Of Swords and Souls (Bleach, Shinigami) (100 years before canon)

[Wiererid]

One soul woke up in Rukongai, very close the eighty's districts.
He had nothing but a memory of a life he once lived.

This story is about a path, carved by a Shinigami, who had nothing, but his stubbornness and a touch of knowledge about a possible future that may yet come to pass…

This here, is an important clarification about the fanfic as a whole. Not a spoiler, but an explanation with a touch of a warning.

This story is based on the Bleach manga, and may possibly contain elements of arcs from the anime, however it only includes details of worldbuilding from the original, that were introduced up until the Fake Karakura Arc. Some things from later on may be used, but you shouldn't assume they are.
Practically that means that, for instance, the whole Yahweh and his Quincy things will not come up. Quincy here, are as they were introduced, a curious bunch of people with a special way of bending Spiritual Energy, and that's all there is to it.
That's what an AU stands for, for the most part.

The reason for doing this is rather simple – Bleach doesn't have the best worldbuilding, it's full of retcons, logical problems, and outright bullshit out-of-nowhere powerhouses if you count everything officially written or drawn about the universe. In my personal opinion the world changes drastically after Fake Karakura Arc in pacing and in tone, introducing conceptual powers to a relatively weak people, ignoring previously established boundaries of what makes strength in the fist place, makes a lot of changes to worldbuilding and yada-yada-yada. I am sure you know what I mean and can probably come up with a few examples yourself.
I can't think of a way to fit that, and an earlier version of the world that I grew to love in the same "space", not without contradicting myself and ignoring glaring logical issues, so instead I am separating them and writing about a world we grew to know in the first arcs of the series, with occasional touch of later-written fluff, if I find it appropriate.

Putting it right on top of the thread, so there won't be any miscommunication.

 

[Wiererid]

Spoiler: Author Note

This work - is a translation of my own fanfiction, so if you do find any typos, mistakes, or funny looking sentences, let me know. I am here to improve.

***

"I am your lead instructor, Arikawa Daisuke," the man standing on the small pedestal in front of us was a tanned Shinigami and he looked as one would in his mid-thirties. Well, that what would one would have to assume in the living world, but here, in the Soul Society? It's impossible to deduce a person's age by appearance, courtesy of everyone being a spiritual being. "I congratulate you on your enrollment in the Spiritual Arts Academy. You are first-years of Class 2, which is also known as an 'advanced class'. You are here, because you performed well on the entrance exam, but you still need to try harder to catch up with the Class 1, 'special class', that is" the man spoke softly, never really rising his voice, but his speech carried well-measured enthusiasm and was firm. Thus, he easily held the attention of his audience, me included.
I was sitting in the third row from the bottom of the lecture hall, which allowed me to easily inspect the appearance of our, as I understand it, 'classroom teacher'. As it turned out, this practice was not only present in educational institutions back on Earth.
I saw and heard the man well, which is probably a byproduct of the rooms structure, it reminded me so much of the auditorium from the university in the previous life...
I do find it a little bit uncanny. How much the Shinigami Academy and the places I went to in my previous life had in common, that is.
For the most part, Arikawa devoted the entire first lecture to instructing us on our new rights and responsibilities, told us what we are supposed to expect from our studies here, and what was in turn expected from us. The schedules of upcoming classes, the rules of conduct, and the consequences of breaking said rules... it's amusing how that's what he emphasized the most.
Amusing, but hardly surprising. I'm sure that a fair bit of my classmates were living on the streets just yesterday, which means they are not the kind of people you want to be lax with, if you expect them to behave.
The rules he broadly talked about weren't anything that special. The wording and exact details weren't like anything in my past life, too different due to the culture and social norms of Soul Society, but otherwise they looked perfectly reasonable.
If you don't do your assignments or perform beneath all expectations in class? They assign you extra classes. Ignore them? Disciplinary punishments that you can't get away from without getting into a very serious trouble. It's a military academy after all. You don't pass your exams at the end of the year? You'll be out of the Academy faster than you can say "Oops." More 'general rules' are a no brainer. Don't steal, don't start fights, don't act up with people beyond your station, behave respectfully with instructors, and other things that are obvious to any civilized person.
The key word is civilized.
And not all academy recruits even know the meaning of that word. I am not exaggerating or complaining, people who can feed themselves and are set for a good life… don't usually come to Shinigami Academy for a life of military service. Most recruits that are not of noble birth come here because they have little choice, and a huge chunk of said people probably stole, killed, or robbed someone at some point. Some probably even earned their bread and butter that way.
It's not as bad in Class 1 and 2, or that's what I vaguely heard from some complaining aristocrats, but a very spiritually talented ex-bandit would still be accepted here just fine, so it's still not surprising that the instructor was trying to hammer down the whole 'there will be consequences' things down our throats.
There was no bell ringing, just at some point the instructor announced that that was it for the day.
As I passed my classmates dressed in their clean, new uniforms, I stopped next to the instructor's desk, waiting for the man, who was checking something in a stack of paper he brought with him, to give me some of his time.

"You wanted something?" he finally asked, glancing up at me briefly.
"My name is Komado Shichika, Arikawa-san," I took advantage of the pause and did a short bow, as was expected of me. "I wanted to ask about the extra classes you mentioned in passing. Didn't you say that they could also be arranged at the student's request?"
"Ho~" the man finally took his eyes off the papers for more than a second, giving me an appraising look. "I can hardly fault you for being eager, Komado-kun, but today you won't get much besides a sightseeing tour. Classes won't start for another couple of days."
"In that case, I'm sorry for troubling you. Thank you for your time," I bowed deeply once again, and after receiving a brief nod from the instructor in turn, I was free to walk away from the classroom.

I got all the information I wanted.

***

The entire first day at Shinigami Academy was uneventful, just as Arikawa warned.

On the way out of the classroom, where our lead instructor was giving us a lecture, our class was gathered by some of the older students who then proceeded to give us a tour of the academy grounds.

Frankly, for the first time since I appeared in the Soul Society, I almost felt like I was in Heaven, or at least somewhere substantially closer to it.
The Academy boasted dozens of training ranges, specialized obstacle courses and dojos, various classrooms scattered throughout the buildings, four separate dormitory buildings, and, of course, the place where I was seriously planning to spend a while: the 'Archives', though it would be better to call it a library, since the function was the same, or at least that much I gathered from what our 'senpai' was saying.

Anyone who would have known at least a little about a life of 'Komado Shichika', his origins and story in this world so to speak, would have been surprised by such thoughts. Any ordinary soul that wandered all the way to the middle of Soul Society from district Seventy-Eight is probably an illiterate murderer who barely knew anything but starvation, blood and dirt.
Here is the thing, I'm no ordinary native of distant Rukongai. I like to think so, at least. Even if the only thing that really makes me any different, is that distant memory of a life I once lived, a life that seems so careless and easy compared to gritty and hard days I've had here, that it's barely more than a dream.
That same memory made me feel relatively comfortable at the Academy, almost… nostalgic. I had been a student once before, so the purely academic side of our training did not frighten me. Even though I can hardly call my writing or reading skills pristine, at least I was literate.
I had no idea if will be up to the task when it comes to studying the 'Shinigami Arts'. And that fact alone did bring a lot of anxiety and some fear.
After all, the Shinigami skills that will be taught to us here are… something else. What can I even compare them too? Superpowers, magic, and even a little bit of a 'force' from those movies about a galaxy far-far away. Case examples one and two, kido and hoho.

What is hoho? It is a set of skills, techniques, and abilities that Shinigami use to move around, an art of movement if you will. It also includes 'shunpo', the famous 'Flash Step' technique of the Shinigami, which lets you cover a hundred steps in one... or more, depending on your skill and power. And these are just the well-known, initial facets of the art, it's supposed to go deeper.

Kido, in turn, is Shinigami's magic, it shapes and changes our reiryoku, that is, spiritual power, to affect the world in a variety of ways. As one of our 'tour guides' explained as we walked the now-empty training grounds, kido is divided into three categories, or paths. Bakudo, which is the 'Way of Binding', hado, which is the the 'Way of Destruction', and kaido which happens to be the 'Way of Return'. Kido of the first category are, for the most part, spells designed to restrain an enemy's movements; the second category refers to spells that exist to deal direct damage; and the third category are 'support type' spells designed to heal wounds or restore physical stamina, but I am paraphrasing an already very abridged lecture here.

In his explanation, the older student obviously omitted a lot, but generally confirmed the classification I knew. It wasn't quite clear where the other 'Kido' I remembered in the show belonged, like barriers and seals, but I doubt that our escort knew the answer to that question, even if I were stupid enough to ask.

Maybe no one would pay any mind that a street-urchin from supposedly 'wild' district knows more about kido then he is supposed to, but in a tiny of chance they would, I won't risk brining more attention to myself for no reason.
As much as I am hesitant to trust the yet-to-be-confirmed foreknowledge I had, it provided ample warning about the dangers of Seireitei as a whole, I would be a fool to ignore them. Attracting any attention may have a long-reaching consequences.
Our guide also explained to us about two other 'pillars of Shinigami art', in addition to those already described earlier.
Hakudo and zanjutsu. Which stand for arts of hand-to-hand combat and zanpakuto combat respectively, zampakuto being a unique spiritual blade of a shinigami.
After the older student explained that he was immediately bombarded with questions from my own class-mates, in response to which he straight up told everyone to wait for the actual studies to start and continued with the tour of the bathing facilities.


At the end of the day, as I lay down onto my assigned bed in the dorm room that I shared with four other students, I couldn't quite keep my smile down.

I got everything that I expected from the Seireitei Spiritual Academy, and more.

A sea of all kinds of emotions raged in my chest.

A week ago, before the entrance exam, I was a dirty nobody, with no place to stay for the night, owning just my worn-out kimono, a rather rusty blade, and enough coins to buy food for a couple of meals, everything else I spent trying to reach the shining pearl in the center of Rukongai that housed Shinigami and a ruling body of this world – the Seireitei.
I staked everything I had into this trip and… it paid off, somehow.

I never harbored any delusions of grandeur, I knew perfectly well how little my life was worth here. My first years in the Seventy-Eighth have hammered those lessons into me, I am no hero, nor am I a chosen one, just another soul, and it doesn't take much for a soul to perish.

I wasn't exactly an ordinary Rukongai resident even then. Unlike the vast majority, I remembered my life before I got into the Soul Society. Unlike most, I had a reiatsu, which, however, in the early days only bestowed upon me a terrible hunger that seemed to make my insides twist.
But both of those things, though unusual, and even more so combined, were not exactly exceptional by the standards of the Soul Society. Sometimes people who moved on to here, either by themselves, or with a helping hand of a Shinigami preserved their memories, it was like a Russian roulette, except existential, from what I gathered. Some of those souls also had spiritual potential, which while rare, still did happen.

I was different from every other soul in Rukongai for another reason.

The thing is, I'm a man from the 21st century. Whereas, as far as everyone here is concerned, in the world of the living it is only somewhere in the middle of the twentieth, or so I gathered.
I also knew some of the events that future held. Well, to be more precise, I watched an anime based on said events, and I am still not sure how much I can trust a cartoon with my life.

This amazing 'gift' of being a civilized and educated man, frankly, did little to nothing to help me survive in the slums, where the 'laws of the jungle' were the only laws ever set. I was taught a couple of lessons there… or perhaps I was broken, maybe a bit of both, what I can say for certain, is that I walked out of that hell a changed man. Who was barely a man at all.
Learning to survive, and many more things besides destroyed that soft person from a far gentler age, and robbing him of everything he though he knew about himself and human nature.

However, I did have spiritual energy. Unlike most souls in my position, I was aware of that, aware ever since I understood where I was, and that only I felt the hunger while everyone around me – did not.
More importantly, I knew exactly what that power could do, at least in theory.
In the early days it was more useful than perhaps all my other knowledge, work experiences and 'education' from my past life combined.

I don't like to reminisce about that time, the less said about it, the better. But suffice it to say that in the decade I've spent in the Soul Society, I've come to accept this new world, with everything it entailed. It sounds simple, sounds obvious, but it's not.
This world had too many unsightly sides that are easy to ignore from the other side of the screen, but not so simple to forget as you are shoved into them head first.
It's all real, the cruelty, the despair, the hunger and that complete lack of worth when it comes to human life, with no hope for that ever changing, with no one giving a helping hand… and yet, it's just how it is.
I was part of it all now.

So, I set goals for myself.

Even though they all revolved around a revelation, as old as the world, but completely new in its depth for me personally...

I wanted to live.
***
It was my third month training within 'Shinigami Academy', though, that name I had become accustomed to in Rukongai was not quite correct.
Academy graduates did not always become 'Shinigami' per say. The Seireitei Spiritual Arts Academy trained not only future members of the Gotei 13, but also recruits of the Omnitsukido and Kido Squad.
This, in fact, was conveyed to us in no uncertain terms very early on.

Any Academy student can, in theory, try to join one of the organizations that look for recruits from here. Practically, there are more nuances.
The Omnitsukido, and the Kido Squad, tend to need people with very specific skills and abilities. The Kido Squad, for instance, doesn't need, a soul with talents of, say, Abarai Renji any more than the Chinese needed opium in the nineteenth century.

The Spiritual Arts Academy actually has a very simple hierarchy when it comes to students.
There is a class called '1st​ class', aka a special class. It prepares the young elite of Gotei 13, the really exceptional students from this class can qualify for lower officer positions right after graduation... at least technically.
Practically that doesn't happen very often, once every decade or two, but the prospect itself is ridiculously tempting.
Next is the '2nd​ class', also known as the advanced class. It is also a class for gifted individuals, but let's just say, the caliber of talents is lower, either in some disciplines or across the board. Those in this class with good results in the graduation exams may also qualify for a place in Gotei's squads, but the chance that an officer position will be reserved for someone from here – is minuscular, almost non-existent.
This is simply because we study for six years in the Academy, and at the end of each year we are recertified and can move up or down to any of the classes, depending on our performance. In fact, that's why someone in second class rarely outperforms someone in first when it comes to final exams, because if you were graded below 'elite' in the beginning of the year, it's unlikely that you'll improve dramatically in a very last year, just to somehow perform at the level of that very elite.
Next comes the '3rd​ class'. It's also known as a 'general class'. The graduates of the academy from this class can only qualify for positions as rank-and-file Shinigami in Gotei's squads; they are just the future backbone of the goon forces of every squad. People without pronounced abilities or aspirations, frankly, graduates from this class almost never have enough talent to qualify for places in the Omnitsukido or Kido Squad, if they did have a suitable talent in any of the disciplines that are sought by those organizations, they would have been in classes above because of that alone.
Of course, being from Class 1 doesn't guarantee you a ticket to Omnitsukido or Kido Squad either, the very same example of Renji still applies, but all people with enough talent in the right disciplines are distributed between the first two classes in one way or another.

There is also the '4th​ class'. A.k.a, the 'underperforming class'. The name speaks for itself, this is usually a place for trash, who had enough spiritual energy to potentially become a Shinigami and so they are given a chance to improve, but who, for a number of reasons, are highly likely to never graduate from the academy.
There were plenty of outright thugs or idiots there. As an exception, some normal souls with terribly modest reserves of spiritual energy may be tossed there too, at least in the first year. This class is not allowed to graduate at all, so if by the end of the fifth year you still don't make it out of the fourth class, then, as they say, good riddance. You've been given plenty of chances to move up the ladder.
Personally, I think I have a pretty good chance of making it to 'Class 1' by the end of the year. I've seen a few practical lessons from afar, and it's not like they're showing anything too far out of my reach.
It makes sense to ask, then, why would I consider myself to be good enough to get there, if I was originally placed in Class 2?
Simple: I've learned a lot over the time I spent here. Of course, I know for a fact that in the first and second classes many places are 'reserved' by members of aristocracy, but it's not like it affects the distribution of regular students.
Simply because no class has a limit on how many students can transfer into it. If you meet the requirements – you are all good, so technically in a given year every single student of the academy can be a part of Class 1.
To be honest, I am just happy that I was able to get into the second class after that horrible entrance exam. No, really.
I had learned to read and write in those two years I had worked as a clay potter at old man Komado's shop in a small town of Horukasa, on the border of the thirtieth district, but there was never much opportunity to practice those skills.
To say the exam was brutal is to say nothing, the whole thing was long, exhausting, and tense as all hell, so I am just happy I somehow managed to qualify as 'above average' considering the circumstances. Hell, I am honestly happy I got accepted at all.
The Society of Souls in many ways resembles feudal Japan, which means ink and paper – were rather expensive, especially in the further districts, where no one can, or wants to pay for more expensive commodities.
Considering the district I came from, I could even be proud of the skills I managed to acquire, if I were that vain.

As I learned, the Academy even accepts students who cannot read or write at all, though, only if their talents are exceptional, and they are assigned straight into the 'class 4'. Seventy percent of such 'savages' never graduate, of course, but some do.
It's understandable, okay? I, a man with decent education, who knows several languages, so I was able to learn in between work-days, and in a lot of ways that was thanks to the instinctive understanding of verbal language that all the souls gain as they get to this dimension.
But seriously expecting similar results from yesterday's bandits or beggars, who are usually the desperate kind to drag themselves to the Academy with no skills at all, is just stupid.

In those three months I've been here, due to endless practice, I managed to substantially improve my reading and writing skills. Enough to prove myself to be a very hard-working, patient, and moderately talented student. In purely academic classes, I was the best in our class, even though my handwriting left a lot to be desired. When it came to 'Shinigami Arts' I was no slouch either, despite my worries.
Well, it would be more accurate to say that I had difficulties and failures, but no more than anyone else in the group. Of course, some things were easier and some were harder to learn, but I never quite demonstrated any extraordinary skills or talents, beyond, perhaps, having a bit more spiritual energy then most.
Having a bit more energy than most didn't exactly place me head and shoulders above my peers, as my reiatsu 'quality' was completely average, unlike some of the young aristocrats who apparently had studied a lot with individual tutors long before setting a foot in the academy, and who's spiritual power was intense and rich enough, that they almost felt like full-fledged shinigamis to me. If not in quantity, then in quality of their energies.

However, despite all of that, even when it came to practical training, I held firmly to the top spots in our class.
An oxymoron you say?
Not at all. I may not have had much in terms of talent, but I made up for it with genuine enthusiasm and effort.
Teachers, if they know and love their job, are the same everywhere, and the ability to learn, or rather approach learning in the right way is a universal talent, that I seemed to keep even after all those years. If I did not understand something at a theoretical lecture, I stayed for more classes and genuinely studied until I understood it. If I made a mistake in practical class, I spent some of the 'free time' we had to work on that particular thing until I got it right. But, to be honest, I spent most of my free time on the ranges and in the archives anyway.
That in fact, was the main distinction between my classmates and I. Only a few of them were willing not just to 'do their best' in class, but to devote themselves entirely to training and studies.
So, no, unfortunately I didn't luck out on some insane talent to keep me above my peers. I just spend more time working on myself than anyone else around me did.


As a result of all that, despite my still somehow crooked handwriting in all tests and written papers I had to submit, the instructors liked me, and I also was… a bit of a nerd and an outcast in the eyes of my classmates.
Probably the old me that hadn't lived in the Soul Society for ten years would have been uncomfortable with that. But as it is, I didn't care for opinions of people whom I probably wouldn't even see the moment I graduated.
Making connections may be nice, but I simply didn't have time or social skills needed to network, not when the priority was to get stronger.
Not when after those six years, I will be enrolling into actual military, and will have to fight real soul-eating monsters.

"Group Two, get ready!" The voice of our lead instructor, who also happened to be teaching us in our hado classes, instantly made me stop daydreaming, as I got to my feet. At the same time, the entire second row of my kneeling classmate did the same, as the first row was done with getting their feedback.
We moved forward almost in synch, passing by the retreating first row and approaching the edge of the wooden platform, and each of us looked towards the targets as we waited for the command.
"Spell practice; start!" Now, with my hand outstretched in front of me, I closed my eyes and concentrated.
The spiritual 'background noise', born from the vague sixth sense that allowed one to perceive the spiritual, that I had become accustomed to in all of my years in this world, stirred, reflecting the spells being prepared by my classmates...
"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south!" The voices of my classmates rang out at the same time as mine did, but some were faster to dictate the chant, some were slower, so it devolved into a chorus of miss-matched sounds. But at the moment, I hardly noticed. All of my concentration was directed towards the mass of energy that was slowly building up in front of my palm.

I needed absolute concentration for this, and as spell shaped, I ceased noticing the noises, the spiritual signatures around me, the warmth of the sun shining down on my head…

The words were only a part of what made a spell, and a small one at that. They helped to focus, and they made it much easier to manipulate reiryoku, the spiritual energy that flowed in my body, but everything else was on me.
It wasn't enough to shout a few words and wave your hand in just the right way to complete the spell. Unfortunately, we weren't at Hogwarts.
I felt the transformation of energy in front of my palm, guided these changes, and finally... gave direction to the finished spell.
"Hado number 31 - Shakkaho!" As I finished the chant, the ball of crimson fire completed its formation, and a moment later flew towards the target.

Right towards its center. Just like the last dozen times I tried it.
The explosion wasn't very impressive, it blew a small hole in the wooden target, but that's not surprising. The first-year students like us don't have much spiritual energy, so the spell barely has any punch. At our level, we had enough energy to power it to it's absolute lowest, enough for the spell to actually form, but most couldn't even hope to go beyond that anytime soon.

"Good work, Komado! Your execution isn't perfect yet, but you will get there with practice. The accuracy is impressive. 90 points," I nodded to the instructor and moved back to the end of the small line, to wait until our 'row' will once again be called forward. The thing is, in Hado's practice, our entire class, that was quite big, was practicing on the same training ground. We were divided into three groups - one practicing the shot, the other two sitting in straight rows behind each other, watching and waiting their turn.
A simple set up, but a smart one none the less. This way, even souls with a meager supply of spiritual energy are able to practice for the duration of the entire lesson, thanks to the big breaks in between 'shots'. And the teacher, again, has time to look at the performance of Kido by each individual student, and to give them comments om their performance and some basic advices. Sometimes also issuing them extra classes, if things were really bad.

Even though our class is made up of students with some talent, that talent not always laid with kido, so most of the students in my group, had more to hear from my instructor then a few easy-going comments. Moreover, even after a month of practice with Shakkaho, some select individuals are not able to shape the damn spell. Once again, that, as a contrast to my own performance, seemed like something I should be proud of, right?
Perhaps, if only that particular spell was impressive at all.

My results now are by no means echoes of some great talent for kido on my part. '31st Hado', that sounds like a big number at first glance but… only at first glance. In fact, that spell is known for how simple it is. Yes, technically it is a spell in the thirties, which means it is more difficult to practice and execute than almost all kido a number below but… practically, the only heavy requirement it had – is the amount of spiritual power needed to power it. There were more complicated spells in the twenties, structuraly-wise.
You can only have problems with Shakkaho if your energy-control is terrific in general, or if you have too little energy to practice it properly. Even so, both of those problems will go away after a month of practice, if you are not slacking on your training.
Or, at least, that's how it's supposed to be. I did manage to get this spell somewhat right in less than a week, didn't I? So even assuming I could squeeze in more practice due to the size of my energy reserves, a month is more then enough for even a below-average student to get where I got.
After all, reiatsu and control over it do increase with practice.
So, yeah, it's a strange thing. Yes, some people in the class still can't properly form Shakkaho and hit the target with this hado... but the fact that it is taught to first-year students in the second month of our training should say something about how 'hard' it really is. Me execution of the spell might be a bit better then most nowadays, but it's not even that big of a difference.
Sure, at first, I couldn't get the damn thing right either. When we first had a demonstration in the class, and the instructor suggested to try our hands on it.
I understood the general principle of the spell back then, and thanks to the instructor's example I felt how it should feel when executed correctly, but my reiryoku control just wasn't good enough to reproduce the damn thing.
For four straight days.

We practiced with Shakkaho once a week since it was shown us the first time, even though we had hado practice almost every day. I assume that's why I pleasantly surprised our class teacher Arikawa with my progress by shooting a Shakkaho at the very next class we were working on the spell, just a week after it was shown to us. Since then, he was promising me a place in class 1, as long as I would keep up the momentum.
Though, it's not like I received a lot of praises or any kind of special treatment, Arikawa seemed to be rather careful, empathizing that I got where I was only because of all the training I put myself through.
Ah, yes, the training. It's no secret among instructors that I try to attend every extra class I can. The rest of my free time I also spend either in the dojos, the training ranges or ground, or in the archive.
At first there was not much of a reaction to the pace I set for myself. I wasn't the only one who was inspired by the promise of power and status, not the only one who wanted to get to class 1 by swinging a wooden sword or practicing entry-level Kido.
However, unlike most other enthusiasts, I did not give up my training after a week, or after a month.

What's more, I'm not going to stop even after thirty years.
Because, unlike my blissful classmates, I know what kind of shit may hit the fan in not-too-distant future. Seeing that, when I was still living in Rukongai, I heard about the appointment of a number of new Gotei 13 captains, among whom I caught an all too familiar name of Urahara Kisuke.

That's one of the reasons why I rushed to the Academy, even though at first, I was going to settle in the tenth districts for a while, hoping to earn some money and practice my writing and reading, hoping to prepare for the entry exam better.
The desire to live is a great motivator. Especially if you remember that Aizen's experiments with 'holofication', and on whom and where he conducted said experiments.
So, I sat there, watching the line of man and women who were chanting spells, waiting for my turn again, even as my thoughts drifted off.

"Group Two, your turn!"

***

From my earliest days in the Soul Society, I've been training those new abilities of mine.
The ability to feel reiatsu. The ability to hide reiatsu. The ability to strengthen the body with my own reiryoku…

Day after day I practiced, whenever I had enough energy and food to experiment, at least. From the beginning it was not only another way to develop a tool that helped me survive, but it was also something... exciting.

Trying to reach a new horizons, power and abilities foreign and unknown to me in my last life. A glimpse of a real miracle I always dreamed of, ever since I've been a kid.

I can't say that I learned anything special during my pitiful attempts of self-training. There was simply never an opportunity to truly give a training your all. Not when food was so depressingly scarce, and every workout left me exhausted, a step closer to death.
And yet, compared to ordinary souls, I have made very impressive progress without any mentors for a number of simple but incredibly important reasons.

I was not born with this power, unlike, say, Ichigo from the now unforgettable show. Back when the memories of my previous life were still fresh, I just knew that some of the senses I had were… not normal, not something I ever had before, so I knew in which direction to push myself.
That – was a tremendous help for finding a way to my own strength in those early days.

But that's only a single variable that contributed to my progress.

The anime showed a few characters who had somehow mastered some of their Shinigami powers before joining Gothai 13.

Zaraki Kenpachi and Ichimaru Gin are great examples here.

Thanks to the show, I knew that training on my own was not useless, that something can actually come out of it if I were dedicated and lucky enough. But, more importantly, I knew which abilities were possible to develop through training, and which way I shouldn't even bother to look.

As a result, when I enrolled here, I was able to consciously strengthen my body, speed myself up and even manipulate my reiatsu outwardly to a certain limit.
Yes, I was reinventing the wheel. But in the end, it was these skills, however basic they may be, that helped me to survive those fights I could not avoid, back on my way out of the slums.

Of course, here at the academy, these hard-earned skills quickly lost their value.

I was taught to do all of these things here, too. And I am not even mentioning kido or shunpo, the skills which I stopped bothering to learn by myself very soon, when it became apparent that no matter how much I train, it gave me no sizable results to exploit at the moment.
Nevertheless, those days taught me a lot. The ability to improvise when it came down to training, and the knowledge of how valuable opportunities to freely learn are.

Now, while practicing the familiar kata with a wooden bokken, I didn't pay much attention to my aching body.
Tomorrow, in Zanjutsu classes, we will have weekly sparring sessions, those affect the intraclass rankings.
I'm going to do my best to score at least a little higher than before.
Not because I was more talented than those who now stand above me, no.

But rather because just like back then, even if I wasn't starving, nor in constant danger anymore, being better was a matter of life and death.
It always will be, this much… I learned.

 

[Jesseblackhawk]

Cant wait for the next chapter!

 

[Jimmeuh]

Interesting. You have a Follow from me.

I will also try and find the original work and see if google translate works well

 

[Wiererid]

Cant wait for the next chapter!

Click to shrink...

Appreciate it, and will see what I can do.

 

[Wiererid]

Auhtor Notes; If you are on PC and it's not too much trouble, please quote any phrases you find odd and incomprehensible, or any mistakes.
By myself I probably won't ever fish them out. Thanks in advance, and please enjoy.
------------------------------------------------------

A moment of concentration... and the world around me blurs for a moment.
Flash Step came naturally. Not as naturally as breathing, or moving your own limbs, not yet at least, but using Shunpo no longer felt like trying to bend your arms in ways, they aren't supposed to be bent.

As acceleration stops, I feel my sandals touching the wooden pole... Shunpo! And again!
Damn!

It took a second to regain the lost balance. At this point I didn't even have to think about it, had no time to, really, I just felt that one of my legs didn't lend on a pole where it was supposed to, and instinctively leaned to other side to avoid falling down.
While the actual masters of the 'Flash Step' could easily shunpo again even while barely touching the ground with a toe, I was very far from that level yet, and so still needed still needed a precious moment of full concentration before making a step, that, and stable footing.

Finally, with my second slipped foot back on the pole, I accelerate again under the effect of the technique.

That… that was a great feeling.
The sheer speed and control over it were incomparable with anything from my past life.
A roller coaster? The sensation of free fall? Driving a sports car? Ha! That's cute! Compared to the soft touch of the wind and the feeling of absolute, boundless freedom that embraces you as you 'step' faster than the wind itself, that's nothing at all!

Shunpo! Shunpo! Shunpo! And one more time!

Once again, I emerged from the series on steps on the other side of the training range. Dozens of wooden poles, that stood about as tall as me, were left behind, half-buried into the ground.
"Very good work, Komado, as always. But do not get distracted during an exercise again." Our hoho instructor was a young-looking woman of clear Japanese heritage. Trim, tanned, and with a perpetually serious face, she made a strong impression in a 'no-nonsense' sort of way. But even so, despite the overall dry tone, It was easy to discern a shadow of approval in her voice.

I bowed in gratitude and automatically uttered some combination of expected phrases like, 'I'm sorry,' 'It won't happen again,' and 'Thank you very much for your praise,' all the while my thoughts already drifted far away from the training range.
The instructor only nodded, and as she turned around to face the other side of the range, long thin braids of raven-black hair, that stood out in her otherwise rather short haircut, whistled in the air.
The next student in the line of examinees, who now had to showcase his mastery of the 'Flash Step' in front of the small committee went forward from the group of my anxious classmates, gulping slightly, I think.

Having my part here done, I turned towards the exit from the training range, and went towards it.
There was no reason to stick around anyway, the results of the exams are not announced until tomorrow, and as for my classmates' performance...

What didn't I see there? There were very few people in our class who's shumpo was even remotely decent, me being amongst that number. That's nothing surprising though.
Even though the 'Flash Step' is being taught since the first year of the academy, not every rank-and-file shinigami can use it effectively.
That's because shunpo is a very demanding technique. It requires constant training and practice, just so you don't lose the skills you've already learned, and it's supposedly very easy to go out of practice with it. When it comes to first-year students who barely learned it at all? Yeah, it's usually pretty bad.
Most of my classmates need a few long seconds of total concentration, as they freeze in place, to properly attune to the technique and step with shunpo. And even then, some 'talents' sometimes manage to miscalculate the exit point, going past the wooden pols despite them being just a meter apart!

My own results are a little more impressive than that.
No, I was far from anything remotely resembling 'mastery' myself.
Shunpo is easy to learn, but mastering it is ridiculously hard.
Even I, even while considered the best in the class when it comes to hoho, am unable to apply Shunpo without first freezing and concentrating, even if it takes me a split-second.

So far, using this technique in combat, or practicing it in combination with my Zanjutsu skills is out of the question. And that's even though I've been spending the most time practicing hoho overall, and shumpo specifically.

Even more so then kido.
No, don't get me wrong, I was just as enthusiastic about hado as I was about hoho. After all, I am talking about real magic gathering at my fingertips, something most have dreamed about at least once.
And considering I knew how far the kido as an art can take you, how much potential it held, it's needless to say that I had a lot of love for the art. I mean, even in our lectures there were mentions of spells that affect time and space!
However, that's where reality of my situation comes in. The highest peaks of kido art are very far from where I am standing, and 'Demonic Magic', at my level, is a very cumbersome tool that requires long, agonizing seconds to concentrate and shape the spells. I probably won't be able to change that anytime soon.
Hoho, in that sense, is much more versatile and… immediately useful.

It's just rational to put more effort into a direction that, if push comes to shove, can save your life.
It baffles me a bit. The other students don't seem to think about that as much as they should, but when we graduate from the Academy, we end up in a military organization where we can be sent into combat at any moment. And, as the canon shows, you can't always expect to be sent to fight an opponent you can at least theoretically defeat.
Not that I remembered many such examples from the 'cartoon', but they were there, and this was enough of a warning for me personally to force my own development as hard as I could.
After my years in Rukongai, I take everything concerning my own survival very seriously, and I am well aware that it is primarily my responsibility. Not anyone else's.
Simply put, it is the effort I put into training now that exponentially increases my chances of surviving the encounter with some Hollow in the possible not-so-distant future.
And honestly, you don't need to be an oracle, or to have the same foreknowledge I do, to figure that out.
Yet, most of my classmates seemed more worried or excited about one drama or another going on in their circles, they dread the exams, laze around whenever they can, and generally seem to do a very god job at forgetting that right now we are learning the skills that will keep us alive for the rest of our lives. Aristocrats who study in our class are one thing, they seemed to get special treatment here, and that will probably extend to their actual service, but the rest of the 'normal' students… I will never understand what they are thinking.

I, as usual on Fridays, was making my way towards the dojo, that was open for training right now, and weren't conducting end of the year exams. The hoho examination I just finished was the last scheduled thing I had for the day, and I still had a lot of energy to use productively. Hopefully the sour taste that the mistake during shunpo exam left in my mouth, will be completely washed of before I am done. It's good that zanjutsu-oriented dojos always had students in them, most were fine with accepting or offering a spar or two.
I still can't believe that the dojos are the most popular training area at the Academy.
Compared to them, the hoho practice obstacle courses and the hado and bakudo practice ranges may as well be deserted, which I just can't comprehend.
I mean, out of actual magic, the ability to travel faster than sound, and swinging your swords or fists around – you chose the latter? Why?
Though, I must admit, that makes finding a sparring partner much easier, so I can't complain.

I do wonder sometimes, however. Is it another twist of the medieval-ish Japanese mentality, or maybe it's the portrayal of shinigami in Rukongai culture, that makes people so fixated on the swords, and makes them think that it's the strongest tool they have?
Well, whatever the reason, it never ceased to make me feel like an alien who can barely understand how people around him think.
"...do-kun! Komado-kun!" I turned around. The voice calling out to me belonged to a girl I was familiar with, she had a brown hair, and wore the ever-present red and white female student uniform of our Academy.
"Jaishi-san," I nodded stiffly, as I watched the energetic girl run closer.
"Hey, Komado-kun! Me and some friends wanted to celebrate finishing our end of the year exams, so… would you like to come with us?" That bundle of sheer enthusiasm was called Jaishi Awasi.
A very outgoing girl, talkative, open, and very positive. She always seemed to have an astonishing amount of energy… if only she would apply at least half of it to her own development, instead of burning it all away by running around her friends in circles, and chatting up with people she barely knows.
"I'm afraid I can't," I shook my head after only a second to think about the invitation. Though, I wasn't really considering it, just saying no outright the moment she finished talking, would have been very rude, and I didn't want to offend anyone. "I need to put more effort into my studies. The exams made that much abundantly clear."
"Aw, come on!" The girl, who was also a denizen of Rukongai, albeit she hailed from much more civilized district, looked at me incredulously. "I've seen what you did just now during hoho exam! You showed very good results with hado and bakudo too! I'm sure you'll move up to Class 1 as it is!" I just shook my head.
"Even so, I'd have to train twice as hard just to meet the higher standards that would be expected of me. It's not a good idea to lose momentum like that, just because a hard part is over. Besides, I made some very unfortunate mistakes even just now, mistakes that show how much I still have to work on myself. Please, Jaishi-san, celebrate without me. I… won't be able to serve as a good company anyway." I allowed myself a slight smile, trying to convey some of the guilt I felt.
After all, the gesture and intent were honestly appreciated, she seemed to genuinely want to do something nice.
"I get it, I think," Awasi's face fell slightly for a second. "But that's all right, Komado-san. Maybe another time, then." The girl put her usual easy-going smile back on her face, but even to me it looked a bit forced.
"Maybe some other time," I nod; however those words are a hollow offer. "In the meantime, I have to go. Have a good evening, Jaishi-san." I bowed slightly, and headed back towards the dojo again. Only then did I realize what I'd thought was wrong with this brief conversation.

Awasi switched to a more respectful honorific the moment I refused. Did I offend her after all? That's honestly a shame, and a bit odd on her part.

This was not the first time I had been invited to such 'get-togethers' by my classmates. I may not have cine across as the most social person in the world due to my general aversion from college life, but there were a few invitations to go out for a drink, especially at the beginning of the year, when the students were just getting used to each other.
This was the fifth time Awasi had tried to ask I wanted to go someplace with her friends. It started since that practice we'd had in the world of the living, when we were placed on the same team. I don't really understand why she was so insistent, especially considering how etiquette and rules of conduct worked in this culture.
Already everyone in our class knew that I wasn't a very sociable person, even if that wasn't exactly my intention, just a byproduct of the pace I took with my training. It wasn't that I didn't like large companies, or hated alcohol with religious zeal, not at all.

It's just that I didn't have that much time to afford wasting it on anything. If I had a free hour, I either practiced, or studied 'theoretical materials' on various subjects, or even climbed through academic archives trying to read up on history and whatever other scraps of knowledge we had lying around in there. There were many reasons that drove me to do that. In part, I was driven by fear of a possible future I was not prepared for. One where the Soul Society would first be betrayed by Aizen, and then only avoided a series of disasters by sheer chance, and a hair's length.
Another would be that I genuinely enjoy learning and training those powers and talents, however its needless to say, that I would hardly be able to work at the same pace if it were not for the threat looming on the horizon.
It was this threat, and its relative proximity, that made me quite adamant about steering clear of all sorts of student gatherings.
If you don't skip years of study, the average shinigami takes six years to complete his training at the Academy of Spiritual Arts.
At first glance, that seems like an impressive amount of time, but only at first glance. For a shinigami, it is considered prodigious to reach Vise-Capitan level of power in thirty years and then spend another seventy to master Bunkai and become a Captain. And I must stress, that the time constraints I brought up are meant to describe the best of the best, the kinds of talents that don't appear in Gotei every century, at least, not until the current and upcoming generation of 1st​ officers.
Compared to that, six years of training, even constant training, is a blip, not even a time to grow, just an induction to get a taste of what I will have to do for decades. I have six years after which I will be part of Gotei 13. Part of an active army that kills the hollows, an army which you can only leave by dying, and yet, even as our academy pumps out over a hundred students each year, Gotei never grows larger.

To waste a single day of the precious time I have no – is a folly, that might just cost me my life.
Of course, even novice shinigami like me and other students here have limitations; we can't do without resting both our bodies and minds. I'm no exception to the rule here, either.
I just preferred my rest more… solitary. When I was exhausted enough to take a break, the last thing I wanted – was to get stuck in a social gathering with people I cared nothing about. I also prefer to use my breaks smartly, reading something interesting up, for instances, instead of wasting the day in vain.

That's why I was still a bit weirded out by the persistence of Awasi's attempts to include me in her company of friends.
The thing is, Soul Society mentality is drastically different from whatever was up with 21st​ century students. There are no mass parties and 'hangouts', where half of the people may not know each other at all, no, every bit of celebration or other similar events here are held only among friends, or at least very close colleagues.
Of course, among the academy students these 'circles of friends' had already formed at the start of the year, and, of course, I was not included in any of the established companies, as I didn't even make an attempt to join one.

It's not like I was completely avoiding people, or anything like that.
I worked with other students during classes when I needed to, and sometimes I offered my help when I could, if I saw one of my classmates struggle on the training grounds, there were quite a few people who I was acquainted with as a result. But that was just behaving like a functional human being, I never tried, nor embraced any attempts to form genuine friendship with anyone. I wasn't a completely unsociable freak who was afraid of communication, not at all, but friendships with people who aren't invested in the same thing as you are requires energy and time, and I had neither.
My now set-in-stone reputation of a friendless nerd, I must admit with a heavy heart, is well deserved.

It is clear that Avasi is just such a person that, having worked with me, either took pity, or simply stubbornly decided to 'socialize' a recluse, for one reason or another. I strongly doubt that it was a matter of any personal sympathy towards my person, I knew people similar to her in my previous life, the kind-hearted social-butterfly kind, they do not need rationalization to impose themselves with sincere attempts to help someone, as long as its not too much trouble, at least.

That's the problem, though.
Awasi was still unusually persistent... which is strange. Being energetic and sociable was one thing, but after the third refusal, any normal soul would get the hint.
The whole class did, after all.
If I had been one of the nobles, or just someone who radiated talent like, say, Ichimaru Gin, who was still remembered in awe by the instructors at the Academy, I might have suspected something foul. But I had nothing like that going for me. I was figurately as naked as a falcon when it comes to possessions, connections or future prospects, so there was no reason to suspect Awasi of some clever acting game and future set-ups.
At this point I was read to give up on trying to understand what was her deal.

As usual, there was no surprises as we sparred with wooden swords. Until we were given our own Asauchi, which would later become a full-fledged 'named' Zanpakto, all our Zanjutsu classes were limited to simple swordsmanship, nothing beyond it.
So that was the only thing I could practice.
I had never handled a sword in my previous life, and I can't say I became much of a swordsman after living in Soul Society for ten years. I got a katana for the first time, I think, a week after I got to Soul Soceity, and I even used it for its intended purpose a few times over the years. But what I did with a sword could not be called 'swordsmanship', not truly, I was just trying to stab my opponent to death before he can do the same to me. As a result, I had a lot of experience with stabbing and street fights, but with just that I could not stay among the top places in our Zanjutsu classes, being only hopelessly outclassed by nobles, who obviously studied for years with personal tutors before entering the Academy.
Now, a year later, I was already able to not fold to every noble instantly, but the first place was still pretty much unreachable.
After all, a year of training is just a year of training. Especially since I didn't spend that much time on Zanjutsu to begin with.

I would have to re-learn a lot the moment I would properly master Shunpo, anyway, simply because sword fighting changes drastically when you have access to Flash Steps. Of course, this didn't prevent me from learning the right movements ways to strike, through endless katas and sparring's, but only reaffirmed my priorities.

First - Hoho at an acceptable level and only then everything else.

When I returned to the room, a pleasant exhaustion and a feeling of 'the right kind' of fatigue pervaded my body, something you can only get after a good day of workout.
Of course, a few bruises blossoming on my body spoiled the experience a bit, and promised to make tonight's sleep even worse, but that was my own mistake. I offered to spar with fifth-year student, and that was the result.
Of course, he didn't exactly beat me up on purpose, but for a dozen lost fights, an equal amount of bruises is normal.
I was going to do some kido exercises tomorrow anyway, so I might as well get some 'Way of Return' practice too. Those spells are always a pain, you genuinely need to have someone with wounds around, and it has to be a fellow human soul.
And it was also a skill I didn't want to miss out on, getting the very basics down at least, seemed like a potential life saver.

As usual, I didn't notice how I fell asleep at all.
Plans for tomorrow and fragile hopes for the future carried me smoothly into dreamland.
Yeah, the exam results are going to be announced in a couple of days and I was, if I were to be completely honest with myself, very worried.
Yes, next week we will finally receive our Asauchi. Blades that, once formed, will determine our future, and in many ways, will dictate it more then fruits of our honest labor.
And yes, two out of three of my roommates snored so badly, that at the start of the year, when I wasn't used to it, I could feel my ears ringing.

But these were all familiar worries, familiar thoughts, and familiar problems.

My training at Shinigami Academy went on.

 

[RandomPasserby4673]

A character who takes the slow and steady approach. How novel. Will he meet anyone interesting in 1st class or continue his loner path? He could really use a friend who's as motivated as he is.

You asked for it:

But do not get destructed during an exercise again.

Click to shrink...

I think you mean distracted.

I was just as enthusiastic about hido as I was about hoho.

Click to shrink...

hado, not hido

I mean, even in our lections

Click to shrink...

lectures

Though, I must admit, that males finding

Click to shrink...

makes finding

I do wander sometimes,

Click to shrink...

wonder (think), not wander (walk)

just a bio-product

Click to shrink...

by-product

to master Bunkai and become a Captain

Click to shrink...

Bankai

It is clear that Avasi

Click to shrink...

Awashi was still unusually persistent...

Click to shrink...

You misspell her name twice in two different ways. The consistent version is Awasi.

 

[Wiererid]

A character who takes the slow and steady approach. How novel. Will he meet anyone interesting in 1st class or continue his loner path? He could really use a friend who's as motivated as he is.

You asked for it:

I think you mean distracted.


hado, not hido


lectures


makes finding


wonder (think), not wander (walk)


by-product


Bankai



You misspell her name twice in two different ways. The consistent version is Awasi.

Click to shrink...

Thanks a lot!
When it comes to MC, I wouldn't say he is taking it slow.
Normally shinigamis don't have a shortcut to power, it literally takes them decades to grow in any noticeable way, and over a century at the least to reach a capitan-level of power. Byakuya claimed that bankai training itself, that can only be started after one reaches the level of vise-capitan, takes a century.

Ichigo was supposed to be a special case due to the fact, that he is an ungodly abomination who was born that way, everyone else doesen't get to be a capitan-level for at least forty years (and that's for crazy talents like Gin, Toshiro and the like), much less a year that it took the ginger guy.
If we assume that this growth rate is consistent across the board, any gains in power are torturously slow, that's also probably the reason why so few Soul Reapers are powerful. When training to be decently powerful takes so much time and effort, you wouldn't bother unless you are REALY motivated. Which, suspiciously enough, every strong reaper in the show is.

 

[Wiererid]

Spoiler: Author Notes

Damn I am fast those last few days. Once again, would appreciate any typos pointes out!

---


"Bakudo number nine..." My palms outlined the kanji 'Punch' with intricate sequence of sharp movements, leaving red trails of energy that formed the very word. "Geki!" The dim, red reireyoku structure that had begun to dimly shine around my body, as the spell was formed, abruptly disappeared...
To materialize around the training doll a few meters away. If it had been, say, a Hollow in its place, as long as the red reishi shell hadn't been damaged by a well places burst of spiritual energy, torn through overwhelming physical strength from within, or pierced in any way from the outside, said hollow would have been completely frozen within a skin-tight barrier.

For a few seconds, I froze. The spell as of now was sustained just by me focusing on it, the barrier was in no hurry to fall apart, and I did not notice any irregularities as the spell itself formed…

"Finally." I glanced at my palms with some suspicion.
This is the fifth time in a row I've used Geki, and every single time I've constrained myself to only calling out a name and a number of an attack, avoiding a full chant.
Yet, there was no doubt, even while the spell felt weaker, I still manage to perform it correctly.
Even though Geki is categorized as one of the 'simplest' bakudos, it was nevertheless one of the most nuanced spells of the Path of Binding up until the thirties.

The difficulties inherently came with the spells function, as for every opponent you needed to shape Genki differently. It wasn't just a homing ribbon of reishi like Horin, or just a fog of dense spirit particles like Sekienton, no, it was a spell that, as you directed it with your will, took the shape of your opponent, and then rapidly solidified into a physical barrier. Until today, I only managed to form this bakudo without a chant every second attempt, with some rare streaks of consistent failures or successes.
Five in a row was a new record, it seems.
I was just glad that my control was sufficient to avoid unexpected explosions as spells backfired, so that mistakes in training only resulted in a waste of spiritual energy, rather than actual injuries. Otherwise my progress would have been significantly slower.

I let go of my connection to the spell, allowing the red, hazy barrier to fall apart, as I cast a long glance along the training ground.
As always – it was almost empty, just a soul or two working on hados on the firing range, if my senses didn't fool me.

Nodding to myself, I headed towards the dormitory.
My reiatsu dwindled, as my spiritual energy reserve was close to depletion, so it was time to go. I still needed to throw my uniform in the wash after the hakuda class, that preceded this training session. Scratch that, I should probably grab a spare set of uniform and go to the public baths, I have enough laundry piled up, it was about time to pay for its cleaning either way.
Yeah, we had public baths on the academy grounds. Courtesy of the age and current technology, as there were no showers in the dormitories, a bathhouse was essential, as students needed someplace to clean up after classes. The same applies to laundry, washing machines have not been invented in the Soul Society yet, and students don't exactly have enough time to clean a set of uniform each day... so we paid for that service in the bathhouse, as was normal in Rukongai.
The complex of buildings that were the baths was, of course, a far cry from the hot springs that every single anime hyped up, and further still from the healing hot spring that a black cat and her lackey have already dug in a cave somewhere in Seireitei. However, the facilities served their function well enough. They also provided a very pleasant way to relax after a busy day of training, abundance of clean hot water is not something I will take for granted anytime soon.
Well, I am done with physical training for today to, so the plan is set. Sure, I still had to finish reading 'Advanced Spiritual Constructs', the book I borrowed from the archives a week ago, and I also have to do my daily calligraphy quota... but nothing will stop me from getting to it after the baths. There was nothing really draining left to do for the day.

Calligraphy became a… hobby of mine. I was surprised with myself as I got into it during my second year in the Academy. Sure, at first, I signed up for the extra classes on the subject just to set my own disgusting handwriting right, but somehow, after countless hours of repetitive, mind-numbing repetitions, I started to kind of enjoy the process.

And the best part is that because only enthusiasts like me went to the club in the second year (the subject was no longer mandatory after the first year), students there weren't the usual annoying sort.
It helps a lot to concentrate when most of the class is awake and not lazing around, but instead actually tries to soak things in. Funnily enough, most of the club seemed to be nobles, with all that this implies in Soul Society, but there wasn't much tension. I held my distance, and noble sons and daughters of esteemed clans were content with it, so there is that.

No new friends for me, it seems.

I shook my head as I let a small group of freshmen in blue and white academy uniforms rush past me.
"That just means I can only rely on you, doesn't it?" I mouthed almost silently, as my eyes shifted towards the sheath on my belt.
Towards my very own zanpakuto. Or rather, asauchi for now, as it was still only shaping into an actual spiritual blade.

That transformation is a long process. While 'blank', unnamed blades are ceremonially handed to all students who have completed their first year at the academy, those unformed blades do not always become full-fledged Zanpaktoes even by the time students graduate.

That same thing could be said about my own sword, right now its development was in its infancy, so I couldn't answer me. I let out a weary sigh, as I moved toward the dormitory...

***

Zanjutsu class was proceeding normally.
Today there were no mock fights or practicing of sword forms, although that's how most of our zanjutsu classes are.

However, there is a single day during a week, Friday to be exact, when we focus not on learning how to wield the blade, but rather on studying and strengthening our connection to it.

That's why currently, as I was sitting in a long line of other students with my eyes closed, I meditated, concentrating on the subtle spiritual gusts emitted by the blade on my lap.

It was a truly odd feeling.

Over the years of living in the Soul Society, I got used to the feeling of reiatsu, the literal sixth sense, which I didn't possess in my previous life.
My sensitivity wasn't too remarkable at first, but back in Rukongai I put in all the effort I had to develop this particular gift, mostly because training it was less demanding than anything else I could do, energy wise. As a result, now I was considered quite sensitive, at least compared to the students in my grade.

That's why I was one of the first to learn to feel the 'pulse' of my Zanpacto.
Not so much the beating or a vibration, but the constant, subtle changes in the depths of the blade that now rested in my lap. The changes were slow and gentle, yet subtly reminiscent of a heartbeat, in ways I couldn't quite describe. That brought a distinct understanding that something alive was resting within the sheath I was holding.

There was more to zanjutsu lessons than just waving a piece of steel around. We were taught how to interact with our blades, what to expect from our zanpakto spirits and what to strive for in relationships with them, even if not in as much detail as I would have liked. To be honest, we didn't have lectures on the topic, it was more akin to advices and tales that our stern instructor recalled sometimes.
In addition, we were taught techniques and methods that were supposed to help us influence our consciousness, which helped to establish contact with zanpacto when they formed.

In fact, the formation of our Zanpaktos is in no way dependent on whatever we are doing in the classes. The nameless asauchi in contact with the soul forms itself, slowly gaining consciousness and form. This was a natural course of things, one might say, an instinctive behavior of the asauchi, that no one even tried to intervene in.
There was no way to speed up the process or affect it in any way, not without potentially harming the sword spirit at its most fragile phase of its lifespan, so we could not influence the process that formed the personality or abilities of zanpakuto.

However simply the process of observing one's blade at the formative stage was considered a healthy practice, and was therefore put into the program. It was the only way to ensure that even the laziest of individuals who avoided all sword-related training knew at least approximately what to do if their blade deigned to wake up.

I could understand why many of my classmates were unenthusiastic about these classes. Especially in the last six months, when our instructor doesn't even teach us anything new, just leaves us to meditate for an hour, making sure no one falls asleep or slacks. For those of us who are not able to feel spiritual power properly, and there were such talents in the '1st​' class as well, even to feel the pulse and breath of one's sword is quite a task.

But I enjoyed those sessions. It felt good to have something alive in your lap, something that was already an extension of your being. Even if it didn't feel like part of your body yet.

There's a kind of surreal feeling when, in the methodical flashes and tremors of zanpauto's spiritual 'breath', you catch a familiar note... one that you've long since stopped feeling. Just as one ceases to smell a familiar scent, even if it comes from oneself, so do the Shinigami ceases to pay attention to the spiritual energy constantly flickering nearby. That's why it's fascinating, the sword on your lap feels almost exactly like you.

Its meditative by itself. And, in many ways, enjoyable. I had never done anything 'yoga-ish' in my previous life, not even any of the breathing exercises that have become part of my routine here, but now, lo and behold... I am seriously beginning to get this strange pleasure from meditating, from getting sudden revelations about my own spiritual being…

The front door swung open with a crack, instantly breaking my concentration.

"Ttsuchikahate-san, there..." The panting soul that broke into the class – happened to be our 'soul society history' instructor, and he seemed to have some problems getting his bearing together.
"Akitsuchi-san, we're in the middle of class!" Our zanjutsu trainer's tone was harsh, as always, and to be fair to the overweight man with glasses did seem to be embarrassed a bit, even if it wasn't easy to tell. Because that lasted only for a split second, as he seemed to panick again.
"But Ttsuchikahate-san, the hell butterfly arrived from Gotei, we… we are going to be visited by a Capitain! The headmaster asked me to assemble all the faculty and..." The short shaven and tightly built zanjutsu instructor interrupted the man with a short wave of his hand, and shut up the excitedly murmuring students with a following harsh glance.
"I hear you." He nodded to the history teacher, before turning to us again. "Students! Class dismissed for the day." The man stood up, gave us one last dry nod, and followed the shorter man out of the dojo.

That's when my classmates exploded with sheer enthusiasm.
"For real...?"
"A captain of all things!"
"Who do you think, that…?"
"Nah, no way, I bet he is here for..."
The chatter that rose immediately killed my timid and half desperate attempt to regain my concentration, making me click my teeth in annoyance, and gave up.
Well, that I couldn't shut off my curiosity, despite myself I started to wonder too. Which Capitan, and for what ends a soul of that position would decide to come over?

Even though I roughly knew the personality of almost everyone in the captain's positions currently, or at least had a clue assuming the show objectively showed the future of this universe, and not just some world that was weirdly similar to it, I did have some trivial curiosity as to which of them came to visit our kindergarten.
No, I remember that Aizen visited the Academy, but that will only happen in about forty years from now, when Rukia and a bunch of soon-to-be-vise-captains will enroll...

I covered my eyes and surrendered completely to my reiatsu sense.

The ability to sense spiritual power had a variety of uses, and the best thing about it, was that unlike practically every other skill in Soul Reaper's possession, it didn't depend too much on how powerful your own reiatsu was. Well, the radius of your sensitivity grew as you grew stronger, but the amount of details you can glimpse, as well as the ability to actually pin-point directions and subtleties… those weren't connected directly to your power.

It wasn't hard to tune out my classmates first, and then the rest of the students. The older years, of course, already felt almost like ordinary Shinigamis, their spiritual power boasted a similar density and 'quality', but it was easy to filter them out compared to even most of the instructors, who's power was a bit too… intense to comfortably ignore.

Oh, here's a reiatsu I know I've never felt before, its... powerful. The captain who visited decided to not mask his energy completely, otherwise a Shinigami larva such as myself wouldn't have been able to sense him even if I were searching for a few years. However, I'm guessing it's fair to assume that the soul in question was holding back his power considerably. Otherwise, half of the academy would be on the floor right now, trying to learn how to breathe again.
Nevertheless, the fact it was a captain was unmistakable, now that I knew one is around. The power was dense enough to drown in, and the amount on display was impressive, the captain burning like a bright torch in the perception of my 'third eye'.

Even if I don't watch the show, and now judged what this shinigami could do… by Spiritual Power alone I could tell, this soul reaper was a monster.

It wasn't hard to leave the dojo, as all the students were doing the same. But I couldn't get to the entrance of the Academy grounds, the one that faced the Seireitei, in time. The use of shunpo by students outside the special training fields was forbidden by the Academy's rules. It wasn't that strict of a prohibition, of course, and it was usually enforced at all as long as you weren't too obvious about it, but given that Gotei 13 Capitain is kind of a high authority, literally second only to old man Yamomoto... yeah. I think if anyone was caught breaking any rules now, instructors will make their life hell for foreseeable future, and that's a bare minimum.

By the time I reached the entrance gate, a crowd of onlookers had already formed around them, not obstructing the actual road, no one would dare, but rather around it. Here and there, those who were late like me were trying to squeeze through the thick rows of other students, some even with some degree of success, but I didn't want to get stuck in the crowds.
As I looked around, I noticed that the archives building was nearby... and I knew that an entrance to its roof is accessible, due to a small astronomical observatory on it.

When I finished climbed the stairs inside the building and finally managed to look down towards the gates, delegations of our faculty members were exchanging greeting with our guest of honor.
So that's how you look like, Urahara Kisuke. Thanks to the keen eyesight I got after I was reborn as a soul, the kanji '12' on the back of the man – was easy enough to spot. That, and messy, hair that reminded me of straws with their color and texture, made it quite obvious.
Even though I could only see the mad hatters back, on in all, I couldn't deny that his features I did see were similar to what I remembered from the anime. Obviously, this reality didn't exactly look or felt like a cartoon, but at least he was recognizable from the back.
I can't say much more than that, but... even that information by itself is priceless.
At the very least my vague hope that canon could be wrong about everything other than the general 'setting' had less and less basis to be build on.

Either out of curiosity or because I didn't want to go to the hado training grounds right now, I watched Urahara until the top of his head disappeared into the aisle of the academy administration building's entrance.

Well, here was my first meeting with the 'big fish' of this world. What I saw, and more importantly, what I felt, was enough to leave an impression.
If Urahara Kisuke was so strong a hundred years before canon, it's scary to think what he'll be like during the battle for the fake Karakura.

But then again, any named character from the show with a claim to power would probably feel like complete monsters to me.

***

The sun had long since set outside the window, so the only source of light was the little reiryoku-powered lamp, that had a component of a spiritually sensitive ore, that produced a dim bluish glow with slight exposure of the energy, and it kept glowing for a while after. The Academy's archives were the only place that was open to visitors virtually around the clock.
That's why spending at least some full nights here… became a routine to me.

I pulled away from another manuscript, rubbing my temples. Trying to educate yourself on anything was a torture, pure and simple.

At the Academy of Spiritual Arts, no one explains to the students where the souls actually come from. Or why they produce energy. They don't tell you what fundamental properties reishi have, or why kido works like we are taught, and not in some other way. All this knowledge is far from a secret, it's just that the vast majority of future rank-and-file Shinigami don't need said knowledge, and frankly, most of the kids who come from the streets, no matter how bright, simply won't understand advanced scientific theories.

Well, scientific is... a bit of a stretch.

I glanced with irritation at the notes of some particularly obscure 'genius', on which I had spent the last half an hour. This particular individual was comparing the creation of new kido spells to music. The man was drawn to allegory and, frankly, I had to carefully filter the text trying to find at least something actually factual.

Despite the telling title of the book, 'The Origins of Kido', he spoke woefully little about the said origins, and based all conclusions on personal experience rather than empirical measurements, or… well any basis to his claims! It was just someone's flow of thoughts about the matter, where sometimes he literally tells that he doesn't know how something works, but he thinks 'it would make sense if it did this way'!

It's times like these when you can't help but understand why Urahara created the Institute of Technological Development. It seems to be a much-needed body in today's Seireitei.

"Curious read, isn't it?" The voice that range just over my ear made me jump in place, nearly killing me again, this time via a heart attack.
Holding back the cursing, I turned around and… froze.

The first thing that caught my eye was something white. A white haori, to be exact, I happened to stare directly at it. As I looked up, I found a smiling, unshaven face...
"Urahara-taichou!" I could have said, that I reacted with restraint to an actual captain suddenly falling on my head, but that would've been a shameless lie.

I jumped up from my seat, forcing the man to retreat with a slight smile. Then I immediately went for a deep bow.

"Ah-ah, don't look so worried, Student-san." The man ran his hand through his shaggy hair, and looked a little disconcerted. "I was just here to check a few things quickly, no need to overreact."
"I… apologize for making it awkward then." My mouth was running faster than my head, every social instinct I had learned since coming to Rukongai, was about always being polite, bowing and apologizing, especially to 'your betters', especially if you caused any amount of inconvenience.
Otherwise, in some cases, your head may fly for the disrespect. That's just what this culture was like.

The man just smiled and waved me away.

"It's all right, Student-san. We came here for the same thing, didn't we?" Finally, a shock of having a of animes major characters just appearing out of nowhere, and the embarrassment to my own awkward out of place apology started to fade, and I began to realize exactly where we were. "But I have to admit, I wasn't expecting to run into anyone here at four in the morning. Especially considering its Saturday, and not anywhere near to end of year exams." The man glanced at me humorously.
"It's easier for me to concentrate when there are no people around," I answered more calmly, still feeling more than a little uncomfortable. "I'm sorry if me being here inconvenienced you somehow."
"Nah, it's okay. You should relax a little." I tried to take that advice to heart. It was only then that I finally realized what I found odd about the situation, but couldn't quite place...
Urahara was standing right in front of me, but I couldn't feel his reiatsu at all. But now that he stood so close, I could actually tell something… vague where he is, but I think if he were to make a single step away, I won't even be able to feel that. So, a simple reiatsu concealment looks like this when performed by a captain-level Shinigami?
"It's not that easy, sir," I grinned nervously. "My apologies, of course, but it's not every day you meet a Capitain."
"Fair enough." The smile on Urahara's face got a little wider, and I cursed myself for my long tongue. I had a habit of saying whatever popped into my head when I was really nervous, and a normal social routine that got hammered into me – wasn't working for one reason or another.
"Still, Urahara-taichou, perhaps I can help you in your search in some way? I know the archives pretty well, and someone in your position obviously shouldn't waste time flipping through indexes..." The man chuckled, and simply shook his head.
"No offense, Student-kun, but I've spent more time in this place than you could have in ten years." Smooth, Shichika, smooth. "Tell me..." Kisuke interrupted my mental anguished screams by nodding at the open folio left on the small table littered with books. "Why Rodirinako-san? There are much more comprehendible material on kido out there, as far as I know you should be provided with copies of some works for your classess."
"Academy textbooks don't answer the most important questions," I answered honestly, this time after a second of consideration, making sure I won't say something dumb again. "Such as 'what even is kido?' or 'Why do words help to concentrate and shape reishi?' and, most importantly, 'how do I go about creating my own kido?'" I met the piercing gaze of Capitan's green eyes. Despite the slight smile on Urahara's face, he was fucking intense.
"Pretty advanced stuff you're looking for, huh, Student-kun? Shouldn't you start of by learning what you are actually taught?" I didn't look away this time.
"With all due respect, Urahara-taichou, once I graduate from the academy, I'll have a lot less time to figure it all out. It's true that I'm a long way from mastering the art of kido, but I'd rather learn the basics of what I might not need yet, than get completely stuck later," My words were measure and very deliberate, I didn't allow any emotion to leak in, only the respectful tone. "Besides, it's always easier for me to work with things I understand. And the nature of kido, as taught to us, is one big mystery with no clarity at all."
Urahara looked away and nodded thoughtfully.
"Not the worst reason, I suppose." Urahara looked at the clock on the wall. "Well, Student-kun, what would your name be?"
"Komado Shichika, Urahara-taichou."
He nodded.
"I'll tell you this, Komado-kun, you won't find the information you are looking for in the academy's archives. At least not in the public areas. The records and books available to students here are strictly regulated so that those who haven't completed Shinigami's courses won't be able to take any information of real value outside, if they are expelled or fail the course. I should really get going, though." The man threw me an apologetic smile and headed deeper into the archive. "When you graduate from the Academy, come to Squad Twelve, there will be a place for you. With your thinking, you can go far with us."

I watched the departing figure feeling somewhat lost. It all happened so fast that I didn't even have time to process the initial shock of meeting… well, one of the thirteen strongest people in this dimension.
I even thought of pinching myself. So unreal and ordinary was this encounter with perhaps one of the most dangerous characters of the show.

The thought of informing Urahara of what was about to happen didn't even occur to me. Nor did I want to accept his invitation.
I knew all too well that no matter what I said to the man now, Aizen's plans would survive it, if Sousuke is anything like he is in canon. Me? Not so much.
That's what it comes down to in the end. I didn't enter the Academy to correct every wrong, and erase every injustice. Maybe I wouldn't have minded helping some characters, at least if their history and personality is like anything in the show, but, first of all, Urahara, even as a 2D picture, wasn't exactly trustworthy. Secondly, I physically won't be able to save him and visored from what's coming, and live to tell the tale.
I'm too weak, and I have a reputation as a homeless nobody, there is no reason to trust me, even if I will start dropping big bombs, like knowing about Hogyoku.
If I tried to tell him about the events of the future, I'd probably end up in the dungeons of Omnitsukido, and will die shortly thereafter, or won't see the light of day, mayhaps ever. Even if Urahara listened to my warnings, that might help him, but would require me to trust this ex-deserter killer and prison warden, who may or may not have conducted inhumane experiments on live test subjects, with my own life.

I didn't sign up to be a saint, nor do I want to throw myself on Aizen's katana just to help strangers.
No, the Visored are probably going to be Hollowfied, and Urahara Kisuke, Shihoin Yoruichi, and Tessai are probably going to be exiled.

For the same reason, I won't take up his offer on joining the Twelfth Squad, even if my only alternative would have been to walk straight into Hueco Mundo. The Hollows scare me less than the prospect of becoming a subordinate of Kurotsuchi Mayuri. May the soul eating cannibalistic monsters forgive me for even comparing them to that absolute psycho.

That's what I thought that day.
Two years later, when the news of the death and disappearance of half the captain's staff shook Gotai to its core, in the middle of my second semester, I could only clench my teath, and work twice as hard on my training.

The countdown had begun after all. I no longer had any hope that the future crisis of Aizen's rebellion will pass me by.

 

[ArcherOfBlades]

Edit: Quick Question. Will there be Any Romance.

 

[RandomPasserby4673]

Good, don't get involved with the main cast until you've built a reputation, at least. Don't want to get on Aizen's radar yet, if at all.

Sad to see that there are no like-minded individuals in 1st class, but oh well. Maybe his Zanpakto spirit will fill that slot.

living red trails of energy

Click to shrink...

living --> leaving

There was more to zanjusts lessons

Click to shrink...

zanjusts --> zanjutsu

it's not every day you meet a Capitain

Click to shrink...

of capitan's

Click to shrink...

Captain

Maybe I wouldn't have minded helping my some characters

Click to shrink...

A superfluous "my", I do believe

like knowing about Hougiouku

Click to shrink...

According to the wiki, it's spelled Hōgyoku

see the life of day

Click to shrink...

life of day --> light of day

 

[Wiererid]

Edit: Quick Question. Will there be Any Romance.

Click to shrink...

Spoiler: Spoiler

Not in any foreseeable future.

Good, don't get involved with the main cast until you've built a reputation, at least. Don't want to get on Aizen's radar yet, if at all.

Sad to see that there are no like-minded individuals in 1st class, but oh well. Maybe his Zanpakto spirit will fill that slot.

Click to shrink...

Yey, MC really doesen't want to be noticeable in a wrong way.

Also, thanks a lot for your help!
I think I may have rushed with translation a bit too much.

 

[Doge The Last]

en if I will start droping

Click to shrink...

Dropping*

 

[Doge The Last]

Rukian

Click to shrink...

Rukia*

I'm loving the story so far, I hope you keep on going with it.

 

[Writing_Man]

Ah man, I thought that I would find any mention to Seigen Suzunami, or the Kudo twins since you said this is 100 years before canon...

Note: Seigen Suzunami and the Kudo twins are from the Bleach Game for the Nintendo DS that's a SRPG bit like FF Tactics

 

[Wiererid]

Ah man, I thought that I would find any mention to Seigen Suzunami, or the Kudo twins since you said this is 100 years before canon...

Note: Seigen Suzunami and the Kudo twins are from the Bleach Game for the Nintendo DS that's a SRPG bit like FF Tactics

Click to shrink...

Unfortunately, or fortunately, that game seem to operate in a very alternative timeline.
That, and I never actually had an opportunity to play it.

I'm loving the story so far, I hope you keep on going with it.

Click to shrink...

Thanks.
Will get the chapter out either in a few hours, or tomorrow.

 

[Wiererid]

Author Notes: Took me some time to work this through, but I think the result should be fine. Tell me what you think!

***
And so, without much fanfares, my training at the academy was coming to its logical conclusion.
Even if I wanted to, I couldn't say that I hadn't noticed the final exam creeping closer. Students always get… anxious near the end of the year, and to say its hectic when you are among the graduates would be akin to saying noting at all. Some people are pulling all-nighters studying Soul Society History and Kido Theory, those subjects actually have written exams that must be passed in order to graduate, but quite a few students are focusing on the more 'practical' parts of the disciplines we were thought. This might not be a bad thing in and of itself, at least the instructors were quite happy to see the souls actually engaged in classes, however as a result the training grounds and shooting ranges that are usually half-empty, are now always packed to the brim with students who desperately try to catch up in whatever disciplines they are lacking, which affects my routine as well.

That's how the last two months of the academic year looks like, then those pass by as well, and exam week begins.
The theoretical test went off without a hitch for me. I knew the academy's not-so-comprehensive program pretty well, and a bit of extra studies to freshen up memories made the exam itself a walk in the park.

Then there was one final test, that was supposed to determine our worth as future shinigamis, that supposedly tested every practical skill we learned, as well as our resolve and approach to future duties.
Let's just that I too was a bit anxious before it.

"You already know why you're here, students. For the next twenty-four hours, each of you will be acting as a backup to the on-duty shinigami in the world of the living," Our hakuda instructor spoke loudly, sharply and without much flair. He was two and something meters tall man who was build like a bull, and today it was his turn to give final directions and neccessery equipment to the small five-soul group of students who would be departing via Senkaimon.
"Each of you will receive a hell's butterfly to safely guide you to the right spot in the world of the living, it will also guide you back after your duty is finished. You must follow the orders of the shinigami patrolman to whom you are assigned, and remember; you are there primarily to help him fulfill his duty, not to show off. You will be graded accordingly," All in all, everyone who gathered on a small platform right now, knew that already.
But I guess there is a reason for it, if you want to make sure something is clear it is better to repeat them five times in a row, rather than not and wonder why a student is running around gensei trying to find a hollow, instead of actually doing work he was assigned.

I was getting progressively more nervous, but it was an anxiety born of anticipation for all of that to start, rather than an actual fear.

In the world of the living, anything can happen of course, but we are sent just to 'reinforce' the Shinigami on duty there, not to plug a natural Garganta with our bodies while hollows are trying to break through. They basically allow us to show if we are truly ready for the questionable honor of being Soul Reapers. A simple and practical solution. Someone during the exam can bump into the lower-level hollows and prove themselves in combat, someone will have to demonstrate patience and discipline and perhaps will only conduct a couple of soul burials, before parting with a shinigami on the other side after twenty-four hours. Basically, for a day, we are assigned the duties of a real Shinigami, albeit with a safety net in the form of a more experienced partner. Nothing complicated. The only ones who can fail this are either completely incompetent, or the alternatively gifted who does not understand what 'orders' and their duty is. Considering some souls actually do fail this exam, it seems people like that exist.

The Hell Butterfly was an odd creature. It was also very much alive, which surprised me a lot when I first got to see one, for some reason I though they were some kind of kido constructs after watching the show.
There is still no way to confuse them with an ordinary insect. Even not accounting their very distinct coloring and look, as a rather spiritually sensitive student who had a lot of practice listening to weaker spiritual signatures as I meditated with my blade, I immediately sensed a certain... complexity of the butterfly's spiritual power. It was oddly powerful and intense, I must say, almost comparable in its potency to human souls in Rukongai, who didn't have much reiryoku.

The insect that obediently sat on my outstretched finger, as if noticing my attention, flapped its wings a couple of times, flew up and settled on my shoulder.

Yeah, I guess it is showtime.

Opening Seikaimon, the gate to the world of the living, is an incredibly complicated process. I was able to get some information about it from the academy's archives, albeit there was little in terms of technical detail, Urahara's warning was truthful, as I grew to know. There was indeed no 'dangerous knowledge' in the public sections, crumbs and pieces at most, from which you can gather at least the outline about the topic you are researching.

Opening the gates between worlds is difficult... that's why rank-and-file shinigami had nothing to do with the process. Creating and maintaining a stable passage between worlds is nothing less than the primary responsibility of the Kido Squad.
It is these nice fellows who do the heavy lifting, while we, that is, Gotei 13 as a whole, just shamelessly exploit fruits of their labor to actually operate in the world of the living.

All that is required from a Shinigami that needs to traverse between worlds, is their own zanpakuto and a hell butterfly, whose spiritual energy works as a 'ID transmitter' as well as a 'navigator' that shows the gate the end point of the route to which it should make the passage.
Of course, you should also probably possess a documented permission to visit the world of the living, because the gate registers every transition made through them, and therefore while I think you can depart Soul Society with not authorization, as the process if automated, the act will be noticed.

All this information, is, however, almost useless to an ordinary shinigami like me. As long as the Kido Squad is operating normally, it's enough to have a permission to go to gensei and a hell butterfly to open the gate. However, if the Kido Squad cannot perform their work for one reason or another, I won't be able to make my way back, no matter how I try.
Nothing taught to us in the academy even approximately describes the mechanics of the transition between worlds. I suspect, however, that there's no over-the-top mysticism there either, just fine calculation and some complicated use of kido.

After all, both Urahara and Aizen in canon, quite definitely had their own private passages.

However, I digress.
I did not know where in the world of the living I was heading to, but, according to the instructor, my butterfly knew, so all I had to do was to draw my sword, and while guiding my reiryoku in a specific way, stab it into the air in front of me...
Then turn the blade like a key in a keyhole.
A distortion appears in the air, which I not only see but also feel as a spiritual phenomenon, and needless to say that sensation was very odd.
After a moment I realized belatedly, that it wasn't the senkaimon itself that I was feeling, but a subtle change in the spiritual background that had been created by the opening of the passageway. Though for a second, I thought I almost caught a glimpse of a massive reiatsu, which caused my heart to skip a beat...

However I couldn't quite dwell on it, as the distortion in space became a straight line of bright white light, and then the space parted to the sides like bamboo doors of soji... revealing the appearance of a traditional Japanese room on the other side.

The hell butterfly flew off my shoulder into the passage between the worlds, and I, crushing my brief hesitation, followed.
This wasn't my first trip through the gates, but for the first time I was walking through this place alone.
Of course, I couldn't help but think about all the things that can go wrong, and threaten my life in Gensei.
Though at this pint those were just idle thoughts, as I pushed on nonetheless.

After all, I walked into much more dangerous places, possessing neither the power nor skills I do now.

***

As I made my first step into the world of the living, the first thing I couldn't help but notice, wasn't the bright sun shining down on me from the cloudless sky, which was a stark contrast to the quiet evening that was in the Soul Society, and neither am I talking about a shinigami who was waiting for me on the other side...
No, initially, I almost staggered from the spiritual saturation of that place.

Or rather, from the lack of it.

Today's examination was not my first visit to the world of the living in my new life. Even in my first year at the Academy we had practical classes in Gensei, most of which, however, were rather crude teamwork exercise and wargames, said wargames were conducted against mechanized, hollow-styled dummies, who couldn't do more then slowly move around.
Yet, even though I had already been to the World of the Living, the spiritual contrast of this place with the Soul Society did not become any less striking.
There was just so much less spiritual energy, even in the air itself, and that by itself made you breathless for a while. Literally, it was harder to breath, as if you were atop a mountain peak. The human souls, too, glowed unaccustomedly bright against the lack of any spiritual background, when I had to make an effort to search for souls, against the general background in the Soul Society, here I could feel every living thing around me with ease.

It took me about a second to compose myself, and then I turned my gaze to the Shinigami meeting me.

"I am Komado Shichika, an Academy graduate, I am here to provide you whatever assistance I can." And I bowed to the man standing across from me.
He looked completely unremarkable, as he wore normal shinigami uniform, possessed typical Asian features, the only thing that did stood out about the man – was rather large build, but that wasn't unusual either. I, for one, was half a head taller than most of my classmates, and then most people in Soul Society in general.
"Welcome to Gensei, kid. I'm Reiki Aizawa, Osaka guardian for now. Looking forward to working with ya."

To cut the long story short, after the ceremonial back and forwards and the exchange of pleasantries, I can say that some of my worries, the ones related to the fear of getting an unreasonable Shinigami 'examiner', seemed to be unfounded. Aizawa didn't make the worst impression, he was focused and serious, and there was nothing unkind about his gaze or mannerisms, no visible desire to make the rookie feel 'the harsh spirit of the army', well, as far as that stereotype applies to Gotei, that is. I'd seen all sorts of things in Rukongai, who, if not me, knows full well that shinigami have some real scum among their ranks? Of course, the chance of running into someone completely unreasonable are small, seeing that said shinigami was entrusted with grading the performance of the next generation of Gotei, but given the chaos that Seireitei was known for, as well as Murphy's Law, I still naturally assumed that there was a chance of cutting the 'jackpot' and getting in trouble for no reason whatsoever.

As we moved along the rooftops in the direction I had chosen, Aizawa briefed me on my duties for the next twenty-four hours. According to him, though Osaka was a medium-sized port town, it was not a particularly spiritually rich place to begin with. As a result, wandering souls, hollows that came after them, were very rare here, as most people simply pass on immediately after death.
So, my duty from now on was to patrol with Aizawa himself. I was to move among the rooftops and circle around the city, sending whatever pluses I found into the next life, and destroying hollows if I were to see any.
There's just one thing; all of this will be done mostly by me. Aizawa was supposed to observe and watch over me, he would step in if absolutely necessary, but I shouldn't think of him as my partner. He's more like my babysitter.

Reiatsu-vise, Aizawa did not make much of an impression. Maybe he was stronger than the few patrolmen I've seen in Rukongai, but he was also noticeable weaker than our instructors, even those who didn't actually teach combat-related subjects. I would even say that spiritually I wasn't much weaker than him, if at all, however that's just an estimate. Perhaps he, unlike me, did achieve shikai, then comparing him with his sword sealed with myself, would be somewhat misleading.

First we decided to visit the local cemetery. Well, I suggested it, and Aizawa waved me of, saing; "Do it if you want".
He said from the beginning that I would be choosing my course of action, because I was the one tested here.

Strangely enough, near one of the graves in the cemetery, next to the local temple, we did find the spirit of a child.

A boy about twelve years was just… looking, I suppose, at his own tombstone with a blank stare.
"Hey." I put my hand on the boy's shoulder. He only seemed to notice us now, glancing back at me.
The spirit's eyes were completely empty, by the way. It was like he was looking right through me, he looked lost, and there was no intelligence, recognition, anything in his eyes.
And there was nothing strange about this. I could barely feel that boy, meaning he never had much spiritual energy at life, and spirits like that are always pretty... lost. Their bodies don't really have enough energy to sustain their minds in the world of the living, not fully anyway.
"You've been in this world too long. I'll send you over to the Soul Society," the boy just stared at me with the same blank stare. With a sigh, I carefully removed my zanpakuto from its sheath, guiding some reiryoku to the base of the hilt.
It started to dimly glow with a soft blue light a second later. A light touch on the boy's forehead, and his body flashed, almost as if burning in the pillar of light.

Some emotions actually flashed in the kid's eyes for a second, the expression on his face change… and a moment later the spirit's body dissolved, only something barely perceptible with my spiritual senses, separated from him, soaring upwards.

"You feeling alright, student?" Aizawa patted me on the back, he was watching the whole thing from some distance away, but… approached me when I got distracted, it seems.
"I'm... yeah. I'm fine." I shook my head, trying to get the image of the already-dead child smiling at me out of my head.
"It's always like that at first. Odd, ya know? You know you're doing the right thing, but still... can't help but feel a little sad."
I didn't say anything in response, couldn't, not really. Aizawa has completely misinterpreted the reason for why I was spacing out.

My thoughts didn't dwell on the identity of the spirit itself, bur rather around the notion that I might have sent this child to the very slums, the very hell, from which I had barely crawled out myself.

Over the next eight hours, we, or rather I, performed the spiritual burial of two more spirits just as lost. According to Aizawa, we were lucky to find that many, considering that the day had only just begun for us.

Ironically, such long patrols are not the norm in Gotei. Patrolmen usually leave for the World of the Living for eight to twelve hours, returning to Seirei to rest before their next shift.
That's because time flows differently in the World of the Living* compared to Soul Society, or rather, in Soul Society it moves about twice as fast, meaning any shinigami on duty, if he were to return to Seireitei for rest, won't be absent from his post for more than six hours.
But given that we have an exam here, the student's 'shifts' were made longer than usual. Even though we, shinigami, can act longer than normal people without needing to rest, a full day on our feet is still a test of endurance for yesterday's academy students.

That's the point too, I guess. Trying to see how you perform under stress.

At the ninth hour, we stopped to eat. Aizawa had been carrying a small black bag behind his back the whole time. I didn't notice it right away, and when I did, I decided not to pry. I don't know on what grounds we are being evaluated, but I doubted idle talk or needless curiosity were going to help me score any higher, especially if I wasn't supposed to ask in the first place.
Turns out, he carried our lunch in that bag, which while logical, was a bit boring.

Because of the scarce spiritual background of the world of the living, even without significant reiatsu expenditure, shinigamis should eat at least twice a day, otherwise we won't be feeling comfortable here.
It's not that bad in Soul Society. There, a spiritually gifted soul, if said soul didn't exhausted his reiryoku, can survive just fine eating one loaf of bread a day. At the Academy we were fed three times a day, but only because of the intensity in the classes themselves.

We had onigiri for lunch, cold rice cakes with a filling. It was a stark contrast to what we had in the academy, there everything consisted of hot and simple food, the kind that was cheap and easy to make in mass, like in any public canteen I suppose.
So, I enjoyed our lunch quite a lot.

Immediately after our meal was over, we went back to work. A normal person, having spent so much time on their feet, especially actively moving, running and jumping, would have been dying quietly from exhaustion right about now.
We hardly felt any fatigue at all. Just another reminder of the superhuman capabilities of even the weakest shinigamis.

Something actually interesting happened when the sun was about to disappear over the horizon.
I didn't realize at first what made me freeze in place a moment before I was going to make another jump to the next roof...

It was as if a cold wind got under my clothing, making me shiver. It was only a second later that I realized that another source of reiatsu had flashed in my perception…
A dark, cold power, it felt... angry. Like rage and hunger mixed in some indescribable proportions. A frightening power.
Especially since, under normal circumstances, my sensitivity is still not good enough to read the emotions of other souls through their spiritual power.
"A Hollow," Aizawa confirmed, stopping beside me. He, just like I, was staring in the direction from which the feeling of that power emanated. 'What are you standing there for? Let's go, student!" And for the first time I've seen shunpo performed by Aizawa. The whole time we were moving on our own two feet, not using the Flash Step, personally I just did not dare to ask the tricky question; whether my instructor could keep up with me.
People here were pretty sensitive about their honor, power and standing, and even if indirectly, I didn't want to embarrass the evaluating shinigami for obvious reasons.

Turns out he would have been able to keep up. Barely, because I could tell that my Shunpo was considerably better, but still.
A step.
The another, one more, and now I'm ahead of the patrolman, step, step, step...

I got out of shunpo on one of the city streets. Which, by the way, even at this hour were full of people.
Naturally, the average still-living inhabitants couldn't see the huge masked monster, which resembled a bipedal beetle, the upper appendages of which were replaced with scythes made of bones.
However, they did notice the falling electric poles and snapped wires, that the raging freak was leaving at its wake, as it was chasing some soul, that was desperately trying to get away from it.

"Bakudo number nine," I exhaled under my breath. The hollow seemed to sense my reiatsu, which flashed like a torch as I poured spiritual energy into the spell, yet, it still didn't have time to react. My hand had already drawn a kanji in the air: "Geki!"

The monster was bound by purple reityoku, and because the spell had been cast without an incantation, it was not completely frozen, still twitching, as the shackles weren't strong enough…
But I already suspected that the ninth bakudo created by me would hardly bind even the weaker hollows for long.

"Three beams of the heavenly palace! A fierce hawk of boundless eternity, cage with a lock long gone! Bakudo number thirty; Shitotsu Sansen!" Outlining a triangle with my fingers, I formed the most powerful binding spell available to me. Three fang-like beams of solidified golden light shot from the corners of the figure I had drawn, covering the distance to the hollow in the blink of an eye, and nailing its grotesque body to the wall just behind it.
The gold wedges themselves seemed to pierce through him, though in fact they left no visible wounds, and couldn't deal any damage.
The moment I saw the golden beams shoot out; I was already chanting another spell.
"Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws! Hado number thirty-three - Sokatsui!" My strongest hado flew into the shrieking monster, who was sensing his imminent death but was unable to stop it. Even through the brightest white flash I could see the spell vaporize the monster's flesh and blood, before the white spiritual energy charge turned to blue flame, causing a deafening explosion that finally crushed that wall and scattered crumbs of stone across the street.

I stood still, staring into the rising dust column, trying to catch my breath not from running here, but from spiritual exhaustion that was creeping in. Performing two such high-level and costly kido at once was not easy for me.
While training, I tried to rest for a few minutes after using any kido above the twenties, but now I had to use two spells in the thirties in less than a minute.

Humans were panicking I think, they might have not seen the detonation of the spiritual charge, nor the blue flames, but they must have seen how the physical effects it left on the world, as people were just running away.
I just stood there, completely still. Intellectually I knew that the hollow didn't feel strong enough to survive such an attack.
But subconsciously, I still expected something... more. It couldn't have been that simple.
"Hm, that was quite a show, alright." Aizawa appeared next to me, shunpo'd from the nearest roof. He was watching the fast-paced from there, ready to interfere, I hope. "Didn't know students can do that now." Quite involuntarily, I smiled, slowly relaxing.
The static in the spiritual background created by Sokatsui's explosion finally began to subside, and now I could tell for sure that the hollow was no more. The only thing left of him were a few chunks of its body, that were rapidly disintegrating right now.
"I've always been a diligent student." The man just shook his head with a slight smile.

A soul that was chase by a hollow seemed pretty freaked out by the fireworks I'd set off, either from that, or from being chased by a gigantic soul-eating monster, either way he was just standing there, to the side, watching us.
Said guy was an average man of clear Japanese descent, he was fairly young, but had a skinny build and was 'wearing' the normal clothes for city dwellers around here. Said cloth was unusual for me, as the current year was somewhere in 1950s.**
"You," I pointed my finger at the spirit, and he visibly flinched. "Don't worry, we're Shinigami. We're here to send your soul on its way," I couldn't say that the man looked relieved.
"So, I'm dead after all, huh?" Still breathing heavily and trembling, he muttered. "Shinigami-sama... what was that thing?"
"A Hollow," I answered bluntly as I moved towards the soul. "You're quite strong in the spiritual plane, so it sensed you, and wanted to devour you. That's why you should go to the Soul Society as soon as possible. We are here to help you with that specifically." I lied easily.
In more ways than one, too.
The thing is, spiritual burial sends the soul onward, that much is true. For some, this means life in the Soul Society, while others get sent straight to reincarnation, a few also go to hell, but that's neither here nor there.
The texts I read at the academy explained the phenomenon, but not its origins. That's why I don't know why this is so. What determines who goes to Soul Society and how, basically, dies for real? What sins warrant a trip to hell, bar murder, and even with murder, are there exceptions for self-defense and such?
The truth is – I didn't know, there was nothing about it In the scrolls or text within the Academy's archives, and none of the instructors could answer when I tried to probe them on the subject.
Hence, that little white lie. There is no point in worrying that man for nothing. If he ends up in the Soul Society, he's lucky, or unlucky if the neighborhood is particularly nasty. And if he goes to reincarnation, well, it's unlikely he'll even have time to understand anything. Both of those fates beat being turned into a hollow or being devoured by one.

"I-I understand, Shinigami-sama. I'm ready," I nodded, albeit a bit surprised by the man's acceptance and lack of questions, as I carefully drawn my blade from its sheath in front of the man, trying to show him that I am not going to actually stab him. Then I concentrated, once again allowing the hilt to glow blue, before brining it to the spirit's forehead.
"Good luck out there," I sincerely wished to the disintegrating body of the ghost.
With a heavy sigh, I put the blade back into its scabbard.
"I'm sorry, Reiki-san, but I need to take a short break," I admitted to the man watching me. "I'm strong enough to keep going, if that's what you think is best, but I won't be able to fight another battle like that." Aizawa only nodded.
"Okay. Hollows in such spiritually poor cities are almost always alone, so we have nowhere to rush. By the way, student, was that…" Aizawa waved his hand in the direction of the fallen inward wall of the building, a hole of which was burnt. The place where I incinerated the hollow. "…really necessary?"
In spite of my fatigue, I did my best to compose myself and answer in full.

"I have never actually fought a real hollow before, Aizawa-san. So, I wasn't sure if I could even correctly read it's reiatsu, it was too... alien. So I attacked as hard as I could." I glanced back to the street, where, slowly but surely, a crowd of gawkers not noticing us had already begun to gather. "Of course, if I would have sensed anyone alive behind that wall, or if my attack could have hit that spirit, I would have tried to engage in mele. But I decided not to take any unnecessary risks." That was the truth. But not the whole truth.
Besides the reason I provided, there was another one. I was scared. I was scared out of my mind, even though I was only fully aware of it now. Life in Rukongai had taught me well how to hide fear; there it was like blood for sharks, but hiding an emotion didn't mean getting rid of it.
Fear doesn't make me freeze, at least not anymore. On the contrary, when I'm afraid, I start doing everything I can to make myself safe. Like in this short battle.
And yet I was scared. I was scared to fight that huge monster, scared because I didn't know what he was capable of. I struck as hard as I could, even though I could have finished the freak off with my sword after Shitotsu Sansen, because I was afraid to get close to him.
I feared that the cornered creature might snap back with some unexpected ace up his sleeve, like acidic blood, or any other number of abilities even basic hollows tend to possess.

This time I was lucky, and my fright didn't cost anyone anything. What if there had been more than one hollow, though? What would I do now if a couple of his friends were to arrive to the scene of the battle, if I could hardly even use Shunpo at the proper level now?

Simply put, I messed up. But I decided not to voice it, and tried to play it off as a calculated decision, when in reality, it was anything but.
Aizawa didn't reprimand me, just nodded silently. But that made sense, he wasn't my instructor and didn't have to lecture me, his job was to leave a note in the report about what had happened.

The next hours were terribly tedious, which was an extremely unpleasant combination with fatigue after the battle.
We didn't meet any more wandering souls, nor hollows.
At the end of twenty-four hours, returning to the same park where I had arrived, I reopened the seikaimon and, having said goodbye to Aizawa, set off for Seireitei.

I will probably pass the exam.
The only thing left to do is to get into the right squad.
------
*A slight change from canon that I introduced.
In the manga there wasn't anything like that, however, there was something more ridiculous.
As Ichigo and company set of to save Rukia, they were hit by a 'train' in dangai, and literally time-traveled a week or two (can't remember from the top of my mind) into the past.
I find that – completely unacceptable, as that plot device alone would completely break the world.
So instead, the reason why Ichigo and co had two more weeks, was because while they were stuck in the world of the living, time was moving faster towards Rukia's execution.

Also, that change makes Quincy uniform make much more sense.
I mean I could imagine that kind of costumes and metallic tools (like their crossess) being made in 1750 europe, but in 1500s? No way.

**1950 is the current year for a reason displayed above.

 

[RandomPasserby4673]

Five years time skip? Fair enough, there wasn't particularly much of interest happening in the school. Will his zanpaktou spirit be influenced by his choice in squad, I wonder. Also, there should be some rotation between squads in my opinion. Every Shinigami should pull at least some duty in squad 4, for example, because every warrior who is expected to fight for decades/centuries should really know some "first aid".

Mostly just typos I found this time:

He was two and something meters high man who was build like a bull

Click to shrink...

There is a big difference between being high and tall. "He was two and something meters tall who was built like a bull".

help hum

Click to shrink...

help him

sol burials

Click to shrink...

soul burials

set off for Seireite

Click to shrink...

Seireitei

 

[Wiererid]

Five years time skip? Fair enough, there wasn't particularly much of interest happening in the school.

Click to shrink...

Had to be done. There is about a hundred years worth of story ahead, and I do need to pick my battles. The idea is only to show intresting things/important episodoes that show who the character is, and then breaking points in his development, if there would be any.

Also, there should be some rotation between squads in my opinion. Every Shinigami should pull at least some duty in squad 4, for example, because every warrior who is expected to fight for decades/centuries should really know some "first aid".

Click to shrink...

Technically no one stops them from learning kaido outside of the fourth, ask Hinamori. Most just don't bother.

That, and you would actually be surprised how detached squads are from each other in canon. Rank-and-file almost don't interact for work related reasons, even lieutenants have their meet-ups once a few decades at best.
People do transfer, but it's not treated like a casual thing, more like a real commitment. Basically imagine japanese corporate culture with 'i work for my company my whole life', but time 5 because the ages are more hardcore.

And yeah, thanks a lot for the help!

 

[Doge The Last]

reireyoku

Click to shrink...

Reiryoku

Gothei

Click to shrink...

Gotei

Might want to get a beta to check your chapters out.

Loving the chapters tho

 

[Wiererid]

Reiryoku

Gotei

Might want to get a beta to check your chapters out.

Loving the chapters tho

Click to shrink...

Thanks!
Would post a notification that I need one with the next chapter.
Glad you are enjoying it so far.

 

[RedEgg]

Nice man, I'm excited for where this is going and I'm looking forward to more

 

[Wiererid]

Author Notes; Looking for beta reader! Anyone who would like to lend a hand - hit me up in PM's!.
Anyway, enjoy.
---------------

I never came off as a very expressive person, neither in this life, nor in my previous one.
There was a simple reason for that.

I tend to react to shocks in stressful situations differently, not like most people. When something does go completely out of control, when things go so horribly wrong, or a twist of fate is so unexpected that it catches me completely unprepared – I set my feelings aside in order to act. That's isn't even done consciously on my part.
It's not that I don't get nervous or didn't worry, but when said worries or nerves go beyond a threshold, I just cease noticing my own feelings, acting until I have time to sit down, time to breath out.

Then everything catches up.

This is what once helped me survive in the slums of the seventies, when the very reality of my new life was a good cause for hysterical laugher, generously laced crushing never-ending waves of pitch-black despair.

All the more vividly for me was the pure, uncontaminated panic I felt simply by reading a few seemingly simple sentences on a perfectly ordinary piece of paper.

Admittedly, I hadn't felt this way in a long time. My fear was entangled with disbelief and uncertainty, matching only on alarming spike of paranoia, all keeping me on the edge of panic. Perhaps a bit beyond it.
I just ceased to understand what was going on, I mean, why?

Why did I get this letter?
Greetings, Shichika Komado-kun. I have been keeping an eye on your progress for some time now. Your eagerness for self-improvement and dedication to training, as well as your commendable thirst for knowledge, have managed to leave a good impression, even if we never met face to face.
The high praises and recommendations instructors, including my good acquaintance Zaichi-san, are painting a very promising picture of your character.
Therefore, I formerly invite you to join the squad under my command. We always find proper places for new talents, especially if they show eagerness and passion to their duties and are striving to improve.

Please consider this invitation.
Acting Captain,
Vise-Capitain of the Fifth Squad of Gotei Thirteen,
Aizen Sosuke.

Even before I set foot on the grounds of Shinigami Academy, I had already assumed that sooner or later, if I didn't die in some stupid way somewhere halfway through, I would attract the attention of that soul.
There was no way around it, not truly, not when that person was keeping tabs on everyone of import within Gotei.

However you look at it, Aizen Sosuke was a controversial figure in every aspect.

A master of psychological manipulations, a virtuoso strategist and politician, a real monster in terms of personal power, a brilliant scientist and a researcher, that's a bare minimum of titles one would need to describe that man's many, many talents.
If there was one shinigami to whose level of sheer knowledge and talent one should aspire, it would be him.
At first glance, at least.
In actuality, Aizen has done many morally questionable things, to say the least. Multiple murders, betrayals of his own superiors and subordinates, experiments on living and thinking souls, very dirty political machinations and much more...
His methods were repulsive, but at least they made sense in the context of the overall 'story'. Morality rarely plays a part in true conflict, after all.

He acted while being surrounded by his enemies, even if they didn't know it at the time, acted to achieve his goal, and his methods reflected that. A person in his position can't be picky about their means if they want to achieve a tenth of what Aizen was striving for, not in this blood-soaked world, not in Soul Society where morality wasn't a factor in any decision made by the powerful.

However, what couldn't be dismissed or understood logically, was his attitude toward his own subordinates.
Those who were truly devoted to him, who placed their faiths, trust and lives in his care.
Let's leave aside poor Momo, let's say she was on the side of his enemies, although even that is debatable. But his totally indifferent reaction to Espada's death, his personal execution of Tousen and Harribel who's supposed fault was that they couldn't win their respective fight… that was something I couldn't think of any excuses for, moral, logical or otherwise.

No, of course it's foolish to rely entirely on manga to construct your opinion on the people who live in this world, that much I still believe. I've already seen that there are differences between the story there and this reality.
For example, a name of Yhwach Bach did not appear in the historical, publicly available chronicles of the wars with the Quincy, and no Quincy with strange powers that I remembered from the last arc of the manga seems to have existed in reality either.

I am pretty sure that this information is complete and quite accurate, as the Quincy War chronicles are probably the most detailed historical texts in the academy, supported by many secondary documents that are also freely available. It seems at that point Seireitei finally developed a functional bureaucratic system, for there is very little normal data about any historical events before that. I suppose it was simply necessary to keep track of things at the time, considering Quincy – were the first and the last actual organized force that Gotei had to fight with, and organized military actions tend to leave a lot of paper trails.
In any case, Aizen in the manga did not inspire confidence in his character, even if I were to leave the moral side of his actions out of the equation, he was unpredictable, and disloyal to people who were 'his' in every sense of that word. Aizen from this reality, simply because the 'vizard incident' already happened, seem to be the same person.
I always hoped, that I will be able to look at this shinigami's actions and public persona from afar, maybe to make some personal observations, as discreetly as possible, and as indirectly as I could...
Of course, if the intelligence of this person wasn't exaggerated in the show, even that would have carried some dangers.

The main reason why I wanted to keep my distance, and yet observe Aizen, instead of outright ignoring him and focusing on my own strength, was so I could decide what I really wanted to do about his rebellion.

Because, frankly, I have nothing against the overall idea of it.
The Soul Society in its current form must cease to exist. This place's very foundation reeks of hypocrisy, corruption and suffering. Everything about it makes me sick.
An entire world, where two thirds of its population live in slums, the world controlled by an aristocracy incapable of seeing beyond their noses, what part of it can be called a good afterlife? How is this a heaven?
An antipode of hell? More like a worthy alternative. Hueco Mundo seems preferable. At least the inhabitants there are more honest about their intentions towards you, at least there it's just nature taking its course, and it's as honest as it gets.
No matter how you look at it, but a god that allowed an order like this to exist does not deserve his place on the throne. That sounds ridiculous coming from a weakling nobody like me, but it is my sincere opinion on the matter. That's was the conclusion I arrived at seeing this world, knowing what I know.

That's why I was trying to look at Aizen without just shrugging him off immediately as an unapologetic villain, I wasn't against him on principle, or should I say, not against his rebellion.

But his canonical image still inspired a great deal of reasonable doubt.
I wanted to get more information. However, not by literally serving under him!

Damn it.

I sighed heavily, trying to calm my heart, which was throbbing in my chest like war drums.
No matter how you look at it, Aizen can't suspect me of anything yet. Even if he is the smartest man in the Soul Society three times over, I just haven't done anything compromising, nothing to truly distinguish me from my peers.
Besides, he and I had never even met face to face for something to slip out. And I doubt very much that a whole vise-capitain, who is already being considered for promotion, would spend any amount of time personally peeping on me.

The mental image of Aizen hiding in the bushes, while we had a class in progress, made me let out a nervous chuckle.

Seriously, he can't know anything about me yet. So, that probably means that the reason he provided are actually the main ones for inviting me. The qualities I demonstrated were somehow noted, documented, and Aizen got their hand on the information, and decided to act on it.
Or maybe there's something between the lines I am missing...

Okay, no, that's definitely something to leave aside. I haven't even met the man in person yet, to search for hidden messages that probably aren't there.

The facts are as follows: I am invited to the Fifth Squad. That's now official. Without the entrance exams that each squad usually conducts for Academy Recruits, which isn't unusual, and tends to happen for most graduates from class one… which I am. In addition, this phrase about 'a proper place'... that's quite obviously an allusion to the officer's position. Even if only a very indirect allusion to it, it's still a very tempting prospect for a mere academy graduate, it's hard to pass up, at least if you are a normal student with no prior arrangements.

Meaning for me, the situation is very, very bad.

Precisely because the vise-captain personally sent me an invitation latter, moreover, albeit vaguely, but still promising such prospects, I literally can't refuse. Not in Seireitei, not with mentality and culture here.

The number of raised eyebrows I would cause by such a gesture would be too great. Besides, it may not be quite an insult to the vise-captain who reached out to me, but it is still a very brush gesture, a soul in my position can't refuse without a very good reason for it. Which I don't have!

But leaving the potentially becoming a social pariah aside, I'd be much more likely to get Aizen's attention by refusing too! Why wouldn't Shichika Komado accept such a good offer, after all? Unless there are outside factors, unless there is something he hides or aspires to that isn't on the surface. Whether it's some ambition I have, or some factors that only I considered, it doesn't matter, the fact that I behaved in a way I shouldn't would already be of interest. A very dangerous thing for me, one that might come back to haunt me twenty or a hundred years from now, if I would ever grow powerful of noticeable enough.

And that was the main problem, the real reason for concern. I had no prior arrangements with any other squad, to which I could point as a reason for a polite refusal, even though one of the seventeenth officers of the twelfth had sent a similar offer earlier... I refused it by now.
I would rather dive head-first into garganta, then actually go to serve in the twelfth under Mayuri, so the moment the offer came through, I was writing a polite refusal siting my willingness to join a combat-oriented squad, and apologizing many times over. That was a few days ago.
There was another bridge I burned even earlier. In my fourth year our Hoho instructor suggested that I take an 'internship' in Omnitukido... back then I politely refused as well, referring to my supposedly unquenchable desire to slaughter hollows rather than do anything else. Somehow my words convinced the woman, as the stoic instructor seemed sympathetic, even advised me to find a teacher in the squad when I graduate, saying it would be a shame for my talent in hoho to be lost or not developed properly.
At the time, my reasoning for refusal was, that after the events leading to Urahara's exile, everyone would try to put their agents in both the Kido Squad and the Omnitukido, trying to subvert those organizations to their purposes, it seemed like something nobles would try. And a single nobody with no connections like me would definitely not be safe at the time like that. Who knew that apparently that would have been my ticket away from Aizen's watchful eye?

Eh, no point in crying over it now, my decisions at the time were solid, this latter… was just not something that I could have predicted.
Yes, I can't say no to Aizen now, that's a given. Or rather, of course I can, but it won't make my situation any better.

Checkmate, Shichika. And I'm sure Sosuke wasn't even trying.

Alright, alright, now back on track.

It's worth thinking my options over a couple more times. But most importantly, just in case, I need to decide upon everything I would be lying about within the squad.
I can't be honest about my ambitions, my goals, my dreams, my outlook of things, so I would have to lie about all of that. Meaning I must be consistent and convincing, so I should probably have all the 'facts' straight beforehand.
The story must add up, I must keep to the same tune with every person, so that no suspicion would arouse because different people had different impressions of me.
I don't really have anything to hide, at least no personal secrets, so it's not like I have to act like a different person… I just need to come up with how and why I am the way I am, without mentioning knowledge of the future.
I don't even have a Zanpakuto, which abilities I need to hide, not yet at least! And, frankly, it's far from certain that my sword will have any ability worth hiding.
Yes, there were enough characters in the manga who, when they reached the first stage of the blade's release, Shikai, had already gained some interesting abilities. But not all swords were like that. The bald third officer of the eleventh squad, Ikaku, or the unforgettable Renji, are good examples of blades like that. The weird shapes of their released swords were the only thing they had going for them, and it would be a shame if my blade were to become like that too, however, the depressing truth is that most blades in Gotei are like that.
I needed any advantage now, any straw to grab unto, which would allow me to stand out from the gray masses of Shinigami with the same training and abilities. That straw could be my Zanpakuto.
But I have no right to rely on that lottery ticket alone, statistically I am much more likely to get a sword that just turns into another weapon when realized, and that's it.
Old man Zaichi, thanks a bunch! Of all the people to recommend me to, you picked Aizen. I'd settle instead for Kuchiki Senior, wouldn't even complain, but nooo!
This is exactly why I am paranoid. When the only hobby you have is calligraphy, and your instructor on the subject takes me to the mercy of the chief villain of the universe – how can you not think that everything is out to get you?

And here is the dumb humor again. I need to calm my nerves down somehow.
Yeah, for starters, I should stop pacing back and forth in my room! At least my dorm mates are out celebrating and can't see me now.

Fucking hell!

...to reread the letter again, wouldn't hurt, right?
***

Usually, the day when a young graduate of the Academy of Spiritual Arts first joins one of Gotei's squads is a joyous moment.
First and foremost, of course, for the graduate himself.

Generally, Sereitei is very fond of celebrations, and theatrical ceremonial displays of all kinds and forms, therefore each year replenishment of squads 'cannon fodder' (that's just be being grimm) is very much celebrated in the aforementioned squads. It is solemn, ceremonial ... and terribly boring.
Of course, for the still green Shinigami even that much is usually enough to get excited, mostly because the fresh recruits get to enjoy it after exhausting exams, and it's the first time they can breathe easy and enjoy their new position…
Well, that's the general rule.

Naturally, I didn't exactly share the sentiment.

I occasionally squinted at my fellow graduates sitting at the same table with me, but I was in no hurry to indulge in free alcohol and food.
Of course, it's not like I couldn't enjoy the delights of Japanese celebrations on principle, and maybe in any other Gotei unit (except the 12th), I would have breathed out and relaxed a bit too, perhaps I would have even tried to enjoy myself a bit...
But I managed to get to the one place where, where I just didn't dare to dull my mind with alcohol.

Naturally, the cause for my anxiety was sitting quietly in the same room as me.

Aizen Sosuke was impressive.
However, only if you knew where to look.
The long-uncut curly hair that still looked neat, the slight, yet serene and kind smile on his lips, those strict glasses he wore, and of course the warmth in the brown eyes...
Looking at Aizen like that, even I unwittingly began to doubt the information from the canon. His appearance was as harmless as it gets.
Even the vise-capitaines rather imposing height and his broad shoulders did not spoil his harmless image, somehow. In fact, Aizen was supposed to give the impression of a very stately man, but the way he sat and moved, I noticed it only when I knew what to look for. If you were to just glance at the man, you won't look twice.

In terms of reiatsu, he was impressive, too. Of course, I probably wouldn't be able to feel the quantity or quality of his real power even in a hundred years, but even what Aizen himself projected right now was enough to make fresh recruits like me tremble in awe.
This Shinigami's power seemed pure and powerful, calm but all-encompassing. Even Urahara projected far less power, though I suppose it could be that Kisuke simply didn't want to oppress the students with his spiritual power beyond what was necessary, and Aizen was sort of in the circle of already fully established Shinigami, so he can 'let go' of more power.

Everything about Aizen's disguise was nothing short of awe-inspiring. Even if I had similar skills in the manipulation of spiritual power, I would probably never have been able to create such an image simply through posture, manner of speech, and the way I moved.

I didn't try to hide my attention towards the man. I'm sure he would have noticed it anyway.
There was nothing odd about the fact that I was interested in superior officers of our squad. All the newly minted members of the Fifth Squad sitting around the table also glanced from time to time at the officers' table.

Curiosity is a normal thing, after all.

Yet, none of us allowed ourselves to stare openly either, because it's just rude.

I also spotted Ichimaru Gin at the officer's table. He was a shrimpy-looking kid, with a foxy smile that never left his face, and a very peculiar kind of spiritual strength. I'm sure he was hiding his true level as well, but even what he was showing was enough to appreciate the 'flavor' of his reiatsu, and to be impressed by the sheer volume.
He has a very frightening spiritual power. It feels… sharp as a knife, and cold. Not quite cold like Hollows spiritual energy, it was cold in a different way, a coolness of sharpened steel ripping into your shoulder... Along with all the uninvited memories that were associated with that feeling.
This, combined with his childish face and build, was creating a very strange image, especially considering the insignia of the third officer of the squad.

In fact, a lot of the students were staring at Gin more than they were at Aisen. He looked very out of place at the officer's table, and he was still mentioned a lot by our instructors as the most talented shinigami in the last few hundred years.

I observed all the other officers too. They were just normal-looking shinigami, except that they had officer's insignia on their uniforms, still, I tried to memorize their manners and faces.
Since I decided to stick to the image, it would be foolish to get burned by giving all the attention to the two most dangerous people in the room.

Maybe no one cares or notices where and when I look, in fact it's probably the case, but in never hurts to be careful. Routine makes a man, after all, and if I want to make a routine out of lying constantly, I have to make it a habit.
That, and the paranoia I developed in the streets, and which was somehow dulled by the academy's luxuries, was screwing back into my brain like an electric drill. It was this paranoia that had allowed me a few times to miss death by a couple of steps.

So, I'd rather be safe than have completely some suspicions target me from the get go. The quick glances are hardly anything truly compromising, but Aizen is the kind of person who likes to solve riddles, and doesn't tend to forget things. At all.
Being as uninteresting as possible and very careful – is the safest way, no matter how right or wrong I am about this person.


***

The power of a shinigami is a very versatile tool. It would seem that all Seireitei residents have extremely similar abilities, and Shinigami are trained in the same disciplines...
But that doesn't stop each of us from fighting completely differently.

Take me, for example.
If I had to say in which disciplines I thought I was good at, I would not think twice, and name bakudo and hoho. Hoho because I really thought I had achieved all I could in that art, given the time I had. And bakudo, because in my mastery of these types of spells, I was way ahead of the other fresh graduates.

In the academy, even among those students talented in Kido, few put enough effort into mastering bakudo. Most who tried went for hado. The techniques of the Way of Destruction are spectacular and impressive, and everyone seems to be tempted to learn how to hurl fireballs. And from a tactical point of view - long-range attacks are very useful weapon in shinigami's arsenal, that much I admit.
The few who have little interest in the battles themselves, however, lean on kaido, and later join the fourth squad. That is a worthy choice too, but as a result far fewer people can boast really good skills in bakudo spells when they graduate.

I was one of those few. That's why I consider bakudo to be one of my most developed skills. It's not that I'm better with bakudo than I am with hado, I'm not, it's just that I'm one of the few who studied bakudo just as intensely as hado, doing it not only to pass the exam.

And now I've been practicing this type of spell, because it's already proven to be a great tool in a fight with hollows.
It was already pretty late, at the academy ranges would have been closed at this time, and it was all the more pleasant for me to learn that the training areas of the fifth squadron were open twenty-four hours a day.

On the one hand, it's probably not right to put yourself out there like this before your first proper day in the squad.
On the other hand, I couldn't sleep anyway. The squad barracks for ordinary privates were not much different from dorm rooms, and I had roommates here, too, so I didn't want to plague them by tossing and turning in bed in an attempt to cure my paranoia-induced insomnia.

I'd rather suffer tomorrow and scare everyone with my freshly-resurrected zombie look, it's not the first time I do that.
"Three beams of heavenly palace, a fierce bird, boundless-!" I lost control for just a second, and the spell collapsed under its own weight before my eyes. "Fuck..." Quietly cursing myself for messing it up in such a stupid way, I cautiously examined my own palms. Yeah, it's pretty hard to hurt yourself with your own reiatsu, even if you provoke a full-blown explosion. But Shitotsu Sansen is, for my current level, a fabulously expensive bakudo in terms of power-expenditure. The amount of energy it takes to activate this spell is easily three times greater than what normally circulates through my body, and so even if it is my own spiritual energy, in such concentrations it can damage my body rather easily. So now, as the spiritual power in the spell went out of control and dispersed in a yellow flash, some of the recoil hit back against my hands, which were drawing the outlines of the spell's boundaries in the air.

So here I am, biting my lips and muttering curses under my breath, trying to pronounce healing spell to at least dull the pain.
I spent some time on them at the academy too, just not as much. I can heal burns, scratches, and even cuts if they aren't too deep, and as long as they don't touch internal organs, even if it takes a dozen minutes of work, followed by another hour or two of healing itself.
I'm not sure how I feel about it, but if I compare my modest skills to those of Unohana from the show, who was able to heal even Hinamori, who had his heart flash-frozen by Hitsugaya, my abilities are pathetic. Well, my current abilities look extremely pale in comparison to the top ten officers in any squad, and comparing myself to captains is just hubris at this point.

Healing one injured hand with the other injured hand is an indescribable process which I wish everyone to experience at least ones. It requires complete concentration. At least, that's how I justify the fact that I was sneaked up on from behind.

"Huh, does it hurt badly?" The voice behind me almost made me spit out my own heart, it certainly felt like it jumped high enough.
I turned, and encountered the unreadable look from squinted eyes, and the foxy smile.
Fuck.

"It's all right sir." If there was a certain nervousness in my voice, I hoped Gin would attribute it to my somewhat lost glance at his officer's armband.
"You sure? Maybe you should go to the fourth and get it checked?" There was worry in Gin's voice, and if I didn't know who he was, I wouldn't have been able to tell that it's completely fake. I smiled awkwardly.
"No need. I'm perfectly capable of dealing with those scratches myself. Besides, it's my own fault..." Gin just shook his head softly, stepping away from me and raising his head toward the moon.

I frantically began to think about what he wanted from me.
I doubt he was sent by Aizen. Why would he do that? I'm still a nobody. And Gin is nothing less than his personal assassin, according to canon at least.
So, I have nothing to fear. I shouldn't be afraid. I must calm the fuck down right now.

"It's interesting, ya know? You are afraid of me." This simple statement made me freeze. "Why?" I wasn't deceived by the young voice and the calm tone of Gin, who was standing with his back towards me.

Neither that voice nor that face has ever stopped him from killing before. I know this from canon. His appearance makes absolutely no difference. But what's scarier, not only did I know it thanks to the canon, but even my instincts were screaming at me.
I was really slowly numbed with horror.
"I'm ashamed that I got hurt in such a stupid way..." I started nervously, already realizing how unconvincing I must sound. "Besides, I hadn't had time to learn the routines of the squad yet. I am afraid that I should not be on the range at this time, and that I will be punished." Now that sounded better. My voice didn't waver, remaining perfectly calm.
"Your reiatsu is trembling like a fading flame. Too much fear for simply getting an extra night sift, don't you think?" My hands were not trembling. It was a completely uncharacteristic reaction for me, one I hadn't shown even when the outlaws in Rukongai had put blades to my throat. And yet, in that moment, I realized with startling clarity that one wrong word, one wrong gesture, and I was dead. A simple but absolutely monumental discovery.

My thoughts were racing around in my head. What could I say? No, what was I supposed to say?
The answer came unexpectedly for myself.

"It's because you are terrifying." My voice came out stiffly. Like the breath of a man freezing in the cold. "Your eyes scare me. Your reiatsu frightens me. I came to Seireitei from the seventy-eighth district," I saw that my words somewhat surprised the boy. So, I continued more confidently. "The way you walk, your spiritual strength and the way you hold yourself... I know it. You're a killer, the type of soul I normally avoided whenever I could. So when a soul like you sneaks up on me from behind, I get scared. Even if I am no longer in the slums, even if we are comrades in arms now, and I am your subordinate." I can't tell myself where the words came from, or why I said them. I was just saying that mixture of truth and lies that I thought might save my life.

Gin didn't answer. He was still standing with his back to me, silently watching the moon.

Then, he turned around.

He still had the same unnaturally wide smile on his face. I could still not see his eyes behind constant squint. But I could feel the fear wracking me recede.

I'm not going to die.
Somehow my instincts calmed down, not screaming about a threat anymore.
"My name is Ichimaru Gin, and I'm the third officer of the fifth squad." I nodded, still shaken.
"Komado Shichika... a fresh recruit of the fifth squad. I've heard a lot about you." The smile was still on the face of the boy standing across from me, but his eyebrows shifted slightly.
"Really now?" I nodded.
"Instructors talk a lot about you even now. Your skills are still being held up as an example to all of us. And the fact that you became a third officer so quickly is... amazing." The guy didn't answer, just shifted his gaze to the targets a little farther out on the range.

I only remembered the injury to my hands when I unknowingly tried to rise from a sitting position, and my palms were shot through with pain.
With a hiss and a bite of my lip, I concentrated again on the healing kido.

"You have good instincts," Gin said. I couldn't see his face, but I knew he meant more than what was spelled out. "Maybe you should get medics to look at that after all?" I shook my head.
"Now I'm sure you already guess why I don't want to do that." I spoke on the spot, not even trying to cover myself from a possible attack. It wouldn't have worked anyway. I wouldn't have been able to use even the most shabby kaido technique without full concentration.

That's why I didn't see Gin's face.

"And why is that?" There seemed to be a genuine interest in the guy's voice.
"Because I'm not ready to entrust my back to anyone, unless there is no choice," I answered simply, feeling the nagging pain gradually increase in my arms and the itchy feeling appear. That's good, it means the spell is in effect. "And I'm not used to asking for help where I can help myself. That's something you learn on the streets." Gin didn't bother answering, either accepting my words or studying my reaction.

"And yet, you said we are comrades now, didn't you?" I shrugged.
"Yes. But understanding it logically, and accepting emotionally… it's not the same thing."
"Well, then I'll leave you to it." I heard footsteps moving away. "Next time try to not blow yourself up if you don't want medical assistance." The third officer's footsteps kept getting farther away.

It was only now that I felt the cold sweat that drenched my uniform.

 

[Hp-seer]

The stuff about the Zanpakuto that we find out in the last arc is still correct right? "The Blade is me"

The Mc should be looking at himself and doing self-reflection to work out what his Blade is going to do.

He should also remember the lessons that Ichigo go over the manga or at the very least the Iconic : "I'm so disappointed, Ichigo, so very disappointed. Sadly, your sword exhibits only fear. When you counter, it's because you fear being killed. When you attack, you fear killing. And when you protect someone, you fear you could let them die. At this point, the only thing your sword speaks is sensless fright, and that's not good. What you don't need in battle is fear. Nothing will come of it. When you counter, you don't let them cut you. When you protect someone, you don't let them die. And when you attack, you kill." -Kisuke Urahara (Bleach)"

 

[Wiererid]

The stuff about the Zanpakuto that we find out in the last arc is still correct right? "The Blade is me"

The Mc should be looking at himself and doing self-reflection to work out what his Blade is going to do.

He should also remember the lessons that Ichigo go over the manga or at the very least the Iconic : "I'm so disappointed, Ichigo, so very disappointed. Sadly, your sword exhibits only fear. When you counter, it's because you fear being killed. When you attack, you fear killing. And when you protect someone, you fear you could let them die. At this point, the only thing your sword speaks is sensless fright, and that's not good. What you don't need in battle is fear. Nothing will come of it. When you counter, you don't let them cut you. When you protect someone, you don't let them die. And when you attack, you kill." -Kisuke Urahara (Bleach)"

Click to shrink...

In the last arc we find out that Zanpakuto are a dead shinigami who's souls got repurposed into blades.
"The blade is me" is from… earlier?
Anyhow, by this point MC operates more on what he was actually taught in detail by his teachers, not by half-remembered self-contradicting show. He still theorizes and hopes, but the general consensus is that a Zanpakuto form as it does, you can't do much to affect it.

 

[Hp-seer]

In the last arc we find out that Zanpakuto are a dead shinigami who's souls got repurposed into blades.
"The blade is me" is from… earlier?
Anyhow, by this point MC operates more on what he was actually taught in detail by his teachers, not by half-remembered self-contradicting show. He still theorizes and hopes, but the general consensus is that a Zanpakuto form as it does, you can't do much to affect it.

Click to shrink...

The Blade is me is from when Ichigo gets his Zanpakuto reforged by Ōetsu Nimaiya.(Ōetsu Nimaiya ask Ichigo what the Zanpakuto is)

"Don't get it? Can't blame ya. How you fight? How you attack? No, no, no. What's wrong? It's all wrong! You've used your Zanpakutō as tools? Treated them like subordinates? Relied on them like partners? As family? As friends? Role models? Students? Pets? Acquaintances? Sweethearts? Lovers? Don't make me sick!!! That's what these guys are tryin' to tell you. You're looking at things completely the wrong way. Which is superior, the Zanpakutō or the Shinigami? Let's think about that to start with, yeah?!!"-Ōetsu Nimaiya

 

[Wiererid]

The Blade is me is from when Ichigo gets his Zanpakuto reforged by Ōetsu Nimaiya.(Ōetsu Nimaiya ask Ichigo what the Zanpakuto is)

"Don't get it? Can't blame ya. How you fight? How you attack? No, no, no. What's wrong? It's all wrong! You've used your Zanpakutō as tools? Treated them like subordinates? Relied on them like partners? As family? As friends? Role models? Students? Pets? Acquaintances? Sweethearts? Lovers? Don't make me sick!!! That's what these guys are tryin' to tell you. You're looking at things completely the wrong way. Which is superior, the Zanpakutō or the Shinigami? Let's think about that to start with, yeah?!!"-Ōetsu Nimaiya

Click to shrink...

It was spelled out a few times before that, just like how blades formes from a soul of a shinigami who wields it, being born with and dies with him.
Last ark messed it up considerably by introducing pass-down Zanpakuto's and claiming they are simply made out of a few shinigami souls.

 

[RandomPasserby4673]

I kinda agree with his assessment of Aizen's goal. The afterlife in Bleach is not something I'd want to enter. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but the soul king isn't really sentient, right? It's the zero squad who pull the strings in the back.

You are getting better at catching your own mistakes, it seems.

who's

Click to shrink...

whose

must cease exist

Click to shrink...

must cease to exist

as unapologetic villain

Click to shrink...

as an unapologetic villain

 

[Doge The Last]

Yahweh

Click to shrink...

Yhwach

Aisen

Click to shrink...

Aizen

Gen's

Click to shrink...

Gin

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Wiererid]

Yhwach

Aizen

Gin

Thanks for the chapter

Click to shrink...

Thank you!

I kinda agree with his assessment of Aizen's goal. The afterlife in Bleach is not something I'd want to enter. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but the soul king isn't really sentient, right? It's the zero squad who pull the strings in the back.

You are getting better at catching your own mistakes, it seems.

Click to shrink...

Thanks, I do try, I will probably get a bit better at it as I will get more practice in, but no promises.

Concerning Soul King, no, he is not conscious or even really alive in canon. But considering Yahweh was supposed to be his essential part, and he seems to not be around...
MC can't be sure of anything, so he tends to keep to local beliefs unless there are evidences, or unless the topic in question is something he should be paranoid about. Mostly done subconsciously from living so long among the people.