Whoosh—
A cool night breeze rolled the drifting clouds across the sky, gradually covering the moonlight. It was as if someone had suddenly splashed ink across the heavens, and the surroundings instantly darkened.
Fūma Kamano carefully scanned the area, thinking another Hollow had appeared nearby. Uneasiness filled his heart.
But after waiting for a long time, he discovered nothing.
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and cursed inwardly. Right now, he felt like a rat running through the streets, frightened by every rustling blade of grass.
After that, he picked up the brand-new Shinigami uniform (Shihakushō) and held it against himself to measure it. The size seemed to fit perfectly.
Unable to wait any longer, he immediately started putting it on.
High in the deep night sky, two figures floated silently in midair, watching everything that was happening below.
One of them had purple explosive hair and wore a white mask. In a low voice, he asked the person beside him:
"Should I kill him, Lord Aizen?"
"No…"
Aizen shook his head slightly. His brown eyes calmly watched the "rat" below who was stealing someone else's clothes.
"He only wants to live. What's wrong with that?"
"You mean…"
"Let's go back, Tōsen." Aizen turned gracefully, speaking casually: "The girl we encountered today has already given me enough surprises. It's time… to begin the next stage of the Hollowfication experiment."
"Yes."
Tōsen Kaname nodded.
In the next moment, the two of them disappeared together.
Not long afterward, the clouds in the sky drifted away again, and the bright moonlight once more illuminated the silent land.
...
The next morning
Dawn had broken, though the sun only revealed half of its face—like a child reluctant to wake up, hiding under a blanket while peeking shyly at the world.
"Whew…"
After a sleepless night, Fūma Kamano rubbed his face hard with both hands.
Then he tightly secured the travel pack onto his back and picked up the Asauchi, fastening it at his waist.
From now on… My name is Fūjin Taichi.
A Shinigami born in Yone District of East Rukongai, District 63.
During the entrance examination, he ranked last among his cohort, but because of his outstanding talent in Kidō, he was personally noticed by Saitō Jūshirō, who made an exception and admitted him into the Shin'ō Academy.
According to the acceptance letter and personal file inside the bag…
The real Fūjin Taichi had been on his way to enroll at the academy that very night.
But halfway through the journey, something unfortunate happened.
Those two screams heard the previous night… had been the moment when Fūjin Taichi and the rickshaw driver, Mōri Gorō, were attacked by an unknown Soul-Devouring Hollow, their souls devoured and their bodies disappearing completely.
As for whether he himself had been discovered by that terrifying Hollow…
The new Taichi wasn't sure.
If it had noticed him—
then why was he still alive and well?
But if it hadn't noticed him—
then what about that terrifying feeling last night? The sensation of being stared at by a powerful predator still lingered in his mind.
After agonizing over it the entire night, he still couldn't figure out why the Hollow had spared him.
Was it pity?
Or simply disdain?
Perhaps both.
Or perhaps there were other reasons entirely.
In the end, after thinking about it all night, Fūjin Taichi decisively tossed the problem out of his mind.
After all, the soul-devouring monster hadn't attacked him.
So he would simply live properly in place of "Fūjin Taichi."
He would aim to become a vice-captain in one year, a captain in three, surpass the Captain-Commander in six, destroy the Royal Noble Families in nine, and break into the Royal Palace in twelve.
At that point…
Crushing an Adjuchas would be as easy as crushing an ant with a snap.
"Shinigami-sama…"
Just as Fūjin Taichi was indulging in his wild fantasies, a noisy cluster of footsteps suddenly came from behind him.
He turned around sharply.
What he saw was a large group of ragged civilians with pale, hungry faces, surrounding a white-bearded elder as they approached him.
At a rough estimate, there were several hundred people in the crowd.
"Do you… need something?" Fūjin Taichi asked calmly.
After all, he had heard them clearly earlier.
They had called him "Shinigami-sama."
"Shinigami-sama, I… am the elder of this district, Rukawa Kyōka."
The elder glanced at the driver's abandoned clothing lying by the roadside before cautiously asking:
"Last night… that Hollow…"
"I already killed it."
Fūjin Taichi shamelessly claimed the credit for himself.
Pointing to the clothes, he continued with a sorrowful expression:
"However… Mr. Shinnosuke, who was supposed to take me to Seireitei, unfortunately lost his life. That damned Hollow killed him!"
Who Shinnosuke was didn't matter to Rukawa Kyōka at all.
What mattered was the safety of himself and the villagers.
After hearing that Fūjin Taichi had killed the Hollow, the elder became visibly excited.
"Shinigami-sama! On behalf of all the residents of Oribe District, I express our deepest gratitude!"
"Thank you for eliminating the Hollow that had been plaguing us for so many years!"
"Plaguing you for years?" Fūjin Taichi asked in surprise after hearing that. "What? Haven't the Shinigami ever come here?"
"They did come a few times at the beginning… but…"
Rukawa Kyōka's eyes filled with tears as he spoke with a bitter expression.
"But… the Shinigami who came here all disappeared for no reason. No one knows why… After that, the Shinigami never came here again."
"…."
Fūjin Taichi shook his head inwardly.
So that Hollow really does have the ability to devour souls…
Good thing heaven protected me last night and I didn't run into it.
But thinking about it again—after all these years, couldn't that soul-devouring Hollow at least show some mercy and move somewhere else?
Look at poor Rukawa Kyōka—an old man already half a foot in the grave, yet still trembling and crying from fear.
"Shinigami-sama! You don't need to worry about the driver's matter…"
After wiping his tears, Rukawa Kyōka pointed at the villagers behind him.
"I'll find someone to escort you to Seireitei right away!"
"Thank you, Elder Rukawa."
Fūjin Taichi quietly slipped the registration pass and travel permit he had been clutching into his clothes. Then he pointed at two burly men in the crowd.
"Those two will do."
The two men he pointed at were none other than the same fellows who had pushed him away and told him to get lost last night.
Today was the perfect chance to get a little payback.
"Elder… this…"
The two strong men looked troubled, clearly unwilling to become pack mules for Fūjin Taichi.
It wasn't that they recognized him.
The real reason was simple—the distance to Seireitei was too far. A round trip would take about a month.
Even a production team's donkey would be exhausted to death after such a journey.
"Kaka! Rotto! What have I always taught you?!"
Rukawa Kyōka scolded the two men endlessly.
But they still refused to budge.
Finally, the elder sighed and offered another condition.
"Fine then! The village will cover your food and lodging expenses during the journey! And when you return, you will have priority access to the village's clean water!"
"Really?!"
Kaka and Rotto's eyes lit up with excitement.
To them, priority access to clean water was almost as important as priority mating rights among animals.
"Absolutely true!"
Rukawa Kyōka nodded firmly, then turned to the rest of the villagers.
"Everyone… please contribute a little money for the expenses. Any amount will do. It's the thought that counts!"
"Whoosh!"
The moment money was mentioned, the crowd scattered instantly, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Rukawa Kyōka stood there awkwardly, shaking his head and sighing about how times had changed and people's hearts were no longer what they used to be.
"No need to go through all that trouble. I'll cover the travel expenses myself."
After all, aside from the registration pass, travel permit, academy admission letter, and a few daily items, Fūjin Taichi's pack still contained quite a bit of money.
He had roughly estimated it yesterday—about 500 kan.
That should be more than enough.
Fūjin Taichi patted the brand-new rickshaw and said to Kaka and Rotto:
"And besides, once you deliver me to Seireitei, this rickshaw will be yours."
"Ha! Please get on, Shinigami-sama!"
Kaka and Rotto's faces immediately lit up with excitement. They respectfully helped Fūjin Taichi onto the rickshaw.
Then one pulled from the front while the other pushed from behind, rushing westward at full speed.
"Corruption by the capitalist class exists everywhere…"
Fūjin Taichi lay comfortably on the seat with his arms as a pillow, staring blankly at the clear sky stretching endlessly above.
By now, the excitement from first putting on the Shinigami uniform had already faded.
In its place came an even greater problem.
As the saying goes:
One lie requires a hundred more lies to cover it up.
Although he had obtained a registration pass and now possessed a "legal" identity in the Soul Society, it also dragged him into even bigger trouble.
The neighbors from Fūjin Taichi's district were one thing.
But what about the Shin'ō Academy?
The man who had personally admitted him through special consideration—Saitō Jūshirō—would surely recognize him, right?
So then…
What was the point of going to Seireitei?
If he went, his identity would be exposed.
If it was exposed, the Shinigami would treat him as a Ryoka (illegal intruder) and kill him.
But…
If he didn't use Fūjin Taichi's registration pass, the Shinigami would still treat him as a Ryoka and kill him anyway.
Since he was destined to be killed either way…
Then why was he rushing so eagerly to Seireitei?
Was he just going there…
to deliver his own head on a platter?