Chapter 88: Captain Appointment
Hearing Satoru's words, the crowd was stunned at first.
Then, it suddenly dawned on him—this wasn't a duel, just a promotion assessment...
Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi and Shiba Kōdai both felt rather complicated emotions at this moment.
If they were in Kensei Muguruma's place facing Satoru, could they have done better?
After much deliberation, Rōjūrō concluded that he might still have an advantage.
After all, his attacks were formless and traceless—as long as one could hear the sound, they would inevitably be hit.
Yet even so, he couldn't guarantee he would definitely win.
Shiba Kōdai crossed his arms, continuously simulating a battle with Satoru in his mind.
In the end, he reached a conclusion.
If Satoru's strength was only what he had just displayed, then he himself should have a slight upper hand!
Chōjirō used Shunpo to return to the high platform.
He cleared his throat and announced loudly:
"9th Division Vice-Captain, Kensei Muguruma, has passed the assessment!!"
The already-prepared members of the 4th Division quickly rushed up to carry Kensei away.
Seinosuke also hurried over.
"Satoru, are you alright? Any injuries?"
Satoru shook his head. "It was just a spar. What injuries could there be?"
Seinosuke seemed doubtful and circled around him twice.
In the end, he found that Satoru really wasn't injured at all.
He couldn't help but click his tongue and shake his head.
"Impressive, truly impressive. To defeat a captain-level opponent head-on without even a scratch..."
"After we get back, you better explain what strange thing you ate to become this strong."
After confirming Satoru was unharmed, he quickly turned to leave and went to check on Kensei.
A captain-level patient was excellent practice material—he couldn't miss this opportunity!
Satoru looked up at Yamamoto on the high platform.
Yamamoto was also quietly gazing at him.
Under Yamamoto's watchful eyes, Satoru grinned and gave him a thumbs-up.
Seeing Satoru's gesture, Yamamoto felt a wave of emotion.
This kid really had guessed his intentions.
This husky hadn't been raised in vain.
He nodded and transmitted a message to Satoru with his spiritual pressure:
"Well done."
Satoru snorted and turned to leave.
Returning to the sidelines, he sat down next to Aizen and stretched lazily.
"Sōsuke, did you see my heroic performance? Care to share your thoughts?"
Hearing this, Aizen glanced at him indifferently.
"Is your sword still usable?"
Satoru's stretching motion froze mid-air.
He grinned, slightly turning his body to an angle others couldn't see, and drew his sword just a little.
The once smooth and flawless blade was now covered in cracks of varying sizes.
If not for his spiritual pressure forcibly holding it together, the entire sword would likely have shattered into pieces.
Seeing Satoru's blade, Aizen calmly raised his hand and pushed it back into its sheath.
On the high platform, Yamamoto slowly stepped forward.
Chōjirō lowered his head and retreated behind him.
Under everyone's gaze, Yamamoto spoke:
"Former 3rd Division Third Seat, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, is promoted to Captain of the 3rd Division."
"Former 9th Division Vice-Captain, Kensei Muguruma, is promoted to Captain of the 9th Division."
"Former 10th Division Vice-Captain, Shiba Kōdai, is promoted to Captain of the 10th Division."
"Former 10th Division Captain, Nagamasa Sora, is transferred to the 11th Division as its Captain."
"Letters of appointment will be issued at tomorrow morning's Captain's Meeting."
"That is all."
Upon hearing Yamamoto's announcement, most of the Shinigami were pleased.
In the current situation, having all captain positions filled brought a sense of security.
Only the members of the 10th Division wore expressions of shock, disappointment, and dissatisfaction.
Their captain had been doing just fine—why replace him?
Among them, those slightly familiar with the noble families quickly guessed the answer.
Shiba Kōdai, though not the heir, was one of the Shiba family's elite younger generation.
As one of the Five Great Noble Houses, Shiba Kōdai couldn't possibly become a captain in the 11th Division, a place crowded with "country bumpkins."
To accommodate the Shiba family's prestige, the Captain-Commander had no choice but to transfer Captain Nagamasa and vacate the position.
Once they realized this, their complaints faded.
Nobles being above ordinary Shinigami was a deeply ingrained mindset—no one found it strange.
Aizen's expression remained unchanged, though a hint of disdain flickered in his eyes.
...
...
"Hey, Satoru! I've heard all about you!"
"Never would've guessed you've already reached Third-Class Spiritual Pressure… How on earth did you manage that?"
"Oh, and when are you coming to the 2nd Division to take up your post? I'll prepare a welcome feast in advance!"
In the 4th Division barracks, Satoru stood before a long corridor.
The one chattering excitedly in front of him was none other than Marenoshin Ōmaeda.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Vice-Captain Ōmaeda. Why are you here? Haven't your injuries healed yet?"
Satoru gave the towering, broad-shouldered man—standing at 2.1 meters—a puzzled look.
Marenoshin let out a hearty laugh.
He reached out and patted his chest. "Don't worry, I'm already fine."
"I came today to pick up some medicinal herbs for the squad… When it comes to herb gathering, Squad 4 are the experts."
As he spoke, several members of Squad 4 dragged a large cart over.
"V-Vice Captain Ōmaeda, these are the herbs you requested…"
One of the members pulling the cart spoke with difficulty.
The hand-pulled cart was piled high with a mountain of medicinal herbs.
The cart's design somewhat resembled the box carts used in mines, only much larger in size.
The sight was visually striking.
With pushing and pulling, it took seven or eight Squad 4 members just to barely move the cart.
After briefly inspecting the goods, Ōmaeda nodded in satisfaction and handed them a large bag of copper coins.
"Thanks! Give Captain Unohana my regards!"
With that, he grabbed the cart effortlessly and pulled it over to Satoru.
Satoru eyed the massive pile of herbs.
"With this much medicine, did something happen?"
Marenoshin blinked in surprise.
After a moment's thought, he leaned down and whispered:
"Even though you're about to take up your post soon, until then, this is still classified information. I can't disclose it."
"All I can say is that mission pressure has been high lately, and many squad members have been injured on duty. The demand for treatment is huge."
With that, he bid Satoru farewell, telling him to look him up anytime after his official appointment, then hurried off with the cart.
Watching Marenoshin's retreating figure, Satoru raised an eyebrow.
No wonder Yoruichi and Suì-Fēng hadn't gone to the training grounds—seems like Squad 2 had been busy lately.
He'd have to ask Yoruichi about it later.
Lost in thought, he followed the directions he'd been given and arrived at a hospital room.
After confirming the name on the door, he knocked.
"Oh! Come in!"
A voice called from inside.
Satoru slid the door open and stepped in.
Kensei Muguruma lay on the bed, his face full of boredom.
He was about to say something when he saw who had entered and couldn't hide his surprise.
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