Only Up to Kurumadani

"What are you planning to do with this Ritual Bell?"

After giving Kisaragi Akira a mild scare, Aizen took out the Ritual Bell that had been handed to him earlier.

The Ritual Bell was no longer its original brass color.

Jet-black markings, like the branches of a tree, wound around its body, finally meeting at the center in the shape of a pitch-black eye.

Seeing Aizen return to his usual serious self, Kisaragi Akira cleared his throat and picked up the conversation:

"Of course, I'm returning it to Azashiro Soya."

"Why would I keep it?"

"Bringing him back to life is out of the question. He's been dead for decades, maybe even a century. Even the Soul King..."

"Hmm, He probably could do it."

Kisaragi Akira suddenly remembered that the deity worshipped at Nikkotsu Shrine shared the same origin as the Soul King.

"We'll have one of Azashiro Soya's subordinates deliver it when they arrive." He waved his hand, speaking without a care.

Aizen nodded, without any particular thoughts on the matter.

The power sustaining the deceased in their current state within the Ritual Bell came from the local shrine in Nikkotsu District.

With his current knowledge and abilities, he couldn't yet analyze the nature of this power.

Still, judging by the situation, he could make a rough guess: it was probably closely related to the Soul King's ability to create the Three Realms.

The Soul King. What a distant name.

Textbooks had mentioned the Soul King's might more than once: with the help of the founders of the Five Noble Families, He had single-handedly created the Soul Society, the Human World, and Hueco Mundo.

According to the records, after completing all this, the Soul King had withdrawn to the Soul King Palace, quietly watching over the development of the Three Realms.

But...

After meeting Kisaragi Akira, that troublesome friend, Aizen had gradually begun to doubt this account.

According to him, the One-Eyed Great Deity worshipped at Nikkotsu Shrine was an object of worship dedicated to the Soul King's Right Arm, also known as Mimihagi.

How could the exalted Soul King have anything to do with a local shrine in Rukongai?

Was there some hidden secret behind all this?

Was the Soul King really so exalted?

Aizen gazed up at the sky. A cool breeze drifted by, bringing a faint chill. A crescent moon hung high amid the hazy clouds, appearing and disappearing from view...

Over the next few days, Kisaragi Akira's life settled back into its usual calm.

He was like a wild horse off its leash, racing all over the Spiritual Arts Academy.

Most students followed the same three-point routine:

Dormitory, cafeteria, classroom.

Kisaragi Akira, on the other hand, turned countless points into a sprawling web.

Anywhere people could be found, he might show up. And where people couldn't go, he'd find a way to make it possible.

Because the abandoned Central Execution Grounds hadn't triggered a location sign-in,

the more Kisaragi Akira thought about it these past few days, the more he felt cheated—like he'd lost hundreds of millions.

Though the Azashiro Clan's wealth had made up for it, he still felt that not gaining something was the same as suffering a huge loss.

So,

he began trying to trigger location sign-ins at places around the Spiritual Arts Academy.

The odds were slim, but it was better than nothing.

Unfortunately, all he got in response were the daily sign-in rewards.

Rock sugar candy, Tea Egg, Yamamoto Shigekuni's Beard Comb, calligraphy...

The first two were at least acceptable.

They tasted pretty good, after all.

But what did he need a beard comb for? He was still a boy!

Worse, when Kisaragi Akira took the calligraphy in hand, he was astonished to find the handwriting strangely familiar.

After carefully comparing it with his own homework, he concluded that it was Aizen's handwriting.

Kisaragi Akira was furious. Did he need Aizen's calligraphy?

All it took was enough tofu dishes, and he could exploit the guy into doing his homework with complete dedication.

Even capitalists would have to learn from him!

On the third day after the execution-ground ritual,

the person Azashiro Soya had mentioned arrived at the Spiritual Arts Academy.

It was the same familiar face:

Ginjiro, the Kuchiki Clan's butler!

"Why is it you again?"

Kisaragi Akira looked surprised. "Is this what they call getting two meals out of one?"

Before he'd even said a word, Ginjiro felt his blood pressure rising, threatening to surpass his Reiatsu.

This kid's mouth got nastier every time.

Last time, he'd at least tried to hide it. This time, he didn't bother pretending, openly mocking him to his face.

He really didn't take anyone seriously!

"Captain Azashiro asked me to come."

Ginjiro finally managed to quell his anger and faced the boy with the utmost professionalism.

"Regarding the transfer of the Azashiro Clan's assets, you just need to sign your name on this paper."

"Leave the rest to me."

Kisaragi Akira didn't suspect a thing and casually signed his name.

To be fair,

under Aizen's influence, his calligraphy had gradually begun to approach Aizen's level. At the very least, it no longer looked like he was drawing talismans every time he wrote.

Ginjiro's mouth twitched as he stared at the nearly illegible handwriting.

He'd intended to ask the boy to write it again, but considering the sort of worldview-shattering remark he might make, he quickly gave up on the idea.

"Now that the transfer is complete, I'll take my leave."

Ginjiro shot to his feet. "As for the Azashiro Clan's residence, it's been abandoned for years. If you plan to live there, you'll need to have someone clean it first."

"The exact location is Northwest 6072 in District 6."

Kisaragi Akira nodded.

It made sense that the Azashiro Clan's residence had been abandoned. Azashiro Soya didn't want to face memories of the past.

And the Nobles he'd killed were so terrified that none dared covet the Azashiro Clan's property.

Now it had all fallen into Kisaragi Akira's hands. It was proof that good deeds were rewarded.

After handing the Ritual Bell to Ginjiro, he hurried off.

Kisaragi Akira couldn't help feeling disappointed. What a dedicated, hardworking man—he hadn't even stayed for a cup of tea.

What a shame. It was the only low-quality tea he'd ever gotten from a sign-in.

"It's time for class."

Aizen, who had been studying at the desk, suddenly put away his textbook and said, "We have Kido class this period. It's Hikifune Tessai again."

"He's probably the teacher who gets sick the least."

Kisaragi Akira nodded in deep agreement.

Hikifune Tessai was built like a bull. He could probably kill a Gillian with one punch, so Kido was more or less unnecessary for him.

It was worth mentioning that Kisaragi Akira's stats had become extremely lopsided.

[Name: Kisaragi Akira]

[Identity: Chief Priest of Nikkotsu Shrine, Rukongai commoner, first-year student at the Spiritual Arts Academy]

[Reiatsu: lv52]

[Kendo: lv64]

[Hakuda: lv22]

[Shunpo: lv21]

[Kido: lv24]

[Exclusive Entry: Reishi Affinity, Danger Instinct, Heart of the Divine, Miraculous Hands, Light as a Swallow, Mercy of the Death Sword, Kido Mastery]

His Reiatsu had soared to rank eleven, while his Zanjutsu had reached lv64.

With Mercy of the Death Sword bolstering him, Kisaragi Akira even dared to trade a move or two with certain captains in pure swordsmanship.

Of course, only up to Kurumadani.

By contrast, his Hakuda, Shunpo, and Kido were downright embarrassing.

He was already a prodigy among his peers, but the problem was that a more gifted monster stood right beside him.

Even though Kisaragi Akira was already quite strong, he still didn't dare slack off, afraid that someone would leave him so far behind he couldn't even see their dust.

Fortunately, Sosuke wasn't the stingy sort.

Not long ago, he'd even kindly prepared a way for Kisaragi Akira to grow stronger quickly.

It seemed to be just a little bit connected to this Kido class.