A week passed.
No flash of light. No name whispered in my dreams. There was only silence and repetition.
Class. Meditation. Sparring. Carry the blade. Feel nothing.
But the feeling was still there. That pressure was low, like thunder behind clouds. Waiting.
And then, finally… something changed.
---
[New System Prompt Unlocked]
Zanpakutō Resonance Reached: 10%
You may now manually awaken the spirit of your blade.
Cost: 10 Stat Points
This process is irreversible.
Would you like to proceed?
I didn't hesitate.
[Confirmed – 10 Points Spent]
Zanpakutō Spirit Interface Initializing...
Entering Inner World...
The world dissolved around me.
---
When my vision returned, I was standing somewhere impossible.
It was a city, or something like it, but empty. Black towers jutted up from a sea of mirror-glass. The sky was colorless, heavy, without sun or moon. Every footstep echoed for miles.
Shadows stretched longer than they should have.
I looked down.
My reflection stared back at me, perfectly mirrored in the glass beneath my feet. But it didn't move when I did.
It just stared.
And then it opened its mouth.
"You took your time," it said.
---
I didn't flinch.
"You're my Zanpakutō."
The reflection smirked.
"No. I'm just the first piece. Look behind you."
I turned.
He stood a few steps away. Dressed like me — black uniform, standard robes — but barefoot. Pale skin. Eyes like deep ink, pupil-less, bottomless. The Asauchi in his hand had transformed. Now a full blade, jagged at the edge like it had been carved from glass instead of forged.
"You've been walking with me since the beginning," he said. "You just never asked my name."
I nodded slowly.
"Then I'm asking."
He raised the blade and pointed it at my chest. Not threatening, ceremonial.
"I am Kage," he said. "The shadow you hide behind. The stillness in your violence. The silence you wield like a blade."
"Kage," I repeated.
And the moment I said it, I felt something snap into place.
[Zanpakutō Name Unlocked: Kage]
Type: Stealth / Shadow / Movement
Shikai Condition: Speak the name aloud with intent.
First Technique Unlocked:
Yami no Shihai – "Stealth in Darkness"
Description: While activated, user may step through connected shadows within a 20-meter radius.
Limitation: While in transition, you may not attack, block, or use Kido.
Cooldown between jumps: 3 seconds.
The shadow-version of me watched with a tilt of the head.
"You're not ready for Bankai," he said. "But you will be. If you live that long."
---
When I opened my eyes, I was back under the tree.
The Asauchi, no, Kage — sat in my lap, warm now. The cloth binding on the hilt had darkened to a slate black. Barely noticeable, unless you were looking.
I gripped it. Whispered his name under my breath.
"Kage."
The blade pulsed once in response.
No light. No wind. Just acknowledgment.
Good.
[Shikai Achieved – Hidden State Activated]
Kage's power will remain dormant unless released by command.
"Let the shadows swallow the sun… Kage."
Not yet.
I wasn't going to reveal anything. Not in class. Not to the instructors. Not even to the nobles who sniffed around like they owned the place.
This power was mine.
And until I needed it, it would stay hidden.
After all…
What's more dangerous than a sword?
A sword you don't know is there.
---