Chapter 3: Muguruma Kensei?

On the first day of school, Nanatsuki arrived at the Logistics Department of the Spiritual Arts Academy. And there, he saw that petite Shinigami again. "Miss Shirai? Weren't you a gatekeeper?" Nanatsuki asked, confused. "That was just my shift that day! I'm actually part of the Logistics Department!" Shirai Riko glanced at a booklet, then handed it over. "This is the class roster. The class schedule is on the back. Since you're teaching swordsmanship, if any of the wooden swords break, you can come here to pick up new ones." "Thank you, Miss Shirai." Nanatsuki accepted the class roster and schedule. He flipped through the list—over thirty students in his class. Most of the names were unfamiliar, but one immediately caught his eye. 'If I get to teach him, it won't be a waste of my time!' He had spotted the name: Muguruma Kensei. Don't be fooled by the fact that Muguruma Kensei later becomes a benchmark in the world of Shinigami. That comparison is made only against Captain-class and higher. In reality, Muguruma Kensei's talent far exceeded that of most Shinigami—he was truly a genius. Nanatsuki kept reading and discovered another familiar name at the bottom—Hirako Shinji! Just like Kensei, Hirako was also a genius with the potential to become a Captain. This class... was stacked. Nanatsuki's anticipation grew. Nanatsuki arrived at the swordsmanship classroom. It was a room without any chairs, lined on both sides with racks full of wooden swords. When he stepped in, the room was buzzing with energy, like a swarm of bees humming all at once. A group of students had formed a circle in the center, and voices of argument echoed from within. "I told you, I didn't step on your breakfast!" "But everyone else said you got here earlier than them." "It was already like that when I arrived!" "Wasting food is shameful—I'm challenging you to a duel!" Nanatsuki raised an eyebrow and walked over. In the center of the crowd, two students were already clashing wooden swords. Apparently, the dispute had started over breakfast. Those with bodies composed of spiritual particles, despite not being made of flesh and blood, still needed to eat—though the food in the Soul Society was also composed of reishi. One of the students noticed Nanatsuki. With a gesture from him, the others fell silent, letting the fight continue undisturbed. "I'm not going easy on you just because you're a girl!" The silver-haired boy was tall and muscular. Each swing of his sword was forceful and heavy. Definitely not someone you'd want to mess with. But completely undisciplined. A few glances were enough for Nanatsuki to tell that this student had never been formally trained. With a thought, he checked the student's panel. [Muguruma Kensei] [Talent: S] [Spiritual Pressure: lv15] [Reputation Level: Stranger] [Status: Annoyed ("It wasn't me!")] As expected, the silver-haired boy was none other than the very Muguruma Kensei Nanatsuki had been eager to meet. His opponent was a girl with a messy puff of dark hair. Clack—! Their wooden swords collided with a crisp sound. The girl blocked Kensei's strike, her palms numb from the impact. She was clearly at a physical disadvantage, yet she had managed to block his heavy blows multiple times. Curious, Nanatsuki checked her panel too. *[Chijō Kana] [Talent: S] [Spiritual Pressure: lv10] [Reputation Level: Stranger] [Status: Starving ("My breakfast is gone, sob sob sob!")] The information startled Nanatsuki. This girl wasn't someone he recognized from his previous life, yet she had an S-rank talent? An unexpected surprise. As a teacher, the more talented his students were, the better. Kensei roared and swung his sword with full force. The girl's wooden blade was visibly old and slightly cracked. Unaware, she raised it to meet his strike head-on. Clack—! The moment the swords met, the girl's blade shattered. Kensei's heart skipped a beat. There was no time to stop his swing—his sword was still barreling toward her face. In that instant, Nanatsuki appeared between them, stepping in with a forward lunge, hands raised above his shoulders. Smack—! With both palms, he caught Kensei's wooden sword cleanly. Kensei stared in disbelief at the man who'd just blocked his strike barehanded. The girl behind Nanatsuki was just as shocked. She knew better than anyone how powerful Kensei's attacks were. To catch that blade with bare hands was no small feat. "A spar between classmates should stop before things go too far. There's no need to hurt each other," Nanatsuki said gently, lowering the sword. "You're our teacher?" Kensei asked, noticing Nanatsuki wasn't wearing the standard academy uniform. "I'm your swordsmanship instructor," Nanatsuki nodded. The other students were equally impressed by the barehanded blade catch. "Sensei, how did you do that?" "That move was awesome!" "Can you teach us how to do that too?" "Sensei, I want to learn that technique!" Just then, a playful voice came from the door. "Yo—what's with all the ruckus?" Everyone turned to see a blond boy leaning against the doorway. Nanatsuki checked his panel as well. [Hirako Shinji] [Talent: S] [Spiritual Pressure: lv20] [Reputation Level: Stranger] [Status: Well-rested and full of energy] Three S-rank students in a single class! Nanatsuki had scanned quite a few students on his way here—most were C-rank at best. He hadn't encountered a single S-rank before now. Yet his class had three. He scanned the rest of the class quickly—most were C or D rank. "Whose breakfast was that near the corner by the door? I accidentally stepped on it, so I grabbed another one from the cafeteria to replace it!" Shinji said casually, swinging a bag in his hand with a mischievous smirk. "Mine!" Chijō Kana's eyes widened, locked onto the bag Shinji held like it was treasure. "See? Told you it wasn't me." Kensei shrugged helplessly. "I'm so sorry! I must've been so hungry I couldn't think straight!" Chijō Kana pressed her palms together above her head and bowed deeply in apology. With the misunderstanding cleared, Nanatsuki smiled and said: "Alright everyone, let me introduce myself. I'm Katori Nanatsuki, your homeroom teacher and your swordsmanship instructor. You can call me Katori-sensei from now on." That day, Nanatsuki taught the students the basics of swordsmanship: how to stand, how to grip a sword, and how to practice basic swings. He glanced at Chijō Kana, who looked like she was about to pass out from hunger, and decided not to run overtime. Even though Shinji had brought her a replacement meal, she hadn't eaten it during class and had been hungry the entire time. "That's all for today. Swordsmanship is one of the most fundamental skills for a Shinigami. I hope you'll take it seriously and train hard. Who knows—your daily practice might just save your life one day." [Lesson Completed. Rewards Calculated] [Gained: +10 Swordsmanship EXP] [You used Blade Catch to spark student interest in swordsmanship. Engagement during the lesson was doubled.] [Gained: +10 Swordsmanship EXP] [First Time Teaching Bonus: Additional rewards acquired...]