My Shinigami Academia

(Narration POV)

In the courtyard, two young men could be seen engaging in a sword duel. One of them had a slight smile, his face expression like a fox. While the other bore a cold, emotionless gaze.

The young man with the cold demeanor started to accelerate. His katana strikes became stronger and more precise. The second young man, with the fox-like face, began to falter, losing his katana a second later. A round of applause echoed as all the students in the class witnessed their small duel.

The teacher, serving as the referee, declared, "The winner is Masaharu Musashi." Slowly, Musashi approached the defeated young man, Ikaku Kotetsu, who sat on the ground, breathing heavily. During their first year in the class, two outstanding talents emerged: Musashi excelling in Zanjutsu and direct combat, and Kotetsu skilled in Kidō and control of his Reiryoku.

"Today, we conclude here. Dismissed."

(Musashi POV)

I left the classroom slowly when a hand embraced me over my shoulder. "Ah, Musashi~ You defeated me again. Why are you so strong?"

I rolled my eyes. "It's because I've trained for a long time. You'd beat me in Kidō and similar things."

Some time passed, during which Kotetsu couldn't keep quiet. "Hey, Musashi, want to have some sake with me?"

"Sake is not allowed in the academy."

"Oh, come on, Musashi. Have some with me. No one will find out, and we'll enjoy ourselves." I looked at Kotetsu and began to consider. 'Well, it wouldn't hurt to take a break once.' I sighed. "Alright."

"Listen, Musashi, it'll be great. Wait. Did you say yes? Hahaha, I always knew you'd join the dark side."

I started to turn. "I changed my mind in the end."

"No, wait, sorry, don't leave."

...

I entered Kotetsu's room, identical to mine except for all the decorations. I placed my katana where I usually did.

Kotetsu looked at me. "Musashi, I've always wondered why you use that old katana. Everyone in the academy was given new katanas. Why stick to it?"

I stared at the katana with melancholy. "I have a strong bond with it. And I'll keep using it." It sounded as if I had an interesting connection with it. "Do you want to tell me more about it?"

I looked at him and gave a straightforward cold answer. "No."

"Alright, I won't ask further." He had a smile on his face. "Let's drink." And so our night began with one round after another.

...

(Morning)

"Ugh, my head." I looked around and found myself on the floor; Kotetsu lay in his bed, asleep with a strange smile on his face.

I decided to do the only thing that came to mind. I raised my hand and hit him on the head. "What's happening? Ugh, my head." Kotetsu looked at me and started to smile, hugging himself. "Don't tell me, Musashi, that we did that. Sorry, but I'm not ready for this." Nerves started to emerge on my head.

I raised my hand above my head again.

"Haha, wai-wait, Musashi. I was just joking."

...

(Classroom)

The two of us bowed ninety degrees in front of the teacher. "We apologize for being late."

"Masaharu-kun, you may go to your seat, and let's not repeat this." "Yes, teacher."

Kotetsu and I went to our seats. "Ikaku, who said you could go?"

"But teacher, why could Musashi go?"

"Masaharu, unlike you, is an exemplary student. Today, you'll clean the entire academy." And so our lesson began. My head still ached. I wondered what I would do after class.

...

'Today, I'll try to talk to my katana.' I recently learned that the old katana I had was a Zanpakutō. I sat in my room in a meditative pose, the katana in my lap. I closed my eyes and began to meditate. After a few minutes of searching, I suddenly stood. I wasn't in my room anymore. Suddenly, I was in white. Everywhere I looked, it was white. I looked down. swords of all kinds were buried in the ground. I walked straight. Why straight? Because the concentration of swords increased in that direction. Until I reached a large tree, surrounded by thousands of swords. Something sat by the tree, a black smudge with the outlines of a person. In the next moment, the smudge was in front of me with a katana in my abdomen. A second later, I found myself back in the room, vomiting blood.

'So, that black smudge was my Zanpakutō. I didn't expect such a reaction, nor could I communicate with it. I didn't expect to have such an aggressive Zanpakutō. I touched my abdomen where it pierced me. 'Well, I can only do one thing: train.'

...

(Two years later, timeskip)

(Pov Narration)

In the white world, two figures clashed—one of them a young man, Musashi, and the other a man who looked around thirty. He had long black hair flowing down to his shoulders, only one eye; the other was wrapped in a white bandage. Dressed in a black kimono, during the next clash, the man quickly moved in a straight line behind Musashi. Then the man spoke. "You are not worhty to hold me." And in the next second, Musashi's head separated from his body.

(Musashi POV)

I woke up in panic in my room. I started touching my neck. "Ah, it hurt so much." It had been a year since I've been working on communicating with my Zanpakutō, but nothing. At least I no longer see it as just a smudge." I sighed and went to the academy. During this year, I worked on my Zanjutsu; I've improved a lot, now even giving my teacher trouble in Zanjutsu duels, of course.

"Hey, Musashi." I looked behind me, and who else but Kotetsu, we're a strong duo and have the respect of the entire academy.

"I want to skip all the grades and join some team."

"Hmm, well, I'll join you."

"No, thank you."

"Musashi, don't be like that. What would you do without me?"

"Do what you want."

Kotetsu embraced my shoulder with his hand. "Hehe, I knew you'd agree, sweetheart."

Nerves started to appear on my face. I slowly drew my katana.

"Wait, wait, Musashi, just kidding."

After a few seconds, I saw Kabuto on the ground with a swollen face.

"I'm going to the teacher." I turned and started walking away.

"Musashi, wait for me."

And so, we set off for new experiences.

(End of a chapter...)