Phantom Blade

Morning · Kidō practice room

"So, what are the key points of the Reishi composition for Hadō #4, Byakurai?"

Fon Shaoling's voice echoed through the Training Room.

Hu sat at the desk with three thick books open in front of him, looking as though smoke were rising from his head. He took a deep breath and, maintaining his focused state, answered:

"Concentrate Reishi at the fingertip and compress it in a spiral. After the incantation gives it a concept, release the compressed Reishi in an instant."

"What about Bakudō #4: Hainawa?"

"Form Reishi into a rope and bind the target. The key is to make the rope a single, continuous whole, with no breaks."

Fon Shaoling nodded and closed the book in her hands.

"Good. You remembered everything."

Hu let out a long breath and leaned back in his chair. His focused state vanished instantly.

Fon Shaoling looked at him, a flicker of curiosity in her golden eyes.

"Ye Xing."

"Hm?"

"Today... learning doesn't seem as difficult for you as it was the last two days."

Hu paused.

"You still frown when you run into something difficult." The corners of Fon Shaoling's mouth lifted slightly. "But compared to that 'I'm going to die' look you had before, you're clearly much less resistant today. Have you gotten used to the intensity of studying?"

Hu scratched his head.

"Well... actually, it's because of this morning's Zanjutsu meditation."

Fon Shaoling raised an eyebrow, gesturing for him to continue.

Hu gathered his thoughts and began to explain—

This morning, in the Inner World

Hu stood on the Demon World Tree's crown, Jiku'a in hand, feeling the power flowing through his body. His focused state made him feel lighter, and he could clearly sense the wind around him, the outline of the distant city, and even the faint trembling of the branches beneath his feet.

Jiku'a stood opposite him, his expression unchanged.

"Come on."

The moment Hu spoke, Jiku'a vanished from where he stood.

Hu instinctively turned sideways, and the blade grazed his shoulder. Instead of retreating, he stepped forward and clenched his left fist. Beowulf's blue light instantly covered his knuckles as he drove a punch at Jiku'a's abdomen—

Jiku'a had already pulled his sword back, holding it crosswise to block the punch.

But Hu didn't stop.

He spun with the motion and swung Jiku'a in his right hand from another angle, aiming straight for Jiku'a's waist.

Jiku'a turned sideways to evade the blow and lifted a leg—

Hu had already pulled back, opening the distance between them.

The two stared at each other.

"Not bad." Jiku'a nodded, a rare gesture from him. "It's only been one day, and the effects of focusing are already starting to show."

Hu grinned.

I can't keep getting beaten down by my own Zanpakuto forever.

He charged again.

Blades flashed, fists and feet clashed. Hu's attacks grew smoother, and his transitions between Beowulf and Jiku'a became more natural. He felt as though he had found a rhythm, each movement flowing precisely into the next instead of being as disjointed as before.

Jiku'a still stood at the center, but he moved a little more than he had yesterday, shifting and dodging within a small area.

Hu fought with growing vigor. After a slash, his left hand was already poised to follow up with a punch—

Just then, he saw Jiku'a raise his right hand.

Blue Reishi instantly blazed in his hand. A moment later, a greatsword made of pure blue energy appeared, with a spiral hilt, a W-shaped guard, and a long, sharp blade that looked extremely heavy.

The sword closely resembled the Blade of Power once wielded by that man, but it was transparent throughout, its outline traced only by blue light. It had appeared out of thin air in Jiku'a's hand, as though drawn from the void.

Hu's pupils contracted sharply.

The blue energy sword was already slashing down.

Almost instinctively, Hu used Shunpo to retreat. The blue light swept past the tip of his nose, bringing with it a fierce gust of wind.

He landed more than ten meters away, panting, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

"Y-you're cheating!" Hu pointed at Jiku'a. "I don't have one of those!"

Jiku'a looked at him with an expression that plainly said, "Are you stupid?"

He spun the blue energy sword in his hand and casually let go, and it dissipated into the air. Then he raised his hand again, and another identical sword formed.

"Let me ask you, what are you doing Zanjutsu meditation for?" Jiku'a asked.

"Isn't it to learn how to use your own Zanpakuto?" Answering his own question, Jiku'a walked toward Hu one step at a time. "I pulled out a new skill for you, and you're not happy?"

Hu opened his mouth.

Jiku'a came up to him and flicked Hu on the forehead with a finger.

"Thump."

Hu covered his forehead and squatted down.

"That hurts!"

"Shut up and feel it for yourself."

A stream of information flooded into Hu's mind with the flick. The way the blue energy sword was formed and how to use it spread through his consciousness like flowing water.

Hu closed his eyes and worked to absorb the information.

Then he opened his eyes, a very blank look in them.

Jiku'a sighed.

"That look on your face could give that guy Ichigo Kurosaki a run for his money."

Hu: "..."

"This is Phantom Blade." Jiku'a put away the energy sword. "As you can see, it's a projection of the Blade of Power. To form it in this world, you need knowledge of physical construction from Kidō. You need to familiarize yourself with using Kidō to form a physical entity out of energy, or you won't be able to use it in reality."

Hu blinked.

Jiku'a glanced at him and summoned Phantom Blade again. The instant he did, Hu's eyes locked onto it. Jiku'a frowned and said, "You can practice using it in the Inner World first."

Seeing him staring blankly, Jiku'a tossed Phantom Blade to Hu, who immediately gripped the hilt with both hands and swung it around in practice.

Jiku'a put a hand to his forehead. "Stay focused, and you can learn Kidō more effectively. Only after you've learned Kidō properly can you truly use this move. I'm not going to keep constructing Phantom Blade for you to play with in the Inner World."

Hu looked down at his hands.

Phantom Blade.

It appeared when he raised his hand and vanished when he let go.

It looked heavy, but because it was made entirely of Reishi, it was actually much lighter than an Asauchi. That meant it could deliver rapid, successive blows, swift and fierce—and it could even gather Reiatsu and release waves of slashing energy.

This is so cool.

He looked up, his eyes shining.

Jiku'a watched him, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

"You should learn to stay focused first. You've lost it again."

In the Training Room

"—And that's what happened."

Hu came out of his recollection and looked at Fon Shaoling.

"That blue Phantom Blade is really cool." His eyes still shone. "It appears when you raise your hand and vanishes when you let go. It's fast and fierce. I want to learn how to make it soon."

After listening, Fon Shaoling nodded thoughtfully.

"So your Zanpakuto told you this move was connected to Kidō?"

"Yeah. I have to get used to forming physical energy entities with Kidō before I can use it in reality."

Fon Shaoling stood and walked over to the bookshelf.

"Then we'll need to pick up the pace."

Hu suddenly had a bad feeling.

"Pick up... the pace?"

"Yes." Fon Shaoling turned around with three more books in her hands—Intermediate Hadō Theory, An Introduction to Energy Materialization, and Fundamentals of Kidō Configurations.

"Of course. Under my original plan, you would only have studied and mastered the basics of Kidō over the next month. After all, judging by your previous fighting style, your main means of attack were your Zanpakuto and Hakuda. Your Zanpakuto's capabilities could also be said to be among the very best of the direct-attack type. Kidō would have been more useful as support outside combat, so it would have been enough to remember its operating principles and the corresponding incantations."

Fon Shaoling placed the three books on the desk and pushed them toward Hu as she continued, "But the focus and Phantom Blade your Zanpakuto has given you change things. A Zanpakuto never provides what its master wants most, but what is best for its master. This is most obvious after Shikai, because at that stage, the Zanpakuto and its master are more like equals. Only after Bankai does the relationship become more subordinate, which is why Bankai is called the process of making a Zanpakuto submit."

Fon Shaoling pushed up her glasses and began to reason it out. "Ye Xing, remember how you told Cilian your Zanpakuto had four fighting styles in all? Could they correspond to the Soul Reapers' four arts—Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō? I hadn't considered it before, not until today. The fighting style you use with your Zanpakuto, Jiku'a, naturally corresponds to Zanjutsu, while Beowulf is Hakuda. This Phantom Blade corresponds to Kidō, so you may have another skill to learn later that corresponds to Hohō. Since Kidō will be part of your Combat System, your instruction must be more rigorous, especially the techniques for forming physical energy entities that I just mentioned."

Hu looked at the three books, each thick enough to kill someone, and his mouth slowly fell open.

"No..."

"Here, this is your extra portion for today." Fon Shaoling patted Hu. "The faster you build up your book knowledge, the sooner you can put it into practice." She gave him a gentle smile. "Do your best, Ye Xing."

Hu stared at the three books. The image of the awesome Phantom Blade appeared in his mind, followed by the miserable sight of himself buried in books.

He took a deep breath and focused.

Fine, I'll study!

He opened a book and began another round of study...

In the Seireitei

Cilian opened his eyes as the horizon began to pale.

He raised his right arm and moved it around. His fingers moved freely and nimbly, as if he had never lost it.

He opened his left eye as well.

The world was clear. Clearer, brighter, and richer in color than when he had seen it with only one eye.

Cilian stood up and rolled his shoulders. The soreness throughout his body reminded him that last night's torment had not been a dream.

He walked to the wall and picked up a wooden sword.

It felt a little awkward in his hand.

He had held a sword in his left hand for over a century, and the motion had become muscle memory. Now that his right hand was back, he didn't know how to apply his strength at first.

Cilian took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

He remembered how, many years ago, when he was still a young squad member, he had stood in a training hall just like this, swinging his sword over and over.

He gripped the wooden sword in his right hand and assumed the most basic stance.

Then he made his first swing.

Just like a beginner.

Cilian didn't stop.

A second swing.

A third.

A fourth.

One swing after another, slow and steady. He was recovering that feeling, the feeling from a hundred years ago, the feeling of when he still had his right arm.

Sweat ran down his forehead and dripped onto the floor.

His movements grew smoother and faster.

Chop, slash, thrust, upward cut—

With every swing, he drew closer to the self he remembered...

Afternoon, at the Second Division training ground

The afternoon sunlight shone into the training ground.

Cilian put down the wooden sword and picked up his Zanpakuto. The blade gleamed coldly in the sunlight. He closed his eyes instead, feeling the weight of the blade, the strength in his right arm, and the body that was whole again. Then he opened his eyes and walked into the training ground...

More than a dozen young Second Division members were practicing there. When they saw Cilian, their eyes filled with surprise at the sight of their superior with all his limbs and both eyes intact. They stopped what they were doing, stood straight, and bowed. "Sixth Seat Cilian!"

"Mm." Cilian nodded in acknowledgment. "It's been several years since the commander ordered me to recuperate, and I last came to this training ground. As captain of the Stealth Force's Sixth Unit, the Training Corps, I've been somewhat derelict in my duties."

Cilian surveyed the Second Division members present and said, "As you know, the Stealth Force's Sixth Unit, the Training Corps, trains and supplies talent to the other units: the Fifth Unit, the Rien Corps; the Fourth Unit, the Feimou Corps; the Third Unit, the Correction Corps; the Second Unit, the Patrol Corps; and the most important of all, the First Unit, the Onmitsukidō! Before coming here, I heard that everyone present was an elite selected for the Onmitsukidō..."

Cilian rested his right hand on the Zanpakuto at his waist. "Come on, let me see what the elites selected by the Training Corps in my absence are made of!"

The squad members exchanged glances and assumed fighting stances.

The first to charge was a tall, powerfully built man. Cilian turned sideways to dodge his straight punch, then drove an elbow into his abdomen, doubling him over.

The second, the third, the fourth—

Cilian didn't use his sword, only his fists and feet. He was testing his newly restored body, the strength of his right arm, the dynamic vision of his left eye, and whether the brats selected for the Onmitsukidō were capable of keeping up with their princess.

One squad member after another fell.

Cilian stood in the middle of the crowd, his breathing slightly uneven, but his eyes bright.

"Is that all you've got?

Not enough!

Not nearly enough!

You think you can join the Onmitsukidō with just that?

This is an order from your unit captain: get up and keep going!" At the same time, he ordered the training ground's guard, "You! Call the prospects from the other units here and assemble them! If the Onmitsukidō prospects are this poor, how good can the others be? What are those old fools doing? Call them all here! I'll inspect every last one myself!"

By evening, the training ground's doors were shut tight.

From within came repeated dull impacts, screams, and the sound of swords hitting the ground.

A long time passed.

The doors opened.

Cilian walked out, his arms hanging naturally at his sides. His right arm had fully adapted, and his fingers moved slightly, nimble and free. His left eye was open, a sharp light in it.

He stopped at the entrance to the training hall and looked back.

The hall was a complete mess.

Countless pits had been smashed into the floor, several deep cracks ran across the surrounding walls, and wooden training swords lay scattered everywhere. Amid the wreckage, countless Second Division members lay sprawled in every direction.

Some clutched their stomachs and groaned, some lay face down, unable to get up, and others leaned against the walls, panting. Those who had already passed out had been dragged into a corner and propped against the wall.

Cilian looked away and rolled his shoulders.

A full day of practice had allowed him to adapt completely to his newly reborn body. His right arm was a little stronger than it had been back then, and his left eye's dynamic visual acuity had also returned to its peak.

Very good.

Cilian raised his head and gazed at the sky over the distant Seireitei, a complex emotion flashing through his single eye.

"The Second Division's members lately..."

he murmured.

"Have been neglecting their training far too much!"

Behind him, another chorus of groans came from the dōjō, as if answering his question.

He stood where he was, letting the last light of the setting sun fall on him and on his regrown arm.