"Heh, Student Jay, I feel you have some misunderstanding about me. I'm not a bad person, so why are you so on guard?"
Looking at the sincere Aizen, Jay Censen felt like Louis XVI getting a haircut—he just couldn't wrap his head around it.
Kubo never drew exactly when Aizen turned traitor; the man was pitch-black from his very first appearance.
Is this Aizen actually still good right now?
Sigh, Kubo, oh Kubo, you've really caused me a lot of trouble.
"You're right. I think I should trust you just as much as I trust that the Captain-Commander won't lose an arm."
"What kind of metaphor is that?"
Glancing oddly at Jay, Aizen suspected there might be some deep meaning hidden in his words, but he couldn't grasp it yet.
"So, Sōsuke, let's find a place and have a spar!"
"Eh?!"
What kind of mental gymnastics could lead to such a sudden conclusion?
Aizen felt mentally exhausted.
Honestly, even scheming against the Captains was easier than dealing with Jay Censen.
Although the Captains were currently stronger than him, they were at least logical, normal people.
But not only was Jay stronger than him, his thought process was basically devoid of any logic.
"Is Student Jay, with his 4th Seat-class Reiatsu, trying to bully the weak? You're bringing shame to the Captain of the Fourth Division's face."
Aizen tried to appeal to reason and emotion.
Unfortunately, Jay wasn't buying it at all.
"Just the two of us. If you don't say anything and I don't say anything, who will know?"
"If someone finds out, it must have been you who leaked it, so I'll just beat you up again, right?"
Aizen's breath hitched.
If he weren't currently unable to beat Jay, he would definitely teach this guy a lesson.
"Why doesn't Student Jay go find someone else?"
Taking a deep breath to calm his heart, Aizen tried to shift Jay's attention.
Jay, resting his head on his hands, recalled the fearful looks his classmates gave him and shook his head.
"When there's only a river between two people, they'll find every way to get closer."
"But if there's a chasm between them, then they can only go their separate ways."
"Where did you copy that from?"
Aizen plainly exposed Jay, who was acting profound.
Who would believe his brain could produce such words?
"It's purely original, okay!"
"Heh."
"Sōsuke, this isn't the way back to the dormitory, is it?"
The streets they were walking on were similar to the ones they took at noon, but there were still differences.
Aizen finally explained to Jay when they stopped at an open space wrapped in a barrier.
"This is Training Ground Five. It's covered by a Kekkai that can block most prying eyes."
"There's a place like this? By the way, how do you know so much?"
"It's written on the flyers handed out before registration. It would be strange not to know, wouldn't it?"
Watching Aizen pull out an Asauchi from somewhere as well, Jay wondered if everyone in Soul Society carried several swords.
From a talent perspective, Aizen was among the top in Soul Society.
In the future, he would be proficient in Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō, but for now, they only knew Zanjutsu and could only hack at each other with blades.
Even their use of Spiritual Pressure was very crude.
"5th Seat-class Reiatsu. Sōsuke, you really are low-key."
If not for Jay, Aizen would still be quietly developing at the Shino Academy until Hirako Shinji noticed something later.
Aizen had always been proud, even conceited.
Someone with 5th Seat Reiatsu upon entering the school was truly unprecedented.
His Spiritual Pressure was still growing at a steady pace, filling him with a pride that made him feel he wasn't even the same species as other Shinigami.
Jay's appearance caused a crack in his pride.
He wasn't the only anomaly; there was an even more exaggerated existence.
Although this guy's brain wasn't quite normal, he was indeed the only one Aizen could acknowledge right now.
Aizen quickly learned Jay's techniques, improved them, and used them to counterattack, only for Jay to learn them in turn.
The two talented monsters continued clashing until they reached their current limits.
The once-level ground was now pitted and scarred.
It was hard to believe this was caused by two people who had just stepped onto the path of a Shinigami.
"It's time to end this, Sōsuke."
Aizen's Reiatsu density was ultimately inferior to Jay's, and he felt exhausted first.
Hearing Jay's words, he quickly retreated to create distance to deal with the next attack.
"Distance only has meaning when two sides of equal strength fight."
Aizen's pupils contracted as he instantly understood the meaning.
While Jay vanished from his sight, a hand had already landed on his chest, and he could even feel Jay's breath by his ear.
"If I wanted to, I could crush your heart in an instant."
Aizen knew Jay was telling the truth.
If it were a battle of life and death, he would probably have dissipated into Reishi by now.
But feeling the warmth from Jay's hand on his chest, Aizen's expression darkened, and his Reiatsu surged uncontrollably.
This makes no sense.
How did he break through to the 4th Seat level just now?
Is Aizen the protagonist?
Jay, blown back by the current of Spiritual Pressure, looked at Aizen in disbelief, unable to tell who was the one with the cheat.
Watching Aizen gradually calm down, Jay recalled the strange sensation when he touched Aizen's chest and gave a kind reminder.
"Sōsuke, you didn't train your pectorals well. Do you have… gynecomastia?"
"What did you say?"
The Reiatsu that had calmed down surged again.
The exhausted Jay was naturally no match for the upgraded and refreshed Aizen and could only be ravaged.
"The wheel of fortune turns! Just you wait, Sōsuke!"
Looking at the stubborn Jay beneath him, Aizen felt tired after venting his anger and simply lay on the ground next to him.
Jay stopped howling; he was just putting on an act, and Aizen hadn't actually been heavy-handed.
"I just said your pectorals weren't well-trained. At worst, I'll train with you later. I'm a fitness expert."
"Shut up."
Enjoying a moment of peace, Aizen Sōsuke temporarily forgot his plans and suddenly asked a strange question.
"Jay, what is our relationship now?"
"Less talking, more resting."
Aizen was stunned, not understanding what that had to do with his question, but instinct told him Jay's words had a bad connotation.
"I'm serious."
"For now, we're probably friends. At least you don't act in front of me the way you do at the academy."
"For now..."
"After all, it's not impossible that we'll become father and son in the future."
Completely speechless, Aizen stood up, constantly comforting himself that this was just training for his mindset.
Thinking about living in the same dormitory as Jay Censen, Aizen felt another headache, feeling that Jay was sent by the heavens to torture him.