An Unexpected Visit

Over the past few days, Shino Academy had been turned upside down from top to bottom.

The Soul Reaper investigation team stationed there, the teachers at every level, and the students in every year were all working themselves to the bone.

They were busy investigating and being investigated, busy assisting with the investigation and cooperating with it.

With too few people available, even the sixth-years who had been investigated and cleared of suspicion were brought in to help.

But even so, there still weren't nearly enough people to handle the work.

For a while, the sprawling academy was guarded at every turn, with sentries posted every few steps and every crossroads watched. Entry and exit were strictly forbidden.

Luckily, there weren't many trees on campus. Otherwise, they'd have had to post people in the branches, too.

Lin Nan and the other two had been subjected to two rounds of routine questioning.

But Lin Nan had been the first to notice that the Asauchi had been switched, and he was also the only student to offer a lead for the investigation. The three of them also had Yamamoto's endorsement, so Okiya Genshiro exempted them from any further investigation.

After two days of rigorous screening and record-keeping, they found that different numbers of Zanpakuto had gone missing from each of the first three years, all below the fourth-year level. The thefts had all followed the same method: leave a few swords behind to pass routine inspections, then switch out all the rest.

A staggering total of 683 Asauchi had gone missing from the three years!

That was enough to arm one and a half divisions! It was impossible for people not to panic.

"Ugh, being cooped up in my room is awful! We're not even allowed out of the dorms. I wonder what Lin Nan's up to right now..." Kyoraku lay on the windowsill, propping his head up with one hand as he peered outside.

In the small plaza below, a group of students stood in line, waiting to be questioned.

"Ukitake, is there any way to see things in the distance more clearly? I think a few of those girls are pretty cute."

Ukitake was busy making his bed and polishing his Asauchi's scabbard. He didn't even look up. "Kyoraku, stop goofing off. We finally have some free time, so you should spend it studying."

At that, Kyoraku rolled off the windowsill and spread his hands. "Since we enrolled, all they've given us is a sword. They haven't even handed out any textbooks. Study? Study what?"

Ukitake looked helpless. "You're a student of Teacher Genryūsai. Surely he's taught you something. It'd be good to review. Unlike you, I've been sickly since I was little. I don't have much of a foundation at all..."

Kyoraku patted his chest smugly. "I'm not even bragging when I say this. Old Man Yama hasn't taught me anything yet, but what I already know would take the other students a year to learn!"

Ukitake looked puzzled. "If your teacher hasn't taught you, how do you know it?"

Kyoraku tossed his hair and struck a pose. "Talent! I'm a genius! Of the four arts—Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Shunpo, and Kido—I haven't systematically studied Zanjutsu yet, and I still can't use Shunpo...

"That's not important... But when it comes to Hakuda and Kido, I'm definitely way ahead of my classmates! I might even be better than the second-years!"

Ukitake's face twitched.

He hadn't even finished listing the four arts before crossing off half of them. Was this genius for real?

"Then, Kyoraku, could you give me a quick demonstration? It'd help me set a goal for my studies."

Kyoraku scratched his head, stumped. "How am I supposed to demonstrate Hakuda? I can't exactly beat you up, can I? How about I show you a Kido spell instead!"

As he spoke, he pointed a finger and cast a small Bakudo #8: Sek.

A small shield of spiritual pressure appeared on the back of Kyoraku's hand, glowing faintly.

He'd originally wanted to show off a Kido spell around the twentieth level and impress Ukitake.

But the cramped dorm room wasn't a suitable place to demonstrate a destructive Hadō spell. Most other Bakudō spells required a target, and one careless move could injure the frail Ukitake.

So after weighing his options, Kyoraku gave up on the idea and settled for Bakudo #8.

Besides, a level-twenty Kido spell was the limit of his ability. He still couldn't control it properly. It wouldn't do to accidentally blast Ukitake unconscious.

Ukitake stared intently at the back of Kyoraku's hand, his eyes shining with surprise.

"So this is Kido?" he exclaimed, sounding excited. "It's beautiful!"

As he spoke, he raised his own hand, imitated Kyoraku's gesture, and chanted with surprising confidence. "Bakudo #8, Sek~"

Kyoraku gave him a helpless smile. "You're rushing things, Ukitake. You've never even studied Kido, so there's no way you could—"

He swallowed the rest of his sentence.

Because a coin-sized spot of light was now flickering on the back of Ukitake's hand.

"Y-you did it just like that!?" Kyoraku could hardly believe his eyes. "Have you studied Kido before?"

Ukitake shook his head. "No. I was just copying you by feel. This spell seems easy enough to understand. You just gather your spiritual pressure..."

The more Kyoraku heard, the more absurd it sounded. "You even know about spiritual pressure? Didn't you grow up in Rukongai? Hadn't you never trained before?"

Ukitake nodded, looking innocent. "That's right, I hadn't. But after my lung disease came under control, my body began to sense the environment around me in a strange way.

"Later, I asked Teacher Genryūsai about it, and he told me the source of that feeling was called spiritual pressure."

Kyoraku was already starting to despair. "So you're saying you just happened to sense your spiritual pressure, then just happened to see my demonstration, and then succeeded on your very first try?"

Ukitake shook his head with earnest precision. "Not by chance, and I didn't succeed, Kyoraku! I don't think my spell was very stable..."

Kyoraku turned away in despair and stood by the window, his eyes full of bitter frustration.

He clutched his head and lamented, "Why is it so hard to be a genius? You two are both absolute monsters! You pick up Shunpo just like that, and now Kido, too. What did I ever do to deserve this..."

Suddenly, his voice cut off. He stared fixedly out the window.

A group of people were approaching along a path beside the small plaza, far from where the students were gathered.

The person leading them leaned on a cane and walked slowly.

He wore a sleeveless white haori and a red scarf around his neck. His short silver-white hair stood out.

Kyoraku didn't pay attention to the others, but he knew that silver-white hair all too well.

"The head of the Shihoin House? What's he doing here?!"

Lin Nan had been cooped up alone in his dorm for two days. He didn't have to undergo an investigation, but as a student, he still wasn't allowed to come and go freely.

For those two days, he could only lock himself in his room and pass the time watching battle replays in the Playback Room.

"Too bad watching them over and over doesn't increase my growth. It'd be great if I could grind some experience during these two days." Lin Nan had just returned from the Playback Room and was lying on his bed, muttering to himself with lingering excitement.

Though he couldn't grind experience, he'd found another use for the Playback Room: practicing his skills.

He could practice martial arts like Hakuda in the Playback Room's corridors without holding back, and without worrying about breaking anything.

Even if it didn't give him experience, it at least helped pass the time and improved his reaction speed.

"Knock, knock, knock!" Someone knocked on the door of his luxurious single room.

Lin Nan opened it and looked at the white-haired, middle-aged man outside, who leaned on a cane and stood at a slight angle. "You... who are you looking for?"

Shihoin Sennichi beamed brightly. "No need to be so formal, young man! You're Lin Nan, right?"

Lin Nan nodded, feeling that the man's face looked strangely familiar.

"I'm Shihoin Sennichi, head of the Shihoin House and captain of the 2nd Division."

Shihoin Sennichi was usually all smiles, but now his expression turned serious. "I came here to see you in person, and to extend an invitation."

Lin Nan made no attempt to hide his confusion. Since crossing over, he hadn't met anyone from the 2nd Division, and he had no connection to the Shihoin House at all. Why had this man suddenly come looking for him?

And the head of one of the Four Great Noble Houses had come in person, no less.

Wait. There was someone close to the Shihoin House among his friends...

Just as he was thinking this, someone knocked on the door again. A familiar voice sounded from outside.

"Lord Sennichi! Is that you? It's Kyoraku Shunsui!"