"Young ones…"
"From this moment onward, you officially become students of Shinō Academy!"
"In the coming years, you will cultivate yourselves, study diligently, and grow stronger!"
"I hope that every day from here on, you will cherish your time—graduate as soon as possible… and become Soul Reapers!"
…
On the raised platform in the plaza,
the academy's senior staff delivered their passionate address.
The speech naturally stirred the freshmen below, rallying their confidence and filling them with hopeful visions of the future.
Of course—
Bai Chen was the exception.
He had long prepared himself for this kind of boilerplate rhetoric.
So throughout the opening ceremony, Bai Chen remained in a meditative state from start to finish.
In his view,
rather than drinking in motivational platitudes and moving himself emotionally,
he was better off focusing inward—
further acclimating to the aberrant reiatsu within him, a force like a living spring, endlessly surging with vitality.
—
After the opening ceremony concluded,
the freshmen followed the previously assigned lists.
Each group headed to their respective classrooms, waiting to receive their Asauchi.
"Bai Chen…"
"We're about to receive our Asauchi! I'm really nervous—but excited too!"
Inside First-Year Class One,
by the window seats, Hinamori Momo and Bai Chen sat side by side.
At the mention of Asauchi,
Momo's watery brown eyes were clearly filled with a mix of anticipation and anxiety.
"Yeah. I'm looking forward to it too," Bai Chen nodded, speaking honestly.
Asauchi—
the name given to a Zanpakutō before it awakens.
Simply put, it was an unrefined blank.
All Asauchi were forged by Ōetsu Nimaiya, the "Sword God" of Squad Zero.
During their time at Shinō Academy, students were temporarily issued an Asauchi.
Only upon officially joining the Gotei Thirteen would the blade truly become theirs.
Most importantly—
as a blank, every Asauchi held limitless potential.
Through constant companionship—eating, resting, even sleeping with it—
a wielder would gradually imprint their spirit and convictions upon it,
until it awakened into a unique Zanpakutō.
"I wonder what category my Zanpakutō will be…" Momo said dreamily.
Zanpakutō came in countless types—
fire, wind, lightning, ice, Kidō-type, and more.
Their strength depended not on the category itself,
but on how deeply they resonated with their owner's soul.
Seeing Momo's pure, earnest expression,
Bai Chen thought for a moment and asked,
"Momo… do you like playing with fire?"
"Huh…?"
Caught off guard by the question, Momo froze.
Playing with fire—
that sounded dangerous, like something adventurous boys would do.
She was a proper young lady; of course she wouldn't mess around like that.
But…
blinking, she searched her memories and eventually recalled something.
"I think… when I was little, I once warmed myself by a fire under a plum tree while playing outside."
"But… because I was too young and didn't know how to control it…"
"I added too much wood, and the flames suddenly flared up!"
"In the end, it exploded like a fireball…"
"If the adults hadn't been there to put it out in time, the consequences would've been unimaginable."
Hearing this,
Bai Chen's eyes immediately lit up.
"Momo—no way. You actually have a black history like that?"
That was it.
No wonder her Zanpakutō would later be called Tobiume.
Turns out she'd been a fire prodigy since childhood.
"Bai Chen, what about you?"
"What kind of Zanpakutō do you think yours might be?" Momo asked curiously.
"As for me…" Bai Chen smiled. "Probably something related to plants—flowers and trees."
Wood Release, Senju Hashirama's signature power.
With a single technique, forests could rise from nothing—
trees blossoming, bearing fruit, even releasing toxic pollen.
So his answer wasn't wrong at all.
A wood-type Zanpakutō was nothing less than a font of life.
"Huh… flowers and trees?" Momo frowned slightly, puzzled.
"If I remember correctly, I don't think Soul Society's history has ever recorded a Zanpakutō like that…"
Shaking her head,
she instinctively assumed Bai Chen was joking.
A Zanpakutō related to plants didn't sound powerful at all—
and Bai Chen was the most outstanding genius in recorded history.
Just then—
the Class One homeroom teacher entered the room.
After a brief introduction, he announced directly:
"Everyone."
"I will now lead you to the place where Zanpakutō are stored—the Inner World."
"There, you will choose an Asauchi that resonates with you."
The moment those words fell,
every student's heart surged with excitement.
Kira Izuru looked eager.
Abarai Renji clenched his fists in excitement.
Momo was visibly tense.
And even Bai Chen—
felt anticipation rising within him.
—
Soon,
under the homeroom teacher's guidance,
they arrived at their destination.
"Well… no wonder this is where Zanpakutō are kept."
"The outer walls of the Inner World are actually built from Sekki."
Bai Chen lifted his gaze, instantly recognizing the towering walls before him.
They were identical in material to the Seireitei Walls—all forged from Sekki.
Which made perfect sense.
For the academy,
Asauchi were among its most precious assets.
Storing them in such a secure location was only natural.
Afterward—
as the homeroom teacher dispelled
.
As the homeroom teacher dispelled the sealing barrier—
Rumble!
The gates of the Inner World opened, and the students stepped inside.
"Whoa!!!"
"This really is a place that houses Zanpakutō!"
"The atmosphere here… compared to the rest of the academy, it feels almost sacred!"
Walking deeper along the corridor,
taking in the solemn, austere interior,
the students couldn't help but exclaim in awe.
Their emotions were instantly stirred.
"See that?"
"At the end of the corridor—you'll find countless Asauchi."
"Go. Within the allotted time, choose the one that calls to you."
As the class marveled,
the teacher gestured toward the corridor's end with a smile.
And following his direction,
they indeed saw rows upon rows of displayed Asauchi.
At that very moment—
the system notification rang out once more in Bai Chen's mind.
Ding!
"Host has arrived at the check-in location. Proceed with check-in?"
"Check in immediately!"
Bai Chen answered without hesitation.
He had been waiting for this moment.
Ding!
"Check-in commencing."
"Duration: five seconds. Exiting midway will be considered a failure."
…
As the prompt faded,
the five-second countdown swiftly ended.
At last—
Bai Chen received the reward he had been anticipating.
Ding!
"Congratulations, Host. Check-in successful!"
"Check-in Reward: Wood-Element Zanpakutō (Awakening the Wood Release Arts)!"
In that instant—
Bai Chen felt it clearly.
The moment the Wood Release Arts awakened,
his power surged once again—
a qualitative leap beyond before.
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