Urahara led Yuichi through the winding corridors of the mansion until they reached a nondescript door. Opening it, he revealed a modestly furnished room. Yuichi stepped inside, looking around in confusion.
"You'll be living here with me until the academy reopens," Urahara explained with a mischievous smile. "This way, I can keep an eye on you without too much effort."
Yuichi's eyes widened. "Living here? But why?"
"It's the best way to ensure you're not up to anything suspicious. Plus, it'll give us plenty of time for training," Urahara said, motioning for Yuichi to follow him again. They walked down another corridor, eventually reaching a room with a hatch and a descending ladder. Urahara opened the hatch and began climbing down, with Yuichi following closely behind.
The ladder led to a smaller training room, significantly more confined than the expansive subterranean area Yuichi had seen before. If the other training ground could hold a small village, this one was roughly the size of a large house.
Once they were both inside the room, Urahara turned to face Yuichi. He began chanting, "Sound and light vanish, be imprisoned in darkness. My words are the seal, my power is the barrier. True Vacuum Barrier! (音も光も消え去り,闇の中に囚われよ.我が言葉は封印,我が力は結界.真空結界!.Oto mo hikari mo kiesari, yami no naka ni toraware yo. Waga kotoba wa fūin, waga chikara wa kekkai. Shinjuku Kekkai!)"
A black sphere of Bakudō enveloped Miel, trapping her within its confines. Yuichi's eyes widened in shock. "Why did you do that?"
Urahara's expression was serious. "I don't trust your little friend. For the duration of your stay, they'll remain trapped in the sphere. Now, draw your zanpakutō. I need to see what I'm working with."
Yuichi hesitated for a moment, his eyes flicking to the dark sphere that now contained Miel. He clenched his jaw and reached for his zanpakutō, drawing it with a swift motion. The blade gleamed in the dim light of the underground chamber.
Urahara watched with keen interest, his eyes narrowing as he observed the weapon. "Interesting," he muttered. "Your reiatsu is quite unique, Yuichi. Show me your stance."
Yuichi shifted into a defensive stance, his eyes never leaving Urahara's. The older man circled him slowly, analyzing his form and the way he held his sword. After a moment, Urahara stopped and nodded to himself.
"Your basics are solid, but there's much room for improvement," Urahara said. "Tell me, have you achieved Shikai yet?"
Yuichi shook his head. "No, I haven't."
Urahara's expression slightly turned colder. "I've told you before I know when you're lying and I do not appreciate it. For me to be able to train you I need to understand your potential and fighting style as best as I can. That means show me everything you can do without holding back."
Yuichi's eyes widened as he realized that Urahara had seen through his lie. The older man's penetrating gaze left no room for pretense. Yuichi exhaled slowly, his grip on his zanpakutō tightening. He knew he couldn't hold back any longer.
"Fine," Yuichi said, his voice steady. "I'll show you."
He closed his eyes for a moment, centering himself. When he opened them, his reiatsu surged, filling the confined training room with a powerful spiritual pressure. Urahara watched intently, his expression unreadable.
"Mirror, Kagami no Jotei (鏡の女帝 Empress of Mirrors)!" Yuichi called out, his voice echoing in the underground chamber.
The blade of his zanpakutō transformed, it became slightly longer, and gained a thicker blade with its color becoming inverted with the body becoming white and the blade edge turning black.
Urahara's eyes gleamed with interest. "Hmmm, interesting. The blade edge turned dark so maybe a shadow-type zanpakuto or maybe an inversion-type. I'm assuming you know a little of what your zanpakuto is capable of."
After explaining what he knew about Kagami no Jotei kept examining the blade. "So it can reflect both physical attack and kido spells but must be timed correctly and drains your reiatsu. That's quite a unique and difficult ability you've got there. It can be quite powerful if used properly."
"Alright, let's begin," Urahara said, taking a step back. "We'll start with a simple exercise."
Without warning, Urahara pointed his index finger at Yuichi and called out, "Hadō #1. Shō (衝, Thrust)!"
A burst of kinetic force struck Yuichi, pushing him back a few feet. Urahara continued to move around, firing the spell repeatedly. "Focus on timing your reflections," he instructed, his voice calm but firm. "Don't let your guard down."
Yuichi tried to anticipate the spells, but Urahara's movements and constant talking distracted him. Each blast felt like being hit by a high-speed basketball, and Yuichi found himself unable to time his reflections correctly. He gritted his teeth as the spells struck him one after another, slowly wearing him down.
"Your timing is off again," Urahara commented, firing another spell. "Remember, your ability drains your reiatsu and increases the damage you feel when you fail to reflect. You can't afford to waste either your stamina or reiatsu. If you're not confident don't try to reflect and focus on the next move."
Yuichi's frustration grew, but he forced himself to focus. He needed to find a rhythm, a way to predict Urahara's attacks despite the distractions. He tightened his grip on his zanpakutō, trying to synchronize his movements with the cadence of Urahara's attacks.
Urahara's voice continued to pierce through the chaos. "Don't just rely on your zanpakutō's ability. Use your instincts and spiritual senses. Feel the energy around you. Try to sense when the reishi in the air shifts."
The barrage of spells continued, and Yuichi's body ached from the repeated impacts. But slowly, he began to adjust. He started to catch the subtle cues in Urahara's movements, the slight shifts in his posture before he cast the spell.