In the courtyard of Squad 1—
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni brought his fists together and shouted, "Sōkotsu!"
Kyōraku Shunsui was sent flying backward.
Katori Sora immediately rushed forward and began treating him with Kaidō. For some time, he and Shunsui had been training in Hakuda under Yamamoto, which mostly consisted of taking beatings.
A moment later, Shunsui recovered and complained, "Cough, cough—ever since the old man found out about your Kaidō level, he's been hitting even harder!"
"That is because your Hakuda skill is too poor!" Yamamoto scolded. "You can't even take an attack at an equivalent Spiritual Pressure level!"
"That's all for today's training," he announced. "My Hakuda techniques are simple, but even they can unleash great power when mastered. Hakuda is not learned in a day; it requires constant practice. I expect you to be diligent."
"Yes, thank you for your instruction, Captain-Commander!"
Sora had gained a lot during this time. His Hakuda level had shot up from 15 to 35.
Two new Hakuda skills also appeared on his panel:
Tekken (Steel Fist) (Beginner)
Sōkotsu (Twin Bones) (Beginner)
Both were easy to learn but difficult to master, requiring a great deal of time to perfect the power behind them.
Sora and Shunsui left Squad 1 together.
Seeing Shunsui walking slowly, Sora asked, "Captain, are your injuries still not healed? Would you like me to check them again?"
"It's fine, I'm mostly recovered. Your Kaidō skill is truly masterful, Katori-kun," Shunsui said. He then lowered his voice. "There is something I must tell you."
"According to a report from our intelligence division, several of the exiled Kasumiōji family members went missing after encountering the Cleaner in the Dangai."
The Kasumiōji clan was still powerful enough that many of its members survived the Execution Ground and were sent into exile. As is standard procedure, the intelligence division monitors such exiles for a time.
"I have a bad feeling about it," Shunsui said, adjusting his hat. "The official investigation concluded it was an accident, but my gut tells me something is wrong. I believe they may be hiding somewhere, waiting for a chance to take revenge."
Sora nodded. "Thank you for the warning. I will be careful."
"Don't worry too much, Katori-kun," Shunsui waved his hand. "I'll have the patrol squads pay more attention to the area around the Katori Dojo. Besides, those people have been stripped of their Zanpakutō. Even if they want to cause trouble, they can't make much of a wave."
...
A few days later, at the Katori Dojo—
Sora was having tea with Batsunsai on the veranda, observing the disciples' training.
"It's getting prickly. It's growing so fast!" Batsunsai said with a look of regret, pulling her hand back. She had quite enjoyed the smooth feeling of his head after his hair had been burned off.
The fire from his previous battle had not only burned his hair but had also destroyed the pores. If he hadn't used Kaidō to repair them, his hair might never have grown back at all.
"What's so good about touching it?" Sora said helplessly.
"Newborn skin is so tender and smooth. It feels very nice!" Batsunsai said matter-of-factly.
Sora rolled his eyes and went to guide his disciples.
Aizen was also wearing the four bells and undergoing his Spiritual Pressure control training. Sora quickly saw that the Marlin Bokken he was using was too light for him, making the training ineffective.
"Sōsuke, it seems the standard Marlin Bokken is no longer a challenge for you. Come with me, I'll get you a heavier one," Sora beckoned to him.
Aizen, though he didn't want to show off at the dojo, could only follow his teacher. Sora glanced at his panel.
Name: Aizen Sōsuke
Talent: SS
Spiritual Pressure: LV 42
Affinity Level: Friendly
What surprised Sora was that after he had resolved the matter with Kana, Aizen's Affinity Level had risen. Seeing how Sora had gone to great lengths to save another student had earned him Aizen's genuine respect.
As a result, the reward for his first SS-rank disciple had finally arrived. His "Patient Guidance" ability had been strengthened again and could now boost a student's learning talent by three small levels.
Furthermore, Aizen's training feedback was now unlocked, allowing Sora to assign him specific cultivation tasks.
Sora led Aizen to the warehouse, which was much tidier now that he had more disciples to help clean. He picked out a wooden sword with a blade over twenty centimeters wide.
"Try this one. You shouldn't feel comfortable when you swing it. There should be a sense of weight for it to be effective," he said.
Aizen took it and swung it twice. "It's too light," Sora observed, handing him one that was over thirty centimeters wide. "Try this."
This time, Aizen felt the weight.
"This one should be just right," Sora nodded. "Your Spiritual Pressure is growing very fast. If it starts to feel light, you must switch to a heavier one."
"Yes," Aizen replied. He was concerned about one thing.
He thought he had hidden his Spiritual Pressure very well, yet his teacher always seemed to see right through his changes. It made him doubt his own concealment abilities and see his teacher as even more unfathomable.
Sora checked his panel again.
Current training mission added: Guide Aizen Sōsuke to complete advanced Spiritual Pressure control training (In progress).
Aizen's learning ability was extremely strong. He had already completed basic training in swordsmanship, Kidō, Hakuda, and Shunpo in just a few days.
This had earned Sora 4,000 general experience points and four Beginner-level Kidō spells:
Hadō #12: Fushibi
Hadō #31: Shakkahō
Bakudō #9: Geki
Bakudō #21: Sekienton
Sora invested these 4,000 points, along with the 5,000 he received when Kana learned the Ryūkō technique, directly into his Spiritual Pressure.
His current level was now 78, very close to the lieutenant level.
He believed that after reaching that tier, he should be able to communicate with the silver-haired girl—his Zanpakutō spirit—in his inner world, so he decided to focus on raising his Spiritual Pressure first.
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