Life at Shin'ō Academy

Life at Shin'ō Academy was a little busier than he had imagined.

Especially for students like Yato, who came from Rukongai and had been given "special attention" after completing Shikai, the academic pressure was immense.

He had to get up at dawn, train his physique and Reiatsu in the practice grounds on an empty stomach.

After breakfast, while their minds were sharpest in the morning, veteran Soul Reapers who had retired from the Gotei 13 due to injuries taught them Zanjutsu.

As noon approached came Kidō practice. The afternoons were for Hakuda and Flash Step. Of course, academic subjects such as wilderness survival, Seireitei's organizational structure and history, and basic knowledge of Hueco Mundo were interspersed among the four major disciplines of "Zankensoki," ensuring a balance between work and rest.

At night, students from the same class were gathered together for sparring drills.

Every night at bedtime, the students returned to their dormitories aching all over and exhausted. Fortunately, Shin'ō Academy's meals were somewhat special, capable of accelerating the recovery of both Reiatsu and the body, allowing the students to endure.

In such an environment, Yato seemed to have awakened the obsessive study gene from his past life. He studied frantically, absorbing knowledge like a sponge.

"The essence of Zanjutsu lies in coordinating your footwork with your wrist. When twisting your waist and driving your legs, you must maintain the balance of your spine..."

"Kidō is not some folk magic invented by commoners. Whether or not we abandon the incantation, we must remember the sensation of Reishi reconstructing within our bodies..."

"The key to Hakuda is turning every part of your body into a weapon. There are countless schools of this discipline: Poison Bee Style, Great Serpent Bite Style, Nine Mountains Style, and more. Today, we'll begin with Poison Bee Style, which places the greatest emphasis on finger strikes..."

"Flash Step is a technique that concentrates Reiatsu in the legs and toes for instantaneous bursts of speed. Experts can use the air as leverage and ignore terrain, but pay attention to where you land..."

Knowledge was constantly crammed into Uchiha Yato's mind. He was practically the most diligent student in his class, and he could feel himself growing stronger every day.

In the blink of an eye, six months passed.

"Tonight, the final sparring group." In the practice grounds, the teacher, whose arms were as thick as a savage bear's, deliberately drew out his words before roaring:

"Uchiha Yato, Byakuya Kuchiki!"

The students' gazes focused on the two of them.

This had practically become the fixed pairing for every night's sparring.

The instructors at Shin'ō Academy deliberately selected students with similar combat ability, avoiding one-sided matches that provided no effective training.

Among this year's students, Uchiha Yato and Byakuya Kuchiki had already left all their classmates far behind. Thus, they could only fight each other.

Yato and Byakuya rose to their feet, exchanged a glance, and walked toward the center of the practice grounds.

The students and teachers tacitly spread farther out.

—These two were exceptionally fierce. Once the fight heated up, they often lost all restraint. A Kidō spell released a month ago had accidentally injured students standing too close.

"Yato." The noble youth wearing a Kenseikan held his sword and bowed.

"Be careful."

Uchiha Yato smiled.

"Please enlighten me, Byakuya."

Bang!

Before the words had even faded, both of them moved at once—blades clashed, Flash Step, horizontal slash!

The tremendous crash of metal echoed throughout the practice grounds. Many students could not help covering their ears, an uncontrollable sense of absurdity rising in their hearts:

"These two are stronger than the last time they fought!"

In the practice grounds, after a brief contest of strength, Byakuya leaned back slightly and swept his Soul-Cutter Sword upward, kicking the flat of the blade with the tip of his foot.

The move was powerful and highly inventive. Caught off guard, Yato could only raise his blade crosswise to block, and was blasted into the air.

At the same time, Byakuya Kuchiki pinched his blade between his fingers, stretched his arms straight, crossed them before his chest, and began chanting at incredible speed:

"Ye who reign! Mask of flesh and bone, all things in the universe, fluttering wings, you who bear the name of Man! Scorching heat and strife, across the seas they roll southward, advancing step by step!"

"Hadō #31: Shakkahō!"

A crimson fireball suddenly appeared, its blazing flames warping the air as it roared toward Yato.

The sight made many students pale, their faces filled with bitter smiles.

One had to know that one of Shin'ō Academy's graduation examinations was a Kidō test. Generally speaking, as long as one could cast Red Flame Cannon with an incantation, they could pass that test with excellent marks!

Yet only half a year after enrolling, Byakuya Kuchiki could calmly use this mid-level Kidō in battle. His talent was plain to see.

However, Yato's response left those students without even the strength to smile bitterly.

In midair, the black-eyed youth condensed Reishi beneath his feet and regained his balance.

Then he looked at the incoming crimson fireball and calmly extended one hand.

"Red Flame Cannon."

Amid that casual voice, a Kidō even larger than the incoming Red Flame Cannon formed before Yato.

Rumble...

Red Flame Cannon collided with Red Flame Cannon. After a brief deadlock too fast for the naked eye to follow, the Kidō released by Yato devoured everything like a victor, roaring toward Byakuya Kuchiki like a mad dragon.

Byakuya's expression abruptly changed. He dodged to the side as the Kidō nearly grazed the hem of his clothes before slamming into the ground.

Dust and smoke rose everywhere. A deep crater over ten meters wide had been blasted into the practice grounds, and raging flames burned atop it like an inferno.

Even someone as proud as Byakuya could not help sighing inwardly at the sight.

After half a year of living together, he knew that his strength and that of his roommate were probably on roughly the same level.

But Yato's Kidō... was simply too powerful.

More precisely, Yato's "fire-type Kidō" had already far surpassed the level of students and even ordinary Seated Officers!

A mid-level Kidō cast without an incantation had actually crushed his fully chanted Red Flame Cannon head-on!

His understanding and mastery of fire-type Kidō were utterly inconceivable.

Uchiha Yato, who had been standing in the air, now landed directly on the ground. He glanced at the deep crater and felt satisfied with his handiwork.

Six months ago, when he had first come into contact with Kidō, he had discovered his talent for "fire-type Kidō."

He understood it at a glance, mastered it quickly after learning it, maintained a flawless chanting rhythm, and even when abandoning the incantation, its power far exceeded that of his peers.

Yato understood very clearly that this talent came from the power of the Uchiha Clan.

In the ninja world, the Uchiha Clan had been the foremost masters of Fire Release. None could stand against their edge.

In the world of Soul Reapers, it was only natural that Yato, who possessed Uchiha power, would be exceptionally skilled in fire-type Kidō.

Amid the searing heat, Yato and Byakuya exchanged a glance. Each could see the fighting spirit in the other's eyes.

Zanjutsu, Flash Step, and Kidō were not enough to decisively determine who was stronger.

For Soul Reapers, the true eruption of battle began only when they released their Soul-Cutter Swords.

"Then... Yato, it's starting."

"Mm. No need to hold back, Byakuya."

Their Reiatsu erupted almost simultaneously.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura."

"Open your eyes, Scarlet Eye."

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