Shin'ō Academy, First-Year Class 1.
After the instructor announced the end of class, the students, each carrying their Asauchi, exited the classroom while chatting among themselves, walking off in different directions.
Due to all classes being temporarily canceled today, the students of Class 1 were dismissed on the spot and didn't need to move elsewhere for further lessons.
Their task for the day was to become familiar with their Asauchi, in preparation for the upcoming Konsō training and even live combat training.
Therefore, most students of Class 1 didn't plan on wandering around aimlessly. Except for a very few, the majority were heading back to the dorms, or to the training grounds and Kendō hall to get acquainted with the Asauchi in their hands.
When the students of Class 1, each carrying a sword, walked out of the classroom, students from other classes were momentarily stunned, then immediately filled with envy and jealousy.
"Are those the Zanpakutō issued by the Academy?"
"Class 1 already got their Zanpakutō?"
"I'm so jealous!"
"Yeah, I've been waiting eagerly for my own Zanpakutō."
"Same here."
"When is it going to be our turn to get Zanpakutō?"
The students from other classes conversed with either envy or jealousy, eyeing the Asauchi in the hands of Class 1 students with longing expressions. This made the Class 1 students puff up with pride, walking with their heads held high and chests out. Some even intentionally placed their Asauchi where they could be clearly seen, showing them off to stir others' envy.
Especially those who had acquaintances in other classes—they deliberately walked up to those acquaintances to flaunt.
For example, Renji Abarai did just that.
"See this, Rukia!"
Renji Abarai grabbed Rukia Kuchiki, who happened to be wandering nearby in Class 2 next door, and pointed proudly at the sword strapped to his back.
"I've already received my sword! How's that? Cool, huh?"
Upon hearing this, Rukia glared at Renji, doing her best to make her eyes look fierce so he wouldn't notice the envy in them.
"It's just a Zanpakutō! We'll be getting ours soon too, you idiot Renji!"
Rukia waved her small hand, slapping Renji's stomach.
"Ow ow! Don't hit me, you!" Renji quickly grabbed Rukia's hand, gritting his teeth. "And besides, this is called an Asauchi! It's the name and form a Zanpakutō has before it's released! Don't call it wrong again!"
"Oh please, acting like you know everything." Rukia was so mad she gritted her teeth and snorted. "You probably just learned that in class today and are now parroting it to sound smart. An idiot like you showing off knowledge—totally doesn't suit you."
"W-what?" Renji's face froze, then he got mad and shouted, "Damn it, you're just jealous! Jealous I got my Zanpakutō before you!"
"Who's jealous of you, you idiot Renji!" Rukia immediately got flustered and shouted back, "And didn't you just say it's called an Asauchi? You messed it up too, idiot!"
"You're the idiot! Idiot Rukia!"
"Idiot! Idiot! Renji, you're such an idiot!"
The two of them bickered like this in the hallway, the level of the quarrel rather childish, causing passersby to steer clear.
"…Are you guys five?" Izuru Kira happened to walk by and couldn't help but comment helplessly.
"Ahaha…" Momo Hinamori laughed awkwardly, saying nothing.
She thought the scene looked oddly familiar—just like when she used to argue with her own childhood friend…
So, back then, did she also look like a little kid in other people's eyes?
Thinking that made Momo feel strangely embarrassed.
"Oh?"
While arguing with Rukia, Renji suddenly noticed someone, and his eyes lit up. He actually left his childhood friend behind.
"Hey! You over there, stop right there!"
Renji pointed at someone else walking past and shouted provocatively.
Everyone nearby was drawn by the shout and looked over, then immediately revealed strange expressions.
"…You're not talking to me, are you?"
Kaiser, who happened to be passing by, saw Renji pointing straight at him and his eyelid twitched hard.
"That's right! I'm talking to you!"
Renji's expression was arrogant, exactly like a delinquent extorting lunch money.
"Hey! Renji! What are you doing?!"
Rukia was shocked by the scene.
And it wasn't just her—Izuru Kira and Momo Hinamori were startled too.
"Abarai, what are you doing?"
"T-That's Kaiser-san, you know!"
Kira and Hinamori both tried to stop Renji in a panic.
Unfortunately, Renji was already too fired up.
"Don't stop me, Kira, Hinamori." Renji waved them off, then struck a stance in front of Kaiser, eyeing him like a predator. "I'm saying, Kai—now that we've got our Asauchi, how about a match?"
That line didn't frighten Kaiser—but it did scare the others again.
"What are you saying, Renji?!"
"Don't be reckless, Abarai! This isn't a joke!"
"These aren't wooden swords—these are real blades!"
Everyone could tell exactly what Renji meant. He clearly wanted to spar using Asauchi.
This was no joke. As they say, blades have no eyes. Sparring with wooden swords and sparring with real ones were completely different things.
If anything went wrong, someone could get hurt—or worse.
Kaiser was exasperated too.
"Using Asauchi or wooden swords isn't much different, really." Kaiser sighed. "Unless you're trying to fight to the death or release your Zanpakutō's true form and power, having a real blade won't make you any stronger than when you had a wooden one."
In other words, just because you're holding an Asauchi doesn't mean you're any better.
If you're going to lose, you'll still lose.
"It just feels different, okay?" Renji replied. "Come on, say yes or no. Or are you afraid of losing to me?"
Kaiser nearly rolled his eyes.
Even when he had a wooden sword, Renji couldn't beat him. Now that he had a real Zanpakutō, how could he lose?
Renji wouldn't get any stronger just because he had an Asauchi. But Kaiser was different.
Thanks to the Authority, whenever he acquired a stronger weapon, his skill in using that weapon would also improve to bring out its full potential.
So what was Renji going to win with?
"Let it go, Abarai." Kaiser shook his head. "If you've got so much pent-up energy, why not save it for later when the combat training starts?"
Before Renji could object, Kaiser revealed a piece of news.
"Just now, the instructor pulled me aside and gave me a heads-up. He said after the Konsō lessons begin, the combat training will soon follow." Kaiser dropped a heavy bomb. "When that happens, we'll be going to the World of the Living to fight Hollows in specially prepared locations."
Sure enough, Renji was distracted.
"Fight Hollows?"
He was startled.
"R-Really?"
Rukia, Kira, and Hinamori all changed expressions too.
Hollows were evil spirits that devoured souls—genuine monsters.
Even though purifying Hollows was part of a Shinigami's job, they were still just first-year students. Was it really okay to send them to fight monsters that ate people?
Everyone started getting worried. Momo, being on the timid side, even turned a little pale.
Seeing this, Kaiser calmly added,
"Relax. They're not real Hollows, just simulated ones. They won't eat anyone—at most, you'll get a few scratches."
Speaking of this, Kaiser found it a little funny.
They'd be fighting simulated Hollows that weren't even that dangerous, and yet the instructor had gone out of his way to pull him aside and caution him carefully, as if cradling the nation's future flower in his arms. It was almost laughable.
Of course, Kaiser understood—only he got that kind of treatment.
After all, he was a once-in-a-thousand-years genius. If anything happened to him, the Academy would probably cry for weeks.
But those teachers could never possibly know—Kaiser wasn't someone who'd get into trouble.
Even before obtaining his Zanpakutō, he wouldn't be afraid of a few Hollows. Even Menos Grande-level threats wouldn't scare him.
"Come to think of it…"
Kaiser suddenly remembered something.
"Doesn't this training session… have some kind of accident?"
He couldn't quite recall the details.
He only remembered that the incident… seemed to be caused by that person behind the scenes.
Would that person, just like in the original storyline, stir up trouble here?
Kaiser fell into thought.
"Simulated Hollows, huh…"
Meanwhile, after hearing the truth about the combat exercise from Kaiser, Renji and the others finally sighed in relief.
"Guess I'll go prepare then." Kaiser patted Renji's shoulder and gave Rukia, Kira, and Hinamori a gentle smile. "See you around."
With that, Kaiser turned and left without looking back.
"Ah!" Renji finally came to his senses and shouted, "He got away!"
Hearing this, Rukia wanted nothing more than to bash Renji's head in.
Izuru Kira and Momo Hinamori exchanged glances—then chuckled bitterly.
The news that Class 1 would soon begin Konsō and combat training spread through the first-years like wildfire.
And the students of Class 1 began preparing with all their might—those needing to familiarize themselves with Asauchi focused on that, while others practiced combat techniques. Preparation was in full swing.
And so, several days passed.
Class 1's combat training arrived right on schedule—drawing the attention of many.