Shin'o Academy.
The principal's office.
An elderly squad member with a head full of white hair, only one side of which was tinged black, stood respectfully before the desk and concisely recounted the details of his latest mission.
"The rebels' unrest is no longer limited to disputes over the nobles' interests."
"Those lunatics have even reached their hands into Rukongai, the Gotei 13, and the Kido Corps. According to intelligence submitted by the Second Division, a Shinigami of vice-captain rank has already been found in contact with the rebels."
"Although there's no conclusive evidence, based on my years of experience, I suspect this rebellion may be connected to a certain captain."
After finishing his report, Okikiba Genshiro, Third Seat of the First Division, kept his head bowed respectfully, waiting for the old man behind the desk to speak.
"Genshiro, you did very well this time."
Yamamoto Shigekuni said with authority, "You exterminated the rebels and gathered enough intelligence in the process. With this information, perhaps we can finally wipe out the rebels who have been throwing Soul Society into chaos!"
He paused, then changed the subject.
"Since your mission has been completed successfully, why not return to your post as principal?"
"Also, I've found a number of promising students at the Spiritual Arts Academy and made some appropriate adjustments to their curriculum."
"Among them, Kuchiki Sojun and Kisaragi Akira deserve special attention."
At this, a puzzled look crossed Okikiba Genshiro's face. He asked, perplexed:
"Kuchiki Sojun is the heir to the head of the Kuchiki Clan. He received a noble education from a young age and had the skill of a Seated Officer even before enrolling. He's also well-rounded in Zanpakuto, Hand-to-hand, Hoho, and Kido."
"Among the nobles, there are very few with comparable talent."
"As for Kisaragi Akira, he should be a new student, right? I remember him..."
Before he could finish, Yamamoto Shigekuni cut him off.
"While you were away on your mission, that boy made quite a commotion at the Spiritual Arts Academy. He's better than not only his classmates, but even the teachers."
"In short, keep a close eye on him."
"With his talent, he may graduate from the academy very soon."
"Once he does, if he performs well, perhaps we can let him join Genryu."
"It would be a shame to let a genius like him be won over by another noble family."
Okikiba Genshiro nodded respectfully, committing the words to memory.
He might question the old man's methods, but he would never doubt his judgment of people.
Shunsui Kyoraku and Ukitake Jushiro were proof enough.
Not to mention the other captains he had once taught.
After Yamamoto Shigekuni left, Okikiba Genshiro had his subordinates bring him all the information they had on Kisaragi Akira and began reading through it carefully.
As he took in the reports, the stern face that rarely showed emotion shifted like a painter's palette.
Blue, red, yellow, white, purple—the colors seemed to dance across his face.
After a long while,
Okikiba Genshiro finally recovered from his shock and muttered to himself:
"Beating up a teacher, blowing up the Central Male Dormitory, inventing self-destructing Shakkaho..."
"How did my academy ever end up with a student like this..."
Another Kido class, on the training grounds.
Hikifune Tessai stood with his arms folded, sternly watching the two boys before him.
Kisaragi Akira and Aizen Sosuke.
"Today's lesson is practical Kido."
Hikifune Tessai frowned as he spoke in a deep voice. "If your injuries haven't healed yet, I can excuse you from participating."
Kisaragi Akira waved both hands, looking excited.
"No problem, Teacher Tessai."
"I may not be good at much, but I heal fast. And with Captain Unohana's Kaido treatment, I'm pretty much fine now."
"Just say the word. Who are we beating up first?"
Hikifune Tessai's face darkened, as though he were a lump of coal brought to life.
"Practical training comes second. Safety comes first."
"You'll stand inside the designated Kido Barriers and exchange attacks. The first to break the other's defensive barrier wins."
"Since you and Aizen are always together, I assume you know each other's abilities well. Why not start with the two of you?"
At this, Kisaragi Akira's eyes widened.
"Teacher Tessai, how can you make such a baseless accusation?"
"When have I ever..."
"Gotten to know Sosuke's abilities?"
He had always spoken his mind. Since enrolling, Aizen had rarely fought anyone, and his few performances in practical lessons had been thoroughly average.
The only time he'd ever received praise was when he'd set Akira up.
In the eyes of the other students, Aizen was simply Kisaragi Akira's sidekick: an ordinary student with a talent for theory, but little else.
But as far as Akira knew, Aizen's current strength was still beyond his ability to measure.
The talent to invent a Kido incantation in an instant alone was no less impressive than the Heart of the Divine—perhaps even more terrifying.
And with that talent, plus the fact that Aizen was a total grind, his strength was easy to imagine.
Honestly, even if Aizen pulled out a Kurohitsugi right now, Akira wouldn't be the least bit surprised.
He'd just die very peacefully.
Hikifune Tessai's mouth twitched. He'd thought the two had fallen out over the self-destructing Shakkaho incident, but it turned out the boy simply didn't know how strong Aizen was.
To be fair, no matter how talented they were, their strength at this stage was still quite limited.
With him watching over them, there was no need to worry about them hurting each other.
All he had to do was make sure one of them didn't set off another self-destructing Hado.
"It's fine."
Hikifune Tessai gathered his thoughts and said seriously, "As long as you don't do anything reckless, I'm here. Nothing will go wrong."
"Okay, Teacher Tessai!"
Kisaragi Akira rubbed his hands together, looking even more excited.
"Now that you've said that, I feel much better."
"Sosuke, bring it on. It's time to show you what a real mage looks like."
Watching him act as if he'd just had an energy drink, Hikifune Tessai suddenly began to regret his decision.
Had he made a mistake?
Now that things had come to this, it was probably too late to change his mind.
As he hesitated, the two had already taken their places inside the prepared Kido Barriers.
The enormous Kido Barrier was oval-shaped, covering most of the training grounds.
After setting up defensive barriers around the two boys, Hikifune Tessai retreated to the edge of the Kido Barrier, ready to step in and stop the match at any moment.
Looking at the rather excited Kisaragi Akira across from him, Aizen's lips curled into a faint smile. He spoke softly:
"Even if this isn't the best time..."
"Since this is what you want, I might as well indulge you."
Kisaragi Akira grinned, brimming with confidence.
"Don't underestimate me, Sosuke."
"I'm really strong now!"
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