cases, initial talent can basically determine a person's limit.
The four basic skills can only be said to be techniques for exerting spiritual pressure. The strength of spiritual pressure is the foundation of a Shinigami. Without strong spiritual pressure as a base, even if the four skills are strong, it's impossible to become a powerhouse.
Conversely, when a person's spiritual pressure becomes strong enough, even if they are not very skilled in the four techniques, they can still become a Captain.
The biggest example is Kenpachi, the Captain of the Eleventh Division. It is said that that adult, without knowing Kido and even without releasing his Zanpakuto, simply defeated the previous Captain of the Eleventh Division with his astonishing spiritual pressure and chaotic Zanjutsu.
"Then why doesn't he become a Shinigami?" Kazuki asked, somewhat puzzled. If what the Onmitsukido member said was true, even if the other party's spiritual pressure talent was extremely poor, he could still become a member of the Gotei 13 based on his four skills alone, and even be capable of graduating early from the Shin'ō Academy.
"Perhaps because of the Shiba family," Dean Kujou suddenly interjected.
"Huh?" Kazuki was startled.
Dean Kujou didn't answer his question but looked at the Onmitsukido member and asked, "Then next…"
"We sent people to study with him. From the investigation during this period, he does not seem to have any other motive than 'making money' in his interactions with students, nor has he instilled any strange ideas in them. The only somewhat strange point… is his extreme enthusiasm for 'female students.'"
"However, there have been no inappropriate actions. He is just more attentive in teaching, provides food for free, helps without charge, and privately chats with female students like friends; whereas he is relatively cold towards males."
"We will dispatch some female Squad members in batches to interact with him. If he truly has any inappropriate behavior, we will receive the news immediately."
"That's good." Dean Kujou nodded. "If that's the case, I won't stop students from going to him to study."
He had been nervous earlier only because he feared that person had some ulterior motive.
Since there was no hidden agenda, he naturally wouldn't stop those students from going to him to study.
"The Patrol Corps's recommendation is the same."
The masked Onmitsukido member said, "According to the information reported from Rukongai, the subject is very helpful, and the Everything Store he opened is very famous in West Rukongai."
"And the subject didn't deliberately seek out students. Initially, those first few students just came to him for commissions through the introduction of the Runrin'an tavern owner, with the idea of 'it seems interesting.' Later, as the news spread, his 'Everything Store' added the 'Shinigami Cram School' as a new service."
"Currently, it appears he poses no threat to Seireitei. Of course, to avoid any accidents, the Supervisory Team's supervision will continue, and the dispatched Onmitsukido members will rotate annually until it is determined that 'special supervision' is no longer necessary, at which point they will be withdrawn."
Dean Kujou nodded, "Then I'll leave it to you."
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