The dojo reserved for Kido classes.
"Hadō #31, Shakkaho, is one of the most commonly used Hado."
Hikifune Tessai spread his iron-rod-like fingers. A ball of scarlet flame slowly burned in his palm, radiating waves of heat.
"Not only does it have impressive power, but by controlling the rate at which you release Reiatsu, you can use it in different ways in different situations."
"For example, illumination."
The curtains fell and the lights went out, plunging the dojo into darkness.
Then a bright but gentle light appeared, illuminating the entire dojo.
It revealed the students' astonished faces.
"Of course, this requires precise control and an understanding of Kido itself."
Hikifune Tessai snuffed out the Shakkaho in his palm with such brute force that the air cracked. Everyone watching felt their eyelids twitch.
Everything he said was true.
But looking like that, he wasn't convincing anyone.
Kisaragi Akira wasn't the only one who thought so. The other students felt much the same.
Even in the 11th Division, famous for its valor and ferocity, few could match this Spiritual Arts Academy Kido teacher in physical strength.
Rumor had it that before long, Teacher Hikifune Tessai would be promoted to Grand Kido Chief of the Kido Corps.
That was a position on par with a captain of the Gotei 13.
When the students first heard the news, 99 percent of them had been completely dumbfounded.
After gradually coming to terms with it, they suddenly began worrying about the future of the Kido Corps.
As the Seireitei's long-range attack specialists, would they end up becoming a reckless division like the 11th?
"To understand Kido, you must first understand its essence."
"From the incantation and hand signs to how you release Reiatsu and the flow of Reishi."
"Even incantations vary for the same Hado. Usually, you only need to learn one version."
"But if you want to control Kido as precisely as I do, you'll need some familiarity with the other incantations as well. The same goes for hand signs."
When it came to teaching Kido, there was no one better than Hikifune Tessai.
Even Kisaragi Akira, who often dozed off during theory lessons, listened with rapt attention.
Of course, there was another reason he hadn't fallen asleep.
Hikifune Tessai continued his lesson. After covering the main concepts, he split the students into groups and led them through a more detailed examination of each topic.
He dissected Kido down to its very essence.
During the break, Hikifune Tessai had the students test the power of Shakkaho in midair while he supervised to prevent any accidents.
"So, Sosuke, what's that method for getting stronger quickly you mentioned before?"
Kisaragi Akira asked eagerly. "You said it had something to do with Kido. Can you give me a quick explanation now?"
Aizen nodded slightly and replied calmly:
"Do you remember how, some time ago, you used the ritual method to communicate with your Asauchi and imbued it with the essence of your soul, turning it into your own Zanpakuto?"
Kisaragi Akira nodded.
Even now, he still had no idea what his Zanpakuto could do, or even what its true name was.
Still, in his spare time, he tried communicating with his Zanpakuto again using the ritual method, entering the space of his consciousness.
The result was the same as before. The moment he entered Nikkotsu Shrine and was about to touch the statue, the Zanpakuto Inner World shattered.
According to Aizen, his Reiatsu level wasn't yet high enough to support the next stage of his Zanpakuto's release.
Kisaragi Akira was already a genius compared to the other students, but he still needed time and effort to reach the level required to learn its true name.
Along with his daily, uninterrupted sign-ins, he would have to rely on grueling training taken to the extreme.
There was more.
Kisaragi Akira's spiritual body had also undergone a tremendous change.
"A Shinigami's body is made entirely of Reishi."
Aizen explained, "Countless Reishi combine in a delicate structure to create a flawless spiritual body. Then, with the soul at its core, they form an individual known as a 'Shinigami.'"
"Don't look at me like that."
"That's the exact wording from the textbook."
"Uh..."
Kisaragi Akira suddenly realized that compared to Aizen, he was only marginally better than illiterate.
Unfortunately, theory classes were nowhere near as interesting as rituals. He simply couldn't muster any enthusiasm for them.
Fortunately, he had an all-purpose friend.
If he ever ran into a problem he couldn't solve, he could just have the invincible Aizen Sosuke figure something out.
"What I mean is, your spiritual body's very nature changed when you completed the ritual and made contact with your Zanpakuto."
Aizen continued analyzing the situation. "To put it simply, you're evolving."
Kisaragi Akira frowned.
Seeing his friend attempt to think things through for himself, Aizen felt deeply gratified. If the guy didn't start using his brain soon, it would rust.
"Since you can't make a sudden leap in Reiatsu level in a short time,"
Aizen explained his idea, "why not try to draw out the potential already hidden within your spiritual body?"
"To some extent, Kido and the spiritual body are similar, and they're highly compatible with each other."
"You could try inscribing Kido into your spiritual body, then releasing it through Hakuda. To put it more simply..."
"Further strengthen your spiritual body!"
"Of course, this method carries some risks."
"So it would be best to wait until you've completely mastered a Kido before we try it..."
"Akira, you understand, right?"
Seeing Kisaragi Akira looking a little dazed, Aizen asked with a frown.
"Huh?"
"I get it, I get it."
Kisaragi Akira grinned. "Isn't that the same conclusion I reached before?"
"As a proper mage, you should max out vitality and endurance first, then choose Skull Splitter, Block, Critical Strike, Charge, Decapitation, and Armor Break."
"After that, all you need is Light Spell for your magic."
Aizen was taken aback.
It seemed that, this time, Kisaragi Akira had actually guessed right.
"There's just one thing I don't understand," Kisaragi Akira said.
"Go on."
"You just said my spiritual body's nature had changed."
Kisaragi Akira's expression grew more serious. "Does that mean I'm no longer a Shinigami?"
"And among people at the same Reiatsu level, if you set aside all outside factors and consider only pure combat ability, even you might not be able to beat me."
Aizen furrowed his brows, momentarily unable to follow the guy's train of thought.
"Based on that,"
Kisaragi Akira struck his fist against his palm and excitedly reached his conclusion. "One way to get stronger is—"
"Sosuke, I'm quitting being a Shinigami!"
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