"You are now qualified to take the Captain assessment," the old noble had stated. "This old man will put our opinions into writing and submit them for discussion at tomorrow's Captains' meeting."
Ōmaeda Marechiyo had beamed with joy. "Excellent, excellent! My three Captains, I am deeply grateful!"
He had been incredibly proactive. Two days ago, immediately after discussing tactics with Suì-Fēng, he had rushed to the First Division to submit the application for her Captain assessment. He cleverly suggested that the examining Captains could observe Suì-Fēng during her scheduled challenge match against a seated officer. He also specifically requested that Captain Retsu Unohana of the Fourth Division be one of the assessors, providing a very sound reason: "Suì-Fēng's Bankai is tremendously powerful and difficult for a beginner to control. It could potentially harm the observing squad members."
The First Division agreed, assigning Captains Kuchiki Ginrei and Kyōraku Shunsui to accompany Unohana.
In the Seireitei, there are two primary ways to become a Captain. The first is to pass the Captain Proficiency Test, witnessed by at least three Captains, including the Captain-Commander. The second is to receive a joint recommendation from six or more Captains, which must then be approved by at least three others.
Of course, a third, more brutal method exists: defeat the current Captain in single combat in front of two hundred or more members of the division. In recent centuries, however, this path had become an exclusive tradition of the Eleventh Division.
For now, the first two methods were the standard. However, due to the "Captain Hollowfication" incident, more than half of the Captain positions in the Gotei 13 were vacant. With only six Captains currently in office, including the Captain-Commander, the joint recommendation method was impossible.
"In any case, the Captain-Commander has gone with the Captain of the Eleventh Division and Captain Ukitake to assess another applicant," Kyōraku Shunsui had explained as he prepared to leave. He paused, remembering a key detail. "Old Man Yama should have been here, but it's a special period and we're severely understaffed, so he instructed me to assess her in his place. According to the rules, the final decision still rests with the Captain-Commander after he reviews our report today. Suì-Fēng might need to visit the First Division later."
Ōmaeda had nodded in understanding before asking, "May I ask who the Captain-Commander is going to assess? Among the active Soul Reapers of the Gotei 13, I can't think of anyone else who can use Bankai."
Kyōraku scratched his head. "Actually, I was very surprised myself. The applicant is Mayuri Kurotsuchi of the Twelfth Division. He claims he has a way to use Bankai but needs the Captain-Commander's approval. He's being very mysterious about the whole thing." He spread his hands with a lazy shrug. "But you know Mayuri. He's a weirdo, and he's been the Vice-Director of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute for years. Heaven knows what he's cooked up."
Ōmaeda nodded in sober agreement. While younger Soul Reapers might not be aware, veterans like Kyōraku and Ōmaeda knew Mayuri's history. Before Kisuke Urahara bailed him out, he was a "talent" who had spent nearly a century in the Maggot's Nest—a special prison run by the Onmitsukidō for individuals deemed potentially dangerous by the Seireitei, regardless of whether they'd committed a crime. Rumor had it that he was personally thrown in there by Kirio Hikifune before her promotion to the Royal Guard. This only added to the mystery surrounding the Twelfth Division's Third Seat.
Kyōraku continued, "Besides, the Twelfth Division isn't like the Second Division, which still has you to manage things, Ōmaeda. That's a squad where both the Captain and Vice-Captain 'defected.' Mayuri's days probably haven't been easy recently."
After some simple bandaging from the Fourth Division medical staff, the pain in Suì-Fēng's left arm began to subside.
'It's a good thing I insisted that Vice-Captain Ōmaeda bring Captain Unohana,' she thought while they treated her. 'Although the Second Division has members who can use healing Kidō, they're nothing compared to the specialists Captain Unohana brought with her.'
While receiving treatment, Suì-Fēng mentally reviewed the challenge match. Even with Ōmaeda's reliable strategy and the element of surprise, she couldn't be certain she would defeat the Sixth Seat. If she had failed, how would she have survived? It was a question every transmigrator had to consider carefully. When she was wrapped in those spider silks, the situation had been extremely dangerous. If Long Tao had truly unleashed his final attack, she wasn't confident she could have withstood it.
The Soul Reaper profession, while superhuman, was still fragile. Their offensive abilities were generally maxed out, but their defenses were lacking. They were glass cannons—all offense with paper-thin defense. Fights were often thrilling duels to see who could land the first critical blow. Soul Reapers really only had two defensive methods: using Shunpo for evasion or relying on swordsmanship to parry.
To prevent herself from being taken out in her very first battle, Suì-Fēng had found plenty of good reasons for Ōmaeda to invite Retsu Unohana to observe. Captain Unohana's Zanpakutō, Minazuki, could transform in its Shikai state into a giant, flying creature that healed anyone it swallowed.
Of course, Suì-Fēng also knew that Unohana had another name, and with that name, her Zanpakutō's Bankai, also called Minazuki, took on a terrifying new meaning: All Things' End. It was a hellish pool of blood where one couldn't even die if they wanted to. Suì-Fēng was fairly certain that even if she were shredded to pieces, Unohana's Bankai could restore her to perfect health.
"Suì-Fēng… Third Seat."
A gloomy, defeated male voice broke her train of thought. Suì-Fēng turned to see Long Tao. His expression shifted through several emotions before he finally let out a deep sigh, bowed his head, and said, "I lost this challenge. And… thank you for showing mercy, sir."
The back of his uniform was completely torn open, shattered by Suì-Fēng's Kidō-infused punch. On his exposed back was a distinct, elaborate butterfly pattern. Suì-Fēng had first struck him with Suzumebachi, then delivered a powerful punch to the exact same spot. The message was clear: I can strike you twice in the same place. Long Tao, who knew the abilities of her Zanpakutō, understood the deadly implication.
Suì-Fēng raised an eyebrow, a little surprised. This guy had been so arrogant before the match and condescending during it. She had been waiting for him to lose his temper after his defeat. It would have been fun to provoke him further. She didn't expect him to be so adaptable and lose so gracefully. He had earned a bit more of her respect.
She stood up and returned the bow. "You fought well."
Long Tao nodded, said nothing more, and turned to leave. Suddenly, a foot shot out and hooked his ankle, sending him sprawling to the ground with a loud thud.
"Ouch—!"
"?" Suì-Fēng was startled and looked at the man who had tripped him.
A male Soul Reaper with a slanted fringe and a gloomy expression looked down at Long Tao with a hint of exasperation. "I told you to come over here and ask how to remove the poison, not to show off," he grumbled. "Your Zanpakutō shoots spider webs. Is your brain covered in them, too? Seriously, you care more about your pride than your life?"
The pale, thin Soul Reaper was carrying medical supplies and had a medical bag slung over his shoulder. Suì-Fēng noticed the Vice-Captain's armband on his left arm. It had the number of the Fourth Division and was embroidered with its flower, the gentian. She realized this must be the Vice-Captain of the Fourth Division, Seinosuke Yamada.
Seinosuke put down his supplies and turned to Suì-Fēng, his expression softening slightly. "Please excuse me, Third Seat Suì-Fēng. I treated the more severely injured Sixth Seat Long Tao first. Now, I will examine you."
Suì-Fēng was about to wave him off and say it wasn't necessary, but Seinosuke's hand was already glowing with healing Kidō. 'Well, it's a work injury anyway,' she thought. 'Might as well get treated.'
As he healed her, Seinosuke said, "About Sixth Seat Long Tao… the pattern on his back seems to contain a very terrifying, potentially fatal Kidō. It's relatively stable for now, like an unprimed bomb buried in his back."