"Boom—!"
A bolt of lightning suddenly tore across the pitch-black night sky. Amid rolling thunder, a huge mass of dark clouds slowly drifted in from the distance.
A lonely purple-haired woman leaned against a crooked old tree. Shielding her eyes with one hand, she gazed toward the dark clouds gathering at the horizon and sighed softly.
"Festivals filled with flowers and splendor exist to remember the dead…
But as for me, I would rather be forgotten."
"Oh? Hey there, Sis. From the way you're talking, it sounds like you're pretty famous?"
"You?"
"That's right! I'm back again."
Fūjin Taichi slowly walked over and stood beside the purple-haired woman. Looking toward the heavy storm clouds in the distance, he sighed.
"I have to say… every time I come here, it makes me kind of sad."
"Why?"
"Because I'm hungry."
Fūjin Taichi glanced sideways at her and explained:
"I haven't had a proper meal in a long time! Just today alone, I've already passed out from hunger twice!"
"Is that so? Then I suppose I should congratulate you."
"Congratulate me?"
"Many people go their entire lives without ever entering their own Jinzen space."
"Heh heh… well, that's because I'm a genius."
"Hmph." The purple-haired woman didn't reply. She simply continued staring into the distance.
"It might be tedious, but I have to ask again: what... is your name?" Fūjin Taichi carefully looked her up and down.
She wore a long red robe and black short boots, with two swords tied at her waist. Her appearance was striking, and her long purple hair flowed down her back.
She looked both beautiful and heroic.
"Y·En."
The purple-haired woman who called herself Y·En turned to look at him.
"So I'll say it again—even if I repeat it a hundred times, it won't matter.
You're too weak."
"Then make me stronger!"
Fūjin Taichi looked at the countless swords scattered across the island and urged her:
"Come on, Sis. Let's start training already!"
"As you wish."
Y·En stared at him meaningfully and said:
"Only when you truly want to become stronger can I help you.
If you don't want to become stronger, then even if I were invincible, I wouldn't be able to help you."
"Enough talk! I'm coming at you!"
...
"Chirp chirp—"
"Tweet tweet—"
The crisp sounds of birds slowly entered his ears.
Fūjin Taichi gradually opened his eyes.
What appeared before him were the dense leaves of low, green holly trees.
"Where am I?"
Confusion filled his eyes.
The sky above him was clear and blue like the sea, looking strangely unfamiliar. It wasn't dull and gray like the sky back in his hometown.
At that moment, a girl with a blonde ponytail leaned closer and asked with concern:
"You're awake? Are you feeling better?"
"Yeah, I just…"
Fūjin Taichi stopped mid-sentence when he noticed the white-and-red academy uniform the girl was wearing.
Wait…
This girl… is also a student of the Shin'ō Academy?
"What's wrong?" the ponytailed girl blinked and asked again.
"Are you hungry?"
"Uh… no!"
Fūjin Taichi hurriedly shook his head.
But right on cue, his stomach let out a loud "gurgle gurgle."
His face instantly turned red.
"I'm… actually too full."
"If you're hungry, just say you're hungry. Don't push yourself." The ponytailed girl smiled.
Then she suddenly called out behind Fūjin Taichi:
"Makoto! Stop eating! That food belongs to him!"
Makoto? Who's that?
Fūjin Taichi turned around.
Behind him stood a brown-haired boy wearing the same academy uniform—white and blue—with half-rim black glasses.
The boy was currently devouring a box of rice balls like a starving wolf.
Looking more closely, Fūjin Taichi realized something.
That box of rice balls looked exactly like the one the young woman had given him last night.
His anger instantly flared up.
. "You animal! You dare steal the things meant for your father?!"
"My father?"
The brown-haired boy, who was stuffing rice balls into his mouth, paused for a moment and replied: "My father died a long time ago! What's given to him is given to me!"
"…."
Fūjin Taichi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He couldn't tell if the guy was genuinely stupid or just pretending to be.
Seeing that the last rice ball had already been eaten, he decided to drop the matter. Turning to the girl, he asked:
"Hello! My name is Fūjin Taichi. May I ask your name?"
"Hello, Fūjin-kun. My name is Hoko."
After introducing herself, the ponytailed girl named Hoko took out a jade pendant and said apologetically to Fūjin Taichi:
"I'm really sorry. Makoto ate all your rice balls. If you don't mind, I'll give this to you as compensation…
It's the only valuable thing I have."
"Hey, Hoko! That's the only keepsake your mother left you! How can you just give it to someone else?!"
The brown-haired boy named Makoto jumped down from the well and pointed at Fūjin Taichi.
"Hey you! My name is Kibune Makoto! I'm the one who stole your rice balls! If you want money, come to me! Don't take her stuff!"
Fūjin Taichi ignored Kibune Makoto and simply waved his hand at Hoko.
"Since it's something your mother left you, you should keep it safe. It was just a few rice balls—it's nothing important."
"But…"
"Don't worry about it. Let's just leave it at that."
Fūjin Taichi stood up from the ground and looked around. The place felt unfamiliar, so he asked again:
"By the way, where is this place?"
Hoko pointed at a red banner hanging above the well and said:
"This is District 1 of East Rukongai — Junmai. Just ahead is the East Gate of Seireitei, the Shōryūmon Gate. Once you pass through that gate, you'll be inside Seireitei."
Junmai? How did I end up in Junmai?!
Wasn't I lying half-dead in the Oribe District last night?
Could it be… that woman brought me all the way from Oribe to Junmai, the district closest to Seireitei?
But… why didn't she just bring me straight into Seireitei?
Fūjin Taichi couldn't quite figure it out.
But when he looked up and saw Seireitei so close by, he suddenly slapped his forehead and cursed himself for being stupid.
Seireitei is where the Shinigami and noble lords live. I'm just an ordinary wandering soul from Rukongai. How could someone like me possibly enter Seireitei?
On the surface, there seemed to be nothing separating Seireitei and Rukongai.
However, if a wandering soul tried to forcefully enter Seireitei from Rukongai, massive walls would suddenly descend from the sky.
These walls were built from Sekkiseki Stone, a material capable of blocking spiritual power.
The waves emitted by the Sekkiseki Stone break down spiritual energy, forming a spherical barrier that protects Seireitei from invasion—from the sky all the way to underground.
In addition, Seireitei has four great gates positioned in the east, west, south, and north.
They are:
-Shōryūmon (East Gate)
-Hakutōmon (West Gate)
-Shuwaimon (South Gate)
-Kokuryōmon (North Gate)
Each gate is guarded by a powerful gatekeeper chosen from the heroes of the Soul Society:
-Jidanbō Ikkanzaka
-Higonyūdō
-Danzōmaru
-Kaiwan
For ordinary souls, the only legal way to pass through these walls is to become a Shinigami.
As for how to become a Shinigami, the Great Archive clearly records the process:
First, you must possess spiritual power.
Then you must pass the entrance exam and enroll in the Shin'ō Academy, studying there for six years.
After that, you must pass the graduation examination and division entry test, then join the division of your choice and officially become a Shinigami.
Of course, becoming a Shinigami is only the very beginning within the Gotei 13.
Above ordinary Shinigami are many ranks:
-Candidate Top 15
-3rd–20th Seat Officers
-Vice-Captains
-Captains
-Captain-Commander
-Royal Guard (Zero Division)
-And finally the level of the Soul King.
"So… becoming a Shinigami is truly a long and difficult road."
Fūjin Taichi thought silently to himself.
After all…
I'm a man who intends to become the Captain-Commander someday!!