Make sure to check my Patre.on out if you want to support me and want to read advanced chapters: Patre.on.com/VQuintessence
[30 Chapters in Advance on Patre.on]
...........
Chapter 29: Pandora's Box III
...........
Thus, Akashi lay on the ground, bloodied and battered but adorning a smile of satisfaction on his face as he lost consciousness, even such pain unable to take that sense of attainment from him.
Akashi's senses stirred before his body did. The distant hum of voices, the faint rustling of fabric, and the gentle crackle of Kaidō spells greeted him as he slowly regained consciousness.
His eyelids felt heavy, like iron curtains, and his body ached with a dull, persistent thrum.
When he finally opened his eyes, the pristine white walls of the Fourth Division's medical facility came into focus.
Soft light filtered through the room's paper-paneled windows, casting an almost ethereal glow on his surroundings.
Akashi blinked several times, disoriented but aware of one thing above all else; he felt empty.
"You're awake," Came a soothing voice, calm and steady like a tranquil stream.
A young Shinigami dressed in the Fourth Division's standard uniform approached his bedside.
Her hands glowed faintly green as she hovered them over his arm, the Kaidō spell radiating warmth that seeped into his muscles.
Akashi's vision became clearer and clearer, til he finally saw the sword by the side which he instantly reached out for and held it tightly. He no longer felt empty.
Kurayami gave him security, and made him feel safe; if only that little bit more.
"How long have I been out?" Akashi croaked as he turned his attention to the shinigami by his side, his voice raspy from disuse.
"Two days," The healer replied, "You were in a terrible state when they brought you here. Captain Kotetsu herself had to oversee your initial treatment."
Akashi's lips twitched into a faint smile, "Guess I gave Ikkaku a good fight, then."
The healer chuckled softly, "That's one way to look at it. But you should be more careful. Kaidō can't always work miracles, you know."
As she continued to heal him, Akashi's curiosity bubbled to the surface.
He observed her movements carefully; the way her hands moved with precision, the subtle shifts in the intensity of the Kaidō spell, the steady rhythm of her breathing.
"How does it work?" He asked suddenly.
The healer blinked, caught off guard, "The spell? It's a bit complicated, but..." She trailed off, realizing Akashi's gaze was locked onto her hands with an intensity that made her falter.
"You want to learn, don't you?"
He nodded. "I know some Kaidō; enough to patch myself up after sparring; but I've never seen anything this effective. Show me."
Her initial hesitation melted away under Akashi's earnest gaze. Over the next hour, as she worked to heal the remaining wounds, she explained the intricacies of Kaidō in as much detail as she could.
Akashi absorbed every word, his mind a sponge for the knowledge he craved.
He didn't find it hard to understand Kaido, especially since up to now, he had used himself as a test subject, patching himself up without ever coming to the fourth division.
Hell, even when he was ambushed back in Rukongai and got injured badly, he was still able to mend himself up, although it took a couple of weeks.
However, it was nothing like she was able to. He was mostly self-taught while she had a lot of experience and knowledge.
Therefore, Akashi started doing the usual thing, asking questions and learning.
It was only later that day that Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu herself arrived to see the strange scene of many of the division members surrounding a patient, laughing and giggling sometimes.
The tall, silver-haired woman exuded an aura of calmness, her gentle demeanor masking the sharp intellect beneath.
She stood by the side, observing them with a mixture of curiosity and amusement, "I see you're all having fun, huh?"
"Ah? Lieutenant Isane!" The Shinigami were only a bit surprised, greeting her directly after.
"We finished work, so we sought a bit of fun!" One of them shrugged, her tone casual, and Isane didn't seem to mind.
The atmosphere in the division was lovely.
"Lieutenant Isane," Akashi also nodded at her, softly saying, "Thank you for taking care of me, and sorry for taking your division members' time, just trying to learn from them."
"Oh interested in healing kido, Akashi?" She asked, surprised, "Thought you'd only be interested in Zanjutsu considering how much time you spend with the eleventh division."
"It's exactly because of that; that I want to learn kaido," Akashi shrugged, hissing a bit as Isane undid the bandage around his chest.
"I have thank you for that. You've managed to turn the eleventh division into so much of an arena that the brutes there forgot about bullying us," Isane remarked with a smile.
The girls behind her nodded as well. Maybe that's why they helped him so much.
So used they were to the eleventh division's bullying that when it no longer happened, it was such a significant relief.
"Bullying..." Akashi nodded, not finding it strange. The eleventh division consists of a bunch of brutes, "Well, get used to it... I will continue visiting their grounds."
"Thank you," Despite the benefits his action had to them being merely side effects instead of his intention, Isane still genuinely thanked him.
"How about repaying me by teaching me healing kido?" And Akashi of course pushed for more, as usual.
Quite shameless but Isane was still happy to oblige, "I have a feeling I will be seeing you here often, so sure." She gently said and shrugged.
Akashi smiled happily, "Thank you... When can I leave?"
Isane chuckled, then gestured for him to sit up, "Let me see your shoulder and chest. There's still some residual damage. After, you can go."
"How good can one get at kaido?" Akashi asked, further clarifying, "Or rather, how good is Captain Unohana? What's the peak of healing kido?"
"Why are you so interested in kaido? You can always come here when injured and having too much on your plate isn't a good thing," Isane was curious, asking a question in return, and ignoring the whispers of her fellow division members.
She knows why they're whispering. She isn't usually this talkative, but what can she say, Akashi's curiosity was charming, and he somewhat gave her a similar feeling to her captain.
"Be it that I am who I am, I will get injured a lot in the future, and I may not always have you to take care of me," Said Akashi.
"..." Truly a weirdo, Isane realized and finally answered his questions, "What most kaido users are able to do is simply accelerate the natural healing process of the body,"
"There are simple usages such as restoring the patient's spiritual power which consequently assists in healing."
"The peak of healing kido looks like... The captain, Retsu Unohana," Isane said in admiration, "Bringing people back from the brink of death. Healing many at once."
She told him about some of Unohana's achievements. It isn't rare for hollows to invade, upon which they get pursued by Shinigami, sometimes to Hueco Mendo.
It's thus not strange for the said Shinigami to come back severely injured and require swift healing.
It's at times like those that Unohana shows her prowess, healing more than a dozen individuals all at the same time, faster than any other could while focusing on only healing one individual.
That sparked Akashi's interest. Isane is the fourth division's lieutenant, hence she must be close to Unohana and should know much about her.
Therefore, he couldn't help but bombard her with questions about Kaidō, healing techniques, and even broader topics about the Fourth Division's practices.
Isane answered patiently, occasionally smiling at his insatiable curiosity.
"If you ever tire of the Fifth or Eleventh Division, you might find a home here."
Akashi chuckled. "This will certainly be my home for the next few months." He neither affirmed nor denied, but so far, Akashi doesn't want to leave the fifth division.
No, it's more accurate to say that he can not just yet. Aizen had asked him to use his Shikai ability on him a while ago, allowing Akashi to see a fraction of the darkness within him; That's what sealed his future.
Aizen seemingly knows a lot about him, and he obviously wants Akashi to join him in his hidden pursuit.
Moreover, Akashi does not mind. In fact, the ambush on him a while ago only drove him to get closer to Aizen for it's; as of now; the safest under his supervision.
Gin Ichimaru is the perfect illustration, the snake by Aizen's side that seeks to bite him in the back, yet Aizen allowed it.
Aizen is a very strange character, and Akashi doesn't understand him quite yet. The former had shown him a part of him, but was it truly him? Or was it an illusion weaved to guide him astray?
By the time Akashi was discharged from the Fourth Division's care, most of his injuries were healed, save for a few lingering aches and bruises.
He walked through the Seireitei streets, heading toward the Fifth Division barracks, wishing so much he could contemplate what he had just learned, but today was weird.
Akashi couldn't shake the sense of unease that clung to him, slowly climbing his senses.
The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows that stretched across the cobblestone paths.
It was then, as he turned a corner, that he felt it; a presence so dark and suffocating that it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
----------------------------------------------
[ 500 Power Stones For An Extra Chapter!!! ]
----------------------------------------------