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The Shin'ō Academy library wasn't quite what Shirō had imagined. He'd thought it would be divided by access level, maybe different floors or sections, with certain books off-limits unless you had the right clearance.
In reality, the Academy library was completely open-access. As long as you were a student, or even a graduated member of the Gotei 13, you were free to browse and read anything within.
Naturally, this meant there weren't any truly classified materials here. It was all pretty basic, or at least, information that was already widely known among Soul Society. Nothing that could be called a real "secret."
Of course, the Gotei 13 had its own dedicated libraries, with more advanced resources. And even above that was the famed Great Spirit Book Archive, but that was a whole different level.
Still, the Academy library had one advantage those didn't: quantity and variety.
The others were official. Formal archives of well-preserved records and textbooks.
The Academy library? It had everything. Okay, maybe not trashy romance novels, but it did include odd curiosities, like casual records of life in the human world. Which made it quite popular among the broader ranks of Soul Reapers.
Many Shinigami would drop by to study before being dispatched to the world of the living, treating the library like a travel guide.
Once Shirō gained access, he practically lived there during his free time.
Of course, he wasn't reading comics or flipping through the "World of the Living Travel Digest." He'd had enough of those in his previous life. Unless he was really bored one day, there was no reason to dig those up.
No, Shirō came to study.
He believed in science. Knowledge was power.
As he often reminded himself:
"You don't have to be a scientist, but you can't be ignorant of science."
He thought about future monsters like Mayuri Kurotsuchi… the Shopkeeper… Aizen…
And just how terrifying research and technology could be.
Even if he didn't have the genius to invent anything himself, he wanted to understand enough so that he wouldn't get tricked or ambushed by some scientific nonsense.
Unfortunately, after a few days of trying to grasp basic spirit particle theory, Shirō came to a hard truth:
He just wasn't built for it.
Understanding the "what" was fine.
But understanding the "why" and "how"?
Impossible.
It was like using a computer. Shirō could operate one just fine, even master different programs, but writing code? Building new software? Forget it.
So, he gave up.
Instead of physics and math, he'd stick to memorizing formulas and avoiding the deep stuff.
But that didn't mean he left the library.
He still showed up every day. Still studied.
He just… switched majors, so to speak.
No more science. It was time for liberal arts.
Politics? Meh.
Geography? Now we're talking. He dove into texts about Soul Society's many regions, and even found records on the Human World, Hueco Mundo, and the Dangai.
As for history? He read it like a novel.
None of it was particularly detailed or reliable, but he still learned quite a bit of background lore that never showed up in the original manga.
He didn't treat it as gospel. Just entertainment.
And honestly? Some of it was more dramatic than fiction.
Like the tale of the Captain-Commander battling a three-headed beast, or the ever-changing list of Captains across the ages, or the rise and fall of noble families.
Fascinating stuff.
On this particular day, Shirō grabbed another book about the nobility. Now that he himself was technically a noble, he figured it was worth doing some homework.
As he walked while reading, completely absorbed…
He tripped.
"Damn it, who the hell left something in the way?!"
"Ah, sorry, sorry! I got carried away. Oh, wait, isn't that you, Emiya-kun?!"
Shirō looked down.
It was Urahara Kisuke, sitting on the floor.
Apparently, he'd found something interesting and just sat right there to read it. Shirō hadn't noticed and walked straight into him.
"There are seats over there, y'know," Shirō pointed out, gesturing ahead.
Kisuke scratched the back of his head with that trademark sheepish smile. "Ahaha, I got too into it and forgot. Besides, I'm cross-referencing a few things. Going back and forth would've been a pain, so I figured, why not just sit here?"
Sure enough, Kisuke had several open books sprawled around him. One in hand, another on his lap, and in the other hand…
A pen.
And he was scribbling directly into the margins.
Shirō twitched.
This was a library, not a bookstore!
What if someone else wanted to read that?!
Then again… it was Kisuke.
Totally on brand.
Peeking at one of the titles, Shirō read:
"On the Fundamental Properties of Spirit Particles (Advanced Theoretical Analysis Edition)"
"...Yeah, I'm out."
Just reading the title made his brain itch.
"Well, don't let me bother you!" Shirō said quickly.
"Sure thing. Say hi to Miss Yoruichi for me~" Kisuke waved, eyes still glued to the page, pen in hand.
Shirō sighed.
" Even geniuses have to work hard, huh…"
He glanced down at the book he'd chosen:
"A Noblewoman's Quarrel That Shook the Clans"
"…And I lost the race before it even started."
Still, Kisuke was technically on his side.
So, if he came up with something useful, Shirō would benefit too.
No need for him to become a scientist after all.
"Come to think of it… I haven't seen Yoruichi in a while. Wonder how she's doing in the Punishment Force. Captain-level yet?"
Finding a quiet corner, Shirō sat down and opened his book.
That's when he caught a glimpse of someone familiar across the table.
"Oh hey, what a coincidence! You're here too?"
Sitting opposite him was a girl with glasses, head down, deeply focused on her book.
Lisa Yadōmaru.
Of course. Another person who belonged here.
Lisa glanced up, looked Shirō over, and raised an eyebrow. "You've grown. I almost didn't recognize you."
"Have I? Haha, guess it's just puberty," Shirō grinned. At least he didn't look like a kid anymore.
Then Lisa's eyes glinted strangely.
Shirō felt a chill crawl up his spine.
"Wanna come drink with our squad?" she asked suddenly. "Good booze. Cozy spot."
She pushed up her glasses.
She looked serious.
But Shirō had the sinking feeling this was a wolf luring Little Red Riding Hood straight into the den.
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