The Captain-Commander Wants to See Me?!

His mind felt heavy and muddled, as though he had just pulled an all-nighter. Every muscle in his body ached, and his throat was dry. Frowning, Asano Kiyoshi slowly sat up in bed.

The surroundings were unfamiliar: an unfamiliar bed, furnishings resembling a hospital room from his previous life. He glanced at the stars outside the window. It was already nighttime.

Looking at the time displayed on the clock, Asano Kiyoshi held his aching head, feeling rather helpless.

"If I'd known, I wouldn't have poured in so much spiritual pressure... So this is what it feels like when you run out of spiritual pressure, huh? o(╥﹏╥)o."

Just then, a cheerful male voice reached his ears:

"Yo~ You're awake, kid? Hahaha, you really are reckless. You actually injected that much spiritual pressure all at once."

Hearing the sudden voice, Asano Kiyoshi instinctively looked up. He saw a sunny-looking man speaking to him with a smile. The man wore a Captain's Haori, had short spiky hair, and sharp, well-defined features.

The memories in his mind rapidly turned over, and Asano Kiyoshi quickly understood the man's identity. It was Isshin Shiba, who was still the captain of the Tenth Squad.

Looking at the man before him, Asano Kiyoshi swiftly lowered his head to keep him from seeing the evasiveness in his eyes, while he considered what to say next.

The reason he did not want Isshin Shiba to see his eyes was that Asano Kiyoshi still could not control the inexplicable sense of familiarity that arose whenever he faced someone from the original story. To perceptive people, that familiarity would undoubtedly be highly suspicious. Although Isshin Shiba seemed carefree and rough around the edges, the later developments of the original story made it clear that he was actually a meticulous man beneath that exterior.

Before someone like that, Asano Kiyoshi did not dare to rely on the all-knowing perspective from his previous life. At that moment, he had also come up with an explanation. To avoid letting Isshin Shiba notice anything amiss, Asano Kiyoshi immediately said:

"Captain, hello! I'm terribly sorry for causing you trouble!"

Asano Kiyoshi kept his attitude extremely humble. He might have tremendous potential for growth, but he had no right to put on airs at the moment. Besides, he had never been an arrogant person to begin with. Having been tempered by society in his previous life, he had long since discarded that rebellious pride.

Seeing Asano Kiyoshi's mature manner, Isshin Shiba helplessly scratched the back of his head and said with a smile:

"You kid, why are you as stiff as those old men? Relax around me. My name's Isshin Shiba—you can call me Brother Isshin. Hahaha."

Looking at Isshin Shiba's frivolous manner, Asano Kiyoshi felt rather helpless as well. He tried twice, but he still could not bring himself to call him Brother so quickly. In the end, he could only force out:

"Uh... alright, Captain Brother Isshin."

Hearing Asano Kiyoshi's form of address, Isshin Shiba smiled and remarked:

"What kind of weird way of addressing me is that?"

Asano Kiyoshi smiled awkwardly, rubbed his nose, and said:

"Sorry..."

Seeing this, Isshin Shiba realized that the child was the reserved type, so he no longer pressed Asano Kiyoshi. Instead, his expression became slightly more serious as he said:

"Asano Kiyoshi, resident of the Thirty-Seventh District of Rukongai. No record of misconduct. You once gave money to two members of the Eleventh Division and asked them to look after your relative, Asano Miyoko. Is that correct?"

Hearing Isshin Shiba's detailed account, Asano Kiyoshi was somewhat surprised. This was the level of mobility and efficiency one should expect from an organization like the Seireitei, which had existed for a thousand years. There really were plenty of unreasonable points in the manga. He absolutely could not become too reckless just because he remembered the plot. He had to be careful—careful, and then even more careful!

Though many thoughts ran through his mind, Asano Kiyoshi answered without delay. He respectfully replied to Isshin Shiba:

"That's correct, Captain Brother Isshin."

Asano Kiyoshi did not change the way he addressed him. He had no intention of giving up the chance to call Isshin Shiba Brother. Water flowed downward, and people climbed upward. He would not let an opportunity like this to climb the ladder pass him by.

Hearing Asano Kiyoshi's address, the corner of Isshin Shiba's mouth visibly lifted into a smile, and his stern expression softened somewhat. He continued:

"Don't worry. This is a necessary background check for entering Class A. Since graduates of Class A will at the very least hold Seat Officer positions within the Thirteen Divisions, it is necessary to conduct a certain degree of background screening."

Hearing Isshin Shiba's words, Asano Kiyoshi nodded. This policy of investigating one's background was entirely reasonable. However, what caught his attention even more was the phrase—"entering Class A." After Isshin Shiba finished speaking, an uncontrollable smile appeared on Asano Kiyoshi's lips. In a clearly excited tone, he asked:

"Captain Brother Isshin! I got into Class A?!"

Seeing Asano Kiyoshi's excited appearance, Isshin Shiba smiled as well, inwardly letting out a small sigh of relief. This kid still had some childlike qualities. If he could perfectly suppress his emotions even upon hearing news like this, that would have been suspicious.

"Hahaha, of course! Congratulations, Asano Kiyoshi. You entered Class A of Shin'o Spiritual Arts Academy's 2050th class as the top scorer in the third-round interview! This is your academy uniform, and this is your first month's stipend. Here—5000 Kan, not a coin short."

Before Isshin Shiba had even finished speaking, two bundles appeared on Asano Kiyoshi's hospital bed. Looking closely, Asano Kiyoshi saw that they were a bag of clothing and a bag of money. However, his attention was not on either item. In a somewhat puzzled tone, he asked:

"Top scorer? Um, Captain Brother Isshin, isn't there some mistake? My spiritual pressure was nowhere near as high as those students who went before me..."

Hearing Asano Kiyoshi's question, Isshin Shiba scratched his head, his expression somewhat complicated as he said:

"Yeah, your spiritual pressure was indeed lower than theirs. But after discussion between myself and the other examiners, most of us agreed that you deserved first place."

Hearing Isshin Shiba's words, Asano Kiyoshi looked somewhat helpless as he asked:

"Is it because of my Zanpakuto?"

Isshin Shiba nodded, straightened his posture, and said to Asano Kiyoshi:

"Yes, precisely because of your Zanpakuto! Since Shin'o Spiritual Arts Academy was founded, you are the first Shinigami to automatically achieve Shikai the moment you touched an Asauchi! You are also the first Shinigami whose Shikai type cannot be determined! And on top of that, you are the first person still at the academy stage whom the Captain-Commander has personally requested to meet!"