Kyōraku Callum strained to open his eyes, observing the shifting world, searching for his Zanpakutō.
In a daze, he vaguely saw a majestic throne, formed from countless clocks, appearing in the distant void.
The throne was unoccupied, yet exuded immense authority.
Kyōraku Callum let out a long breath, emerging from the sword meditation. His body was stiff, his joints feeling rusty.
"How long was I sitting there?"
He looked at the clock on his desk, his pupils constricting.
"One second?!"
His voice was filled with disbelief. While there was no way to measure time within the Zanpakutō space, he'd walked a long path, and he knew it had been much longer.
"It seems my Zanpakutō holds many secrets!"
He thought of the throne that appeared after the world shattered. For whom was it intended? Who would be worthy to sit upon it?
"A long road ahead,"
Kyōraku Callum sighed, rising from the mat. Aizen Sousuke's attention had instilled a rare sense of unease. If there was anyone in the Seireitei he needed to be wary of, it was Aizen Sousuke.
His centuries-long conspiracy had decimated nearly half of the Seireitei's top fighters. Aizen was undeniably dangerous.
To gain the power to protect himself, Kyōraku Callum decided to do something important. He tidied his room and hurried out.
"If I remember correctly, Rukia's dorm should be in this direction,"
He paused at his dorm entrance, recalling the location, then headed north.
He soon encountered a denser cluster of dorms.
"So many dorms?"
Kyōraku Callum gasped, his brow furrowed.
The dorms were clustered together, wooden buildings connected by corridors.
Each dorm had a number and the resident's name, but finding Rukia's was proving difficult.
Then he saw a Shinigami overseeing the dorms.
"Excuse me, do you know where Rukia's dorm is?"
Kyōraku Callum didn't usually flaunt his noble status, but he wasn't averse to using his privileges.
The Shinigami noticed the family crest on his uniform. Recognizing the high-ranking Kyōraku family, he answered promptly:
"Rukia should be in Dorm 7."
"I can't quite remember the specific number, but I—"
Before he could finish, Kyōraku Callum vanished. The Shinigami's pupils constricted.
Gulps!
He swallowed hard, his throat dry.
"That Shunpo... surpasses even the Seated Officers in our division!"
Kyōraku Callum had used Shunpo for convenience.
But in that moment, he realized something was wrong.
"My Shunpo speed… it's faster?"
"What's going on?"
He stopped, focusing his senses.
"Spiritual pressure... time..."
"Zanpakutō?!"
He instinctively looked at his waist. His asauchi remained still.
"When I use spiritual pressure, time seems to slow down around me."
Kyōraku Callum stood in the corridor, lost in thought.
"It must be related to my time in the Zanpakutō space."
He recalled his experience in the narrow space.
The moment he obtained a time-based Zanpakutō, he entered the Zanpakutō space.
This was likely connected to the system.
Leaving the space, he'd somehow absorbed the power of time.
This was why Aizen was watching him!
"Probably only someone as powerful as Aizen could notice the difference in time."
Others might just assume his Shunpo had improved.
Does sword meditation make me stronger?
An unusual light shone in Kyōraku Callum's eyes; he'd found a new path to power.
"Then I'll add sword meditation to my training regimen."
"Two approaches, to quickly gain control over my destiny!"
He felt a surge of excitement and increased his Shunpo speed towards Dorm 7.
After a brief search, he found Rukia's name on a dorm plaque.
"Ahem,"
Kyōraku Callum cleared his throat, preparing to knock, when the door suddenly opened.
Bang!
A small body collided with his chest. The force sent Rukia stumbling backward.
Kyōraku Callum instinctively reached out, catching her and holding her close.
Their eyes met, the air thick with tension.
After a moment, Rukia's face flushed crimson, spreading to her ears.
Her deep purple eyes flashed with surprise, and she quickly pulled away.
Her bangs bounced stubbornly, mirroring her emotions.
"Wh-what are you doing here?"
"I came to study, would you believe that?"
Kyōraku Callum's tone was sincere.
Rukia, of course, didn't believe him.
She stared at him suspiciously, her cheeks still flushed.
"Tell me your real reason."
"Or I'll call for a teacher!"
Shinigami Academy's dorms were divided into zones, each with a Shinigami responsible for student safety.