There shouldn't be anyone this stupid, right?

It was night.

The moonlight was like water, spilling its cold radiance over the colorful buildings and reflecting a unique, vibrant beauty.

The crowd ended their viewing in shock and disbelief, returning to their respective temporary dormitories.

However, this was destined to be a sleepless night.

They had initially assumed that Kisaragi Akira defeating Kaede Junya was merely a coincidence, but when he displayed such extreme violence under the gaze of countless onlookers, the teachers and students of the Shin'o Academy finally realized that he was an out-and-out monster.

Whether it was spiritual pressure or combat technique, there was simply no one among the students of the same generation who could stand against him head-on.

Did you not see how the thick-skinned Matsushita Takeo was kicked by Kisaragi Akira with a mid-air strike that shattered his arms, collapsed his chest, and left him gasping for air on the spot?

The stationed Shinigami immediately called a halt to the duel and rushed Matsushita Takeo to the infirmary at top speed, from where he was directly transferred to the Fourth Division's general medical facility.

While the teachers and students of the Shin'o Academy struggled to understand why Kisaragi Akira was so strong, they also began to ponder another question worth deep thought.

"What on earth is a Crow Sits on Plane?"

In the temporary dormitory, Aizen frowned, deeply puzzled.

From his perspective, the hand-to-hand combat technique Kisaragi Akira had used in the fight was not at all what was taught at the Shin'o Academy.

"Heh, I created it myself, of course!"

Kisaragi Akira grinned, showing off without a hint of shame. "A genius like me managed to steal quite a few techniques back when I dueled Shihoin Yoruichi."

"The exclusive moves of the Shihoin clan only need a slight modification to become one's own."

He chose not to hide it.

Or rather, in front of Aizen, there was no need to conceal such a small secret.

As the time they spent together grew longer, Kisaragi Akira found that Aizen was not the ambitious, cruel, and cold person he had imagined.

Even when he observed him through a lens of suspicion, it remained the same.

The current Aizen, aside from having a strong sense of curiosity, was not much different from the other students.

In terms of talent, he even appeared somewhat "plain."

Compared to his own recent brilliance, Aizen seemed more like an ordinary sidekick by his side.

No extraordinary talent, no powerful background.

He might have been excellent compared to an average person, but in the talent-packed Shin'o Academy, he appeared somewhat mediocre.

As for his personality, he was gentle, friendly, cautious, and careful, rarely refusing a request from a friend.

Even someone like Kisaragi Akira could get along with him quite well.

Perhaps this was the true face of Aizen.

Kisaragi Akira had once struggled to survive in the Nikkotsu District and had seen the depths of human nature.

If the Shin'o Academy was the world of the living, then the Nikkotsu District was a naked hell.

He wouldn't claim to understand human nature entirely, but at the very least...

His Danger Instinct would not lie.

Because time was tight, the temporary dormitories were four-person rooms.

Unsurprisingly, Aizen and Kisaragi Akira were assigned to the same room, while the other two roommates, upon learning that Kisaragi Akira would be staying there, decisively chose to move out.

Thus, only the two youths remained in the room.

When he explained the principles of the Crow Sits on Plane to Aizen, a hint of surprise flickered in Aizen's eyes.

When Kisaragi Akira had dueled Shihoin Yoruichi earlier, Aizen had assumed he was merely imitating her techniques in the short term.

But now he realized he had still underestimated him.

To master a technique just by experiencing it once—such talent even surpassed his own!

"Want to learn? I'll teach you."

Before Aizen could speak, Kisaragi Akira began an unreserved explanation on the woven floor mat, as if showing off.

"Actually, Shihoin Yoruichi's moves aren't that difficult."

"Besides, she intentionally slowed down her speed. By analyzing the movements from the left calf and the right side of the waist, you can completely dismantle the entire technique..."

Aizen had wanted to refuse, but seeing Kisaragi Akira's enthusiasm, he couldn't bring himself to dampen his spirits.

However.

When he began to listen intently, his eyes narrowed slightly.

It was completely accurate, down to the last detail.

Akira, is this your true face?

After finishing the explanation of Hakuda, Aizen nodded thoughtfully and said aloud:

"Actually, I have another question."

Kisaragi Akira rubbed his chin and raised an eyebrow. "Is there something you still don't understand?"

"No."

Aizen shook his head. "What I want to ask is, regarding today's disturbance, what exactly did you do?"

Because he had followed along, he had witnessed the entire process of Kisaragi Akira communicating with the Asauchi.

Yet, even with Aizen's knowledge and intellect, he still could not comprehend what had happened to Kisaragi Akira.

Driven by curiosity, he chose to ask directly.

However, the young man sitting on the bed opposite him frowned deeply upon hearing this question.

"Is it inconvenient to answer?"

Aizen lowered his gaze, keeping his thoughts to himself.

In truth, for a Shinigami, a Zanpakuto concerns everything about one's own existence; it is perfectly reasonable not to share such things with others.

Even he was the same.

In this world, surely no one would be foolish enough to easily reveal the abilities of their Zanpakuto to others, right?

Aizen was not surprised by Kisaragi Akira's reaction.

Although the two had been inseparable during this period and were seen by outsiders as very close friends.

But when it came to trust.

Perhaps they had not yet reached the point of total sincerity.

"To tell you the truth."

Just as he was pondering, Kisaragi Akira spoke up with a frown:

"I don't even know what happened myself."

"When I communicated with the Asauchi through the ritual, my consciousness successfully entered the Zanpakuto Inner World."

"Then, I returned to the place most familiar in my memory: the Nikkotsu District of the East Rukon District."

"And in the Nikkotsu Shrine where I served, the spot where the statue of Mimihagi should have been was occupied by a stone statue of myself."

"After that, my consciousness returned."

Kisaragi Akira recounted all of this with a calm expression, hiding nothing.

In his view, this hardly counted as a secret.

Compared to something as outrageous as cheating, a secret of this level regarding a Zanpakuto was not much to speak of.

Moreover, he truly did not understand what had happened to him.

Rather than struggling to uncover it himself, it was better to tell Aizen directly.

Given that guy's curiosity, he would likely be very interested.

Aizen looked at the young man before him with surprise, experiencing trust from another person for the first time.

He could not describe his current thoughts, but he felt a subtle sensation.

"Perhaps..."

Aizen's lips curled slightly:

"If we want to know what happened to you, we could choose to start with the Nikkotsu Shrine..."