Chapter 57: Zanpakuto Name!
[TL/N: Read my new work - Detective Conan: I'm a Succubus?!]
----
Hayasaka Ai stared at the files and photos on her computer screen, her golden brows furrowing slightly.
She had found surprising information about Nanashi.
He was nothing short of a prodigy—a genius among geniuses.
He had consistently achieved perfect scores in every academic test from elementary school through high school.
In junior high, he had already earned his first fortune.
Later, he made his debut as a light novel author, quickly rising to fame and making a small fortune before retiring once he had earned enough.
Rather than stopping there—
He took his earnings, invested them in various businesses, and doubled his wealth.
Now, his total assets had reached tens of billions—yet, he had suddenly stopped again.
Instead of continuing to expand his empire, he had bought a house and begun enjoying life.
That alone was unusual, but Hayasaka hadn't thought much of it.
However—
What truly caught her attention was something else entirely.
The Spencer Family Incident
Recently, the Spencer family had been wiped out.
Her young miss Kaguya had personally asked her to investigate Mr. Spencer's last known activities and any strange recordings to determine the cause of his death.
At first, Hayasaka had assumed Kaguya was simply curious, given Spencer's diplomatic background.
But then—
Kaguya suddenly started asking her how to attract a man.
That had been unexpected.
The Ice Princess—normally indifferent to romance—was now asking how to approach a guy?
Something was off!
Through subtle probing and indirect questioning, Hayasaka was able to confirm—
The man Kaguya was obsessed with…
Was Nanashi.
And from that moment onward—
The eldest daughter of the Shinomiya family bombarded her with endless questions.
All of them are about Nanashi.
That's when Hayasaka knew for certain—
Her Young Miss was in love.
Naturally, she began her own investigation.
Nanashi was, without a doubt, an exceptional individual.
But—
There was one detail that made her uneasy.
His involvement with the Spencer family incident.
Had Kaguya asked her to investigate the Spencers… just because of him?
Hayasaka decided to dig deeper.
She knew the Spencer family's situation had always been strange.
That man from the Spencer family…
His behavior had been unnatural, almost inhuman.
The entire case didn't add up.
The official verdict was far too simple for something that felt so off.
"Something's not right…"
Hayasaka Ai narrowed her piercing blue eyes, shifting her gaze to a photo of Nanashi on her screen.
After school, as part of his daily routine, Nanashi patrolled the area near his home.
His goal—
To eliminate evil spirits and demons.
Lately, he had noticed an unsettling trend.
The number of demons had increased.
In the past, they had been rarely seen.
Now, their presence is gradually growing.
This could only mean one thing—
A Cognitive Apocalypse was underway.
For now, the threats were weak—mere evil spirits and low-level demons.
But in the future?
He had no control over what might come.
The only thing he could do—
Was to keep getting stronger.
When Nanashi finally returned home—
To his mild surprise, he found Eriri and Sayuri already inside.
Before leaving, he had given Eriri a key, telling her to treat his home as her own and come in whenever she pleased.
Still—
"Eri, Aunt Sayuri, what are you two doing here…?"
His eyes fell on the table—
Set with bowls, chopsticks, and steaming hot dishes.
Sayuri smiled playfully, blinking at him meaningfully.
"I thought if we were cooking, we might as well eat together. There's no difference between cooking for two and three… and this way, it saves you the trouble."
Her eyes twinkled mischievously—
The implication is clear.
We're family from now on.
Before Nanashi could react—
"Mom, stop talking! Nanashi must be hungry!"
Eriri quickly cut in, grabbing Nanashi's arm and pulling him into his seat.
She sat right beside him, immediately filling his bowl with food.
Sayuri felt a strange mix of emotions seeing it.
On one hand—
She was relieved.
Eriri had matured overnight.
She was less tsundere, more thoughtful.
That very morning, Eriri had been pestering her to teach her how to cook and how to be a good wife.
But on the other hand—
Watching her daughter sit so close to Nanashi, the two of them feeding each other affectionately…
She felt like a mere bystander.
An outsider.
After dinner, Eriri and Sayuri left for home.
Eriri had wanted to stay, but her body wasn't in the best condition.
Nanashi, however, had no plans to rest.
With nothing else to do, he casually summoned a blade into his hand.
A simple, unadorned longsword.
A Zanpakutō.
Or rather—
An Asauchi—a nameless blade waiting to be awakened.
To unleash its true power, he needed to hear its name.
His fingers tightened around the hilt.
Closing his eyes—
He began to concentrate.
His breathing steadied.
And then—
His consciousness drifted into a void.
When he opened his eyes—
A golden radiance filled the emptiness.
Before him—
Two colossal golden hands emerged from the void, stretching outward as if trying to grasp all of existence.
At that moment—
Nanashi understood.
This sword—
Was born from his very soul.
And its true name…
"Archon."[note: Means Ruler/Leader in Greek.]
The words left his lips in a quiet murmur.
And then—
He snapped back to reality.
His Zanpakutō responded.
Golden particles dissolved from the blade, merging into his eyes.
When he looked into the mirror—
His golden pupils now bore intricate star patterns.
The Power of a King
Nanashi clenched his fist—
And the furniture around him began to float.
Not through vector manipulation—not by controlling airflow or pressure.
But by commanding the very air itself.
This was not manipulation—
This was domination.
"I control the air."
It was an order, not a request.
That was the power of his Zanpakutō—
Archon: The Authority to Rule Over Everything.
Right now, it was only Level 4.
But he knew—
Once he mastered Bankai…
He wouldn't just influence the world.
He would command it!