13th Division, Ugendō.
Jūshirō Ukitake lay on his bed, eyes closed and brows furrowed, as if trapped in a tormented nightmare.
In an instant, he jolted awake and sat upright, seized by violent coughing that seemed to tear at his very organs.
A tall figure burst in from the corridor, voice thick with concern:
"Captain, Lord Ukitake, you—"
Jūshirō silenced him with a raised hand.
His breathing came in ragged gasps, his face ashen, as beads of sweat soaked through his inner garments. When he finally caught his breath, his brows drew together tightly, and his hoarse voice filled the empty room.
"Who exactly... is misusing Lord Mimihagi's power..."
{T/N: Take a guess…}
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1st Division Barracks, Captain's Office.
Genryūsai sat in his chair with eyes half-closed, listening calmly to his subordinate's report.
"According to Acting Captain Marechiyo Ōmaeda's investigation, the men in black who died in the 32nd District were all Rebel forces. Evidence from the scene and witness testimonies revealed another completely unknown presence on the battlefield that day."
"Based on the Reiatsu signature, they were likely Lieutenant level or above. Though they appeared to be allied with us, we must remain cautious about this unidentified Shinigami."
Chōjirō concluded his report and analysis, deferring the final decision to Genryūsai.
As a Third Seat Officer, he knew such important matters required the Captain-Commander's judgment.
"I understand."
The elderly voice filled the room as Genryūsai opened his eyes, the wrinkles on his face softening as he emanated a natural authority.
"Let the 2nd Division handle this person's identity. The Shihōin clan is eager to prove their new heir's worth, so we'll have her investigate. Actually, I called you here because—"
Before he could finish, violent coughing erupted from the doorway.
Both men turned toward the sound as Jūshirō Ukitake, supported by Sentarō Kotsubaki, slowly entered the office.
"Master, Senior Chōjirō." Jūshirō greeted them, his face pale.
The Principal of the Academy acknowledged him with a nod.
Genryūsai's brows furrowed, "What brings you here in your condition?"
"I had a dream."
{T/N: Martin Luther King Jr., is that you?…}
"A dream?"
Genryūsai and Chōjirō exchanged glances, sharing a look of confusion.
Jūshirō steadied his breathing and spoke gravely, "Though I can't recall the specific details now, I'm certain the dream carried a message. Someone is misusing Lord Mimihagi's power!"
At this, Genryūsai's brows furrowed so deeply they nearly met. His Third Seat withdrew silently to the side, giving master and disciple space.
The room fell into silence.
He contemplated quietly, well aware of Mimihagi's existence. Jūshirō had confided this secret to him when becoming his disciple.
To ordinary people, Mimihagi was merely a one-eyed indigenous deity of East Rukongai's 76th District, Sakahone. Yet both master and disciple knew a deeper truth about this deity — another legend.
Descended from heaven in ancient times, an offering to the Right Arm of the Soul King.
Jūshirō had survived his grave illness by sacrificing his lungs to Mimihagi, which granted him a connection to communicate with it.
"Is the situation serious?" Genryūsai asked gravely, knowing that matters concerning Mimihagi demanded the utmost attention.
Jūshirō hesitated before answering."I cannot be certain. The dream conveyed only this message — we'll know the true effects only after investigating Lord Mimihagi's shrine."
After a moment's reflection, Genryūsai spoke firmly, "I understand. This investigation will take priority. You should rest in the meantime."
Jūshirō nodded, bowed respectfully, and left the 1st Division.
Genryūsai watched his retreating figure, deep in thought.
"Sakahone District, Mimihagi, shrine. Could it be related to that shrine priest?"
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Shin'ō Academy. Men's Dormitory.
Akira collapsed onto his familiar bed. Though Unohana's treatment had been meticulous, nothing felt as comforting as returning to his own space.
After several days of recovery, he had been officially discharged and cleared to take the upcoming final exams.
With the ritual ceremony's failure, Akira had abandoned any hope of passing. Studying seemed pointless now.
Instead of wasting time memorizing useless material, he decided to focus on researching 'Unique Insight'. He had long been intrigued by this exclusive Trait but hadn't found time to explore it until now. This was his chance to fully develop its potential.
As for the Kidō patterns, Aizen had explained that his Spiritual Body was saturated and needed time to process before accepting new inscriptions.
And with Reiatsu training, balance was essential. A consistent daily practice would suffice.
"The essence of Kidō…" Aizen explained gravely, "Can be distilled to a single principle: arranging Reiatsu through specific techniques to amplify power or create varied effects. To craft your own Kidō, you must master three fundamentals: hand seals, incantations, and Reiatsu arrangement. Observe."
He lifted his right hand, and brilliant sparks danced at his fingertips, forming lightning patterns.
"This is barely a self-created Hadō. Its destructive force matches only Hadō #1."
Understanding dawned in Akira's eyes as he considered this.
While he had only missed theory classes, Aizen's exceptional talent had led him to master content years ahead of schedule. His theoretical knowledge surpassed even the Academy's instructors.
After his explanation, Akira saw self-created Kidō in an entirely new light.
"It seems more straightforward than I thought." He mused, stroking his chin as ideas formed. "I'm most familiar with Byakurai."
Under Aizen's watchful gaze, the priest extended his left hand, where crackling arcs of electricity began to dance.
"And Shakkahō."
He raised his right hand, summoning an intense flame that radiated waves of heat.
Sensing what was coming, Aizen's pupils contracted as he swiftly erected both a Reiatsu defense and Bakudō barriers before him.
Akira brought his hands together, causing the two destructive Hadō spells to collide violently.
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