After returning to the Katori-ryu Dojo, Nanatsuki headed straight to the Zanpakutō Meditation Chamber, intending to begin his Zanpakutō Meditation Training immediately.
He had a strong premonition that during this session, his Inner World would finally take full form—and he would be able to meet his Zanpakutō at last.
Sitting cross-legged, he placed the Asauchi on his lap and emptied his mind of distractions. A new status appeared on the Status Interface: Zanpakutō Meditation Training. He invested all the accumulated Zanpakutō experience points into it.
In an instant, Nanatsuki entered a deep state of meditation.
He felt an intense sensation of weightlessness, as if he were falling endlessly.
Everything around him was pitch black—devoid of even a glimmer of light.
Who knows how much time passed before Nanatsuki noticed that the darkness around him had begun to shift—twisting, stretching, until it pulled into trailing shadows.
Then, a powerful tearing sensation surged through him, making him feel as if even his soul was being forcibly ripped out.
When he regained his senses, the Inner World was no longer shrouded in black.
The sky was still dark, but a bright, full moon now hung above.
It was so luminously white that its details were impossible to make out.
It was like someone had painted a pure black canvas and then pierced a hole through it—letting moonlight pour through the rupture.
Nanatsuki squatted and scooped up a handful of sand.
It, too, was black.
Opening his palm, he let the wind carry the dark grains through the gaps between his fingers.
This black sand blanketed the entire ground—aside from the night sky and the moon, it was the only feature of this world.
The wind whispered like clear water flooding the room, drowning out the silence.
"My Inner World is... a black desert?" Nanatsuki murmured in surprise.
Generally speaking, an Inner World is a reflection of a Shinigami's heart.
A Shinigami's emotions and mental state influence the nature of their Inner World.
And yet, Nanatsuki's Inner World made him feel like he was inside Hueco Mundo.
He didn't think of himself as someone with a dark personality, but this place carried a deep, crushing solitude.
Dusting the last of the black sand from his palms, Nanatsuki stood and began walking toward the white tower beneath the moon.
That towering spire, piercing the heavens, was the only structure in the black sand world.
White as the full moon, it stood tall in this dark desert, like a lighthouse for the lost.
Even from afar, it was visible.
Nanatsuki dashed across the black sand at high speed and soon arrived at the foot of the white tower.
Strangely, the tower's surface was seamless. He circled around it once and found no entrance at all.
Bending his knees slightly, he let Reiatsu surge from his toes and flashed upward—scaling the tower's outer wall at full speed.
After climbing for a while, Nanatsuki finally paused.
Looking down, he realized he was now several hundred meters off the ground.
Yet the top of the tower didn't seem any closer.
He had also paid attention to the structure's surface while climbing—though the tower appeared layered, it was more like a massive pillar. No doors. No windows. No way in.
"Where is my Zanpakutō?" Nanatsuki wondered aloud.
"Araa~ so you were looking for me?"
"Here I thought dear Katori-kun was just doing some cardio~"
A clear, teasing voice rang out, melodic and playful.
Nanatsuki stiffened. He looked around but saw no one.
"Right here~"
He focused, tracking the source—and discovered it was coming from behind him.
No, to be precise... from his shadow.
Nanatsuki stared at his own shadow. It was... moving.
Something seemed to be squirming within it—shifting unnaturally.
Gradually, the shadow gained substance, rising and condensing into a shape.
Moments later, a black-haired girl emerged from the shadow.
She had long, straight hair and wore a sleeveless black dress. Her hands were covered by long, black gloves. But beneath her dress—she wore nothing. Her bare, pale feet stood upon Nanatsuki's shadow, forming a striking contrast against the darkness.
"So you're my Zanpakutō?" Nanatsuki asked, eyes fixed on her refined features.
It was their first meeting, but in that instant, he knew—this girl was his Zanpakutō.
"I am Kagehime. Pleased to meet you!"
She struck a pose with her hand by her cheek as she said it, bubbly and full of energy.
"I'm Katori Nanatsuki. Pleased to meet you too." Nanatsuki was a bit surprised—it had gone so smoothly. He had already learned the name of his Zanpakutō.
After all, the basic requirement for achieving Shikai was to learn your Zanpakutō's name.
"A bit unexpected to get your name this easily."
"You're now capable of hearing it, so I told you—simple as that. We're one and the same, after all. No need to complicate things."
"Well, thanks. But… there's something I've been meaning to ask." Nanatsuki hesitated. "I seem to have two Zanpakutō?"
He did indeed have two swords. One was the Asauchi he'd carried with him ever since awakening in Rukongai. The other was a reward granted by the system.
He could feel it—his two Zanpakutō were different from Ukitake Jūshirō's Sōgyo no Kotowari. Those were twin blades in harmony. But his two seemed... separate.
The girl before him—Kagehime—had evolved from the system's Asauchi.
The original sword he'd had from the start… he had yet to meet its spirit.
"Oh? You've only just met me, and already you're thinking about another woman?" Kagehime pouted, clearly displeased.
"I was just curious..." Nanatsuki scratched his cheek, then picked up on her word choice. "Wait—so you've met my other blade?"
Without a word, Kagehime melted back into the shadow—then reappeared from the shadow in front of him.
She leaned forward, placing her hands on his shoulders. Nanatsuki could even feel her breath on his neck.
"Fickle little thing. But if you want to see her, it's not going to be that easy."
With a playful push, she sent him plummeting downward with great force.
"At the very least, you'll need Vice-Captain-level Reiatsu to handle her~"
—
Nanatsuki blinked—and found himself back in the quiet chamber of the dojo.
He had finished his Zanpakutō Meditation Training. His Reiatsu had surged once again.
Earlier, knowing how intense the training could get, he had reinforced the dojo's meditation room.
And yet, it was still a complete wreck.
The floor, the doors, even the walls—all had been damaged by the outburst of Reiatsu.
"I think from now on, you should do your meditation out in the wild," said Batsu'unsai, leaning casually on what remained of the doorway. He shrugged both hands. "Keep this up, and we'll be bankrupt before you know it!"