This Shore, That Shore

"This Shore, That Shore..."

The teacher in charge of recording muttered the blade's name as he wrote it down, then suddenly chuckled and said, "Sounds like the name of two swords."

"And the ability?" another teacher pressed on.

Shin assumed a contemplative expression, then said with a light smile, "I haven't fully figured out the specifics yet, but... it should be a healing type."

[This Shore, That Shore (Half-Release)]

[Rule-Type]

It was indeed the name of two swords: This Shore was the tachi, That Shore the wakizashi.

In Buddhism, life and death are This Shore—the mortal world of birth, aging, sickness, and death.

Nirvana is That Shore—the attainment of Buddhahood.

Shin's Zanpakutō differed from ordinary Shinigami's; it wasn't forged from an Asauchi, but condensed from his own spiritual pressure into a blade.

"Healing type?"

The teachers present, including Nanda Hidezawa, all looked exceptionally astonished.

The reason was that healing-type Zanpakutō were far too rare. The only well-known one was Fourth Division Captain Unohana Retsu's Minazuki. Even within the Fourth Division—the healing squad—the number of members with a healing-type Zanpakutō could be counted on one hand.

Nanda Hidezawa was shocked because, among all of Shin's scores, Kaidō was the worst.

Of course, compared to Shin's other results, his Kaidō scores were still excellent among his peers—just not as overwhelmingly dominant as his other subjects.

A deep worry crept into Nanda Hidezawa's eyes. In his view, Shin's Zanpakutō ability might severely limit his future development path, especially given how extraordinary his swordsmanship was...

"Could you give us a demonstration?" the recording teacher continued.

Shin nodded.

He said his Zanpakutō was a healing type because, after careful thought, it seemed like the only fitting classification.

He drew the Asauchi in his hand, then, under the gaze of the three teachers, unhesitatingly slashed his own palm.

Blood immediately welled up.

Then, spiritual energy glowed along the black Asauchi's edge, and the wound on Shin's palm vanished in an instant, as if it had never existed.

"This..."

"Such healing power is truly remarkable!"

One teacher couldn't help but praise. He saw that not a single scar remained on Shin's palm—this required advanced-level Kaidō to achieve. If properly developed, it would become an immensely powerful healing ability!

And Tachikawa Shin was a genius on top of that—this would be a blessing for Soul Society.

The two teachers asked many more details, had Shin demonstrate several more times, and whenever Shin encountered a question he hadn't prepared an answer for, he simply said he had just awakened his Zanpakutō and didn't fully understand it yet.

Only after all the Zanpakutō information was registered did the two teachers leave.

Shin unceremoniously sat down in Teacher Nanda's seat, let out a long breath, and said, "What a hassle."

He then looked at Nanda Hidezawa. "What's wrong, Teacher Nanda? You don't seem too happy?"

Nanda Hidezawa stared intently at Shin and said, "Shin, do you know what your Zanpakutō's ability means?"

Shin smiled lightly. "What?"

"Once it's registered, your information will be known to all divisions. When you graduate, you'll most likely be directly assigned to the Fourth Division—no, you'll definitely be assigned to the Fourth Division."

Healing-type Zanpakutō were far too rare; not even one in a thousand might have one.

Soul Society never lacked powerful Shinigami, but having one more doctor who could save lives was clearly more important than the former.

"What's wrong with the Fourth Division?" Shin asked with a smile, turning the question around.

Nanda Hidezawa's expression froze. He spoke earnestly, "Your swordsmanship, Kidō, Hakuda, and Shunpo are all top-tier among your peers—especially swordsmanship. In all my years of teaching, I've never seen a student with more talent in this area than you, Shin. You have boundless potential. You should become a more well-rounded Shinigami. Even becoming a Lieutenant Captain or a Captain in the future isn't impossible. Entering the Fourth Division is not a wise choice for you."

Shin leaned back in his seat and said lazily, "But my Zanpakutō just happens to have this ability—what can I do about it? Teacher Nanda, you're talking as if my future is already set in stone."

Nanda Hidezawa only sighed. It wasn't that he looked down on doctors; he just felt that Shin's swordsmanship talent shouldn't be wasted, and the Fourth Division was, after all, a medical squad.

"Alright, Teacher Nanda, thank you for worrying about my future. But I'm not in a hurry myself, so there's no need for you to be so concerned. Who can say for sure what the future holds?" Shin shifted to comforting his teacher, then stood up from his seat.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be going. See you, Teacher Nanda."

As he left, he held the Asauchi, thinking to himself that he should mark it when he got back, just in case it got mixed up with someone else's—that would be a huge blunder.

At the entrance of the boys' dormitory, Shin saw Kanazawa and Hisagi Shūhei waiting for him.

"Yo! Waiting for me?"

He walked over with a cheerful greeting.

Both of their gazes were fixed on the Asauchi in his arms. When Shin reached them, he directly handed the Asauchi over for them to examine closely.

"Shin, your Zanpakutō... looks really ordinary. It's no different from the Asauchi we usually use," Shūhei couldn't help but say.

Shin rolled his eyes at that, thinking to himself that it was the Asauchi they usually used.

Kanazawa then asked softly, "What's its name?"

"This Shore, That Shore."

"This Shore, That Shore..." Kanazawa gently traced the blade, her gaze flickering with uncertainty.

"What a beautiful name."

For Spirit Training Academy students, a Zanpakutō was still a novelty. The two of them stared at Xin's blade for a long time, as if hoping to glean some insight from it—some secret that would help them awaken their own Zanpakutō sooner.

But they were destined for disappointment.

No matter how they looked at it, this was just an ordinary Asauchi. The storage room held countless blades identical to it.

"Xin, you're drifting further and further away," Hisagi suddenly remarked with a hint of emotion.

Xin chuckled at the words. "Haven't I always been right by your side?"

Hisagi smiled too.

"Still, don't fall too far behind. Wouldn't want to get left in the dust."

#

The next morning.

Student Council Headquarters Office.

The first-year Student Council newcomers had all arrived early, waiting in anticipation. This was technically their first official day as Student Council members, and excitement was written on every face.

Xin arrived a bit late, though not late enough to be tardy. The moment he stepped in, his ears were flooded with "Good morning, President," which jolted his mind fully awake.

Hisagi Shūhei took over the speaking in Xin's stead: "Welcome, everyone, as members of the Student Council. The Student Council is the bridge connecting the Spirit Training Academy and its students..."

"Now, I will read out the department assignments for each first-year member. I hope you will take your work seriously, live up to the trust the Academy and the students have placed in you, and be worthy of this responsibility."