𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄 | 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 [MINOR EDITING]

²⁶ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛᴇʀ sᴛᴀᴛᴜs

ᴊᴜʟʏ 15ᴛʜ

ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʙɪʀᴛʜᴅᴀʏ, ɪᴄʜɪɢᴏ & ᴀʙᴀʀᴏɴ!

I've been here before. Whether it'd been in a dream, or not, I can't remember. But these clouds, this breeze, and that blinding sun, have all been a part of my experience since being dead. This is the place where I'd first physically met my mother's Zanpakutō, Nōten Bōkyaku.

As I'd expected it, the swirling of the clouds begins once more from behind me. I turn just in time to see Bō and Kyaku materialize, both appearing to be quite pleased with themselves; Bō, with his arms tucked into his sleeves, and Kyaku, rocking back and forth on her feet, grinning.

"Congratulations," Bō tells me. "Now that you've achieved performing Jinzen, your path to becoming a full-fledged Soul Reaper will be a much simpler one."

"Soon, we can all be together!" Kyaku pipes.

"Yes, but... what do you mean by it being a simpler path?" I ask them. "Wasn't it already simple?" I find myself frustrated when their first response is a laugh. "What?"

"As you will soon discover through your training, no, it is not."

I frown. "Oh."

"Jinzen is the first step in becoming a Soul Reaper. It allows you to communicate with one's Zanpakutō spirit. In your case, spirits. As the Head Captain said, you must become one with your Zanpakutō in order to achieve any greater status."

"Greater status?" I repeat.

"Like Shikai, and Bankai!" Kyaku says.