(T/N: This is chapter 6 out of 6!
Hope you guys enjoyed the read! and Thanks for the support!!
Don't forget to drop power stones and add this novel to your collection!! It helps greatly!
Check out my new novel: Demon Slayer: I'm Tanjiro's Sister But I'm Not Nezuko!)
The death of Amamimon Tomoya immediately drew attention from multiple factions.
The Amamimon family was especially furious.
Upon hearing the news, the head of the Amamimon clan publicly vowed that the murderer of Tomoya would pay the price.
However, he soon learned that Tomoya had been killed by Katori Nanatsuki—and that Nanatsuki had acted justifiably, with the investigation led by none other than his own student, Shihōin-san.
With that, the Amamimon head dropped the matter entirely.
Once Shihōin-san and the Onmitsukidō had compiled sufficient evidence of Tomoya's crimes, Nanatsuki personally visited the Amamimon residence.
The clan treated him with extreme courtesy—even the clan head came out to greet him in person.
They went so far as to say that Tomoya had committed too many atrocities, and dying by Nanatsuki's hand was his just reward. The clan head even expressed gratitude to Nanatsuki on behalf of the family for eliminating such a menace.
At this point, Nanatsuki's strength and reputation rivaled that of a Gotei 13 captain. The Amamimon family head would never risk offending someone like him—at least, not on the surface.
But Nanatsuki wasn't naïve enough to believe the matter had simply been put to rest.
The entire affair had dealt a blow to the Amamimon family's reputation, and deep down, many within the clan now held a grudge against him.
If the family ever found an opportunity, they'd certainly retaliate.
Still, Nanatsuki wasn't concerned. As the Katori-ryu Dojo continued to grow, families like the Amamimon—who didn't even have a captain-level figure—would only fall further behind.
—
Once the Tomoya matter was settled, the Shin'o Spiritual Arts Academy reopened for the new term.
Nanatsuki was assigned a new freshman class this semester—one that happened to include six of his personal disciples. It was bound to become a legendary cohort.
Danmu Zōsuke knocked on the door and stepped into the office.
"Division Head, here's the list of enrolled students you requested." Danmu set a thick stack of documents on Nanatsuki's desk, pulling out a chair to sit as he did so.
"Thanks. You're quick as always, Zōsuke-kun." Nanatsuki picked up the papers and began to browse.
"School's already started. These rosters were prepared in advance," Danmu replied with a puzzled look. "But… why the sudden interest in students from other years?"
"I met a promising candidate recently but forgot to ask which class she's in. So I figured I'd comb through the rosters to find her," Nanatsuki explained while flipping pages.
He was searching for Kakyō's class.
A few days prior, he'd encountered her in Rukongai and discovered that she possessed an A+ grade talent.
At the time, he was preoccupied with handling the Tomoya situation and didn't want her getting involved—or worse, targeted by the Amamimon. So he had her leave before the clan's agents arrived.
But Nanatsuki still hadn't received his reward for recruiting an A-grade disciple for the first time.
Now that such a rare talent had appeared, he was seriously considering taking Kakyō under his wing.
"What? Another swordsmanship prodigy?" Danmu's eyes lit up. "How do you keep finding these geniuses? Can you teach me your method?"
Seeing how many of Nanatsuki's graduates now held key positions in various squads, Danmu had started fantasizing about recruiting prodigies of his own. If his students excelled, his own standing would naturally rise as well.
"Hmm... just instinct, I suppose," Nanatsuki said lightly. He couldn't really explain that he was relying on knowledge from a past life and the Status Interface showing talents.
"Instinct?" Danmu slumped in defeat. "That's not something I can learn!"
"Found it. She's in Class 3." Nanatsuki finally spotted Kakyō's name.
"Unbelievable… another swordsmanship genius in your net!" Danmu groaned with envy. "Why do I never meet students like that?"
"The one I'm interested in might not even be a swordswoman. If she wants to study something else, I can teach that too," Nanatsuki said with a smile.
"True enough. You're a master of Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Kidō, and Shunpo—anything you teach is bound to be top-notch. Oh, by the way…" Danmu leaned in, glancing around sneakily. "Guess who I ran into while picking up the rosters?"
"Captain-Commander Yamamoto came to the school?" Nanatsuki guessed.
"Well, he's here for the opening ceremony this afternoon—so no surprise there. But no, I'm talking about Tsunayashiro Tokinada!"
"Tsunayashiro Tokinada?" Nanatsuki frowned. "What's he doing here?"
"I don't know… maybe he was invited for the ceremony?" Danmu scratched his head, then shook it. "Wait, that can't be. He was expelled from the Academy. Why would they invite him?"
Indeed, Tokinada had been expelled years ago by direct order of Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.
After that, Nanatsuki hadn't had any dealings with him.
Now, out of nowhere, Tokinada had returned to the Academy?
Someone like him wouldn't show up without a motive.
"Forget him. I need to go."
"Alright, I'll head back to my office. I'll ask around to see what I can learn about Tokinada!"
The two men left the office. Nanatsuki made his way toward the classrooms.
He had already checked Kakyō's class schedule and knew she had a lesson right now—perfect time to find her.
Nanatsuki had been at the Academy long enough to know his way around, and he quickly located her classroom.
But outside the room, he saw two people he hadn't expected.
Tsunayashiro Tokinada and the Academy Vice Dean were standing there, speaking with Kakyō.
"Professor Katori!" Kakyō's face lit up the moment she saw Nanatsuki.
Tokinada and the Vice Dean didn't react much to Nanatsuki's arrival.
Tokinada merely gave him a glance, then looked away without greeting him.
The Vice Dean, ever shrewd, knew that Nanatsuki had grown considerably in stature. He no longer showed hostility when they met. Instead, he always wore a pleasant smile, as if they hadn't once clashed over the Swordsmanship Department Head position.
The Vice Dean greeted Nanatsuki first. "Professor Katori! Long time no see. I hear you had quite the eventful summer break."
"Vice Dean Tsunayashiro," Nanatsuki nodded. "It certainly was full of surprises."
And it was—between traveling with Yamamoto, eliminating the Mizutani family and Miyamoto Tetsuya, and then resolving the Tomoya incident just before term started, Nanatsuki had stayed plenty busy.
Anyone with decent intel would know these events weren't secrets.
The Vice Dean had tried to use Tokinada to meddle in Academy affairs before, only to be foiled by Nanatsuki. Naturally, he paid close attention to any developments involving him.
Tokinada stood quietly nearby, showing no emotion.
After greeting Nanatsuki, the Vice Dean turned back to Kakyō. "So? Have you made up your mind?"
"So soon? Isn't this a bit rushed…?" Kakyō hesitated.
"What's there to think about? You've studied at the Academy for years. You should know the weight the name Tsunayashiro carries in the Soul Society," he said coolly. "For a civilian like you, this is a rare opportunity."
"I still need some time. This is a big decision for me…" Kakyō looked down.
The Vice Dean frowned but held his tongue in front of Nanatsuki.
"Opportunities don't wait forever. I'll give you one day to decide."
With that, he and Tokinada left. Tokinada hadn't spoken a single word.
"Kakyō, what were you all talking about? If they threatened you, don't hesitate to tell me," Nanatsuki said with a gentle smile.
"It wasn't a threat exactly," Kakyō replied. "The Vice Dean was introducing me to Lord Tokinada. He… wants to marry me."
"I see… I don't want to interfere with your personal choices, but I should warn you." Nanatsuki stroked his chin. "Tokinada used to be a swordsmanship instructor here."
"Really? He was a teacher at the Academy?" Kakyō was shocked.
She had enrolled after Tokinada's expulsion and had never heard of this.
"Yes. He was even Amamimon Tomoya's homeroom teacher," Nanatsuki nodded. "His conduct with students was inappropriate, and Captain-Commander Yamamoto expelled him personally."
Kakyō's impression of Tokinada plummeted.
"I guess he's not suitable after all… Thank you for telling me, Professor Katori." She patted her chest in relief.
Though Kakyō had always been somewhat self-conscious about her birthmark, the idea of being chosen by a noble like Tsunayashiro should have been flattering.
But now that she knew the truth, the appeal was gone.
Anyone personally expelled by the Captain-Commander couldn't have a good character.
And Kakyō wasn't someone who'd sacrifice herself for power or status.
"You're still young—no need to rush into such decisions. Focus on your own strength; that's the real key to survival in the Soul Society," Nanatsuki said kindly. "Actually, I came to find you because I think you have great potential. Would you like to become my disciple?"
"I'm qualified to be your student?!" Kakyō was stunned with joy.
Professor Katori was renowned throughout the Academy. His classes consistently ranked top-tier, and his graduates were already legendary figures.
To be chosen as his student was an unimaginable honor.
"No need to doubt yourself. Didn't you use Shikai to win that battle the other day? Achieving Shikai so early is extraordinary. With your talent, you'll go far if you train diligently," Nanatsuki encouraged her.
"I'm willing! I want to become your disciple!" Kakyō didn't hesitate for a second—so different from her earlier uncertainty with the Vice Dean.
That day, Nanatsuki had stepped in and shielded her from the pressure of the Amamimon. It left an indelible mark on her heart.
From then on, he wasn't just a famous professor to her—he was someone she deeply admired.
Now that she had the chance to become his student, she wouldn't let it pass.
A prompt appeared before Nanatsuki:
[Kakyō has requested to become your personal disciple. Accept?]
Nanatsuki confirmed immediately.
[Kakyō has successfully become your personal disciple.]
[You've acquired your first A-grade talent disciple. Reward granted: Special Trait — Patient Guidance.]
Just as he expected—he'd received the Patient Guidance trait again.
Opening his Status Interface, he saw that the trait had evolved.
Now, it could boost a disciple's learning aptitude by four levels!
In other words, a student like Kakyō, who already had an A+ learning trait, could now attain the equivalent of SS- level aptitude under his tutelage.
Granted, Patient Guidance only enhanced learning—not overall talent.
The system's talent evaluation was comprehensive: factoring in Reiatsu, Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Kidō, Shunpo, Zanpakutō potential, learning ability, and more.
Still, increasing learning aptitude alone made a massive difference.
With it, disciples could train far faster and achieve results much sooner.
This time, the trait had reached its maximum level. The upgrade prompt was now gone.
"If the Vice Dean or Tokinada come looking for you again, feel free to reject them outright," Nanatsuki added. "If they harass you, come straight to me."
From his past life memories, Nanatsuki knew Kakyō had a grim fate.
If she married Tokinada, she'd eventually die by his hands.
Now that she was his disciple, he would never allow that to happen.
"Don't slack on training. Starting tomorrow, come to the dojo after class every day. If you work hard, graduating early is entirely possible." Nanatsuki smiled.
"Yes! I'll train hard!" Kakyō nodded seriously, determined to graduate ahead of schedule.
Back when Azashiro Kana graduated early, she had performed exceptionally—earning the Gotei 13's favor.
Early graduates were often seen as prodigies, and given preferential treatment in promotions.