Chapter 11 ⥤ In the Name of the Shrine Priest, Akira!

There are three ways to communicate with the divine: blessing, prayer, and ritual.

Unlike the Ise family of shrine priests, the Sakahone Shrine — due to its small size and remote location — has limited methods for divine communication.

Akira knew only these three methods, with prayer and ritual being the most common. Nanao had taught him the specific techniques.

Having made his decision, he stood up abruptly. Disregarding the Jinzen class teacher's puzzled look, he left the dojo carrying his asauchi.

As he disappeared, Aizen's half-closed eyes opened. Confusion flashed across his face, 'What's he up to now?'

Given his friend's penchant for the inconceivable and unreasonable, occasional truancy was hardly surprising.

"This kid is becoming more and more unruly!" Tthe Jinzen teacher muttered, watching Akira leave.

He wanted to intervene but, mindful of their difference in combat skills, held his tongue. After all, this troublesome student wasn't wielding a bamboo sword — it was a real asauchi.

Though not yet imbued with soul essence to become a true Zanpakutō, its durability and sharpness far surpassed a bamboo sword.

If that reckless youth lost control, he — a mere Jinzen teacher — could end up at the blade's mercy. For his own safety, discretion seemed the better part of valor.

"Teacher, I'll go bring him back." Aizen said after a moment's hesitation, curious to see what Akira was planning.

Having obtained the teacher's permission, he quickly left the dojo as well. Following Akira's Reiatsu trail, he chased him all the way to the dormitory area.

The scene that unfolded there once again challenged his worldview and understanding of this unpredictable realm.

He watched as his friend meticulously arranged talismans across the table, with candles burning, creating an eerie yet sacred atmosphere. A large black eye was engraved on a nearby banner, and a bronze bell swayed, emitting crisp metallic chimes.

Carefully, Akira placed his asauchi in the position typically reserved for enshrining deities.

Under Aizen's puzzled gaze, the usually sunny and carefree Akira transformed. He became serious and solemn, his whole demeanor exuding a powerful mystical quality — just like a true shrine priest.

"This guy..." Aizen mused, "Could he be attempting to complete Jinzen through a ritual method, to communicate with his own Zanpakutō?"

Clever as he was, he quickly grasped the essence of Akira's plan just by observing the preparation stage.

His understanding stemmed not just from knowledge, but from his familiarity with this shrine priest. Due to Akira's unconventional ways, Aizen remained his sole friend at the Shin'ō Academy.

But wasn't Aizen in a similar position? Who would dare to casually mess with someone associated with Akira?

Even Uruoi, a teacher, had already secured a private room in the infirmary. Others were even more hesitant to get involved with this "enigmatic" and "reserved" student.

"In the name of the Shrine Priest, Akira, I perform this ritual..." Akira's fingers fluttered like butterflies, forming intricate yet sacred hand seals. As he chanted, he focused his mind on the object of the ritual.

What should the image of a Zanpakutō be? A simple sword? Countless images surged through his mind, only to be swiftly discarded.

Though uncertain if this method would work, Akira knew he couldn't simply bluff his way through by imagining a Zanpakutō in his mind.

Suddenly, a revelation about Zanpakutō flashed through his thoughts. Since it was essentially constructed from a Shinigami's soul, could he change the object of the ritual to himself? To communicate and dialogue with his own essence?

His eyes brightened, reflecting the flickering candlelight as if brilliant stars were slowly forming within them. Having determined the object of the ritual, he used the asauchi as a medium to proceed with the ceremony.

As the bronze bell swayed, a sudden gust of wind arose in the room, lifting countless objects into the air. They collided, emitting sounds of shattering.

Akira poured all his Reiatsu into the bell, using this method to awaken the "deity" he needed to communicate with.

In the midst of this, an invisible thread seemed to connect his soul to the asauchi.

Seeing this, Aizen's eyes widened, his usually calm, somewhat childish face now replaced with an expression of disbelief and shock.

It actually… succeeded. Using a ritual method to replace Jinzen, he had completed the communication between a Shinigami and their Zanpakutō!

'How on earth does this guy's brain work?' Aizen thought, 'To come up with such an outrageous method!'

Surge, double, explode! The moment his soul connected with the asauchi, Akira's Reiatsu began to rise violently, forming a tangible pressure that covered the entire dormitory room.

Had he any spare attention, he would have noticed — the data on his personal status panel was changing rapidly.

〈 Reiatsu: Level 20 → 22 → 23 → 24 → 25 → 26 →… 〉

The numbers kept soaring, as if there was no upper limit!

Compared to the changes on the status panel, the impact of his Reiatsu on the surroundings was even more shocking.

The wooden floor cracked layer by layer, the wallpaper and walls torn apart by the wind, swirling into the chaotic gale. Scattered objects collided and were ground to dust.

What was even more perplexing was that the loudest sound in the room wasn't the howling of the wind, but the muffled impacts coming from his body.

It was — the beating of his heart!

It was as if thunder from the sky had fallen into his chest cavity, pounding and resonating, seeming as though it would burst his chest open.

Aizen's expression changed repeatedly. Indeed, not following the usual path would lead to completely different results.

Akira, who never followed the beaten track, had directly arrived at an unfamiliar situation.

Even for someone like Aizen, who had perfect scores in history class, he had never heard of anyone experiencing such a shocking change after communicating with their Zanpakutō.

The Reiatsu continued to rise. From the level of a standard Shinigami Division member, it soared all the way to the level of a Seated Officer.

〈 Reiatsu: Level 45 | Rank 12 Spirit Class 〉

Looking at Akira, his eyes were now completely white, his expression dazed and blank, like a wooden statue. His consciousness, however, had arrived in a completely unfamiliar space.

To be more precise, it should be called — a world!

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〈 Check-in Conditions Met! 〉

〈 Location Check-in: Zanpakutō Inner World! 〉

〈 Obtained Reiatsu Level +1! 〉

〈 Reiatsu Level increased! Currently at Level 46! 〉

〈 Obtained Exclusive Trait: Light as a Feather! 〉

〈 Light as a Feather: Body becomes nimble, speed increased by 50%! 〉

A familiar voice echoed in his ears. Gazing at the boundless world before him, Akira felt confidence surging through his heart.

Indeed — when it came to rituals, he was a professional!

Initially planning to use EXP, he later deemed this setting too cumbersome and simply decided to increase Levels directly.

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