A shiver ran down his spine.
A strange, almost explosive sensation crackled at his temples.
The name Aizen Sousuke hit Kisaragi Akira like a thunderclap.
For a moment, his expression went blank. He hadn't expected to arrive in the Soul Society at a completely unfamiliar point in time.
This effectively ruined most of his "precautionary knowledge."
His original plan had been simple: avoid Aizen, lie low, and grow quietly. But as soon as he stepped out of the "rookie village," he ran straight into the big BOSS… head-on.
"Kisaragi, you look a little…"
"I'm fine! Really!" Akira snapped back to reality, shaking his head forcefully to steady himself.
He looked up at Aizen and caught a fleetingly concerned gaze.
Oddly, his Danger Instinct didn't sense a shred of danger from Aizen.
On the contrary, the calm, humble smile gave him a surprisingly warm, approachable feeling. For some reason, he found himself… liking this boy a little.
Perhaps this was what people meant by charisma.
"It's good to hear you're fine," Aizen said with a smile. "Reporting time is almost over, so let's get moving."
Akira nodded, pushing aside the torrent of information he knew about Aizen, and followed him inside the academy.
Class 1-A.
After completing the enrollment procedures, the two sat in a pristine classroom, exchanging curious glances with other equally curious students.
Everyone here had passed the academy's entrance exam with distinction—the elite of the new batch.
Akira, who had barely lucked his way into Class 1-A, naturally had no airs.
Especially since sitting beside him was a genuine prodigy—Aizen Sousuke.
"Akira, you've stared at me thirty-seven times already," Aizen said without turning his head.
After a brief exchange, the two had begun to get familiar with each other and had even started using slightly different forms of address.
Much of this was thanks to Aizen's infectious charisma.
Which only made Akira more curious. Was this personality genuine, or just a facade?
"I've been pondering a question," Akira said casually.
"Who's actually cooler—me or you?"
Aizen's gaze paused.
Before he could answer, Akira's eyes drifted to the steadily approaching figure on the podium.
"Ah, so this is our future teacher?"
His easygoing nature let him accept being in the same class as Aizen without fuss. There was no escaping reality—he might as well face it calmly.
"I am your homeroom teacher," the middle-aged man said, "Kaede Junya."
With the usual no-nonsense tone, he launched into a pre-term speech. Teachers seemed to have an innate ability to talk endlessly.
"I hope each of you not only joins a squad but also cultivates your skills and steadily moves toward the center of power…"
As the teacher droned on, whispers filled the classroom.
"Aizen, is your goal also to join the Gotei 13?" Akira asked curiously. "Or do you have bigger ambitions?"
This version of Aizen seemed very different from the one Akira had imagined.
Aizen glanced sideways, thoughtful. After a brief pause, he replied quietly:
"I suppose most academy students share similar goals. The academy exists to train new talent for Kidō units, secret task forces, and the Gotei 13."
Hearing this, Akira leaned back, hands behind his head, and chuckled:
"I'm different. My biggest dream right now? Just to graduate in one piece."
Aizen nodded lightly, expression calm. Everyone has their own path. Ambitions are simply what one wants to achieve at a given stage of life. They change over time. Perhaps, not long from now…
Akira's expression suddenly stiffened.
There's murderous intent!
Almost immediately, the sharp whistling of an object cut through the air.
Bang!
A crisp collision rang out. Akira instinctively tilted his head—an errant piece of chalk grazed his cheek and struck the forehead of a student behind him. The force left a clear white mark on the other's brow.
"Hmph. Some people never learn," Akira scoffed, utterly satisfied with the usefulness of his Danger Instinct attribute.
While talking to Aizen, he had sensed the incoming danger. A simple tilt of the head had allowed him to dodge with ease.
Aizen shook his head, smiling. This new acquaintance of his was full of strange, unpredictable traits. He had noticed the teacher's sudden movement earlier, but hadn't expected Akira to evade it so smoothly. Curiosity about this new friend deepened.
"Akira Kisaragi, Aizen Sousuke," Kaede Junya said, slightly surprised that a freshman had dodged his "attack," but he didn't overreact, simply maintaining classroom order.
"Please remain quiet. Let's continue our discussion."
Kaede didn't punish Akira. In his mind, teachers should be patient; otherwise, some disrespectful students would drive their blood pressure through the roof.
Yet, he had underestimated just how far some students could push the limits. Soon enough, he would realize just how outrageous this one was.
The first day of school offered no real lessons—mainly rules, teaching philosophy, and motivational talks about diligent training.
To this new-generation slacker, these words were little more than toxic positivity. He didn't bother arguing.
What mattered most was uncovering his Sign-In System, mastering its power, and achieving the grand ambitions he had recently set.
Having completed his previous sign-in conditions at Mao Spiritual Academy, new ideas began forming in Akira's mind.
Besides daily sign-ins, location-based sign-ins might be the fastest way to grow stronger. Yet ordinary locations weren't enough to trigger them.
Akira began thinking hard: which unique locations existed in the Soul Society?
"Aizen, how well do you know the Soul Society?" he asked.
"Moderately," Aizen answered humbly, consistent with his current persona.
"Are there other important structures, like the academy?"
Unable to figure it out himself, Akira tossed the question to Aizen. As a future mastermind and all-around genius, this minor question should be trivial.
"There are many," Aizen explained. "The Gotei 13 Headquarters, the Kidō Corps HQ, Mao Underground Assembly, Mao Maximum Security Prison, the Hall of Repentance, the execution grounds, noble estates… their importance even surpasses the academy."
Akira's shoulders slumped. He was just a student—these places were completely out of reach. No location-based sign-ins for now. He'd have to grind the daily ones… hoping luck would smile on him eventually.
People can't be unlucky forever, right?