"What?"
"Aizen... you want to demonstrate your Zanpakutō's Shikai?"
The moment Aizen made his offer, murmurs swept across the classroom.
Students, especially Komamura Sajin and Kotsubaki Sentarō, lit up with anticipation. Even those hailing from Rukongaiunfamiliar with the deeper intricacies of Shinigamiunderstood how tightly guarded a Zanpakutō's abilities were. Revealing one's Shikai was like laying bare your soul to potential enemies.
Yet Aizen, who had known them only a daywhose name some still hadn't fully memorizedwas prepared to show his Zanpakutō's power. Not for his own sake, not for attention or status. He did it simply so others might learn.
"Yes," Aizen said with a gentle smile. "My Zanpakutō is of the water-type. It disorients the enemy through mist and mirrored reflections, tricking them into attacking their own allies."
"Would you like to see my Shikai?"
The calmness in his voice, paired with his openness, stunned everyone.
Shihouin Yoruichi murmured, "Such honesty… such humility."
Urahara Kisuke added, "Ability matched with character. I fall short of Aizen."
Byakuya Kuchiki, noble through and through, frowned slightly. "It's a shame someone of such integrity is not a noble. He is the very image of honor and grace."
Even Shiba Isshin, usually the loudest in the room, quietly said, "I've never met someone more genuine than Aizen."
Meanwhile, Ran En remained silent. Sitting at the back, he lowered his head and covered his eyes with a hand.
He couldn't bear to watch.
Not because he disapproved, but because he knew all too well the truth behind Aizen's ShikaiKyōka Suigetsu.
That was the real joke.
"People are lining up to be hypnotized by Kyōka Suigetsu…" he muttered inwardly.
It was like watching a theater performance, where only the audience was unaware it was a tragedy.
Still, he didn't want to ruin his little brother's stage. Let him dance, let him shine.
"We would love to see it," Komamura Sajin replied earnestly. "Aizen, thank you for your generosity. If you ever need anything from mejust ask."
Others quickly followed suit. Kotsubaki. Tousen. Even Byakuya and Yoruichi leaned in.
Shikai was rare, even more so from someone as gifted as Aizen.
"A single glimpse at Kyōka Suigetsu… and your senses will never be yours again," Ran En whispered to himself.
"Ahem!" Shiba Isshin cleared his throat, his usual cheer replaced by a rare seriousness. "Everyonelisten well. Aizen's demonstration is a gift. Do not take it lightly. Keep what you witness today to yourselves. Do not speak of his Shikai to anyone outside this room."
"Understood, Teacher Isshin," everyone nodded in unison, their expressions solemn.
But Aizen smiled and shook his head. "There's no need for secrecy."
"We are classmates now, and perhaps comrades one day. I plan to show my Shikai to other classes as well."
The room fell silent.
"You're showing it to everyone?" someone asked, dumbfounded.
Shinigami were known to guard their Shikai abilities with their lives. But Aizen... was doing the opposite.
"Most students in the other classes come from humble backgrounds. Few possess the talent you all do. I grew up in Rukongai. I know what it's like to struggle. For people like us, becoming a Shinigami takes ten times the effortif not a hundred. If showing them my Shikai can help even a little… then I will show it as many times as needed."
He adjusted his glasses, voice calm.
"If I graduate and succeed in Gotei 13, I hope to return to the Academy as a lecturer. I want every aspiring Shinigami to see my Shikai. If it helps them even a step forward… it's worth it."
"Let the entire Soul Society know my ability. If it helps others… then what is there to hide?"
The room was utterly silent.
Even Shiba Isshin and Urahara Kisuke were left in awe.
Ran En, hand still over his eyes, could only shake his head.
He finally understood why, years later, the Visored captains would harbor such deep hatred for Aizen. Why Urahara Kisuke prepared a thousand traps just to stop him.
Because from the very beginning… Aizen had played them all. And he played beautifully.
"Ran En, aren't you going to watch?" Yoruichi asked, noticing his withdrawn posture.
He shook his head. "I don't need to."
"One more person watching won't make a difference. Aizen's true goal isn't just to be seen. It's to surpass me. I won't give him the satisfaction of thinking I'm behind him, even in that."
"A man doesn't need to be great. But he can't be small."
Yoruichi blinked, surprised by the quiet conviction in his voice.
"You two… really do feel more noble than most nobles I've known," she said with a smile.
"If Seireitei had more Shinigami like you," she added, "the Soul Society would already be a better place."
Even Byakuya, silent and stern, turned slightly to glance at Ran Enhis previous bitterness momentarily forgotten.