A pure white haori over a black Shihakusho.
His jet-black hair was tied in a ponytail, with two locks hanging down like catfish whiskers. His slightly pale face showed no trace of emotion.
His dark eyes were unfathomably deep, as if nothing in the world held any interest for him.
That was Kisaragi Akira's first impression of the mosaic-faced man who had suddenly appeared in their dorm room.
Although he didn't recognize the man before him,
he could identify him from his clothes.
Embroidered across the back of the haori in sweeping characters was the number "11."
The captain of the 11th Division, the 8th Kenpachi, Azashiro Soya!
"Among this year's students at the Spiritual Arts Academy, you and he are two of the most talented."
The man before him spoke calmly, as if stating the most ordinary fact:
"Leave the Spiritual Arts Academy as soon as possible. Staying here will only waste your talents."
"If you want to become a true Shinigami, then fulfill your duty—"
"Kill every Hollow in the world!"
At that, Kisaragi Akira scratched his head and said, baffled,
"But I never said I wanted to become a Shinigami..."
He didn't know why the captain of the 11th Division had suddenly appeared here.
But the moment the man showed himself, the sense of danger he'd felt earlier in Zenteiji District surged back.
Kisaragi Akira could be certain that the man before him was deeply connected to the massacre in Rukongai.
Therefore,
his first impression of this 8th Kenpachi was poor.
Even worse than the one he'd had when he first met Aizen.
Azashiro Soya paused, suddenly unsure how to say what he'd been about to.
This was the first time he'd met a student who didn't aspire to become a Shinigami.
"What's so great about being a Shinigami?"
Kisaragi Akira curled his lip in disdain. "You have to answer to your superiors and take responsibility for your subordinates. When the time comes, you might even be ordered around by some deadwood with no brains."
"Unless I got to be a captain, I suppose it might be all right."
After hearing that, Azashiro Soya fell silent.
So it wasn't that he had no interest in becoming a Shinigami; he just wasn't interested in being an ordinary squad member.
A faint glimmer shone in Aizen's eyes. Subtle fluctuations of Reiatsu surrounded him, lending him an eerie air.
The instant Azashiro Soya appeared, he'd already entered a state of combat readiness.
Like Kisaragi Akira, he didn't know what this man wanted, but judging by the way he'd appeared, he probably meant them no good.
Otherwise, a Shinigami captain wouldn't have snuck into the men's dorm in the middle of the night.
But just as he was about to act, a calm voice suddenly rang out.
"Lower your Reiatsu, Aizen Sosuke."
With his back to him, Azashiro Soya said coolly, "I admit you're talented, but you haven't yet reached your full potential."
"With your current abilities, you can't stop me from doing anything..."
Aizen's heart sank, and his brows drew together.
This man seemed to know a great deal about him.
"So, Captain Azashiro, did you sneak into the men's dorm just to tell us what a Shinigami's duty is?"
Kisaragi Akira said, troubled, "If that's all..."
"No."
Worried that Kisaragi Akira would steer the conversation off course again, Azashiro Soya cut him off without hesitation.
"Everyone has different ideas. I have no right to interfere with the course of another person's life."
"I came to ask you for something."
At that, looks of surprise and confusion appeared on both Kisaragi Akira's and Aizen's faces.
A captain of the Gotei 13 was asking a student for help?
"And this matter..."
His gaze suddenly turned cold. The temperature in the dorm room dropped sharply, and even the Reishi drifting through the air fell still.
"I hope the two of you can keep it secret."
At that moment, Kisaragi Akira once again heard the shrill cry of Danger Instinct. It pierced the heavens, like a high-pitched note powerful enough to wipe out the entire world.
"Of course."
Kisaragi Akira answered without hesitation. Between his life and breaking the law, he chose the former without a second thought.
Aizen's brows knitted together. He understood the situation less and less.
Just as he was about to say something, he saw Kisaragi Akira frantically signaling to him.
After thinking it over, Aizen chose to stay silent.
From what he knew of Kisaragi Akira, if there were even the slightest chance of putting up a fight, he'd have already landed a Crow Sits on Plane square in Azashiro Soya's face.
The fact that he was being so accommodating spoke volumes.
"Very well, then I'll take my leave."
Azashiro Soya's emotions had barely shifted throughout the entire exchange. He was like a precision instrument.
Only when speaking with Kisaragi Akira had his expression changed, and even then, the shift was almost imperceptible.
"One o'clock tomorrow morning."
Azashiro Soya left them with one final remark. "I'll wait for you at the north gate of the Spiritual Arts Academy."
"Of course, Kisaragi Akira can come alone."
As his voice faded, his white figure began to blur once more. Reishi crumbled away from his body, and his Reiatsu gradually vanished from the room.
Once Azashiro Soya was gone, the dormant Reishi in the dorm room stirred back to life.
The sudden chill slowly faded, too.
Kisaragi Akira and Aizen looked at each other, feeling their own helplessness for the first time.
"What are you going to do?"
Aizen broke the silence first, his voice low.
Kisaragi Akira moved his legs, which had gone numb from the pressure, and grimaced.
"What else can I do?"
"That old bastard kills without batting an eye. If we don't go, we'll die."
"By the way, I'll go alone."
A look of confusion immediately appeared on Aizen's face.
Kisaragi Akira grinned and said frankly, "I don't know what he wants me to do, but if I can't do it, there's a good chance I won't make it back."
"If you go with me, you'll just be adding another corpse to the pile."
"Then neither your dream nor mine will come true."
Aizen fell silent.
After a moment, he said slowly, "Aren't you even a little afraid of dying?"
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
Kisaragi Akira looked at Aizen as if he were an idiot.
"Do I look like someone who isn't afraid to die?"
"If I had a choice, I wouldn't be the one lying here. That old bastard with the catfish-whisker hairstyle would be."
"Enough talk."
"If I don't come back, just take care of Nikkotsu Shrine for me."
"All right. Good night."
"Sosuke..."
His words faded, and silence returned to the dorm room.
Soon,
Kisaragi Akira's slow, steady breathing filled the room as he drifted off to sleep.
Beneath the moonlight,
Aizen leaned against the wall. Moonlight spilled through the window and fell across his face, revealing a look of deep thought...
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