Chapter 118
After he finished reading the scroll in his hand, Haruto immediately realized the difference in Bone Strike.
"Do you understand?"
Haruto, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, immediately heard the voice of Chikane Iba.
"... should?"
Haruto frowned and nodded.
Why do you think that way?
"Because it's too easy."
This is the first characteristic that Haruto thought of:
The techniques and experience extracted and refined from Captain-Commander Yamamoto's secret Hakuda combat methods should not be so simple.
"Then why do you think it can't be promoted?"
"... Because it's too difficult."
Contradiction.
This was Haruto's final impression of Bone Strike after witnessing all the steps.
"Very good."
"Having this understanding shows that you are not blindly arrogant."
At this moment, Haruto and Chikane Iba had returned to the original main hall of the Third Division, and the two were sitting facing each other, about a tsubo (approximately 3.3 square meters) apart.
"Bone Strike."
To put it bluntly, it's about using Reiatsu to strengthen the body.
Why is there so little content?
"Because it only involves four steps: skin, flesh, tendons, and bones. Strengthening is done from the outside in and then from the outside again; this is one stage of Bone Strike."
"If you like, you can call it 'Bone Forging' as well."
Chikane Iba recounted the story to Haruto.
It's not difficult to understand, after all, similar cultivation steps are quite common in fantasy novels as "body cultivation".
Very well-cooked.
What stage are you in now?
Haruto asked, quite curiously.
Even considering the difference in Reiatsu, the ability to block an 80th-level Hadō with bare hands was incredibly oppressive to Haruto.
Haruto never hesitates to devote her utmost enthusiasm to learning anything that can elevate her social standing.
"It's only the first phase, and it's not even finished yet."
"Ah?"
Chikane Iba's answer made Haruto Neko mutter to herself.
"The division of stages is also done by people. My understanding of the later stages is based on Captain-Commander Yamamoto's achievements—"
"Since you've heard of the Captain-Commander's Hakuda, then I'll use that as a comparison:"
"Captain-Commander Yamamoto's Ikkotsu is the perfect first stage in my ideal, and by analogy, Sōkotsu are the second stage."
Chikane Iba didn't see anything wrong with it at all.
"Does each stage multiply physical strength?"
"Yes."
"..."
Haruto's affirmative answer from Chikane Iba also matched the information Haruto already knew about Ikkotsu.
But!
He's practically stealing the Captain-Commander's Hakuda!
What level of Hakuda Ikkotsu?
Two punches (Sōkotsu) and Wonderweiss is done for.
What level of Wonderweiss Arrancar?
His roar shattered the Jūshirō Ukitake Hyōten Hyakkasō, and his single-handed sneak attack severely injured Jushiro Ukitake. He even swallowed all of Captain-Commander Yamamoto's flames in one gulp—it's hard to say whether he is Vasto Lorde, but his performance is definitely no less than that of any Vasto Lorde.
Such exceptional Hakuda skills naturally come with a corresponding level of difficulty in learning.
That is what Haruto just mentioned...
This is too difficult!
"Soul Reaper absorbs Reishi through its mouth and nose."
After answering Haruto's question, Chikane Iba continued.
"The Reishi are transformed into Reiatsu through Saketsu, stored in the Hakusui, and released through the hands when needed."
"This is the most basic source of Soul Reaper's power."
All of the above are compulsory courses for Soul Reaper at the Shin'ō Academy.
"And the practice of Bone Strike..."
"You are required to extract your Reiatsu without releasing it, and use it to modify and strengthen your body."
"It's not a general strengthening of the entire body or a specific part of it, but a conscious transformation from the outside in and then from the inside out—strengthening the entire body is called Reiatsu release, while partial strengthening... taking the legs as an example, is the prototype of the current Shunpo."
"Actually..."
At this point, Chikane Iba added an extra sentence:
" For Soul Reaper who can master the Shunpo, learning the middle two stages isn't too difficult; the difficult parts are mastering the initial skin technique and the final Bone Forging."
"After all, the Shunpo technique involves controlling muscles and tendons."
"..."
Thank you for your explanation.
Haruto bowed solemnly to Chikane Iba.
Being able to explain it clearly like this is definitely more effective than letting Haruto learn it on his own.
"Um."
Chikane Iba nodded.
"The first thing you need to learn is to use Reiatsu to strengthen your skin, thereby enhancing your body's resistance to blows."
"Understood."
Haruto suddenly felt a sense of clarity.
It wasn't that Haruto was particularly clever, but rather that he suddenly had a flash of inspiration and connected it to the second of the four basic abilities of the Arrancar:
Hierro and High-Speed Regeneration.
Haruto thinks.
Of the experiences that Chikane Iba, there was certainly a part that was unfounded.
The battle she watched, where Captain-Commander Yamamoto used the Hakuda technique... could his opponent have been Menos Grande?
Can I try it now?
If things really are as Haruto guessed... he felt that the Heavenly Bedding Pill he had taken seemed to be far from reaching its limit of radiance and heat.
"Certainly."
Chikane Iba nodded.
"Now that I've dealt with that brat Zaemon, I have some free time today. Feel free to ask me any questions you may have."
"Good!"
Haruto immediately began to mobilize his Reiatsu.
The Heavenly Bedding Pill provides comprehensive enhancement to physical attributes, which is why Jin'emon Kotsubaki and Chikane Iba saw Haruto's "talent."
Based on this, supplemented by Haruto's past experience—he had tried all sorts of methods to improve his body, and his understanding of the body was no less than that of the members of the Fourth Division —as well as his extraordinary mental strength and rich experience in Kidō modification.
"Snap."
Just a few seconds later.
It was as if the sound of countless blades rubbing together had been concentrated in a single instant; a clear yet subtle and complex sound appeared rapidly, only to disappear even faster.
"This..."
Haruto's eyes blinked.
Is this considered the first stage of introductory learning?
"..."
Haruto asked this purely to show off; he had already gotten the answer from the astonished look in Chikane Iba's eyes.
"Smack!"
Before Haruto could react, Chikane Iba used Shunpo to get to his side and gripped Haruto's forearm with his claw-like fingers.
"Remove your Reiatsu first."
"... This is already the state after the Reiatsu has been extracted."
Facing the solemn-looking Chikane Iba, Haruto helplessly shrugged.
After that initial attack, Haruto immediately stopped the Reiatsu's strengthening effect on his skin—as for the Heavenly Bedding Pill's continued effect of absorbing Reiatsu to strengthen the body, that's beyond Haruto's control.
"..."
Have you learned similar Hakuda techniques?
There was still doubt in the eyes of the Chikane Iba.
There are other masters in Soul Society who have proposed similar concepts of Hakuda training.
"No."
Haruto shook his head.
"But consuming Reiatsu to strengthen my body... I've been doing this for over half a year now."
"..."
"Ha!?"
――――
Volume 1: Chapter 74, What is the difference between a king and a mount?
Haruto himself hadn't expected this.
The effects of the Heavenly Bedding Pill were surprisingly similar to those of the Bone Strike used by Chikane Iba.
It's like using Bone Strike to continuously enhance the body, both internally and externally, six months in advance; it's just that because there's no corresponding manual, the transformation process is rather natural... or to put it another way, crude.
Once the overall guiding principles were in place, the results were immediately quite different.
"..."
After squeezing twice more, Chikane Iba withdrew his arm, which had been loosening its grip.
"Can the Kidō achieve the same effect?"
Chikane Iba sounded somewhat disappointed.
If that's the case, then all her years of study and practice... weren't they just a form of self-consolation for the weak?
"Or is this a secret Jinzen passed down from a great noble family?"
"Chikane Iba said with some reluctance."