The Laughable Arrogance of the Shinigami

Siwei Yan led three female new recruits he had briefly screened, all of whom looked capable of helping with at least some paperwork.

They had just stepped out of the gates of the Central Spirit Arts Academy when an energetic shout came from behind them:

"Fifth Seat Yan Si!"

He turned at the sound, his face instantly shifting into a dashing, gentle smile.

Fan service—attitude came first!

Sarugaki Hiyori stood some distance away, her gaze drifting as she clasped her hands behind her back. After fidgeting for a moment, she finally called out loudly:

"W-when your collected volume comes out, I'll definitely buy it! Then... then please give me an autograph!"

"No problem!" Yan Si's smile grew even brighter as he readily agreed. "You're welcome anytime!"

Hiyori's little face went bright red with a whoosh. She gave an "Mm!" and immediately turned around, pattering back to Captain Hikifune Kirio, who was preparing to leave.

"Brother Yan Si, you really are popular~ So, do you have time to go for a drink now?" Kyōraku Shunsui emerged with Yadomaru Lisa, smiling as he extended the invitation.

Lisa's expression was as calm as ever, but her eyes behind her lenses remained fixed on Yan Si without blinking.

Yan Si pointed helplessly at the three new recruits behind him, their faces full of excitement and expectation.

"Brother Shunsui, look at this... I still need to bring them back to the barracks, get them settled, and explain some basic matters. In a couple of days—give me a couple of days, and I'll treat you to drinks to make it up to you."

"Hahaha, I understand, I understand. Popular men are always busy! We'll be leaving first, then."

Kyōraku Shunsui laughed and had just taken a step when he realized Lisa had not followed him. "Lisa-chan?"

Ignoring her captain, Yadomaru Lisa walked steadily over to Yan Si. She adjusted her glasses and spoke calmly but quickly.

"Once I return, I will purchase every past issue of Seireitei Communication that serialized The Loneliness and Arrogance of a Genius Boy."

Yan Si paused slightly before displaying that flawless "reader service smile" once more.

"Oh? Then thank you very much for your support!"

Lisa nodded expressionlessly, said no more, and silently turned to follow Kyōraku Shunsui.

Yet her departing back seemed to be held a little straighter than usual.

Watching them leave, Yan Si felt pleased with himself.

Excellent! He had successfully secured two quality readers again! Talented fans like Lisa and Hiyori were valuable treasures! He had to maintain those relationships!

He turned back to the three new recruits.

"All right, let's hurry back to the barracks too. We still have plenty to do."

Fifth Division barracks, inside a tidy room that had just been assigned.

Aizen Sōsuke carefully finished cleaning the room, then reverently took out a booklet bound from newspaper clippings from his luggage.

Written across the cover in brush calligraphy were the words—The Loneliness and Arrogance of a Genius Boy.

He opened it once more, rereading every line and every page, from the protagonist Lan Chuan's inexplicable arrival in Meteor City, to his realization of his own extraordinary power, to his insight into the stupidity of the "mediocrities" around him, and finally to his ascent to the summit of the known power system...

A gentle yet profound smile remained at the corners of his lips the entire time.

And just as he reached the crucial passage where the protagonist's loneliness gave rise to the desire to "transcend," a trace of Reiatsu seemed to slip uncontrollably from his body due to the subtle stirrings of his emotions.

Aizen closed the booklet and lowered his head to watch the tiny specks of Reishi, like fireflies, about to dissolve into the air. The curve of his lips deepened.

"Whether Shinigami or residents of the Rukon District, when their emotions fluctuate, they unconsciously release Reishi..."

He murmured softly, but his eyes closely tracked the path of that thread of Reishi.

Rather than naturally blending into the air as usual, it seemed drawn by some invisible force, slowly drifting in a particular direction.

That direction was unmistakably where the Ninth Division barracks stood.

Aizen adjusted his glasses. A wise white gleam flashed across the lenses, and the smile on his face became even more meaningful.

"What an exquisite method, Brother Yan Si. However..." He chuckled softly, carrying a hint of delight at encountering a worthy opponent.

"My precise control over Reishi may not necessarily be inferior to yours."

His gaze returned to the clipping booklet in his hands, settling on the words Genius Boy.

"Although, at this stage, Brother Yan Si, your rate of 'accumulation' does not seem particularly fast, I believe it will not be long before..."

A light called "anticipation" flashed openly in Aizen's eyes.

"We will stand at the same height and look down upon the same scenery."

"When that time comes, what choices will we make?"

The image of Yan Si's Shikai emerged in his mind again: the bleak beauty of wind and snow, and a young master standing alone.

"The 'transition' and 'condensation' patterns of Reishi showed an exceedingly minute fluctuation at a certain moment..."

Aizen lightly tapped the tabletop with his fingertips, a gleam of understanding flowing through his eyes.

"Though this change is exquisite enough to deceive those 'arrogant' fools accustomed to judging everything by total Reiatsu and the outward appearance of techniques, it cannot deceive me, Brother Yan Si."

He slowly rose and walked to the window, calmly looking out into the courtyard of the Fifth Division barracks.

Hirako Shinji had been so insistent on bringing him into the Fifth Division for an obvious reason: he wanted to keep Aizen under his watch, to "supervise" him.

Whether ordinary Shinigami, nobles, or the captains who stood high above others—even Captain-General Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni...

Without exception, they were all proud.

From the moment they gained the power of Shinigami and donned those Shinigami uniforms, they had unconsciously drawn a line between themselves and the ordinary souls of the Rukon District.

Years spent in high positions, wielding authority and power, had long steeped them in deeply rooted arrogance.

They were accustomed to ranking people by the strength of their Reiatsu and the abilities of their Zanpakutō, yet few were willing to lower their heads and investigate the limitless possibilities contained within the tiniest Reishi—the very foundation of all power.

Even someone like Captain-General Yamamoto, who had weathered a thousand years of storms, would inevitably place too much faith in what his experience had "seen," overlooking the more fundamental laws hidden beneath appearances.

"That is why..." Aizen's gaze seemed to pierce through the walls and fall upon the captain's room opposite him, while that impeccable gentle smile remained on his lips.

"Those fools blinded by arrogance cannot possibly detect that discordant trace of 'noise' hidden beneath Brother Yan Si's seemingly perfect Scroll of Wind and Snow."

However...

Aizen's thoughts returned to himself.

Whether himself or Siwei Yan, they both possessed supreme pride.

But their pride was utterly different from Hirako's, Kyōraku's, and the others'.

"We take pride in our pursuit of truth, and glory in endlessly surpassing our own limits."

"We disdain clinging to old conventions, and we will never curl up peacefully beneath this seemingly tranquil sky until our Reishi is exhausted and we vanish without a sound."

"We... are never arrogant!"

Aizen narrowed his eyes slightly as a thought quietly took shape.

A wind-and-snow-type Zanpakutō? It was indeed highly deceptive visually.

In that case, I might as well choose a similar attribute as camouflage...

A water-flow type seemed like a fine choice.

It nourished things silently and changed without form, perfectly complementing my "image."

As for the path that truly needed to be explored—the path toward "transcendence"...

His gaze fell once again on the clipping booklet atop the table, The Loneliness and Arrogance of a Genius Boy.

He no longer needed to search elsewhere for answers.

"...How truly exciting, Brother Yan Si."

Aizen's whisper melted into the tranquil air of the Fifth Division barracks.