"Rei-kun, you understood all the basic theory, right? With your level of spiritual pressure, as long as you're not completely hopeless at controlling spiritual power, you should be able to successfully cast Kidō."
Aizen led Kurosaki Rei to an open area. Unlike other combat-oriented classes, Kidō lessons were held outdoors—after all, the commotion they caused could be considerable, and many spells required precise targeting. Not far away stood a row of targets for spell practice.
"Sounds simple enough. Guess we'll see how it goes in practice."
Kurosaki Rei pondered for a moment, then, under Aizen's gaze, walked up to one of the targets. He raised his right hand, softly recited the incantation written in the textbook, and called out:
"Hadō Number Four—Byakurai!"
A streak of white light shot from his hand and struck the target, leaving behind a scorched mark.
He succeeded on his first attempt.
Yet Kurosaki Rei didn't feel particularly excited. In his view, such a basic Kidō wasn't difficult at all. Once he grasped how to use spiritual—or rather, reishi—power, he felt confident he could cast most low- to mid-level Kidō.
Sure enough, when he checked his personal menu, a new skill had appeared in his list: Hadō No. 4 · Byakurai.
Still, Kurosaki Rei couldn't help but feel that Hadō was… kind of weak.
He glanced at his Soul Source value. That single Byakurai had consumed 1%. According to the system's explanation, if Soul Source dropped below 10%, an explorer would suffer extreme mental fatigue; if it hit zero, they'd lose consciousness and remain weakened for some time afterward.
From a combat "cost-effectiveness" standpoint, Kurosaki Rei felt this way of burning through his "blue bar" wasn't very efficient. Charging in with a blade and dealing physical damage seemed far more direct.
"Impressive, Rei-kun. You succeeded on the first try. Since the textbook material seems a bit too easy for you, how about trying something a little harder?"
Aizen asked with a smile, eager to see the limits of Kurosaki Rei's talent.
"Oh? Like what?"
They were first-year students. Unlike Hakuda or swordsmanship, Kidō followed a strict curriculum with textbooks and gradual progression. For first-years, the highest spell listed was only Hadō No. 12 · Fushibi.
Standing beside Kurosaki Rei, Aizen raised his hand toward a target and began chanting in a deep, magnetic voice:
"Lord of all that reigns, mask of flesh and blood, all creation, flutter of wings, bearer of the name of man. Truth and temperance, upon this wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws!
Hadō Number Thirty-One—Shakkahō!"
Crimson light flared in Aizen's palm. Standing next to him, Kurosaki Rei felt an intense wave of heat. As the glow peaked, a stream of blazing fire tore through the air, leaving a long red trail behind it.
Boom!
The target was completely pulverized, flames continuing to burn along the pillar.
Seeing this, Kurosaki Rei's interest was finally piqued. Aizen was clearly suppressing his spiritual pressure to remain within Kurosaki Rei's level, yet if Shakkahō hit him directly, Kurosaki Rei doubted he'd escape without severe injuries—if he survived at all.
"Rei-kun, do you think you could cast this Kidō?"
Aizen turned to look at him. His chanting earlier had been deliberately slow, allowing Kurosaki Rei to feel the flow of reishi—essentially a demonstration.
Before Kurosaki Rei could answer, a large hand suddenly landed on Aizen's shoulder. The sky seemed to darken a little.
"Student Aizen, before using such dangerous Kidō, you should inform those around you."
Aizen remained calm and turned slightly. "My apologies, Instructor Tsukabishi. I simply wanted Rei-kun to experience the charm of Kidō."
Tessai Tsukabishi didn't pursue the matter further. Instead, there was a hint of appreciation in his gaze. Shakkahō was a spell many graduates couldn't even cast, and it was rare to see one performed so perfectly. He found himself wondering whether he should recruit Aizen into the Kidō Corps someday.
Watching Tessai's subtle expression, Kurosaki Rei could roughly guess what the man was thinking and found it oddly amusing.
You probably don't know that in the future, it's precisely because of this model student that you'll end up exiled to the World of the Living.
"Student, I don't recommend you try this," Tessai said, now turning to Kurosaki Rei. "Kidō training must proceed step by step. Otherwise, it's very easy to get hurt. You should start by mastering single-digit spells first."
No one understood the dangers of Kidō better than Tessai. Even at the Shin'ō Academy, casualties during training weren't unheard of. Compared to Hakuda or swordsmanship classes, Kidō lessons had the highest injury and death rate—because every year there were always reckless youths attempting high-level spells beyond their ability.
If something went wrong during the construction of a Kidō spell and control failed, the first one to suffer would be the caster themselves.
Take Shakkahō, for example—if it misfired, it would explode right in the caster's palm, shredding flesh and bone.
"I understand the risks, sensei," Kurosaki Rei said with a smile. "I just want to give it a try. If I feel it's too difficult during the buildup, I'll stop."
Then he added lightly, "Besides, you're right here, aren't you?"
Tessai frowned. With his skill, he could certainly intervene if Kurosaki Rei lost control—but he didn't want to encourage such dangerous behavior. If Kurosaki Rei tried this again without supervision, it could easily be fatal.
Still, Tessai had just witnessed Kurosaki Rei cast Byakurai successfully on his first attempt. For someone new to Kidō, that was nothing short of miraculous—proof of exceptional talent. Kurosaki Rei's enthusiasm was at its peak, and Tessai didn't want to crush it outright.
"Only this once," Tessai said sternly. "If you fail, you will study Kidō properly and step by step from now on. Otherwise, I will expel you from the Shin'ō Academy."
Kurosaki Rei knew Tessai meant it—and that he absolutely had the authority to do so. As the Grand Kidō Chief, expelling a freshman would be trivial.
He calmed his mind, took a few steps to the side, and fixed his gaze on another intact target.
"Lord of all that reigns, mask of flesh and blood, all creation, flutter of wings, bearer of the name of man…"
Compared to Aizen's passionate, resonant chanting, Kurosaki Rei's incantation was completely flat—like reading lines straight from a script, devoid of emotion.
Yet as he spoke, crimson light truly began to gather in his palm.
The glow illuminated Kurosaki Rei's face—and reflected in the eyes of both Aizen and Tessai.
"Truth and temperance, upon this wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws.
Hadō Number Thirty-One—Shakkahō."
As the incantation ended, a column of fire—slightly weaker than Aizen's but unmistakably the same spell—shot through the air and slammed into the target.
Boom!
The target was engulfed in flames.
A deathly silence followed, broken only by the crackling of fire. After several long moments, sharp gasps finally rang out.
"Kurosaki Rei… actually cast Shakkahō!?"
"That's Hadō No. 31! Even graduates can't always use it!"
"The spell formation was really solid—almost as good as Aizen's just now!"
"Is this guy even human? I thought he was a vagrant from Rukongai!"
"Swordsmanship, Hakuda—fine. But Kidō too?"
"This talent is terrifying. Is he some kind of all-rounder?"
"..."
The murmurs spread endlessly. Among the crowd, Yoruichi frowned as she stared in Kurosaki Rei's direction.
She wasn't unfamiliar with geniuses—but surely no one could be good at everything.
She had assumed Kurosaki Rei was the type of brute who only knew how to fight hand-to-hand, someone who would embarrass himself in Kidō class. She'd even been ready to enjoy the spectacle.
Instead, he cast a spell on his first try—and followed it up with Shakkahō on his second.
So Kidō won't trip him up either…
Yoruichi clenched her fist.
Fine. Tomorrow's Shunpo class—I'll take back a win there no matter what.