"I must say, I'm truly surprised. Your talent in Kido surpasses even mine at that age,"
Tessai Tsukabishi exclaimed in amazement. He had never expected Hao to actually pull it off—let alone so successfully.
He, the Grand Kido Chief, was once hailed as a once-in-a-millennium Kido prodigy.
Even so, when he was younger, he only succeeded in casting Shakkahō after slowly working his way up through the lower-level Hadō spells.
But if Hao's background wasn't a lie, then this was literally his first day ever touching Kido, and on his second attempt, he had already released Shakkahō.
That kind of talent was nothing short of absurd.
"You flatter me, sensei. I'll be relying on your guidance from now on…"
Hao replied modestly, then glanced at Aizen and added with a smile:
"I'll be learning a lot from you too, Aizen."
At that moment, Aizen was still reeling. Like Yoruichi, he had assumed that someone like Hao—strong and rough around the edges—would probably suck at something as delicate and intricate as Kido.
But to think he had succeeded in one go…
It was honestly… not beneath his own ability at all.
After all, he himself had successfully cast Shakkahō on his very first try too.
Aizen's eyes narrowed slightly behind his black-rimmed glasses. Then he put on that familiar bright and friendly smile all the classmates knew well.
"Hao-kun, let's continue learning and improving together."
The rest of the students were still in shock when Tessai dropped a bombshell:
"Would you consider joining the Kido Corps after graduation?
It would be a shame to waste a gift like yours."
Even Hao was caught off guard. He hadn't expected Tessai to make such a move so early—this was literally the first day of class, and the first time they had met.
All around him, his classmates were looking at him with envy.
The Kido Corps was a special unit independent of the Gotei 13.
To be offered a chance to join them was equivalent to being handpicked by a top elite department—where only the brightest and most skilled Shinigami worked.
The benefits were outstanding.
And judging by Tessai's attitude, if Hao joined after graduation, he wouldn't be starting from the bottom.
It would be a direct rocket to the top, an olive branch that could change someone's entire future in an instant.
The Kido Corps offer was tempting.
But unfortunately, no matter how long he intended to stay in this world, Hao had no plans of joining them.
To him, that unit was where the "mages" belonged.
But he was a warrior through and through—he lived for close combat, fists and blades, blood and violence.
The Kido Corps simply didn't fit his style.
He was learning Kido only to add more options to his combat arsenal, nothing more.
"Thank you for the generous offer, Sensei.
But I've only just entered the academy. I haven't really thought about the future yet.
May I take some time to consider it?"
Hao replied, which was essentially a polite refusal, just phrased in a way that still gave Tessai face.
Tessai looked a little disappointed.
He'd heard that this child was brought into the academy by Captain Unohana herself.
With Hao's impressive skill in both Zanjutsu and Hakuda, he was clearly a gifted all-rounder whose future prospects were immeasurable.
He had every right to choose his own path.
On second thought, the Kido Corps might've been too narrow a path anyway.
After all, Tessai himself was the Grand Chief—he couldn't very well give up his position for Hao.
And with Hao's potential, after a few years of effort post-graduation, he might very well become a Captain at the Gotei 13.
"Very well. You all may continue your practice.
If any of you have questions about Kido, feel free to come directly to me."
Tessai didn't hide his appreciation for Hao at all.
Even though he'd been gently rejected, he was still eager to mentor this rising star.
For the rest of the class, Hao continued testing every Kido listed in the textbook one by one.
Watching his classmates struggle just to cast Hadō #4 – Byakurai, many frowning in frustration, Hao couldn't help but find it odd…
Is Kido really this hard for most people?
He had always had exceptional control over his own body.
And now that he'd learned how to manipulate spiritual particles, he realized he could just as precisely control the energy within himself.
From his perspective, Kido was essentially about arranging and combining reishi particles in a predetermined way to turn them into offensive techniques.
But there was one problem:
Even though Hao didn't find Kido particularly difficult, he found himself losing interest in Hadō (Destructive Arts).
To Hao's way of thinking, the whole purpose of Hadō was to injure the enemy—so why not just pull out a blade and cut them down directly?
On the other hand, Bakudō (Binding Arts) and Kaidō (Healing Arts) felt way more useful in actual combat.
Bakudō could restrain opponents.
Kaidō could heal himself.
Especially the latter—if he got really good at Kaidō, wouldn't that allow him to fight aggressively without worrying about defense, under certain conditions?
Unfortunately, because Kaidō was more complicated, it wasn't covered in first-year textbooks.
There were a few basic Bakudō spells, but nothing high-level.
So Hao turned to the all-knowing roommate—Aizen Sōsuke—for help.
"Sōsuke, can you teach me some Bakudō that's not in the textbooks?"
"Bakudō? I do know a few," Aizen replied curiously.
"But why are you interested in that?"
In his view, most people were eager to learn high-powered Hadō spells—just like himself, who had recently been researching how to cast Black Coffin (Kurohitsugi).
"Hadō feels like too much of a hassle when it comes to killing enemies.
Bakudō seems more practical—you can use it to restrain people and such."
Hao explained casually. Then, under Aizen's increasingly strange gaze, he added:
"Sōsuke, how about you cast a Bakudō on me right now?
I want to see what it feels like."
"Why are you looking at me like that?
Go on, do it! Sensei only said we shouldn't try any dangerous Hadō.
Bakudō should be fine, right?"
Hao urged him eagerly.
"Come on, the higher the level, the better."
Even Aizen, usually calm and collected, rubbed his forehead at this. Then he finally spoke:
"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man!
Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south!
Bakudō #9 – Geki!"
Hao didn't dodge.
A red glow wrapped around him, and instantly, he felt his body slow and stiffen.
At the same time, a searing, choking sensation spread from his neck.
Bakudō #9 – Geki was a spell designed to bind and injure at the same time.
While Hao could still barely move, the choking sensation seriously impacted his combat ability.
In a real fight, if someone got hit by this and couldn't break free quickly—or end the fight before it took effect—it would likely mean defeat.
Yup. Bakudō is a powerful combat support technique.
After some thought, Hao began channeling spiritual energy to resist the bind, while also using brute force to tear through the restraint physically.
At the moment when his strength peaked, the red glow shattered.
"If spiritual pressure is roughly equal, low-level Bakudō usually only acts as temporary restraints or distractions.
It's hard to truly immobilize someone."
Aizen wasn't surprised that Hao broke free. He continued calmly:
"Only high-level Bakudō can fully seal an opponent's movements.
But those require much more refined control over your spiritual energy."
Hao nodded.
"Then give me some of the high-level stuff, Sōsuke.
You do know some, right?"
Aizen, still smiling serenely, shook his head.
"You're overestimating me, Hao-kun.
I may have some talent in Kido, but I'm still a first-year student, same as you. No way I know such advanced Bakudō."
"If you're really interested in the high-level stuff, why not ask Tessai-sensei?
Bakudō isn't particularly dangerous. I'm sure he'd be willing to teach you."
Hao stared at Aizen's face—harmless and mild as ever—and thought:
Liar!
He couldn't say for certain if Aizen could cast Kurohitsugi just yet,
but anything in the 60s or 70s range?
He could probably do that with one eye closed.
Still, Aizen was too good at hiding his true abilities.
Hao wouldn't be able to make him slip up so easily.
So, reluctantly, he went to consult Tessai Tsukabishi.
"Oh? You're interested in Bakudō and Kaidō?"
Tessai raised an eyebrow at Hao's request.
"Well, I can teach you some Bakudō within your current spiritual capacity.
As for Kaidō—if you're interested in that, maybe wait until Captain Unohana comes in for a lecture.
I'm sure she'd be happy to teach you."
°°°
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