Cut, Home.

'I haven't fought in a long time.'

Mushashi held a phantom sword in his hands, having the same stance as Seimei.

A harmonious atmosphere could be felt between the two.

"Let's go, Mushashi."

Seimei smiled as he muttered to himself.

And so began the fight of the greatest samurai and a man thrown into a foreign world

***

The two looked into each other's eyes as both of them gripped the sayas of their Zanpakuto.

'Go.'

As soon as Mushashi gave the command, Seimei ran towards Wataru and the latter did the same.

BANG!

Two swords properly clashed together as sparks flew between the two.

'Don't get afraid to clash your sword with another one. He may have higher strength but that doesn't mean you'll immediately be defeated. Don't forget, swords were made for weaker beings to fight stronger beings in equal terms.'

Seimei exerted his strength as veins started bulging in his arms.

Blood rushed into his muscles as his arms gained a eerie shade of red.

Wataru also started adding strength into his sword as he pushed

'Retreat.'

Just as Mushashi spoke, Seimei retreated immediately.

The sudden removal of the force opposing Wataru surprised him as the power he'd used to oppose Seimei suddenly erupted, making him slash towards the ground; he'd lost his balance.

And at the same time, he'd given Seimei an opening.

Seimei smiled as his red eyes gleamed in the dimming sunlight, giving them a demonic shade.

His reishi moved around his blade as he got into a simple stance, one he'd used and practiced hundreds of thousands of times.

He sliced down, like he had always done every day.

The blade moved downwards, splitting the air in half as it moved down, soundlessly cutting towards Wataru.

Wataru had already regained his balance at this point, and spun his body, placing his Zanpakuto in front of his body, trying to block Seimei's attack.

Seimei's eyes had become blurry, he'd fell into a stupor of sorts. In his eyes, there was no ground, no air, no Zanpakuto.

Just his sword and Wataru.

There were no flashy effects, no large explosions, no giant names being shouted aloud.

Just a blade moving downwards.

Wataru moved his blade upwards but to his surprise, it simply passed through Seimei's Zanpakuto.

It was as though it didn't exist in front Seimei's Zanpakuto.

It wasn't "cut".

Wataru became flustered, he'd never encountered such an ability even in his long years as a shinigami fighting hollows.

Just as the blade reached his face, 2 objects blocked the sword.

One was the referee's sword, covered in Reishi as well.

He had a tense look on his face as he blocked Seimei's sword. He too was shocked after what he'd just seen.

Seimei's Zanpakuto passed through Wataru's. Without any resistance, as though cutting air.

'It seems I've blocked it.' He thought as he sighed in relief, his Zanpakuto had blocked Seimei's.

Yet what he didn't know what that his Zanpakuto hadn't actually stopped Seimei's "cut".

It was something else, something only Seimei could see.

'Stop.'

Mushashi had already seperated from Seimei as his sword was placed in front of Seimei's Zanpakuto.

'He', had blocked 'himself'.

Even though Mushashi stopped Seimei's cut, there was a slight smile on his face. Like that of a proud parent.

Seimei broke out of his stupor, his eyes regaining clarity,

Just then, the referee annoucned.

"The winner of the fight is Hitotsu Seimei."

Wataru stood up as he wiped the cold sweat off of his face, his hands gripping his Zanpakuto tightly.

"What was that?"

He asked Seimei with a tone of curiosity but fear mixed in.

In that instant the blade almost closed in on him, he felt as though there was nothing between him and the blade. As though, his own Zanpakuto was nothing but air itself.

In his eyes, a giant blade covered his vision, everything in his eyes and world being the blade that fell down on him.

"I don't know." Seimei replied. He paused, as though contemplating whether to continue speaking or not and replied back to Wataru.

"Sometimes, I enter a state of epiphany. It's like the state of thoughtlessness us Shinigami enter when we meditate to communicate with our Zanpakuto but its different. I feel as though my blade is able to cut anything in its path and land on my target no matter what comes in its way."

Seimei explained with a weird expression; he too had no idea what this state was, having only entered it twice in his life, once when he had "cut" for 100,000 times and just now.

Wataru thought that Seimei was lying. No such thing had ever been discovered even by the masters of swordsmanship including the captain-Commander but a 15(?) Year old discovered it? Bullshit.

He shook his head and decided to give up asking for Seimei's secret.

"Anyway. I, Muishirou Wataru now declare that you have passed the early-graduation exam for the Shin'O Academy. I take it that you'll be joining the 6th Division as per the previous arrangement of Lieutenant Sojun?"

Seimei nodded in agreement. He didn't want to lose an easy ticket to a Gotei 13 Division.

"Very well. You may go back to your dormitory room to pack up whatever belongings you have. Your shihakusho will be delivered to you tomorrow."

Seimei nodded with a smile in his eyes.

He walked back into his dorm room and closed the door as he sat down on his bed.

He rested as he looked around, Mushashi had already gone back into his inner world. He laid down on his bed as he closed his eyes, dozing into sleep.

Seimei woke up, his body having been refreshed. He opened the door, a shihakusho right out his door.

He grabbed the shihakusho and brought it inside his room.

Seimei undressed, his white student shihakusho falling off of his body as it was exposed out in the sunlight, his toned muscles looking like a Greek sculpture.

Far away, one could see a black man murmuring something.

'Why are you gay?'

***

Seimei had put on his shihakusho successfully after some moments of trouble with the traditional attire.

His shihakusho, like everyone else's was composed of a white underclothing (shitagi), a black small sleeve (kosode), a black traditional hakama, and a black hakama-himo tying the kosode and hakama together. He had a white foot pouch (tabi) and traditional Japanese footwear named waraji.

The 6th Division's number was imprinted inside the kosode.

Seimei slid his Zanpakuto inside the hakama-himo and opened the door, walking out of the dormitory.

Students had been standing out on the balcony, almost overflowing the balcony. Murmurs could be heard as they whispered to each other about Seimei's graduation.

"I heard he's immediately getting into the 6th Division after graduating."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"I heard he got into the academy with the recommendation of a 5th seat too."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"What a cheater."

"I know right."

"Getting in unfairly and getting out unfairly, what a cheater."

"Yeah, such a cheater."

Similar words could be heard all through the academy grounds, insults and whispers moving towards Seimei.

Of course, there were many admiring voices and praises towards Seimei too. A genius who passed through 6 years of the academic curriculum in 1 year was naturally admired by many people.

Yet those voices were drowned by the voices of scorn towards Seimei.

As Seimei reached out to the exit of the Academy, the same door that he had once come in through a year ago, Kuchiki Sojun could be seen outside the door, waiting for Seimei.

"You're finally here."

Sojun asked with a smile as he looked at Seimei, a faint smile on his face.

"Yes."

Sojun turned his back towards Seimei as he spoke.

"Let us go now. I've stood here long enough."

Sojun spoke as he started walking. Seimei raised his eyebrows as he could hear the small hint of dissatisfaction in Sojun's voice as he spoke.

He smiled as he moved forwards towards Sojun, as the two walked into the 6th Division.

Seimei would finally be seeing the characters from the main series, a year after reincarnating into the Bleach world.

***

A crystal ball showed the events of Wataru and Seimei's fight as an old man with a long beard, mustache and a bald head who was holding a cane in his hands looked at the crystal ball.

His eyes were currently closed, as though signaling his state of an "old man" and not the demon who had slaughtered hundreds of thousands of beings in his thousands of years of being in the soul society.

Indeed, he was the captain-commander of the Soul Society and the Captain of the 1st Division.

He was Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, the oldest captain in the Gotei 13, and the only Shinigami to have ever been Captain-Commander since the beginning of the Gotei 13.

"So, this is the boy?"

"Yes, sir."

Chojiro Sasakibe who had been by Yamamoto's side since the beginning nodded as the looked at the crystal ball as well.

Yamamoto looked at Seimei's Zanpakuto passing right through Wataru's Zanpakuto in interest.

His old eyes gleamed as he looked at Seimei.

"Is this boy the one who Sojun took into the 6th Division?"

"Yes, sir."

Yamamoto slowly breathed in silence as he finally spoke.

"Keep an eye on this child. Such abilities have never been seen before and if possible, they could help us fight the threat of the hollows a lot more easily."

Chojiro Sasakibe nodded as Yamamoto walked out the room.

***

"This is our new recruit."

Sojun stood before a crowd of Shinigami as he spoke, his voice echoing all around.

"He graduated through Shin'O Academy within one year, defeated his own Zanjustu instructor and performed a feat never before seen within the Soul Society."

Sounds of surprise and interest sounded within the crowd as Shinigami murmured.

Sojun looked at Seimei and nodded.

"My name is Hitotsu Seimei and I've graduated from Shin'O Academy just yesterday. I hope everyone can help me during my stay."

Seimei bowed towards the crowd, getting happy responses from the crowd.

Sojun smiled as well as he walked towards the crowd.

"Let's have a banquet tonight, as a welcoming party for Seimei."

"Let's go!"

"Yoo hoo!"

Many cheers could be heard from the crowd as laughs could be heard.

***

As the banquet went on, suddenly, Seimei felt a pat on the back as a rough looking Shinigami patted Seimei on the back.

"Welcome to the 6th Division, kid."

Seimei was surprised by the sudden pat but he nodded back.

"Thank you."

The division member laughed as he went back to his friends.

Suddenly Seimei heard a member say.

"Hey, doesn't this kid feel similar to Captain Kuchiki? He has the same calmness and apathy in his behavior too, right? What if he's his secret kid?"

Seimei almost lost his balance as he heard that.

"Right? I think so too."

A sudden silence took over the banquet as the Shinigami who said that awkwardly turned his back.

An elderly man with slate gray eyes, a gray mustache and long gray hair stood in front of the banquet hall. He wore the standard captain uniform along with a white scarf. He wore a short-sleeved captain's haori and a fingerless black tekko that covered the back of his hand.

"Captain Kuchiki…I- I-"

"No need to explain yourself."

Kuchiki Ginrei calmly spoke as he patted the shoulder of the Shinigami.

He walked towards Seimei as he looked at him.

The calm eyes of Kuchiki Ginrei met the equally calm eyes of Seimei.

"I can feel a lot of potential in you boy. Train hard and refine that special ability of yours and with enough strength perhaps you can take over my position."

Seimei raised his own eyebrows as he looked at Ginrei in surprise.

He didn't think he was that talented.

It wasn't pessimism, it was the simple truth. After all, even his own Zanpakuto soul confirmed it.

And how did he know of the "special ability"?

Even he himself, hadn't completely understood it.

"Thank you…"

Seimei didn't know what he had to reply with so he simply thanked Kuchiki Ginrei.

Kuchiki Ginrei nodded as he Hohō'd away.

As soon as he left, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was nerve wracking…"

"Yeah."

Sojun looked at Seimei as he laughed.

"Seems my father has a high impression of you."

"Surprisingly, yes."

Seimei also nodded as he replied to Sojun.

"Congratulations. My father is a very perceptive man. He is fully aware of his own limits and can see the skill and potential in others and what they have to do to attain the completion of that potential. Since my father said this, you must have a lot of potential."

Sojun happily explained.

"I see."

Sojun patted Seimei on the shoulder as he pushed Seimei towards the banquet.

"Go, this banquet is for you."

Seimei nodded and walked towards the banquet.

Soon he too was affected by the happy atmosphere as he immersed himself in the banquet.

For a moment, within Seimei's heart, he felt as though he had finally found a place within this foreign world where he could call home.

It was a faint feeling, but a budding one nonetheless which could perhaps bloom into a proper flower.