Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Captain of Squad 1 of the Gotei 13 and the Captain Commander of all thirteen Squads, is not only the oldest and most ancient individual in the current Gotei 13, but also the strongest combat force in Soul Society in the open. He is a Shinigami whose fame has resounded throughout the Three Worlds for more than two thousand years.
Shin'ō Academy was also established by him—he was the first headmaster.
Without him, Rukongai would not have had so many people who rose to prominence, became Shinigami, and moved into Seireitei. The current Gotei 13's excellent personnel would not even be half of what it is today, and such a grand situation would have been impossible.
It can be said that without Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, there would be no Soul Society as it is today, no Gotei 13 as it is now, and even Shin'ō Academy would not exist. His connection to Shin'ō Academy runs incredibly deep, so when a commotion occurred over there, he received the news at once.
At this moment, while outsiders were still discussing this matter and verifying its truth, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto had already dispatched someone to investigate the background of the subject in question.
"Kaiser. Seventeen years old before death. After approximately two months post-mortem, he was sent to Soul Society, entered Rukongai, and has lived there for a very short time—still under three months in total."
A middle-aged man with white hair and golden eyes, a thin black mustache, brownish skin, and a distinctly Western appearance, wearing a black kimono with a white Jinbaori, and a white high-collared shirt underneath, with a Squad 1 Lieutenant's Badge on his left arm, was holding a file and reporting to Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.
"He lived in Zaraki, North Rukongai. Although he lived there for less than three months, he experienced multiple deadly battles."
Hearing this, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto narrowed his eyes slightly.
Zaraki in North Rukongai—that was one of the four District 80s farthest from Seireitei.
The environment there is extremely poor, practically barren, plagued by famine, where even survival becomes a problem. It is a hell that even Shinigami are unwilling to step into.
The souls living there mostly determine who survives through mutual slaughter. Due to a severe shortage of food and water, people fight every day, constantly seizing food from one another, resulting in countless bloody tragedies.
Therefore, Yamamoto was not surprised to hear that someone had experienced multiple deadly battles there—what surprised him was that the person turned out to be a resident of that place.
One must know that the current Captain of Squad 11 of the Gotei 13 also originated from that district.
He didn't expect that another super-genius with Spiritual Pressure Level Two would emerge from that place now...
The Squad 1 Lieutenant standing before Yamamoto did not notice the Captain Commander's expression—or rather, even if he did, he was unsurprised, since he too knew about the current Squad 11 Captain's origin in Zaraki.
At first, he had been shocked as well, but now he only wished to report what he had discovered.
"Perhaps because his Reiryoku was naturally very strong, this person had high demands for food and water. During his time in Zaraki, he actively engaged in battles, relying on a single sword he seized from someone else to slay 137 notorious criminals, securing enough food and water for survival."
Generally speaking, the souls arriving in Soul Society are not much different from how they were in the World of the Living—only hindered slightly by differing eras.
However, ordinary souls in Soul Society do not need to eat. They can survive by absorbing Reishi from the atmosphere and consuming a small amount of water.
Most souls do not have Reiryoku and do not experience hunger, so most regions of Rukongai lack edible provisions, leading to a constant food shortage.
This is quite unbearable for souls that do need to eat.
Souls with higher Reiryoku may find that absorbing Reishi from the air is insufficient for survival, resulting in hunger. Prolonged hunger can cause physical weakness, or even death in serious cases.
Because of this, souls with high Reiryoku must fight with others for food and water—fighting, robbing, stealing—doing whatever it takes.
Especially in areas far from Seireitei, where food scarcity is extreme—this is a primary reason why public order in those areas remains poor.
Someone with Spiritual Pressure Level Two clearly has incredibly strong Reiryoku and would indeed need a lot of food. Thus, engaging in frequent battles was perfectly normal.
What was abnormal was that this person had only just arrived in Soul Society, was so young before death, and yet after coming here, already possessed the strength to slay so many criminals—truly astonishing.
"After acquiring enough food and water, this person left Zaraki and journeyed toward Seireitei. He finally arrived yesterday, registered at Shin'ō Academy, took the entrance exam, and was measured to have Spiritual Pressure Level Two—with the potential to become a Captain-level existence."
Lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe of Squad 1 concluded his report here, closing the gathered documents and looking toward Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.
"Detecting Spiritual Pressure Level Two during the entrance exam—this is the first occurrence since Shin'ō Academy was founded a thousand years ago."
"Even by graduation, no one has ever reached Level Two. Let alone upon admission."
"This is a once-in-a-century... no, it should be said, once-in-a-millennium super-genius."
Chōjirō Sasakibe made a fair and impartial evaluation, free of any personal bias.
"The appearance of such a super-genius has already stirred great interest among the major Noble Clans in Seireitei. Even among the Four Great Noble Clans, someone has shown intense interest and is preparing to make direct contact with the individual."
"Captain Commander, should we also take action?"
To this inquiry, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto responded only with a long silence.
This strongest Shinigami of the last thousand years closed his eyes, holding a wooden cane. Though silent, a heavy atmosphere emanated from him.
After a moment, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto reopened his eyes.
"Relay a message to the entire Gotei 13 and the Noble Clans—tell them they are not to interfere in the academy life of the Spiritual Pressure Level Two holder," Genryūsai said calmly. "Just say this is my will. If anyone doesn't want to listen, that's fine—but I won't mind having a little talk with them afterward."
"Yes," Chōjirō Sasakibe answered first, then asked, "Are we really not going to make contact with the Spiritual Pressure Level Two holder?"
"Not for now." Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto shook his head and said, "He came from Zaraki, has repeatedly engaged in killing, and his malice is too strong. If he becomes another Kenpachi Zaraki, that would be a headache."
"Since he wishes to study at Shin'ō Academy, let him calm his malice through a peaceful academic life."
"Such a young person with Level Two Spiritual Pressure has limitless potential. We can't let this promising talent become another combat maniac like those in Squad 11."
Upon hearing this, Chōjirō Sasakibe nodded, gave a respectful bow, and withdrew.
Only Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto remained, gazing at the file on the desk, his thoughts unknown.
At the same time, his orders were carried out by Chōjirō Sasakibe and delivered to the various Squads, as well as to the major Noble Clans.
After receiving the warning, many began to curb their restless thoughts, not daring to openly go against Genryūsai's wishes.
But there were also those who didn't care in the slightest.
For example, certain lawless nobles.
For example, the battle maniacs of Squad 11.
And for example, some who agreed on the surface but were secretly preparing to act.
Under such circumstances, Seireitei still did not quiet down—it remained just as lively, and just as full of discussion...
...
At the same time, at Shin'ō Academy.
At this moment, Kaiser—the very person Genryūsai had labeled "too full of malice" in his heart—was leisurely lounging on a tree he had found, having jumped onto its branches, basking in the sun with a lazy demeanor.
He was dressed in plain white robes, looking just like any ordinary student of Shin'ō Academy. There was no sign that he was the bearer of Level Two Spiritual Pressure who had shocked the entire Seireitei and even all of Soul Society.
"Finally got into Shin'ō Academy. From now on, I probably don't need to fight others every day just to get a bite to eat, right?"
While enjoying the peaceful afternoon, Kaiser couldn't help but complain.
"Seriously, I never would've thought the start of this life experience would be so miserable. The first thing I had to do in this world was fight over food—who am I even supposed to blame for that?"
Just as Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto had discovered, when Kaiser arrived in this world, he had been dead for less than two months.
At that time, he was just an ordinary soul and hadn't had the chance to use his Inherent Authority to convert his power system. He got bopped on the head by a passing Shinigami and was sent to Soul Society.
Even that would have been fine—but what Kaiser hadn't expected was that after being sent to Soul Society, he ended up in the worst area: Zaraki, the 80th District of North Rukongai.
The moment he converted his power system, turning his Aura into massive Reiryoku stored within his body, he immediately felt intense hunger in his belly, forcing him to find food.
So, he fought for several months in Zaraki, storing food and water. Once he had enough, he left Zaraki, journeyed south, and finally arrived in Seireitei, where he found Shin'ō Academy's registration site.
"Now that I'm enrolled, I don't need to worry about food or drink anymore. I just need to think about what I can learn here."
"The Four Basic Techniques of the Shinigami—Zan, Ken, Sō, Ki—I'm quite looking forward to them."
"And also... Zanpakutō..."
Kaiser's thoughts began to wander.