2nd Year (1)

Each month I learned something new about my body and this world. I'm still not good at math, but the other classes were bearable now.

Swordmanship class...

"1, 2, 3....huff, huff..."

After a couple of months, I decided to dedicate time to practicing more swordsmanship, hakuda, and hohō.

"Again! Check your breathing; if you're going to strike, do it with intention!" (Teacher)

"Yes!"(x7)

I wasn't the only one, and due to that, the teachers agreed to give us extracurricular lessons.

Hakuda classes...

*Bam*

*Bam*

*Bam*

"Ouch..." "Ugh...""Aww..."

We are currently hitting wooden posts that are on the training grounds, according to the teacher, to gain strength in the hands and to lose the fear of hurting ourselves.

"Why do you three stop?" Again, come on, faster, harder; after this, you all are going to fight against me!"

{I don't understand why in this class only us three ask for extracurricular lessons}

Hohō classes...

"Huff, huff, huff(x15)

"Come on, you all are so slow; run faster!" (Teacher)

"Huff, huff, huff(x13)

"I said faster!" (Teacher)

"Huff, huff, huff, huff(x10)

"FASTER!!"(Teacher)

The more the teacher yelled, the more people fell into the track unconscious.

And finally, the end of the year was near.

Out of the thirty people that were in the classroom, only twenty passed to the second year. According to the teacher, if you don't pass to the second year, you need to repeat the first one until you pass.

We change classrooms, and now we are together with the people that passed on the other groups, making us one big classroom.

"Welcome everyone to the Reiryoku Application, Reiryoku provide power for the various feats the Shinigami is capable of doing and to effectively channel the powers of their Zanpakutō."(Teacher)

"It can also be used to cast Kidō."

"Reiryoku can even be coalesced into a physical form and thrown or shot as a projectile."(Teacher)

This is one of the new classes that teach us how to use our reiryoku in battle, kidō, and daily life.

This class introduces something new: the term [Zanpakutō].

"Teacher, what is a Zanpakutō?" (Classmate)

"Don't worry, soon you will know the answer to that." (Teacher)

After that class, the next ones didn't change much: Soul Society 2, Human Culture 2, Duties of the Shinigami 2, Kidō Theory 2, with the exception of the new one, Elements of Poetry instead of Penmanship.

*Thud*(Classroom Door)

"Follow me, everyone." (Teacher)

{Hmm?}

All of us followed the new teacher into the training ground, where a lot of swords (katanas) were on their racks. He stood up in front of them.

{Are those real swords?}

"Good, everyone is here. Welcome everyone to Introduction to Zanpakutō."

"Behind me are the trademark weapons of the Shinigami. Capable of cutting spiritual bodies, they are among the few weapons that can be used to combat the Hollows."

{Right, one of our duties as Shinigami was to exterminate the hollows that appeared on Earth}

"Each Shinigami carries a Zanpakutō." He pointed at his side, where his sword was.

"Each Zanpakutō is unique from one another; the swords are reflections of a Shinigami's power and soul."

"Also, each Zanpakutō are sentient beings unto themselves."

"Eh!?""What?"

Visible confusion was seen on the faces of the students; only a couple were calm, probably because they already knew that information.

"The Zanpakutō's name is the name of the living spirit that empowers the sword and lends its strength to the Shinigami who wields it." He just continued with his explanation.

"These beings can vary greatly in appearance and have their own distinct personalities, which are similar to their owner's." (Teacher)

"...."

Silence...

"That's all for the introduction. Now I want all of you to take one of the swords that are on the racks, one per person."

One by one, we took the sword, and when I touched mine, I could feel something—a pulse and a little voice—but more than a voice, it was something more primitive.

~hisss~

"Eh!?"

***********

The three classes that I liked the most were crank up to eleven now for Swordmanship you need to use your Zanpakutō, for Hakuda you fight an opponent and for Hohō you need to run at least thirty laps on the track and after that do five rounds of obstacle course.

{Ouch, my body hurts like it was the first day of school.}

~hiss~

My daily life became more interesting with the new classes.

~hiss~

But there was something more unusual that was happening.

~hiss~

(Sigh) 

"Please tell me your name, so we can talk properly."

~hiss~

(Sigh)

I understood with time that the constant hissing was coming from my Asauchi, but according to the teachers, only in years three and four do you learn how to communicate with your Asauchi.

~hiss~

"Agh, this is making me crazy; it's like I hear a faint noise of something that is trying to get my attention all the time! "Wait, the library!"

At the library...

"Senior!"

"Oh, junior, what happened?" (Librarian)

The gentle librarian who spoke to me the first time was still here.

"I need to learn how to talk to my Asauchi."

"Hmm, I think that's a little early for you, don't you think, junior, it's been only a week since you got it, right?" (Librarian)

~hiss~

"I know, but..." I look left, then right.

"I can already hear him," I whispered.

"Eh!?, you already hear your Asauchi." She was baffled.

"Yes, and it's making me crazy because I can't understand him or respond to him."

*Stare*

{Eh, what? Why the intense stare?}

"You're not saying all this to impress me, do you, junior?" (Librarian)

"Eh!?" Now it was my turn to be baffled.

Although she was cute, I'm still a little kid, so I don't have those romantic urges yet.

~hiss~

"No, please believe me, it is really making me crazy; even now he is talking and I can't understand a thing." I pointed at my left side, where my sword was.

"Ok, junior, I will trust you to come here." She stood up.

"Hime, can you cover for me for a little bit?" (Librarian)

"Sure!" (Librarian's friend)

"Come on, follow me(Librarian)

*********

I follow her into the training grounds...

"Ok junior, listen well. The most common method of communication between a Shinigami and their Zanpakutō Spirit is called Jinzen (sword meditation)."

"All you need to do is place your Asauchi nearby, enter a meditative state, and try to merge your mind with that of your Zanpakutō Spirit." (Librarian)

"Eh, and how am I supposed to do that?"

"I'm not done yet, junior. To begin using Jinzen, first you need to sit comfortably and quietly."

I followed her instructions, putting my Asauchi in front of me.

"Now close your eyes and do nothing."

I did that, but random thoughts were circling my head.

{I can't...}

"Thoughts may come during that time, and that is okay. Start focusing on the voice you heard speaking to you."

(Sigh)

*Inhale* *exhale*

~hiss~

"Each time you hear that voice, try to imagine that you're moving closer to her."(Librarian)

{Closer...}

~Hiss~

{More closer...}

~Hiss~

{More...}

~HISS~

When I finally heard it in front of me, I opened my eyes.

I was at another place. I could see a large temple on top of a huge tree, but the most impressive thing that I saw was a massive white snake curling up on the giant tree.

Suddenly, his massive head approached me.

~We ffinally mettt~

In front of me, a huge white snake with red eyes was looking at me.

{Holy crap, he is at least 100 feet long}

"Hi, there, I'm Ryuji. Ahm, how can I call you?"

~Shi, shi, shi, cleverr boyyy~

{He saw through that?}

~I like thatt~

~Let's make a deal, Ryyujii~

"Deal?"

~Yesss~

~I let you borrow my power, and in exchange, I will live with you~

"Sure!" I responded immediately.

~Good, good. Now call my name~

*****

General POV

On the training grounds, the librarian was getting worried; after all, sometimes speaking with your Zanpakutō means fighting with it.

"Junior, please be safe."

As soon as she finished praying, the junior opened his eyes and stood up there silently.

"Don't worry, junior, you can do this any time you want until you can finally communicate with your Zanpakutō."

She thought that he had failed to communicate with it; after all, that was nomal; many tried but few accomplished at the first try.

He didn't say anything; he only stood there for a couple of seconds until his right hand went for his asauchi.

"Hmm?" She didn't know what he was doing.

When he touched his Asauchi with his right hand, he pulled the blade from the scabbard, and he said it out loud.

"DEVOUR IT ALL...OROCHI!"