T/N: Decided to upload the fics today, other one is already out, patreon advance chapters for this fic will be out later since I'm not home rn. Also another 5 chapters coming later today and every 200 powerstones = 1 bonus chapter.
Soul Society, West District, 37th Ward — Kurako District.
The sky in the 37th Ward was always a clear, piercing blue. A gentle breeze swept across the green tips of the grass, carrying the subtle chill unique to early spring.
A black-haired boy, around sixteen years old, lifted a fish basket from the ground. After tidying up the fishing gear around him, he began walking toward a small hut not far away.
The sunlight was warm and dappled through the leaves, scattering gently over his body and drawing his thoughts far away.
"It's been six years since I came here, hasn't it…"
Asano Kiyoshi let out a quiet sigh. Thinking back to when he first arrived in Soul Society, he rubbed his head a little helplessly.
Six years ago — that is, in Soul Society Year 2044 (with the founding of the Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy marked as Year One) — Asano Kiyoshi had come to this world.
When he first arrived, he was completely alone and looked like a young child of just a few years old. In Rukongai, a place where the strong prey on the weak, survival for someone like him was almost impossible. Fortunately, he was quite lucky.
He had awakened in West District, 37th Ward. While the public order here wasn't as good as the single-digit wards, it was at least somewhat civilized — unlike the wards numbered 60 and above, which were purely lawless zones ruled by violence.
Being one of the first 40 wards, the 37th Ward saw monthly visits from Soul Reapers in black shihakushō who performed local population surveys. It also had better law enforcement and usually two 11th Division members stationed for protection.
Asano had once glimpsed those two Soul Reapers from afar. Even from a distance, he'd felt as if his entire body was being crushed by an invisible force. Breathing had become extremely difficult.
Yes — just seeing two minor Soul Reapers who barely had any presence in the original story made him feel so overwhelmingly oppressed. Thinking of that, Asano let out a bitter chuckle.
Lost in thought, he reached his home.Well, "home" — it was just a crude wooden shack. Inside, however, was the person who had saved his life.
Just as he set down the fish basket, a gentle voice came from within:
"Kiyoshi, you're back."
Hearing that soft voice, Asano replied with a smile:
"Yes, Granny Hana. These are today's fish."
From inside the house emerged a kindly-looking old woman — the one who had taken him in when he was starving on the streets. Her real name was Asano Miyoko, but everyone called her Granny Hana because of her love for flowers.
She smiled at Kiyoshi, then quietly took the fish to prepare lunch.
Watching her walk away, Asano sat down on a small stool he had crafted himself. It wasn't that he didn't want to cook, but Granny Hana had always insisted — she wanted to contribute something to their life, to not feel like a burden.
Understanding her feelings, Asano closed his eyes to rest.
As his eyes shut, a black and red scroll appeared in his mind, opening to reveal magnificent, awe-inspiring imagery:The Bridge of Helplessness, The Three Lives Stone, The Road to Yomi, Longing Platform, The Gate of Demons...
Just looking at the scroll made Asano feel as if his very soul would be pulled into that surreal, otherworldly space. But the feeling lasted only an instant.Once the scroll opened fully, the vivid scenes disappeared, leaving behind a blank parchment and several lines of powerful script:
Host: Asano Kiyoshi
Zanjutsu: 12(Years of farm labor have made you more adept than most at handling knives for cooking. But that's about it — you can't even hold a basic Asauchi properly.)
Hakuda: 8(An underdeveloped body, weak limbs, no physical training — not even worth evaluating.)
Kidō: 0(With your spiritual channels almost completely blocked, any attempt to comment would only hurt your fragile ego. Out of kindness, we'll skip it.)
Hohō: 13(Years of running have boosted your stamina slightly. You might be able to outrun a small dog.)
Reiatsu: Class-2 Spiritual Pressure — 99%(Let's be honest, if you get too close to a real Soul Reaper, their pressure alone could kill you. Your spiritual eyes remain unopened — keep pushing to see the world clearly.)
Overall Rating: 33(Extremely weak. Compared to the world, you're a mere speck of dust.)
Note: For normal Soul Society citizens, all basic stats begin at 10. Each level of spiritual pressure increases the cap by 10 points. Class-1 Reiatsu maxes out at 10 per stat.
Zanpakutō: Yomi no Kuni (Underworld)
Shikai Command: ???
Bankai Command: ???
Current Unlock: Gate of Demons — 99%(When your Reiatsu reaches Class-3, this ability will unlock. Please work hard.)
Staring at the progress bar under his Reiatsu stat, Asano's breathing quickened. If he was right, today's lunch might be just enough to push him to Class-3.
Thanks to this scroll, Asano had discovered that simply eating regularly would gradually enhance his spiritual pressure.
The increase was incredibly slow — it had taken six full years just to climb from Class-1 to nearly Class-3. And according to the system, once he reached Class-3, eating would no longer significantly help his growth.
However, from what he knew, the entrance requirement for the Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy was precisely Class-3 Reiatsu!
Once he reached that level, he could enroll in the Academy. And if he could graduate, even as a no-name background character, he would officially become a Soul Reaper — a giant leap in status and life quality.
At that point, he'd have the ability to take care of Granny Hana… and perhaps even begin to control his own destiny.
As Asano pondered, Granny Hana had already finished cooking the fish. She called him in for lunch.
Replying to her call, Asano almost ran to the table.
Watching him gobble down his food, Granny Hana smiled gently and kept saying:
"Slow down, slow down…"
After finishing his portion, Asano looked at the fish still left in the bowl and smiled at her:
"Granny, I'm full. You eat the rest, okay? Make sure you finish it."
Before she could reply, he darted out the door.
Staring after his fleeing figure, then glancing at the still-half-full bowl, Granny Hana smiled helplessly.
"That boy…"
Meanwhile, Asano had arrived at a quiet grove.Gazing at the 100% progress bar on his spiritual pressure, he breathed deeply and whispered:
"I choose… to ascend to Class-3 Reiatsu!"
T/N: If it wasn't already clear. This fic doesn't use the same reiatsu levels system as cannon. There's an auxiliary chapter on this made by the author.