The white walls rose higher with every step.
Akio had seen them before, distant towers glimmering beyond the chaos of Rukongai. But up close, the walls of Seireitei weren't just stone — they were monuments, flawless and impenetrable, radiating power that made the air itself heavy.
His throat felt dry. 'So this is it. The world of the strong. My journey to being the strongest begins here.'
Isshin walked ahead with the casual air of a man who owned the ground beneath his feet. Rangiku strolled at Akio's side, humming lazily, hips swaying in rhythm with her steps.
The massive gate loomed before them, a slab of iron and stone taller than any building in Rukongai.
Standing before it was a giant of a man, broad-shouldered and towering, with a massive axe strapped across his back. His thick brows lifted when his eyes fell on Isshin's white haori.
"C-Captain Shiba!" the gatekeeper rumbled, his deep voice carrying like thunder. He dropped to one knee in respect, pulling the enormous gate open with a grunt of strength. The giant was Jidanbō Ikkanzaka, the giant gatekeeper of West Gate.
Akio's breath caught. The man was a mountain of flesh and steel, yet even he bowed his head to Isshin like a servant before his lord. 'That's the difference between a captain and everyone else… That's the respect you get after becoming strong and that's the respect I want.'
Isshin waved cheerfully to the gatekeeper. "Thanks, Jidanbō! Keep up the good work."
The giant nodded rapidly, grinning with pride. "Y-Yes, Captain!"
They stepped inside.
The streets of Seireitei spread before him — wide and clean, lined with immaculate buildings that gleamed in the sun. The ground itself seemed alive, humming faintly with reiryoku. Compared to the broken alleys of Rukongai, it felt like stepping into another dimension.
Akio slowed, eyes wide, lips parted. 'This place is so beautiful…very different from Rukongai. But is dangerous as well. Every inch of this place radiates power.'
Isshin stopped and turned to Rangiku. "Alright. I can't babysit. Matsumoto, handle his registration. You know the drill."
Rangiku gave a mock salute. "Yes, yes, Captain. Don't worry, I'll keep the brat out of trouble."
Isshin crouched slightly, looking Akio in the eyes. His grin softened, turning steady. "Kid. Remember this. Strength isn't free. If you want it, you'll bleed for it."
Akio forced his voice to hold firm. "I'll remember."
Isshin's eyes lingered on him for a moment longer, then he stood, waved lazily, and vanished into the streets.
Akio stared at that broad back until it disappeared. 'That level of power and stature… someday I'll stand on that level. No matter what it takes.'
"Oi, daydreamer," Rangiku said, tugging his sleeve with a smirk. "Come on. Unless you want to starve outside, we've got forms to fill."
They reached the gates of the Shin'ō Academy then Rangiku took Akio towards the administration hall without any delay.
The administration hall of Shin'ō Academy was a far cry from the ragged barracks Akio had slept in. Smooth wooden floors gleamed, and scrolls lined the walls with precise order. Behind the long desk, officials in spotless robes peered down at Akio like he was a curiosity.
"Register his name for the entrance exam." Rangiku pointed at Akio while looking at the lead clerk.
"This one?" the lead clerk asked, lifting a brow at Rangiku. "He looks skinny and malnourished. Are you certain, Vice-Captain?"
Rangiku's smile never wavered. "Captain Shiba's orders. Register him."
Murmurs rippled through the clerks. The lead official sighed, dipped his brush, and scribbled Akio's name onto the scroll of applicants. "Very well. He will take the entrance exam with the others. If he fails, he returns to where he came from."
Akio bowed his head slightly, masking the dangerous glint in his eyes. 'Fail? Do you think I will go back to that hell after nearing getting myself killed by a gillian? Besides I will never fail. I will pass even if I have struggle to death.'
The clerk handed him a parchment slip marked with the Academy crest. "Report to the training grounds immediately. The exam is already underway."
"Well then kid you are on your own from now. The training ground is in that direction. Don't trip and embarrass me. Good Luck." Rangiku said pointing towards the direction of the training ground.
The training grounds stretched wide beneath the afternoon sun, filled with rows of anxious children and young men from Rukongai. Some whispered nervously, others shifted on their feet, glaring daggers at the unfamiliar faces beside them.
Akio felt their eyes on him — small, skinny, just another ragged brat.
"Another weakling," someone snorted from the line. "He won't last."
Akio ignored them.
At the front, an instructor barked orders. His shaved head glistened with sweat, and his voice cracked like a whip. "Form lines! First test — reiryoku measurement!"
Assistants wheeled forward glowing crystal orbs mounted on pedestals.
"Place your hands on the orb. Focus. If you cannot produce sufficient reiryoku, you fail immediately."
The first boy stepped forward, trembling. The orb flickered faintly, barely a spark. The instructor's lips tightened. "Insufficient. Next!"
One by one, students stepped up. Some orbs glowed brightly, others barely shimmered. Those who failed were dragged to the side, their dreams crushed in seconds.
Finally, Akio's turn came.
He stepped forward, hands brushing the cool surface of the crystal. Inside, he measured himself carefully. Too much, and Aizen may notice him. Too little, and he'd fail.
'Balance. Just enough.'
He let his reiryoku flow in a thin, steady stream. The orb lit up immediately, casting a sharp white glow brighter than most but not blinding. Murmurs rippled through the line.
The instructor's eyes narrowed, then he grunted. "Adequate. Next."
Akio stepped back, hiding the faint smile tugging at his lips.
The boy after him stepped forward. Bald, grinning with sharp eyes. He turned towards Akio.
"Not bad, runt," he said with a cocky drawl then he slapped the orb as though it owed him something. The crystal flared twice as bright as Akio's, nearly blinding. Grin widening, he locked eyes with Akio. "But try to keep up."
Beside the bald boy, another recruit with immaculate hair and a refined, almost delicate posture adjusted his robes. "Really, Ikkaku? Must you pick fights before classes even start? It's embarrassing." His gaze slid to Akio, sharp but not unkind. "Ignore him. He lives for this."
Akio tilted his head innocently, as though cowed. But inside 'Well, well. Look who we have here. Ikka and Yumichika. Looks like I found my first friends of the academy.'
The second and final test was physical.
Training dummies, animated by Kido, lunged at the recruits with blunt strikes. Students had to dodge or withstand the blows without collapsing.
One boy crumpled after a single hit. Another scrambled, barely managing to stay upright until the examiner waved him off.
Akio stepped onto the field. The dummy whirred and lunged, wooden arm swinging.
His body moved on instinct — years of fleeing through alleys, vaulting fences, dodging fists in backstreet brawls. He slipped past the strike, rolled low, came up on his feet without pause. The dummy attacked again. Akio twisted, letting the strike graze his sleeve.
He wasn't flashy. He wasn't invincible. But he was quick, sharp, calculating.
After the third exchange, the examiner barked, "Enough! Pass."
Akio stepped out, chest heaving slightly.
From the sidelines, Ikkaku smirked, crossing his arms. "Not bad, runt. Maybe he'll be able to entertain me by sparring with me so often.."
Yumichika sighed, brushing invisible dust from his robes. "Must you sound so brutish? Still…" He eyed Akio curiously. "For a gutter rat, he sure is… good."
Akio who heard their talk just made a neutral face but inside, 'G-gutter rat? Did he just call me that? Hah!! Forget it, its Yumichika. He will look down on anything he deems ugly, crude, or beneath refinement. Doesn't matter — I'll show him refinement can come from power.'
By sunset, the tests ended. Names were called. Those who passed were handed academy uniforms and dorm assignments.
When Akio's name echoed across the grounds, his fist clenched around the parchment.
He bowed his head as they draped the uniform across his arms. 'Step one: complete.'
His lips curled into a hungry smile.
"Shin'ō Academy…" he whispered. "My first battlefield."