Although Emiya Shirō couldn't yet unleash his Zanpakutō's abilities, its current state, completely invisible, made it perfect for ambushes. In fact, most people might even mistake this as his Zanpakutō's actual shikai ability, like Hisagi Shūhei's Kazeshini, which transformed into a unique shape and attacked in an unconventional manner.
But Shirō knew the truth.
His current situation was more like Kira Izuru's Wabisuke , where the blade's form had already changed after shikai, yet it lacked the ability to double the weight with each strike. That's why Shirō later dubbed this state a "half-release."
It wasn't a perfect term, but it worked. Ichigo Kurosaki was a similar case, his Zanpakutō always stayed in its shikai form, but unless he used Getsuga Tenshō, it was no different from a normal blade. The power existed but wasn't fully awakened.
Even so, a half-shikai was still better than nothing. Eventually, he would need to master true shikai. For now, even this minor boost gave him an edge.
Recalling Saber's origin, Shirō guessed this was the "Invisible Air" setting, the wind barrier that concealed the holy sword. He really wanted to see what the sword looked like beneath that illusion. And what kind of power would it reveal once he truly unlocked it?
In its original lore, Invisible Air was meant to mask Saber's true identity by hiding her sword. But here, in the world of Soul Society, such concealment didn't serve that purpose. Still, it could be used to mislead opponents unfamiliar with its nature , a small tactical advantage.
But he could sense it, this wasn't the full extent of his Zanpakutō's abilities.
Some Noble Phantasms… would they manifest as part of its shikai or would they only appear after unlocking bankai?
That was something only time would tell.
As Shirō ran his fingers over the invisible sword, he was startled to discover something on the back of his hand , a strange mark had appeared.
"A… Command Seal?!"
"Wait… is this cosplay? No way! Don't tell me my Zanpakutō has a rebellious personality and I'll have to force it to obey me three times, or else it'll ignore me or even abandon me?!"
His face went through several expressions, shock, disbelief, confusion.
Something like this shouldn't exist in the world of Soul Society.
And yet, there it was, a vivid, unmistakable Command Seal etched into his skin.
This wasn't some decorative tattoo. It clearly had meaning.
"Things… aren't going to be as simple as I thought," he muttered.
That night, Shirō attempted to enter his inner world and communicate with his Zanpakutō. He sat cross-legged in the traditional meditative position, blade across his knees.
He didn't eat, didn't drink, didn't even take a bathroom break. From excitement to calm, and then to frustration , he waited for Saber to appear again.
But nothing happened.
No vision, No inner world and no second meeting.
If it weren't for the tangible weight of the invisible blade in his hands, and the still-glowing Command Seal on his skin, he would've thought everything had been a dream.
====
The next morning, Yoruichi showed up at his door.
"Wahahaha! Shirō, what happened to you? Don't tell me you were so excited thinking about me that you couldn't sleep all night?!"
She burst out laughing when she saw the deep black circles under his eyes.
"I was regretting my decision to talk to you yesterday, that's why I didn't sleep," Shirō grumbled.
Ignoring his sulking, Yoruichi noticed the mark on his hand and grabbed it excitedly.
"Eh? A tattoo? That's not good, you know. You're too young to start with stuff like this!"
"Tch. Don't underestimate it," Shirō said proudly. "This mark fills me with power."
Every time he looked at the Command Seal, it reminded him of his Zanpakutō and lifted his spirits.
"Hmm… Some kind of Kido seal? I've never seen one shaped like this before…" Yoruichi narrowed her eyes and studied it closely.
"Alright, stop looking already." Shirō pulled his hand away. As if she'd understand what it really was , even he didn't fully know. He hadn't told her about the blade either, not out of secrecy, but because the situation was just too weird. He hadn't even heard the name of his Zanpakutō, he just knew it, somehow. It stayed in shikai state, which was bizarre.
And Shirō had no intention of becoming anyone's lab rat. He'd wait until he fully understood it before telling her.
"So, why'd you come so early anyway? I told you yesterday I wouldn't be seeing you , I'm reporting to the academy today."
"Here, take this. I made it for you last night!" Yoruichi handed him a small object.
"What's this? A charm? Is it useful?" he asked as he examined it.
"If I say it is, then it is! Just wear it properly!" Yoruichi said firmly.
Shirō immediately thought of the good-luck charm Kurosaki Isshin had once given Ichigo in the anime , it ended up saving a soul's life.
And this one… probably had similar uses. Not just protection, but also a tracking function. Yoruichi would be able to sense his location, avoiding the kind of near-miss they had the night before.
Understanding her intention, Shirō felt a warmth in his chest , but on the outside, he still complained:
"Ugh, this thing's so ugly. If my classmates see it, they'll definitely laugh at me!"
"You little, !! I said wear it, so you're wearing it!" Yoruichi shouted, then tackled him to the ground and sewed the charm directly onto his uniform.
"Done! Let's see you take that off now!" she smirked and patted her hands proudly.
Once she left, Shirō stared after her and let out a helpless chuckle.
"You know I have to change clothes, right? Sure, anime characters always wear one outfit… but now that I'm joining the academy, we have uniforms!"
He sighed. Looks like he'd have to remove the charm and sew it onto the academy uniform himself.
…
Soul Society, Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy
It wasn't the official start of the school year yet, today was the new student entrance exam.
Even for nobles, this exam was mandatory. No one could skip it. Only by passing could one enter the academy.
Fail this year? Come back next year. There were no age limits.
After all, in Soul Society, age meant nothing.
Some people were born with spiritual power and could apply as soon as they arrived in Soul Society.
Others might live hundreds of years and still not qualify.
In short, this was an exam where age meant nothing, and ability meant everything.
✦✦---------------------------------------------------------------------✦✦
Support me by adding this fic into your library!
150 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter