"Shocking! Another young genius in the Gotei 13 has mastered Bankai—what's the story behind this?"
"Unbelievable! This candidate for captain is so young!"
"The title of 'Greatest Genius in History' might slip from the hands of the 11th Kenpachi, Masatsuki Aozaki..."
The 9th Division certainly lived up to its reputation as the Gotei 13's only editorial office. Their ability to craft sensational headlines for maximum attention was nothing short of masterful.
A flood of dramatic headlines filled the morning paper, making Masatsuki Aozaki wonder if Kensei Muguruma had secretly taken lessons from the "Department of Shock."
What was even more infuriating was that this so-called "reporter" had used a picture of him for the front page without permission. And given that the culprit was someone with thick eyebrows and an upright appearance, Masatsuki couldn't shake the feeling that it was an act of petty revenge—probably for "stealing" Mashiro Kuna away.
"The 9th Division's editorial standards are really slipping. I thought they were talking about some prodigy, but all they did was use a blurry silhouette to try and challenge Kenpachi Aozaki," someone scoffed.
"If you ask me, they should just stick to serializing Suichūgetsu-sama's masterpiece. And if that's not possible, at least update The Rosy Path—even romance novels are more interesting than this garbage."
"This is ridiculous! The 9th Division will do anything for sales, even slandering Aozaki-sama!"
"Hey, that's not fair," someone from the crowd protested. "What's wrong with the 9th Division? We're the official editorial office, you know? Do you even understand the weight of the word 'official'? Besides, just look at that silhouette—it's obviously a young guy. What's wrong with guessing he's younger than Kenpachi Aozaki?"
"I know you! You're one of the 9th Division's editors, aren't you? So you're the bastard who wrote this article!"
"Brother, you're in trouble now," someone laughed. "This lady here is from Tsuki no Hana—we can't afford to mess with her. If I were you, I'd start running."
"Tsuki no Hana? What the hell is that?"
"You don't know? And you call yourself a journalist? It's a secret society formed by the female members of the 2nd Division—also known as the Masatsuki Aozaki Fan Club. Word is, every single female Shinigami in the 2nd Division is a member."
"What!? The entire 2nd Division? Including Captain Shihōin!?" The editor paled. "Screw this, I'm out! Dammit, I don't even know if the captain will be able to save me this time."
His panicked retreat sparked a round of laughter from the surrounding Shinigami.
Uncovering scandal was a dangerous job. Normally, the 9th Division would back their own, but this time, the editor had clearly messed with the wrong people.
"Heh, that guy's way too spineless. A Shinigami of the Gotei 13, afraid over something so trivial? It's not like they'd actually tear him apart over this," someone shook their head in amusement.
"Haha, you say that, but who in their right mind would mess with a fanatic group like that? Especially when the Shihōin Clan is involved and several high-ranking nobles are part of it."
The conversation soon shifted.
"But back to the main topic—the captain candidate does look young. Do you think he'll pass the selection?"
"If he had the nerve to apply, he must have confidence. But come on, all we've seen is a silhouette. How can you even tell he's young?"
"Look at his hands and neck—those are visible. I'd guess he's under 200 years old."
"Under 200? That's definitely young, but still miles behind Kenpachi Aozaki. He's not even thirty yet!"
"Yeah, not even thirty years old. No wonder he's the greatest genius in Soul Society's history."
"Masatsuki-sama is the strongest! He's bound to stand alongside the Captain-Commander one day!"
"That's right! Masatsuki-sama is the most talented Shinigami ever!"
The Shinigami discussing the morning paper couldn't help but reflect on the past few years.
The Captain-Commander's personal disciple. The youngest captain in history. The prodigy who slew the 10th Kenpachi.
Masatsuki Aozaki's achievements were already legendary within the Gotei 13.
For ordinary people, it was an untouchable realm of excellence—his talent was something others could only dream of reaching.
Just earning the Captain-Commander's recognition was a lifelong goal for most Shinigami.
After all, the vast majority of Soul Society's population were ordinary souls. Even among Shinigami, those with true talent were one in ten thousand.
While every Shinigami held their own sense of pride, when faced with someone like Masatsuki, most didn't even entertain the idea of surpassing him.
At this point, many simply hoped that the title of "Greatest Genius" would remain his.
After all, geniuses like him were meant to be admired. Too many of them, and it would only leave people feeling lost—stripped of direction, unsure what they were even striving for.
That was why, when veteran Shinigami encouraged their juniors, they never said, "Strive to be like Kenpachi Aozaki."
...
"It looks like everyone has quite a bit of confidence in me!"
Masatsuki Aozaki strolled casually down the street, waving to the small groups of admiring fans along the way. Watching their unwavering faith in him, he couldn't help but sigh.
"But if Tsuki no Hana is supposed to be my fan club, how come I've never even heard of it before!?"
Walking beside him, Ittora Yamazaki remained silent, instead pondering the possibility of establishing a proper fan club.
After all, Tsuki no Hana only accepted female members—how was that fair to the male squad members?
Since the 11th Division was mostly composed of men, it was his duty as Lieutenant to ensure that everyone's rights were protected!
...
Masatsuki accepted a copy of the morning paper from a starry-eyed young admirer. His gaze landed on the blurry silhouette of the captain candidate, and an odd sense of familiarity struck him.
Where had he seen that before?
Judging by the hairstyle, it wasn't Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi or Kōga Kuchiki.
"Tch, that brat is full of himself. The girl delivering his newspaper is one of ours!"
Kensei Muguruma, walking a short distance behind, clicked his tongue in annoyance.
A pretty face and some charm, and just like that, one of the girls he'd painstakingly trained had been snatched away. This wasn't over.
"You still thinking about revenge? That guy's a noble. If he accuses you of defaming a noble, you will lose."
Shinji Hirako, his longtime friend, shot him a knowing look.
Defaming a noble in a society ruled by nobles? That was more than just risky—it was outright reckless.
As a captain, Kensei wouldn't face execution or anything extreme.
But if a noble wanted to push for punishment, there was no avoiding it. At the very least, he'd be fined a few months' salary.
...
"Captain Kensei, talking behind someone's back isn't a very good habit."
"When—!?"
Kensei spun around in shock—only to find Masatsuki standing right there.
After some time apart, he was startled to realize that Masatsuki's reiatsu, which had only been at the lower third-rank level six months ago, had now risen to be on par with his own.
This kid's growth rate was insane—even at a captain's level, he was still improving this quickly?
And worse—how the hell was he faster than him, when their reiatsu was supposed to be at the same level?
"This is talent, isn't it?"
Masatsuki smirked, as if reading his mind.
Kensei's eye twitched.
This damn brat had a habit of always poking where it hurt.
Seriously, how the hell did Mashiro even like this guy?
Masatsuki suddenly spoke in a serious tone.
"Actually, I'm quite nice to girls."
Kensei and Shinji both stared at him in shock.
Wait.
Could this guy… read minds!?
"No," Masatsuki shrugged. "But your thoughts are written all over your face. It's way too easy to guess."
Kensei and Shinji were left speechless.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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