The First Division's Flames

"I don't have much time left. Listen to me. I'm your sword spirit because, in this world, I disguised myself as your sword spirit and did the guiding work that should have belonged to a 'sword spirit.' So, in a sense, I am your sword spirit."

The black-haired youth's voice was clear and relieved as it echoed quietly across the barren grassland:

"But at the same time, I'm not the pure consciousness born from your Zanpakuto. So I don't know its name, and so I'm not your sword spirit either."

The youth looked straight into Xuanxin's eyes and, word by word, spoke the truth hidden deep within their soul:

"And I... am you."

The moment his words fell, the youth's feet began to dissolve into countless crystal-clear particles of Reishi, slowly drifting upward.

"We were the same person to begin with." The youth looked at his dissolving body, his eyes holding no fear whatsoever, only complete relief.

"That faint 'floating feeling' and 'sense of rejection' you felt when you trained before, as if you couldn't fully fit in, were actually because of 'me.' They came from me, an ordinary person from a peaceful age. I was afraid of this dangerous, unfamiliar world, and I resisted it."

The youth scratched his hair in embarrassment and gave a self-deprecating smile:

"To escape this world of flying flesh and blood, I could only hide inside your Zanpakuto and sustain my existence by drawing on your soul's power. That's why you always felt a slight sluggishness. And perhaps your terrible Hakuda had something to do with me too."

Xuanxin's pupils contracted slightly at that.

"My cowardice caused your soul and body to fall out of sync. Sorry for making you suffer so much at the old man's hands."

By now, the youth's upper body had also begun to dissolve into a brilliant rain of light that filled the sky. Finally, he gave Xuanxin a radiant smile full of anticipation:

"Perhaps I should have disappeared the moment you resolved to become part of Soul Society, but by then I'd already taken over the sword spirit's work, so I wasn't going to leave before it was finished."

"But today, with that one strike, you proved yourself, and you proved us too. So now I've finished my work, and I can leave."

The light grew brighter and brighter, and the youth's figure had become almost transparent:

"Listen! My final advice: remember, when you can meet your true sword spirit, that means the start of your Bankai training! Go! Turn to the last page of that book and set foot on the path that belongs to you!"

Before Xuanxin could react, the youth's body completely transformed into a brilliant stream of light and shot straight into him!

"Hum!"

The instant the light entered him, Xuanxin's soul shuddered violently.

The "sense of separation" hidden in the depths of his soul vanished completely, like melting ice and snow!

He felt a "wholeness" he had never known before.

Body and soul, reason and instinct, his past life and his present one, even his acceptance of this cruel world, all came into absolute, perfect harmony at that moment!

Xuanxin slowly raised a hand to his chest, feeling his heart still beating. He said nothing more, but a glimmer flashed in his eyes.

Then he turned and walked with extraordinarily firm, light steps to the simple wooden table.

The ancient book containing the ultimate principles of swordsmanship lay quietly on the table.

This time, there was no terrifying Reiatsu blocking him, nor any barrier of rejection.

Xuanxin reached out and turned straight to the final page, which had always been sealed shut.

On the yellowed paper, two lines of bold, powerful characters slowly emerged where it had once been blank, as though carved by invisible sword energy. They exuded an ultimate killing intent and vast laws—

"Sever delusion, sweep away all forms—[Mumyō]!"

"Manifest the myriad worlds, let words become law—[Shingon]!"

Chapter 18: The First Division's Flames

As Xuanxin's consciousness slowly rose out of the world of Jinzen, the Reiatsu that had surrounded him also gradually withdrew into his body.

Xuanxin had now learned about his Shikai, and the instant he opened his eyes, a faint golden light flashed in them.

However, when he opened his eyes, he was not greeted with concerned inquiries. Instead, everyone was looking at him strangely.

Of them all, Yoruichi's gaze was the most intense.

Yoruichi was staring straight at Xuanxin, her eyes sweeping brazenly back and forth over him like radar. She could not even bear to blink.

Just as Xuanxin was beginning to feel puzzled, a piece of pink floral cloth suddenly descended from above, covering his head with perfect accuracy and blocking his view.

Then Shunsui Kyōraku's somewhat leisurely laughter reached his ears.

"My, my, I know you youngsters are full of vigor and have trained up fine bodies, junior brother, but there's no need to keep showing everyone the whole thing in the buff."

Hearing this, Xuanxin seemed to realize what had happened. He looked down and found that, during his fight with the sword spirit, his school uniform had gloriously completed its duty and now lay quietly on the ground in pieces.

Realizing his current state, Xuanxin blushed despite his age and hurriedly pulled the pink floral garment off his head and draped it awkwardly over himself.

Once he had put on the gaudy haori, he looked around again and saw that the captains' eyes were still full of the teasing amusement of elders watching a junior.

Only Yoruichi Shihōin folded her arms and clicked her tongue in displeasure. Her golden eyes made no attempt to hide her regret at not having seen enough.

Just then, Jūshirō Ukitake, standing nearby, coughed lightly twice and broke the awkward silence with a gentle smile:

"Judging by how composed our junior brother's energy is, he's clearly mastered his Shikai perfectly. Now that you've achieved Shikai, you're naturally qualified to join the Gotei 13. Junior Brother Xuanxin, how about joining our Thirteenth Division? I'll personally take you under my wing."

Hearing this, Shunsui Kyōraku, who was also standing nearby, refused to be outdone. He pressed down his straw hat and cut in with a smile:

"Hey, hey, Ukitake, that's a little underhanded. Our Eighth Division needs fresh blood too! Junior brother, come to the Eighth Division. There's a tavern near our barracks, and its drinking snacks and courtesans... ahem, I mean its drinks, are the most famous in all of the Seireitei!"

While Xuanxin's two senior brothers openly fought over him, Retsu Unohana, standing nearby, said little.

She merely tucked her hands into her sleeves and narrowed her eyes, a dangerous, meaningful smile on her gentle face as she quietly watched Xuanxin.

The meaning of that smile could not have been clearer: It doesn't matter where you go. I'll find you anyway.

Looking at Sister Hana's dangerous smile, Xuanxin could not help shivering.

Old Man Yamamoto, sitting in the center of the steps, struck the ground heavily with his cane and snorted coldly. He was evidently very displeased with these two unworthy disciples poaching people right in front of him.

Just as Xuanxin stood there, somewhat at a loss—

Whoosh!

Yoruichi Shihōin darted to Xuanxin's side in an instant. She seized his arm and clung to it tightly, looking for all the world like a mother cat protecting her kitten as she protested loudly at the two captains:

"Hey! Xuanxin is mine! Our Second Division reserved him ages ago. How can you snatch him away right in front of me?!"

As soon as she said that, the air fell silent for a moment.

Seeing how self-assured yet slightly flustered Yoruichi looked, Shunsui Kyōraku froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Hahahaha! Right, right, how could I forget about you two? How could I come between a pair of lovebirds? My mistake, my mistake." Shunsui waved a hand, his face full of mischief.

Yoruichi's face instantly turned bright red, but she did not contradict Shunsui at all. She simply kept clinging to Xuanxin's arm, afraid someone would snatch him away.

After all that, the earlier serious atmosphere had completely dispersed.

At that moment, Jūshirō Ukitake looked at the two unusual Asauchi at Xuanxin's waist. Curiosity flashed in his eyes as he said:

"Junior Brother Xuanxin, since you've successfully achieved Shikai, and everyone here in the courtyard is one of us, why don't you..."

Ukitake did not finish, but his meaning was clear—everyone wanted to see for themselves the Zanpakuto that had caused such a commotion.

Xuanxin nodded solemnly in response.

He then pulled his arm out of Yoruichi's embrace, drew the Asauchi from his waist with both hands, and softly spoke the release command.

As he quietly chanted the Shikai command, Reiatsu surged from him once more.

"Hum—!"

The long pink garment on Xuanxin's body fluttered in the gust of Reiatsu. Then two differently shaped Zanpakuto appeared in his hands.

It was the first time everyone had seen Xuanxin's Zanpakuto.

As expected, Xuanxin indeed wielded two swords as well. He then explained that the longer one in his right hand was called Mumyō, while the one with the golden sword tassel in his left was called Shingon.

Xuanxin then wanted to show everyone the two swords' completely different abilities. But the First Division's inner courtyard had been swept spotless, and there was nothing he could use as a target to test their sharpness or the power of his Kidō.

Xuanxin turned and looked around, his gaze finally settling on the two solitary, exquisitely trimmed ornamental pines in a corner of the courtyard.

"Let's try those."

As soon as Xuanxin spoke, Shunsui Kyōraku followed his gaze, and his expression changed drastically!

"Wait! Junior brother! Those two trees are—!"

Before Shunsui could finish his desperate attempt to stop him, Xuanxin had already switched Shingon to his right hand and pointed it simply at a pine. A raging fireball shot straight at the tree, and in the blink of an eye, it was reduced to a blackened piece of charcoal.

Ukitake, standing nearby, noticed that the power of this Shakkahō was probably already equal to a version cast with the full incantation.

Xuanxin then quickly switched the two swords in his hands again and charged at the other pine with Mumyō.

In the blink of an eye, the pines that Old Man Yamamoto had planted with his own hands and watched grow day by day had taken on entirely different forms.

One was now a completely black piece of charcoal, while the other had become a bare—toothpick.

"..."

The wind stopped.

The air in the entire First Division inner courtyard became deathly still in that instant, and the pressure abruptly dropped to freezing point!

No one cared about Xuanxin's Zanpakuto anymore. Instead, they stared at him in horror.

Xuanxin looked at his handiwork with some satisfaction, then turned to hear his senior brothers' assessments.

But when he turned, all he saw was Jūshirō Ukitake covering his face in horror; Kisuke Urahara frantically wiping cold sweat from his forehead; and Yoruichi, wearing an expression that said, "You're in big trouble," quietly taking two steps back.

"Creak, creak..."

The teeth-grating sound of a cane being gripped tightly came from the steps.

Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai slowly rose to his feet, his two long white eyebrows stirring without a breeze. A scorching Reiatsu ten times more terrifying than when he had crushed the assassins outside gathered in the courtyard like the end of the world!

"Oh my... I believe there are still severely wounded patients in the Fourth Division waiting for me to attend to them. Everyone, I'll take my leave."

Retsu Unohana still wore her gentle smile, and even her pace of speech had not changed, but she vanished from the First Division Barracks the moment her words ended.

"Gulp."

Shunsui Kyōraku swallowed with difficulty. Moving faster than he ever had in his life, he grabbed Jūshirō Ukitake by the collar, scooped up Yoruichi and Kisuke Urahara with his other hand, and shouted to Xuanxin:

"Well! Junior brother! I just remembered there are still a few assassins outside we haven't finished dealing with! We'll go take care of them for you right now!"

"You, you have a good talk with Master about what you learned from achieving Shikai first! We'll be going! Oh, right, tomorrow night, at that tavern near the Eighth Division, Ukitake and I will throw you a celebration! We'll be waiting! Don't be late!"

Before he had even finished speaking, Shunsui Kyōraku and the other three vanished from the barracks like people fleeing a disaster. His speed was so great it surpassed even the limits of his Shunpo.

In the empty courtyard, only Xuanxin remained, holding his two swords with a bewildered expression, along with the old man on the steps, whose eyes were now fully open.

"Reduce all things in creation to ashes..." The old man's low voice sounded beside Xuanxin's ear.

On the street outside the First Division Barracks.

Shunsui Kyōraku and the other three had just flashed through the gates and had not even caught their breath.

"Rumble—!!!"

A towering pillar of fire erupted from the First Division, burning a huge hole through even the clouds above the Seireitei!

Yoruichi glanced at the pillar of fire behind her and said with lingering fear, "Um, Captain Kyōraku, Xuanxin..."

Shunsui Kyōraku pressed down his straw hat and remarked guiltily: