The next morning, before the mist had fully cleared over the Seireitei, a piece of news struck like thunder, tearing through the usual calm at astonishing speed.
It exploded through every division, the Rukongai, and every corner of the Shin’ō Academy, stirring up an unprecedented storm of shock and discussion.
“Did you hear?
At Shin’ō Academy!
Two geniuses!
The exact same Zanpakutō!”
“Hyōrinmaru!
The strongest ice-type Zanpakutō!”
“How is that possible?!
Aren’t Zanpakutō supposed to be unique?!”
“It’s true!
One is Tōshirō Hitsugaya, and the other is Sōjirō Kusaka!”
“Nothing like this has ever happened in Soul Society’s history!”
Whispers, shocked cries, and disbelieving questions spread like wildfire.
The uniqueness of a Zanpakutō was one of Soul Society’s ironclad truths—a symbol of the singular nature of a Shinigami’s soul.
Now, that truth had been shattered.
And it had been shattered by not one, but two blades bearing the name Hyōrinmaru, the so-called strongest ice-type Zanpakutō.
The impact was no less than a Reishi storm.
The news naturally reached the Kido Corps as well.
Yanagawa held a freshly brewed cup of tea, listening to his colleagues speak in lowered yet excited voices.
His expression remained calm, but a thoughtful gleam passed through the depths of his eyes.
Tōshirō Hitsugaya…
The name was not unfamiliar to him.
Because of Momo Hinamori, he had seen the white-haired boy several times.
In his memory, Hitsugaya had a young face but unusually mature eyes—calm, proud, and far beyond his age.
Whenever Hinamori mentioned him, her tone was always full of trust and a touch of admiration.
She called him “Shiro-chan” and said he was an undeniable genius, one whose spiritual power was growing at an astonishing rate.
Yanagawa had not expected that the Zanpakutō this gifted boy awakened would be Hyōrinmaru.
And he had expected even less that another person would awaken the exact same Zanpakutō.
Sōjirō Kusaka…
Perhaps he had not been among the most dazzling students of his class.
But anyone capable of awakening Hyōrinmaru could not possibly possess ordinary talent or an ordinary soul.
“Two Hyōrinmaru…” Yanagawa murmured.
This was no ordinary incident.
The name and form of a Zanpakutō came from the essence, experiences, and will of a Shinigami’s soul.
In theory, two identical Zanpakutō should be impossible.
Just as there were no two completely identical leaves in the world, there should be no two completely identical souls.
Then the current “twin Hyōrinmaru” phenomenon could only have a few possible explanations.
First: one of them was a counterfeit, a remarkably sophisticated imitation.
But Hyōrinmaru was a top-tier Zanpakutō, one that carried an extremely high level of power and underlying law.
Imitating it would be unimaginably difficult.
To create such a convincing imitation at the moment of awakening, enough to fool Shin’ō Academy’s detection and the senses of countless Shinigami, was highly unlikely.
Second: a resonance or division involving the origin of the soul, or even the level of the world’s rules—something beyond current understanding.
Perhaps deep within the souls of Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Sōjirō Kusaka, there existed some astonishing similarity or special connection even they themselves had not noticed.
Perhaps that had triggered an extremely rare loophole, or exception, within Soul Society’s rules, causing the name that symbolized the pinnacle of ice to answer two souls at once.
It sounded unbelievable.
But compared to a perfect imitation, Yanagawa considered it slightly more plausible.
After all, the world was vast, and strange things were endless—especially when the soul, the most mysterious of all fields, was involved.
Third: external interference.
Some power great enough to distort the rules governing Zanpakutō awakening had intervened.
But who would do such a thing?
And for what purpose?
Yanagawa’s thoughts immediately turned to the Royal Palace he would soon visit, and to the unfathomable Ichibē Hyōsube.
But he dismissed the idea just as quickly.
What benefit would the Royal Palace gain from openly breaking such a fundamental rule, when its role was to preserve the balance of the three worlds?
It did not fit.
Other possibilities, Hueco Mundo, perhaps, or some existence hidden within the shadows of history—could not be judged without more information.
It was easy to imagine that the Central 46, the upper ranks of the Gotei 13, and even the Shinigami Research and Development Institute were probably already in uproar.
How should the two wielders of Hyōrinmaru be handled?
As a blessing?
As a danger?
Should they be trained with special attention, or isolated and investigated?
The debates and decisions around them were certain to be filled with hidden currents.
“Tōshirō Hitsugaya…”
Yanagawa set down his tea, lightly tapping the tabletop with one fingertip.
Given what he knew of Hinamori, the girl was surely worried right now, proud of her childhood friend’s talent, yet anxious over the trouble this unprecedented twin phenomenon might bring.
As for Hitsugaya himself, that proud young genius had suddenly been thrust into the center of the storm.
His feelings were likely even harder to describe.
And the other person involved, Sōjirō Kusaka, might be in an even more delicate position.
“The rules have been broken…”
Yanagawa murmured, the interest of a researcher growing stronger in his eyes.
This incident was like a sudden abnormal data point.
For someone trying to understand this world’s power system, it held immense observational value.
The secret behind it made him restless with curiosity.
Unfortunately, he would soon have to depart for the Royal Palace.
He likely would not have the chance to closely follow and study what came next.
Captain-Commander Yamamoto and the other high-ranking officials were no doubt paying close attention, perhaps already intervening.
“It seems the Seireitei will be lively for a while.”
Yanagawa looked out the window, as if he could sense the unusual tension and restlessness spreading through the air.
The rise of genius.
An exception to the rules.
Such things were often accompanied by turmoil and change.
He withdrew his gaze and returned it to the latest calculations spread out before him—drafts concerning a stable Reishi barrier.
Whether it was the miracle of the twin Hyōrinmaru or the mysteries of the Royal Palace, both were, in essence, manifestations and challenges of the world’s rules at different levels.
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