"Fine, fine, so that's how you want to play it."
Kisaragi Akira laughed in fury. "That act of yours? I give it full marks."
Aizen had shown him up without even trying, and yet Akira couldn't say a thing.
If anyone else had said something like that, he could've just scoffed at them.
But the one who'd said it was Aizen.
Aizen ignored the unhinged Kisaragi Akira and began explaining the finer details of the Kido patterns.
Thanks to his considerable skill in calligraphy, even a casual sketch of his still carried a distinctive elegance in every stroke.
Arcs of electricity danced through the air, crackling and snapping.
The shrill din and the curves of the pattern complemented each other, bringing out the very essence of Byakurai.
Since it was only Hado #4, its Kido pattern wasn't particularly complicated. With Akira's talent, he'd master it in no time.
After a while, Aizen asked, "Have you memorized it?"
Akira nodded.
"Write it out as Byakurai."
Just to be safe, Aizen decided to have him demonstrate it first.
He'd been burned too many times by things like this. Better to be cautious.
Akira didn't suspect a thing. Electricity flashed at his fingertip, and in an instant, he traced out the Kido pattern.
It was a little different from Aizen's earlier version, but there were no real mistakes in either the overall shape or the details.
Seeing this, Aizen relaxed and prepared to move on to the third step.
"The next step is crucial."
"Byakurai's power is limited, but once the Reiatsu output reaches a certain threshold, it can still unleash tremendous destructive force."
"So you have to be careful."
After warning him repeatedly, Aizen began teaching Akira the results of his research over the past few days.
Ever since realizing that Akira's spiritual body had undergone an abnormal change, he'd begun to study it in depth, occasionally taking a little blood or plucking a few hairs.
To Aizen's surprise, whenever he made a request like that, Akira wouldn't even ask why. He'd simply hold out his arm and let Aizen do as he pleased.
When Aizen asked him why, Akira had only grinned and replied frankly:
"We're friends, after all!"
"We may not be comrades who'd lay down our lives for each other, but we're close friends."
At the time, Aizen had studied the boy in front of him, trying to find even the slightest trace of acting in his eyes.
Unfortunately, he'd failed.
Kisaragi Akira was a remarkably genuine person, genuine to the point of being hard to believe.
"Inscribing a Kido pattern isn't as simple as drawing the corresponding marks on your body."
Aizen's voice lowered, his tone serious. "Other people have tried similar experiments, but every one of them failed."
"The spiritual bodies of ordinary Shinigami have a limit to what they can withstand."
"Without Reiatsu to protect them, even an ordinary slash can injure them."
"Let alone Kido."
"The first thing you need to do when inscribing a Kido pattern is make sure your spiritual body can withstand its destructive force..."
He did his best to avoid technical jargon, explaining the essence of this method of growing stronger in the simplest terms possible.
Even so, Aizen had overestimated Akira's patience.
Or perhaps he'd underestimated how much Akira trusted him.
"None of that matters."
Akira waved a hand. "Just tell me what to do."
Aizen sighed helplessly. He'd known things would turn out this way.
Did this guy have a grudge against his own brain? Why couldn't he even be bothered to use it?
"The method is simple."
"You imprint the Kido pattern directly into your flesh."
"Then you make the Reishi in your spiritual body flow along the pattern."
Aizen explained the actual method.
"You have to be extremely careful during this process, because..."
But before he could finish, Akira had already started trying it.
Lively arcs of electricity darted across his skin. A moment later, pain stabbed through his flesh and spread throughout his body, making him curl and twist involuntarily.
But Akira soon overcame it through sheer force of will.
He might not have had many virtues, but his struggle to survive in the Nikkotsu District in his early years had forged a will as strong as steel.
A moment later, Akira's face lit up.
"Hey, I did it!"
The instant the words left his mouth, the brilliant sparks faded and gradually sank into his body, leaving a lightning-shaped mark on the little finger of his left hand.
It was the Kido pattern for Byakurai.
"Do you feel any different?"
A hint of barely perceptible tension crept into Aizen's voice.
Akira moved his body, carefully sensing the changes.
Soon, he skillfully demonstrated a full set of Young Eagle Takes Flight.
"My overall physical ability's improved a little."
"And then there's this!"
He spread his fingers. White arcs of electricity flashed to life, crossing and arranging themselves into one pattern after another.
At Akira's command, the sparks first formed a young man wearing overalls, then a little chick standing proudly with its head held high.
But when he tried combining the two, Aizen suddenly interrupted him.
"You have perfect control over Byakurai. It's even become instinctive?"
Akira froze, then nodded.
"What about the cost?"
"Same as usual."
Hearing his answer, Aizen fell into thought.
Akira's success had been within expectations. Byakurai wasn't very powerful, and Akira's spiritual body was easily strong enough to withstand it.
In fact, even if he took a direct hit from someone else's Byakurai, he wouldn't suffer any serious injuries.
Still, the results were surprising.
After all, Byakurai was only Hado #4. In terms of power, it couldn't compare even to Kido in the double digits, let alone high-level Kido.
If inscribing Byakurai had produced such remarkable results, what would happen if he inscribed Shakkaho as well?
Then there was Raikuho, Soren Sokatsui, Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō, Kurohitsugi...
Before long, Aizen had regained his usual composure.
He looked at Akira, who was trying to incorporate Byakurai's properties into Kendo, Hakuda, and even Shunpo. A faint smile tugged at his lips as he reminded him:
"Byakurai is only the beginning. The real highlight of today is still ahead."
"You've learned Shakkaho from Tessai lately, right?"
Akira nodded.
Then he demonstrated it with ease.
"This is the Kido pattern for Shakkaho."
Once again, Aizen traced a completely new pattern in the air with his finger.
"When did you even—"
Akira had barely started speaking when he seemed to remember something and shut his mouth in time.
"Forget it. I didn't ask."
He decided not to give Aizen another chance to show off.
Soon.
After learning the Kido pattern for Shakkaho, Akira began trying again.
However, both he and Aizen had underestimated how difficult it was to inscribe Shakkaho.
The moment he started, Akira's expression changed. A great rush of blood surged to his head, and his face turned scarlet.
Seeing this, Aizen's expression shifted. He was just about to intervene when—
A tremendous wave of heat burst from Akira's body. Red flames blossomed once more across the training hall, drawing countless eyes.
Hikifune Tessai had just returned to the training hall. His expression went blank as he stared toward the area filled with searing heat and murmured in a daze:
"A prodigy..."
Before you continue