On the first day of the new term, Katori Nanatsuki arrived at the Logistics Department of the Spiritual Arts Academy.
There, he once again saw the petite Shinigami.
"Miss Shirai, weren't you on gate duty?" Nanatsuki asked, puzzled.
"That day was just my shift! I'm actually in logistics!" Shirai Riko pulled out a booklet and handed it to him. "This is your class roster. The class schedule's in the back. You're teaching swordsmanship, right? If any of the wooden swords break, come here to get replacements."
"Thank you, Miss Shirai."
Nanatsuki received the roster and the schedule.
He skimmed through the roster. His class had over thirty students.
Most of the names were unfamiliar, but one suddenly caught his attention.
"If I get to train him, it definitely won't be a waste of my time!"
Nanatsuki was delighted.
He had spotted the name Muguruma Kensei!
Don't let the jokes about "Muguruma Kensei" being a unit of measurement in the Bleach world fool you—his talent far surpassed that of most Shinigami. A genuine genius.
Nanatsuki continued flipping through the roster and noticed another familiar name at the very end—Hirako Shinji!
Just like Kensei, Shinji was also a captain-level talent.
What a class!
Nanatsuki felt even more excited.
Nanatsuki arrived at the swordsmanship classroom.
It was an open room with no chairs, just wooden racks on both sides holding rows of wooden swords.
When he stepped inside, the room was buzzing with energy, like a hive of chattering bees.
A group of students had gathered in a circle in the center, and the sounds of a heated argument came from within.
"I told you, I didn't step on your breakfast!"
"But everyone else said you got here first!"
"It was already like that when I walked in!"
"Wasting food is disgraceful—I challenge you to a duel!"
Nanatsuki raised an eyebrow and moved closer.
Inside the crowd, two students were already clashing with wooden swords.
Apparently, the fight had started over a ruined breakfast.
Spiritual bodies with stronger reiryoku, like flesh-and-blood bodies, also needed to eat—though the food in Soul Society was made of spiritual matter.
A few students noticed Nanatsuki, but at his gesture, they remained silent and allowed the duel to continue.
"I'm not going easy just because you're a girl!"
The silver-haired boy was sturdy and muscular. Each strike of his sword came with great force—he looked downright intimidating.
But his technique was wild.
Nanatsuki only needed a glance to see that the boy had never trained with a sword.
He began to suspect the boy's identity and immediately brought up his panel.
[Muguruma Kensei]
[Talent: S]
[Spiritual Pressure: Lv15]
[Reputation: Stranger]
[Status: Annoyed (I didn't do it!)]
So the silver-haired boy was indeed the one Nanatsuki had been hoping to meet—Muguruma Kensei.
His opponent was a girl with striking, fluffy dark hair.
Clack—
Their wooden swords collided with a crisp sound.
The girl managed to block Kensei's powerful strike, though the impact made her hands tingle.
Her build was clearly at a disadvantage, yet she was able to block several of his heavy attacks.
Nanatsuki focused and brought up her panel.
[Chijō Kana]
[Talent: S]
[Spiritual Pressure: Lv10]
[Reputation: Stranger]
[Status: Starving (My breakfast's gone, sob sob sob!)]
Nanatsuki was surprised—he didn't remember this name from his past life, yet she had S-rank talent.
As a teacher, the more gifted his students were, the better.
Kensei shouted and swung his wooden sword with full force.
Kana's sword was clearly worn out, with cracks along the edge, but she didn't notice. She raised it to block.
Clack—
Their swords collided again—Kana's blade shattered from the force.
Kensei was startled, but couldn't stop his follow-through. His sword was still barreling toward her face.
In a flash, Nanatsuki appeared between them. He dropped into a forward stance, both hands raised above his shoulders.
Smack—
Nanatsuki clapped his palms together, firmly catching Kensei's sword mid-strike.
Kensei stared in disbelief—this man had caught his attack with his bare hands!
Kana was equally stunned. She knew just how strong Kensei's blows were. Catching that sword barehanded? Nearly impossible.
"A spar between classmates should end before someone gets hurt," Nanatsuki said calmly, lowering the blade.
"You're our teacher?" Kensei asked, noticing Nanatsuki wasn't wearing a student uniform.
"I'm your swordsmanship instructor."
Nanatsuki nodded.
The surrounding students had also taken notice, curious about his sword-catching move.
"How'd you do that, Sensei?"
"That was awesome!"
"Yeah, can you teach us?"
"Sensei, I want to learn that too!"
Just then, a playful voice came from the doorway.
"Yo~ Things seem lively in here!"
Everyone turned to see a blond boy standing at the entrance.
Nanatsuki checked his panel.
[Hirako Shinji]
[Talent: S]
[Spiritual Pressure: Lv20]
[Reputation: Stranger]
[Status: Feeling Great]
Three students with S-level talent in a single class!
On his way here, Nanatsuki had scanned many students, and most of them had C-rank talent. He hadn't seen another S-rank until now.
And his class had three.
He quickly scanned the rest of his class: mostly C and D ranks.
"The breakfast in the hallway—was that yours?" Shinji asked, swinging a food bag. "I stepped on it by accident, so I grabbed a new one from the cafeteria."
"That's mine!"
Kana's eyes widened, fixated on the bag in Shinji's hand.
"See? Told you it wasn't me."
Kensei threw up his hands.
"I'm so sorry! I was just so hungry I couldn't think straight!"
Kana bowed deeply, hands raised above her head.
With the misunderstanding cleared, Nanatsuki smiled and said:
"Hello everyone. Let me introduce myself—my name is Katori Nanatsuki. I'll be your homeroom teacher and also your swordsmanship instructor. You can call me Teacher Katori."
...
That day, Nanatsuki taught the students basic stances, how to hold a sword, and how to begin suburi (basic sword swings).
Seeing how hungry Kana still looked, he decided not to keep them late.
Since Nanatsuki had arrived, even though Kana had been given Shinji's replacement breakfast, she hadn't eaten a bite—respecting his presence as a teacher.
"Today's class ends here. Swordsmanship is one of the most essential foundations for a Shinigami. I hope you'll take it seriously and practice hard—someday, your effort might just save your life."
[Lesson completed. Reward settled.]
[Reward received: +10 Swordsmanship XP]
[You used Blade Catch to spark student interest. Engagement during class increased—feedback doubled.]
[Reward received: +10 Swordsmanship XP]
[First class completed. Extra reward received…]