Inside the inner world.
Luca looked at the Zanpakutō, Shinken, in his hand. Then he looked at the socket on the ground right in front of him. Then he looked at the sword again...
After glancing back and forth several times, he finally muttered in disbelief, "Is it really this responsive?"
The reason Luca had resorted to the "stick-throwing method" was simply because he had no clue how to find the socket. He figured he'd pick a random direction and run while thinking of a strategy, rather than standing around like an idiot wasting time.
But who would have thought...
"My brain hasn't even started working yet... and I found it???"
It was true. Even though Luca was extremely fast with Shunpo (Flash Step), he had barely taken two steps before the target presented itself right in front of him.
This disrupted his emotional flow a bit.
"Whatever. Why overthink it? Just plug it in!"
Deciding to abandon logic, Luca followed his instincts. He stepped forward and thrust Shinken directly into the socket.
The next instant, all the information belonging to this inner world—or rather, to his Zanpakutō—poured into Luca's mind in its entirety.
Naturally, this included the Zanpakutō's True Name and the full capabilities of its Bankai.
"Heh... So after 'Reading' comes 'Constructing,' huh? That ability really suits me perfectly~"
With a soft sigh of admiration, Luca sensed his Reiatsu threatening to erupt due to the Bankai awakening. He decisively let go of the handle and instantly exited the inner world.
When he opened his eyes again, his consciousness had returned to his body.
The barrier he had set up earlier was now riddled with cracks from the Reiatsu surge, on the verge of shattering.
Luca let out a long breath, glad he hadn't rashly attempted to activate Bankai.
Mastering it is enough. No need to expose it yet.
Achieving Shikai immediately after receiving an Asauchi was shocking enough. If I revealed Bankai on the same day, a lot of hidden players would probably lose their cool.
Stroking his Zanpakutō gently, a mysterious smile played on Luca's face.
Next, maybe I can use the Shikai ability to make some fun little gadgets~
Time flew by.
Although Luca mastering Shikai on his first day caused quite a stir, with news even reaching the Gotei 13 from the Shin'ō Academy...
Eventually, things calmed down.
Perhaps his name had been noted by several Captains, but since he was still a student, there was a barrier between the Academy and the Gotei 13 squads.
Those Captains, having seen plenty of the world, didn't bother coming to watch the show just because a genius appeared.
In fact, the biggest change brought about by Luca mastering Shikai...
Was the sudden appearance of a small item called "Kidō Capsules" in the Shin'ō Academy recently.
Initially, many upperclassmen bought these so-called "Kidō Capsules" privately. Some used them to cheat in class, while others took them to practical combat drills.
It wasn't until more and more capsules were sold that the supervising instructors discovered them. They were subsequently listed as "cheating tools" and banned by Academy regulations.
After that, Luca finally settled down. With the funds he had earned, he dutifully began his daily routine of training and research.
However, this stability only lasted for about half a year.
"Hey, Luca. What mysterious stuff have you been working on these past two days?"
In the cafeteria, Renji Abarai, holding his food tray, looked around furtively before leaning in close to Luca and whispering cautiously.
"I heard that the 'Automatic Exam Pen' you made last time was also added to the Academy's contraband list. You disappear right after class these days. Did you invent some new cheating artifact?"
Hearing this, Luca, who was eating, rolled his eyes. Even Momo Hinamori and Izuru Kira, standing behind Renji, covered their mouths to hide their giggles.
Of the four, only Renji was relatively unbalanced, having zero talent for Kidō and written exams.
The other two, even Momo with her weaker swordsmanship, ranked near the top of Class 1 in that subject.
So, aside from some upperclassmen, Renji was the only one who genuinely needed Luca's "Magical Gadgets."
However...
"The Automatic Exam Pen is a product from two months ago. The Headmaster already came knocking on my door about it, so I stopped making that stuff ages ago."
"The fact that it just got listed as contraband just means those upperclassmen hid it well. Being top students for two months... they certainly got their money's worth."
In reality, most of the buyers for Luca's casually made gadgets were nobles within the Academy.
Luca sold to them mainly to verify the theories he learned and to establish a persona.
To "build his reputation," Luca even anonymously reported many of his own gadgets just to expose them to the public.
Now that his early reputation was established, he likely wouldn't continue making these unpresentable items, even without the Academy's warnings.
"Fine... if there's nothing new, forget it. I feel like my Kidō and theory have improved a lot lately anyway. I don't really need that stuff!"
Seeing Renji's stubborn act, Luca just shook his head with a smile and continued eating.
But before he could take two bites, Renji brought up another topic, his tone teasing.
"It's a pity. All your gadgets are contraband now. Before the practical combat drill later, the upperclassmen in charge of inspection will definitely check thoroughly."
Hearing this, Luca's mouth twitched. But before he could speak, Izuru Kira chimed in with a roast.
"Renji, you should worry about yourself. With Luca's strength, even without those gadgets, it won't affect him at all..."
Renji froze, his chopsticks dropping from his hand.
Perhaps the fame of "Luca's Magical Gadgets" had been so loud recently that Renji subconsciously overlooked Luca's own strength.
Before Renji could recover, Luca, having finished his breakfast, delivered the final blow.
"Actually, I already applied to our homeroom teacher. Since the practical drill is meant to test a student's comprehensive abilities..."
"And since I made all those tools myself, naturally, I'm allowed to use them in the exam~"
With that, Luca picked up his tray and left, leaving the three of them staring blankly at his retreating figure.