Shiki Mirai led the three new recruits — handpicked after a quick assessment to at least be competent enough to handle paperwork.
Just as they stepped past the gates of the Shin'o Academy, a loud, energetic voice called out behind him:
"5th Seat Shiki!"
He turned toward the sound, his face instantly shifting into a suave, gentle smile.
There stood Sarugaki Hiyori, fidgeting with her hands behind her back and avoiding his eyes. She hesitated for a second, then shouted:
"When—When your book gets published... I'll definitely buy a copy! And then... then I'll ask you to sign it!"
"No problem at all!" Shiki's smile brightened into something radiant. "You're welcome anytime."
Hiyori's cheeks turned scarlet in a flash. She gave a brisk, embarrassed "Mm!" before darting off in a flustered jog toward Captain Hikifune's departing figure.
"Shiki-kun, you're quite the popular guy, huh~?"
Kyōraku Shunsui appeared soon after, walking alongside Yadōmaru Lisa. He grinned as he made his offer. "So, how about grabbing a drink now?"
Beside him, Lisa wore her usual unreadable calm, but her eyes — hidden behind those glasses — never once left Shiki.
Shiki gave a wry smile, gesturing toward the three excited new recruits behind him.
"Shunsui-san, look at me. I've still got to bring them back to the Division HQ, settle them in, and explain the basics. Give me two days — I'll buy you a drink to make it up to you."
"Hahaha, I get it, I get it. Popular men are always busy!"
Kyōraku chuckled heartily and turned to leave — only to find Lisa hadn't moved.
"Lisa-chan?"
She ignored her captain, stepping calmly toward Shiki. She adjusted her glasses with a sharp glint in the lens and spoke in her usual composed — yet rapid-fire — tone:
"When I get back, I'm going to purchase every past issue of Seireitei Communication that features The Genius Boy's Solitude and Arrogance."
Shiki blinked in surprise for a moment, then flashed his impeccable "Reader Service Mode" smile:
"Oh? That's very kind of you — thank you for your support!"
Lisa gave a wordless nod, turned, and rejoined Kyōraku without another word.
But her back, as she walked away, was held a little straighter than usual.
Shiki watched them go, inwardly quite pleased.
Excellent. Two more premium readers secured. Talented fans like Lisa and Hiyori were treasures — the kind of readers you had to nurture.
He turned back to his recruits with a cheerful smile.
"Alright, let's head back to HQ. Lots of work ahead of us."
…
In a newly assigned, pristine room at the 5th Division Headquarters…
Aizen Sōsuke had just finished tidying the place. From his travel bag, he carefully pulled out a neatly bound scrapbook, composed of hand-cut articles.
The title, elegantly handwritten in brush strokes on the cover:
The Genius Boy's Solitude and Arrogance.
He opened the book again and began re-reading, page by page.
From the protagonist Sozen Aisuke's sudden arrival in Meteor City, to his realization of his unique powers, his disdain for the idiocy of the "mediocre," and ultimately his ascent to the peak of the known power systems…
Aizen's eyes traced each line, each paragraph, that same warm, unreadable smile gracing his lips.
When he reached the key moment — where the protagonist, driven by loneliness, begins to yearn for transcendence — a subtle ripple in Aizen's emotions caused a faint leak of Reiatsu.
He gently closed the scrapbook, eyes drifting to the firefly-like Reishi particles escaping into the air.
His smile deepened.
"Whether it's Shinigami or Rukongai residents… when emotions fluctuate, Reishi unconsciously spills out."
He murmured, watching closely.
But this Reishi didn't disperse normally — it was subtly tugged in a specific direction by an invisible force.
That direction?
The 9th Division Headquarters.
Aizen pushed his glasses up slightly. A cold glint flashed across the lens.
"What a clever trick, Brother Shiki. However..."
He chuckled under his breath, eyes gleaming with a quiet thrill of rivalry.
"...when it comes to precision control of Reishi, I'm not necessarily beneath you."
His gaze returned to the scrapbook, lingering on those bold words — The Genius Boy.
"Even though, for now, your 'accumulation' speed seems a little slow… I don't think it'll take long."
A light of expectation flickered unmistakably in his eyes.
"Soon, we'll stand at the same height — looking down at the same landscape."
"And then… what kind of choice will you make?"
His mind drifted back to Shiki's Shikai — that hauntingly beautiful winter landscape, the solitary noble youth standing amidst snow and wind.
"The Reishi's transition and condensation pattern — it wavered ever so slightly in that moment…"
Aizen tapped his finger softly on the table, his eyes reflecting profound clarity.
"The change was delicate enough to fool those who rely on Reiatsu volume or surface techniques to judge power — all those blind fools shackled by arrogance."
"But not me, Brother Shiki. You can't hide it from me."
He stood slowly and walked to the window, gazing calmly out over the 5th Division courtyard.
Hirako Shinji's insistence on recruiting him — the motive was obvious. He just wanted Aizen nearby to monitor him.
Be it ordinary Shinigami, nobles, captains, or even Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni himself...
They were all arrogant.
The moment they received Shinigami powers and donned the shihakushō, they instinctively drew a line between themselves and the souls of the Rukongai.
Years of sitting atop power had bred a deep, unconscious pride.
They classified strength by Reiatsu and Zanpakutō abilities, yet almost none ever looked deeper — into the smallest units of power — into the limitless potential hidden within Reishi itself.
Even someone like the Captain-Commander, forged over a millennium, still relied too much on what he had seen, too much on experience, and would inevitably miss what lay beneath the surface.
"And so…"
Aizen's gaze seemed to pierce the walls, falling upon the captain's quarters opposite him. His smile remained flawless.
"Those blinded by arrogance will never notice that beneath your perfect 'Winter Painting' lies a single, discordant note."
But—
He returned his thoughts to himself.
Both he and Shiki Mirai carried immense pride.
Only — their pride was of a different breed than Hirako's or Kyōraku's.
"We take pride in our pursuit of truth. In our refusal to accept limits."
"We scorn convention. We will not curl up under this seemingly peaceful sky — waiting for our Reishi to decay into silence."
"We are not arrogant."
Aizen narrowed his eyes, and a thought quietly took form.
A snow-and-wind-type Zanpakutō, huh? Visually deceptive…
If that's the case, then perhaps he should craft something similar for camouflage.
A water-type...
Yes, that would do nicely.
Subtle, shapeless. A perfect match for his image.
As for the real path — the one that leads to transcendence...
His eyes drifted back to the scrapbook on the table.
The Genius Boy's Solitude and Arrogance.
He didn't need to look anywhere else for answers.
"...I truly look forward to it, Brother Shiki."
Aizen's quiet murmur melted into the still air of the 5th Division Headquarters.
…