For the long-lived Shinigami, two months passed as quickly as a brief nap. Before anyone realized it, early spring had given way to the height of summer.
Asano Kiyoshi sat on the floor of the kendo hall, his body covered in bruises and scratches. Across from him, the old man Yamamoto stood, a wooden sword in his hand and a satisfied expression on his face. Looking down at Asano, he spoke with a hint of approval:
"You've made great progress. But you still have work to do. At your current level, you can fight Gōmyōdai Kojirō… but you probably still can't defeat him."
Lying on the ground and gasping for breath, Asano Kiyoshi chuckled and nodded. The old man was right. He had scanned Kojirō's stats long ago, and they were terrifyingly high—no surprise given his lineage as the heir of the most prestigious noble family among the Five Great Noble Houses:
Name: Gōmyōdai Kojirō
Zanjutsu (Swordsmanship): 43(Raised with private noble education, possesses deep combat experience.)
Hakuda (Hand-to-hand): 42(Trained one-on-one with a personal tutor; powerful and seasoned.)
Kidō (Demon Arts): 34(Innate lack of spiritual pressure limits his potential, even with top-tier instructors.)
Shunpō (Flash Step): 40(Perfected under strict personal coaching; highly proficient.)
Spiritual Pressure: Fifth-class(Surprisingly low for a member of a top noble house.)
Total Combat Score: 159(Equivalent to the 14th seat in a regular division—weak on a global scale, but still a formidable opponent for you.)
Note: Each division has 18 seats, excluding the captain and vice-captain. The 18th seat's composite score usually falls between 120–130. Each seat up adds roughly 10 points. These stats are for reference only—real combat depends on psychology, resolve, and unpredictability.
Zanpakutō: Kensoku (Key Bind)
Kojirō's stats made him an uncontested top student in this year's class. His low spiritual pressure had cost him the top spot to Ikkaku and Yumichika in the entrance rankings, but as far as ability went, he was still number one. Spiritual pressure was, after all, mostly innate—set from birth—and extremely difficult to change.
Perhaps that's why Kojirō held such intense hostility toward those like Ikkaku who had greater spiritual pressure. It was a sore spot he could never fix, no matter how hard he trained.
Meanwhile, Asano Kiyoshi's own stats had skyrocketed under the relentless tutelage of the Head Captain. The inked text of his system interface glowed faintly, revealing his current data:
Host: Asano Kiyoshi
Zanjutsu: 29(Under the world's top kendo master, your wild swings have become structured attacks.)
Hakuda: 27(After being beaten down daily by the old man, you've finally learned how to dish it out too.)
Kidō: 30(Exceptional spirit particle control and study skills; you've hit the upper limit for your current pressure level. Among third-class users, you're unmatched.)
Shunpō: 30(Flawless pressure layering and accurate distance calculations make you a movement expert at your level.)
Total Combat Score: 116(Nearing the lowest official Shinigami ranking. You may just be able to resist the current of fate.)
Spiritual Pressure: Third-class, 97%(The Head Captain's soul-crushing pressure nearly killed you—but it also remade you. You're on the verge of breaking into fourth-class.)
Zanpakutō: Yomi (Netherworld)
Shikai Command: ???
Bankai Command: ???
Unlocked Realm: Gates of Hell
Next Unlock: Path to the Underworld
Thanks to Yamamoto's training, Asano could now at least hold his own against Kojirō using precise control of his spiritual energy. While winning was still unlikely, his progress far outpaced Kojirō's. At this rate, in under two years, Asano could definitely claim a spot in the Great Spirit Book Corridor.
However, the contents of the Spirit Book Corridor were shrouded in mystery—even Yamamoto himself knew little about it. Controlled by the Five Great Noble Houses, the corridor had existed since the era of the Spirit King. In truth, the entire Soul Society was structured to serve the interests of these families, not even the Head Captain had much say in matters involving them.
Yamamoto stared down at Asano's prone form and barked:
"Still lying there, you lazy brat?! We're just getting started!"
Before Asano could respond, a wooden sword came crashing down again. He rolled desperately to one side and forced himself to his feet, every muscle aching. His hands trembled from gripping his sword too tightly for too long, so he channeled spirit energy to his limbs to maintain control.
Watching him charge forward again—only to be smacked away once more—Yamamoto's eyes gleamed with pride.
Asano might not have been the most talented disciple he'd seen over the past thousand years, but he was undoubtedly the most unique. His spiritual pressure seemed to have no ceiling. His spirit particle control was flawless. And on top of that, he had a steady mind, a calm personality, and an intense thirst for knowledge.
Altogether, Asano Kiyoshi was shaping up to be the ideal student. If he stayed the course, Yamamoto was starting to consider grooming him as a possible successor.
Still, there was one thing that bothered the old man.
Asano was warm, motivated, and passionate about everything he did… yet there was always a subtle distance between him and the world. A sense of detachment, like he wasn't truly a part of this place. It came not from his actions—but from his soul.
As if he didn't quite belong to this world.
Yamamoto shook his head, brushing aside the thought. Asano came charging again, and Yamamoto swatted him aside with another strike before calmly correcting:
"Your strike had power, but the angle was too sharp. It disrupted your follow-through."