72 hours remain until fusion with the Hōgyoku.
He woke up to find himself in the world of Bleach, reborn as Kai—younger brother of the legendary Captain Byakuya.
But Kai was panicking.
What the hell? Why is the Hōgyoku in my possession, and why does it want to fuse with me?
Hold on—why does Aizen keep trying to recruit me for his grand schemes?
What? Soul Society found out I can use Bankai?
Becoming a Captain? Not happening. I, Kai, would rather starve to death, die outside, jump off a building—anything—before I'd ever become a Captain.
"Kai, are you going on the mission to station in Karakura Town?"
"There's only a ninety percent chance of survival. Round down and that's certain death. Let me play it safe for another hundred million years first."
Wait a minute.
You're saying Yoruichi Shihōin is my fiancée?
Then maybe Karakura Town isn't so bad after all.
But... what about Rukia?
And... Unohana-senpai won't kill me, right?
Kai fell into deep thought.
Volume 1: Soul Reaper
"Next."
"Kai."
At the outdoor training grounds of the Shin'ō Academy, the instructor called out from his roll sheet.
A handsome young man, appearing around sixteen years old, stepped out from the student formation and stood at the front.
"Hadō #4: Byakurai."
White lightning crackled at his fingertip.
The next second, it shot forward as a concentrated beam, grazing past the target and slamming into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The instructor shook his head.
"Proficiency is acceptable, but accuracy needs more practice."
"60 points. Barely passing."
As the instructor's verdict fell, muffled laughter rippled through the surrounding students.
"So that's the young master of the Noble House? I thought he'd be stronger. Turns out he's just... average."
"You think everyone can be as strong as Captain Byakuya? This guy's an embarrassment to the nobility."
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
"Next. Rukia."
The instructor called out again from the roll, this time with a hint of a smile on his face. Unlike Kai, that half-baked Soul Reaper candidate, Rukia possessed exceptionally high aptitude.
"Yes, sir."
A clear, girlish voice rang out.
The petite girl stepped forward and aimed her fingertip at the target.
"Hadō #4: Byakurai."
BOOM!
The target exploded in a flash of white lightning.
"Excellent. 100 points."
The instructor nodded in satisfaction, gesturing for Rukia to return to formation.
For a candidate to wield Hadō of this caliber meant Rukia's path to becoming a full-fledged Soul Reaper was all but certain.
She might even become a Seated Officer someday.
"Tch. She's just a pet the family took in. What's she so proud of?"
"Probably actually believes she's one of them now. Ha ha ha."
Ignoring the malicious chatter, Rukia walked calmly back to Kai's side, her expression serene. She'd long grown accustomed to these venomous words.
"Hey. You could've done way better. Why'd you deliberately miss?" she asked quietly, moving closer. The ahoge atop her head drooped listlessly.
These show-off students might not know Kai's true strength, but Rukia—his nominal "little sister"—understood his power all too well.
Living under the same roof, no matter how much Kai tried to hide it, Rukia had picked up traces of the truth.
He had long since outgrown the need to stay at the Shin'ō Academy.
"I've told you a million times—it's safest here at the Academy, so I'm staying put," Kai said with a smile, ruffling Rukia's hair.
Ahoge girls are pretty cute.
Rukia puffed out her cheeks in annoyance and kicked him lightly. "Don't mess up my hair. It'll get all tangled!"
Then she watched, puzzled, as her nominal older brother suddenly stepped out of formation and headed toward another group.
"Apologize."
Kai stopped in his tracks, fixing a cold stare on the young man before him.
"Hey, Kai. What's your problem?"
Tsunayashiro Aofuji's face darkened.
"You know exactly what my problem is. Rukia may not be the most talented, but she's still my sister. You insulted her right in front of me. I can't just let that slide."
Kai's expression hardened. "Duel me. Stake your life on it."
"A duel? For her?"
"Huh? She's nothing but a lowborn stray soul who got lucky enough to be adopted as a pet. Was I wrong?"
Completely ignoring the dejected look on the girl's face as his words cut deep, Tsunayashiro Aofuji shouted loudly.
"Tsunayashiro Akafuji..." Kai began.
"My name is Tsunayashiro Aofuji!" Aofuji's face turned nearly green. "Are you mocking me, you bastard?"
They'd known each other this long, and Kai still couldn't get his name right? Just how little did he think of him?
"Oh. Doesn't really matter." Kai's tone was airy.
"It matters a LOT!" Aofuji stressed emphatically, then roared in frustration, "You really aremocking me!"
"???"
Kai's gaze dropped, then lifted. "Fine. Then let's say I am mocking you."
Tsunayashiro Aofuji: "???"
"You bastard..."
A vein bulged on Aofuji's forehead. He suddenly waved toward the instructor. "Sensei! I request a formal duel with Kai!"
"You two... This is..."
The instructor's expression wavered.
Both young men were members of the Four Great Noble Houses. Neither was someone he could afford to offend.
Before he could make a final decision, Tsunayashiro Aofuji had already charged forward impatiently, wooden sword slashing down fast!
As students of the Shin'ō Academy, naturally they wouldn't neglect the four fundamental Soul Reaper combat disciplines: Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō.
"So fast!"
"As expected of the Tsunayashiro family. With swordsmanship like that, he'll probably get recruited by one of the Gotei 13 divisions right after graduation in a month."
The surrounding students' eyes lit up, as if they could already picture that wooden blade striking Kai and sending him flying.
But at that moment, Kai calmly raised a fingertip, aiming it at Tsunayashiro Aofuji, who had already closed the distance.
His voice was soft, yet everyone heard it clearly.
"Hadō #4: Byakurai."