He talked a big game.
But in reality, that night, Fujimiya Makoto only managed three or four extra punches before collapsing, half-dead.
Extreme sports without supervision? Better not.
"[Weakling! Weakling!]"
The bratty system mocked loudly.
Sadly, Fujimiya, utterly knocked out, couldn't hear a thing.
Still, that spirit deserved some credit.
To record his journey of effort from nothing, Fujimiya asked the academy for paper and a brush that day and began writing Fujimiya Makoto's Struggle Diary.
"Fujimiya says: You reap what you sow. To go further on the shinigami path, to prove I'm not just a loser cheating with god-tier talent, I resolve to give my all starting today!"
"Most folks at Genji Academy are Rukongai civilians. Less than three in ten can read—bunch of illiterates. They mumble, can't even say what year it is in the Spirit King's calendar. I asked about the living world's timeline: one guy died in Tenpyo Year 10, another in Enkyo Year 20. I tried converting…"
"Forgot I'm illiterate in this world too."
"Anyway, I'll just count the days since I joined the Genji Academy."
Genji Calendar
"January 13. Tonight, Chojiro opened up and talked a lot. Sure, he whipped me with his stick, but he's a good guy. To honor our bond, I managed 104 punches today."
"As they say, no small steps, no long journeys. If I improve by 4% daily, with exponential growth, in a hundred days, I'll be fifty times stronger! Two hundred days, twenty-five hundred times! Three hundred days, a hundred thirty thousand times! My will's gonna get tougher and tougher."
"As long as I keep pushing… I'll be stronger than Goku!"
"That's right!"
"A man proves everything through action! I'm not some trash who just leans on a bratty system!"
"Watch me throw ten thousand punches a day!"
"January 14. 104 punches again."
"Could've done one more, but Chojiro zapped me three times, so I had to redo a set… That electric stick hurts like hell, but it's probably for my own good."
"Yeah! Chojiro's a good guy."
"Keep it up, Makoto!"
"Tomorrow's you's got this."
"January 15. 104 punches. Hurts, but I'm hanging in."
"January 16. 104 punches. Hurts a lot."
"January 17. Same."
"January 18. Ditto."
"January 19. Crawled back tonight."
"Damn it, Chojiro! Why's he hitting harder every day?"
"Chojiro! Hope your kid's born with dermatitis, you jerk!"
"Keep going!"
"January 20. Fujimiya Makoto, this can't go on."
"If this keeps up, I don't know if the killing stone will kill me, but Chojiro's gonna beat me to death with that stick."
"Wake up, my god-tier talent!"
"There's tons of Rukongai students in the academy's halls. If I wander around, I'll find some girl with big potential or stinky feet to catch that lousy sword's attention!"
"Why am I wasting my time on this dumb rock?"
"January 21. Challenged about thirty guys, none worth a damn. Most were even worse than me, not even good for points. I'll check again tomorrow."
"January 22. Saw a guy named Sato bullying someone in a corner. Who can just stand by and watch?"
"Tch, you're the one."
"January 23. Eat, sleep, beat Sato."
"January 24. Eat, sleep, beat Sato."
"January 25. Eat, sleep, beat Sato."
"January 26. Spotted a glasses girl in the library scarier than old lady Unohana!"
"Noted. Next time she's alone, I'll test my sword on her."
"January 27. Sato tried to run today. Beat him twice, he swore he wouldn't try again."
"January 28. Damn it! Sato's gone."
…
On a dark, windy night, in a quiet grove beyond the academy, a figure clad in black hid in the depths of a bamboo thicket, silently watching a simple bamboo hut where a soft light glowed from a window.
Though the Genji Academy's facilities and dorms were bare-bones, it prided itself on training skilled scribes and kido experts. As such, nearly all its library's books were openly accessible to students, no secrets held back.
As a former "student," the man in black knew this well.
He raised a hand, signaling.
With a rustle, several black-clad figures emerged from the surrounding woods.
The leader slowly pulled off his mask, revealing a bruised, swollen face, expression grim.
It was "Sato."
Or rather, his real name: Hachi Shinichi.
A low-ranking member of a branch of the noble Hachi family, he was an agent dispatched by the Central 46, attached to the Secret Mobile Corps.
Years ago, he'd been ordered to infiltrate the central hub of District 64, a lawless zone, to gather intelligence and seek a chance to assassinate the Genryu faction's leaders, including Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni.
Don't ask how he accepted the order or how he planned to kill Yamamoto.
Everyone in the Seireitei knew the Central 46 was collectively out of their minds.
Anyway, after arriving, Hachi Shinichi had operated as "Sato," a student, loafing in enemy territory for years.
But that peaceful routine had recently shattered.
Hachi's eyes, narrowed to slits by bruises, glared at the lit library in the distance, his expression venomous.
Ever since that Genryu member, Fujimiya Makoto, showed up at the academy, he'd inexplicably targeted him, repeatedly seeking to spar and probe his strength.
If Hachi hadn't maintained an infiltrator's caution, taking several beatings without revealing his true skills, Fujimiya might've uncovered his real abilities in those early skirmishes.
But even that small clue had set off alarms in Hachi's mind.
He suspected one of his intelligence-gathering operations among the students had blown his cover.
Yet, either the enemy wasn't sure of the intel, or his disguise was too good.
After days of surveillance, "Sato" saw no sign that Fujimiya had reported anything to the Genryu higher-ups.
It seemed he just wanted to fight him.
But as a professional intelligence agent, Hachi Shinichi wouldn't tolerate any flaws in his mission.
Physically eliminating the threat was the only option.
One of his men approached silently.
"Sir, our scouts confirmed several Genryu leaders left for District 40 today."
"Currently, only the target and Administrator Rokutori are in the library."
"Your orders?"
Finally!
The moment he heard this, "Sato's" battered face twisted into a ferocious snarl.
Tonight, he'd avenge the beatings of the past few days!
You damn brat, I'll make you feel what I went through!
"Move in!"