The Chaos Begins

"BOOM!"

What terrifying spiritual pressure! Is this the power that lies beyond the captain level?! Struggling to withstand the crushing weight of Kirinji Tenjiro's spiritual pressure, Ichiro felt a surge of shock, and his resolve to prioritize spiritual food for growth deepened even further.

A Soul Reaper's battle is a battle of spiritual pressure.

This saying could be considered a classic, and Ichiro had placed great importance on it since transmigrating, but this was the first time he had personally faced such a situation...

At the same time, for the first time, a desire to push himself to his absolute limit rose within him!

Whether it was strength, knowledge, or status!

He didn't want to be suppressed by others ever again!

He wanted to stand tall!

No, you don't...

Suddenly, the sound of a door opening and closing echoed in the depths of Ichiro's heart. The words that followed chilled his inexplicably excited spirit. Yes, he truly didn't want that...

In his first life, just as his life was about to be fulfilled, he died...

In his second life, not long after becoming a State Alchemist, he died...

Now in his third life, he hadn't achieved success yet, but he was afraid...

Whoever wants to be a captain is a dog!

No! Being a lieutenant is out of the question too!

These thoughts had been deeply carved into his soul the moment he woke up in the Soul Society again. He had essentially achieved fame and success in his previous two lives; there was no point in walking that path again.

Compared to such things, he had found something far more interesting...

Exploring the truths of the world...

Only when he had finished exploring the truths of the world could he be considered successful, and truth is infinite!

This bug—he, Tenshin Ichiro, was going to exploit it for sure!

"Dreams... huh... ha~" Ichiro's body swayed, and he looked up at Kirinji Tenjiro, revealing the emotions in his eyes completely for the first time, displaying a brilliance never seen before. "I want to... lift the mask of the world... and witness... the eternal, unchanging truth of this world!"

"!!!" Kirinji Tenjiro and the captain stared at Ichiro in shock. They had considered many answers—wealth, power, strength—but they had never expected this. Based on Ichiro's usual behavior, he didn't seem like someone who possessed such a noble ideal.

Yet, the emotion filling Ichiro's eyes at this moment was not fake. Having lived for hundreds of years, they still had the ability to judge a person.

"..." After a moment of silence, Kirinji Tenjiro suddenly withdrew all his spiritual pressure and smiled at Ichiro, who was panting heavily. "You are quite good."

Hearing this, Ichiro also smiled. He gradually understood that his sudden emotional outburst earlier must have been related to Kirinji Tenjiro; it was likely some sort of assessment.

Thinking of this, a lingering fear gripped Ichiro's heart. If the question hadn't been about his dreams, he might have truly fallen for it. Although he was confident in regaining the trust of the Seireitei, it would have inevitably affected his development plans.

If he had ended up becoming a captain, he would be finished; he had no spare time to deal with miscellaneous chores.

But thankfully, he had passed. Although they would continue to monitor his situation, he figured they wouldn't test him again. After all, human nature is the one thing that cannot withstand testing.

Just like that classic line...

"You're using this to test a cadre?"

The implication being that the stakes were too low to tempt him. If the temptation reached a certain level, almost no one could resist it. The Seireitei couldn't possibly be unaware of the principle of "trusting those you employ."

"Ichiro."

"Yes?"

"Well done."

Facing the captain's praise, Ichiro rubbed the back of his head and smiled.

"Tenjiro and I still have things to discuss. Wait for me outside; we'll head back together later. I have some things to instruct you on."

"Yes, Captain!"

After Ichiro walked out of the training grounds, Kirinji Tenjiro chewed on a wooden stick and grinned. "Retsu, this kid has a bright future."

"Mm."

"Are you planning to groom him to be the captain of Squad 4?"

"Mm."

"Mm... that's fine, I suppose. But I think you're better suited for Squad 4. This kid is better suited for the Kido Corps, given his outstanding talent for Kido. And the 'truths of the world,' huh? Ha~ he's not unlike those old geezers, is he? Hahaha!"

"Mm."

"Haha—er..." Kirinji's laughter came to an abrupt halt. Looking at the silent captain, a bead of cold sweat slowly trickled down his forehead. "Retsu... you haven't said a word since just now. What... what's wrong?"

"Hoo~"

Following Kirinji's words, an nameless aura rose from the captain. The braid coiled in front of her loosened and unraveled, and she looked up toward the sky!

"Gulp!"

Kirinji swallowed hard, his voice trembling slightly as he asked, "R... Retsu, what are you..."

"Just now, why did you take the liberty of using your spiritual pressure to coerce Ichiro? I don't recall us ever discussing this beforehand..."

Kirinji's brow twitched as he stammered in terror, "I... I... I was just... just... joking. Right, right, I was just joking. It makes the effect better, ha~ ha~ right, exactly."

The captain with loose hair smiled, radiating an even more intense killing intent as she said, "Then, I shall tell a joke as well..."

"Clang!"

"Ah!"

"Hm?" Ichiro, having just stepped out of the residence, looked back in confusion. He thought he had just heard a scream? He immediately chuckled and shook his head. "Impossible. This is the noble district, and with those two lords present, who would have the guts?"

A while later, the captain walked out in a refreshed mood, called out to Ichiro, and led him toward the academy.

"Ichiro, things have been a bit chaotic lately. You should stay at the school for the time being and avoid coming to the squad barracks."

Hearing the captain's words, Ichiro's eyes flickered. Connecting the recent anomalies with the scattered information from the original story, he nodded. "Understood, I will be careful."

"Right, when do you plan to graduate? Do you still need to finish your studies? There is likely no one left at Shino Academy who can teach you."

"Yes, that is true, but my combat system has yet to be fully constructed. I won't have much time after graduation. After all, there are quite a few systems I need to research: I must continue learning Kido, organize the incantations for Kaido, and build my combat framework. Most importantly, my Zanpakuto still won't Shikai. I can hear her voice, but I'm always stuck on the most crucial part—her name. Sigh~"

Counting on his fingers, Ichiro sighed. The Shikai of his Zanpakuto was his greatest worry; he had solutions for everything else, but for this, he was completely at a loss...

"Shikai, is it? Don't rush. Since you've heard her voice, you will complete it sooner or later. Besides, you haven't had the Zanpakuto for long; there is still plenty of time."

"Mm." Ichiro nodded, though there was one thing he didn't tell the captain, and that was...

The voice of his Zanpakuto was growing fainter...

It wasn't that the Zanpakuto had stopped speaking, but rather that he... could no longer hear it...

Thanks to Bandalan for the tip!

Thanks to King of Gluttons and Sonic Gale for the monthly tickets!

Thank you all for your support!