Elsewhere—
Inside the barracks of Twelfth Division, within the central headquarters of the Research and Development Institute:
A massive mainframe stood at the heart of the room, constantly collecting, analyzing, and storing data from Seireitei and select regions of Rukongai.
Only one person held full access authority over it—
The current Captain of Twelfth Division and Director of the Institute: Kurotsuchi Mayuri.
"Captain!"
Akon, the vice-president, hurried in with a report in hand.
"The analysis report regarding the abnormal spiritual pressure detected in the Junrinan district around 8:30 PM on Saturday is ready."
"Read it."
Mayuri didn't even look up, casually waving his hand.
"Yes!"
Akon straightened the report and began:
"The spiritual fluctuation detected in the outskirts of Junrinan shows a 99.7% similarity to the fluctuation recorded earlier in the Shin'ō Academy infirmary."
"Preliminary conclusion: both incidents closely match the descriptions of the King's Seal's power as recorded in the Great Archives."
"Oh? The King's Seal, you say?"
Mayuri slowly spun his chair around, snatching the report from Akon's hands. After scanning it, a strange smile crept across his lips.
"Looks like a rat has slipped in."
"A… rat?"
Akon blinked, not quite understanding.
"Hmph."
Mayuri didn't bother explaining. Instead, his long fingers danced across the keyboard of the mainframe.
Then he issued his command:
"Notify the Detention Division, and coordinate with Hiyosu. I want full surveillance on the Shin'ō Academy and the Junrinan district."
"Report anything unusual to me immediately."
"Understood!"
Akon nodded, but just as he turned to leave, something occurred to him.
"Captain—today is the graduation assessment for the sixth-year students of the academy. As per protocol, we've already allocated a dedicated monitoring channel through the Communications and Signal Measurement Departments."
"If we divert resources to fully monitor the academy and Junrinan… we may not have enough coverage left for the Human World testing zones…"
"Tch."
Mayuri clicked his tongue, a mocking smile tugging at his lips.
"Monitoring that childish little 'exam' is a complete waste of time. Even if we shut it down entirely, nothing will go wrong."
His eyes gleamed with unsettling excitement.
"So, Akon—carry out my orders."
"Compared to watching a bunch of children play pretend… I'd much rather catch the rat sneaking around Seireitei."
"…But if something does happen, the Captain-Commander will hold us accountable. And if that happens, you might—"
"Akon." Mayuri cut him off coldly. "I've made myself perfectly clear."
"Between babysitting a mock exercise… and ensuring the safety of Seireitei, which do you think the Captain-Commander cares about more?"
"…Understood!"
Akon finally nodded, no longer hesitating.
"I'll handle it immediately."
With that, he turned and left the Research and Development headquarters, heading straight for the Communications and Signal Measurement Departments.
…
The scene shifts—
Back to Mochizuki Platform at the Shin'ō Academy.
Over eighty first-year students had already gathered, waiting for the Soul Burial exercise scheduled to begin at exactly 2 PM.
It was now noon.
The sky stretched clear and cloudless, the blazing sun pouring down relentless heat over the land.
Every so often, a gust of wind swept across the barren plains, carrying with it a suffocating dryness that passed through Soul Society—and over the academy itself.
Walking side by side with Saitō Mizuki, Fūjin Taichi suddenly stopped.
His expression twisted.
"Ugh—!" He clutched his head and doubled over, his face contorting in pain. "…Damn it… why now of all times…?!"
"Taichi! What's wrong?!"
Mizuki immediately crouched beside him, supporting his body while gently patting his back. Panic and guilt filled her voice.
"Was it the sushi?! Did something go bad?! I—I'm so sorry, Taichi!"
"N-No… it's not that… I—I…"
Cold sweat poured down Taichi's forehead.
His head felt like it was about to split open—as if something inside was trying to claw its way out.
"What is it?! Tell me!"
In the midst of the agony, a thought suddenly struck him.
That day… in the infirmary… that guy—Fujiwara Tatsuma—he did something to me…
With trembling hands, Taichi pulled open his chest.
But—
The spot where a sixteen-petaled black chrysanthemum mark had once been…
Was completely smooth.
No scar.
No trace.
"Damn it… what did that bastard Fujiwara do to me…?!"
A sharp pain stabbed through his mind.
His consciousness flickered—clear one moment, blurred the next—
As if something else was fighting him for control of his own body.
"Taichi! Hang on—I'll go get a teacher!"
Mizuki hurriedly stood, ready to call for help—
But Taichi grabbed her.
"Don't… Mizuki… come back…"
"But Taichi! There's something seriously wrong with you!"
Her eyes welled up with tears as she looked at him, trembling.
"Stop pushing yourself… this exam isn't that important…"
"Mizuki… I'm fine… I just need a moment to rest…"
As he spoke, Fūjin Taichi slowly moved to the back of the crowd. He sat down cross-legged on the ground, forcing out a faint smile as he looked at her.
"Don't worry. I'm the strongest among our class, remember? I'm not going down that easily… and definitely not in front of you."
"Taichi…!"
"It's nothing… I just need… a little time…"
His voice grew weaker with each word.
"I'll wake up soon… so…"
His eyes slowly closed.
One by one—
Sound faded.
Sight dimmed.
Taste, touch, sensation—
All dissolved into nothingness.
And with that—
His consciousness sank into his inner world.
…
The place that should have been filled with blooming begonia trees…
Had become a boundless, withered wasteland.
Yellowed earth stretched endlessly in all directions, while countless green whirlwinds tore across the sky like restless spirits.
"Yone! What the hell happened here?!"
Taichi shouted into the empty expanse.
"Yone! Yone! Come out! What's going on?!"
Whooooosh—
Only the howling wind answered him.
The wild grass swayed violently, rustling as if mocking his desperation.
"YONE!"
He called out one last time—
And in response—
BOOM—!!!
A thunderclap split the heavens.
An orange bolt of lightning crashed down, shattering the entire wasteland in an instant.
Then—
From beneath the broken earth, endless seawater surged upward, swallowing everything whole.
Taichi was dragged under.
"Ghh—!"
He opened his mouth to shout—
But all that came out were streams of bubbles.
The crushing pressure of the deep sea closed in around him.
His consciousness began to fade…
…
"Taichi!"
"Taichi! Taichi!"
"Wake up! The assessment is about to start!"
"Taichi! Come on, wake up!"
That voice—
Familiar, yet distant.
It pulled him back.
Suddenly—
His eyes snapped open.
Before him stood a crowd of over eighty students—male and female—lined up in orderly rows, all dressed in the same academy uniforms as his.
Their faces were tense—
Yet filled with anticipation.
As if waiting for something important to begin.
Taichi instinctively lowered his gaze, staring at his white-and-blue uniform.
Then slowly—
He looked up.
In front of him stood a massive Senkaimon—over ten meters wide, towering like a gateway to another world.
He froze.
His mind… blank.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What… am I even doing here?
...
..
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