After the Head Captain spoke, even the usually composed Captain Ukitake couldn't maintain his calm. He looked at Asano Kiyoshi with shock in his eyes.
As for the always loud and animated Shiba Isshin, he immediately rushed over to Kiyoshi, pinched his arm, and exclaimed in amazement:
"Seriously? You haven't even achieved Shikai, and yet your Zanpakutō already changed form? And to be honest, the way you looked just now, I would've believed you if you said it was Bankai! You're a total monster! If that wasn't your Shikai, then what on earth did you just show us?"
The Head Captain lightly tapped Isshin's arm with his cane, nudging the unruly man aside, and silently turned his gaze to Kiyoshi, clearly waiting for an explanation.
Seeing their expressions, Kiyoshi calmed himself and began to explain:
"I'm not entirely sure what my ability is. Maybe it's just another form of Asauchi. I can switch between the standard Asauchi form and that scroll-like form, but I don't actually know the name of my Zanpakutō."
In truth, Kiyoshi did know the name of his Zanpakutō. However, whenever he tried to say those four characters aloud, it was as if his mouth were sealed—no matter what, he couldn't get the words out. So all he could do was tell the Head Captain and the others that he didn't know its name. Technically, what he showed them wasn't his Shikai either.
Upon hearing his explanation, the others fell into deep thought. After a moment, Ukitake tentatively offered a theory to the Head Captain:
"Sensei, I once read that certain Soul Reapers are born with extremely powerful spiritual pressure. When they receive an Asauchi, even if they don't know their Zanpakutō's name, the Asauchi can change form to match their immense spiritual energy. Usually, these transformed Asauchi become unusually large to handle the massive spiritual output. Could it be that Kiyoshi falls into this category?"
After listening, the Head Captain nodded slightly and then asked Kiyoshi another question:
"If it's not too much trouble, would you be willing to tell me what kind of abilities your current Zanpakutō form possesses?"
Kiyoshi nodded—he could share, but there was no need to give everything away. He replied:
"When I transform my Zanpakutō into the scroll form, a red pagoda labeled 'Gate of Oni' appears. The surrounding area also undergoes some changes. Within the altered space, I can use spiritual pressure to nullify certain attacks directly. Also, within that area, my control over reishi is enhanced."
What Kiyoshi described was essentially a watered-down version of Gate of Oni's true power. Though he trusted the captains present, he also remembered from the original storyline how dark and complex Soul Society truly was—especially when it came to the noble houses. It was best to keep a few cards close to the chest.
After hearing Kiyoshi's explanation, the Head Captain fell silent for a moment, then slowly walked toward the door. As he opened it, he said without turning back:
"Come on Saturday afternoon as well..."
With that, he stepped out, and the door closed behind him.
Ukitake walked over to Kiyoshi and gently patted his shoulder, advising:
"Don't let your guard down. The Head Captain's training is extremely strict. Prepare yourself and do your best—who knows, maybe we'll even end up sharing the same master."
Shiba Isshin grinned goofily and slapped Kiyoshi hard on the back:
"Kid! After graduation, come join my Squad Ten, alright? Haha! I'm reserving you early—otherwise, there'll be a whole crowd trying to poach you!"
Not even giving Kiyoshi time to refuse, Isshin turned to Ukitake and started bragging about his sharp eye for talent. He even asked Ukitake to help him request time off from the Head Captain, claiming he had spent so much effort finding such a prodigy for the Seireitei that he needed two months off to recover.
Seeing Ukitake's helpless expression and Isshin acting like a loyal mutt, Kiyoshi couldn't help but smile. Days where you didn't have to worry about mere survival... truly were a blessing.
After leaving the Headmaster's Office, Kiyoshi looked at the wooden token in his hand. Suddenly, the scroll in his mind opened automatically, and a line of text appeared before his eyes:
Item Name: Head Captain's Handcrafted Wooden TokenItem Effect:Holding this token grants direct access to Squad One's barracks without being affected by its protective spiritual pressure.Due to prolonged proximity to the Head Captain, it contains high-quality residual spiritual energy.Absorbing it will increase the user's spiritual power level.After absorption, the token retains full functionality.Option: Absorb?
Kiyoshi didn't hesitate. He immediately chose Absorb.
As soon as he made the choice, he clearly felt a warm energy radiate from the token in his hand and enter his body. The scroll's text began to update:
Spiritual Pressure Absorption in Progress:Current progress: 0.3%Estimated completion: 5 daysFinal effect: Increases spiritual power growth by 30%
Reading the updated message, Kiyoshi felt a gentle warmth envelop his whole body, like lying in the sun on a winter afternoon, eyes half-closed and carefree.
Putting away the token, Kiyoshi walked back to the dorm. Seeing it was nearly five o'clock, he decided to pick up three meals from the cafeteria. Ikkaku didn't have any strong food preferences—he just wanted to be full—while Yumichika liked milk and honey. Keeping their tastes in mind, Kiyoshi also grabbed some daily necessities before returning.
Back in the dorm, Kiyoshi noticed an extra meal and a note on his desk. The note read:
"Eat well—From the beautiful Yumichika and Ikkaku~"
The neat handwriting was almost girlish. Kiyoshi smiled. This was the real Soul Society—not just flat anime characters, but people with distinct loves and hates, full of life and personality.
After finishing two meals, Kiyoshi, completely exhausted from the day's repeated spiritual pressure usage, collapsed into bed and quickly fell asleep.
The wooden token on his chest emitted a comforting warmth.Kiyoshi slept deeply—and peacefully.