Passing through the long Dangai precipice world, they returned from the world of the living, where Reishi was sparse, back to Seireitei.
Stepping back onto the departure platform of the Shin'o Academy, the stone slabs beneath his feet provided a grounding sense of security.
"I'm back."
Suō Tsukasa glanced at the sky. There were likely five or six hours left before the sun of Soul Society rose. As far as the current moment was concerned, returning to the dormitory now would allow for a peaceful sleep.
"Finally back—!"
"Let's hurry up and dismiss so we can go back to the dorms. I'm exhausted."
The voices of students conversing in relief drifted from beside him, punctuated by several weary yawns. After all, the students had been busy all night in the world of the living, both completing Konso missions and dealing with the sudden Hollow attacks. Now that they had stepped back into the familiar grounds of the academy, everyone felt the weight lift from their shoulders.
"Phew—"
Tsukasa felt the same. No longer needing to guard against potential ambushes, he felt his shoulders lighten considerably. His nerves, which had been taut the entire time, finally relaxed, and he let out a deep, unconscious breath.
He wasn't as excited as the other students; he simply followed the crowd at a calm pace. Their guide, Tooyama, did not disappoint. His booming voice rang across the plaza.
"This field trip is officially over."
"Dismissed. Tomorrow is a day off, so everyone get some good rest."
"Students with injuries, remember to head to the infirmary for treatment."
"Yes, Senpai! Thank you for your hard work!"
The students responded in unison to their senior's earnest instructions.
"You all worked hard too. Goodbye!"
Tooyama replied warmly, his voice carrying a trace of fatigue as he waved. He had been responsible for unlocking the Senkaimon both times, and now he had to report the mission; he was also in a hurry. Fortunately, this Konso field trip could be considered a total success. Once he handed in the mission, he could rest early. He then hurriedly departed with the other two sixth-year students.
The crowd quickly dispersed, and the vast plaza soon became empty.
A few minutes later, inside his dormitory room.
Tsukasa closed the door, filled a cup with fresh water, and tapped the rim of the cup with his finger before placing it on the coffee table. He then returned his Asauchi to the sword rack and hung his school uniform on the wall. When he turned back, steam was already rising from the water cup.
Tsukasa went to his storage locker and pulled out a bag of dried meat and a tea bag. He sat back at the table, opened the paper wrap, and pinched a few grayish-green tea leaves into the cup.
The faint fragrance of tea gradually filled the room. Smelling it, Tsukasa felt his spirits lift and his thoughts become clearer. The sound of subtle chewing echoed in the room. Although the elixirs he refined could serve a similar purpose, they were ultimately not as satisfying as a proper meal.
Savoring the spicy-sweet flavor of the dried meat, he finished it off with sips of warm green tea. Then, Tsukasa sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.
The absorption of Reishi was exceptionally smooth. His spirit guided the Reishi to circulate through his body like silk, slowly converting it into pure Reiryoku within the Saketsu and Hakusui. When the Reiryoku in his body reached a certain fullness, he did not stop; instead, he focused even more intently on condensing every bit of power.
With the digestion of food and the Reishi drawn in through his breathing, new Reiryoku continuously emerged from his pressure points, like countless small streams merging into a sea. When the Reiryoku was filled to the absolute limit, he could clearly feel it undergo a qualitative change at a specific moment.
His Reiatsu became more condensed, and its flow more rapid.
Opening his eyes again, the sky was still dark.
"I did it!"
Tsukasa clenched his fist excitedly, the joy in his heart beyond words. Upon entering the academy, his Spiritual Might level was already near the upper limit of Rank 6. After the battle where he fought the Snaketail Hollow with his whole heart, he had vaguely felt the opportunity for a breakthrough. However, due to the sparse Reishi in the world of the living and the potential hidden dangers in the shadows, he had been forced to suppress that restlessness.
Upon returning to Seireitei, that faint feeling of an impending breakthrough became increasingly intense. And now, his long-term accumulation finally bore fruit, crossing that chasm that countless Shinigami found impossible to touch.
Rank 5 Spiritual Might was already at the Lieutenant level, belonging to the upper-tier elite within the Gotei 13.
"The range of my spiritual sensing has expanded significantly; the maximum distance has nearly doubled, and the detection speed is faster."
He carefully felt the changes following the breakthrough. What surprised him most was that he had originally thought a larger sensing range would slow down the speed of capturing a single fluctuation. But now, the extension speed of his spiritual sense was faster, and his detection efficiency had actually improved.
Tsukasa then spread the fingers of both hands, and orbs of Reishi light at his fingertips shifted into various numerical forms. Even after the breakthrough, his control over Reiatsu had not decreased; on the contrary, it had become even more proficient.
In just over a month, breaking through from a high-seated officer to a Lieutenant-level tier left Tsukasa thoroughly satisfied. This post-breakthrough feeling gave him more confidence for the challenges ahead. He couldn't help but think of that Hollow that would appear at a certain time and place in the future. When the time came, would that fellow be able to withstand his attacks?
Lost in thought, Tsukasa felt a sense of exhilaration. After a simple practice session to familiarize himself with his post-breakthrough abilities, he stopped. He had originally wanted to communicate with his Asauchi, but his mind was currently too active; it was clearly not a good time for quiet communion.
Cleaning up the coffee table, Tsukasa stood up and decided to get some sleep first.
At dawn, as the sky began to brighten.
After washing up, Tsukasa took his wooden sword, Oboroya, from the bedside and went into the courtyard. The morning air still held a bit of a chill, but his body felt as warm as fire flowing through his blood. The progress in strength and the joy of the breakthrough had caused him to wake up early.
This occasional disruption of his sleep schedule had no effect on his condition. He breathed deeply of the air scented with the fragrance of grass and trees, slowly calming his surging emotions.
As he was adjusting his state, Hitsugaya Toshiro also emerged from the house with his sword on his back. Just as he stepped out the door and saw Tsukasa's figure, he froze slightly, keenly detecting the change in him.
"Morning. You're in a good mood today."
"What happened?"
Toshiro walked over to Tsukasa and glanced up at him. His eyes had already seen through everything, yet he asked the obvious. In just a few hours apart, Tsukasa's Reiatsu fluctuations had become even harder to pin down than before. No matter how dull one might be, Toshiro had realized the reason.
"I broke through."
Tsukasa brushed it off with a casual tone, though the slight upward curve of his lips betrayed his current bit of pride.
"Impressive."
Upon hearing this, Toshiro gave a thumbs-up without hesitation and offered his congratulations.
"You've caught up to my Spiritual Might rank. I'll have to work harder in other areas."
"Let's begin training!"
Toshiro drew the wooden sword from his back, a look of seriousness on his face.
Tsukasa flicked his wrist, spinning Oboroya in a circle in front of him.
"Let's warm up our limbs first. We only have one day off. After breakfast, I'm planning to go to the library. What about you?"
"I don't have any plans after morning practice. Let's go together."
"Good. I'll recommend a few books to you then."
The two smiled at each other, did a simple warm-up, and then each swung their wooden swords to begin their morning exercise. The Konso internship in the living world from last night was still fresh in their minds, yet for now, the rhythm of Suō Tsukasa's life had returned to a peaceful daily routine.
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