"Kaelith, how on earth did you do it?"
On the way to the dormitory, Seinosuke Yamada ran up beside Kaelith, his excitement evident.
Kaelith pointed at Aizen. "He taught me."
Seinosuke paused for a moment, then turned to look at Aizen.
Aizen wore a confused expression as if he had no idea what was happening.
Seinosuke narrowed his eyes skeptically.
Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed Aizen's wrist.
After closing his eyes and sensing the intensity of Aizen's spiritual pressure, he opened his eyes and cast a disdainful look at Kaelith.
"Kaelith, don't distract me. Although Aizen's spiritual pressure is quite high and can rival that of the noble Kuchiki family, it's still leagues behind yours!"
Kaelith chuckled softly.
Foolish Seinosuke had been deceived by Aizen's feigned appearance.
Perhaps only someone as wise and perceptive as himself could see through Aizen's true nature.
With this thought, Kaelith sharply severed the ties to his previous self from before today.
Sōjun had his hands tucked into his sleeves, walking alongside the three of them.
He was equally curious about what had transpired with Kaelith, but just as Kaelith wouldn't pry into his family matters, he wouldn't casually ask about Kaelith's.
After a moment's thought, he spoke up: "Yurei, you need to be careful in the days to come."
"Careful about what?" Kaelith asked, puzzled.
Sōjun replied seriously: "The Soul Society is currently in turmoil, with various factions eager to expand their power and increase their influence."
"Someone like you, possessing immense strength and limitless potential, is precisely the kind of target they seek."
"Those elders won't consider your well-being; once you accept their olive branch, you'll become a blade in their hands."
"The fate of that blade, and what it ultimately becomes, is of no concern to the nobles."
"Once you reach that point, your originally bright future could fall into darkness."
"Moreover, once you choose to join a faction, other factions will inevitably plot against you to prevent you from becoming an obstacle in the future."
"The conflicts between nobles are filled with treachery…"
By the end of his words, Sōjun's gaze reflected helplessness.
In reality, it wasn't just commoners like Kaelith Yurei; even he, a scion of one of the four great noble families, would still be swept into this enormous whirlpool.
He was reluctant to accept this reality, yet he had no room for choice.
Because of this, he hoped his friends could lead a more peaceful life, unlike him who didn't have a choice.
After some contemplation, he seemed to have made a resolution.
"Yurei, if you trust me, you could superficially join the Kuchiki family."
"With the Kuchiki family's name, other families naturally wouldn't come to harass you."
"As for those who wish to harm you, they would also have to consider the power of the Kuchiki family."
"Don't worry; I'll talk to my father and assure him that you are only joining in name and that we won't make you do anything."
Fearing that Kaelith might misunderstand, he quickly explained.
Looking at Sōjun, Kaelith felt a sense of gratitude.
He reached out and patted Sōjun on the shoulder.
"Sojun, you're truly a good person."
"I just want to protect those around me as much as I can… I'm not as noble as you say."
Sōjun gently shook his head.
Kaelith Yurei pondered for a moment.
To be fair, Sōjun's suggestion was indeed very tempting.
As he said, the current Soul Society was in turmoil. If he continued to operate at his previous level, it might not matter much.
Now, thanks to Aizen, what happened today would surely spread to the ears of the major nobles soon, and even if he wanted to hide, he couldn't. Rather than being harassed by various nobles, it might be better to join the Kuchiki family; at least he would have acquaintances there.
But… if he joined, could he really remain an outsider, as Sōjun imagined?
Not to mention whether Kuchiki Ginrei would accept him; he himself couldn't do something so selfish as to take advantage without contributing. (t/n Kuchiki Ginrei-current family head, Grandfather of Byakuya Kuchiki)
Under Sōjun's watchful gaze, he nodded and said, "I'll think it over carefully."
Upon hearing this, Sōjun sighed.
From Kaelith's response, it was clear he was politely declining.
However, since Sōjun couldn't insist more, there was little more he could persuade him about.
All he could do was help as much as possible depending on how things developed…
---
The dormitories of the Shinō Academy housed four students per room.
Kaelith Yurei, Aizen, and two other classmates shared one room.
Seinosuke Yamada lived next door.
As for Sōjun… being a noble, he naturally had a single room.
Kaelith had expressed his envy numerous times over this.
After returning to the dormitory, Kaelith assured Seinosuke Yamada that he would find time to practice with him, successfully dismissing him.
Sitting on his bed, he closed his eyes and began to digest the gains he had synced with Aizen.
As a reincarnator with a unique advantage, the system's abilities were indeed reliable; all the skills synced from Aizen felt as if they were innate, inscribed in his very being, ready to be used whenever he wanted.
However, simply learning the techniques did not make one strong.
It was like playing a competitive game; for a character built from scratch, every skill had its purpose, and when to use it, and how to string combos together was clear in his mind.
If someone had never engaged with the game before and just bought a powerful account, even with all the skills available, they could only unleash a small portion of its power, leading to a tremendous waste.
As a self-disciplined person, Kaelith Yurei certainly couldn't accept such a situation.
Watching Kaelith begin to practice as soon as he returned, Aizen felt a sense of pressure.
Without saying a word, he also removed his shoes and socks, sitting on his bed to begin gathering his spiritual pressure.
Before long, the two roommates returned to the dormitory.
When the two entered the room, they initially wanted to invite Kaelith and Aizen to join them for dinner, but upon seeing the two in their current state, they quickly closed their mouths.
They exchanged glances, their expressions somewhat complicated.
While everyone else was playing, some were secretly practicing.
This world was truly difficult.
After spending about two hours, Kaelith Yurei finally absorbed most of the footwork techniques he had synced from Aizen.
To understand it more profoundly and remember it more solidly, mere mental visualization wasn't enough; practical application was necessary.
He would have the opportunity to practice against Sōjun… that guy, being a noble, should have insights into footwork, right?
Glancing at the rolled-up blanket on the adjacent bed, Kaelith decided against calling him over.
After all, the harder Aizen trained, the more at ease he could be with slacking off…
With this pleasant thought, Kaelith left the dormitory, ready to head to the cafeteria for a meal.
However, just as he stepped outside, he spotted their homeroom teacher, Kinoshita.
Seeing Kaelith, Kinoshita's eyes lit up, and he quickly hurried over.
"Kaelith, come with me!"
"Wait a second… Kinoshita-sensei, do you even know where I'm going? Just following you isn't enough," Kaelith said, taking a cautious step back.
Could Kinoshita be a messenger for some noble?
Seemingly guessing his thoughts, Kinoshita rolled his eyes.
"Kid, what do you think of me?!"
"Just come along quickly… Captain Yamamoto has summoned you!"
Kaelith: "!?"