Night.
Inside the room, Suō Tsukasa had long since sorted and stored the contents of his package in his personal cabinet; the room exuded an organized neatness.
Suō Tsukasa sat upright at the wooden table. Having just finished his evening practice, he had one more important task to attend to.
And for the first time, he lit an oil lamp in the room, as he usually didn't use lamps.
The warm, yellow light slowly flickered in the darkness, drawing his shadow long and slender on the wooden floor, quietly casting it upon the white wall behind him, adding a sense of quiet solemnity to the atmosphere.
The light illuminated the desk.
On the right side of the table were neatly arranged the wiping paper and clove oil purchased from the commercial district. In front of him lay the Asauchi issued by the Academy.
Suō Tsukasa raised his hand to pick up the sword, his left hand steadily holding the sheath, his right hand lightly pressing the tsuba (handguard). Accompanied by a crisp, sharp low hum, the blade slowly slid out of the sheath.
Under the dim, yellow light of the oil lamp, the cold blade shimmered with a delicate luster like autumn water. The lines were long and the curve flowed smoothly, a sharp gleam flashing at the most acute point of the tip.
"As expected, it hasn't been well-maintained."
Suō Tsukasa raised the blade to eye level, carefully examining the details of the Asauchi.
With his rich experience, he quickly assessed the condition of the Asauchi in his hands.
He also gained another insight into why the Shin'ō Academy set so many detailed rules regarding the Asauchi.
Zanjutsu (Swordsmanship) classes could only be practiced with wooden swords. The Asauchi could not be carried without permission, and it was strictly forbidden to take it outside the school grounds.
These regulations restricted the students' ability to cultivate rapport and understanding with their Asauchi, yet the textbook clearly stated that Shinigami must eat and sleep with their Asauchi.
The answer to these seemingly contradictory rules finally became clear.
In addition to safety concerns, a crucial hidden point behind the school rules was cost.
The Shin'ō Academy provided food, clothing, and accommodation for students; everything within the Academy was provided free of charge.
If the Academy also had to bear the maintenance costs for all students' Asauchi, it would indeed be a significant financial expense.
He also understood why most Shinigami did not seem to be very wealthy.
Even though it was only mid-month, some regular customers always lamented in casual conversation that they were running low on money for the month.
They always left the Teradaya with a look that mixed a hint of heartache with satisfied joy.
Besides daily expenses and personal hobbies, maintenance supplies were also an additional cost.
With Suō Tsukasa's current financial resources, he could only afford one set of high-quality maintenance tools.
He opened the bottle of clove oil, and a gentle clovely fragrance immediately diffused into the air.
He picked up a stack of wiping paper, skillfully folded it to an appropriate size, and dabbed a small amount of clove oil onto it.
Pressing the paper to the blade, his movements were gentle and focused. Starting from the tsuba, he slowly pushed and wiped towards the tip of the blade.
The pressure from his fingertips was even. Each wipe removed dust and moisture invisible to the naked eye, allowing the true color of the steel to deepen under the effect of the oil film.
Throughout the process of maintaining the blade, Suō Tsukasa's eyes were calm and his expression was focused, as if he were tending to a beloved partner.
Unconsciously, half an hour passed.
Suō Tsukasa finally finished maintaining the blade, returned the Asauchi to its sheath, and neatly put away the maintenance tools.
He did not immediately place the Asauchi back on the stand. Instead, he took it to the meditation cushion, sat cross-legged, and placed the Asauchi across his lap.
Closing his eyes, Suō Tsukasa instinctively entered meditation. His consciousness slowly settled, immersing his spiritual pressure into the Asauchi resting on his knees.
He had previously attempted multiple times to communicate with his own Zanpakutō through the Asauchi. To this day, he had not received any feedback from the Zanpakutō.
Gradually, an hour passed. Suō Tsukasa slowly opened his eyes.
"It's much harder than I expected..."
This attempt also failed. The Zanpakutō remained like a stone sinking in the deep sea, making no sound, giving him no response.
Holding the sheath, he raised the Asauchi to his eyes and muttered a frustrated complaint to the silent blade.
"I treat you so well. At least let out a sound, give me some kind of response."
From carefully selecting the best maintenance tools to patiently wiping and preserving the blade, and then spending time meditating and communicating.
Suō Tsukasa had used all the knowledge he had, treating the Asauchi in his hands with utmost sincerity.
He had been full of anticipation and quite confident about this attempt, but it ended in disappointment again.
At this moment, Suō Tsukasa even felt an impulse to sing 'My Baby~ Baby~' to the Asauchi in his hand to coax it.
But considering that the Zanpakutō's form and gender were unknown, it would be quite awkward if he chose the wrong song.
He quickly suppressed his peculiar thought.
Every Zanpakutō has its own personality and soul. The only person Suō Tsukasa could consult about Zanpakutō communication experience was Tōshirō.
He and Tōshirō had previously exchanged insights in private.
Tōshirō detailed that aside from the one time he heard a calling ice dragon in a dream before enrolling, he himself had also tried to communicate with his Zanpakutō through the Asauchi multiple times, but had also failed every time, receiving no response.
There was a moment then when Suō Tsukasa considered telling him the true name of Hyōrinmaru directly to test it.
But he quickly abandoned the thought. The bond between a Zanpakutō and its master is unique.
If Hyōrinmaru knew that its true name was not revealed by its master but was exposed by an outsider, it would likely be very displeased.
If it were to conjure a fake name like 'Ice Dragonmaru' as a result, things would get complicated. Not only would it be impossible to explain, but it would also purely hinder the other party's cultivation.
"Zanpakutō are formed using the Shinigami's own soul as a prototype, by inscribing the essence of one's soul into the Asauchi to create one's Zanpakutō."
Suō Tsukasa gently stroked the Asauchi's sheath, silently reciting the words from the textbook in his mind.
Suō Tsukasa understood the principle, but putting it into practice was truly difficult.
He carefully placed the Asauchi back on the sword stand, turned, and sat down by the bed.
Before going to sleep, Suō Tsukasa picked up the Oboroyo hanging by the bedside.
Maintaining a wooden sword is much simpler than an iron one. Essentially, one just needs to follow the principles of cleaning, preventing moisture, preventing dryness, and occasional lubrication.
Suō Tsukasa took out a soft piece of flannel cloth from the fabric bag, then dipped his fingertip into some specialized wood oil, lightly applying it to the key areas of the blade.
Coupled with his daily attention and maintenance, he finished his daily care while humming a tune.
"You're much less trouble."
He lightly patted the body of Oboroyo. The tactile sensation from the sandalwood blade was heavy and solid.
A faint smile lifted the corners of Suō Tsukasa's mouth, and the small sense of loss brought by the failure to communicate with his Zanpakutō quickly dissipated.
Hanging Oboroyo back up, Suō Tsukasa raised a finger and extinguished the oil lamp.
The moonlight streamed through the window frame, falling on the Asauchi on the stand and Oboroyo by the bed, quiet and gentle.
Suō Tsukasa took off his outer clothes, settled into the soft bedding, and closed his eyes.
Time to sleep!