After Ōunabara Gengorō left, the first-year students gradually filed out as well, leaving only Fūjin Taichi, Tsunayashiro Tokio, and Kasumioji Hoko behind.
"Tokio, help me move my bedding," Fūjin Taichi said as he stood up and headed for the door.
Seeing this, Kasumioji Hoko hurriedly asked, "Hey, Taichi, where are you going?"
"Sorry, I want to be alone for a bit. See you tomorrow," Fūjin Taichi replied without turning back.
Just as Fūjin Taichi's figure was about to disappear, Tsunayashiro Tokio suddenly thought of something and quickly shouted:
"Hey, Taichi! Even if we're all survivors of the 'Menos Grande Invasion Incident,' we're not close enough for me to help you move your dorm stuff, are we?!"
"Then thanks a lot—" Fūjin Taichi replied calmly. By then, he was already far away, soon swallowed up by the dense crowd.
"Bastard… when did I agree to that?" Tsunayashiro Tokio muttered under his breath.
"Well then, see you tomorrow, Tokio!" Kasumioji Hoko said, hugging her books as she left the classroom.
"See you tomorrow!" Tsunayashiro Tokio scratched his head. Seeing that he was now alone in the classroom, he too headed back to the Area A dorms to deal with his bedding.
On the other side, after leaving the teaching building, Fūjin Taichi followed the campus map of the Shin'ō Academy and made his way to the library in the northwest.
As the highest institution of learning in Soul Society, the Shin'ō Academy had adopted educational systems from the Human World, combining theory with practice. This made Fūjin Taichi feel as though he had partially returned to his past-life student days.
After all, starting today, he would spend six full years at the Shin'ō Academy. If he didn't seize this opportunity to master the power of the Zanpakutō and Bankai, how could he ever evolve into the pinnacle of Shinigami?
Moreover, after the previous "Menos Grande invasion," Fūjin Taichi finally understood the timeline of the Bleach world:
He had entered the Shin'ō Academy in the same class as Kuchiki Rukia and Abarai Renji, meaning that there were still about fifty years before the main story of Bleach began!
If Fūjin Taichi wanted to make his mark after the main storyline started, then over those fifty-plus years he would have to gain absolute power, evolving from an ordinary Shinigami into the very apex of all Shinigami.
And if he wanted to reach that pinnacle, the first step was to forge a Zanpakutō of his own—
As everyone knows, a Zanpakutō is a Shinigami's exclusive weapon. Its form and abilities are forged from the Shinigami's own soul.
Thus, by continuously training and strengthening themselves, a Shinigami eventually learns their Zanpakutō's name and, through communication with it, unlocks the powers of Shikai and Bankai.
Looking across all of Soul Society, aside from Kurosaki Ichigo, nearly every Shinigami's Zanpakutō evolved from an Asauchi, later unlocking a variety of flashy abilities through further training.
"I just hope my Zanpakutō isn't all show and no substance. Otherwise, I'd have picked this blade up for nothing…" Fūjin Taichi sighed, raising the Asauchi in his hand.
Speaking of which, this Asauchi was something he had casually picked up off the ground during the previous life-or-death battle in the Human World. He had no idea who its original owner was.
However, according to Zanpakutō lore, all Asauchi in Soul Society are nameless Zanpakutō, possessing no release abilities.
Only when a Shinigami lives, eats, and sleeps alongside their Asauchi—constantly tempering it and infusing it with the essence of their own soul—does it gain the chance to become a unique, personal Zanpakutō.
Therefore, whoever originally owned this Asauchi didn't matter to Fūjin Taichi's future use of it. The only thing worth worrying about was what kind of ability it would awaken.
With that concern in mind, Fūjin Taichi entered the library, found several books on Zanpakutō knowledge on the shelves, and sat down in a corner to read…
...
Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, the entire afternoon had passed. Fūjin Taichi returned the books to their shelves and walked out of the library. Looking up at the pitch-black night sky, another question suddenly came to mind:
"After graduation… which squad should I join?"
As he walked toward the dormitories, Fūjin Taichi pondered silently:
According to the Bleach storyline, after the incident involving the defection of multiple captains and vice-captains, the Thirteen Court Guard Squads had been left with many vacant positions overnight…
In order to restore order to Seireitei and resume the operations of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads as quickly as possible, the Central 46 relaxed the requirements for promotion to captain.
As long as one had mastered Bankai and was confirmed to pose no threat to Soul Society, they could be considered a captain candidate—
As a result, every Shinigami who had learned Bankai seized the opportunity, rushing to take a captain's position regardless of how large the gap was between their actual strength and that of a true captain-class fighter!
Even Hitsugaya Tōshirō, who was still underage at the time, managed to snag the position of Captain of the Tenth Division, which was enough to show just how severe the manpower shortage in Seireitei had been…
Now, Fūjin Taichi found himself hesitating over the same question:
Exactly which division should he join?
First Division — Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's unit.
No hesitation. Hard pass.
Second Division — The Stealth Force, with Soi Fon as its cold, icy captain.
Completely incompatible with Fūjin Taichi's lazy personality. Pass.
Third Division — Soon to be led by the squinty-eyed Ichimaru Gin.
Although he was a deeply hidden "good guy," Fūjin Taichi had no desire to live under the shadow of those perpetually narrowed eyes every day. Pass.
Fourth Division — Unohana Retsu, a millennium-old Shinigami from the same era as Yamamoto.
Looks harmless on the surface, terrifyingly dark underneath. Better pass.
Fifth Division — Uh… no explanation needed. Immediate pass!!
Sixth Division — Captain Kuchiki Byakuya, cold on the outside, warm on the inside.
Unfortunately, the division was essentially exclusive to nobles. Unless there were special circumstances, ordinary Shinigami had no hope of joining.
Seventh Division — Captain "Big Dog" Komamura Sajin.
Basically the Captain-Commander's personal armed force. Fūjin Taichi had no interest in being anyone's lackey. Pass.
Eighth Division — Led by the lecherous Kyōraku Shunsui.
That guy's luck was absurdly strong, making it hard for anyone else to rise. Pass.
Ninth Division — Captain Kaname Tōse.
His ideology was too extreme, and he was one of Aizen's most loyal followers. For the sake of his own life, Fūjin Taichi decided to pass immediately.
Tenth Division — Ever since Shiba Isshin mysteriously disappeared, the captain's seat had remained vacant, temporarily overseen by Vice-Captain Matsumoto Rangiku.
This was the division where Fūjin Taichi had the highest chance of becoming captain, earning a five-star interest rating.
Eleventh Division — Captain Zaraki Kenpachi, a battle-crazed madman.
The division was full of hooligans, thugs, and delinquents. For the sake of protecting his own "chrysanthemum," Fūjin Taichi decided to pass.
Twelfth Division — Uh… no. Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi was far too deranged.
If Fūjin Taichi joined, he'd probably be sliced up for experiments one night. Hard pass!
Thirteenth Division — Captain Ukitake Jūshirō, a genuinely kind man.
His vice-captain was Shiba Kaien, and in the near future, the female lead Kuchiki Rukia would also join.
Five-star interest as well!!
"Alright, it's settled… After graduating from the Shin'ō Academy, I'll either join the Tenth Division or the Thirteenth Division!"
With his future blueprint carefully laid out, Fūjin Taichi arrived at the Area A dormitories and pushed aside his wandering thoughts as he went inside.
However, upon entering his new dorm room, he found his bed completely empty—
It was obvious that Tsunayashiro Tokio hadn't helped him move his bedding at all.
Of course, Tokio had no obligation to help him. Their relationship wasn't that close to begin with…
And if anyone was to blame, it was Fūjin Taichi himself—for overestimating their "friendship."
Keeping a calm expression, Fūjin Taichi returned to his old dorm but still couldn't find his belongings. Left with no choice, he searched floor by floor deep into the night, until he finally discovered his discarded bedding and supplies dumped in a corner by the stairwell.
Gathering everything up, he carried it back to Dorm Room 1314 and settled in.