Coincidence Encounter

It takes strength to believe that this man is Captain Marahiba. He never leaves that smug smile on his face.

"Jin-kun, it wouldn't be good for us to talk here. Will you follow me?"

He took a pair of keys from his pocket and unlocked the locked door.

Without saying a word, I began to follow after Captain Marahiba. We passed through dark corridors. For the first time in a long time, I see the sunlight again.

My eyes narrowed for a few seconds.

We were crossing a high bridge. As Captain Marahiba walked ahead of me, I was busy watching the scenery to my left and right.

After walking a little more, we entered a building again. We went down the long stairs and entered a room.

"Is this your room?"

"Yes, I thought we could talk here. No one can bother us."

After we both sat on the tatamis, I can notice that the Captain for the first time took a more serious demeanor rather than a smiling face.

"Jin-kun, can you tell me what's going on?"

"I don't know exactly either. Could you please answer the questions in my mind first so that I can understand something?"

"Sure, gladly."

"Who exactly are you? Where is this place? What's going on here?"

"Hmm... We are Shinigami. We protect people from evil spirits called Hollows. The answer to the next question is, this area is the Soul Society area. You can also think of it as a kind of Heaven. When you die on Earth, you are sent here to prevent your soul from being possessed by a Hollow. When you ask what is going on here, I think we will find out the answer to this question after listening to you."

Captain Marahiba has told me so much, at least I learned some information to help me understand something.

"When I opened my eyes, I was quite far from the area called Rukongai. I woke up in the shade of a tree. When I wanted to search around, there was nothing but ruined buildings around me. When I entered a house, it was completely deserted. Then two Shinigami came into that house, of course I was hiding at the time. They looked worried and a little scared."

"Do you know the names of those two shinigami?"

"No, I just remember the skinny shinigami saying 'Osashi' to the fat shinigami."

Captain Marahiba continued to listen, raising his eyebrows slightly. I continued my sentence.

"They caught me for accidentally making noise, but because it was a dilapidated building, dust was everywhere. I took advantage of this and escaped. When I entered a nearby forest, I noticed dozens of Shinigami lying on the ground. Someone was calling out to me, there was another shinigami who was almost dying when I followed the voice. Before he died, he gave me a seal and said that I should meet with you."

"So what did he want you to tell me?"

"There are traitors among us..."

The captain frowned when I said traitors. Then he straightened his eyebrows again and continued his speech.

"I see. Jin-kun, this information will help me a lot."

"Can I have my sword back?"

"Sword?"

He looked at me as if he didn't understand what I meant, and I pointed at the sword of Marahiba, which was leaning against the wall at the entrance.

"I see, so the Zanpaktou they brought me belongs to you."

"Zanpaktou?"

"Will you extend your hand to me?"

I extended my right hand in front of Captain Marahiba. He put his left hand under my right. He placed his right hand on my right hand.

"So, that's how you got Zanpaktou."

"What do you want to say?"

"Jin-kun, do you know the meaning of Reiryoku?*"

"No."

"It means Spirit energy. It is a force that resides within Spirit bodies. If your spirit energy is high, you can become a shinigami. A Zanpaktou is awarded to all Shinigami. The zanpaktou you took already belonged to a Shinigami. Maybe you should consider yourself lucky. Your Reiryoku is slightly higher than an ordinary spirit. Otherwise, your soul would have been shattered already as you tried to hold Zanpaktou."

"What does that mean?"

"You could have disappeared."

"Your Reiryoku is still weak, but growing fast for a young soul. Jin-kun, do you want to be a Shinigami?"

"but didn't you say my Reiryoku was weak?"

"Yes, but your current Reiryoku is on par with an ordinary shinigami student.As you improve yourself in the Academy, your Reiryoku will rise quickly."

"Then, what will happen?"

"Of course, I'll take you on my squad. I'm 8th squad Captain Marahiba. I know we're off to a bad start."

"You must be tired, how about sleeping here?"

"Hah? I don't want to inconvenience you."

"No dear, what a nuisance. I don't come here much anyway. I have to forward the reports you gave me to the commander-in-chief. So relax."

"Thank you."

After I bowed my head and thanked him, Captain Marahiba slowly stood up. He said a few last words before leaving the room.

"By the way, I'll bring Zanpaktou back to you tomorrow."

"Thank you."

After the captain left the room, I stood for a while where I was sitting. I wanted to re-do what I experienced last time in Prison.

I put my feet together and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath and calmly let out my breath. When I start to focus, I feel the presence of many people, albeit weak ones.

'I wish I had asked what it was before the 8th Captain left.'

Also, not only the presence of people, I also feel the presence of a relaxing energy in the air right now.

This place is full of secrets.

After focusing for a while, I realized that I was starting to get tired. 8. The captain did not intend to come. So I chose to sleep and put out the lit candle and lay down on the tatami.

It took maybe three or five seconds for me to close and open my eyes. I don't remember being this tired.

When I woke up, I was still where I had stayed for the night. All my tiredness was gone.

I got up and opened the sliding door and went outside. I don't think it would be a problem for me to wander around a bit.

It didn't seem like there were that many people anyway.

As I wandered the long corridors, I began to hear many people making a noise at the same time. When I followed the sound, I came to the corner of a huge garden. Most people here are wearing a white dress and are swinging their wooden swords.

While watching them for a while, I realized that the 8th Captain was standing next to me and watching them with me.

When did he come to me?

"What are they doing?"

"They train for martial arts. Because the main weapon of the Shinigami is a Zanpaktou. That's why learning to swing a sword is the most important first lesson."

"So these are all Shinigami candidates?"

"Exactly."

"I was worried when I couldn't find you in the room. I left the Zanpaktou on the table. Shall we go get it?"

"Sure."

While wandering around the corridors for a while, I asked a question that had been on my mind.

"Why are you so interested in me?"

"How so?"

"You said it yourself. You're a captain, don't captains have more important things to do?"

"You broke my heart, of course we have important business. I'm doing important business right now."

I'm starting to feel like I'm kidding.

"Don't you see yourself as someone important, jin-kun?"

"Is it someone important?"

"That's right, you did bring me some really important information. Besides, you didn't have to, but you did it anyway, taking all that risk. As a young soul, you're pretty brave."

He wouldn't stop praising me.

"Besides, are you aware of the Reiatsu you are radiating?"

"Reiatsu?"

"Hahaha..."

He started laughing uncontrollably. I don't even know what you're laughing at.

"You really have a lot to learn, Jin-kun. Don't worry, you'll learn in time. The energy you're radiating right now is a kind of Spirit pressure. If you don't suppress this power, you can strike fear into people."

"And why didn't those sword swingers notice anything?"

When we got back to the room from yesterday, he signaled for me to enter first. When I entered the room, I saw my sword on the table.

"This is because their intuition is still very weak."

"I don't know what made you grow so much overnight, but that's what got me interested in you. Now I'm asking you to sit down and focus."

So he wants me to do the same thing I did yesterday? Anyway, as he said, I sat down and closed my eyes and started to focus.

"Can you feel the energy you're radiating around you?"

He is indeed right. I couldn't feel anything like this yesterday. It was as if the power in my body was trying to force it out.

"Now imagine that energy you radiate and turn it into a ball."

It was quite difficult to do this. While trying to control one side, uncontrolled power concentrated on the other side.

I decided to give it another try, and after taking a deep breath, I started to focus again.

It was difficult, but somehow I made it.

When I open my eyes, the 8th Captain is already gone. There was an inscription on a small piece of paper on the table. I took the paper and tried to read it, but I can't read or write.

But I think I can understand a little of what you're talking about. At the other end of the table was the same white dress that those people I had just seen in the garden were wearing.

I started wearing those dresses.

At that moment, the door opened. I wasn't facing the door. I was busy putting on the dress.

"Captain Marahiba, you didn't ask me if I could read and write. I can't read what you're writing."

When I didn't get an answer, I couldn't hide my surprise when I looked up and looked at the door.

"You?"

That day, that girl who sent me to Soul Society is the shinigami.