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Chapter 16: The Darkness Grows I
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Akashi sat at his desk in the classroom, his posture relaxed and even a little bit lazy, as the weight of the world had been taken off his shoulder.
The hum of quiet conversations filled the room, though they seemed muted to him.
The other students had taken notice of his changed demeanor. Gone was the cold, unsettling aura he had carried for the past year. In its place was a calm, collected presence.
The academy administration had informed him that he would be skipping several grades, bypassing the intermediate years entirely and advancing to the sixth year.
This recognition of his Shikai mastery was not surprising; after all, achieving Shikai while still a student was a feat few could claim.
Yet, the process of formalizing his advancement would take a week or two, leaving him to continue attending his current classes in the meantime.
Despite his newfound strength and the accolades it would eventually bring, Akashi knew better than to let it inflate his ego.
He still had much to learn. His mastery of Kido, Hakuda, and other essential skills was average at best, and there was no room for complacency.
When he arrived at class that morning, the atmosphere was tense. As he took his seat, a few students stole wary glances at him.
Others outright avoided his gaze, whispering among themselves. Akashi sighed softly and decided to address the elephant in the room.
Standing briefly, he spoke clearly but gently, "I'd like to apologize for my rude behavior over the past year."
The room quieted instantly.
"I was dealing with complications related to my Zanpakuto," He continued, keeping the details deliberately vague.
"It affected me in ways I didn't fully understand at the time, so I apologize if I appeared or was too extreme at some moments."
He bowed slightly before sitting back down, his tone and gesture polite but not pleading.
Whether the students chose to see him differently or not was irrelevant to him; he simply wanted to set the record straight for he is not usually so rude.
To his mild surprise, Renji Abarai approached his desk shortly after, followed by Momo Hinamori and Izuru Kira.
The trio had been among the few who showed no visible fear of him, though Momo's hesitation was apparent in the way she lingered just a step behind the others.
"Yo, Akashi," Renji said with his usual boisterous energy, pulling up a chair next to him, "So, you've been hiding some serious power, huh?"
Akashi chuckled softly, "It wasn't hiding, Renji."
Momo offered a nervous smile but avoided meeting his eyes directly, "I heard you've met Captain Aizen," She said, her voice tinged with curiosity and admiration.
Akashi nodded. "I have... He's been a guiding presence." He didn't elaborate, knowing full well how Momo idolized Aizen.
Akashi had heard that Aizen saved them in the first year, thus how she fell into his web of lies and deceit.
If he could've saved her from her fate, Akashi seemingly didn't even consider it.
Izuru, ever the thoughtful observer, leaned forward slightly, "Is it true you've achieved Shikai? I mean, the teachers were talking about it before class."
"It's true," Akashi admitted, a faint smile appearing on his face.
Renji followed with a question, "What's it like? I mean, how did you do it?"
Akashi considered the question carefully, and answered honestly, "Shikai isn't something you force. It's about understanding yourself and your Zanpakuto."
"You can't demand it to reveal its name; you have to listen. My Zanpakuto abilities… they're tied deeply to my nature, to the way I view the world. It was less about strength and more about introspection." He continued.
Renji scratched his head, clearly trying to digest the concept, "So, it's like… getting to know your sword as a partner?"
"Exactly," Akashi said with a nod, "Your Zanpakuto is a reflection of your soul. If you don't understand yourself, you won't understand it. And without understanding, there's no trust."
Momo, still tentative, chimed in, "Did it… hurt? When you first connected with it?"
Akashi stroked his chin, remembering the overwhelming darkness he had endured during his trials, "It was challenging," He admitted. "But it was fascinating."
The conversation continued until the instructor entered the room, calling the class to order.
Today's lesson was on Kido, a subject Akashi had always prioritized.
"Kido is not merely about memorization," The instructor; Kiyomura said, her tone authoritative, "It is about precision, control, and intent. Without those, even the strongest spell will fail."
Akashi listened intently, his mind splitting into two threads of thought. While one part of him absorbed the lecture, the other analyzed the incantations, breaking them down into their structural components.
This dual processing, courtesy of the First Eldritch's second consciousness, allowed him to grasp the mechanics of Kido faster than ever before.
Indeed, intent and will seem to be pivotal pieces of Kido, mostly for chantless casting though.
Still, Kiyomura found it necessary to stress that fact in every single session.
It's there that Akashi realized that he fell a little bit behind some of the best in class, in Kido which is something he prioritize.
Akashi, after all, has been obsessed with his Asauchi for the past year, not putting in nearly as much effort as he was before.
Now, with the help of the First Eldritch, Akashi found it much easier to learn things, thus to make use of his newfound talent, he started visiting the library a lot more.
The academy was founded more than 2000 years ago, accumulating an immeasurable accumulation of wisdom.
Akashi's thirst for knowledge, however, had to come to a halt for he finished his first two stories.
They weren't original, so he basically just wrote things based on his memory, and now, it's time to publish them.
Therefore, For the first time since his arrival at the Shin'ō Academy, Akashi stepped beyond its gates with permission to leave.
The air felt different out here, freer and wilder, devoid of the rigid structure of Seireitei.
He had often longed to venture out into Rukongai again, to step into the chaotic streets where he had once wandered aimlessly, but now he returned with an objective.
As Akashi adjusted his Zanpakuto at his side, he prepared himself mentally.
His task was clear: he needed to assess the state of the people in Rukongai, the conditions in which they lived, and the potential for his stories; his creations; to take root and flourish.
These stories, born from his bond with Kurayami, would spread darkness in ways hopefully no one would suspect, feeding his Zanpakuto's power while simultaneously creating a valuable enterprise.
He closed his eyes, focusing on the flow of Reiatsu within him. His body felt light as he bent his knees and vanished in a flash step; Shunpo, the art of moving faster than the eye could follow.
Shunpo, or Flash Steps, was a core technique within the greater discipline of Hoho.
It allowed a Shinigami to travel short distances at incredible speed, seemingly teleporting in the blink of an eye.
While Akashi was not yet a master of the technique, his skill was respectable, and he moved across the rooftops of Rukongai with enthusiasm.
Each step left a faint whisper of wind behind him as he reappeared briefly on a tiled roof, only to vanish again in another flash.
The streets blurred beneath him, and the bustling noise of Rukongai grew dimmer the farther he moved from Seireitei.
Akashi felt free and powerful. It felt unreal how in just two years, he escaped the limits of humanity he once knew; by so far.
He couldn't help but beam, letting out a chuckle before vanishing into the distance.
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