The moment Shimo grasped the Asauchi, a sudden pulling sensation coursed through his body, and his consciousness blurred in an instant.
By the time he regained awareness, he found himself standing in an entirely different space.
And the only word that came to mind upon seeing the scene before him—
Uncanny.
Surrounding him on all sides were not the landscapes of the real world, but twisted, warped clocks.
The steady tick-tock of clock hands echoed in his ears.
Second hands rotated. Hourglasses flowed. Gears turned.
Countless timepieces operated in this bizarre dimension, each running in strange, synchronized rhythms.
Before Shimo could fully take in the details, his consciousness faded again.
In the next instant, he found himself back inside the Asauchi Selection Chamber.
Everything around him seemed to have frozen in the exact moment just before he lost consciousness.
No one seemed to notice anything unusual about him.
But one of the instructors had already taken note the moment Shimo selected his Asauchi.
The homeroom instructor approached him with a slightly surprised look.
"Shimo, you've already chosen your Asauchi?"
Hearing this, Shimo responded with a smile, "Yes, I have."
He raised the Asauchi in his hand as proof.
Of course, there was no real difference in appearance between one Asauchi and another.
Their true uniqueness came from the soul of the Shinigami wielding it.
Although curious, the instructor didn't press for more details.
As a teacher at Shinō Academy, he was aware of certain hidden truths.
And as a member of the Kyoraku family, it was likely that Shimo had already received special guidance from his elders before obtaining his Asauchi.
What he didn't know, however, was that the elder who sent Shimo here had completely washed his hands of the matter—letting Shimo grow on his own, free-range style.
"I'll send you out," the instructor said gravely. "Once a student acquires their Asauchi, they can no longer remain in the chamber."
Shimo nodded and followed him to the exit.
Exiting the chamber required the use of Kidō.
After all, the Asauchi Chamber was a sacred place for the Soul Society—home to all potential Zanpakutō.
Leaving could only be done via a one-way portal.
Back at the main campus of Shinō Academy, the familiar system voice rang again:
[New check-in mission issued: Check in continuously for two years at Shinō Academy and graduate as an exemplary student.]
[Mission reward: First ability of your Zanpakutō's Shikai.]
The mission caught Shimo off guard.
"The first Shikai ability?"
"Does that mean my Zanpakutō has multiple abilities?"
He'd suspected earlier that the strange dimension he entered during the selection process was likely the Zanpakutō inner world.
But just as one question was answered, another arose.
"So… where is my Zanpakutō spirit?"
He recalled that space vividly. Aside from the overwhelming number of timepieces, he hadn't seen any creatures or figures resembling a spirit.
Shimo stood at the entrance to the selection chamber, deep in thought until his head began to throb. Only then did he snap out of it.
"Forget it. Things will sort themselves out eventually."
For now, he decided to shelve the question of the Zanpakutō spirit.
"What matters now is figuring out how to graduate within two years."
Just as he was lost in thought, his eyes suddenly met a calm and gentle gaze.
The moment he saw the owner of that gaze, Shimo involuntarily drew in a sharp breath, nearly losing his composure.
Tousled brown hair framed a composed face, behind which a pair of black-rimmed glasses rested. The man wore a soft, harmless smile, as though he'd just spotted something amusing.
Aizen Sosuke.
Current Captain of the 5th Division. Future ruler of Hueco Mundo. The ultimate schemer whose ambition shook all three worlds.
"What the hell is he doing here?!"
Then it clicked.
"Right—he holds a guest teaching position at Shin'ō Academy… in calligraphy."
But that raised an even more unsettling question—
"Why is he looking at me with that expression?"
Anyone else might've responded with a polite smile of their own.
But knowing Aizen's true nature, Shimo's expression stiffened.
Thankfully, one of the nearby instructors arrived just in time.
"So surprising to see someone choose their Asauchi this quickly," the teacher remarked. "Usually, students linger until the very last moment."
Shimo could only respond with an even more awkward smile.
He turned away, but he could still feel Aizen's gaze clinging to him.
He didn't know what had happened exactly—
But one thing was certain: Aizen had taken an interest in him.
"Great… Just my luck."
Shimo muttered inwardly, "Looks like I'll have to keep my guard up from now on."
The teacher, oblivious to his discomfort, continued:
"Come with me. We've prepared the standard scabbards."
Since all Asauchi had identical appearances, their sheaths were also mass-produced—uniform, practical, and unchangeable.
Not even nobles like Shimo could escape that.
After selecting a scabbard, Shimo left in haste.
Up on the high platform, Aizen stood with several instructors, his gaze still lingering on Shimo's back as he walked away, his eyes contemplative.
"What a peculiar presence."
"A child of the Kyoraku family, hmm?"
"Seems I'll need to keep an eye on him."