The Soul Society is where the souls of living beings return after death.
It is divided into two major regions: Seireitei and Rukongai. Seireitei is home to the Shinigami and certain noble families who have resided in the Soul Society since ancient times, while Rukongai is where the ordinary souls dwell.
Rukongai is further divided into four directions—northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest—each containing 80 districts, totaling 320 in all.
In these three hundred and twenty districts, countless souls live their afterlives.
Yet the breath of these souls—their spiritual energy—is the most enticing delicacy to a different kind of being: the Hollow, creatures born from corrupted souls.
Thus, certain areas of Rukongai are prone to Hollow infestations.
Some souls are devoured by Hollows due to misfortune; others are purified—or annihilated—by the Shinigami from Seireitei.
Although they dwell in the rigidly hierarchical structure of Seireitei, most Shinigami sincerely strive to preserve the balance of the worlds and protect wandering souls.
Within Seireitei, the Shinigami are organized into thirteen divisions, collectively known as the Gotei 13—a military organization founded over 800 years ago to concentrate power against a massive threat that once endangered the entire Soul Society.
Among these divisions, the 11th Division is known as the Corps of Combat—its members live for battle.
The captain of the 11th Division is always titled Kenpachi.
Kenpachi is not just a name, but a title bestowed upon the strongest Shinigami in battle. Every member of the 11th Division reveres the one who bears that name. The title represents raw, unmatched strength—and it is the captain's duty to wield that power to protect the Soul Society.
Tonight, in a wilderness strewn with the scent of blood and sake, a fierce battle had just ended.
Earlier, the current Kenpachi, captain of the 11th Division, led his squad against a powerful Menos Grande from Hueco Mundo. With nothing but his sealed Zanpakutō, he effortlessly annihilated the Hollow.
To celebrate their victory, the 11th Division held a grand feast on the battlefield.
Drawn by the aroma of alcohol, Captain Kyoraku Shunsui of the 8th Division arrived, joining in the festivities.
However, no one anticipated the arrival of a man in aristocratic robes who introduced himself as Soya Mojo. His intent was clear—he came to challenge Kenpachi.
In the Gotei 13, captaincy succession follows strict protocol.
While other divisions conduct their successions through formal appointments or trials, the 11th Division follows the brutal tradition: to become Kenpachi, one must defeat the current Kenpachi in mortal combat.
Historically, few exceptions have existed. Most successions ended in death.
Soya Mojo's goal was to become the new Kenpachi.
Captain Kyoraku attempted to dissuade him, but to no avail.
Ultimately, Kenpachi accepted the challenge himself.
The ensuing duel was intense. The clash between them pushed both to their limits. In the end, Soya Mojo emerged victorious.
To the astonishment of the 11th Division, the man who had just slain a Menos Grande was now defeated. Outraged and disbelieving, some officers and members attempted to intervene, seeking justice.
Among them was a young man—but they were halted by Kenpachi himself.
Rising weakly, Kenpachi roared at his subordinates:
"You wear the symbol of the 11th. Don't disgrace it by interfering in a one-on-one duel!"
His spiritual pressure pressed down like a tidal wave, silencing the entire division.
"I died under this man's blade—and that's all there is to it! I won't allow you to deny the iron code of the 11th! From today on, this man is Kenpachi!"
His declaration stunned everyone.
Despite his battered form, he had still managed to repel a Shinigami who tried to attack Soya Mojo. At a glance, it seemed he still had fight left in him.
But then, he turned to Kyoraku Shunsui, face contorted with fury, and requested a message be relayed to the Captain-Commander—to keep an eye on Soya Mojo.
Kyoraku agreed with a solemn nod.
Kenpachi exhaled as if relieved, then fixed his gaze on Soya Mojo once more.
When asked, "If you'd used Bankai from the start, wouldn't you have won?", Kenpachi didn't respond. He simply said:
> "The 11th Division... and all these bastards... I leave them to you."
With those final words, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi, the seventh Kenpachi, passed away.
---
Within the 11th Division barracks, a young man slowly opened his eyes.
> "So... I've been reborn,"
he murmured.
His name was Gosuke Shigure, a war orphan taken in by Kenpachi himself. When Kenpachi was defeated, Gosuke had been the most devastated of all.
In his anguish, he tried to confront Soya Mojo, but was halted by Kenpachi's overwhelming spiritual pressure. He collapsed, unable to withstand it.
Perhaps the emotional shock was too great. For when he awoke, he found not only himself changed—but his very memories altered.
Or rather, added.
He now held two sets of memories.
One, of his former life as an overworked salaryman on Earth.
The other, of his first life in the Soul Society—as a powerful Shinigami thousands of years ago.
Yes—this was now his second career as a Shinigami.
In his first reincarnation, he had crossed into this world and been ecstatic to discover he was in the Soul Society. However, he soon realized it was a time before even the founding of the Gotei 13.
Even so, he had worked hard, awakening powerful Reiatsu and a devastating Zanpakutō. With his knowledge of the "original setting," he had risen to become one of the mightiest Shinigami of that ancient age.
But the Soul Society then was far from peaceful—facing threats from Hueco Mundo and internal strife.
Despite his strength, he eventually perished in battle.
Logically, a Shinigami of such power should have descended into Hell.
But instead, some miracle preserved a sliver of his soul—allowing him to reincarnate within the Soul Society again and again.
This time, for some unknown reason, his memories returned.
To Gosuke, awakening those memories was a blessing.
To live again, fully aware... who wouldn't desire that?
His former name and legacy had faded with the past. That life was gone. Let it remain so.
At heart, he was still an Earthling—a time-traveler, armed with knowledge of the future.
Though the timeline of this life was centuries before the canon events of Bleach, certain names—Kenpachi, Soya Mojo, Gosuke—began to click into place.
The memory of the 11th Division resurfaced. In this era, the current Kenpachi had been infamous for recruiting female Shinigami, turning the division into a unique blend of personalities—quite unlike the version known from the original story.
And within this division, only one bore the surname Gosuke.
That was him—Gosuke Shigure.
> "So... my identity this time around is that of the Ninth Kenpachi—a name barely mentioned in canon, only referenced in an author interview..."
"The weakest Kenpachi ever?"
He smirked bitterly.