BLEACH: Blade of Purification

"Brrr... it's cold."

Shihōin Sōichirō crossed the small courtyard and stepped onto the veranda. He shook his body at the edge, brushing off the snowflakes. The flakes fell onto the veranda and quickly melted into water droplets.

Although he complained about the cold, the fact that he walked through the snow without an umbrella showed that he wasn't really bothered by the temperature. If Ling Qing wasn't truly chilled by this weather, Sōichirō certainly wouldn't be. On the other hand, deliberately walking through the snow when he could have used an umbrella revealed in its own way that Sōichirō was not a man who cared for formalities. He probably found walking through the snow more atmospheric than worrying about getting a little wet.

Ling Qing's gaze fell on the snowflakes that melted into water on the veranda, and he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. This rascal was shaking himself off like a wet dog, and now he would have to find someone to clean it up.

Not noticing the change in Ling Qing's expression, Sōichirō approached him with a look of great contentment and looked out into the distance, just as Ling Qing had been doing.

The first snow was heavy. Soon, a thin white veil covered all the buildings within sight.

"What a heavy snow," he remarked with some emotion.

Ling Qing nodded lightly, agreeing. In his twenty-odd years of life, he hadn't seen many snowfalls this heavy. But more importantly, the feeling of snow falling in a city was completely different from it falling among the ancient, elegant architecture of the Seireitei.

"How did it go today?" Sōichirō wasn't a stranger to Ling Qing anymore, so they skipped the pleasantries. He got straight to the point.

"Still won't see me." Ling Qing sounded a bit helpless as he spoke, rubbing his temples.

"Ah... I suppose that can't be helped." Hearing this, Sōichirō also felt a bit resigned, though he had been mentally prepared.

It had been some time since Ling Qing became a member of the Shihōin family. The commotion from back then had slowly faded with time, at least on the surface. But Sōichirō had yet to bring Ling Qing to the 2nd Division to assume a post. The reason was simple: Sōichirō didn't intend for Ling Qing to start as a regular seated officer. Ling Qing deserved to be appointed directly as a high-ranking officer.

However, while Ling Qing's combat power was sufficient, he hadn't achieved the landmark Zanpakutō release. Appointing him as a seated officer without it would seem improper. Even though the 2nd Division was practically the Shihōin family's private army and no one would object to Sōichirō's arrangements, people would still whisper behind his back that Ling Qing got his position through connections. Ling Qing's adoption had already caused enough of a stir and made him a figure of public interest. It was best to avoid such situations.

Furthermore, based on Sōichirō's observations, he believed that with Ling Qing's spiritual pressure and power, achieving Shikai wouldn't be difficult. He had optimistically estimated it would take only a few days, so he had postponed Ling Qing's enlistment.

But unexpectedly, autumn passed in a flash, and the first winter snow had fallen, yet Ling Qing still hadn't achieved Shikai.

This wasn't Bankai, just a simple Shikai!

Generally, it wasn't difficult for a talented Soul Reaper to achieve their Zanpakutō's Shikai. In fact, as long as a Soul Reaper could turn an Asauchi into a Zanpakutō, achieving its initial release was only a matter of time. Whether a Soul Reaper could hold a seated position in the Gotei 13 depended on whether their Zanpakutō's nature was suitable for the squad's duties. For instance, in a combat-focused squad, the Zanpakutō had to be suited for battle. In a healing squad like the 4th Division, it was less of a concern, though a Zanpakutō with healing abilities would be ideal.

A Zanpakutō's Shikai is the process of a Soul Reaper learning its name from its own mouth. For a Zanpakutō, especially one that has gained consciousness, it's hard to tolerate its wielder not knowing its name or even how to address it.

For example, imagine two Soul Reapers fighting. One of them raises their sword and chants, "The winds of flowers are disturbed, the flower god weeps. The winds of heaven are disturbed, the demon of heaven laughs—Katen Kyōkotsu!" How cool is that?

Meanwhile, the other one stands there holding their Zanpakutō, unable to utter a single word, not even knowing what to call the sword in their hand. It's not just embarrassing for the Soul Reaper, but for the Zanpakutō as well.

But Ling Qing's situation was a bit different; in fact, his situation had been different from most Soul Reapers from the very beginning. It wasn't that Ling Qing lacked the ability to release his Zanpakutō. On the contrary, he had already surpassed 99.9% of Soul Reapers from the start. After all, not many Soul Reapers could materialize their Zanpakutō while it was still in its Asauchi state.

Thinking of this, Sōichirō suddenly paused.

Zanpakutō materialization?

Ling Qing was completely unable to release his Zanpakutō. This phenomenon was rare in the Shikai stage. Most Soul Reapers who got stuck at this point either lacked sufficient spiritual pressure or hadn't accumulated enough experience.

But if one's spiritual pressure was sufficient and their experience was overflowing, yet they still couldn't achieve release...

This phenomenon usually occurred at the Bankai stage.

To materialize the Zanpakutō, then defeat it to make it submit and reveal its true name... That was the standard procedure for Bankai. But what if you encountered a stubborn one that refused to speak even if you beat it to death...? That seemed... quite possible, and there was nothing you could do about it...

At this thought, the way Sōichirō looked at Ling Qing changed. Even though he already knew what a monster Ling Qing was, Sōichirō hadn't expected another surprise from him.

To make Shikai as difficult as Bankai... What the hell kind of hell mode are you playing on?!

However, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. If Ling Qing were weak, his struggles would signify his limits. But Ling Qing was powerful, and his difficulties only highlighted his limitless potential.

Sensing Sōichirō's gaze, Ling Qing slowly turned to meet his eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like that? What are you planning now?"

In an instant, Ling Qing became vigilant. This old man Sōichirō might look respectable on the surface, but if you trusted him, you'd only get screwed over.

Seeing the wary Ling Qing, Sōichirō, for some reason, grinned with amusement.

"On a day with such heavy snow, one should really go for a good soak. What do you say, Ling Qing? How about we go for a bath?"

"Not interested, don't want to go, goodbye!"

A swift triple rejection, without a moment's hesitation!

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