[Slashing Through Worlds: Starting from the Soul Society] Chapter 9 (Patreon)

"Gin, this is our Squad Thirteen's Vice-Captain, Shiba Kaien.

Kaien is a man of honor and loyalty, respected and admired by many squad members. If you have any questions, feel free to ask him."

Due to his frail health, Captain Ukitake rarely left his quarters unless necessary. Normally, a captain wouldn't say much to a new recruit, but Ukitake, being the kind-hearted person he was, made an exception for Gin, who had been caught up in the earlier incident.

With Kaien taking over, Ukitake quickly returned to his quarters to rest.

"Don't worry if the captain seems aloof; it's just his health. I'm Kaien, recently promoted to Vice-Captain of Squad Thirteen. I was previously the third seat. Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine, Vice-Captain Shiba. I'm Minami Gin, a new recruit to the squad."

This was Gin's first meeting with Kaien, and it was also his first impression of Kaien, a significant yet tragic figure.

...

Time flew by, and two years passed since Gin joined Squad Thirteen. During this time, Ukitake was again summoned to an urgent captains' meeting, having to leave his peaceful haven for Squad One.

"Gin, what do you think the Head Captain's urgent meeting is about this time?"

Standing beside Gin, Kaien, now a good friend, inquired. Over the past two years, Gin and Kaien had built a solid friendship.

Kaien, once part of the prestigious Shiba Clan, one of the five noble families, had seen his family fall from grace.

In the original storyline, Kaien's character wasn't extensively detailed, but after two years of acquaintance, Gin understood why Rukia admired Kaien so much.

Despite his noble background, Kaien treated all squad members equally, regardless of their origins, earning the respect of both noble-born and Rukongai-born members.

Moreover, Kaien was a prodigy, completing the six-year course at Shin'o Academy in just one year.

He started as the third seat in Squad Thirteen and became Vice-Captain within five years.

With his talent, connections, and character, it was almost certain that Kaien would succeed Ukitake as captain in a few decades.

In these two years, Kaien's keen observation skills also made him notice Gin's unusual traits.

Initially, Kaien intended to give Gin extra training as a form of care for new recruits. However, during their practice sessions, he discovered Gin's hidden strength.

Understanding Gin's concerns, Kaien didn't mock him like Ikkaku and Yumichika but rather smiled and empathized.

Despite its calm exterior, Soul Society was full of hidden turmoil, something Kaien, once part of a noble family, understood well. He also believed that being cautious was not a bad thing. His wife, Miyako, had been killed by a Hollow due to carelessness.

For years, Kaien found his wife's death suspicious. As a third seat who had mastered Shikai, it was unbelievable that she could be killed by a low-level Hollow in Rukongai.

"I heard some rumors that a large number of souls in Rukongai have suddenly Hollowfied. Captain Muguruma Kensei and Vice-Captain Kuna Mashiro of Squad Nine went to investigate but seem to have encountered trouble.

With the captain and vice-captain, who are among Seireitei's top combatants, missing, the Head Captain would naturally call a meeting to send more captains for investigation."

Kaien wasn't surprised by Gin's information. Gin's connections in Rukongai, a place full of shady characters, were indeed impressive.

In the Gotei 13, Gin was well-liked, and his reputation was good. While Kaien was respected within Squad Thirteen, Gin had earned a solid reputation across the entire Gotei 13.

This wasn't hard to understand. As a transmigrator, Gin knew the plot and characters well enough to build good relationships by catering to their personalities.

"A mass Hollowfication in Rukongai? Could it be related to what I asked you to investigate about Miyako?"

Kaien's expression turned serious upon hearing about the mass Hollowfication in Rukongai. Hollowfication of souls in Rukongai wasn't rare, but usually, only low-level Hollows appeared, not strong enough to kill a third seat or cause the disappearance of captains and vice-captains.

"It shouldn't be... The timing seems off," Gin responded, impressed by Kaien's intuition. He wanted to say that both incidents were indeed connected, with a certain hair-gel-obsessed villain behind them.

Both the disappearance of Squad Nine's captain and vice-captain and Kaien's wife's death were part of Aizen Sōsuke's experiments.

However, Gin couldn't reveal this truth. If he did, he would likely end up in prison for an investigation.

And even though Kaien was strong, going to Rukongai now would be a death sentence.

Gin knew that the Head Captain would send a special task force consisting of captains Love Aikawa, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, Shinji Hirako, and Hachigen Ushōda, along with vice-captains Lisa Yadōmaru and Hiyori Sarugaki, to investigate.

Yet, even this captain-level task force would fall victim to Aizen's Zanpakutō, Kyōka Suigetsu, becoming his Hollowfication test subjects.

Given that so many captains and vice-captains would fall, Gin knew adding Kaien wouldn't change the outcome.

Therefore, he tried to dissuade Kaien from heading to Rukongai and meeting a tragic fate.

(End of Chapter)