"Sōsuke, how do you intend to repay what you owe me?!"
On a small path just outside Seireitei, not far from Shin'ō Academy, Kaelith Yurei extended his trembling hand, pointing accusingly at the young man in front of him, who was dressed in the blue and white school uniform.
The boy, called Sōsuke, sighed.
"Kaelith, I told you before we came out here: the distance between Shin'ō and the 1st Division barracks is too far. Getting you there in under a minute is simply impossible."
"At our pace, it would take us at least two to three hours to reach the 1st Division barracks."
"And even if we did get there, there's no way they'd let us in. The 1st Division is the heart of the Gotei 13 and wouldn't allow students just to wander in freely."
Hearing this, Kaelith Yurei sighed and slumped to the ground, looking utterly defeated.
This is the Soul Society—the world of Bleach, or as it's commonly known, Shinigami.
Six months ago, Kaelith was transported into this world, assuming the identity of a new student at Shin'ō Academy, under the name Kaelith Yurei.
And the boy standing next to him? In the world of Bleach, he's a rather famous figure known as Sōsuke Aizen.
At first, when Kaelith discovered he was in the same class as the legendary Aizen, he was terrified, always on guard around him, fearing that even a minor slip might catch the attention of this future mastermind.
But… after a few months, Kaelith realized that this young Aizen wasn't as formidable as he'd imagined.
When it came to wielding a Zanpakutō, exorcising Hollows, or even Shunpo, Aizen was only slightly better than Kaelith in Kidō; in other areas, they were more or less on the same level.
After testing his observations multiple times, Kaelith became increasingly convinced that while Aizen would one day grow overwhelmingly powerful, for now, as a student, he was just at an average level for a top Shin'ō Academy student.
Kaelith figured that Aizen must experience some turning point after graduation, which would mark the start of his rapid ascent to power.
By then, this "big boss" version of Aizen would officially step onto the stage of history.
And as for Kaelith, he'd likely be little more than a forgotten former classmate by then.
Kaelith didn't particularly care about that.
After all, in this era without video games or the internet, he had no interest in world domination either.
His goal was simple—to earn decent marks at Shin'ō, join the Gotei 13, secure a seated officer position, and live the life of a Soul Society warrior, feeding off the blood and sweat of Rukongai's residents.
That was, until two minutes ago, when his life's ambitions suddenly changed.
The reason? His cheat ability had finally arrived!
> [Training Link System Activating… Activation Successful!]
> [In one minute, the system will bind to the individual within a 500-meter radius with the highest training potential.]
> [Once bound, every time this individual's strength increases, if the host's strength is lower, it will automatically synchronize to match the individual's level.]
> [Countdown: 59, 58…]
Hearing the system's prompt, Kaelith, who was in the middle of class, jolted up as if struck by lightning.
Under the astonished gaze of his teacher and classmates, he quickly said, "Sorry, Sensei, I have a stomachache!"
Then, he grabbed the person sitting behind him—Aizen Sōsuke.
"Sōsuke, quick, take me to the infirmary!"
Not giving the teacher time to react, Kaelith bolted out of the room with Aizen in tow.
As they ran, Kaelith Yurei spoke urgently, "Sōsuke, hurry, take me to the 1st Division barracks! This is a lifelong request from your best friend!"
The moment the system countdown had begun, Kaelith made up his mind—he had to bind to Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.
If he could synchronize with Yamamoto, he'd be invincible in the Soul Society from that day forward! (T/n if only life was that easy;/)
No matter who it was—Aizen (the young version), Ichigo Kurosaki, or Ginrei Kuchiki—he'd cut down anyone who dared to stand in his way!
But then… he was betrayed by his supposed "best friend."
Aizen, this unreliable guy, couldn't even take him to the 1st Division barracks. They hadn't even made it a kilometer before the system activated on its own—and bound him to Aizen instead. Kaelith was devastated.
Though he knew that Aizen would one day become powerful, who could say when that would happen?
Shinigami had such long lifespans; if Aizen didn't start getting stronger for another hundred or two hundred years, wouldn't that mean he'd miss out on a century or two of effortlessly coasting to power?
It felt like a serious loss.
Watching Kaelith's grief-stricken face, Aizen shook his head helplessly.
"I don't know what you were planning, but since it didn't work, let's go back to class. If Kinoshita-sensei finds out you faked an illness to skip class, he'll probably break your legs."
As he spoke, Aizen extended a hand to the seated Kaelith Yurei.
Kaelith grabbed Aizen's hand and stood up.
Looking at the brown-haired boy in front of him, Kaelith solemnly placed his hand on Aizen's shoulder and gave it a heavy pat.
"Sōsuke, you have to work hard at your training. Become a man who stands above all others—unmatched by anyone!"
And, just to make sure, he emphasized again, "You have to work hard!"
Aizen: "…"
Seeing the serious look on Kaelith's face, Aizen suddenly wondered if his friend might actually be unwell.
After a short while, they returned to Shin'ō Academy.
The final class of the morning had already ended, and Kinoshita-sensei had left the classroom.
As they walked in, a young man with gentle features, long black hair, and an almost feminine grace stood up and approached them.
"Kaelith, you're back so soon. Are you feeling alright?"
Kaelith waved his hand dismissively and sighed. "My body's fine, but my spirit has suffered a serious blow."
The gentle young man was about to say something when suddenly a mocking voice came from the side.
"Kaelith, instead of worrying about your spiritual wounds, you should be more concerned about your legs."
"Kinoshita-sensei left for the infirmary earlier. Imagine what he'll think if he finds out you're not there—I can't even guess what he'll do."
Hearing this, Kaelith's face took on a look of horror.
If Kinoshita-sensei discovered he'd skipped class on purpose, the consequences would be terrible.
He wasn't the strongest in the Soul Society yet; he couldn't afford to get into trouble now!
As Kaelith debated whether he should take a few days off to avoid the teacher, the dark-haired man laughed and shook his head.
"Don't listen to Seinosuke. Kinoshita-sensei went to the kendo hall."
Kaelith glared at his classmate, who was lounging on the desk nearby.
"So that's it, huh, Seinosuke? Messing with your own friend, are we? Don't run after school—I'll make sure you regret it!"
Seinosuke Yamada clicked his tongue and turned to the black-haired boy. "Kuchiki-sama, don't side with him like that."
"Don't listen to him, Kuchiki-san," Kaelith said, crossing his arms. "If guys like Seinosuke are left unchecked, they'll end up a menace to the Soul Society! Either they'll be imprisoned for life or burned at the Sōkyoku; by stepping in now, we're saving him from himself. He should be thanking us!"
Seinosuke snorted. "I'm the Soul Society's menace? Oh, please, Kaelith. Have you forgotten how you described the Central 46 before?"
"What did I say? I'm completely loyal to the Central 46! If they tell me to go east, I'd never even think of heading west!"
At that, Seinosuke widened his eyes, as if stunned by Kaelith's shamelessness, momentarily left speechless.
The dark-haired Kuchiki, standing nearby, finally found a chance to join the conversation.
Raising his hand, he said, "Um, Kaelith, you can just call me 'Kuchiki' or 'Sōjun .' This 'Lord Kuchiki' thing is just… weird."
"Alright, Teacher Sōjun, I got it," Kaelith replied seriously with a nod.
Watching his quirky classmates, Aizen couldn't help but sigh.