Opening Day

The following days passed without any complications.

As Yato had expected, with the Horiuchi family wiped out entirely, the Sixth Division—tasked with investigating matters related to the nobility—ultimately found nothing.

This incident was classified by Central 46 as the work of "Ryoka hostile to the nobility of the Rukongai."

When it came down to it, after the Horiuchi family moved out of the Seireitei, they were no longer part of the core noble circles; they were only slightly better off than wealthy merchants, so no one would obsess over the extermination of their clan.

The disappearance of Koizumi Kentaro, the seventeenth seat of the Ninth Division, did not cause much of a stir either. The Gotei 13 was a violent empire teeming with elites, and while they initiated a routine investigation, someone else quickly stepped in to fill his position.

Days turned into weeks. Due to his surging spiritual pressure, Yato's physique became stronger than before, and his recovery ability improved significantly. With the attentive care of Gin and Rangiku, he had recovered almost completely by the time the opening day of the Shin'ō Academy approached.

On that day, he bid farewell to Ichimaru Gin and Matsumoto Rangiku and set off on the road to Junrinan.

District 62 of the Eastern Rukongai and District 1 of the Western Rukongai were very far apart, and he could not cut directly through the Seireitei. To avoid wasting time, Yato simply ran the entire way, stopping at inns to rest when tired, and continuing his journey after eating his fill.

On the final day of the registration period, Yato finally arrived at Junrinan, District 1 of the Western Rukongai.

The grand Junrinan was indeed different from the higher-numbered districts of the Rukongai.

The ground was level and paved with fine, blue gravel. The pedestrians on both sides of the street had rosy complexions, clearly living in prosperity, and in the distance, green mountains and white clouds mingled, with the faint chirping of birds echoing in the air.

Uchiha Yato walked and looked around, much like a country bumpkin entering the city for the first time.

He could hardly be blamed for this; after all, he had spent too much time in that dump called Flower Withers and had forgotten what clean, tidy streets looked like.

He did not dawdle, as this was not the time for sightseeing. After a simple meal where he tasted the signature sticky rice dumplings of Junrinan, Yato headed toward the White Way Gate.

As the core of the Soul Society, the Seireitei was separated from the outer Rukongai by a tall, white wall.

The wall was constructed of Seireiseki, a material that released fluctuations capable of breaking down spiritual power, creating a spherical protective barrier. It protected the Seireitei from the sky to the underground without any blind spots, making it difficult for souls with ordinary spiritual power to break through.

Anyone entering or exiting had to pass through one of the four gates: the White Way Gate, the Blue Stream Gate, the Black Ridge Gate, or the Vermilion Hollow Gate.

The Shin'ō Academy was built just inside the White Way Gate.

Preferential treatment and protection for students were default rules in every world; even before becoming official Shinigami, students were allowed to move into the Seireitei early.

Today was the final day for new students to enroll at the Shin'ō Academy. Teachers, senior students, and temporarily assigned Shinigami were all gathered in front of the White Way Gate, and there were quite a few Rukongai residents nearby watching the excitement.

In the long-standing, rigid Soul Society, this could be considered a small, annual grand event.

Yato glanced at the Seireitei from afar and obediently joined the queue.

The efficiency at the White Way Gate was quite high, and it was soon his turn.

"Uchiha Yato, hmm..."

The official found Yato's records, checked them against his portrait, and asked a few questions. Seeing that the boy could answer them one by one, he let him pass without further ado.

Following the signs, Yato walked through the White Way Gate and stepped into the territory of the Seireitei.

As his feet touched the road, the boy's eyebrows lifted slightly.

The air in the Seireitei seemed fresher.

He took a few deep breaths and punched the air, feeling the difference between this place and the Rukongai.

The concentration of Reishi is different... it's just like the oxygen intoxication of my past life.

Yato thought to himself, but he didn't pay it much mind.

With his current physique, he would adapt quickly.

The Shin'ō Academy was not far from the White Way Gate, sitting almost against the Seireiseki wall, and it occupied a massive area.

With seven large buildings, a vast training ground, and kendo practice rooms visible everywhere, this place had provided a steady stream of talent to the Seireitei for hundreds of years, offering strong support to institutions like the Gotei 13, the Kidō Corps, and the Stealth Force.

The assembly point for the new students was in the training ground of one of the buildings.

After verifying his identity, Yato walked inside.

At first glance, he saw that person.

He was a youth with a handsome face, his black hair tied into a ponytail. Notably, a strand of hair on the side of his forehead was tucked into a cylindrical ornament.

This was the Kenseikan, a headpiece that only high-ranking nobles had the right to wear!

This person was undoubtedly the sole heir of the Kuchiki Clan, one of the five great noble families of the Soul Society: Byakuya Kuchiki!

At this moment, he was not as cold and aloof as he would be when the story began, but rather like a normal youth—full of vigor, his eyes bright and lively.

I wonder how strong he is right now...

Yato stroked the tsuba of his Scarlet Eye and looked away.

There were about three hundred new students in the training ground. Considering the massive base population of souls in the Soul Society, these young people could all be praised as excellent talent.

There was no organization, yet there was no sense of chaos either. Everyone was just secretly sizing others up and comparing them to themselves.

The person who garnered the most attention was, naturally, Byakuya Kuchiki.

Uchiha Yato also drew many gazes; thanks to his superior appearance, he always managed to stand out in a crowd.

Before long, the registration time for the Shin'ō Academy ended, and the gates of the training ground slowly closed.

An elderly man with graying hair walked to the center of the teachers and arrived before the new students.

"My name is Hasegawa Shinya. One hundred and thirty years ago, I served as the third seat of the First Division." He paused, and though he was old, his voice remained deep and powerful.

"Today, I serve as the headmaster of the Shin'ō Academy."

"The Shin'ō Academy began two thousand years ago as the 'Origin School,' a school founded by Lord Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, which was later renamed the 'Genji Academy'..."

Hasegawa Shinya had been headmaster for many years. Every year when a new class of students enrolled, he had to give a speech, and he was already well-versed in the routine. After briefly touching upon the history of the Shin'ō Academy and the study plan for the next six years, he went straight to the point.

"Your existence will surely become the backbone of the future Seireitei..."

"Now, everyone proceed to the dormitories to bathe and change your clothes."

"Return here in half an hour, at which time the academy will distribute Asauchi to you all..."

The students applauded quite cooperatively and were about to follow the headmaster's instructions and head to the dormitories first.

However, at this very moment, a clear voice rang out across the training grounds.

"Headmaster Hasegawa... I have a bit of a situation here."

Yato raised the blade in his hand and said calmly:

"I already have a Soul-Cutter Sword."

Hasegawa Shinya frowned slightly. As a workaholic, he could remember the faces and names of all the new students, so he asked directly:

"Uchiha Yato? Where did this sword come from?"

"I found it." Yato's answer was very blunt.

"It sounds incredible, but I really did pick it up by the river a short while ago."

Hasegawa Shinya was speechless for a moment.

In fact, there was a certain degree of attrition among Shin'ō Academy students and official Soul Reapers every year. When the cleanup crews rushed over to handle the bodies, they often could not find the Asauchi, leaving them lost in the outside world.

Incidents of people finding Asauchi happened often, but it was rare for someone to be so honest about it.

Most people sold them at high prices to nobles and wealthy merchants. There was no way to regulate this, and the Seireitei turned a blind eye to it as well.

"It doesn't matter; just hand over this Asauchi." Hasegawa Shinya waved his hand and said to Yato:

"In a while, you will join your fellow students in the sword-granting ceremony."

But to his surprise, the boy named Uchiha Yato just smiled lightly and said apologetically:

"I'm sorry, Headmaster Hasegawa, but I'm afraid I cannot return this Soul-Cutter Sword."

"Because..."

"I have already achieved Shikai."

The vast training grounds fell into a sudden, heavy silence.