The Hōgyoku Is placed Within Me

In Japan, calling someone by their first name without a surname is a very intimate expression.

Generally, only family members, elders, or close friends do this.

And Aizen—He now simply calls Shinji by his name.

He reached out his hand to Shinji sincerely.

"Captain Aizen, I refuse."

Facing Aizen, Shinji spoke.

"Oh? Still refusing? This is the third time."

Aizen smiled, lowering his hand as if he wasn't upset at all.

"I'm just the bottom of the class, I can't be of any help to Captain Aizen."

"But to have achieved Shikai while still a student at the Spiritual Arts Academy—that's a rare feat in a hundred years."

Aizen adjusted his glasses, the corners of his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at Shinji, who had fallen silent.

"A few months ago, I happened to see you practicing your Zanpakutō late at night in the academy's dojo. You're not going to deny that, are you? You seem to have started dabbling with Bankai, haven't you?"

"Actually… that was Abarai Renji."

Shinji's face darkened.

Admit it? Impossible!

You definitely didn't see my face clearly back then, Shinji was sure of that.

Aizen: "…"

"Shinji-kun, a man like you won't be able to hide your brilliance for long. Sooner or later, you'll shine and illuminate the world."

After smiling gently, Aizen shook his head.

"But my dream is to be the Kuchiki family's playboy, just eating and waiting to die."

Shinji sprawled lazily, completely unmotivated.

Eventually, Aizen left, seemingly helpless.

---

Rolling his dead-fish eyes, Shinji stared expressionlessly at the ceiling, lost in thought.

My name is Kuchiki Shinji.

I'm not Wang Dahui, not here to be the comic relief, and I'm certainly not Bai Xiaofei, with disasters following me everywhere.

I'm not Bald Qiang, destined to fall in love with two bears and start a shameless daily life.

But—There's a man named Aizen around me, constantly reaching out:

"Hey, Shinji-kun, how about doing something big with me?"

This is… really thrilling… NOT!

That's Aizen— Aizen, who could manipulate the entire Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and the human world with nothing but his monstrous intellect.

And as for combat power, let's not even go there.

And me?

Kuchiki Shinji.

My only dream is to live safely… No, to live safely until the finale.

This world is too dangerous.

Shinigami officers possess all sorts of bizarre, unpredictable abilities.

Captain-class Shinigami can destroy a city as easily as eating or drinking.

Not to mention, even now, there are Vasto Lorde-class Menos Grande that treat human souls as snacks and play with captain-level Shinigami like toys.

And beyond that—There's Aizen, standing above all other Shinigami!

And even further down the line, There's Yhwach, who wants to destroy and remake the world.

Damn it, why is this world so dangerous?!

Thankfully, My background isn't too bad.

As a member of the four noble clans, the head of the Kuchiki family, and Byakuya Kuchiki's younger brother, I'm basically set to inherit the position of family head.

But that's…

Not enough.

The captain of the 6th Division is almost always the head of the Kuchiki family.

So, Once Byakuya Kuchiki retires or dies in battle, I'll basically be forced to become the 6th Division's captain.

Which means— If I want to survive safely until the end, my best bet is to be a bottom-feeder.

Don't pretend to be strong.

Don't show off talent.

That's how you get dragged into the final battle of Karakura Town with Aizen or the Thousand-Year Blood War against the Quincy.

Therefore, the safest thing is to be a lazy, unremarkable slacker.

As long as I stay in the Kuchiki family estate, none of you will notice me.

But what I never expected was— Aizen actually noticed me among a crowd of students.

"Maybe joining the 5th Division for now isn't a bad idea, but…"

Shinji's face grew dark and uncertain.

Like a certain snake-like uncle, if Aizen mentors me, my strength will definitely grow by leaps and bounds.

There's even all sorts of black technology I could get my hands on.

As long as I don't act recklessly, I could probably achieve Bankai quickly with Aizen's help… maybe even gain Hollow powers.

But…

"Why the hell do I have the Hōgyoku?!"

Shinji lifted his shirt with an annoyed expression.

On his chest, A gemstone that seemed to distort sight and space clung to him as if it had fused with his body, continuously injecting life-enhancing power into him.

And at this moment— Shinji was on the verge of entering the first stage of life evolution, merging with the Hōgyoku.

Once that happens, Aizen will definitely notice him!

Then it's over: "Oh? So you had the Hōgyoku all along?"

And just like that—Shinji dies.

Rukia would be lighting incense for him next year.

This is not the ending Shinji wants!

So, Finding a way to survive this crisis is top priority.

He must figure out how to conceal the Hōgyoku's fusion process, so Aizen won't discover it.

---

"Ahh! Pervert! Why aren't you wearing any clothes?!"

Suddenly, A girl's exclamation rang out.

Rukia had entered the room, blushing furiously with her back turned.

"It's just my shoulder. Why are you so dramatic?"

Shinji pouted, already pulling his shirt down long before Rukia had barged in.

"But you're supposed to act like a big brother in front of your little sister!"

Rukia fidgeted awkwardly.

"Oh? So you finally admit I'm your brother?"

Rukia: "…"

"Don't you have something to say to me?"

Rukia averted her gaze, her fingers twisting together, her head lowered slightly.

This guy clearly cares about her—a girl's intuition is always spot-on.

That's why she's always refused to call Shinji her brother.

But right now, with no one around, this is the perfect time to clear the air.

"Say what?"

Shinji raised an eyebrow, ruffling her stray hair.

Hmm… still feels nice.

"Y-you know… that thing! Don't play dumb!"

Rukia's face grew even redder as she leaned forward slightly, tightly shutting her eyes.

"Oh, I get it. That's what you meant?"

Hearing his response, Rukia's heart fluttered.

He understood her hint.

Next—He'll say what she's been wanting to hear.

"Rukia, today you—"

BAM BAM BAM!

There was a loud knock at the door.

A guy with spiky red hair, a large blue tattoo on his forehead, and wearing a student uniform poked his head in through the doorway.

"Hey, Shinji! I heard you fainted. You're so weak! Wanna train with me tonight?"

Shinji: "???"

You've got some nerve, huh?

Rukia: "???"

I was about to hear what I've been waiting for—couldn't you have shown up like, two seconds later?!

As that thought crossed her mind,

Rukia's face darkened ominously, black lines of rage practically radiating from her small frame.

"GO TO HELL, IDIOT RENJI!!"

-----

The Morning After Three Days

"Let's get to know each other again, Kinoshita Maho."

"I am Shihouin Zhenshi."

A boy and a girl, both students, waved at Shinji and greeted him warmly.

These two were Shinji's teammates.

From now on, they'd stay within the safe zone cleared by the Shinigami, practicing soul burial techniques. After this training, most students would typically become full-fledged Shinigami.

"Kuchiki Shinji."

Shinji nodded slightly, casting another glance at Shihouin—a girl with a sweet, gentle smile.

The Shihouin family had always maintained friendly ties with the Kuchiki clan.

But then,

Shinji's expression grew serious.

Buried deep in his memory, he recalled—

there had been a major incident during this very soul burial practice.

In the designated training area,

Aizen had secretly planted several Menos Grande as part of his twisted experiment.

In the end,

only a handful of students had survived.

'I need to find Rukia quickly.'

Shinji took a deep breath, a faint sense of unease gnawing at him.

"Well... don't look so serious, Shinji," Shihouin Zhenshi said softly, brushing her long hair away from her forehead with a carefree smile. "It's just soul burial practice. The Shinigami have already cleared out the area for us. There should only be a few weak Hollows left. No real danger."

"Exactly! And besides, you've got me here. I'm an A-rank student with a perfect score, after all!"

Kinoshita Maho, a commoner by birth, was easygoing and talkative. Grinning, he gave Shinji a playful pat on the shoulder, his expression full of mock bravado.

"...I hope so," Shinji muttered, sighing quietly.

It was obvious the Shin'ō Academy had gone out of its way to assign him capable teammates, likely because of his status as a member of the noble Kuchiki family.

But the reality was—

Kinoshita Maho didn't even know what a Shikai was. If they encountered a Menos Grande, he'd be little more than a walking target.

'I need to meet up with Rukia as soon as possible.'

"Don't wander off, you two," Shinji instructed, his voice low and firm.

"Hey, hey, don't start bossing me around!" Maho protested with a grin. "My grades are higher than yours, remember?"

"Ah, so Shinji-kun already has a strategy in mind?" Shihouin teased lightly.

But soon after,

the light-hearted atmosphere shattered.

"We hit the jackpot."

The trio had just performed a few soul burials when their faces turned pale.

Scattered across the ground ahead—

were over a dozen corpses, grotesquely twisted and broken.

Blood and body parts were strewn everywhere.

Familiar faces from the academy lay lifeless, their expressions frozen in fear.

"H-how…?"

The ever-cheerful Kinoshita Maho dropped the dogtail grass he'd been chewing, collapsing to his knees. His face was ashen as he stared at the carnage.

"This was supposed to be just routine practice…"

Shihouin Zhenshi fought back the urge to vomit, her hands trembling as she checked one of the bodies. Her face darkened.

"These injuries are fresh. The enemy is still nearby!"

At that very moment—

a crushing, suffocating pressure erupted into the sky.

Reiatsu.

So overwhelming, it made Shihouin and Kinoshita's legs buckle. They nearly collapsed on the spot.

It felt like the heavens themselves were falling, their minds trapped in a fog of paralyzing fear. Even the instinct to run was snuffed out—replaced by cold, unthinking dread.

"Stop standing there like statues."

They hadn't even noticed—

but Shinji was suddenly standing in front of them, his presence snapping them out of their terror.

"S-so scary… For a second there, I thought I was already dead…"

Kinoshita Maho gasped, drenched in cold sweat. He glanced at Shinji, confusion flickering in his eyes.

'A Reiatsu this intense… This can't be just any Menos Grande.'

Shihouin Zhenshi trembled, struggling to remain upright.

"That's not just a Menos Grande," Shinji said darkly.

Perhaps because of his presence, Aizen's experiment had gone off course.

Had Aizen released several Adjuchas-class Menos Grande this time?

His gut had been right.

The danger was real.

"W-what do you mean… 'Adjuchas'?"

Shihouin's voice quivered.

Even a basic Hollow was a deadly threat to unseated Shinigami trainees like them.

But an Adjuchas-class Menos Grande?

That was a monster only high-ranking Shinigami—Lieutenant level or above—could even hope to face.

"Exactly what I said. You two—find somewhere to hide. Do NOT come out."

Without another word, a faint blue gleam flashed in Shinji's eyes.

His Reiatsu flared, expanding like an invisible web, quickly locking onto Rukia's spiritual signature.

"Found you."

With that,

Shinji vanished, a blur of motion leaving nothing but a gust of wind behind.

"Hey, hey—what the hell was that speed?! That's… that's Shunpo?"

Maho's jaw dropped.

"I think Shinji-kun wasn't showing his full strength during the entrance exams…"

Shihouin's mind raced.

"Now that you mention it—did you notice? That crushing Reiatsu that nearly broke our souls… it didn't seem to affect Shinji at all."

Maho took a shaky breath.

"What is this guy…?"

---

BOOM!

A crimson Cero slammed into the ground, obliterating an entire building in an explosion of light and debris.

"Tch. You Shinigami are boring. All you do is run and hide."

A humanoid creature strolled through the wreckage, a smug grin on its masked face.

A black void gaped in the center of its chest.

His name was Carol, an Adjuchas-class Menos Grande.

"Damn it! Why is something like that here?!"

Hidden in the rubble, Rukia clenched her fists, her face pale.

Around her were Abarai Renji, Hinamori Momo, Kira Izuru, and several other Shinigami.

In the chaos, the students had managed to regroup.

"That's an Adjuchas, right? Definitely Adjuchas!"

Renji gritted his teeth. "Why the hell is something like that in a soul burial exercise?! What are the higher-ups thinking?!"

"Honestly… just stand still and let me kill you already," Carol sighed lazily. "Why do you brats have to scurry around like rats?"

A sudden burst of crimson flames erupted—forcing Carol to leap back, his eyes narrowing.

Standing in the open, wielding a double-headed scythe chained at both ends,

was Hisagi Shūhei.

"It's Vice-Captain Hisagi! We're saved!"

Renji pumped his fist in relief.

"Call him Vice-Captain Hisagi, Renji-kun," Kira corrected automatically.

Hisagi Shūhei was the supervising officer for their soul burial training.

If he was here…

Before Kira could finish his thought—

a blinding Cero engulfed Hisagi, blasting him out of sight in an instant.

Kira Izuru: "..."

Rukia: "..."

Abarai Renji: "..."

What do we do when our savior gets one-shot?

Asking for a friend. Urgent.

Then—

Carol's blood-red eyes snapped toward their hiding spot, glinting with malice.

Crimson light gathered in his open jaws.

"Found you, brats."