Shin'ō Academy. Principal's office.
An elderly Division member stood respectfully before the desk, his hair mostly gray with one side still black, as he delivered his mission report.
"The rebel unrest has spread beyond noble power struggles. These extremists have infiltrated the Rukongai, the Gotei 13, and the Kidō Corps. Second Division intelligence confirms that Lieutenant-level Shinigami are now in contact with the rebels. Though we lack concrete evidence, my years of experience suggest this rebellion may be connected to one of the Captains."
After the report, First Division's 3rd Seat Chōjirō Sasakibe maintained his respectful bow, awaiting the elder's response.
"Sasakibe, you've done excellent work." Genryūsai (Yamamoto) declared, "Not only did you suppress the rebels, but you've gathered vital intelligence. With this information, we can work toward completely eliminating these rebels who threaten Soul Society!"
He paused briefly before changing the subject.
"Now that your mission is complete, you should return to your position as principal. I've identified several promising talents at Shin'ō Academy and adjusted their training programs accordingly. Pay particular attention to Sōjun Kuchiki and Akira Kisaragi."
Chōjirō's face creased with confusion.
"Sōjun Kuchiki is the Kuchiki family heir, raised with noble education. He already possessed Seated Officer capabilities before entering the academy, excelling in all areas — Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō. Few nobles can match his talent. As for this Akira Kisaragi, isn't he just a new student? I remember he—"
Genryūsai cut him off.
"During your absence, this boy has caused quite a stir at the academy. He surpasses not only his peers but even some instructors. Keep a close eye on him. With his talent, he may graduate from Shin'ō Academy very soon and, Should he perform well, we might consider him for the Onmitsukidō. It would be unfortunate to lose such a genius to other noble houses."
Chōjirō nodded respectfully, noting these words. While he might question the elder's methods, he never doubted his eye for talent.
This was clear from Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake alone, not to mention the other Shinigami Captains he had trained.
After Genryūsai's departure, Chōjirō had his subordinates gather all information about Akira Kisaragi and began studying it carefully.
As he read through the reports, his usually stern expression cycled through a spectrum of emotions — red, blue, yellow, white, purple — like a living kaleidoscope.
After a long while, he finally recovered from his shock and muttered to himself.
"Beating up teachers, blowing up the men's dormitory, inventing self-destructing Shakkahō... How did Shin'ō Academy end up with such a troublemaker..."
⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬
Another Kidō class at the training grounds.
Tessai stood with his arms crossed, staring intently at the two young men before him: Akira and Aizen.
"Today's lesson will cover practical Kidō combat." He announced in his deep voice, frowning, "If your injuries haven't fully healed, I can authorize you to sit this one out."
Akira waved his hands enthusiastically, "No problem, Tessai-sensei! I might not be good at much else, but I heal fast, and with Captain Unohana's Kaidō, I'm practically good as new. Just tell me — who are we going to fight first?"
Tessai's face darkened like coal springing to life.
"Safety comes first, combat second. Both parties will stand within designated Kidō barriers and engage in Kidō exchanges. The first to break through their opponent's defensive barrier wins. Since you and Aizen are always together, you must be familiar with each other's abilities. Why don't we start with you two?"
Akira's eyes widened at these words.
"Tessai-sensei, how can you make such baseless accusations? When have I ever... become familiar with Sōsuke's abilities?"
He was always straightforward, and since entering the academy, Aizen had rarely engaged in combat. The few times he participated in practical combat classes, his performance had been decidedly mediocre. His only notable moment had been that one time he'd tricked Akira.
To others, Aizen appeared to be merely the troublemaker priest's follower — an ordinary student with good theoretical knowledge but average in other aspects.
But in Akira's understanding, this guy's current abilities were beyond comprehension. His talent for instantly creating Kidō patterns was no less impressive than his Trait 'Heart of a God' — perhaps even more terrifying.
With such talent, plus the fact that Aizen was naturally an overachiever, his level of power was obvious.
To be honest, even if this guy pulled out Kurohitsugi (Hadō #90) right now, Akira wouldn't be surprised at all. He'd just die peacefully.
Tessai's mouth twitched; he had thought the two had fallen out over the self-destructing Shakkahō incident, but it turned out this kid just wasn't familiar with Aizen's abilities.
To be fair, even geniuses had their limits at this stage.
Under his supervision, there was no need to worry about them hurting each other. He just needed to make sure certain someone didn't try another self-destructing spell.
"It's fine." Tessai said seriously after gathering his thoughts, "As long as you don't act recklessly, nothing will go wrong with me here."
"Alright, Tessai-sensei!" Akira rubbed his hands together, his expression growing even more excited, "With your word, I can rest easy. Come on, Sōsuke, it's time to show you what a real spellcaster looks like."
Looking at this student who seemed to be buzzing with energy, Tessai suddenly felt a twinge of regret. Had he made a mistake?
At this point, it was too late to change his mind.
While he was still pondering, the two had already taken their positions in the prepared Kidō barriers. The massive oval-shaped barrier covered most of the training ground.
After setting up defensive barriers for both of them, Tessai retreated to the edge of the Kidō barrier, ready to intervene and stop the practice battle at any moment.
Looking at the excited Akira across from him, Aizen's lips curved slightly upward as he spoke softly.
"Though it might be somewhat inappropriate right now, since this is your wish, I might as well indulge you."
Akira grinned confidently.
"Don't underestimate me, Sōsuke. I'm really strong now!"
⤫⤬⤫
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