Evening fell over the student dormitories.
Hisasagi Shūhei had returned and was now lying on his bed, reading a book to relax. The bed next to his, however, was empty.
He had no idea where Tachikawa Shinichi had gone. But considering Shinichi was now the president of the Spiritual Arts Academy's Student Council, it wasn't exactly unusual for him to be off handling something important.
Shūhei didn't dwell on it. Yet just as he flipped another page, a powerful and all-too-familiar surge of spiritual pressure swept in from the distance, causing him to abruptly sit up in shock.
This reiatsu… it was Shinichi's!
As a fifth-year student, Shūhei was already well-trained in detecting and sensing reiatsu. There was no way he could mistake Shinichi's unique presence.
But the intensity… it far surpassed anything he had ever known from him.
This sudden outburst of reiatsu didn't go unnoticed—most of the Spiritual Arts Academy felt it. Whispers and confusion spread rapidly through the campus. Some identified the source immediately, while others speculated that it might be a teacher—or perhaps even a Shinigami—releasing their reiatsu within the academy.
After a brief moment of thought, Shūhei tossed aside his book and rushed out of the dorm, heading straight for the source of the disturbance.
Outside the kendo dojo—
The first person to arrive was Nanada Hidezawa. The moment he sensed the reiatsu and realized it was from Shinichi, he'd hurried to the scene without delay.
It was already late in the evening, nearing bedtime. Given the hour, the only one likely to still be inside the dojo was the Student Council President himself.
But by the time Hidezawa reached the entrance, the intense reiatsu had already quieted down.
He focused his senses—there was definitely someone inside.
With more people starting to gather, Hidezawa didn't hesitate. After a moment of consideration, he opened the door and stepped inside.
The dojo was empty and silent, save for one figure seated cross-legged at its center.
Tachikawa Shinichi sat calmly in meditation, a standard black practice sword resting across his legs.
Hidezawa's eyes flickered as realization struck him.
"Professor Nanada?"
Shinichi opened his eyes, surprised to see someone there, and smiled warmly.
"What brings you here?"
Hidezawa closed the door behind him and said, "I should be asking you that. What was that massive surge of spiritual pressure about?"
"Surge…?" Shinichi blinked. He hadn't noticed it himself. Now that he thought back, it was possible that he had inadvertently released it during the process.
Did I really cause that much of a stir?
Hidezawa noticed that Shinichi's presence had grown far more restrained since he'd entered. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination.
His gaze shifted to the sword in front of Shinichi—a practice blade, or so it seemed.
"Tell me," he asked quietly, "did you… just awaken your Zanpakutō?"
Shinichi looked down at the blade, smiling faintly. "You could say that."
"…"
Hidezawa took a deep breath. Countless thoughts raced through his mind, but in the end, he settled on a single word.
"Good."
As Shinichi's instructor, Hidezawa was truly overjoyed by this news. He did his best to keep his expression composed.
Even the most gifted students rarely awakened their Zanpakutō during their academy years. Shinichi had just given him an extraordinary surprise.
But while Hidezawa felt elated, Shinichi himself remained calm.
To him, awakening his Zanpakutō had been a gradual and natural process.
The practice sword before him wasn't even his real Zanpakutō. It was merely a decoy he'd borrowed from the storage room. His true blade had already been hidden away—its appearance far too conspicuous to leave out in the open.
[Reiatsu Level: Lv. 18]
[Zanpakutō Unlock Progress: 12% (Partial Shikai)]
His earlier invocation of the name had pushed the progress forward just a little more.
"Come on," Hidezawa said. "Any student who awakens a Zanpakutō must be officially registered. Since this blade is now yours, you may carry it from now on."
They exited the dojo together—only to find a sizable crowd waiting outside. Students and teachers alike had gathered, drawn by the spike in reiatsu.
Hisasagi Shūhei and Kani Zawa were among them. Shinichi waved to them casually.
"What's going on?" one of the academy teachers asked as he approached.
Hidezawa pulled the faculty aside and explained in hushed tones. When he finished, all the teachers turned toward Shinichi with wide, curious eyes.
"What happened?" Shūhei and Kani asked as they stepped up.
Shinichi gestured to the blade in his arms. "Just a little something."
The two stared for a second—then realization hit them both.
"You mean… you—"
Shinichi scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Yeah, and now Professor Hidezawa is dragging me off to get registered. So troublesome…"
"Let's go, Shinichi!" Hidezawa called out.
Shinichi followed him. The other students began dispersing under the direction of nearby instructors.
Still, the buzz lingered.
News that Student Council President Tachikawa Shinichi had awakened his Zanpakutō spread through the Spiritual Arts Academy like wildfire.
They arrived at the faculty office. Hidezawa asked Shinichi to wait, then stepped out briefly. After about ten minutes, he returned with two senior academy instructors.
"Tachikawa-kun."
Shinichi recognized them as high-ranking teachers.
"Is this your Zanpakutō?" one of them asked, pointing to the blade he held.
Shinichi nodded slightly.
The two teachers exchanged glances. One of them said, "A student awakening a Zanpakutō within the academy is extremely rare… No wonder the Headmaster holds you in such high regard. Congratulations, Tachikawa-kun."
Hidezawa couldn't hide his pride, a broad smile spreading across his face.
One of the teachers pulled out a notebook while the other began questioning him.
"Now, can you please tell us the name and ability of your Zanpakutō?"
Every Shinigami's Zanpakutō had to be formally recorded. In addition to a verbal explanation, Shinichi would likely be asked to demonstrate its power later on.
He glanced at the sword in his hands. Outwardly, it looked like any other practice blade. He hadn't gone out of his way to disguise it either.
But since Zanpakutō came in all shapes and sizes, an unusual form wouldn't raise suspicion.
As for its ability… How should I put this?
He hadn't really prepared a full explanation.
After a moment of silent contemplation, he finally spoke.
"Its name is…"
"This Shore, That Shore."