An Unusual Jinzen

So the kid hadn't brought his swords earlier not because he'd "turned over a new leaf," but because he'd sent them off for an "upgrade"?!

The teacher took a deep breath, completely overcome by a profound sense of helplessness.

Forget it. Let him do as he pleases. There's no talking sense into a stubborn mule who won't give up until he hits a wall. I'll wait until he fails at Jinzen again today, then spell out the dangers of using two swords!

With that thought, the teacher glanced at the time and cleared his throat. Forcing his gaze away from Xuanxin, he looked at the class and announced in a deep voice:

"Class begins!"

The teacher then went through the usual routine of reiterating the precautions for Jinzen before waving his hand sharply.

"Everyone, calm your minds. Begin Jinzen now!"

Chapter 9: An Unusual Jinzen

At the instructor's command, the restless classroom fell quiet.

Like Xuanxin, the students around him silently placed both swords across their knees and began Jinzen.

But this time, it felt completely different.

Kisuke Urahara's crazy technology had perfectly solved the problems of "carrying capacity" and "excessive container density."

If entering the Jinzen world before had been like pushing aside a cloth curtain, this time Xuanxin had to push open a tightly shut gate.

But that weight was no obstacle at all to the resolute Xuanxin.

Open... up!

Xuanxin let out a low shout in his heart. His mental power became a sharp chisel, forcibly breaking through the barrier.

The next second, Xuanxin opened his eyes once more and found himself back in the meadow. The same table and the same tree were there; nothing seemed to have changed.

The only difference was that the faint sense of rejection, though still present, had genuinely diminished somewhat.

Because he no longer rejected this world, the mirror of his soul had opened its doors to him as well.

Xuanxin took a deep breath and cautiously stepped forward.

There was no sound of shattering! The world did not collapse!

There was only the rustle of his shoes brushing against the blades of grass.

An indescribable excitement welled up in Xuanxin. He had succeeded! He had finally, truly set foot in his own Zanpakuto world.

I've got to say, Kisuke Urahara's technology really is something else.

Xuanxin then headed toward the table beneath the tree.

He steadied himself and walked quickly to the wooden table under the tree. Looking at the white-haired figure with its back to him, he asked softly, "Are you my sword spirit? Can you hear me?"

But the sword spirit was as motionless as a lifeless statue. Its chest did not even rise and fall with breath.

Xuanxin frowned slightly and moved around to the side for a closer look, only to find that he could not make out the figure's features at all.

He then waved a hand in front of the sword spirit and even boldly poked its exposed skin. It was as elastic as a real person's skin, but cold and utterly lifeless.

"Looks like there's no way to communicate for now, huh?"

Xuanxin sighed helplessly. Since he could not communicate with the figure, he turned his gaze to the wooden table instead.

An ancient book lay quietly on it. Xuanxin knew that the way out of his predicament might lie within its pages.

Without much hesitation, Xuanxin slowly reached out with his right hand and grasped for the ancient book.

The instant his fingertips neared it, a sharp, piercing pain shot through them!

Xuanxin reflexively snatched his hand back and instinctively rubbed his fingers, then looked down. A clean cut had appeared on the tip of his right index finger, deep enough to expose the flesh, and crimson blood was slowly seeping out.

"This is..."

Xuanxin's pupils contracted slightly. He had seen no trace of an attack at all. It was "sword intent" of the utmost purity!

What he did not know was that, in the quiet room outside, a cut had also appeared without warning on the tip of his right index finger, which rested on his knee as he sat cross-legged with his eyes closed.

A drop of blood slid from his fingertip onto his white uniform, blossoming into a glaring red plum blossom.

Inside the Jinzen world.

Xuanxin looked at the blood on his fingertip, and understanding flashed through his mind.

Perhaps this was the trial he had to face. Once he realized that, his gaze turned utterly fierce.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the fear he had felt a moment ago, and reached for the book with his right hand again!

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

As Xuanxin's right hand neared the book once more, the invisible sword intent appeared in the air again.

In an instant, several wounds burst open on his right hand, blood pouring from them.

Agonizing pain assailed his reason in waves.

As Xuanxin first tasted this pain, like being cut to pieces, he inevitably felt a trace of reluctance to continue.

But when he saw the ancient book so close at hand, that trace of instinctive fear was crushed by the stubbornness in his bones and his desire for power!

It hurts! It hurts so much! But... if I don't grasp it, how am I supposed to survive in this cruel world?!

As long as I want to become a Soul Reaper, as long as I want to hold my fate in my own hands, I have to overcome this hurdle!

Xuanxin clenched his teeth, a faint, rusty taste filling his mouth. Instead of retreating, he pushed forward, forcing his right hand through the invisible net of slashing blades that filled the air. Enduring the agony, he pressed down toward the ancient book inch by inch!

As his hand drew closer to the book, the fierce sword intent grew denser once again.

Xuanxin's once-slender, fair right hand was now mangled beyond recognition. Less than a tenth of the flesh remained on his fingertips, leaving only stark white bone.

Yet even though his right hand had been reduced to bone, the light in Xuanxin's eyes grew ever more resolute.

Inside the Jinzen world, Xuanxin was relying on his tremendous willpower to withstand the trial.

Outside, however, the whole of Class One had descended into complete chaos!

Just a few minutes earlier, while the students of Class One were still fretting over how to calm their minds, the sound of tearing fabric had suddenly echoed through the quiet room.

Everyone opened their eyes and looked toward the source of the sound.

The space around Xuanxin seemed to be shrouded by an invisible force, and slashes had appeared on the surrounding desks and floor. The tearing sound had come from his uniform.

While everyone was still wondering what was happening, an even more horrifying sight appeared.

The flesh on Xuanxin's right hand seemed to be getting shredded by some invisible force! It even "evaporated" and "peeled away" into the air in irregular patterns!

In the space of a few breaths, bright red blood had soaked his trousers and uniform.

Several noble girls with weaker nerves screamed on the spot.

The teacher who had been watching over Xuanxin all along turned pale with alarm. Fearing that the students' screams would disturb Xuanxin's Jinzen, he hurried them all out of the room, leaving only himself to stand guard.

He knew this was a physical backlash from the spiritual world! But it was the first time he had seen a backlash as violent as Xuanxin's.

At that moment, a Fourth Division member who had come to teach the students Kaidō also rushed over after receiving word.

When he saw Xuanxin sitting upright in a pool of blood, his right hand almost reduced to bone, he gasped.

To be honest, he had seen many injuries caused by Jinzen backlash, but this was the first time he had seen one so gruesome. And it was truly rare for a child to endure such an injury and continue with Jinzen.

A soft, glowing green light then filled the quiet room.

But then something unexpected happened.

The moment the green Kaidō touched the wound, it vanished without a trace, as though it had never existed.

All the teachers froze. Xuanxin's homeroom teacher blinked and asked, "Wait, has your Kaidō gotten worse? Or are you just too weak? Why isn't it working?"

At the word "weak," the Kaidō teacher's old face reddened, and he hurriedly said, "What nonsense are you talking about?! How could I possibly be weak?!"

To prove his point, the green light in his hands grew brighter, and he poured Kaidō onto Xuanxin's wound as if it cost him nothing. Yet there was still no change.

At last, after who knew how many applications of Kaidō, Xuanxin's wound finally showed a faint sign of healing.

But even that tiny bit of healing had cost the teacher nearly a fifth of his Reiatsu.

"Huff... huff... what in the world?!"

The Fourth Division Seated Officer collapsed onto the floor. Gasping for breath and wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, he said:

"There's a Reiatsu in the wound that's devouring the Kaidō. Unless that power is fed its fill, there's no way to heal it effectively."

Meanwhile, inside the Jinzen world.

The instant Xuanxin pressed his right hand, now nothing but bone, onto the cover of the ancient book, the sword intent surrounding it vanished without a trace.

Xuanxin panted heavily, his clothes soaked in cold sweat, but he had succeeded.

He slowly opened the ancient book. There was no obscure writing on its pages, but a series of familiar movements, as though he had practiced them countless times.

But just as Xuanxin was about to turn to the next page, a cold flash of silver-white light cut in from the side without warning.

With a clang, a blade gleaming with cold light pressed firmly against the page, stopping him.

Xuanxin turned sharply, his pupils contracting.

The figure that had been standing motionless to one side had appeared beside him at some point.

The figure then assumed a stance identical to one in the ancient book.

Normally, a dual-sword style used one long blade and one short: a tachi and a wakizashi.

But the figure's two swords were almost identical in length. At a casual glance, it was impossible to tell them apart.

Watching the sword spirit's movements, Xuanxin understood at once. If he wanted to keep turning the pages and continue uncovering the truth of his Zanpakuto, he had to overcome the obstacle before him.

"I see. So this is my trial?"

Xuanxin took a deep breath and endured the pain. Reaching behind him, he drew the two reforged swords at his waist and assumed the exact same stance as the white figure.

"Boom!"

Without exchanging a word, the two figures clashed on the meadow in an instant!

Blades flashed in a blur, and sparks flew! Yet from the very start of the fight, Xuanxin found himself at an overwhelming disadvantage.

They were too alike! The sword spirit's moves were exactly the same as Xuanxin's, and neither could break through the other's techniques. Meanwhile, Xuanxin's right hand was covered in wounds, making him feel even more desperate.

Thus, after only ten exchanges, Xuanxin had accomplished nothing and gained several more wounds.

"Clang!"

After another clash of their paired swords, Xuanxin was knocked sliding several steps backward. Panting, he stared at the faceless figure before him, his mind racing.

This won't work. Using the same approach, I have no chance of winning as I am now. To break out of this, I have to step beyond the framework of Niten Ichi-ryū!

In a flash, Xuanxin recalled chopping trees in the woods on the mountain behind the school, as well as what the teacher had said in class: "Holding a sword with two hands will always provide greater stability and force than holding it with one."

A fierce glint then flashed in Xuanxin's eyes. He abruptly drove the secondary sword in his left hand into the earth at his feet!

He abandoned dual wielding and switched to one hand!

Across from him, the sword spirit tilted its head, in a gesture that seemed rather human.