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Pop!
A faint sound echoed, like a soap bubble bursting.
And just like that, Shirō fell out of the bubble that had been enclosing him. That thin, transparent layer shattered, and he tumbled out into a new landscape.
Still that same endless grassland. Puffy clouds floated across a vast blue sky, and the crisp breath of nature made the air feel fresh and alive.
"The sky vast and blue, the plains boundless too, when the wind bends the grass, the sheep come into view!"
Cough, cough. Alright, maybe not sheep, what Shirō was looking for was Saber.
"Saber!"
Spotting her figure in the distance, Shirō immediately sprinted toward her.
He ran. And ran. And ran.
She didn't seem far at all, but no matter how much he ran, Shirō couldn't get any closer. It felt like chasing a mirage. But Saber wasn't a mirage. She was a normal-sized human. This wasn't Las Noches towering overhead, it didn't make sense.
Clearly, this was a sort of illusion.
Still, this was his spiritual inner world. Fantastical phenomena like this weren't surprising. The truth was simple: Shirō still hadn't learned to control this world. It wasn't really his yet.
Saber turned and looked at him, then shook her head slowly.
Seeing that, Shirō stopped.
He understood, no matter how far he ran, he wouldn't reach her.
"Saber, wait! Listen to me!" he shouted, his voice hopeful. "I know I still can't hear you. But now that I can see you again, we can try another way to talk. I've been thinking about this for days, if we can't speak, then what about writing?!"
He gestured excitedly toward the grassy field beneath their feet.
"You can hear me, right? And you've got a sword. You could just write your replies in the ground!"
Proudly, Shirō laid out his shortcut solution like he'd cracked some secret code.
He thought, no, he knew.
But… Saber only gave him a helpless smile.
Then, she shook her head again. Her lips moved, but no sound came out.
Without a word, she turned around and slowly walked away.
"Saber! Don't go! At least try it out, just once! It took me so long to come up with this! Even if it doesn't work, just talk with me a little, keep me company! I've missed you!"
Shirō chased after her, but just like before, his legs moved in place. He couldn't get closer, he was stuck, frozen in position, watching her grow smaller and smaller until she finally faded into the distance.
"Tch. What kind of joke is this…" Shirō slumped down onto the grass, grumbling.
"I finally make it in here again, and this is how it turns out? No one ever said communicating with your Zanpakutō was this damn hard! I mean, Ichigo made it look easy as hell! Who knew it was a high-difficulty mechanic?"
Yeah, Shirō, who else would think bonding with your Zanpakutō was supposed to be easy?
If it really were that simple, why were there still so many Shinigami who hadn't even reached Shikai?
Why were those few who achieved Bankai carved into Soul Society's history?
And this guy thought he could cheat the system?
Ha.
Sure, he had once guessed Saber's name. That was thanks to his transmigrator bonus. But now? Using tricks like writing messages in the dirt? That wasn't going to work. If it did, everyone would do it.
The reason you needed to hear your Zanpakutō speak wasn't about sound, it was symbolic. It meant your souls had aligned deeply enough to connect. Without that connection, any form of communication, spoken or written, was meaningless.
Still, the fact that he could now enter his spiritual world and see Saber again was a big step. Visual connection was the first level.
"I'll take it! One step at a time.! Time to keep pushing forward!!"
With renewed resolve, Shirō flopped back on the grass, arms wide.
"I finally made it back in here. I'm not leaving today! If I had some wine, this'd be perfect~"
Yep. This guy was totally hooked on the luxurious life.
Thanks to this breakthrough with his Zanpakutō, Shirō put the whole early graduation idea on hold.
Not because the Academy classes were suddenly more fun.
But because Shirō… was extremely petty.
If someone mocked him? Fine, if he wasn't strong enough, that was fair.
If he was strong, he'd just beat them up to get even.
But being ignored?
Being treated like he didn't even exist?
That was the worst.
He had no one to blame. No one to fight. No target for his pride.
So now he waited, patiently, for the day he could fully master his Zanpakutō.
When that day came-
Anyone who heard the name "Emiya Shirō" would either admire him… or fear him.
Then again, why didn't he just flex now?
With his strength, he could easily wipe the floor with some cocky students. Surely that'd get him noticed again.
But… he didn't have a Zanpakutō.
And that was the problem.
If he drew attention to himself now, the whole school would notice that one glaring flaw: he was still using a standard-issue sword.
They'd laugh him out of the courtyard.
It'd be like a joke.
So, for now, he endured.
He'd level up quietly. Wait until he "job changed" properly.
Then, when he stepped into the light again… everyone would see the real deal.
====
And so, a year passed.
It was a dry, dull year, but things did change.
Yoruichi, for example, had already made waves in the Punishment Force.
In just one year, she'd become a squad leader.
Sure, her noble status helped, but her own strength was undeniable.
At this rate, it was only a matter of time before she took control of the entire Punishment Force. And once she mastered Bankai, she'd likely claim the title of Captain of Squad 2, restoring the Shihōin Clan's prestige.
As for the Academy?
Genius Kaien graduated from Year 1 and skipped all the way to Year 6.
He was clearly on the fast track to early graduation.
With Kaien gone, Shirō should've had room to breathe.
But now… the top spot in his year belonged to Soifon.
Quite an annoying one.
Especially when she kept throwing smug looks his way, like a peacock showing off.
Shirō could only sigh.
His biggest change over the year? His body.
He was no longer a child. He'd grown so fast that people had to double-check if he was the same person.
From a kid to a teen, just like that.
He figured it was because he'd stopped suffering under Yoruichi. Now that he had food, sleep, and peace, his body finally grew at a normal pace.
Now in his second year, Shirō found a new reason to stay in school:
The Academy library.
He could finally access it freely and spend his days browsing, researching, or just hiding from all the madness.
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