As it turned out, they did not have to compensate for the destroyed training room.
They did, however, have to clean the entire room by themselves. It took Aigis and Makoto a full day to clean everything up before the carpenters could move in to repair it because even though the room itself was average sized, Makoto turned out to have bruised her leg when Johanna crushed it.
She ended up hobbling along as best as she could, and when Matsumoto asked, Aigis said that she had accidentally kicked too hard at Makoto during a spar. The instructor gave both of them strange looks, but the incident was not mentioned again.
With the success of the internship mission, both students received an increasing number of mission requests from the Gotei, either individually or as a pair. After Makoto received two mission requests with clashing dates, Hinamori stepped in to ease the burden on Makoto by rejecting any missives with overly mundane work, or those that barely paid anything. It was a good thing too, as Aigis noticed the dark circles under Makoto's eyes lift ever so slightly after Hinamori started helping.
They pooled their mission rewards together to buy a hairpin for their teacher as thanks.
The missions themselves ranged from escort missions, to patrols in dangerous areas, to Hollow extermination. The extermination missions in particular paid well, and allowed Aigis a chance to blow off energy that she could not safely do so within the Academy campus. Plus, it was an opportunity for her to figure out what other abilities her zanpakutou had, other than being able to shoot bullets. All in all, there was not much, save for some minor spellcasting abilities that replicated skills she had on her Personae. It was good enough for the moment, and she took comfort in the fact her zanpakutou was probably one of the most versatile in the Gotei at the moment.
She was five months away from graduating when Onabara announced tours of the Gotei divisions for upcoming graduates.
"Have you decided on a division you wanted to join yet, Makoto-san?" Aigis asked over their dinner the night of the announcement.
Makoto fingered the sheafs of paper with the information on divisions. "Not yet," she replied, her voice hesitant. "I know I want to work with law enforcement, but apart from the Second, none of them really deal with it much, and you know my feelings on the Second."
Aigis nodded. "How are the villagers doing?"
"Still trying to get along with the craftsmen Shihouin-san sent." Makoto grumbled as she laid her head down on the table, her half-eaten meal temporarily forgotten. "The craftsmen think they're too crass and don't have the delicacy needed for craft work, the villagers think they're…'stuck up snobs', apparently."
She had been keeping a close watch on the progress of the bandits they captured on that mission, trying to guide them to reintegrate with lawful society. Lieutenant Shihouin kept his promise to aid Makoto, sending letters her way with updates and lending his network of contacts. Progress had been slow – according to her, bureaucratic red tape was currently their biggest obstacle, with tradition a close second.
"I suppose that is what happens when two groups from clashing cultures have to work together." Aigis said, taking a sip from her steaming miso soup. The frigid winds of early winter made sitting outside not an option anymore, but the dining hall was still toasty warm. "Have they at least started on repairing the houses there?"
Makoto sighed. "They have, but they're also trying to work out along the way on what materials they can use from the area." Her head was still on the table. "They apparently don't like the types of wood available there. Something about them being hard to work with." She sat back up again and took a bite out of her rice bowl. "Have you considered what division you want to join?"
Aigis's gaze fell on the papers. "No," she said finally.
There were a few she could safely eliminate – Fourth was out because of its focus on healing, Eleventh was out after a generally unpleasant mission with an officer who had more muscle than common sense (which did not stop them from sending her an invitation to formally join the division after graduation), and while she was interested in the research that the Twelfth was carrying out, she did not feel like she had the aptitude necessary for being one. Second was currently her last resort choice only if none of the other divisions worked out.
That still left too many possible divisions to join.
"The instructors will be leading tours in groups, correct?" Aigis asked.
"And each teacher is guiding a different group of divisions on the tour." Makoto continued. "Maybe we should sign up for all three and be done with it."
That ended up being exactly what they did, and a week later, they were standing in front of the First Division barracks, with Kira at the head of the motley group of students.
"To put it bluntly, most of you will not be able to become a part of the First Division," he said, his eyes half-lidded but serious. "This division values excellence, and will only accept the cream of the crop of each batch of graduates. However, they are also the standards that you should aim to achieve, as they are the standards held by the Gotei as a whole."
The barracks were unusually spacious by Aigis's standards, with generous rooms for the shinigami, a carefully manicured garden, and barely a speck of dust to be seen throughout the compound. It almost seemed artificial, difficult to achieve even back when she was a robot. To maintain this level of cleanliness, they either hired a large group of staff to clean it every day, or the shinigami residing there cleaned up after themselves – obsessively.
She only half-listened to the lieutenant of the division espousing the values of the First Division, a severe-looking woman with black hair pinned neatly in a bun and glasses that seemed to reflect the light around her. Makoto was a little more engaged, occasionally asking questions regarding certain points in the lieutenant's presentation, but her eyes eventually started wandering around too.
It seemed like this division was not for them. So it was a surprise when they were both stopped by the lieutenant – Ise Nanao – on their way out.
"I heard that you two are the top students graduating this year," she said, some of her severeness gone from her voice, replaced by a small amount of…was that hope in her voice? "I know there are other divisions out there that might attract your attention, but I hope that you will consider us regardless. I am sure you will be able to pass the requirements without issue."
"Is the division facing manpower shortages?" Aigis asked.
That startled a chuckle out of the lieutenant, as her expression softened into something slightly friendlier. "No, nothing of the sort," she replied. "But we haven't had new faces in the division for a while, and I think you both will enjoy your time here, should you choose to join us."
Aigis and Makoto bowed after a moment of hesitation. "Thank you," Makoto said politely. "We will consider it."
"As you may know, Second Division houses the Onmitsukido." Kira lectured on their way to the Second Division barracks. "They deal with espionage and assassinations, but they also have plenty of positions open for relatively more mundane work." The students echoed varying levels of acknowledgement, though Makoto privately wished that they could skip this particular part of the tour. She was aware she was not entirely welcome there, and she saw enough of what they valued during that mission five months ago.
"Welcome everyone!"
The loud and cheerful greeting, in stark contrast to the secretive nature of their job, shook Makoto out of her musings. In front of the Second Division barracks, located on the top of a small hill, Shihouin raised a hand in a friendly greeting. "I'm Shihouin Yushiro, lieutenant of the Second Division and your tour guide for today. It's always exciting to see the faces of a new batch of graduates, and I even spy some familiar faces here! Come on in!"
He welcomed the group with gusto, ushering everyone into the compound. On the surface, it looked rather similar to the First – white barracks reinforced with wooden beams, a training hall, and a large hall off to the side, but there was a surprising amount of greenery, with a forest off in the distance. Shihouin kept up a cheerful running commentary of the different buildings, pointing out some of the smaller entrances to various training facilities, and even a hot spring somewhere underground. Despite the plain exterior, somehow the Second division was unusually lavish in its amenities.
"I didn't think it would be so luxurious…" Makoto breathed softly. Next to her, Aigis nodded once in wonder. Maybe it was to allow the shinigami to unwind from their stressful positions?
"Of course, everything here is open to shinigami of the Second Division only," Shihouin warned, stopping outside of the offices. "But I should warn you, Captain Soifon is a hard taskmaster, and you should only join if you are prepared to give your all for the security of–"
"There you are, Lieutenant!"
The entire group's attention snapped to the newcomer, who focused all his attention on Shihouin. "I thought I asked you to review that report I submitted two days ago, and now Captain is asking after it."
Makoto's breath hitched at the vaguely familiar voice, then froze as a distant memory surfaced from the depths.
"I won't let you stop me!"
"Oh, Akechi-kun!" Shihouin greeted, barely missing a beat. "Did you mean the report you labelled as urgent? As you can see, I'm currently giving a tour, so I'll get to it afterwards. Is that okay with you? Actually, come join us!"
Akechi Goro blinked, then he finally focused on the fifteen-odd group of students behind his lieutenant. He immediately plastered a friendly smile on his face, a stark contrast to the light frown moments before. It felt oddly nostalgic, how he still had the perfect celebrity smile that he used in front of the media all those centuries ago. "Ah, my apologies! I'm Akechi Goro, fourth seat of the Second Division. Nice to...meet…you…" He trailed off as his gaze swept over the curious looks of the students, finally settling on Makoto.
His expression froze. "Oh."
It hadn't even been all that long, but Aigis did mention before that Akechi was part of the Second Division. Makoto had naively hoped that she would not have to lay her eyes on that treacherous detective again, but apparently that was too much to wish for.
He'd grown taller and older than last she remembered him, enough that there was a noticeable age gap between his and Makoto's current appearance, despite them being technically the same age. His light brown hair was still styled in the same fashion as when he was alive, though the tips were not touching his shoulder anymore. She noticed that he wore a pair of black gloves, similar to those he wore while he was alive as the Detective Prince. Overall, he looked…less burdened.
She broke her gaze, her arms folding defensively in front of her chest. "Good to see you well, Akechi-kun." Makoto said, trying to keep the hostility contained.
"You too, Niijima-san." His smile wavered as he struggled to keep it up, though it eased out somewhat as he turned his attention to Aigis. "Long time no see, Aigis-san. I wasn't aware that you were graduating too."
Aigis bowed shallowly. "I hope you've been well, Akechi-san."
The rest of the students broke out into furious whispers.
"Damn, I didn't think Niijima knew anyone from the divisions!"
"Knew? Did you see that hostility between them?"
"Were they mortal enemies?"
"Nah, must be former lovers!"
"Did he cheat on her or what?"
Makoto broke out into a violent coughing fit.
"All right, break it up." It was rare to hear Kira raise his voice, but he ushered the students away. Shihouin looked too entertained by everything to intervene.
And suddenly, it was just the three of them still standing awkwardly outside the offices as Aigis patted Makoto's back.
"I…did hear from Shihouin-san that you were an officer here." Makoto sighed, her voice still rough from coughing. "It was just a coincidence that we ran into each other here."
"The lieutenant did say he met two interesting students from the Academy five months back, and he seemed to be a lot busier since then." Akechi said, his gaze still not fully meeting Makoto's. "Was it the two of you?"
Aigis nodded. "He took us on a mission to hunt some bandits."
"Oh right, I think it was originally a mission assigned to the Fifth and made its way here when none of the shinigami could complete it." Akechi replied. He looked between Makoto and Aigis, not quite meeting either of their gazes. "I know that you knew each other from when you were alive after what Aigis-san told me, but…I don't think I quite believed it until now."
"We did have most of our natural lifespan to live through after what happened." Makoto pointed out as she forced herself to unfold her arms. "We had to move on."
They – the Phantom Thieves – all did. Many of them chose to become auxiliary members of the Shadow Operatives, with only Ryuji and Futaba making a career out of their powers, and even then Futaba spent most of her time in the IT department rather than the Operatives.
They fell into an uncomfortable silence.
"Oh yes – Aigis-san, did anyone tell you about what happened to Namba?" Akechi asked. Makoto tried to look interested, because there was really no point in being hostile. It was a childish, knee jerk reaction. Their past hardly mattered now.
Aigis stared blankly at Akechi for a moment before her mouth formed a small circle. "The shinigami I captured?"
Akechi jerked his head towards the forest. Despite the early winter weather, the trees were still green for some reason, though Makoto noticed a couple flecks of yellow and red within the leaves. "He was sentenced to be imprisoned in the Maggot's Nest," he said. "I thought you would appreciate an update."
"The…Maggot's Nest?" Aigis's face returned to its previously blank state.
"A prison for dangerous shinigami who had, or have the potential to break the rules in some way." Akechi explained patiently, like a rehearsed script that he had repeated many times. "Before you ask, no – I can't let you visit him, I'm afraid."
It was strange, listening to this conversation. Akechi acted like Makoto was not even there, and Aigis seemed content to entertain his fantasy, because she did not leave room for Makoto to join in.
Then again, meeting the one who lied to her sister for years before he tried to betray the Phantom Thieves in the afterlife, three hundred years after he had died, was a pretty strange situation to be in all around.
"I was not about to." Aigis replied earnestly. "What about the cultists?"
Akechi blinked. "That's…" His gloved hand went up to his chin, while the other rested on his hip. "My apologies, but I was not informed of their sentencing."
It was Aigis's turn to blink, though she did not say anything further.
"Is it normal for you to not know?" Makoto asked. "The sentencing for ordinary souls, I mean." She didn't want Akechi to take the question the wrong way.
He shrugged. "I usually don't know the sentencing for anyone I capture," he said neutrally. "I heard about the sentencing for Namba from Captain, actually, and only because of the…unusual circumstances behind his capture."
"What is the hold up, Akechi?"
"Ah, speak of the devil."
A new voice joined them, one so deep and commanding for a female voice that the hairs on Makoto's back immediately stood up on end and she unconsciously straightened her back. She looked down the corridor.
The owner of the voice was, surprisingly, a rather petite woman with long dark hair, braided into two long strands that hung freely down her back. She seemed middle-aged, though her steps were unusually soft on the wooden floorboards. The thing that captured Makoto's attention the most, however, was the white, sleeveless haori over her shihakusho, tied with a yellow sash.
"I'm sorry Captain, but the Lieutenant is currently busy with the tour for students from the Academy, but he promised he would look over the report after he's done." Akechi immediately blurted out before he was prompted.
In any other situation, it would've been somewhat amusing to watch his flustered response, but Makoto did not blame his reaction. Captain Soifon's gaze was narrowed and sharp, and she seemed to have a permanent scowl etched on her face. And when her dark pupils shifted its attention from Akechi to Makoto, the hostility redirected to her as well. It felt as if she was being analysed inside out – all her secrets struggling to hide themselves inside her.
"What are two Academy students doing here?" Soifon asked harshly.
Where in the world was their little tour group now?
Before Makoto could formulate an answer, Aigis stepped forward and bowed. "We are sorry for delaying Akechi-san, Captain Soifon," she apologised. "We will go join our tour group now."
A nudge. "Come on, Makoto-san."
She followed, though it was hard to shake off the feeling of being watched.
They managed to find the rest of the students back at the entrance.
"Oh good, at least you came out on time." Kira commented. "Sorry, but we need to move on."
Aigis shook her head. "It's fine, Kira-sensei," she replied. "I do not think I will be joining this division anyway."
"I don't want to go back to that division." Makoto mumbled, hopefully out of his earshot.
They had not even properly said their goodbyes to Akechi, because Aigis was too preoccupied with trying to get away from Soifon. The longer Aigis stayed there, the more she wanted to hide somewhere far away from that intense gaze. Perhaps it was part of the requirements for holding the job, but she was not keen on having her secrets exposed by a captain who could not leave well enough alone.
The Third Division captain, however, was the complete opposite of Soifon. On the surface, Captain Abarai Renji looked like the type of person that Soifon would happily arrest if they were in the Living World and he tried to commit any misdemeanour, with his mass of tattoos snaking up his arms and across his brow, partially covered by a pair of spectacles perched on his forehead that reminded Aigis of the type that sportsmen would wear. His long, deep red hair was tied up in a messy samurai's ponytail, which along with his stocky stature, made him resemble a…punk, as Kanji may have said once upon a time. However, his posture was relaxed as he greeted the students at the entrance to the Third Division barracks.
"Normally I'd leave this to my lieutenant, but he's currently away on a mission," he said excitedly, almost in sharp contrast to the borderline apologetic words. "We don't really specialise in anything, but we help all the divisions whenever needed, and we aren't picky about who joins either, as long as you're a good worker."
Somehow, Aigis was reminded of Junpei.
Compared to the last two divisions they visited, this one seemed almost normal. The floors were slightly dusty from constant use, and there were signs of wear and tear in inconspicuous corners, but overall, the area seemed well maintained. Kira led the tour with light steps, expertly navigating the entire compound, while Abarai introduced the various facilities in a laid-back, friendly tone. He easily started chatting with the students on a number of topics, from the woes of practising kido to different strategies for improving zanjutsu. Aigis and Makoto hung around the back of the group, both of them too emotionally drained from their experience in the Second Division to bother socialising.
"For those of you who like music, there is a dedicated concert hall in the barracks." Kira said partway through the tour, motioning at a pair of thick wooden double doors that looked rather out of place in the largely Japanese building. "Captain Rose was quite insistent on it."
"Didn't see any point in tearing it down." Abarai shrugged. "So we host concerts of all kinds every now and then. Japanese, classical, modern, rock, metal – you name it, we prep it. It's open to everyone, even those outside of the division, but of course you need to book it in advance."
"Captain Rose?" A student asked.
"The previous captain." Abarai explained casually. "Also Kira-senpai's captain while he was the lieutenant here. He's retired, if you're curious."
That was news. While Aigis knew that Kira was once a lieutenant, she did not realise this was his former division. Was this why he led the tour for this particular block of divisions?
The revelation of the concert hall garnered a few excited whispers amongst the students, though Aigis and Makoto were less interested. Neither of them were musically inclined, but Aigis did appreciate a military branch having any sort of dedicated area for recreational activities. She once tried to propose a multi-media room for the Operatives to relax in their headquarters while they were part of the government, but the proposal was summarily rejected despite repeated appeals, and she eventually had to give up.
She was not pleased with that rejection, but did build a smaller room for relaxation some time afterwards. It was one of the incidents that eventually caused her to distrust their government contacts.
The tour finished quickly afterwards as Abarai waved everyone goodbye, then they moved on to the last division tour for the day.
It was immediately obvious that the Fourth Division was very different from the rest. For starters, they began the tour from their side entrance, rather than the main entrance.
"We always have people going in and out through the main entrance," Kotetsu Kiyone explained, her long flaxen hair tied into a messy bun that seemed to be on the verge of coming loose. "A group like this is too big and would block the entrance, I'm afraid."
The lieutenant of the Fourth Division was a short woman who was friendly enough, but it was also obvious she had a very short fuse. Throughout the tour, she constantly yelled at anyone and everyone crossing her path, demanding them to make way for the group or to pipe down arguments between shinigami, often by yelling louder than them. Aigis was not sure whether she spent more time explaining the facilities or yelling. The fact that her vocal chords still sounded functional seemed like a minor miracle, or perhaps it was a testament to the skill of the healers in the division.
"Just because we have all the healers here doesn't mean you can do whatever you want and we won't retaliate." Kotetsu sighed after the latest round of shouting. "Most of us aren't fighters, but we take our medical care here seriously. If you don't follow our instructions and later on get a permanent injury, don't say we didn't warn you."
"Kiyone!" The door next to the tour group suddenly opened and a shinigami peeked her head out, revealing a tall woman with short lilac hair and prominent bags under her eyes. "Keep your voice down!" Several students instinctively wrinkled their nose from the strong smell of iron and antiseptic, though neither Persona user had much of a reaction.
Whatever was in there, they have seen worse.
The door slammed shut.
Kotetsu sighed again. "That was Captain Kotetsu Isane, by the way," she said. "This wing is where she personally takes care of serious injuries. As you can see, Nee-san is a rather busy woman, even in this era of peace. Patrols and missions don't always go well, so we operate in shifts here. Naturally, we don't care if you can fight or not, but a solid foundation in kido and kaido is what we're really looking for. In a way, this is probably the safest division to be in if you don't want to die to a Hollow, but you also need strong mental fortitude to thrive here – we see a lot of nasty injuries and you don't want to lose your meal."
Several students edged backwards.
"I think this division might suit your skills." Aigis commented to Makoto, who instead fiddled with her hair. She certainly had the aptitude for it – her kaido scores were amongst the top of the cohort.
"Maybe…but it's not really related to law enforcement." Makoto replied flatly.
"You may meet people who work in law enforcement though."
"You know as well as I do that they're all paper pushers who barely see an hour of combat in their career."
Aigis had to concede the point.
"Well!" Kotetsu clapped her hands, bringing everyone's attention to her. "This is all for the hospital. Our office area is a lot smaller, but don't worry, we have some very comprehensive facilities!"
"So what are your thoughts?" Aigis asked. They stopped by the cafeteria at the Academy for an afternoon snack after the tour, each nursing a cup of hot tea and taiyaki.
"The Third…might be a viable choice for me?" Makoto started. "I think Captain Abarai is good at managing his division, at least." She took a bite out of her taiyaki, huffing a little to cool her mouth down from eating the hot filling.
"I think his demeanour appealed to many of the students." Aigis agreed. "He seems to be quite adept at managing interpersonal relationships."
It was an important skill for leadership. Aigis still did not think she mastered it while she was alive though. In her opinion, it was the most difficult skill to use.
"What about you?" Makoto asked.
Aigis shrugged. "I do not know yet."
"Well, we still have two-thirds of the divisions to see, so I don't think we need to make a decision now." Makoto said as she stretched. "Maybe tomorrow we can see some divisions that would suit us better."
Aigis sincerely hoped so.
A/N: This might have been a bit dry of a chapter, but unfortunately the exposition was necessary. Also, Makoto finally runs into Akechi! Who knows how their relationship will go in the future...
Next two or three chapters will have even more exposition, but we will meet some very familiar characters soon. The chapter is finished, I'm just waiting till next month to publish it because I will be very busy starting from next week (FFXIV Dawntrail release + merch prep for convention). Hopefully chapter releases won't be affected - I built up enough of a buffer that the upload schedule shouldn't change.
Lastly, I will be starting a mini game here. Give me your guesses as to which divisions Aigis and Makoto will end up in! Winner gets a cookie from me!