Status:
Name: Lei Zhang
Reiryoku: 6000
Skills:
* Kido - Grandmaster
* Hakudo - Amateur
* Zanjutsu - Amateur
* Shunpo - Amateur
* Kido Flow
* Kido Seals
Items:
* Zanpakuto (Unawakened)
Buffs:
* Beginner Gains - 48:36:46
Main Goal: Become a captain in the Gotei 13
—
* Beginner Gains - 48:36:45
* Beginner Gains - 48:36:44
The moment had come. With pinpoint focus, Lei stared at the count down timer of his Beginner Buff. After the next 48 and some hours, immense talent and genius would no longer be his. To say he wasn't nervous would be lying.
What am I like without this benefit?
Will I be able to fully prepare myself with my natural abilities in the next 50 years before the plot starts?
*Inhale* *Exhale* Controlling his breath, Lei calmed his nerves. By almost all measures, he had done everything he could have. He amassed advanced captain levels of Reiryoku. He mastered every Kido. He even developed his own Kido techniques.
If there was one thing that was missing…
Cold steel rested under his fingertips, the low temperature drawing his eyes to the unfeeling katana that was the source. He had half-heartedly attempted Blade Meditation through the year, but Kido research had always been his calling. Only now, after his Kido had been trained to beyond perfection, did he truly feel internally ready to pursue the first formal step of becoming a Shinigami: achieving Shikai.
* Beginner Gains - 48:35:18
* Beginner Gains - 48:35:17
I just hope I have enough time.
*Inhale* *Exhale* Steadying his breath, he sank deeper into his meditative state.
—-
Light reflected off of glass windows, and when Lei opened his eyes, he found himself no longer in The Soul Academy. A sprawling modern city stretched as far as the eye could see, illuminated by the perpetual dusk of a sun neither rising nor setting. The dusky light painted the landscape in shades of gold and purple, while the sky above was a tapestry of stars—brilliant and innumerable, blanketing the heavens in a way Lei had never seen before.
Well I should have guessed that my inner world would be the modern world. Glad to see I still remember where I came from.
But then familiarity started popping out to him: the local convenience store. The positioning of the trees. The names on the street posts.
Recognition hit him like a wave.
This is my city.
Instinctively, Lei knew where to go. He navigated the familiar roads, his feet carrying him toward his old apartment building. As he reached the entrance, he slid his hand into his pocket and retrieved the keys—just as he knew they would be there.
The apartment was exactly as he remembered it, down to the stains on the kitchen table. Hands trembling, heart pounding, Lei wandered through the familiar space before finally stopping before his target: his old game room.
This is it. What's going to be on the other side of the door?
And how would he react if he saw the arcade machine that was the source of his current troubles and anxieties? Scream in frustration? Maybe worship it for its isekai powers?
Yeah… no. Magic is cool, but I had a good life back home. Probably smash it into pieces or something.
Well whatever he was prepared for when he opened the door, the result wasn't what he expected.
There, sitting cross-legged with an air of serene detachment, was a figure shrouded in a long black cloak that fanned out behind him like a shadow. His skin was a deep, dark purple, his Asian features calm and relaxed. He looked vaguely otherworldly, reminiscent of Vision from the Marvel universe, yet distinctly unique.
The figure's gaze was fixed outside the window on the sky, seemingly absorbed in the beauty of the stars. He didn't react to Lei's careful approach.
Lei hesitated for only a moment before stepping closer, his anxiety melting into a quiet acceptance.
Despite this person being an absolute stranger, I feel a distinct sense of familiarity… I guess this is him. This is my Zanpakuto.
Without a word, Lei sat down beside the figure on the balcony. Together, they stared at the sky, the silence between them comfortable and profound.
After what felt like hours, the spirit finally spoke, his voice soft and contemplative.
"When I first awakened a year ago," the spirit began, "I thought this was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. The sky, the stars, the way this world feels so alive... even though it was just you and me."
Lei remained quiet, sensing there was more to come.
"But as time passed, and you didn't reach out, it became just me. And I began to wonder," the spirit continued, his tone tinged with melancholy. "How can someone forsake this? How can someone create a world like this and then... ignore it?"
Memories flashed in Lei's head about when he deliberately made the choice to pursue Kido. A pang of guilt struck him. Whether it was because of how long it took to connect with his spirit or whether it was because he wasn't sure if he would have made a different decision, he wasn't sure.
"I went through everything—resentment, fear, self-hatred," the spirit admitted. "I wondered if I even mattered to you. If I was worth anything at all."
"I didn't mean to—"
"But then," the spirit interrupted, his tone shifting to something lighter, almost amused, "I realized something. Life here is... good. I don't have to worry about food, women, work, or survival. I don't even have to worry about you calling me. It's... beautiful."
The spirit emphasized the point by gesturing toward the sky, where a hollow bird flew past, its form strangely elegant as it glided through the stars.
Lei looked at the spirit, his guilt giving way to a quiet sense of wonder. "You're... okay with this?"
The spirit chuckled. "More than okay. But now that you're here…" He gave a lopsided and mischievous smile. "I can finally do something that was not nearly as much fun alone."
The spirit shuffled around the room towards the massive 80" flat screen TV hanging in the room.
No regrets in purchasing that. Lei thought as his eyes drifted downwards to what the spirit was pointing to. Bewilderment, shock, and finally excitement showed on Lei's face when he saw what was there.
No way. How is that even possible?
"Tell me… do you still remember how to play Super Smash Bros?"
—
"Final smash - Mewtwoooo!" On screen, a dark purple Mewtwo blasted a light pink Mewtwo well, off screen. And annoying, the spirit elongated the 'o' in Mewtwo in a celebration of his victory.
"Ha! Despite your best efforts, that's 25 wins for me, 0 for you!" Seriously, this Zanpakuto spirit doesn't know when to stop.
That's right, after too many hours of degenerate gaming, Lei had not won a single match.
"Whatever, I'm just rusty. I'll get you next time" Throwing his controller petulantly to the side, Lei was a little frustrated but also fully content. Since coming to the Bleach world, he had been scrambling for an entire year, doing his best to make sure he was prepared for the earth-shattering and terrible opponents ahead. Combine that with the stress of the recent hollow encounter, he didn't realize it, but he was at his mental limits. Having a good, long, and yes, brain-rotting gaming session was exactly what he needed - it was like scratching an itch he had completely forgotten. Absolutely satisfying.
The two sat in silence once more, the comfortable companionship setting in again.
"So… do you... have a name?"
The spirit turned to him, his expression unreadable. "Of course I do. But you had to come here to earn it."
Lei nodded, understanding.
The spirit leaned forward, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "My name is..."
The words resonated within Lei's soul, filling him with a profound sense of connection. But also with a sense of bewilderment. He looked at the screen. He looked at the spirit. He closed his eyes.
"No seriously? Please do not make me say that when releasing your Zanpakuto."
"Haha, it's not my fault that he was your favorite Super Smash character growing up. Maybe when you learn Bankai, you can omit calling out the name."
"You-" Lei began in frustration. But when he opened his eyes again, the spirit was gone, and Lei was back in his dorm room.
Lei sat up, his heart pounding with a mixture of exhilaration and relief. The connection he felt to his Zanpakuto was unlike anything he had experienced before - a bond forged not just from power, but from understanding.
He clenched his hand into a fist, feeling the energy of his spirit coursing through him.
* Beginner Gains (Ended)
"And just in time." Lei may have lost his buff, but he was more optimistic for the future than ever.