Chapter 13: This Shore and the Other

"This Shore, That Shore..."

The teacher responsible for recording the information muttered the name of the blade as he wrote it down. Suddenly, he chuckled and remarked, "It sounds like the names of two separate swords."

"And what about its abilities?" another teacher asked.

Shin appeared to be in deep thought, then replied with a faint smile, "I haven't fully explored its specific capabilities yet, but... I suppose you could classify it as a healing-type."

[This Shore, That Shore (Semi-Shikai)]
[Kido/Rule-based]

It was indeed the name of two swords: "This Shore" was a katana, while "That Shore" was a wakizashi. In Buddhism, "This Shore" refers to the world of life, old age, sickness, and death—the mundane world. "That Shore" refers to Nirvana, or reaching enlightenment.

Shin’s sword was different from that of an ordinary Shinigami; it was not crafted from an Asauchi, but forged from his own spiritual pressure.

"A healing-type?"

The teachers present, including Minamida Hidezawa, looked visibly surprised. The reason was that healing-type Zanpakuto are extremely rare. The only well-known one was Minazuki, belonging to Captain Retsu Unohana of the Fourth Division. Even within the Fourth Division, the medical corps, only a handful of members possessed healing-type blades.

Minamida Hidezawa was particularly surprised because, among all of Shin's academic records, his performance in Kaido (Way of Healing) was actually his weakest. Of course, that was only in comparison to his other grades; his Kaido scores were still excellent compared to his peers, just not as overwhelmingly dominant as his other subjects.

A flicker of concern clouded Minamida’s eyes. In his view, the ability of Shin’s Zanpakuto might severely limit his future career path, especially considering his exceptional swordsmanship...

"Could you demonstrate it for us?" the recording teacher asked.

Shin nodded. He had called his Zanpakuto a healing-type because, upon reflection, it seemed the most fitting classification. He drew the Asauchi he held, and under the watchful eyes of the three teachers, he sliced his own palm without hesitation.

Blood immediately welled up. Then, a glow of spiritual power illuminated the black blade, and the wound on Shin’s palm vanished instantly, as if it had never existed.

"This..."

"This kind of healing power is truly impressive!" a teacher couldn't help but exclaim. Seeing that not a single scar remained on Shin’s palm, he knew it was a feat requiring advanced Kaido. If developed properly, it would be a formidable healing ability!

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

The two teachers asked several more questions and had Shin demonstrate the ability a few more times. Whenever Shin encountered a question he hadn't prepared an answer for, he simply said that he had just awakened his Zanpakuto and didn't fully understand it yet.

Once all the information was registered, the two teachers departed. Shin sat down in Minamida’s chair without ceremony, let out a long sigh, and said, "What a hassle."

He looked at Minamida Hidezawa. "What’s wrong, Minamida-sensei? Why do you still look so unhappy?"

Minamida Hidezawa stared intently at Shin. "Shin, do you realize what the ability of this Zanpakuto implies?"

Shin chuckled. "What does it mean?"

"Once it is officially registered, your information will be known to every division. When you graduate, there is a high probability—no, it is almost certain—that you will be assigned directly to the Fourth Division."

Healing-type Zanpakuto were too rare; you might not find one in a thousand. The Soul Society never lacked powerful warriors, but the addition of a skilled healer was clearly more valuable.

"What’s wrong with the Fourth Division?" Shin asked with a smile.

Minamida Hidezawa paused, his expression turning grave. "Your swordsmanship, Kido, Hakuda, and Hoho are all top-tier among your peers. Especially your swordsmanship—in all my years of teaching, I have never seen a student with more talent in that area. Shin, you have a limitless future. You should become a well-rounded Shinigami. It is not impossible for you to become a Lieutenant or even a Captain one day. Entering the Fourth Division is not a wise choice for you."

Shin leaned back in the chair and said leisurely, "But what can I do when my Zanpakuto happens to have this ability? Minamida-sensei, you speak as if my future has already been set in stone."

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

"Alright, Minamida-sensei, thank you for worrying about my future, but I’m not in a hurry yet. There’s no need to be so concerned; who can say what the future holds?" Shin comforted his teacher before rising from his seat. "I’ll be going now if there’s nothing else. Goodbye, Minamida-sensei."

As he left, he picked up the Asauchi, thinking he should mark it when he got back to avoid any mishaps if it got mixed up with someone else's.

At the entrance of the boys' dormitory, he saw Kani-zawa and Hisagi Shuhei waiting for him.

"Yo! Waiting for me?" He walked over with a bright smile.

The two focused their gaze on the Asauchi in his arms. Shin walked up to them and handed it over so they could examine it closely.

"Shin, your Zanpakuto... it looks so ordinary. It’s no different from the Asauchi we use every day," Hisagi couldn't help but say.

Shin rolled his eyes, thinking to himself that it *was* the Asauchi they used every day.

Kani-zawa asked softly, "What is its name?"

"This Shore, That Shore."

"This Shore, That Shore..." Kani-zawa stroked the blade, his eyes flickering. "It’s a beautiful name."

For students at the Academy, a Zanpakuto was still a novel thing. The two stared at Shin's sword for a long time, as if trying to glean some secret to awakening their own. But they were destined to be disappointed. No matter how they looked at it, it was just a plain Asauchi; there were countless identical blades in the storage room.

"Shin, you’re moving further and further ahead," Hisagi suddenly remarked with a sigh.

Shin chuckled, "Haven't I always been right by your side?"

Hisagi smiled as well.

"Just don't walk too slowly, or you'll get left behind by me."

***

The next morning. The Student Council headquarters office.

The new first-year members of the Student Council had all arrived early. It was their first official day as members, and everyone wore an expression of excitement.

Shin arrived a little late, though he was not tardy. As soon as he arrived, his ears were filled with greetings like "Good morning, President," which helped clear his head.

Hisagi Shuhei took the lead in speaking on Shin's behalf: "Welcome to the Student Council. The Student Council is the link between the Academy and the students..."

"Now, I will begin reading the department assignments for the first-year members. I hope you will all take your duties seriously, live up to the trust the Academy and the students have placed in you, and honor the responsibilities you carry."