Seff realized he no longer cared much about the passage of time.
In Soul Society, spirits lived absurdly long lives, and social changes happened at a snail's pace. Take the 45th District of West Rukongai, where Seff lived, for over two hundred years, it hadn't changed in the slightest.
There was no concept of daily labor here. No overtime. No rat race.
More than once, Seff had wondered at how adaptable people could be.
He was now fully accustomed to a life without modern tech or entertainment.
In fact, after being cut off from mobile games, the internet, and social media, Seff found he could still live, more than that, he found it peaceful.
His life now felt… a bit like high school. Not in the sense of workload or pressure, anyone who's been through it knows how exhausting high school can be. But rather, in how singularly focused things were.
Why do so many people nostalgically look back on high school despite how hard it was? It's not just because it was a lost youth, it's because life then was simple. No tangled relationships, no endless distractions. You had one job: study.
Once you enter college or the working world, sure, your schedule might ease up, but you're bombarded with a thousand new burdens, each one slowly draining your energy and spirit.
That's where Seff was now.
In this underdeveloped yet spiritually rich world, he had no interest in business, romance, or scrambling for a home loan.
He had a single goal: get stronger. Like grinding through stages in a game, unlocking every skill he could. That was his joy.
Fighting Hollows. Traveling to Zaraki District. Heading for the Seireitei to become a Shinigami. It all served that one purpose.
And it made him happy.
Well… mostly.
Because just before setting off for the Seireitei, Seff ran into a rather irritating problem.
It started the moment he got near populated areas. Wherever he went, people would stop and stare at him, then quickly scurry away like they'd spotted something vile or terrifying.
It wasn't the first time this had happened. Even that old village chief who'd paid him to kill a Hollow had acted strangely reserved. But at least back then, people had tried to hide it.
Now, their reactions were blatant, almost eager.
And Seff was… confused.
He hadn't wronged anyone. He didn't even know most of these people.
At first, he wondered if fighting that man in Zaraki for so long had given him some kind of villainous aura, like he was always ready to kill someone.
But he quickly dismissed that idea.
He didn't look filthy. He wasn't hideous. He didn't reek. And he certainly wasn't projecting any bloodthirsty intent.
Trying to figure out why people were so obviously repulsed by him… was genuinely depressing.
With the aid of spiritual pressure, Seff could now fly, at least short to mid distances. As a result, the return trip to District 45 was two to three times faster than his journey to Zaraki.
But even back home, nothing changed. If anything, things got worse.
He didn't have many friends here, but there were a few familiar faces. Yet even they gave him uneasy, conflicted expressions… before fleeing without saying a word.
Their reactions made Seff deeply uncomfortable, like he'd committed some heinous, unforgivable crime without knowing it.
He hurried back to his little "General Services House," determined to get to the bottom of this before he set off for the Seireitei.
If people hated him there too, it could cause no end of trouble.
Seff liked those satisfying "sneer-and-punch" scenes in stories, where people look down on the MC, only to be amazed later. But if it happened to him?
He'd rather just slice someone in half.
...That said, if it was his fault, well, that would be awkward.
Sitting inside the shabby house, Seff brooded. Before long, he heard footsteps outside.
He looked up to see a familiar figure approaching.
It was Yui Senryu, the only son of the Yui family, the boy Seff had once saved.
Yui had probably heard Seff had returned and rushed over.
Seff stepped outside to greet him, just as Yui's expression went deathly pale. The boy abruptly staggered backward several steps.
"???"
"S-Seff… Seff-nii…"
Yui looked like he was struggling just to speak. Beads of sweat rolled down his face.
Concerned, Seff stepped forward, but the closer he got, the worse Yui looked. He seemed dizzy, on the verge of vomiting, his body trembling violently.
He nearly dropped to his knees.
"Seff-nii… can you… move a little further away from me?"
"…."
Even someone slow on the uptake would've gotten it by now, and Seff wasn't slow. He'd just been looking in the wrong direction.
With Yui's obvious plea, Seff frowned and backed away, retreating into the General Services House.
The moment distance was reestablished, Yui visibly relaxed.
He gasped for breath, finally feeling some relief from the crushing sensation, like gravity had been pressing him into the ground, his organs being squeezed from the inside.
It didn't vanish completely, but at least he could breathe again.
Swallowing hard, too drained to wipe the sweat off his face, Yui managed to say:
"Seff-nii… could you try suppressing your power a little? You're too strong now, I can't even get close to you."
He still looked miserable, but at least he could form a full sentence.
"Power?"
Seff blinked.
Then, a memory surfaced.
The moment he had struck that man down in Zaraki and felt disappointed… That was when the man's aura erupted, and Seff's had exploded in tandem.
Since then, his power had grown exponentially.
Feeling the immense force churning inside him now, Seff closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
He tried to compress it inward, to restrain it, like pushing down an invisible storm and folding it into a quiet core.
It took a while.
When he finally opened his eyes again, he looked at Yui and asked:
"How about now? Any better?"
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapters
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🚨 TL/N 💥
Hello guys Fanfic recommendation!
Check out my other work:
💥> Naruto: Mind Control (Highly Recommended)
💥> Naruto: Cooking Makes Me Stronger
If you like smart and strong MC, this fanfic is for you.
It's Peak.
Give it a chance and you won't be disappointed