"How… how is that even possible?"
"That's an SSS-class rating!"
"Since the founding of the Shin'ō Academy over two thousand years ago, there's never been a student with captain-class Reiatsu—let alone one rated SSS-level!"
Just moments ago, everyone had been marveling at the overwhelming talent of Shihōin Yoruichi and Byakuya Kuchiki—nobles born from the Shihōin and Kuchiki families, two of the Four Great Houses. Their entrance into the Academy was prestigious, even expected.
But in the next moment, all eyes locked onto a calm, brown-haired youth standing quietly on the stage. His brown-rimmed glasses glinted in the light, and his ever-present springlike smile gave little indication of the storm he'd just stirred.
"Who is that guy with the glasses?"
"He outranked Yoruichi and even little Byakuya!"
"Kisuke, you're not even close to his level!" someone exclaimed, half-jokingly, to Urahara Kisuke.
A ripple passed through the crowd.
For the first time, even the elite candidates paused.
Shihōin Yoruichi's golden eyes narrowed slightly.
Byakuya Kuchiki raised his head, silent but clearly interested.
And Urahara Kisuke—lazy, unpredictable genius of the 2nd Division—took a long, thoughtful look.
But while the others focused on the newly revealed prodigy, Urahara's gaze shifted.
His sharp intuition noticed something odd.
Standing just behind the brown-haired youth, there was another boy—similar in features but wearing black-rimmed glasses, with a composed and quietly elegant demeanor. The resemblance was subtle, but unmistakable.
The first—Aizen Sōsuke—radiated warmth like a spring breeze.
The second—Akira —was calm, polite, and restrained. But somehow, his presence felt just as deep.
What was more unusual was their positioning. Not like follower and leader—but equals.
"Two rare geniuses appearing at the same time?" Urahara murmured to himself.
"No… these aren't just talents. They're monsters."
Back on the main platform, murmurs spread even among the Academy instructors and observers. Someone whispered, "An SSS-level candidate? This hasn't happened in centuries…"
Even Captain Jūshirō Ukitake of the 13th Division, one of the rare captains assigned to assist with the Academy's admissions, turned in astonishment. Known for his kindness and refined insight, Ukitake understood immediately how extraordinary this event was.
"Aizen, was it?" Ukitake called, eyes warm and smile sincere.
"Complete his enrollment immediately," he instructed a Shinigami aide. "Assign him directly to Class 1."
Class 1 of the Shin'ō Academy was reserved for the top-tier prodigies—noble scions and those with overwhelming talent. For a Rukongai-born to be placed there was nearly unheard of. But talent trumped bloodline, at least in this moment.
Byakuya Kuchiki, standing quietly at the edge of the plaza, flicked his eyes sideways.
He, too, had been placed in Class 1.
So had Yoruichi.
Now, Aizen would join them.
As a student of Genryūsai Yamamoto, Ukitake knew what it meant to spot a prodigy early. Letting such a gem fall into the hands of the nobility—or worse, another faction—was unacceptable. The Gotei 13 needed strength, not politics.
"Student Aizen, please follow me," the examiner said respectfully.
But Aizen simply smiled.
"I'm honored to comply, sir," he said softly. "However—my brother is still waiting to be tested."
He gestured slightly toward Akira .
"Would you kindly test him first?"
The examiner, caught in Aizen's calm but firm tone, hesitated. No one had dared refuse an SSS candidate's request today. But his expression faltered when he realized he'd completely overlooked the youth standing behind Aizen.
"Your brother?"
He turned.
Akira stood with relaxed poise, his black hair slightly tousled, and black-rimmed glasses settled perfectly over his eyes. He gave a gentle nod, the picture of cultivated elegance.
The examiner's heart jolted.
How did I miss him?
They look somewhat alike… and yet his presence feels different. Not weaker—just… unreadable.
He might be even more terrifying.
"Careless of me…" the examiner murmured inwardly. "First, I nearly neglected a prodigy. Now, I almost slighted two."
He coughed lightly and stepped back to his station.
"I apologize, candidates. I've been negligent."
Then, turning to Akira , he added sincerely,
"Please place your hand on the Reiatsu crystal."
Akira gave a light, unbothered smile and complied.
The orb pulsed with a faint hum.
He didn't care about the earlier neglect. To him, the examiner was an insect—merely swept aside by Aizen's overwhelming aura.
Besides, the man had already been marked.
If not by fate, then by Aizen.
In the future, Akira thought, he will either be eaten by a Menos Grande… or become raw material for the Hōgyoku.
This was the nature of their bond—brothers by fate, rivals by destiny.
"Brother?" Yoruichi murmured.
Her eyes flicked between them. The resemblance was clear now. Even Byakuya glanced up again.
"I wonder…" she added, voice low, "how this brother compares to that monster Aizen."
Neither Yoruichi nor Byakuya were easily impressed. Ordinary candidates from the Rukongai wouldn't even draw their attention. But Akira was different.
Not just because of how he looked.
It was his presence. The way Aizen, an SSS-class prodigy, deferred to him—not as a lesser, but as an equal.
Urahara Kisuke narrowed his eyes behind his bucket hat.
He didn't smile
Even if the final result turned out to be mediocre, no one could truly ignore the younger sibling of an SSS-level prodigy. Having a brother recognized as a once-in-a-century genius meant any amount of time spent was a worthy investment.
"Don't be nervous," said one of the proctors gently. "Just channel your Reiatsu into the crystal."
"If you have trouble controlling your spiritual pressure, that's fine," added another. "Just rest your hands on the Reiatsu orb and try to relax. It's attuned to sense the flow naturally—it just might take a little longer to react."
At that moment, Captain Jūshirō Ukitake of Squad 13 stepped closer, his long white hair catching the breeze. Known for his warmth and sincerity, he gave Akira a gentle smile.
"There's no need to rush," Ukitake said kindly. "Let the orb work at its own pace."
"Thank you, Captain," Akira replied, bowing slightly.
He placed his palm on the crystal orb. A calm breath. Then, spiritual energy surged gently from within him.
First came purple.
Then blue.
Then darker blue.
Green.
Yellow.
Orange—
The light within the Reiatsu orb deepened with each passing second, shifting across the spiritual spectrum used by the Academy to classify spiritual aptitude.
Candidates began murmuring. Proctors leaned forward. Even Ukitake's expression subtly changed.
Then—
"Red! It turned red!"
"Impossible…!"
"First the older brother, now the younger one—are they both prodigies?"
Whispers erupted through the crowd. Even the most composed students, like Shihōin Yoruichi and Byakuya Kuchiki, couldn't help but glance toward the orb.
The proctor shouted in disbelief,
"Akira Sōsuke! Reiatsu: Captain-class…"
Crack.
Just as the words left his lips, the orb trembled.
Fine cracks spiderwebbed across its surface like lightning frozen in glass. The red glow inside surged—then the entire orb shattered with a sharp shing, splintering into thousands of glittering fragments. A brief silence fell.
And then—Reiatsu burst outward.
An invisible wave of spiritual pressure swept through the entire testing ground, like a crushing tide rolling off a cliff.
The crowd buckled.
Students collapsed in every direction. Some fell to their knees, gasping as they struggled to breathe. Others crumpled entirely, sprawled on the floor, paralyzed under the weight of spiritual force.
Several even prostrated themselves involuntarily, their instincts as souls forcing them to submit to overwhelming dominance.
Even the Academy proctors, trained and experienced Shinigami, staggered and fell to one knee under the pressure.
Only a select few remained upright—those with powerful spiritual lineages or natural resistance.
Shihōin Yoruichi's stance held firm, though her eyes gleamed with surprise.
Byakuya Kuchiki clenched his fists but endured, sweat trickling down his temple.
Urahara Kisuke, his hands tucked into his sleeves, looked on with narrowed eyes beneath his messy blond hair.
A few exceptional students from Rukongai or lower-class districts barely managed to stay conscious, gripping the ground with pale fingers.
"Has Soul Society ever produced such a monster?" Yoruichi muttered, her golden eyes alight with interest.
"So he's that kind of person," Urahara mused internally. "The younger brother is dangerous… but this one… this one's terrifying in a completely different way."
The ground trembled faintly.
"Someone from Rukongai is… actually above me?" Byakuya gritted his teeth in silence. His pride as heir to the Kuchiki family flared with indignation. No longer could he treat this as just another entry test.
From now on, he thought, I have to surpass even this.
In the midst of it all, Aizen stood silently, a thoughtful smile still playing at his lips. But inside, he murmured to himself:
So it's true.
On raw Reiatsu alone…
you're ahead of me now, brother.
Originally, Aizen hadn't intended to fully reveal his Reiatsu. He had shown just enough to make a statement, to draw attention.
But seeing Akira 's display, he didn't regret holding back. In fact, it was better this way. Now he knew the gap. Now he had a target.
It was worth it—every whisper, every envious glance.
It was better to expose a little… than to remain unseen.
"That… that pressure," gasped a student nearby.
"It feels like a mountain crushing my chest… is he really from the Rukongai?"
"No way… he has to be from one of the Four Great Noble Houses, right?"
Yet the records were clear. No noble lineage. No noble clan.
Just a boy from North District 80.
And now, all eyes—filled with awe, fear, and ambition—locked onto Akira , the boy who shattered the test orb.
The boy who came from nothing.
And brought even nobles to their knees.