After the day's classes ended, it was time for the night training.
After arranging the schedule with Tōsen Kaname, the two began training together until they were completely exhausted.
During a brief break, Arima Shinya took the opportunity to ask a question.
"Baida? If you want to talk to me about it, I think you came to the wrong person…"
"After all, baida is essentially the synthesis of hand-to-hand combat techniques—refined, integrated, and consolidated."
"Learning the basics isn't difficult, but improving oneself is definitely not simple."
"At the Academy, there aren't many instructors specialized in this field. As one of the four basic fundamentals, its use is, in practice, limited."
"You should understand the difficulty of this; after all, human energy is finite. Anyone must choose a point of focus, train specifically in it, and only then will they become proficient."
"Therefore, everyone has areas in which they aren't strong. When I took the first-year exam, my ranking in Kidō was the lowest possible."
"But in the end, the tests aren't extremely strict; after all, the Academy doesn't exist to make life difficult for anyone."
Tōsen spoke about his perceptions and experiences while extending a cup of water to Shinya.
Intense training produced far better results than merely striking a wooden post. Without replenishing fluids, the body suffered.
Arima Shinya sat on the floor, breathing heavily, and quietly expressed his thanks.
"So, finding someone skilled in baida isn't easy?"
Tōsen sat beside him, thoughtful.
"At the very least, I don't think it's simple."
Truly concerning.
Finding someone competent to provide "practical guidance" would be the perfect shortcut for Shinya to learn.
"Most Shinigami use Zanpakutō as their main weapon; baida is more of an emergency measure. Ah…"
After a pause, Tōsen continued:
"Those who come from mobile secret forces are quite skilled at it, but unfortunately, I don't have contact with those individuals."
Because Tōsen couldn't see, he maintained a posture of looking at nothing, speaking calmly:
"My apologies."
Arima Shinya took a deep breath, withdrew his supporting arm, and collapsed onto the floor, completely relaxing.
"Too many apologies, you didn't have to… I was just asking."
"It's not about the content, but about the attitude."
"You're quite old-fashioned… like an old man."
Tōsen slightly raised the corner of his mouth but didn't reply; he changed the subject:
"I don't know why you suddenly want to train baida, but as a second-year, I don't recommend it."
Finishing his water, Tōsen rested his right hand again on the sword hilt.
"You don't need to overexert yourself in exams; everyone should be aware of their capabilities. Your swordsmanship level is far above baida—don't waste that talent."
Shinya couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
"Sometimes you even say nice encouraging words, huh."
"They are my sincere thoughts… But talking too much with someone as ordinary as you is useless."
Sensing Tōsen's disdain, Shinya slowly stood up, extending his right hand.
"Let's call today's training finished."
[You wielded the wooden sword and had an intense training session with Tōsen Kaname, Swordsmanship +2]
The effect was smaller.
It indicated that Shinya's swordsmanship level was getting closer to Tōsen's.
Shinya extended his hand to support himself while sitting, but couldn't keep a composed expression.
"Oi!"
The muscle pain was intense; he groaned, hugging his arms and feeling stabbing pains in his head.
Tōsen crouched slightly, frowning. He seemed puzzled.
"You… why are you still so injured?"
Shouldn't you be the one asking me that?
And shouldn't I ask why you attacked so hard?
Seeming to remember something, Tōsen spoke:
"Didn't you ask for help using Reishi?"
"…That exists?"
"Of course it exists. You really understand nothing, huh."
Sighing, Tōsen extended both hands, holding Shinya's elbows to help him stand.
"I've said it before: everyone has their strengths. Even among students, there are those who dedicate themselves specifically to Kidō."
"These students, when volunteering, choose to specialize and enjoy training in that area."
"Therefore, someone like me simply asks colleagues from the Fourth Squad of the Thirteenth Division for help treating injuries."
"Of course, due to lack of skill or training, the technique of these people isn't perfect…"
"You should be able to evaluate the situation yourself."
While speaking, Tōsen pointed to his own fist.
Shinya recalled that he had received intense blows there the previous day—injuries capable of restricting movement.
Without external help, it wouldn't have healed in a single day.
"So you had someone taking care of my injuries from behind!"
Before he could protest, Tōsen displayed an expression of obvious disdain.
"I already thought you were somewhat slow, but I didn't realize it was this much…"
Shinya wanted to argue but found no counter.
He could only reply faintly:
"At times like this, you can only rely on determination, determination!"
"…You're still hot-headed and stubborn, huh?"
Rarely joking, Tōsen smiled and shook his head:
"If you can, take a walk around the first floor of the Academy. It's an area open to student groups. If you need anything, you can ask for help there, though some students aren't very reliable…"
Interesting, a place like that still exists.
Lesson learned!
"Thanks for the help, Tōsen."
Shinya noticed the other had tried to hold back a smile, but quickly suppressed it.
Controlling expression so well, he really is a competitor.
"You're welcome."
The two said their goodbyes at the dojo entrance, ending the day's training.
Back in the dorm, they set the alarm.
The next day, an hour before class, Arima Shinya visited the support desk on the first floor of the Academy wing that Tōsen had mentioned.
Observing the handwritten posters on the wall and various curious notices, his expression became slightly complicated.
The place clearly had a student-run management style…
Since he had arrived early, there weren't many people. Shinya took advantage of the quiet to examine the notices.
There were requests from classmates, sales of used items…
Even advertisements seeking girlfriends… truly strange, who would respond to that?
As he pondered, hands appeared beside him and tore down one of the posters in front of him.
"…Eh?"
Surprised, Shinya turned and saw an imposing figure.
The person, like him, wore the Academy's blue and white uniform.
But the height was exaggerated…
Shinya was already over 1.80 m, but the other seemed slightly taller.
"How did he grow so tall?" he thought.
Raising his gaze, their eyes met.
Golden pupils, short silver hair, messy.
Thick, prominent eyebrows.
A slightly androgynous face showed a calm expression, staring at Shinya.
The atmosphere became slightly awkward.
Naturally, facing someone so tall, courage to speak diminished.
But the other broke the silence:
"Do you want to post a new help notice?"
"Eh? Woman?"
Shinya snapped back to reality; he wanted to speak, but the person continued:
"If so, wait a moment. This area needs to be organized… the latest notices can be placed there."
Despite the cold tone, the attitude was considerate.
Shinya watched as the other removed posters and turned, revealing a side profile.
Some fine braids in the hair, red earrings swaying gently on the ear…
They looked like wind chimes at a window.
The small, delicate details caught Shinya's attention, and he was momentarily absorbed.
"So…"
The person stopped, turning their head toward him.
The eyebrows furrowed slightly, the cold expression softened, giving way to a slightly concerned look.
"Is there anything else you need?"
Shinya waved his hand quickly, smiling timidly.
"Ah… no, there isn't."
With the "task" interrupted, the person seemed to lose interest.
They bit their lip and straightened their posture.
"You must be a freshman in this class, right? I'm responsible for this area. If you need help, just ask."
Perhaps due to the androgynous appearance, Shinya felt the expression was very serious—quite different from the tone of the words.
But finding the person in charge already saved a lot of effort.
"It's just that, due to frequent training, I get hurt a lot, so I wanted someone skilled in Reishi…"
After finishing speaking, Shinya saw the person slightly raising an eyebrow.
"Can I see your injuries first?"