While the other students rejoiced at the end of the school day, I headed to the room for extra classes without saying a word to anyone.
Studying even more hours was hardly a joy, but I didn’t really have a choice.
The auditorium, or rather the small room where the lesson took place, was strikingly different from the spacious lecture halls of the Academy.
There were no refined aristocrats or ambitious geniuses here.
Only ordinary students, those who, like me, lacked knowledge in basic subjects.
The teacher was an Academy graduate named Mutsuki.
Just Mutsuki.
She had no last name, like most clanless ones.
She was unremarkable in appearance.
An ordinary Japanese woman with plain features who could easily get lost in a crowd of other Asian women.
Yet, she possessed a firm character that allowed her to handle noisy, unruly students with ease.
Her voice easily cut through any chatter, and the sturdy wooden pointer she carried served not only to indicate points on the board but also to maintain discipline.
She clearly took pleasure in rapping the fingers of those who were particularly slow to grasp a concept or clumsy in their execution.
I’m almost ashamed to admit it, but watching that was actually quite entertaining.
I didn’t create any problems by diligently completing assignments and listening to explanations of various language rules.
To stave off boredom, I exchanged a few words with the students sitting next to me.
They were most curious about why First-Class students were permitted to carry their Asauchi with them at all times, rather than just during Jinzen classes.
I simply shrugged, not daring to voice my theory aloud.
Most likely, the policy was intended to lighten the workload for the resident healer.
If students were allowed to carry weapons outside of meditation sessions, the risk of accidents would have skyrocketed.
Even if that policy was driven more by disdain for the clanless than by genuine concern, honestly, I wouldn’t hand out katanas to teenagers without strict supervision either.
And let’s face it, the majority here were teenagers.
A Zanpakuto is neither a toy nor an accessory, and an Asauchi isn’t some butterfly knife you can casually twirl around in your hands.
Still, I had to admit I understood the other side of the issue, too.
Under these circumstances, they had far less time to bond and attune themselves to their future Zanpakuto.
It’s no wonder so many, even those serving as rank-and-file soldiers or junior officers, never achieve Shikai.
The next preparatory class was mathematics, though I hadn’t actually received a referral for it from the examiners.
Mutsuki didn’t believe me and made me take a long, comprehensive test.
I spent some time carefully solving the assigned tasks, which were limited to barely the middle school level of my times, and still got away with a decent result.
A fifth-grader could have handled it, let alone me.
After dinner, I returned to my room and found Kyoraku missing.
I wonder where that guy is wandering off to?
Probably chasing skirts.
Oh well, that’s just how he is.
I’m not going to go looking for him.
Tomorrow’s first period was “History and Structure of Soul Society”, not with Yamamoto, but with Goro Onabara, anyway.
Though, Headmaster would likely be back soon enough.
There was still enough time left before curfew, and I was faced with the question of what to do.
I could go to some training ground or practice in the inner world.
The answer came quickly.
I saw how the nobles, still burning with enthusiasm, occupied the training grounds.
In a couple of weeks, their fervor will fade, and the training grounds will again become the domain of senior students working hard on the eve of important exams.
Then I’ll visit.
In the inner world, without the proper equipment, it will not be easy to level up Kido or Hoho.
By the way, after Goro-sensei tomorrow we have classes in Kido and Zanjutsu, and at the end of the day, according to tradition, Jinzen.
To be honest, I looked forward to Kido lessons with childish impatience.
It’s still magic, albeit specific.
And I really loved playing as mages…
even if I usually ended up as a stealth archer.
While waiting for the next day, I turned toward the wall and retreated into my inner world.
“Welcome, Master,” Golden greeted me in her usual manner, bowing deeply.
“Hi, Hero,” Cobalt said, giving a lazy wave as she sprawled on the floor.
“Hello to you too, my swords,” I nodded in return.
“Still not ready for the Trial?”
Golden shook her head.
“Fair enough, no big deal.
I seem to be ahead of most of my classmates anyway,” I thought, trying not to let it get me down.
“Even if I had achieved Shikai, I’d still have to keep you hidden until Kyoraku and Ukitake awaken their own Zanpakuto.”
“Scheming, are we?” Cobalt chuckled.
” How could it be otherwise?
I’m preparing this world for Aizen’s arrival.
They’ve gotten a bit too complacent without any talented manipulators around,” I quipped.
“But I wouldn’t call it scheming, just simple self-preservation.
After all, being the first dual would attract too much attention.
What if they select you for experiments and dig up something unnecessary?”
“Don’t worry about that,” Cobalt said, playfully slapping her thigh.
“Even Trihexa wasn’t sealed the way I was.”
I just sighed wearily.
References to “DxD” were the last thing I needed.
“Alright, let’s start the training.”
Lazily drawing my katana, I watched the blade gleam in the light from an unknown source.
“As you wish, Master,” Golden said, bringing our platform to a grinding halt once more.
“Don’t relax yet.
Remember, I’m learning alongside you.
It’s quite possible, even things from the Academy.”
“You can do that, too?
That would actually be even more interesting,” I smirked and lunged into the attack.
The skill numbers in the Hero’s Diary were slowly climbing, which was a welcome sight.
Meanwhile, morning had arrived.
“Time to get up, Kyoraku-san,” I said, almost singing the words as I watched him struggle to pry his eyes open.
“Or should I let Goro-sensei know you’re running late?”
“No need for that, Kaoru-kun,” he sighed heavily, wincing from a headache.
“I don’t think I’ll be drinking anymore.”
“And I get the feeling you won’t be drinking any less, either,” I snorted.
Leaving him alone with his misery, I headed straight to breakfast after my morning wash.
In the dining hall, I was greeted by two bedraggled figures sitting with exactly one empty seat between them.
That was where I took my place.
“Good morning, how are you feeling today?” I asked, sounding a bit more cheerful than usual.
Both men cast weary glances at my face, which looked suspiciously sprightly considering yesterday’s grueling training.
I fought hard to suppress a broad grin.
I couldn’t help it.
I enjoy messing with people.
Just a little bit.
“You’re remarkably energetic this morning, Kaoru-san,” Ukitake muttered, stifling a cough.
“Life in Zaraki toughened him up, Ukitake-san,” the exhausted Hachigen remarked with a faint, envious smirk.
It seems Jushiro got along with Hachigen faster than he did with Kyoraku.
There it is.
The influence, however small, that I’m having on this world.
Just watch out.
At this rate, I might start thinking of myself as a god.
“That’s exactly it,” I shrugged nonchalantly.
“At least there are some upsides.”
It was my Regeneration skill in action.
Combined with Meditation, which had continued to level up while I battled Golden in my inner world, it was operating at full capacity.
These skills were restoring my body, relieving stress, and clearing away any minor negative effects.
“Goro-san’s lecture is coming up.
Feel free to follow my roommate’s example and catch up on some sleep,” I suggested with an innocent look.
“I’m afraid we won’t get away with that,” Jushiro said, shaking his head.
“Especially not me,” interjected Hachigen, who was feeling bolder than usual today.
It seemed fatigue had lowered his guard.
“The choice is yours,” I said, spreading my hands.
“In that case, wait for Jinzen.
No one will growl at you there if you fall asleep.”
…
Today’s lecture topic flowed naturally from the previous one, in which we had examined masks and Chains of the Soul.
Today, Goro-sensei moved on to the beings who possess these chains and the various types of them.
I took notes, even though I already knew all this from the anime.
There were several types of wandering spirits.
Fuyurei or, as they were informally known, “Pluses” or “Wholes”, were ordinary souls that, for some reason, did not immediately pass on to the Soul Society.
Upon death, they were literally knocked out of their bodies with their Chain of Fate severed.
Once the chain is broken, the soul can no longer return to its body.
Our task as Shinigami is to perform Konsō before the Plus transforms into a Hollow.
The spirits that haunted Ichigo before the story began serve as examples or that girl from the first episode.
who was devoured by the Hollow that nearly killed Rukia.
I can’t be bothered to look up his name, it was something related to a fish.
Jibakurei are spirits bound to a specific location.
They remain within a certain area and resist being sent to the Soul Society.
These spirits are more vulnerable to Hollows because they cannot move freely.
However, their transformation into Hollows takes longer, months or even years.
Don Kanonji often dealt with spirits of this kind.
Unfortunately, while he believed he was helping, he was actually only accelerating their transformation process.
“Fool” doesn’t quite cover it, though one has to give him credit for his sincerity.
Tsukirei are spirits tethered to a specific person.
Their range of movement is limited to just a few meters from their host, putting both parties in danger should a Hollow attack.
Their transformation process can take years, but if their chosen target shows disdain for the deceased, or simply forgets about them, the rate of their Corrosion accelerates exponentially.
I assume that Orihime’s brother was like this before he turned into the snake-like Minus.
He remained attached to his sister after death, but when she began to move on, despair, resentment and envy consumed him.
Goro-sensei accompanied all this with detailed and amazingly high-quality sketches on huge white sheets of paper.
Well, what about it?
Printers hadn’t been invented yet.
Finally, the lecture over, we arrived at the part I had been anticipating for so long: Kido.
Unlike the training grounds for Hakuda and Hoho, this facility looked completely different.
It was a spacious hall with high ceilings reinforced by numerous barrier seals, designed for safe magic practice.
Clearly, safety precautions had been carefully considered.
After all, beginners and Kido often didn’t mix well.
One of the walls was lined with a wide variety of targets.
Ranging from simple wooden dummies and iron-reinforced ones to all-metal structures and special slabs made of Sekkiseki stone, a material capable of dispersing Reiatsu.
Some hung from the ceiling on chains, while others were attached to crude rail-like mechanisms that allowed them to shift slightly from side to side.
Clearly, the training would test not just accuracy, but reflexes as well.
In short, there was no shortage of training equipment.
Our instructor, Haruki Takeda, was already waiting for us in the center of the room.
He was a middle-aged man with his hair tied in a low ponytail, possessing an observant gaze and a calm, composed bearing.
He didn’t exude the intimidating or oppressive authority of Goro-sensei, yet his eyes clearly reflected deep knowledge and experience.
“Welcome to the Kidō course.
Demon Ways, or Spirit Ways of the Shinigami.
For we ourselves are spirits, after all.”
Takeda-sensei spoke in an even yet confident tone, taking care to inject a touch of playfulness into his words, which made his explanations all the more engaging.
“Some of you likely think that Kidō is a form of sorcery capable of completely replacing the sword, or conversely, that it exists solely to augment your physical attacks.
No, those are merely common misconceptions.”
Takeda-sensei stepped closer, his hands clasped behind his back.
“Kido is the art of manipulating spiritual energy.
Unlike Hakuda and Zanjutsu, where physical strength, reflexes, and instincts play a key role, here everything depends on your ability to control Reiatsu.
Even the most powerful shinigami cannot properly use Demon Arts without sufficient precision and concentration.”
He paused, giving us a moment to digest his words.
Was it just me, or did he just take a dig at the yet-to-be-born Ichigo?
“Before we begin practicing, we need to understand what actually enables a Shinigami to use Kido.”
Takeda-sensei unfurled a diagram on the stand.
an anatomical depiction of a Shinigami, showing not the physical body but their spiritual structure.
He pointed to the center of the drawing, a brightly illuminated point in the chest area.
“A Shinigami’s soul consists of several key components,” he began.
“The first and most fundamental is the Soul Sleep.
It is the center of our spiritual power—its source.
In other words, it is the equivalent of a heart for Reiryoku.
The total energy reserve a Shinigami can utilize depends on it.
If the Soul Sleep is damaged, it leads to a weakening or total loss of Reiatsu.”
He pointed to the next spot on the diagram, located slightly lower down.
Now the area just below the chest, closer to the solar plexus, is highlighted.
“The second important component is the Binding Chain.
It is responsible for redistributing energy throughout the spiritual body.
In powerful Shinigami, this Chain is particularly well-developed, allowing them to rapidly replenish their strength and maintain high levels of Reiatsu.”
Some students started taking notes, and I decided to keep up with them.
“However, a large reserve of Reiatsu alone is not enough.
To use Kido effectively, energy must be channeled correctly.
And this is where another crucial feature of a Shinigami’s spiritual body comes into play – the energy channels in our wrists.”
Hmm?
Something like that rings a bell…
Yeah, I think if you seal them off, a Shinigami will boil from the inside due to their own Reiatsu.
That’s why they used to put special cuffs on the hands of extremely dangerous criminals, like Aizen.
Did Urahara mention that?
Or was it Taito Kubo in an interview?
“Shinigami primarily release Reiatsu through their hands.
That is precisely why the correct formation of hand gestures and finger positions plays such a vital role in spellcasting.
Novices often make the mistake of channeling energy haphazardly, causing their spells to become unstable or fail to activate altogether.”
It stood to reason that Kenpachi became much stronger when wielding his sword with both hands.
But Hollows, namely Arrancars, could release Cero from different parts of their bodies.
Then again, that was more of an energy-based technique than a spell.
He walked over to the board and drew a few symbols.
“Demon Ways falls into three main categories.
Can anyone name them?”
Unsurprisingly, Hachigen raised his hand.
Takeda-sensei gave him permission to answer.
“Hadō—the Way of Destruction, Bakudō—the Way of Binding, and Kaidō—the Way of Restoration,” the future lieutenant of the Kidō Corps stated clearly.
There he was, ladies and gentlemen, in all his glory.
“Correct.
It is worth adding that Hadō has a separate branch: Gisai Hadō, or the Sacrificial Way of Destruction.
Spells of this type require a portion of the caster’s own flesh as a sacrifice.
As they say in the Kidō Corps, even a Kidō Master can use Ittō Kasō only twice.”
He chuckled, but the audience met his words with silence.
Apparently, no one found anything funny about it.
“You don’t get it?” Takeda shook his head.
“That’s because the price for this spell is your arm.”
Some students swallowed awkwardly.
Noticing that no one appreciated his sense of humor, he wasn’t particularly bothered and simply continued the lesson.
“Bakudo is divided into two branches: Kekkai — barriers and Fuu — seals.”
He paused briefly, then added in a knowing tone:
“Kaido, especially, has no official name.
Except for a few individual spells, of course.
If you have talent in this area, we’ll explore this Path in more detail.”
I chuckled inwardly.
Well, I didn’t mind showing a bit of talent.
I was interested in all the magic available in this world.
If I was going to be living here for at least a millennium, I might as well find myself a worthy hobby.
“First of all, before you start casting spells, you need to learn to sense the flows of Reiryoku within your bodies.
Close your eyes and focus.
Try to feel the energy flowing from your Soul Sleep to your palms.
Just sense your Reiryoku, do not try to manipulate it right now.”
We obediently closed our eyes.
Some might have found it difficult, but for me, it was second nature.
I had long been accustomed to sensing spiritual power in my body, though I made a show of needing to concentrate.
Takeda-sensei clapped his hands, snapping us out of our state of concentration.
“Given that you’ve been admitted to Class #1, I doubt anyone is having trouble.
However, if you are unsure about your sensations, I am ready to help.”
No one among us spoke up.
If anyone was struggling, they chose to remain silent.
“Excellent.
However, if you fail to cast the spell correctly by the end of the lesson, we will form an additional group that will start with the fundamentals of Reiatsu control.”
Silence was the only response.
The aristocrats didn’t want to lose face, and the clanless had no intention of giving others a reason to mock them.
“Now, let’s move on to practical application.
We’ll start with incantations.
Without that, no spell will function at full power.”
He pointed to the board, where all the necessary information about Sai and Shō was already written out.
“The voice is part of the ritual that channels Reiatsu in the right direction.
The more precisely you recite the incantation, the more stable the spell will be.”
The students began repeating the lines.
Some stumbled over the words, while others recited them with excessive enthusiasm.
I memorized them on the first try.
Even without the Hero’s Diary, it wouldn’t have been difficult.
Takeda-sensei walked along the rows, listening closely as we recited the incantations.
When he stopped beside me, I clearly recited the spell.
Satisfied, he nodded and moved on.
“Now, stand facing the reinforced dummies.
We’re going to practice Shō.
One of you will push the dummy away, and the other will return it to its spot.
Recite it once, then switch.
It doesn’t matter if you succeed or fail, you switch regardless.”
A few seconds later, the training ground was filled with noise.
Some tried to chant the spell clearly and rhythmically, while others practically shouted it, throwing everyone else off.
Were it not for my Detachment and Meditation skills, I would have punched one of those loudmouths right in the face.
My nerves are shot by nature.
I was paired with Kyoraku.
He lazily recited the incantation, executing the spell perfectly.
Then, he repeated it without the verbal component.
Impressive, but I was doing just as well.
The “Shō” spell has been learned!
The Hero’s Diary has created a “Hero’s Grimoire” subsection!
Oh, now that’s interesting…
But I’ll look into it later, right now isn’t the time.
Since Shunsui and I couldn’t be bothered to keep retrieving the dummy every time it flew off, we simply stood a short distance apart on opposite sides of it.
I’d cast Sho, sending the target flying toward him, and he’d cast it right back to me.
Technically, we weren’t violating the instructor’s orders.
We got carried away with the game and, before we knew it, had turned it into a sort of ping-pong match, never letting the dummy touch the floor.
As it turned out, someone else decided to copy us, but they fared far worse.
The target ruthlessly knocked the poor guy off his feet.
Nothing serious, just a bit embarrassing.
The “Shō” spell has been successfully Mastered to 100%!
I was surprised, but before I could dwell on it, the sound of loud clapping rang out, drawing everyone’s attention.
The next instant, instead of firing off another spell, I simply caught our training dummy and gently set it down on the ground.
“That was impressive and looked like quite a bit of fun,” Sensei said, lowering his hands.
“I hope you two enjoyed yourselves, Kaoru-kun, Kyoraku-kun.
Since no one was hurt, I won’t reprimand you.
However, do try to take my class more seriously from now on.”
“My apologies, Sensei,” I said, bowing, while Kyoraku merely nodded with a bored expression.
“I’m glad we understand each other,” Takeda-sensei concluded calmly.
Then, glancing at the rest of the students, he added, “And a word of warning to the rest of you.
During class, you are expected to carry out the teacher’s instructions, not mimic the foolish antics of your classmates.
Especially if your Kido skills and reaction times leave much to be desired.”
Two students who had tried to replicate our “stunt” listened to this with burning ears.
“Let’s wrap up the exercise!” a voice rang out across the training grounds.
“Now, stand facing one another.
We’re going to practice Sai.
This technique forces the target to cross their arms behind their back, restricting their movement, so we can’t practice it on dummies.
It’s a very simple spell, so even if you fail, you’re unlikely to hurt anyone…
except yourself.”
This part of the lesson turned out to be far more tedious.
Well, except for the fact that the students didn’t immediately figure out how to dispel the magic and simply waited for it to wear off on its own.
Kyoraku, naturally, performed the exercise exactly twice, once with the incantation and once without.
And had no intention of training it again, allowing me to bind him only two times.
The “Sai” spell has been learned!
That wasn’t enough for me, though.
I managed to talk him into continuing to bind me so I could train my ability to physically break free from Bakudo.
This time, Takeda-sensei didn’t pay us any direct attention, but he loudly announced the consequences of such actions:
“Attempting to break Sai by force can result in a dislocated shoulder.
And it will be extremely painful.”
I’ll keep that in mind.
The “Sai” spell has been successfully Mastered to 100%!
After a few repetitions, the session came to an end.
I had enjoyed it and was looking forward to the next lesson.
Though, I would have preferred a different partner.
Shunsui reminded me too much of a lazy child.
Unless he was engaged by the “game,” he would do only the bare minimum.
I respected that attitude in general, but not when it came to Kido.
What I certainly hadn’t expected were the intermittent notifications popping up from the Hero’s Diary.
I caught glimpses of them out of the corner of my eye but didn’t let myself get distracted.
I didn’t want to draw unwanted attention with odd movements or facial expressions.
I’d read enough stories featuring “systems” to know how that sort of thing usually ended.
With huge trouble.
So, seizing a moment during the break, I found a secluded spot and finally checked out the new features.
Let’s see…
interesting.
What does it look like?
Fullbring: “Hero’s Diary”
Subsection: “Hero’s Grimoire”
Name: Shō (Thrust)
School: Demon Arts
Type: Hadō (Way of Destruction)
Number: 1
Incantation: “Ye Lord!
Mask of blood and flesh, wielder of destructive power—strike, push, and sweep the enemy off their feet!”
Mastery Level: 100%
Description: Releases a focused burst of Reiatsu from the palm, creating a shockwave.
Used to repel opponents and objects.
+ Guaranteed to knock down and stun a weak opponent.
Hmm, it doesn’t seem to offer any utility beyond serving as an archive.
Or perhaps I simply haven’t discovered it yet.
But wait…
the Byakurai spell I learnt before isn’t here.
And those this two spells were missing too, even though I knew them for a fact!
Had I been using them incorrectly all this time?
That’s disappointing.
I had really pinned my hopes on my God-given talent.
A line of italicized text marked with a plus sign caught my eye.
It didn’t look like a mere stylistic choice…
Sure enough, it turned out to be a special effect unlocked only after fully mastering the spell.
Perhaps the Hero’s Grimoire isn’t quite as useless as it first appeared.
Let’s take a look at Sai.
Name: Sai (Bind)
School: Demon Arts
Type: Bakudō (Way of Binding)
Number: 1
Incantation: “Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini!
Break your own legs!
Tear out your own claws!”
Mastery Level: 100%
Description: Twists the target’s arms behind their back, paralyzing their movements.
Effective against weak opponents, but easily broken by those with high levels of Reiatsu.
+ Can bind multiple people, depending on the amount of Reiatsu invested.
Hmm, now that is interesting.
The data indicated that these “extra” effects were inherent to the spell from the start.
It’s just that utilizing them properly requires a level of mastery like that of Tessai or old Hachigen.
I remember complaining about my Fullbring in the past, now I think I owe it an apology.