"Kids, don't frown so much. You'll never grow tall that way."
In the yard, Lu Yu stood with a lopsided grin as he lightly flicked both children on the forehead—his version of affection and mischief. Tōshirō scowled and dodged with practiced irritation, clearly unamused, while Hinamori Momo, peach-faced and bright-eyed, simply closed her eyes and smiled, as if basking in the warmth of a perfect spring afternoon.
Lu Yu's expression mirrored the season—easy, carefree, and full of quiet brightness, like a March breeze drifting lazily across the courtyard.
He chuckled inwardly, amused at his own image. I'm just one pair of square glasses away from that Asahi-sipping captain with the Bankai hairspray hand...
As the laughter faded into the background hum of the yard, Tōshirō hesitated for a moment. Then, after gathering whatever weight had been sitting in his chest, he finally asked the question that had clearly been haunting him.
"Do you think I should enter the Shinigami Academy?"
Lu Yu didn't answer right away. He studied the boy—sharp-eyed, gifted, and already carrying burdens most adults would buckle under. After a thoughtful pause, he spoke gently but with clarity.
"No matter what you decide, your grandma will support you," he said, voice calm and certain. "She doesn't live for herself—only for you. You're her whole world, and she values you more than life itself."
His gaze didn't waver as he continued, "Your Reiatsu's only going to grow stronger. Eventually, it'll overwhelm her. You already know that truth… you're just trying not to face it."
There was no judgment in his tone, only honesty. The old woman would give her life without hesitation, a hundred times over, just to spend one more day at her grandson's side. If he chose to leave, she would still smile through her tears. But if he stayed, she would slowly fade in the suffocating light of his potential. That was the price of love, and the quiet cost of unconditional family.
Lu Yu wouldn't have spoken so directly if he didn't care. But he did—and deeply.
After a long silence, Tōshirō finally nodded, the weight of decision giving way to resolve. "I'll apply to the Shinigami Academy in a few days."
"You can do it, Xiaobai!" Momo cheered with bright eyes, clenching her small fist in excitement. "I'll cheer you on the whole way!"
Tōshirō threw her a dry look of irritation. "Don't call me Xiaobai. And I don't need support from the Peach Gang of Bedwetters—I'm a genius."
Momo puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms in exaggerated defiance. "I started school before you, so show some respect to your senpai!"
As the two of them squabbled, Lu Yu watched with quiet warmth blooming in his chest, the kind that dulled the sting of waking up in a world where he had nothing—no power, no name, no hope.
Maybe life in Rukongai wasn't so empty after all.
Later that day, Tōshirō returned home to spend time with his grandmother, unwilling to waste the little time they had left together. Meanwhile, Momo pulled Lu Yu aside and talked his ear off about everything she knew regarding the Shinigami Academy—dormitory rumors, class schedules, gossip about teachers. The energy coming off her was so vivid and youthful it felt like the heat radiating off sun-warmed stone.
She wasn't the composed, capable lieutenant she would one day become. For now, she was simply a curious girl caught in the bloom of discovery, overflowing with excitement.
Lu Yu mostly listened, smiling softly, nodding on occasion or asking the right question to keep her talking. Through her, he absorbed more and more about this world—names, history, customs—all from the scatter of conversation.
The once-flat images of Shinigami he had in his mind slowly became sharper and more tangible. They weren't just distant characters anymore—they were living, breathing people with quirks, fears, and habits.
By the time the sun had tilted low in the sky, the two of them sat beneath the porch, shadows stretching long over the stone floor. The golden afternoon light washed over everything, soft and warm, sealing the moment into memory.
Neither of them would forget that quiet day.
When they parted ways, Momo lingered behind with hesitation. As Lu Yu walked away, she stood still, watching him go. Her cheerful expression faded into something softer, more uncertain, and in a voice barely louder than a whisper, she spoke words meant only for herself.
"If only Brother Lu Yu had spiritual power... then we could all go to school together. We wouldn't have to say goodbye."
That night, back home and lying in bed, Lu Yu stared up at the wooden ceiling, unable to sleep—not that he expected rest to come easily. Thrown into this unfamiliar world with no status, no advantage, and no clear future, how could anyone sleep soundly?
The Soul Society seemed tranquil on the surface, but beneath its stillness, the world was merciless. People who lacked spiritual power faded into the background and disappeared quietly. They didn't even qualify as cannon fodder.
His past self had clawed and scraped just to survive in District 1 of West Rukongai—the safest of the seventy-nine districts. Outside of that fragile bubble, the landscape changed fast. Hollows prowled freely, and violent gangs ruled the outer zones.
If you were cast out, you wouldn't last a single day before something devoured you—spirit or monster, it made no difference.
Even here, within the so-called "safe zone," Seireitei felt like another world entirely. Just a wall away, and yet impossibly distant. The Shinigami within weren't neighbors; they were myths carved into tradition.
His bond with Momo and Tōshirō meant the world to him, but even that connection couldn't last forever. Eventually, they would step forward into the future... and he would remain behind.
This was the Soul Society.
If you had no power, you had no presence. And if you had no presence, you had no future.
Still lying in the silence of his room, Lu Yu exhaled through his nose and raised one hand, flexing his fingers slowly as frustration simmered in his chest.
I want to become a Shinigami…
Just as the thought echoed through his mind, the distant toll of the midnight bell rolled softly across the sky.
Then, without warning—
Ding.
A cold, mechanical voice sounded clearly in his mind, clean and deliberate:
"A new day has begun. Super Punch Card System is now live."
For a moment, Lu Yu blinked in disbelief. Then, as realization settled in, he sat up sharply, his heart pounding against his ribs. "No way… my golden finger's here? The system actually came online?!"
There were no instructions, yet somehow, he knew exactly how it worked—like muscle memory written into his soul.
The Punch Card System.
Each day, you checked in. Each day, you earned rewards.
Those rewards could range wildly, from mundane to mythic—F-rank trinkets to EX-tier god-gear. White-grade, blue-grade, green-grade, red-grade… and higher still: gold, rainbow, divine.
It had the power to pull from every universe imaginable—Marvel's Infinity Stones, Dragon Ball's Saiyan bloodline, the Chaos Bell from the Myth Realms.
Any one of them would warp the balance of this world beyond recognition.
Physical rewards were neatly stored in the system's dedicated inventory space. Certain days—like first check-in, hundredth day, or milestone triggers—granted compounded bonuses.
And if he bonded with key figures within the narrative?
Even more rewards.
The stronger the bond, the greater the return.
Hands trembling with anticipation, Lu Yu could barely contain his excitement. He rubbed his palms together with barely restrained glee. "System, check me in!"
He clenched his fists and held his breath as if preparing for a divine lottery draw.
He didn't dare hope for too much. The Ancient Holy Body would be perfect. Or maybe something like Kryptonian blood... or even Zizai Jiyi Gong. Anything half decent would change his fate.
Just the thought made his mouth water.
The voice returned with crystalline precision:
Ding.
"Check-in successful!"
"Congratulations, Host! You have received the Blue-Rank Talent: Summoning Body. Due to the first-day bonus, the Summoning Body has evolved into Gold-Rank Talent: Super Spirit Physique!"
"First-day check-in bonus: Effect doubled. Host talent is now fully hidden."
Lu Yu froze as the message sank in. Then, slowly, a wild grin spread across his face as the truth hit him.
"I've hit the jackpot... it's over. I'm unstoppable now."