Sugou, of course, didn't dare take that gamble. This was no joke—the teacher speaking was the one who taught them general history, a Kuchiki, a member of the leading house among the Four Great Noble Houses. Getting a second-year student expelled was as easy as saying the word.
After Sugou left, the teacher glanced around the classroom, then looked at Ichiro, who sat in the last row by the window. "Ichiro, didn't you always want to sit in the second-to-last seat? Well, here's your chance. She'll be sitting behind you, so make her a desk and chair."
"..." Ichiro felt a little helpless. "Wait, is the school really this poor now? It can't even provide a desk and chair?"
"She's been temporarily assigned to our class. Enough talk. Otherwise, I'll make her sit in Sugou's seat. We still have a lesson to teach!"
"Hey, don't! It took me long enough to find a chance to return to my hometown. I'll make them."
So Ichiro reluctantly turned around and gave a casual wave. The transmutation on his sleeve glimmered, and a desk and chair appeared out of thin air before Suzuran Yue's astonished eyes!
"Mm, not bad. Go ahead. Class is starting. Today we'll continue discussing the political system at the time of Seireitei's founding..."
Suzuran Yue walked over with a curious look and sat behind Ichiro, occasionally glancing at the brand-new desk and chair that had just appeared. It was the first time she had ever seen an ability like that.
Before long, the lesson was over. Ichiro pulled his attention away from his notes and looked at Urahara in confusion as he tapped his shoulder.
"What is it?" Then he spotted Issho Yoruichi chatting with Suzuran Yue. Ichiro shrugged, put away his notebook, and turned around to join their conversation.
"Your Zanpakuto is so pretty. What does it do?"
"Rustle~"
Mine is a healing-type Zanpakuto. It can absorb injuries and convert my Reiryoku into vitality to heal them.
"Oh~ That's pretty good. If you practice Kaido with that ability, you'll get twice the results for half the effort."
Issho looked at Ichiro in confusion. "Kaido from before? Is Kaido going to change?"
"Hm? Didn't I tell you? The captain and I have been working on classifying and numbering Kaido, and adding incantations to it, just like Hado and Bakudo."
"..." x n
Everyone shook their heads in unison, then paused as a crucial point suddenly dawned on them!
"You're working on this with the captain? Together? You?" Issho stared at Ichiro in shock.
"..." Ichiro felt a little speechless. "What? Am I not qualified...?"
"Wasn't your highest Hado only number 40? Are you capable of pulling this off?" Urahara questioned him from the side. The news was simply too shocking.
"First, what I mainly study and research are Kido techniques and principles, so the number of a Kido spell makes no difference to me. Second, it's not number 40. I'm up to 45 now. There are only a dozen or so left in the academy that I haven't learned."
...What a freak... x n
"So, what's this about Kaido changing?"
"Oh, that. It started last week, when the captain was teaching..."
The previous week, there hadn't been a lesson scheduled. But two rookies from Squad 11 had gotten into a fight in Squad 4 and injured several young women. As luck would have it, Captain Unohana saw them, and then...
Then Ichiro and the others had the good fortune to attend an impromptu practical lesson on Kaido. The lesson materials were two Squad 11 members!
As the pair looked on in terror, Captain Unohana used her Reiryoku to numb their pain while explaining the techniques they needed to keep in mind to Ichiro and the others.
Then, smiling, she broke all four of their limbs. The sight made everyone shudder.
But their attention was soon drawn to the captain's exquisite technique and clear, easy-to-follow explanations. Everyone was immersed in a sea of knowledge, giving no thought to the Squad 11 members whose limbs were being broken over and over...
Everyone except Ichiro...
He had recently been researching Body Transmutation and had made some progress, so he was particularly sensitive to this sort of thing. From his perspective, although the pair's limbs were repeatedly broken and healed, the exquisite technique meant they suffered no lasting harm.
Instead, it was like blacksmithing: their hidden injuries were hammered out of their bodies, then healed. This would benefit them quite a bit in the future. You could say they came out ahead—if you ignored the psychological trauma of the process...
Still, this was great for Ichiro too. One lesson, two gains. A huge win!
Soon, the two had been squeezed for all they were worth and were tossed aside, trembling. The captain began treating the other injured patients, explaining how to handle different injuries as she went.
At first, Ichiro watched with great interest. These fine points came from experience, a gap that talent alone couldn't bridge. But as time passed, Ichiro's brows gradually furrowed. A question that had puzzled him for a long time began to take shape.
Every injury was being treated in exactly the same way. It wasn't efficient...
Captain Unohana had been keeping an eye on Ichiro. She was quite fond of the remarkably talented newcomer, so when she noticed his expression, she stopped what she was doing and asked, "Ichiro, is something bothering you? Don't hesitate to ask."
"Mm, then I'll say it, Captain. Why isn't Kaido classified? We use the same Kaido for every injury, but the techniques differ depending on the injury. Why don't we revise and organize Kaido accordingly?"
"Like Bakudo and Hado?"
"Yes. Just like those two. I've studied the incantations for Hado and Bakudo. Their essence is a kind of ritual to the world. In the early days, Kido was divided into two types: spells without incantations and spells that required them. There was an enormous difference in their power. As Kido developed, they were gradually organized into the system we have today."
"I understand what you mean, but it's different. We can no longer sense new incantations. Squad 4 and Squad 12 are both researching this, but I'm glad you thought of it. Unfortunately, that approach won't work." Captain Unohana sighed.
Unable to sense new incantations? Is it because of the Soul King? Ichiro's gaze flickered. It seemed he had learned something rather useful...
"No, Captain, that conclusion isn't necessarily right! I don't know whether we can sense new incantations, but we can make use of the ones we already have."
"The incantations we already have?"
"Yes. I analyzed all the incantations below number 60 in the academy's collection and found some entries that used different wording but served similar functions. I separated them out and discovered that they could slightly amplify the power of all Kido. Then there are some entries with special meanings..."
"Wait. That's enough for today. We'll continue next weekend. Ichiro, come with me." Before the excited Ichiro could finish, Captain Unohana cut him off and ended the lesson early, then led him deeper into the squad barracks.
Before you continue