"O King! Mask of flesh, all creation, flap your wings, things that bear the name of man! Truth and temperance, upon the wall of dreams, stand but upon it!"
"Hadō Number Thirty-Three: Sōkatsui!"
In the Spiritual Arts Academy Training Grounds of Soul Society, Ito Makoto raised his hand toward the dummy before him and released a pale blue flame of spiritual energy. It was a fully incanted Sōkatsui.
Rumble!
The concentrated pale blue blast instantly reduced the special dummy produced by the Technological Development Bureau to scorched charcoal. Even the ground beneath it collapsed into a deep crater, sparks and fragments scattering across the training grounds.
The Kido instructor nearby swallowed hard at the sight.
Is this real? This Squad Member is far too excessive.
He cleared his throat, forced composure back onto his face, and solemnly announced, "Ito Makoto, intermediate Kido evaluation: Excellent." At the same time, he looked at Ito Makoto with undisguised admiration.
"Did I still use too much force?" Ito Makoto muttered to himself, momentarily at a loss.
In truth, he had deliberately restrained this Sōkatsui. Although the chant was complete, he had carefully compressed his spiritual pressure. The power displayed was barely equivalent to what he could release without an incantation.
He simply had not expected the so-called special dummy from the Technological Development Bureau to be this fragile.
"Is this really Makoto-Nii? Not only is his Zanjutsu terrifying, but his Kido is this strong too. He's completely out of our reach!"
After Ito Makoto finished his test, Hisagi Shuuhei rushed over, eyes wide with astonishment.
"Ito-Nii, you're incredible! I thought I had real talent as a Shinigami, but compared to you, I'm still so far behind."
From the other side, the petite Matsumoto Rangiku, already striking despite her young age, also approached.
"You two are both amazing," Ito Makoto said with a smile. "Have more confidence in yourselves, little Hisagi and little Rangiku."
As he spoke, he reached out and lightly ruffled both of their heads.
"We'll work hard!" the boy and girl replied in unison, then turned and confidently headed toward their own Kido examinations.
Watching them leave, Ito Makoto yawned lazily. His gaze drifted, intentionally or not, toward a white-haired young man concealing his presence outside the training grounds, only daring to peek at Matsumoto Rangiku from afar.
"Oh my, I've been noticed. What terrifying spiritual perception."
In the southwest corner of the training grounds, Ichimaru Gin realized he had been discovered. His narrow eyes curved into a smile before he vanished without a sound.
It had been five months since Ito Makoto entered the Spiritual Arts Academy.
During the first month, Ito Makoto, Matsumoto Rangiku, and Hisagi Shuuhei had already advanced directly into the second term. Now, all three had skipped ahead into the third term.
That was why the three of them were so close. In their current class, aside from them, every other student had already trained for three full years.
Although the Academy was structured into six terms, one per year, not every student needed to complete all six to graduate.
…
"Ito-Nii, there's a hot pot place that just opened in the South District of Rukongai, Area Three. They say it's amazing, and my scholarship just came in. Let's go together!"
After class, Matsumoto Rangiku and Hisagi Shuuhei excitedly invited him to eat.
"I still have something to take care of," Ito Makoto said, smiling as he shook his head. "You two go ahead. I'll treat you next time."
He then turned and headed toward the West District of Rukongai, Area Eighty, the most chaotic region in Soul Society.
The streets were filthy. Sewage and waste flowed openly, and heaps of garbage were piled without restraint.
Ito Makoto covered his nose and mouth, preparing to use Shunpo to leave quickly, when a figure suddenly lunged out from the side.
The man wore tattered clothes. His skin was sallow, his eyes sunken and ringed with dark circles. In his hand was a chipped dagger, pointed straight at Ito Makoto.
"Kid, leave your valuables and your food. Oh, and that robe too. That fabric looks expensive."
Ito Makoto stared at him in surprise. The man did not even recognize his Academy uniform and had somehow decided to rob a Shinigami trainee.
Without saying a word, Ito Makoto released a trace of his spiritual pressure.
The emaciated man collapsed instantly, unconscious before he even realized what had happened.
Ito Makoto glanced at the body lying on the ground, shook his head, and walked away.
Such a weakling was not even worth killing. Just as in his previous life, he would not step on insects without reason.
This was not his first time here. Nearly every visit ended the same way.
The final districts of Rukongai lacked even basic clean water, and the concentration of spiritual particles was abysmally low.
Meanwhile, the nobles of Seireitei, who produced nothing, controlled more than eighty percent of Soul Society's resources, enjoying the highest spiritual density and finest environment.
Only now did Ito Makoto truly understand Aizen and Tōsen's motivations.
"Where there is injustice," he murmured, "there is resistance."
After crossing several desolate streets, he finally arrived at an open wasteland.
Two figures in soul reaper uniforms were already waiting. One had narrow eyes and a gleaming bald head. The other had smooth mid-length hair, a feather ornament covering one eye, and a neck guard.
Madarame Ikkaku and Ayasegawa Yumichika.
"Yo, little Ito, you're late again," Yumichika yawned, running a hand through his hair.
"My apologies, Yumichika-senpai. I ran into some trouble on the way," Ito Makoto replied with a smile.
"That's enough chatter. Let's begin."
Ikkaku had already lost patience. He pulled an Asauchi from the bundle behind him and tossed it to Ito Makoto, then drew his own blade and charged forward with a grin.
The Asauchi had been borrowed. Ito Makoto had not yet graduated and could not officially possess one.
Wooden swords were unsatisfying for both of them.
So each time they sparred, Ikkaku would secretly borrow a blade and hand it to Ito Makoto so they could fight properly.
This was, of course, strictly forbidden. Granting an Asauchi to an ungraduated trainee violated Central 46 regulations.
That was precisely why they chose District Eighty of the West Rukongai, far from Seireitei, as their battleground.