Shattering Perceptions, in the Name of the High Priestess of Ruyue Palace!

How to communicate with a god.

Blessings, prayers, and sacrifices.

Nikkotsu Shrine is different from the Ise Clan, a family of shrine priests; because the shrine is too small and remote, there are not many ways to communicate with the gods.

Kisaragi Akira only knows these three methods.

Among them, the most commonly used are prayer and sacrifice.

The specific methods were taught to him by Ise Shizune.

Having made up his mind, Kisaragi Akira stood up immediately, ignoring the strange looks from the Zanpakuto meditation instructor, and left the dojo directly, carrying his Asauchi.

The moment he stepped out, Aizen opened his half-closed eyes.

Watching Kisaragi Akira's disappearing back, a look of confusion flashed in the depths of his eyes.

What kind of madness is this guy up to now?

Considering that Kisaragi Akira often does things that are inconceivable and beyond common sense, the occasional truancy is nothing.

"This kid is becoming increasingly undisciplined!"

Seeing that the person had already gone far, the Zanpakuto meditation instructor muttered discontentedly in a low voice.

He had wanted to stop him, but considering the gap in their combat strength, he swallowed the words that had reached his lips.

After all, the thing in that kid Kisaragi Akira's hand right now is not a bamboo sword.

It is a genuine Asauchi.

Although it has not yet been infused with the essence of a soul to become a true Zanpakuto, its toughness and sharpness are already beyond what a bamboo sword can compare to.

If this reckless fool were to get hot-headed, he, a Zanpakuto meditation instructor, would end up a ghost under that blade.

For the sake of his own life, it is better to be a bit cowardly at critical moments.

"Teacher, I will go and bring him back."

After hesitating for a long time, Aizen decided to follow and see what Kisaragi Akira was planning to do.

After obtaining the teacher's permission, he also quickly left the dojo.

Following the trail of Kisaragi Akira's spiritual pressure, Aizen chased him all the way to the vicinity of the dormitories.

However, the scene that followed refreshed his worldview and his perception of the disparities in this world once again.

He saw Kisaragi Akira covering the table with talismans, candles burning, the atmosphere eerie yet sacred.

A giant black single eye was engraved on the banner nearby, and a brass handbell swayed and rang, emitting a crisp sound of metal clashing.

Then, he carefully placed his Asauchi in the position that should have been reserved for offering sacrifices to the gods.

Immediately after, under Aizen's puzzled gaze.

Kisaragi Akira, who was usually sunny and devil-may-care, suddenly seemed like a different person, becoming earnest and serious.

His whole person was filled with that thick, charlatan-like aura, as if he were a true head priest.

"This guy..."

Aizen was thoughtful, Could it be that he intends to use the method of sacrifice to complete his Zanpakuto meditation, thereby communicating with his own Zanpakuto?

As intelligent as he was, just by looking at the preparation stage, he roughly knew what Kisaragi Akira was planning to do.

Beyond being knowledgeable, it was more about his understanding of Kisaragi Akira.

Because of his style of conduct, Kisaragi Akira only had one friend in the Spiritual Arts Academy: Aizen.

But wasn't Aizen the same?

How many people dared to provoke anyone associated with Kisaragi Akira?

Even Kaede Junya, who was a teacher, had already earned himself a private suite in the infirmary; others were even less daring to have too much to do with Kisaragi Akira.

"In the name of Priest Kisaragi, I offer this sacrifice..."

Kisaragi Akira's fingers danced like butterflies, forming strange and sacred hand seals. While chanting, he meditated on the object of his sacrifice in his heart.

Come to think of it, what should the image of a Zanpakuto be?

Just a simple sword?

Countless images surged in his heart, but as soon as they formed, they were shattered by Kisaragi Akira.

Although he was not sure if this method would work, he certainly couldn't just muddle through by randomly imagining the appearance of a Zanpakuto in his mind.

Suddenly, information regarding Zanpakuto flashed through his mind.

Since they are essentially forged from the soul of a Shinigami, could he change the object of the sacrifice to himself?

To communicate and converse with himself.

Kisaragi Akira's eyes grew brighter, reflecting the flickering candlelight as if brilliant stars were slowly taking shape within them.

Having determined the object of the sacrifice, he used the Asauchi as a medium to conduct the subsequent sacrificial ritual.

As the brass handbell swayed, a gust of wind suddenly rose out of thin air in the room, and countless objects were swept into the air, emitting bursts of shattering sounds as they collided with one another.

Kisaragi Akira poured his entire spiritual pressure into the bell, using this method to awaken the "deity" he needed to commune with.

In the ethereal void, it felt as though an invisible thread connected his soul to the Asauchi.

Seeing this, Aizen's eyes widened. The calm that usually defined his youthful face vanished, replaced by an expression of utter disbelief.

He had actually succeeded.

Replacing the traditional sword meditation with a sacrificial ritual to bridge the connection between a Shinigami and their Zanpakuto.

Just how was this guy's brain wired?

To think he could come up with such an outrageous method!

Surging, doubling, skyrocketing!

The moment his soul connected with the Asauchi, Kisaragi Akira's spiritual pressure began to rise violently, forming a tangible pressure that blanketed the entire dormitory.

If he had any spare attention, he would have noticed—

The data on his personal status panel was changing at a rapid pace.

[Spiritual Pressure: lv22, lv23, lv24, lv25, lv26...]

The numbers continued to soar as if there were no upper limit.

Compared to the changes on the panel, the impact of his spiritual pressure on the outside world was even more shocking.

The wooden floorboards cracked layer by layer, and the wallpaper and walls were shredded by the wind, swept into a chaotic gale that pulverized any objects caught in the swirling debris.

What was even more baffling was that the loudest sound in the room wasn't the howling wind, but a dull, rhythmic thumping coming from Kisaragi Akira himself.

That was—

The beating of his heart!

It sounded like thunder from the heavens had fallen into his chest, pulsing and echoing with such force that it felt as if his ribcage might burst open.

Aizen's expression shifted repeatedly.

As expected, refusing to follow the rules led to entirely different results.

By taking an unconventional path, Kisaragi Akira had arrived at an unprecedented situation.

Even with his perfect scores in history class, he had never heard of anyone experiencing such a shocking transformation after communing with their Zanpakuto.

The spiritual pressure continued to climb.

It surged all the way from the level of a standard Shinigami soldier to that of a seated officer.

[Spiritual Pressure: lv45]

The twelfth rank of spiritual power!

As for Kisaragi Akira, his eyes had rolled back to show only the whites, his expression dazed and vacant, like a wooden puppet.

His consciousness, however, had arrived in a completely unfamiliar space.

Or more accurately—

A world!

[Check-in conditions met]

[Location Check-in: Zanpakuto Inner World]

[Obtained Spiritual Pressure +1, currently lv46]

[Obtained Exclusive Trait: Light as a Swallow]

[Light as a Swallow: Body becomes light and agile, speed increased by 50%!]

As the familiar voice echoed in his ears and he gazed out at the boundless world before him, confidence swelled within Kisaragi Akira's heart.

Indeed—

When it comes to rituals, he is a professional!