Over the next few days, Kaelith Yurei surprisingly stayed put and didn't wander around. Instead, he applied for a private dojo through Kinoshita-Sensei.
With the title of the Head Captain's disciple, his request was processed with almost no resistance. Within half an hour, it was approved.
The dojo, located at the foot of Shin'ō Academy's back mountain, was an old facility. It required some cleaning but was still functional.
Within this dojo, Kaelith focused on honing the technique Sōkotsu.
By the third day after he taught the move to Aizen, Aizen had already mastered it.
Kaelith, naturally, had also learned how to use Sōkotsu through the system's synchronization ability.
Standing motionless in the dojo, Kaelith seemed like a sturdy pine tree.
He had removed the top of his uniform and tied it around his waist.
Though still young, his exposed upper body already displayed finely toned muscles.
A light sheen of sweat glistened on his skin from the intense training.
If someone had recorded him and posted the video online in his past life, talent scouts would have been at his door the next day.
With his eyes closed, Kaelith quietly felt the flow of power within him.
In his mind's eye, his entire body seemed translucent, the only clear thing being the movement of Spirit Pressure within him.
With every heartbeat, Spirit Pressure coursed through his limbs like blood, filling every part of him.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open.
He clenched his fists and thrust them forward!
Boom!!!
Terrifying power burst forth from his fists, surging forward instantly.
The reinforced walls of the dojo, strengthened by multiple layers of Kido, groaned under the impact. They bent into strange shapes, emitting agonized creaks.
The protective Kido glowed brilliantly as it shattered layer by layer!
Several windows around the room exploded outward, and the rushing air formed a miniature storm outside.
Several seconds later, Kaelith slowly lowered his fists.
Rather than cheering for the impressive punch he had just delivered, he frowned, rubbing his chin in thought.
Since the first time he used Ikkotsu, he had sensed something peculiar.
If he could synchronize the timing of his Spirit Pressure release with the moment of his punch, achieving a certain balance, it might produce extraordinary results.
In his imagination, this technique felt similar to the Black Flash from Jujutsu Kaisen.
The Black Flash occurs when a physical strike and cursed energy impact align within 0.000001 seconds, creating a spatial distortion and unleashing tremendous force.
Of course, it was merely a reference—after all, the mechanics of their worlds were fundamentally different, and the key techniques were bound to differ as well.
Kaelith had a strong feeling that if he could figure this out, he'd gain an incredibly powerful skill.
He had shared this idea with Yamamoto and Aizen, both of whom had attempted it a few times at his suggestion. Their conclusion? He was overthinking it.
Hearing that from two of the Soul Society's greatest geniuses had almost made Kaelith give up.
But every time he used Ikkotsu, the deep, instinctual resonance within his soul couldn't be ignored.
In the end, he decided to continue practicing.
Even if he couldn't perfect the technique, simply training with Ikkotsu was worthwhile.
After practicing all afternoon, he was thoroughly exhausted.
After a shower, Kaelith sat cross-legged, placing his Asauchi across his lap to meditate on its essence.
Ever since Aizen awakened Kyōka Suigetsu, Kaelith couldn't help but wonder what abilities his Zanpakutō would manifest.
It was like watching a friend pull an SSR character in a Gacha game—he was envious but couldn't scrape together enough rolls himself. The anticipation was maddening.
Two hours later, he'd achieved absolutely nothing.
If he hadn't already confirmed with Yamamoto that his Asauchi was perfectly fine, he might've thought he'd been given a counterfeit.
With his silent, unresponsive Asauchi in hand, Kaelith left the dojo, stretched, and headed to the cafeteria.
Aizen and Seinosuke Yamada were already there, eating.
As Kaelith sat down with his tray, Seinosuke's eyes sparkled as he turned to him.
"Kaelith, I heard you're graduating early?"
Kaelith froze. "How did you find out?"
Seinosuke grinned widely and pointed to himself with his thumb. "Let me reintroduce myself: I am Seinosuke Yamada, and I've just applied for early graduation too!"
"Kinoshita confirmed I wasn't joking and then mentioned you and Aizen were applying as well."
Looking at the two, Seinosuke continued, "You two are something else, planning to graduate early without saying a word!"
"I can understand Kaelith—his strength is already way above the standard. But Aizen, why are you joining this madness?"
Aizen, as composed as ever, chewed his food slowly. Only after swallowing did he reply, "Because my strength is sufficient."
Seinosuke blinked, slightly stunned.
In his mind, Aizen had always been a low-profile type. Hearing such a bold statement from him was a bit of a shock.
Kaelith was about to say something when he realized something wasn't right.
He turned to Seinosuke with a look of surprise. "You're graduating early too?"
"Yep." Seinosuke tilted his head back slightly, looking pleased with himself.
"I've memorized The Comprehensive Guide to Healing Techniques, The Seireitei Medical Journal Anthology, The Kirinji Medical Chronicles, and Shinigami Spirit Body Analysis, among others."
Kaelith stared in astonishment as Seinosuke rattled off titles for over a minute, as if reciting a menu.
"All of them. Memorized! Now, I'm an unbeatable force in the medical field!"
By the end of it, Kaelith's eyes were wide as saucers, feeling like he was looking at a divine being.
Even Aizen glanced at him, momentarily impressed.
The power of dedication was truly terrifying.
Yet, Aizen realized this development worked in his favor.
If only Kaelith and Aizen were graduating early, it would draw too much attention. With Seinosuke joining, the focus would naturally be diffused.
Aizen glanced at Seinosuke, finding him a bit more agreeable than before.
Later that night, as Kaelith returned to his room after a trip to the restroom, he stopped and looked toward Aizen's bed.
Without needing to touch it, he could tell it was a decoy.
Scratching his head, he sighed in exasperation.
"Sōsuke, are you really that desperate to grow stronger?"
Despite his repeated warnings, Aizen still insisted on taking risks.
After a few moments of contemplation, Kaelith made up his mind...
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T/N: Funn fact the word "gacha" isn't recognized in Grammarly. Need to capitalize the G for it to recognize it.
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