A vision of gentle beauty materialized before Azrael, her dark hair arranged in elegant twin braids that framed a face of serene compassion. The Captain's pristine white haori draped loosely over Unohana's form, its flowing fabric concealing her figure beneath layers of deceptive modesty.
"Please give me your guidance for the future, Azrael," Unohana said, her voice carrying the soft warmth that had made her beloved throughout the Soul Society. A gentle smile graced her features, radiating the kind of maternal kindness that inspired absolute trust in those who met her.
Perhaps others would be completely deceived by Unohana's current appearance, the perfect image of a devoted healer whose only concern was tending to the wounded. But Azrael possessed knowledge that cut through her carefully constructed facade like a blade through silk.
He understood only too well that beneath that angelic expression lurked something far more dangerous, a monster whose capacity for violence had once terrorized even the Soul Society's strongest warriors. The gentle captain's robes concealed hands that had mastered every conceivable method of inflicting death, while her gentle smile hid the predatory instincts of the legendary criminal known as Yachiru.
As if sensing the direction of his thoughts, Unohana's smile never wavered, but her autumn water eyes gradually narrowed with subtle menace. "I can't help but feel that you're thinking something rather rude about me, Azrael."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees, and Azrael felt cold sweat trickle down his forehead. He quickly cleared his throat, desperately searching for a safer topic of conversation. "Speaking of which, Retsu, what exactly is the situation with your [Yachiru-Dormant] trait?"
After checking Unohana's card information, he'd been somewhat confused by the unusual designation. Under normal circumstances, her characteristic should have been the active [Yachiru] state that represented her true nature as the original Kenpachi. The dormant state suggested that her abilities were severely limited.
Hearing his question, Unohana's gentle expression changed to one of thoughtful concern, like a teacher carefully considering how to explain a complex concept to a student. "If the information flowing through my mind is correct, I should only be able to access my true swordsmanship if my current facade is... shattered."
Understanding dawned in Azrael's mind as the implications became clear. "I see. So you're essentially maintaining a conscious limit on your abilities."
The revelation wasn't entirely unexpected, though it was an interesting strategic consideration. After all, in the original series, Unohana had presented herself as a dedicated healer and support specialist until the Thousand Year Blood War finally forced her to reveal her true nature. Her medical expertise and kind demeanor had been genuine, but they'd also served as perfect camouflage for one of the most dangerous combatants in existence.
For Azrael's purposes, this duality was actually a significant tactical advantage rather than a limitation.
In typical Lore Cardian battles, opponents prioritized the elimination of support units, healers, ranged attackers, and battlefield controllers that allowed more dangerous threats to operate freely. Standard doctrine called for neutralizing these "squishy" targets before they could accumulate decisive advantages through sustained utility.
Unohana's deceptive nature turned this conventional wisdom into a deadly trap.
Azrael could already imagine the scenario: enemy forces would identify her as a vulnerable support caster and devote resources to eliminating what appeared to be an easy target. They'd fight through his other cards, taking casualties and expending abilities to reach the "helpless" healer in his backline.
Only to find out far too late that they'd just cornered the most dangerous melee specialist on his entire roster.
The psychological impact alone would be devastating. Imagine their expressions when the gentle medic they'd dismissed as a non-threat suddenly revealed herself to be a berserker whose sword techniques had been perfected through centuries of slaughter.
Of course, if the opponents chose to ignore Unohana altogether, they'd face a different but equally problematic situation. Ninetyth-level Kidō spells would surely teach them the folly of leaving a Diamond-level caster unchallenged in the backfield.
Putting these tactical considerations aside, Azrael turned to Unohana with renewed seriousness. "Speaking of swordsmanship, I happen to have a blade of my own. I was hoping you might be willing to give me some... instruction."
A flicker of something predatory passed through Unohana's eyes as she assessed the mental pressure emanating from her new master. Her gaze swept the room, taking in their current location, before returning to his face with subtle anticipation.
"Here?" she asked, her tone carefully neutral despite the obvious implications.
Azrael nodded with complete sincerity, meeting her gaze without flinching.
They stood in his bedroom.
The next morning, Azrael struggled to rise from his bed, one hand pressed against his lower back as he tried to work through the various aches and pains that had accumulated overnight.
"Silver level is really different," he muttered, stretching carefully to assess the damage. "Fortunately, Pride has been gradually strengthening my physical conditioning to the Black Iron level over the past month. Otherwise, I might not have survived this encounter."
The previous evening had felt like facing the Soul Society's most notorious criminal in single combat, which, he reflected with dark amusement, was essentially what had happened. Unohana's "instruction" had been both thorough and merciless, testing his stamina and technique with an intensity that left no room for weakness or hesitation.
Fortunately, Azrael's swordsmanship had proven equal to the challenge. After a prolonged exchange that had pushed both combatants to their absolute limits, he'd emerged victorious through superior positioning and stamina, though this success owed much to his earlier training sessions with Shinobu and Nami, which had prepared him for opponents who fought with supernatural grace and inhuman endurance.
In the aftermath of this hard-fought triumph, he could honestly declare with his hands on his hips, "My sword techniques aren't bad either!
After completing his morning routine with movements still slightly stiff from the previous night's exertions, Azrael settled into his usual schedule of meditation and correspondence. His phone revealed several unread messages that required his attention.
[Andrew: Mr. Azrael, your initiation procedures have been completed. The relevant documents and materials will be delivered to your residence within the next two days. Please acknowledge receipt upon arrival.]
Azrael stared at the message for several seconds before recognition set in. "Andrew... ah, right, the admissions coordinator from Pixar University."
He quickly typed a short confirmation:
[Azrael: Understood. Thanks for the help].
After completing this correspondence, Azrael opened the group chat that Alice had previously added him to, the Inner Circle of Master Lucian's Disciples. The conversation history was completely blank, with no messages exchanged since his initial introduction.
"Everyone's incredibly busy," he mused, though he wasn't particularly surprised. "Senior brothers and sisters at their level probably have significant responsibilities."
Given Master Lucian's reputation and standards, any disciple he'd accepted would inevitably be involved in important work, protecting territorial borders, conducting classified research, or performing other duties that came with their elevated status. Their current silence likely meant that they were operating in secret realms or other locations where communication with the outside world was impossible.
Putting these speculations aside, Azrael pocketed his phone and settled into his meditation posture, allowing his consciousness to sink into the familiar rhythm of spiritual energy cultivation.
February 2nd marked the beginning of Pixar University's spring semester, the resumption of academic life after an unusually early winter break that gave students less time to recover than usual.
THUD!
The heavy impact of something landing echoed across the entrance plaza of Pixar University's Immortal Spirit Campus, the sound carrying clearly through the crisp morning air and immediately drawing the attention of the sparse crowd of early arrivals.
Students and faculty members turned toward the source of the disturbance, their expressions changing from mild curiosity to shocked alarm as they processed what they saw.
A massive humanoid creature dominated the plaza, easily ten feet tall, its form composed of writhing black and red biomass that seemed to pulse with alien intelligence. The monster's surface rippled like liquid mercury, while glimpses of internal organs and skeletal structure flickered beneath its translucent skin like something out of a fever dream.
"Holy shit, is that a rogue organization attacking the campus?" a student gasped, instinctively backing away from the terrifying apparition.
"What criminal group would be crazy enough to launch an attack here?" another voice replied with a nervous laugh. "If they wanted to cause trouble, they'd target literally every other university first."
The bravado in their voices reflected genuine confidence rather than empty bravado. The Immortal Spirit Campus of Pixar University housed the most prestigious Lore Cardian department in the Empire, protected by a faculty whose combined power could level entire districts. In addition to the numerous Emerald-level professors, several Diamond-level Masters maintained offices here, including some whose reputation alone was enough to deter most threats.
"Wait, that's definitely a biological card," observed a more analytical voice from the gathering crowd. "But I've never seen anything like it in our departmental records. Did someone create this over winter break?"
"Maybe, but where's the summoner?" another student wondered aloud. "Biological cards don't usually work independently in this realm."
While most of the onlookers were ordinary students pursuing conventional degrees, several Lore Cardian specialists had gathered in the crowd. Their trained eyes studied the creature with professional interest, noting details that escaped casual observation.
Just as speculation reached its peak, the massive form began to contract rapidly, its bulk compressing like air escaping from a punctured balloon. Within seconds, the towering monster had completely vanished, absorbed into the figure of a young man standing calmly in the exact spot where the creature had landed.
"What the hell was that?" someone shouted in bewilderment. "I've never seen a card with that kind of integration capability!"
"Some sort of symbiotic entity, perhaps? But the absorption was completely seamless..."
"Has anyone seen this guy in the department before? I don't recognize him."
The observer was, of course, Azrael, whose enhanced hearing easily picked up the various conversations taking place around the square. The February wind carried a bitter chill that would have been uncomfortable for most humans, but Pride's symbiotic presence kept his body temperature at optimal levels while providing perfect protection from the elements.
After a moment's thought, Azrael retrieved his registration papers and approached two students whose animated discussion marked them as obvious Lore Cardian specialists.
"Excuse me," he said politely, holding the official papers out to them. "Could you help me find this classroom?"
The thinner of the two students accepted the enrollment notice and scanned its contents with growing confusion. "Why are you starting classes in the middle of the academic year?" he asked with genuine puzzlement.
His heavier companion read over his shoulder, then delivered a sharp elbow to his ribs. "Are you stupid? Look at the date, this was issued on January 28th of this year, not last year."
But the correction only deepened his own confusion as the implications sank in. He turned to Azrael, eyebrows raised. "Since when does our university accept new students mid-semester? This is the first I've heard of such a policy."
Azrael shrugged casually, unwilling to elaborate on the extraordinary circumstances that had led to his early admission. "Early enrollment was simply a matter of fortunate timing."
Recognizing that further questions would be unwelcome, the skinny student tried another approach. "You should have received a student ID card with your admissions materials. Do you have it with you?"
Immediately understanding the implication, Azrael produced his official student ID and proceeded to the main campus gate. Under the watchful eyes of both students and several curious security guards, he passed through the automated verification system without incident, the scanner accepting his credentials with a cheerful beep.
"Now that we've confirmed your legitimacy," the slender student said with obvious relief, "I suppose we can direct you to your destination."