Chapter 7: The Blade and the Warrior

The next morning, Asta practically exploded out of bed. Today was the day—the day he'd finally get to wield a real Soul Reaper sword! He'd been looking forward to this since he first arrived in the Soul Society. Even if he couldn't use reiatsu, he was sure that a real sword in his hands would feel natural.

Bursting out of his dorm room, he ran straight for the training grounds, only to find that most of the other students were already there. Kaien, standing nearby, gave him a tired look.

"Asta, do you ever wake up tired?"

Asta grinned. "Nope! Every day's a new chance to get stronger!"

Kaien sighed. "I should've known…"

Instructor Daichi stood before the students, his arms crossed. "Today, you will receive your Asauchi—the nameless Zanpakutō that all academy recruits start with. These blades will reflect your soul as you grow stronger."

Asta's eyes sparkled. A real sword!

Daichi gestured toward a row of weapon racks, each lined with identical katanas. "One by one, step forward and take an Asauchi."

The students approached the rack in an orderly fashion. When Kaien's turn came, he carefully took one of the swords, holding it with a sense of reverence. He turned to Asta. "Your turn."

Asta practically jumped toward the rack, eyes darting across the blades. He reached for one—

The moment his fingers brushed the hilt, an odd sensation shot through his arm. A wave of energy—not reiatsu, but something different—ran through his body.

And then—

CRACK!

The blade shattered.

The entire training ground went silent.

Asta stared at his hand, dumbfounded. "…Huh?"

Daichi's eye twitched. "Did you… just break an Asauchi?!"

Asta blinked. "Uh… I think so?"

Kaien sighed. "Of course you did."

Murmurs spread through the other students.

"What the hell was that?"

"He broke it just by touching it?!"

"That shouldn't even be possible…"

Daichi rubbed his temples. "Fine. Just… try again. Gently."

Asta nodded, reaching for another sword—

CRACK!

Another one shattered.

Daichi inhaled deeply. "Again."

Asta hesitated, picking up yet another blade—

CRACK!

By the fifth broken sword, Daichi looked like he was about to throw Asta off the training grounds himself.

Kaien groaned. "At this point, I think the swords are more afraid of you than you are of them."

Asta scratched his head. "But I wasn't even doing anything! I just picked it up!"

Daichi pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's exactly the problem." He turned to the other instructors. "Take note—this recruit's spiritual signature is completely incompatible with an Asauchi."

Asta blinked. "Wait, what does that mean?"

Kaien answered before Daichi could. "It means that your soul rejects the Asauchi. It's like the swords don't recognize you."

Asta frowned. "But… why?"

Daichi crossed his arms. "Your lack of reiatsu means you don't resonate with the blade. No matter how strong your body is, a Zanpakutō is an extension of the soul. If the sword doesn't accept you, you won't be able to wield one properly."

Asta stared at his hands. So even the swords don't want to work with me, huh?

For the first time since arriving in the Soul Society, doubt crept into his mind.

Am I really that different from everyone here?

The class continued, but Asta remained stuck in place, his fists clenched. The other students had all received their swords, practicing swings and footwork, while he stood weaponless.

He hated this feeling.

He refused to accept it.

Kaien, noticing Asta's frustration, stepped forward. "Hey… you okay?"

Asta gritted his teeth. "I don't get it, Kaien. Back home, I fought with a sword all the time. But here… I can't even hold one?"

Kaien hesitated before saying, "Maybe you just need a different approach."

Asta frowned. "Like what?"

Kaien rubbed his chin. "Well, it's not impossible to fight without a Zanpakutō. There are people in the Soul Society who use different weapons—like Yoruichi-sama. She doesn't use a sword; she fights with Hakuda."

Asta's eyes lit up. "You mean hand-to-hand combat?"

Kaien nodded. "Exactly."

Asta grinned. "Then maybe I don't need a sword after all!"

Kaien hesitated. "Well… that's one option. But you're also really good with a blade. Maybe there's just something missing—some part of this puzzle we haven't figured out yet."

Asta crossed his arms. "Then I'll just have to keep trying until I do!"

Before Kaien could respond, Daichi called the class together. "Enough warm-ups! Now we'll begin actual sparring. Pair up!"

Asta cracked his knuckles. "Guess I'll just fight without a sword."

Kaien sighed. "You're really gonna fight a Zanpakutō user barehanded?"

Asta grinned. "Why not?"

Kaien shook his head. "You're insane."

Soon, the students formed pairs. Asta ended up against a taller recruit named Goro, a smug-looking guy with short black hair. He twirled his sword lazily. "So, you're the one who can't even hold a Zanpakutō, huh?"

Asta grinned. "Yep! But that's not gonna stop me from kicking your butt!"

Goro smirked. "You sure talk big. Let's see if you can back it up."

Daichi raised his hand. "Begin!"

Goro dashed forward, slashing down at Asta.

Asta sidestepped, narrowly dodging the blade. He twisted his body and—

BAM!

He slammed his fist into Goro's gut.

The other students gasped as Goro flew backward, crashing into the ground several feet away.

Kaien facepalmed. "Of course."

Goro coughed, staggering to his feet. "W-What the hell…?! You're that strong?!"

Asta grinned. "Yup! You might have a sword, but I've got these!" He flexed his arms.

Goro gritted his teeth, gripping his sword tighter. "Don't get cocky, musclehead!" He charged again, swinging in rapid arcs.

Asta weaved through the strikes, dodging with instinctual precision. His body moved on its own—his years of training and battle experience kicking in.

He ducked under a horizontal slash, then countered—

BOOM!

A single uppercut sent Goro flying.

The other students stared, jaws dropped.

Daichi rubbed his temples. "…You really are a monster."

Asta grinned. "Nah, I just trained a lot!"

Kaien shook his head. "Asta, you do realize that most Soul Reapers need their Zanpakutō, right?"

Asta crossed his arms. "Then I'll just find another way to be the strongest!"

Daichi exhaled. "At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if you did."

As the training session ended, Asta stood on the field, looking at the shattered remains of the Asauchi he had broken.

If a normal Zanpakutō won't accept me… then I'll just have to find one that will.

With that thought in mind, he clenched his fist.

No matter what, he would not let this world tell him what he could or couldn't be.