BLEACH: SURVIVAL SYSTEM

Akira constantly seeks greater and more difficult challenges to satisfy his existential crisis. Moreover, he possesses knowledge of future events, which allows him to speak about them with ease.

However, when Rukia heard his words, her heart pounded with fear.

"Akira, don't do anything reckless!" Rukia panicked. "It's not worth it for me!"

"Haha, it's not time for that yet. Don't overthink it," Akira replied dismissively, watching as Rukia was taken away by the Onmitsukidō.

After returning to his quarters, Akira eagerly anticipated today's system lottery draw.

[Congratulations to the Host for surviving another day! A lottery reward has been granted.]

The system prompt arrived right on schedule. Taking a deep breath, Akira clicked the draw button.

[Congratulations! The Host has obtained the Three-Tomoe Sharingan!]

At that moment, he felt a burning sensation in his eyes. When he opened them again, a pair of blood-red pupils with three tomoe appeared.

The world before him suddenly became crystal clear.

"The Sharingan… My dynamic vision has drastically improved! This will be invaluable in combat."

Akira nodded in satisfaction. The Sharingan was undeniably a formidable ability.

After all, in the world of Naruto, much of the story revolved around the Uchiha Clan and their Sharingan. It was practically an official cheat code. By the later stages of the series, those without a Sharingan could hardly keep up with the top-tier battles.

"Huh? My Sharingan has been modified to run on spiritual power?"

This unexpected discovery left Akira both surprised and thrilled.

"If Sharingan is fueled by spiritual power, does that mean it can also influence spiritual power?"

Testing his theory, he activated the Sharingan and focused on his own energy. The results confirmed his suspicions.

"Not only can I see the flow of spiritual power in others, but I can also use the Sharingan's genjutsu to disrupt their spiritual energy!"

In the Naruto world, genjutsu functioned by interfering with an opponent's chakra flow. Now, with this adaptation, Akira could use genjutsu on Shinigami… and even Hollows!

Though he was pleased with this reward, he knew that a true existential crisis capable of yielding such valuable gifts only came once in a while.

In the following days, his lottery draws mostly yielded random, less practical rewards.

Nonetheless, Akira was in no rush. He focused wholeheartedly on mastering his Zanpakutō's Shikai. Step by step, he could feel himself getting closer to unlocking its full potential.

Then, one day, as he sat quietly in meditation, his eyes suddenly gleamed.

"It's done!"

He looked at his Zanpakutō resting across his lap. It had undergone a subtle transformation.

If anything, it had become more refined, almost like an exquisite piece of glasswork. However, despite its delicate appearance, it retained the resilience and sharpness of a true blade. Its surface now gleamed like a mirror.

"I heard rumors in the Seireitei that I wield the strongest Light-Element Zanpakutō… I never expected it to be true."

Lifting the blade before his eyes, Akira felt a sense of awe.

He had finally established a connection with his Zanpakutō. Unlike Zabimaru, which manifested as a sentient entity, his own blade did not communicate with words.

Even so, from deep within his soul, he learned its true name—

"Hikari no Kagami" (The Universe Looks in the Mirror).

From that moment, Akira dedicated himself to refining his control over Shikai.

Through repeated activations and tests, he gradually unraveled its abilities. The more he trained, the more impressed he became.

However, as he grew more attuned to Hikari no Kagami, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.

"I feel like… this isn't the full extent of Hikari no Kagami's power."

This intuition stemmed from his Elite Zanpakutō Talent. He could sense that there was still untapped potential hidden within the blade.

Yet, due to the limitations of his talent, he found himself unable to reach that deeper level.

"Even at this incomplete stage, my Shikai is already incredibly powerful… If this isn't its full form, then just how strong will the complete version be?"

This thought led Akira to recall the case of Ayasegawa Yumichika from the 11th Division.

Yumichika's Zanpakutō, Ruri'iro Kujaku, had two different Shikai forms. The incomplete form, which he commonly used, was the result of his personal aversion to its true nature. However, when he released its real name, its full power was unleashed.

Akira felt his situation was similar, except that his restriction wasn't self-imposed—it was something he had yet to overcome.

Fortunately, with his elite-level talent, he was improving daily, gradually inching closer to fully awakening his Shikai.

Then, a sudden thought crossed his mind.

"Wait… Is there still time before Kurosaki Ichigo arrives in the Soul Society?"

Rukia was moments away from execution, yet Kurosaki Ichigo still hadn't arrived—much later than Akira had expected, given his knowledge of history.

"Shh!"

Suddenly, a figure flickered into the courtyard. Ichimaru Gin used Shunpo to appear before Akira, dropping to one knee.

"Lord Akira, I have the latest intelligence to report," Gin said with a sly smile.

"According to Aizen's investigation, it seems that a group led by Kurosaki Ichigo and Shihouin Yoruichi is preparing to break into the Seireitei."

"Since Urahara Kisuke's resources are limited to West Rukongai, Aizen ordered me to monitor the western gate, forcing them to rely on the Shiba Clan's—"

"Enough," Akira interrupted. "I already know all about Aizen's plan."

Gin's eyes narrowed slightly. He was taken aback—Akira knew Aizen's moves even before an undercover agent like him?

"Then… Lord Akira, do you wish to intervene?"

"Why would I stop it?" Akira replied with amusement. "Soul Society is about to get far more interesting."

"But—"

Akira paused for a moment, then smirked. "Actually, I'm more interested in stepping in myself. Perhaps I'll meet them personally."

This wasn't just a whim.

For Ichigo to be this late, something must have delayed him. Akira was intrigued—what was the reason? Could it be something that might affect his own situation?

And more than that, he wanted to cross blades with Shihouin Yoruichi.

The legendary "Flash Goddess"—former captain of the Gotei 13's Second Division, former commander-in-chief of the Stealth Force, head of the Onmitsukidō's First Division, and the 22nd head of the noble Shihouin Clan.

A true goddess of combat.

Surely, she wouldn't disappoint him.

Visit patreon.com/shirokendama for more chapters