Gains

After returning home, Yoriichi Tsugikuni switched on the living room light and set his schoolbag beside the sofa.

The room was quiet.

Since his adoptive parents passed away, he had been the only one left in the house. His former self had long grown used to this life, but now, with an extra set of memories from a previous life, the familiar living room felt somewhat strange.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni walked over to the window and drew the curtains.

Then he removed the katana from his waist and laid it flat on the table.

The gray scabbard had no decorations, and the guard was just an ordinary circle. Apart from the crimson character for "sun" at the end of the hilt, the entire sword looked unremarkable.

But through the Transparent World, things looked completely different.

The Reishi in the air constantly drifted toward the blade before being absorbed. Once inside, they quickly took on a faint crimson tint.

Warm, pure, free of impurities.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni gripped the hilt.

"Hekyō."

Hum.

The Zanpakuto trembled gently, as though answering his call.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni fell silent for a few seconds, then slowly drew the blade.

The instant the blade left its scabbard, the temperature in the room rose noticeably. Crimson Reiatsu coiled around its edge, yet it neither ignited the table nor hurt his palm.

This power was entirely under his control.

Or rather, it had always been part of his soul.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni lowered his gaze to the blade, a strange feeling rising within him.

This sword felt familiar.

Not the familiarity of something he had only seen today, but of something that had accompanied him for many years and already become part of his body.

Whenever he wished, he could immediately deliver the most suitable slash.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni raised his right hand and touched his forehead.

There was a flame-shaped Demon Slayer Mark there.

Before today, he had always thought it was just an ordinary birthmark. His adoptive parents had taken him to a hospital, and the examinations had found nothing wrong.

But now, it seemed this thing was probably anything but ordinary.

The Transparent World, the Demon Slayer Mark, and an almost instinctive understanding of swordsmanship.

The talents belonging to another Yoriichi Tsugikuni had all manifested in him.

"Just how strong am I now?"

Yoriichi Tsugikuni rubbed his chin and began to think seriously.

This question mattered a great deal.

The world of Bleach had no shortage of dangers. Ordinary Hollows were only the beginning. Beyond them were the captains of the Soul Society, the Arrancar created by Aizen, and the Quincy hiding in the shadows.

Without a way to gauge his strength, rashly getting involved in the plot could very well get the people around him killed.

But even after thinking it over for a long time, he had no answer.

He had nothing to compare himself against.

The Fishbone Hollow had been too weak. Ichigo Kurosaki had finished it with a single slash. His newly awakened Hekyō had not truly been drawn either, so naturally, he had no idea what he could accomplish.

"What level of prodigy would I count as at Shin'ō Academy?"

Yoriichi Tsugikuni looked at the Zanpakuto in his hand.

Ichigo, who had only just gained Soul Reaper powers, did not even know his Zanpakuto's name. Even Rukia, an official Soul Reaper, needed to communicate with her Zanpakuto over a long period before she could master Shikai.

Yet all he had done was grip the hilt, and its name had appeared in his mind on its own.

And that was not all.

Hekyō also seemed to have passed some kind of power on to him.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni closed his eyes.

As his consciousness sank into the depths of his soul, a crimson sun appeared in the darkness. Beneath it stood a blurry figure with their back to him, a sword likewise hanging at their waist.

Twelve continuously linked sword forms then appeared in his mind.

Dance.

Blue Heaven.

Blazing Sun Red Mirror.

He did not need to practice any of these sword forms.

Because his body already knew them.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni opened his eyes again. Hekyō was already covered in a layer of crimson light. It was not fire, but Sun Reiatsu condensed to a certain degree.

One swing would probably destroy the house.

At that thought, he immediately reined in his power.

Testing his strength was fine.

But using his own house for the test would be a little disrespectful to his savings.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni sheathed Hekyō, but kept his gaze on it.

"If I knew its name as soon as it awakened, I should be able to use Shikai."

"Also, where did this Zanpakuto come from?"

According to the story he had read in his previous life, Soul Reapers needed to obtain an Asauchi, then spend a long time with it to imprint the essence of their souls into it.

Only then would the Asauchi finally become a Zanpakuto belonging exclusively to that Soul Reaper.

All Asauchi were forged by Ōetsu Nimaiya.

Yet he had never been to the Soul Society, much less come into contact with an Asauchi.

But Hekyō had manifested directly from his soul when his memories awakened.

"In the story, weren't Zanpakuto supposed to be obtained through the Asauchi forged by Ōetsu Nimaiya?"

Yoriichi Tsugikuni carefully examined the scabbard, then drew the blade a short way.

No matter how he looked at it, this was a complete Zanpakuto.

Its name, abilities, Reiatsu, and even the way to use it already existed. It did not need someone else to forge it, nor did it need a long time to develop.

Hekyō was connected to the very essence of his soul.

As long as he existed, this sword would not disappear.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni thought for a while before finally giving up on finding an answer.

He had already transmigrated. Having an extra Zanpakuto that defied conventional rules did not seem all that difficult to accept.

"Forget it. No point thinking about it."

He placed Hekyō back on the table, turned, and walked into the kitchen.

He had not eaten dinner yet.

Even the strongest people got hungry, not to mention that his current body was still human. Yoriichi Tsugikuni opened the refrigerator, took out a boxed meal, and put it in the microwave to heat up.

While waiting, he began sorting through the events to come.

Ichigo Kurosaki gaining Soul Reaper powers was only the beginning of the story.

Next, Rukia would remain in the World of the Living, concealing her identity while guiding Ichigo in dealing with Hollows. News of her loss of power would also reach the Soul Society.

Before long, Byakuya Kuchiki would bring Renji Abarai to Karakura Town.

They would gravely injure Ichigo and take Rukia back to the Soul Society.

Then Rukia would be sentenced to death.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni leaned against the kitchen counter, his gaze gradually growing serious.

When he used to read the manga, those had only been stories on a screen. But now, Ichigo was a friend who sat beside him at lunch, and Rukia was a real, living person he had just met.

He could not keep treating everything as a plot.

"Byakuya Kuchiki..."

A captain-level Soul Reaper, the captain of the Sixth Division, a powerful fighter who had mastered Bankai.

He would be just right for gauging his strength.

But before that, he had another problem to solve.

How to explain his sudden acquisition of power.

Ichigo would be easy to fool. As long as that guy knew he meant no harm, he probably would not keep asking questions. But Rukia was different. She was an official Soul Reaper from the Soul Society. There was no way she would turn a blind eye to a human suddenly possessing a Zanpakuto.

An even bigger problem was Kisuke Urahara.

That shady merchant in a hat looked rather frivolous on the surface, but in reality, he was absurdly cunning.

If he fabricated a complicated lie, it would be seen through sooner or later.

In that case, he might as well tell only part of the truth.

For instance, he had been able to see spirits since childhood, and tonight, stimulation from Ichigo's Reiatsu had accidentally awakened his Zanpakuto. As for transmigration and his memories of a previous life, there was no need to tell anyone.

The microwave beeped.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni took out the boxed meal, sat down at the table, and began eating.

After dinner, he washed the food container and returned to the living room. Hekyō lay quietly on the table, the crimson character for "sun" standing out under the light.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni reached out and touched the hilt.

The Zanpakuto immediately dissolved into crimson Reishi and merged into his body. The next moment, with just a slight intent, Hekyō appeared at his waist again.

Convenient indeed.

At least he would not have to bring a restricted weapon to school.

Soon, Yoriichi Tsugikuni finished washing up and returned to his bedroom.

He lay in bed, staring at the dark ceiling. With Hekyō's help, the memories from his previous life that had been in turmoil all evening finally settled completely.

He still had classes tomorrow.

As for the Soul Society, Aizen, and those battles that had yet to happen, he could only deal with them one step at a time.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni closed his eyes.

Before long, his breathing gradually evened out, and he slowly drifted off to sleep.