Chapter 111: Shadow of the Soul King

Chapter 111: Chapter 111: Shadow of the Soul King Early in the morning, a visitor arrived at the dojo. It was the parents of Azashiro Kana and Azashiro Sōya. "We’re terribly sorry for coming to thank you so late, Master Katori," the Azashiro family head said apologetically. Behind him, the guards were carrying a pile of gifts. These offerings from the Azashiro family were to express their gratitude to Katori Nanatsuki for helping clear their name. Preparing all of this had taken some time, which was why they were only showing up now. "You’re too polite, Family Head Azashiro. I’m Kana and Sōya’s teacher—doing what I can to help is only natural," Nanatsuki replied with a smile. "I’m a bit older than you. If you don’t mind, you can call me big brother," the Azashiro head said with a chuckle. "Sensei is still very young!" Azashiro Kana interjected, visibly displeased. The Azashiro head’s eye twitched slightly as he glanced at his daughter, a thoughtful look in his eyes. It dawned on him that his precious little girl might already be slipping away from him. Still keeping a calm face, he smiled and said, "These modest gifts pale in comparison to what you’ve done for the Azashiro family, but please accept them nonetheless, Master Katori." "You’re very thoughtful. Then I’ll shamelessly accept," Nanatsuki replied. It would’ve been awkward to ask them to haul it all back, after all. The Azashiro head briefly explained the contents of the gifts. The amount of money alone was enough to renovate the Katori-ryu Dojo several times over. They had also brought rare medicinal herbs, minerals, and other resources. But more than that, there was a stack of land deeds. All of them were for the areas surrounding the dojo! The Azashiro family had purchased the land around the Katori-ryu Dojo and gifted it to Katori Nanatsuki. Including the back mountain, the dojo now spanned about 20,000 to 30,000 acres. The Azashiro family had spared no expense, using vast amounts of wealth to acquire tens of thousands of acres near the dojo and its surroundings. ’The Azashiro family really went all out. Guess I’m a proper landowner now...’ Nanatsuki thought to himself. With this, the dojo’s territory now exceeded 100,000 acres! More than 80 to 90 percent of Soul Society’s noble families didn’t possess this much land. The Azashiro head had clearly realized that his family could no longer hold onto such a vast estate, so he took the initiative to divide up the property— —and distributed much of it as gifts. Nanatsuki figured that Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Kyōraku Shunsui, and even Kuchiki Sōjun and Ukitake Jūshirō, who had assisted in the follow-up investigation, would also be receiving a share of the gifts. If the Azashiro family were to face hardship again in the future, those who had accepted their generous offerings would be hard-pressed to stand idly by. They would almost certainly lend a hand within their means. ’Guess this is their way of warding off future disasters by spending money,’ Nanatsuki thought. Spiritual Arts Academy Swordsmanship Room "Today I’ll teach you all a technique that’s quite practical in real combat," Nanatsuki said. The students were progressing faster than he had expected. Thanks to the passive effect of Patient Guidance, most of them had completed their basic Reiatsu control last semester and could already channel spiritual pressure into their wooden swords. So Nanatsuki decided to teach Class 2 a sword technique that was relatively easy to learn—a way to help them prepare for the autumn practical exam. "Azashiro Kana, grab a wooden sword and come assist me," Nanatsuki said. "Yes!" Azashiro Kana quickly jogged to the sword rack and selected one. Once she was in position, Nanatsuki continued, "The technique I’m teaching you today is called Godless Chain Slash." Nanatsuki gripped the wooden sword in both hands and raised it above his head. The next moment, the blade came down, striking toward Azashiro Kana. His motion was obvious, and Azashiro Kana reacted quickly, lifting her sword to block. Thud—wood struck wood. Nanatsuki didn’t overpower her with brute strength. Instead, he swiftly raised his sword again. Then it fell again. Thud thud thud thud—Nanatsuki slashed with lightning speed. Azashiro Kana responded quickly, parrying the first few strikes—but when the final blow came down, she felt a massive jolt in her palms. Her wooden sword flew from her hands. "I really thought I could block that one..." Azashiro Kana said, surprised. Nanatsuki explained, "The core of Godless Chain Slash is using rapid consecutive attacks to overwhelm the opponent. Then, in the last one or two strikes, you unleash full power to disarm them." "Also, the power delivery is the same as in Suburi, but at a much faster pace. It’s an easy move to pick up." While it looked simple, it could catch many opponents off guard. After class, Nanatsuki still had plenty to take care of. The start of the semester brought lots of responsibilities—checking equipment losses in the swordsmanship room with Shirai-sensei, visiting student dorms to see if anyone needed support, and more. By the time he returned to the dojo, it was already late at night. Back in his room, Nanatsuki took out the Bloodline Extractor he had previously obtained. [Bloodline Extractor (Pureblood Quincy): The key to acquiring the power of a Quincy. Usage: After releasing Shikai, pour it into your shadow.] The system’s instructions confused Nanatsuki. Injecting it into the spiritual body or ingesting it would’ve made far more sense. ’My shadow ability can actually absorb something like this...?’ Even as Kagehime’s master, Nanatsuki still found it hard to believe. He decided to try it anyway and drew his Zanpakutō. "Reflect the myriad forms... Kagehime." The blade transformed into a black edge. Nanatsuki unscrewed the extractor’s cap and poured the blue-glowing liquid onto his shadow. It flowed across the wooden floor but wasn’t absorbed—it clumped together instead. Then, Nanatsuki’s shadow began to surge like boiling water. Countless black threads extended from the shadow, merging with the glowing blue liquid. The mixture rose into the air, forming a glowing blue-black mass. The threads interwove and shaped into what looked like a beating heart. It pulsed and contracted rhythmically, as if truly alive. At that moment, Nanatsuki felt his consciousness split— —he now had two perspectives. He was both Katori Nanatsuki, and the embodied shadow. In that instant, deep memories resurfaced: A flawless, massive crystal stood in a vast hall. And Nanatsuki’s point of view... was from beneath that crystal! He was the shadow cast by the radiant crystal above. "Why do I have these memories?" Memories from different time periods clashed, leaving his thoughts in disarray. After a moment, he pieced them together. "Didn’t I transmigrate directly into the Reishi Shell?" The scene he had just recalled—that was his very first moment in the World of the Dead. After that, he had fallen into a long slumber. Until Shutara Senjumaru stitched him into the Reishi Shell of Katori Batsu’unsai—and only then did he begin to awaken.