The next day.
Sora arrived at the director's office.
"You just got back from Hueco Mundo. Don't you need to rest for a while?" Ayane Kotetsu asked, surprised.
Sora had gone to the Kuchiki estate to speak with Ginrei right after returning yesterday and hadn't come to the academy.
However, Ayane had asked Isane and the others to pass on a message for him to take some time off.
The academy was about to start its summer break soon, so he could have at least two or three months of rest.
"There are some things I need to discuss with you, Director Kotetsu," Sora said.
"We can talk about other things later. Look at this first," Ayane took a document from her drawer. "I was going to wait until after your break to inform you, but since you're here now, you can see for yourself."
Sora curiously took the document and read it quickly.
It was a position change document approved by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.
"They're making me an Honorary Director?" Sora was surprised.
The document stated that Katori Sora was to be awarded the position of Honorary Director of the Shin'ō Academy.
Currently, the title of Honorary Director was only granted to Shinigami who had previously served as the director of the academy.
If Ayane lived to retire from her position, she would also be granted the title.
However, there was only one living Honorary Director at present, and that was Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.
Sora was currently just a vice-director, yet he was being awarded the position of Honorary Director. This was a first since the academy's founding!
"I applied for this some time ago. Lieutenant Sasakibe delivered the documents this morning. Head Captain Yamamoto approved your appointment as Honorary Director," Ayane explained. "Katori-kun, your contributions to the academy over the years have been significant, and you achieved great things in Hueco Mundo this time. It's only natural that the Head Captain would agree."
Sora was an instructor sent out by the academy, so his achievements were also contributions to the academy.
"I know you'll definitely become a captain later, Katori-kun, but this doesn't conflict with the position of Honorary Director. Even after you leave the academy, you will still be an Honorary Director," Ayane said with a smile. "I hope that even after you become a captain, you'll occasionally come back to the academy to give lectures."
Since Katori Sora had joined the academy, the overall performance of the students had improved steadily. Ayane greatly respected his teaching abilities.
However, she also knew that he wouldn't stay at the academy forever.
Even if he wanted to stay, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto would not let a captain-class fighter remain at the academy indefinitely.
"I was just about to bring that up. Captain Hikifune will likely be stepping down from her position next week, and I plan to take over as captain of the 12th Division," Sora said.
"You're leaving, Katori-kun? Captain Hikifune is stepping down?"
Ayane was surprised. She hadn't received news of Kirio Hikifune's promotion to the Royal Guard.
Sora knew in advance because he and Kirio often discussed cooking, and they were on good personal terms.
Kirio also knew that Sora wanted to take her position, so she had told him about her promotion in advance to allow him to prepare for the captaincy.
"Yes. I came here today for two reasons. One is to submit my resignation letter, and the other is to recommend a swordsmanship professor to you, Director."
If Sora wanted to become the captain of the 12th Division, he would definitely have to resign from his position as vice-director.
However, he hadn't expected Ayane to apply for the position of Honorary Director for him, and for Yamamoto to approve it.
The position of Honorary Director could be held concurrently and wouldn't affect his captaincy.
"So suddenly..."
Ayane felt a sense of regret. She had thought Katori Sora would teach for a few more years.
She was truly reluctant to let go of such an excellent teacher. The classes he taught always performed significantly better than others.
Unfortunately, the academy was too small a stage. Keeping a captain-class fighter there was too much of a waste.
The Gotei 13 was also in dire need of captains, so reinforcing its strength was the top priority.
"Right, you just said you wanted to recommend a swordsmanship professor to me?" Ayane asked.
"Do you remember Uemon Tsubakiri, Director?" Sora said.
"Uemon Tsubakiri?" Ayane thought for a moment. "Wasn't he in the first class you taught, Professor Katori? I remember he's a seated officer in the 11th Division now... Does he want to become a swordsmanship professor at the academy?"
"Yes, Uemon wants to become a swordsmanship professor at the academy," Sora nodded.
During the gathering with his disciples yesterday, when Uemon heard that his professor was leaving the academy, the idea of teaching Kendo there came to him.
The Katori style needed new blood. Now that Sora was leaving, there would be a vacancy for selecting talented swordsmanship students from the academy.
Uemon expressed his desire to take on this important task and contribute to the promotion of the Katori style.
Considering that the captain and lieutenant of the 11th Division were still active, Uemon didn't have much room for advancement there. So, Sora agreed to let him teach Kendo at the academy.
The academy was in great need of swordsmanship professors.
After he left, the only one left in the swordsmanship department would be the slacker, Sōsuke Tanuki.
Although Tanuki was good to the students, his swordsmanship skills were limited, and he was not quite up to teaching the advanced swordsmanship class.
Moreover, the advanced class was difficult to teach, and Tanuki himself didn't want to take it on.
"Uemon has been training diligently since graduation. With his Katori style swordsmanship, he has earned a high-seated position in the 11th Division. His skill level is naturally high, so he is more than qualified to teach the advanced swordsmanship class," Sora continued.
"Since he is someone you approve of, Katori-kun, there will naturally be no problem," Ayane agreed without much hesitation. "While the students are still here before the break, we'll hold an honorary director investiture ceremony for you in a few days. It can also serve as a farewell for you!"
...
Three days later.
A constant stream of students flowed to and from Katori Sora's office.
"Professor Katori... this is for you. It's a puppet I carved with a reishi blade!" a student presented a wooden doll. "Thank you for your guidance. I will never forget your teachings!"
Carving puppets with a reishi blade was a training method for spiritual pressure control that Sora had devised.
The more detailed the carved puppet, the more refined the user's control over their spiritual pressure.
"Thank you," Sora said with a smile, offering his critique. "The puppet is well-carved. You can enter the advanced swordsmanship class early next semester."
The puppet in Sora's hand was only a rough human form, with few details on the face and limbs, but it was enough to qualify for early admission to the advanced class.
Over the years, Sora had also implemented some reforms to the academy's teaching methods.
The advanced classes in each department were no longer open only to the graduating class.
Any student who met the assessment standards for the advanced class could enter early.
This had many benefits, allowing talented students in certain areas to access more advanced content sooner.
"It's a shame Professor Katori won't be teaching the advanced swordsmanship class anymore..." the student said with regret. "I chose to study swordsmanship because of you, Professor!"
"Professor Uemon will be teaching the advanced class from now on. His swordsmanship is also very high-level. In the 11th Division, he is a master swordsman known as the 'Kenki' (Sword Demon)!" Sora said with a smile.
Uemon Tsubakiri's Zanpakutō, Onikirimaru, could increase his spiritual pressure by burning his own blood.
This self-harming fighting style was very memorable and had earned him the title of 'Kenki'.
"Kenki? That sounds so cool! Is Professor Uemon that amazing?"
"Is Professor Uemon a disciple of Professor Katori?"
The students asked.
"Uemon is my disciple. If you train hard in swordsmanship under him, you can also become master swordsmen!" Sora encouraged.
"I want to become a master swordsman! I will train hard!"
After receiving wave after wave of visiting students, Sora's office was filled with wooden puppets carved with reishi blades.
These were all farewell gifts, carefully carved by the students for Sora.
...
In the afternoon, the academy auditorium was decorated with lanterns and streamers, bustling with excitement.
Katori Sora's honorary director investiture ceremony was being held here.
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and a host of captains and acting captains were in attendance as guests.
"Katori-kun is just ridiculous! He even killed the King of Hueco Mundo. Every so often, we hear news about him!"
Kenpachi Kuruyashiki was deeply impressed. Katori Sora seemed to cause a stir that shook the entire Soul Society from time to time.
Who would have thought that just by carrying out a mission to supervise an academy assessment, he would end up killing the King of Hueco Mundo, who had lived since ancient times!
"He actually became an Honorary Director... tsk tsk, the only other person with that honor is old man Yama, and he's the youngest Honorary Director since the academy's founding!" Shunsui Kyōraku's tone was a bit sour.
The director shared a student-teacher bond with all students. With Sora receiving the honor of Honorary Director, every Shinigami who graduated from the academy could call him 'Professor'.
"Sora killed Baraggan and stabilized the war situation. He deserves a reward," Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto said.
This was the main reason Yamamoto had agreed to award him the title of Honorary Director.
Las Noches's determination to crush the expeditionary force had exceeded their expectations, with even Baraggan appearing on the battlefield.
If Katori Sora hadn't stepped in and killed Baraggan, few of the 6th Division's Shinigami would have returned.
"Baraggan's ambition was so great that he dared to assemble an army to attack the expeditionary force. It's good that Katori-kun killed him. The Shinigami of the expeditionary force can be at ease for at least a few decades," Jūshirō Ukitake said with a worried expression. "But this means Las Noches will be in chaos for some time. I'll need to send more Shinigami to be stationed in the human world."
"The task of stationing in the human world will be shared by the 10th and 13th Divisions," Yamamoto said after a moment of thought.
Previously, there had been an unspoken understanding between Las Noches and the Shinigami.
The Shinigami would not send troops to wipe out Las Noches, and Las Noches would restrain the Hollows under its rule from going to the human world to harass humans.
Now that the King of Hueco Mundo had fallen, there would be a power vacuum.
Unrestrained Hollows would likely go to the human world to hunt human souls.
The Shinigami would need to strengthen their presence in the human world.
"Captain Hikifune, has your situation been confirmed?" Shunsui Kyōraku asked, looking at Kirio Hikifune.
The other captains had also received news recently that Kirio was being promoted to the Royal Guard.
Shunsui and Jūshirō were the youngest captains and were relatively unfamiliar with the Royal Guard, so they were quite curious about it.
"It's confirmed. The Royal Guard will send someone down next week, and then I'll be leaving the Seireitei. Before that, I'd like to treat everyone to a meal! Everyone come to the 12th Division tomorrow!"
Kirio said enthusiastically.
She had been handling her resignation for some time now and was ready to go to the Soul King Palace, just waiting for the Royal Guard to come and get her.
"Since Captain Hikifune is inviting us, we won't be polite!"
"It will be hard to see Captain Hikifune in the future, I'll really miss her..."
"I'll definitely be there."
"The Royal Guard... a place you can only go to after making a major contribution..." Shunsui looked up at the sky of Soul Society, a hint of inquiry in his eyes.
"Well... it's definitely not a place for a lazy person like me," Shunsui's self-awareness was very clear. He then asked, "I hear Katori-kun is going to take over the 12th Division?"
"Yes, Katori-kun is the most suitable successor. His strength goes without saying, and he also has research capabilities," Kirio highly approved of Sora's abilities. "He told me he wants to turn the 12th Division into a technology division, and I think that would be a great help to Soul Society and the Shinigami."
"A technology division?" Shunsui stroked his chin. "I don't really get that stuff, but it sounds like a good thing!"
Katori Sora and Ayane Kotetsu were on the stage.
"Thank you, Professor Katori, for all your hard work! Today is the day you part with everyone, but you will always be our professor," Ayane handed over a tray with a badge engraved with the academy's main building. "This is an honor you deserve!"
Sora took the director's badge. With a slight movement of his fingertips, he cast a volume-amplifying Kidō on himself.
"I've done a pretty good job these past few years. Everyone has seen the academic results of the graduating students... thanks to the support of all the professors and Director Kotetsu..."
"The ones among you who make me the proudest are not the geniuses who came out on top in the spiritual power assessments... but those who train diligently every day, who perspire relentlessly..."
"Remember, when you encounter a Gillian-class Menos in the human world... don't fear its soul-devouring maw, but be glad for the training you endured and the sweat you shed at the academy, which is enough to outlast the charging time of a Cero."
"Idiot, the Professor is looking this way!" Lisa Yadōmaru smacked Isshin Shiba, who had been dozing off, awake.
"It's rare for the Professor to talk for so long!" Isshin had no choice but to sit up straight.
The few of them had already passed their graduation assessment but didn't have to report to their squads yet, so they were still at the academy for the time being.
Perhaps Sora was also reluctant to leave the academy, as he spoke for a full half-hour before concluding his speech.
The students finally perked up, and cheers erupted from the student section:
"Director Katori!"
"Don't go, Director Katori... please continue to be our professor!"
"Professor Katori... sob... we'll miss you!!!"
"..."
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