Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, the first half of the school year has ended.
During this half-year, Yamahiko has learned far more than he did in his first year. Not only did he study Kidō under the guidance of Teacher Hideyoshi, but he has also mastered Shunpo.
Especially with Kidō, Yamahiko has already grasped the first twenty Hado and the first fifteen Bakudo.
As he continues to master Kidō, the techniques become more challenging and time-consuming, given the higher sequence numbers. However, Yamahiko's learning speed far surpasses that of his fellow students.
It's important to note that students at the Shin'ō Academy do not follow a strict sequence number-based curriculum. They typically learn a selection of unique Kidō spells and repeatedly practice them. These selected Kidō are known to have versatile applications, such as Hado #1: Shō, Hado #4: Byakurai, Hado #11: Tsuzuri Raiden, Hado #12: Fushibi, and Bakudo #1: Sai, Bakudo #4: Hainawa, Bakudo #8: Seki, Bakudo #21: Sekienton, among others.
During the year-end exams, students are required to master five Hado and five Bakudo spells to meet the standard.
Yamahiko has already mastered a total of thirty-five, which is a rare achievement. Aside from some senior Shinigami, few individuals can master such a wide range of Kidō techniques.
Yamahiko's goal is to master all Hado and Bakudo spells from one to sixty. With his fifth-grade Spiritual Pressure and a good grasp of intermediate Kidō, this ambitious objective seems within reach.
By achieving this, Yamahiko will possess a diverse range of combat techniques. For example, Hinamori Momo can combine Hado #12: Fushibi, Hado #4: Byakurai, and Bakudo #9: Hōrin to create an explosion with significantly increased power.
Yamahiko also hopes to create more powerful combinations. At this point, he has improved significantly and is now much stronger than Renji Abarai.
....
At this moment, both Yamahiko and Renji Abarai stand in the training room. Renji wields a wooden sword and charges towards Yamahiko, swinging it down.
Yamahiko takes a step forward, unintentionally using his Reiatsu, and dodges the attack in an instant. He ends up by Renji's side and lightly taps his index finger.
Suddenly, a shockwave shoots out and heads straight for Renji.
Just when it seems like Renji is about to be hit, he swiftly tilts his body to the left, narrowly avoiding the attack. At the same time, he grabs his sword and thrusts it toward Yamahiko.
In the next moment, a white light flashes and disappears, leaving Renji with a numb sensation in his hand.
Hado #4: Byakurai
.
It can pierce through a person's body, but Yamahiko deliberately controlled its power after omitting the incantation. This resulted in a much weaker attack, causing only a numbing sensation for Renji.
Renji drops the wooden sword, and he looks at Yamahiko, saying, "Your strength is becoming more terrifying."
Yamahiko smiles and replies, "Renji big brother, once you learn Kidō, you'll be able to do the same."
Renji waves his hand dismissively and says, "It took me two weeks just to master Hado #1: Sho that you taught me, and it still requires an incantation. It takes too long and doesn't have much power, making it impractical for instant combat."
Renji's natural talent for Kidō is not particularly high, and his reliance on incantations greatly extends the casting time, leaving little room for effective combat. This contrasts with intermediate Kidō such as Hainawa or Seki.
Furthermore, high-level Kidō, like Sōkotsui or Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō, can significantly alter the course of a battle.
Even their teacher, Hideyoshi, can only perform a few high-level Kidō.
As for Forbidden Kidō, even the current Kidō Corps Commander - Grand Kidō Chief can't achieve it.
Yamahiko and Renji Abarai left the training room together. It's currently the holiday period at the end of the first school year. Otherwise, they share a dormitory but don't have much time for interaction.
The two returned to their dorm room. Izuru Kira had already packed his things and gone home, leaving only the two of them in the room.
It's now evening, and after freshening up, they both went to their respective beds to sleep.
However, when night fell, a figure suddenly appeared at the window. This person reached out and grabbed Yamahiko, hoisting him onto their shoulder, and then they disappeared in an instant
.
Yamahiko realized he was being grabbed the moment it happened but didn't open his eyes. He kept his body relaxed, letting the other person carry him away.
While on the journey, Yamahiko analyzed the possible situations he might encounter.
The person carrying him wasn't particularly tall, and the height from the ground was limited. The shoulders weren't very wide either. From this perspective, the person wasn't significantly taller than Yamahiko.
However, Yamahiko didn't dare to underestimate them. The person's speed was incredibly fast, and they used Shunpo, covering thirty meters in an instant. Their movement wasn't limited to flat ground; they could easily leap onto a building if one appeared in front of them.
Furthermore, their speed was incredibly stable, indicating that their mastery of Shunpo far exceeded Yamahiko's.
There was also their breathing—slow and rhythmic, even slower than a casual walk, with almost no body movement.
This person was very strong, at least in hand-to-hand combat and Shunpo. Their abilities far surpassed Yamahiko's.
However, they didn't know that Yamahiko was already awake. If they attempted an ambush, there might be a chance of success.
Yamahiko continued to feign sleep. He centered himself in his dormitory and determined the person's position based on their occasional changes in direction.
First south, then east. This was the direction toward the center of Seireitei, slightly to the east.
They continued for a while. Afterward, the person carrying him took him up a mountain. This mountain was opposite the Central 46 Compound, and its cliff was known as the Sōkyoku Hill. At the halfway point of the mountain, they stopped.
This mountain was actually the location of the Second Division's headquarter and the Onmitsukidō(Secret Mobile Unit/Corps).
Considering the Shunpo and body control skills displayed by the person, Yamahiko knew they must have a close connection to the Second Division. But why would they be capturing him?
Yamahiko couldn't understand. Perhaps they suspected him of being an enemy, but interrogation were the responsibilities of the Ninth Division.
The Second Division's duty was execution. The First Division of the Onmitsukidō - Executive Militia - was responsible for executions and assassinations, the Second Division - Patrol Corps - for patrols similar to the Tenth Division, monitoring the movements of Shinigami. The Third Division - Detention Unit -was the inspection squad, responsible for overseeing the Nest of Maggots. The Fourth Division's -unkown- purpose was unknown, the Fifth Division - Inner Court Troop - is responsible for communication.
Yamahiko was unlikely to become their target for any reason. Once he became their target, it would mean he was already dead.
So Yamahiko judged that this had nothing to do with the Second Division or the Onmitsukidō' core duties. However, without permission, one couldn't enter this area.
The person wasn't tall, only about 1.5 meters, and could freely enter and exit the Second Division and the Onmitsukidō. They had advanced Shunpo skills and precise body control.
Throughout all of Seireitei, there was only one person like that.
So when the person put Yamahiko down and bent over to wake him, Yamahiko suddenly opened his eyes and looked at the masked face with black eyes above him. He calmly asked, "Captain Suì-Fēng (Soifon), it's quite late. Is there a reason you've taken me out?"
Hearing Yamahiko's words, the person's body stiffened, and they asked in disbelief, "How did you know?"