Three days later, Shin'ō Academy held its entrance ceremony in the grand hall.
Soma Kiryu, no surprise there, had taken the top spot. Ichigo Kurosaki, right behind him, had landed second. The moment their names went up on the announcement board, the two of them were branded "genius prodigies," and whispers were already slipping into the Gotei 13.
The headmaster was practically glowing with pride as he gave his speech—completely unaware that one of his shining stars was zoning out and the other was clenching his jaw, fighting the urge to yawn.
Not that Soma was actually spacing out. He was fiddling with his cheat ability.
[Great one, you've not only attempted to slay the Child of Destiny, you've also shattered Shin'ō Academy's entrance record with the highest score ever. Your reward: Compound Potion.]
Compound Potion: Restores a small amount of reiatsu and stamina. Two uses per day. Refreshes daily.
Forget the "murder" slander. After a few days of poking at it, Soma had figured out the basics of how this thing worked. It was basically an achievement tracker. Do something historic, trigger a milestone, and the world itself would scrawl an epic ballad across his vision in brushstroke script. Then came the prize—sometimes loot, sometimes a gift from fate, sometimes a tribute to the legend. Labels didn't matter. Rewards did.
So he gave it a name: the Machine Soul. It fit Soul Society's aesthetic.
And this "welcome gift"? He couldn't be happier. Being a transmigrant gave him an edge, sure, but talent had a ceiling. For now, he'd edged out Ichigo, the stats monster beside him, but it would take double or triple the work just to stay competitive. Anything that juiced his grind speed was priceless.
"God, I feel alive again."
The ceremony wrapped. Ichigo stretched his neck and shoulders as they headed back toward the dorms.
"It was barely an hour," Soma said dryly.
"Yeah, well, if I could zone out like you, time would fly for me too." Ichigo rolled his eyes.
They bantered casually, following the stone path under the trees until they reached the dorm building.
Shin'ō only admitted about a hundred students per year. Housing them all was nothing. The dorm looked like a Taishō-era schoolhouse—exactly the kind of wooden boarding house you'd see in an anime. Three floors. The first held the dining hall, baths, and shared spaces; the second and third separated into male and female rooms. Inside, it felt half like a hot spring inn, half like a cozy family home.
Each student had their own room. Standard four-and-a-half tatami.
"Hey," Ichigo said suddenly, pointing at the door next to his. "Isn't the person in that room in our living group?"
"Yep." Soma glanced at the nameplate, inked neatly in brushstrokes. "Atae Rindō. I remember him—sat behind you in the hall earlier. He's deaf and mute."
"What?" Ichigo's face dropped.
"Would've been nice if you'd told me sooner! I don't wanna look like some jerk ignoring a roommate. I don't care about my reputation, but that one? Hell no!"
At Shin'ō, three students were grouped together for daily chores and projects. Basically roommates, neighbors, and teammates rolled into one. The system kept things balanced and avoided anyone getting isolated.
"I did give you a heads-up. Turn around."
Soma jerked his chin.
Ichigo blinked, twisted around—and nearly jumped out of his skin. A quiet, delicate-looking boy was standing there silently.
"When—how—? I didn't hear a thing…"
Atae lifted a hand, traced his fingers through the air. Reishi sparked into glowing words.
[Nice to meet you. I'm Atae Rindō.]
"Uh—yeah. I'm Ichigo Kurosaki. That's Soma Kiryu. Sorry, I forgot you—uh—" Ichigo fumbled, patting his pockets for a pen.
Atae's fingers moved again.
[I can sense emotions, so communication's not a problem. You don't need to tiptoe around me. I'll do my best not to cause trouble.]
Ichigo's throat tightened. Not because of the ability itself, but because of the sheer ease in how Atae carried himself. Calm. Comfortable. Redefining what Ichigo thought he knew about disability.
He broke into a genuine smile. "Got it. Looking forward to living with you, Atae."
[Likewise.]
--
The next day, every first-year received their Asauchi.
No ominous chamber full of glowing blades. No dramatic "choose the one that calls to you." Just distribution. Because at this stage, Asauchi weren't permanent—they only became true Zanpakutō once a student graduated and bonded for real. Shin'ō didn't care much about compatibility at this point.
Soma, though, couldn't stop grinning at the sword in his hands. His gaze lingered on it with absurd devotion, like a guy staring at a puppy. His fingers stroked the scabbard as if it were soft skin, twitching with the urge to draw it and swing.
"…You look like one of those old samurai who went nuts and started testing blades on people," Ichigo muttered, lips twitching.
Sure, he was excited too—but only because this was his first step into real Shinigami power. The sword itself? Honestly, it looked like any traditional Earth katana. Nothing special.
"Are you really a high schooler?" Soma asked, dead serious.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Even grade-schoolers pick up sticks on the street and start swinging them around."
"That's kids. High schoolers aren't that dumb."
"Wrong. High schoolers are worse. They want the fight, the thrill, the badass power. They want to protect the world with their badass strength. And afterward, they want the badass story told about them."
"…Do you have to say 'badass' that many times?"
"And one more thing."
"One more?!" Ichigo barked.
Soma's tone turned scholarly as he cradled the blade. "Didn't you hear Teacher Ōkido? Zanpakutō are part of a Shinigami's soul. You etch your essence into them so they resonate and grow with you. That's why we get Asauchi early—so we can start that process right away."
"Yeah, I got that. So what's your point?"
"The point is… Zanpakutō have souls. They're partners. If your partner turned out to be a beautiful girl… tell me, what guy in high school could resist that?"
Style. Power. And a cute girl.
The holy trinity.
Slurp!
Ichigo stiffened, throat working—but no, he wasn't drooling. He turned his head just in time to catch who was.
Soma, Ichigo, and Atae all stared at the culprit.
A blonde girl wiped her mouth with zero shame, grinning ear to ear.
"Name's Akari Koyanagi. I hear the two prodigies with the best scores are fresh from the Human World. Lucky me—I'm really into human gyaru culture. Wanna be friends?"