"Really?"
"You agreed?"
Shokuin blinked, both surprised and skeptical. Ran En's sudden cooperation made her happy but she wasn't so easily convinced.
"Of course," Ran En replied smoothly. "Out of all my powers, you're my favorite. You're the most important."
He wore a calm smile and delivered his words with practiced ease like a man sweet-talking someone right into his trap.
"You're not lying to me?" Shokuin narrowed her eyes slightly, but the corners of her mouth curled into a smile. She was clearly pleased by the flattery.
"Shinigami never lie to their Zanpakutō," Ran En said solemnly, placing a hand over his heart.
"That's what you said!" she laughed. "Okay, I'll let you go this time."
With a smirk, Shokuin placed a hand on his shoulder. The world blurred like a fast-forwarding film reel and in the next moment, the spiritual space vanished.
Ran En was back.
He blinked as the familiar classroom of the Spiritual Arts Academy came into view again. Every eye in the room noble-born, Rukongai-raised, and even Aizen was fixed on him.
Then the voice rang in his mind again:
[Due to your excellent first impression and strong connection with your Zanpakutō, your recognition and favorability have soared. She has now revealed to you her second liberation phrase. You have unlocked the full Shikai the strongest dual-type Light and Dark Zanpakutō.]
As the system message echoed, a second release phrase surfaced in his mind like a memory he'd always had. Ran En immediately understood what it meant.
During his Zanpakutō class, he'd learned that a single Zanpakutō name can correspond to multiple liberation phrases. Each phrase alters the power and expression of the Shikai even if the Zanpakutō's name doesn't change.
Just like Urahara Kisuke's Benihime.
"Awaken, Benihime."
"Sing, Benihime."
"Crack, Benihime."
"Restrain, Benihime."
"Play, Benihime."
Five distinct phrases.
Each phrase released a different facet of the same Zanpakutō.
Now Ran En's own Zanpakutō, Shokuin, had revealed the same potential.
But there was something even more important.
He now understood that Shokuin wasn't just the most powerful light-type Zanpakutō in Soul Society.
She was also the most powerful dark-type.
A dual-natured Zanpakutō.
No one had ever recorded such a phenomenon in Soul Society's entire history.
Flash. Darkness. Two types. One blade.
Shokuin was the first and only Zanpakutō with the strongest attributes of two opposing elements.
" Ran En," Shiba Isshin called out, walking over with an eager smile. "What was it like? Being dragged into your spirit world by your Zanpakutō?"
"Would you be willing to share the experience with the class, or with me?"
His tone was light, but the intent was sincere. Shiba Isshin had seen many strange things, but nothing like what had happened with Ran En.
His Zanpakutō hadn't just materialized on its own.
It had pulled him into its world.
Ran En looked thoughtful for a moment. "It's... like talking face to face with someone who knows you better than anyone. I understand her more clearly now."
"Oh, and " he added with a smile, "I unlocked another liberation phrase."
That part he didn't mind sharing. Liberation phrases were personal, but not taboo. The ability itself, however that stayed a secret. Only fools gave away their full hand in public.
"Well, class," Isshin said, turning back to the podium. "That, right there, is what sword Zen is really about."
"The more deeply you connect with your Zanpakutō, the more power you'll unlock."
He paused, then added pointedly, "You've all probably heard this from your families: 'Achieving Bankai is only the beginning.'"
"But that applies to Shikai too. As you grow, your Shikai will evolve with you change, adapt, and deepen."
He gave everyone a meaningful look.
"Zanpakutō aren't just weapons. They're partners. The more your souls resonate, the stronger you both become."
Ran En sat quietly, watching as Tousen Kaname, Komamura Sajin, and even noble-borns like Byakuya Kuchiki and Urahara Kisuke turned inward reaching out to their Zanpakutōs, trying to hear the voice within.
But soul resonance wasn't something you could force.
Sword Zen wasn't a matter of will it was a matter of connection, talent, and strength.
Kisuke and Yoruichi, who had already achieved Shikai, could occasionally catch whispers from their blades.
But the others like Komamura and Shuushou Tenbei, who had only just received their sealed state got nothing but silence.
After several minutes of fruitless effort, frustration crept in.
That's when Aizen stood.
"Everyone," he said warmly, "if you're having trouble communicating with your Zanpakutō, would you like to observe a live demonstration?"
"I can show you a Shikai release."
His words were calm, but confident an offer rather than a boast.
And just like that, the room turned toward him, anticipation thick in the air.