Shin'o Spiritual Arts Academy

Shin'o Spiritual Arts Academy was a Shinigami training institution founded by Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni two thousand years ago. Whether noble or commoner, nearly everyone with the aptitude to become a Shinigami studied there for six years. Upon graduation, they could directly enter the Gotei 13, effectively joining the Soul Society's official ranks.

Asano Kiyoshi looked at the neat, bright buildings around him and the well-dressed passersby, and suddenly thought of the old woman who had depended on him as much as he had depended on her.

He sighed. The old woman had refused to accompany him to Shin'o Spiritual Arts Academy, afraid of becoming a burden to him. So, stubbornly, she had remained in that wooden house.

Asano Kiyoshi also knew that, with his abilities, he could not guarantee the old woman's safety over such a long journey. There was an extremely small chance of Hollows appearing in Rukongai! Even if they did not encounter a Hollow, he would still be unable to protect her if they ran into desperate criminals.

So Asano Kiyoshi accepted the old woman's choice. But before leaving, he said to her:

"Granny Hana, wait for me here. I'll come back to see you often. And once I have the means, I'll bring you over to live with me right away!"

Granny Hana looked at Asano Kiyoshi lovingly. She simply packed his luggage in silence, stroked his head, and said with a smile:

"Little Kiyoshi, as long as you're safe. As long as you're safe..."

Just before leaving, he found the two Shinigami responsible for maintaining order in the Thirty-Seventh District. He withdrew half the money he had saved over the years and handed it to them, asking them to look after the old woman. At the same time, he told them where he was headed. The reason he told them was to prevent them from taking the money without doing anything, subtly raising the stakes on his side.

After all, only a transaction between parties of equal strength had any chance of succeeding.

As for the other half of the money, aside from the necessary travel expenses, he left all of it beneath Granny Hana's bed for her daily needs.

Shin'o Spiritual Arts Academy was easy to find. It was behind Hakutōmon in West Street, Rukongai. Go a hundred meters south past Shibatarō, turn right, and continue straight ahead.

Shibatarō was enormous. He held up a huge banner with the words "Admissions Office" written on it. It also happened to be the annual admissions season, so numerous signposts had thoughtfully been set up nearby to help people find the registration site.

Perhaps because he had arrived a little late, there were not many people at the registration area—only around fifty or sixty. But two of them drew Asano Kiyoshi's intense attention.

One had a gleaming bald head, vivid red eyeshadow drawn at the corners of his eyes, and a sharp gaze like an unsheathed sword that made people's skin prickle with pain.

The other had a handsome, effeminate face and wore somewhat flamboyant clothes. His hair fell past his ears, his skin was fair, and his eyes carried a faint arrogance. He stood out from the crowd like a crane among chickens.

The instant he saw them, their names flashed through Asano Kiyoshi's mind.

Madarame Ikkaku and Yumichika Ayasegawa, the future Third Seat and Fifth Seat of the Eleventh Division.

At almost the same time, the Scroll in his mind displayed their abilities and various data:

Name: Madarame Ikkaku

Slash: 34 (Techniques honed through endless slaughter, enough to kill an ordinary person in a single strike)

White: 38 (A body tempered in battle, possessing astonishing strength and a beast-like thirst for combat.)

Demon: 13 (An ignorant fool who had never undergone systematic study)

Step: 32 (Speed forcibly supported by physical strength)

Reiatsu: Sixth-Seat Reiatsu (He had met one of the basic requirements for Bankai and obtained a ticket to rise into the top tier of powerful fighters.)

Overall Rating: 117 (Possesses combat strength close to that of the lowest-ranking Seat Officer)

Name: Yumichika Ayasegawa

Slash: 29 (A slash constrained by concern for one's posture can never display its true power)

White: 26 (A body tempered through battle, but with little desire for combat and excessively restrained movements)

Demon: 24 (An innate talent for Demon arts, with finer control over Reishi)

Step: 34 (His grasp of Reishi and combat rhythm allowed for more agile, ghostly footwork.)

Reiatsu: Sixth-Seat Reiatsu (He had met one of the basic requirements for learning Bankai and obtained a ticket to advance into the top tier of powerful fighters.)

Overall Rating: 113 (Possesses combat strength close to that of the lowest-ranking Seat Officer)

Looking at their jaw-dropping attributes, Asano Kiyoshi felt a surge of envy. But he quickly steadied himself. As for characters from the original story, if he liked them and had the ability, he would lend them a hand. If not, he would simply watch quietly. There was no need to grovel or deliberately curry favor. All he wanted now was to live well, provide for Granny Hana in her old age, and marry a wife who was neither pretty nor ugly. That was all. He had no grand ambitions.

As Asano Kiyoshi was lost in thought, a Shinigami wearing a black Shinigami uniform at the Admissions Office began to shout:

"The Third Term admissions for the Class of 2050 at Shin'o Spiritual Arts Academy officially begin now! All new applicants, please register your information on the right first, then enter the testing grounds in order according to the instructions for Reiatsu testing. The top three scorers, or those with outstanding performance, will be admitted into Class A. They will also receive a monthly living allowance of 5000 Kan, and all tuition and miscellaneous fees will be waived."

Hearing the Shinigami's announcement, Asano Kiyoshi was instantly captivated. A living allowance of 5000 Kan! That was enough to cover a family of four's expenses for two months! And all tuition and fees were waived!

That meant that with this money, he could immediately bring Granny Hana from the Thirty-Seventh District to live here. And after entering Class A, he would be able to meet at least a few people. He did not expect them to help him in the future, but it would at least leave him with a way out!

Thinking of such an opportunity, a trace of determination flashed in Asano Kiyoshi's eyes. He decided to break the rules once—at least for the sake of the promise he had made to Granny Hana.

After registering his information, Asano Kiyoshi followed a signpost through a dark red corridor and arrived at a spacious testing ground. At that moment, two dazzling blue lights erupted within the field.

As the lights flared, cries of surprise and sharp gasps rose from below the stage.

Just as Asano Kiyoshi had expected, the ones causing the commotion were Madarame Ikkaku and Yumichika Ayasegawa. Both stood on the field with bored expressions, each holding an Asauchi blazing with dazzling blue light.

Watching the test, Asano Kiyoshi softly called out to the nameless Scroll. His aura gradually underwent an unmistakable transformation, while threads of ink-wash-like Reiatsu slowly curled around him in a manner no one else could see.