Yui's eyes shimmered with warmth as she gazed at the tall, dark-haired man standing by the bed, her expression filled with contentment and shyness.
She had never encountered a man so perfect—his appearance refined, yet his demeanor wild and domineering. The contrast between the two only made him more irresistible.
Though last night had been her first time, due to both her personality and profession, she found herself completely captivated by the man before her.
Masatsuki Aozaki walked over to the small table by the wall, picking up the half-empty bottle of sake Yui had been drinking. He took a swig, swished it around his mouth, then swallowed it all in one go. Smiling, he said,
"Darling, I've got class. You go ahead and sleep in."
Though he addressed her so affectionately, there was no real emotion behind it.
In truth, he might forget about Yui entirely one day.
She was beautiful, no doubt. Her status was an added bonus, and last night had certainly been enjoyable. But love? That wasn't in the equation.
Masatsuki casually grabbed his uniform from the couch—a traditional kendo outfit, white on top with blue hakama.
The first class of the morning was Zanjutsu.
...
Sōjun Kuchiki stood at the front of the dojo, a bamboo sword in hand, demonstrating basic sword techniques while methodically explaining each movement to the class.
Masatsuki and the others knelt on the polished wooden floor, their own bamboo swords resting in front of them.
The techniques Sōjun taught weren't all that different from the kendo Masatsuki had learned in the World of the Living.
Seeing no need to focus entirely on the lecture, Masatsuki divided his attention, listening while simultaneously refining his Reiatsu using the Reiryoku Refinement Technique.
Gin Ichimaru leaned in slightly, his body tilted at an odd angle.
"Masatsuki, did you hear? Someone's coming to the Shin'ō Academy in a few days as a guest lecturer for Zanjutsu."
"A Zanjutsu class? So, does that mean Sōjun-sensei is finally going to retire and go inherit the family estate?" Masatsuki's tone carried a hint of envy.
He truly meant it. Only someone who had once lived as a noble could understand just how comfortable that life was.
Back in the World of the Living, he had indulged in luxury from a young age—so much so that excess eventually took a toll on his health. Now, he found himself in the humiliating position of catering to noblewomen just to get by.
"Retire? Not quite. The guest lecturer is only here for a temporary lesson."
"Do you know who it is?"
"The noble kids are saying it's someone important."
Masatsuki raised an eyebrow and lowered his voice.
"Important? How important?"
"Well, from what those noble-born students are saying… it might be a captain from the Gotei 13."
Masatsuki was slightly surprised.
It wasn't unusual for Gotei 13 captains to teach at Shin'ō Academy. In the original timeline, after Aizen became a captain, he had regularly served as a calligraphy instructor here.
However, guest lectures were usually reserved for graduates. When did first-year students start receiving such treatment?
...
At that moment, Sōjun Kuchiki seemed to have finished explaining the core points of the lesson. He halted his movements and turned his gaze toward Masatsuki.
"Aozaki, are you not enjoying my class?"
"How could that be? Your class is excellent—captivating, engaging, vivid, and deeply moving…"
"But you don't seem very interested in listening."
"That's not true! Actually… actually, Gin was the one who spoke to me first. I was just trying to tell him to focus on the lesson."
Gin's perpetually narrowed eyes cracked open slightly.
"!?"
Without missing a beat, Masatsuki discreetly pulled a small ring from his sleeve and flashed it in front of Gin.
"…Yes, I was the one who spoke to Masatsuki first."
Masatsuki let out a quiet sigh of relief, but Sōjun wasn't going to let them off that easily.
"I see. But talking during class is still unacceptable. As punishment, Aozaki and Ichimaru, you two will go retrieve the Asauchi for your classmates."
"..."
"Wait… are we getting our Zanpakutōs?!"
A voice from the class spoke up, and soon, excitement spread across the students' faces.
The Asauchi were nameless Zanpakutōs—blades that would later take shape according to their wielder's soul. A Shinigami's power came from forming a bond with their sword, learning its name, and communicating with its spirit.
To receive an Asauchi was the first step to truly becoming a Shinigami.
Sōjun Kuchiki shook his head. "Of course not. These are only lent to you for training with Jinzen (Sword Meditation)."
"You won't receive your own Asauchi until you graduate and officially join a squad."
"However, if you manage to infuse your soul into an Asauchi and learn its name while training with Jinzen at Shin'ō Academy, then congratulations—you will have earned your own Zanpakutō."
As Sōjun Kuchiki explained the essence of the Zanpakutō to the students, Masatsuki Aozaki and Gin Ichimaru carried in two large bundles of Asauchi.
Fortunately, since Shin'ō Academy focuses on professional technical education and not many have the aptitude to become Shinigami, the two of them were barely able to carry the load.
"Now, take an Asauchi, place it on your lap, and sit in a meditative posture. Try to guide your Reiryoku into the blade, synchronize your thoughts with it, and establish a connection…"
Sōjun Kuchiki demonstrated by sitting cross-legged and placing his Zanpakutō on his lap.
Masatsuki followed his lead, sitting down and setting the sword before him. Closing his eyes, he focused on channeling his Reiryoku into the blade.
The moment he did, he felt a pulling force from within the Asauchi, as if it were drawing in his soul, trying to merge with it.
It was an incredible sensation—his soul felt cleansed, enveloped in warmth, as if he had returned to the safety of his mother's embrace.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a vast, pure white space. The sky was devoid of a sun, and the overwhelming whiteness above stung his eyes.
The ground appeared to be made of some unknown white liquid. As he placed his hand on it, ripples spread outward, yet despite sitting there, he did not sink.
Looking up, he saw a katana embedded in the ground. It was about 1.2 meters long, with a slender blade, a grayish-white hilt, and an oval-shaped guard. Standing atop the blade was a beautiful girl dressed in a white kimono.
She had the presence of a goddess, with the face of an angel and the body of a temptress.
Willow-like brows, large eyes, delicate lips, and a perfectly sculpted face with wide double eyelids, a high nose bridge, and long, flowing black hair.
She was the kind of beauty that seemed almost unreal, as if she had stepped out of a dream and into the real world.
She smiled radiantly, and Masatsuki was momentarily dazed.
"Who are you?"
"Who am I? What are you saying? It's me… (static) Ah!"
"Banshō Senran (All Things in Existence)?" Masatsuki blinked, his initial confusion fading. A smile formed on his lips as if reuniting with an old friend. "…Banshō Senran."
Though the girl's voice came through as static, the name resounded clearly in his heart.
Like a playful spirit, she leaped down before him, winking mischievously. "You really can hear me. But this is just the beginning… I can't wait for the day you call my true name."
The world shattered like a broken mirror, and her body dissolved into countless fragments of light.
Masatsuki reached forward, trying to grab hold of her, but in the end, all he grasped was the hilt of a katana.
"What's happening to Masatsuki…?"
"His Asauchi… it's glowing!"
"Kuchiki-sensei, come quickly! Something's happening to Aozaki-kun!"
Masatsuki opened his eyes to the concerned voices of his classmates. At some point, he had already risen to his feet, and the Asauchi in his hand had transformed into the same katana from that white world.
"My Reiatsu…"
Before he could fully process what was happening, an overwhelming surge of Reiatsu erupted from his body.
The force was so sudden and immense that he couldn't even attempt to restrain it—it gushed forth like an uncontrollable fountain.