"It's already been over two years since I came to the Soul Society."
Lying back on his bed, Suō Tsukasa stared at the ceiling, his mind churning with a thousand thoughts. The overwhelming sense of joy made it impossible for him to fall asleep immediately.
Unlike the residents of the Soul Society, who often lost their sense of time and the concept of dates, he remained exceptionally perceptive of the passing days and months, valuing them greatly.
Perhaps it was a habit formed in his previous life, or perhaps it was because he cherished his current life even more after finding a sense of belonging here. Every sunrise and moonset left an imprint on his heart.
Because of this, back in the Rukongai, he would always pull those close to him together to celebrate days he deemed worthy of commemoration. A table of carefully prepared dishes, a few flasks of fruit drinks or sake, and a period of time whittled away together in idle conversation.
He neatly tucked away the Kido books he had finished reading. With the experience of his predecessors in hand, Suō Tsukasa had gained a much deeper understanding of Kido. Consequently, his desire to become stronger naturally blazed even hotter and more fierce, like a wildfire fanned by the wind.
From the moment he woke up until now, in less than three years, his proficiency in Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō had already surpassed that of the vast majority of Shinigami. Such rapid progress was enough to be called brilliant.
Of course, he knew he couldn't yet compare to those monsters of pure numerical strength. While his power was still fledgling, it could be considered passable.
However, deep down, Suō Tsukasa was still not satisfied. He wanted to get stronger faster, to awaken his Shikai, and to achieve Bankai. He knew clearly that compared to those potential enemies who had accumulated deep power over a thousand years, he was still far, far behind.
These unrealistic flights of fancy didn't bring Tsukasa any particular urgency or pressure; they were merely the wandering thoughts of an active mind. In cultivation, staying grounded was the most crucial factor.
Casting aside his stray thoughts, Suō Tsukasa fell into a deep sleep.
The following morning.
After having his two usual meals according to habit, it was time for work.
Suō Tsukasa arrived at the duty room entrance holding a bag of snacks. Upon opening the door, he saw Kotetsu Kiyane standing in the middle of the room with a small bag over her shoulder.
Kiyane noticed Tsukasa's arrival, turned around, and said with a smile, "Tsukasa, I'm being stationed in the Living World for a month starting today. Is there anything you need me to bring back for you?"
"In that case, help me get a handheld game console, thanks!"
Tsukasa placed the snacks on the table, pulled open the drawer of his duty station, took out a colorful magazine, and flipped to an advertisement on the back page to show her.
As a modern soul, he was the person in the Thirteenth Division best at enjoying the conveniences of technology, keeping constant track of the cutting-edge technical information shared between the two worlds.
Souvenirs from the Living World had become a popular trend in the Gotei 13 in recent years. Under Tsukasa's influence, the Thirteenth Division had developed a habit of asking friends to help purchase Living World goods.
The Department of Research and Development possessed instruments to convert Kishi into Reishi. To boost project research funding, members of other divisions only needed to file a report according to regulations and pay a substantial fee to bring items from the Living World back to the Soul Society.
However, there were limits to the types of items and the quantity and size allowed each time.
As far as Tsukasa knew, cosmetics and romance novels were very popular among female Shinigami. He had seen related products and books more than once in the shopping district and the division library. The advanced and open culture of the Living World was ultimately leaking through the cracks of the Dangai into the archaic and closed Soul Society, bit by bit.
"A handheld console!?"
"A training fanatic like you actually likes this kind of thing?"
Kotetsu Kiyane carefully read the text description on the advertisement page. Seeing the word "game," she roughly understood the purpose of the device. She just hadn't expected the battle-obsessed Suō Tsukasa to have such a childish side. She asked in confusion, "What is it?"
"What's going on?"
Others in the room, seeing the excitement, gathered around. Their gazes then landed simultaneously on Suō Tsukasa.
"It's nothing, just a little toy for fun. Training needs a balance of work and rest too."
"I saw it in a magazine and thought it looked fresh, so I wanted one."
Facing their gazes, Suō Tsukasa remained composed, answering with a straight face. The world of cultivation was certainly exciting, but it could also be very boring. Even if a handheld console from this era had very basic functions, it was a rare form of entertainment.
In terms of mental priority, "entertainment" currently ranked only below "cultivation" and "fine food" in Tsukasa's heart.
The others were long used to Tsukasa's unique enthusiasm for things from the Living World and soon looked away.
"Alright, I've got it noted down."
Memorizing the appearance of the item and the place of purchase from the colored page, Kotetsu Kiyane nodded earnestly. She could sense Tsukasa's level of anticipation for the item on the paper.
After saying goodbye to the others in the duty room, Kiyane set off.
Suō Tsukasa also began his administrative paperwork. When there were no combat missions, this was his ordinary daily routine.
Time passed. By late afternoon, the sun began to sink in the west.
Having finished his day's duties, Suō Tsukasa returned to his dormitory, shouldered a pack, and came out to the division barracks gate. With a turn, he ducked into an empty narrow alley beside the barracks and vanished on the spot.
Moving with maximum Shunpo through the shadows of the buildings, he headed south at high speed toward the center of the Seireitei. The unchanging white walls of the Seireitei flowed past him.
Ttap. His feet made a soft sound as they touched the ground. His black-clad figure reappeared. Suō Tsukasa had stopped in a dense forest beneath a high hill. Golden-green waves of light shimmered as the setting sun filtered through the swaying branches of the canopy.
Standing in the woods, Tsukasa looked up at the high hill. A massive execution platform and a spear piercing the clouds stood majestically at the edge of the cliff top.
This was the place!
The Hill of Sokyoku—that was the name of this location.
Not only was this place rarely visited by anyone, but even though the Spear of Sokyoku on the platform had not been released, the surging spiritual pressure it naturally emitted acted as a natural screen that could perfectly mask the spiritual fluctuations produced during training nearby.
After waking up that morning, the thoughts in Tsukasa's head had been swept clean. During his moments of quiet, cold reflection, countless memory fragments were summoned and laid out calmly in his mind. The outlines in his memory now perfectly overlapped with the scenery before his eyes.
Having no interest in "checking in" at this famous site from the original story, Suō Tsukasa's gaze moved rapidly across the rock walls on both sides of the Hill of Sokyoku. He was searching for the hidden entrance from his memories.
A short while later.
Tsukasa's attention was drawn to a tiny protrusion on the left side of the high hill. It would have been extremely difficult to notice without the aid of his memories.
With a flash, Suō Tsukasa was standing atop the rocky outcrop.
"Found it!"
Looking at the hidden wooden door, half-concealed behind gnarled cliff trees, its old wood almost blending into the mountain rock, he broke into a joyful smile.
The surface of the lattice-style wooden door was covered in the marks of age and erosion. Through the crisscrossing gaps, one could vaguely see the dark scene within.
Tsukasa pulled the wooden door open.
Fine bits of rock and soil crumbled down from the doorframe. He stepped inside and closed the door.
By the evening light filtering through the gaps, the space of several dozen square meters was revealed. In the center of the floor lay an old tatami mat with yellowing edges. In the corner sat some furniture covered in white cloth, and in a hollow in the rock wall sat burnt-down candles, outlining the traces of someone having lived here before.
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