"Hrmm..."
I am now in a place like an open field, a little distance from District 1.
When I asked the shop's customers, "Is there an open place where people don't come?" they told me about this place.
Just as requested, there is no sign of people, the area is open, and yet it is reasonably close to the town—an ideal location.
As for what I am doing in such a place—
"Yup! Feeling good!"
It is self-training.
I was desperately practicing spiritual power control just now. Perhaps because of that effort, I succeeded in creating a ball of spiritual power about the size of a beanbag.
I couldn't even do this much when I was training at Master's place, so this is a great leap forward!
...Yes, that's right. If I don't encourage myself like this even if forced, my heart looks like it will break from my poor performance...
"Well, worrying too much is no good either."
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step! Let's use this success as nourishment to connect to further leaps!!
"Now then, shall I try it soon..."
What comes to mind are the numerous techniques that can be unleashed by manipulating spiritual pressure.
And for Soul Reapers, there are arts called Kido (Demon Arts) that use spiritual pressure. Put extremely simply, I suppose they are like magic that appears in fictional works.
However, Kido can apparently be learned at the Spiritual Arts Academy, and I should be able to learn it from Master too. So that is for later.
What I want to try are the techniques that Arrancars manipulate.
Taking that one step finally gave me the resolve to challenge it.
I regulate my breathing, suppress my eager feelings, concentrate my spiritual pressure in my palm, and envision the intended technique. And then—
"Cero."
What was released from my palm was a very feeble flash, like a miniature light bulb. It was so fleeting and weak that it vanished the very next moment after being released.
Even so, the result was satisfactory for me, and a faint smile floated onto my face.
"Next is..."
Just like with the Cero earlier, but controlling the spiritual pressure to harden and release it—
"Bala."
What was shot out was a small lump like a tiddlywink or an air gun pellet. It also vanished in an instant, just like the Cero.
"But, I did it..."
I cannot stop my face from grinning instinctively.
Cero is a technique that concentrates spiritual pressure to fire a flash of destruction.
Bala is a technique that hardens spiritual pressure to fire it.
Normally, these are techniques used by existences called Hollows or Arrancars—existences hostile to Soul Reapers.
Thinking normally, it would be taboo.
For one aspiring to be a Soul Reaper to use the enemy's techniques—what is the meaning of this?
But if you boil down what is being done, it is just releasing spiritual pressure.
In that case, I thought even I, who am not a Hollow, might be able to do something similar, so I tried it.
It was a challenge with no prior knowledge or anything, so failure should have been natural. And surprisingly, betraying my own expectations greatly, it was a success.
Something like this, of course I'm happy.
"A... a, are...?"
While savoring the joy of success, my vision suddenly swayed heavily.
I remember this sensation. Or rather, I experienced it again and again when I was training spiritual power control at Master's place.
"S-Spiritual power is... ugh...!"
This is like lightheadedness caused by a lack of spiritual power.
Controlling my staggering body, I somehow sat down on the ground, placed my hands to keep from collapsing, and waited patiently for my spiritual power to recover; resting is about the only way to deal with it.
"Even though it was like a child's prank, my spiritual power is already empty."
While slowly recovering, I analyze the Cero and Bala from earlier.
What I released earlier were both weak attacks that couldn't even kill a bug. Despite that, my spiritual power nearly ran out.
From that, I deduced that—even setting aside the fact that my spiritual power is too poor—the consumption might be large.
In the first place, those techniques are releasing spiritual pressure directly.
If so, Arrancars might have higher inherent spiritual pressure than Soul Reapers. Overwhelming others with the brute force of powerful spiritual pressure, something like that.
Thinking about it that way, Cero might be a technique unsuitable for use by me, a Soul Reaper (less than an apprentice (provisional)). Perhaps I should give up on it, but—
"But, chantingless is attractive..."
This is the reason I cannot completely discard Cero.
The Kido that Soul Reapers handle requires chanting like casting a spell.
But if I am chanting something long like "Ye lord! Mask of something-something! Fill the earth and whatever!" during battle, I will be targeted first by the enemy. Well, it seems it can be used even if the chant is abandoned, but doing so greatly diminishes the power.
As a result of using a chant-abandoned Kido, I might not be able to fully defeat the enemy and receive a counterattack. On the other hand, if I chant, I might be attacked in the middle of it and defeated helplessly.
Thinking about it that way, discarding the option of "being able to fire a destruction beam in an instant" is regrettable.
"...Well, first is practice. If I become proficient, I might be able to fire more convenient and powerful attacks. Besides, if it consumes spiritual power all at once, it seems usable for spiritual power strengthening training."
Even if I cannot use it as a main force, it might become one of my means.
In the first place, it isn't something to reach a conclusion about right here and now.
Let's look at it in the long term.
"I wonder if it's about time."
After resting for a while and confirming that my spiritual power had recovered, I decided to try one other technique.
Considering the case where a spiritual power shortage occurs again, this time I remain seated.
Slowly, slowly, while being conscious of the spiritual power of my whole body. While being conscious of spreading it to every corner of my body—
"Ouch!!"
—However, that concentration was interrupted by a stabbing pain running from my fingertip.
"Oww..."
Looking at it, blood is flowing from my fingertip. The wound is not from the outside but from the inside. It was an injury just like a vessel cracking unable to withstand strong pressure.
"This seems to require considerable concentration and control..."
What I was trying to do next was a technique called Blut (Blood Guise) used by a group called Quincies, who were hostile to Soul Reapers, separate from Arrancars.
It was something that increases attack power and defense power by pouring spiritual power into the blood vessels—it should have been.
It is knowledge I just heard, or rather, just glanced at on the net, so the detailed parts might be wrong, but the basic parts are not wrong... should not be.
Besides, if it goes well, it leads to raising the base of attack power and defense power, so in that case, isn't there value in trying?
If I can manage this, it should lead to strengthening!
Thinking that, I endure the pain and start concentrating again. Blood vessels are important organs that distribute nutrients and such to the whole body. If I distribute spiritual power there too, waste should be eliminated even more!
And if spiritual power is high, the spirit body and physical body are also strengthened. In other words, the higher a Soul Reaper's spiritual power, the stronger they are.
Then if I distribute spiritual power to the whole body without waste, it should be more effective! I should be able to become stronger than originally!
"...Impossible, this is impossible with ordinary methods..."
I concentrated desperately, but I understood that it is not a technique that can be acquired overnight.
It is not impossible. It seems I can do something similar. The only problem is spiritual power control.
If I mistake this control, pressure is applied too much like earlier, and I get injured. But if I get scared of that and flow weak spiritual power, it doesn't lead to strengthening.
It seems adjustment to an appropriate amount is necessary so the body can utilize spiritual power without waste.
"Hrmm... hmm?"
While groaning and adjusting the spiritual power flowing into my blood vessels, a mysterious sensation attacked me.
It is not that Blut activated and I was strengthened. However, a sensation that I can intuitively understand is very useful.
"O-One more time..."
To confirm if it is my imagination, one more time. At that time, surely, with a feeling of compressing spiritual power about this strongly—
"...Ugh... but, yes. This, this sensation. It wasn't my imagination."
At the same sensation as earlier, I instinctively raise a voice of delight.
What is attacking me now is not strengthening. Rather, the opposite.
It was a powerful load.
"This, might work...!!"
Increasing cardiopulmonary function by spending time in a place with thin air, or training muscle strength beyond normal by training in a place with strong gravity.
Just like that, I train by applying a load to my body through my blood vessels. Since it also consumes spiritual power, consequently, I should also be able to increase my inherent spiritual power.
"But, what is necessary after all is spiritual pressure control. And delicate control at that."
Just continuing it puts a tremendous burden on me, and if I mess up, there is a fear of causing an outburst and getting injured. To prevent such accidents, what is necessary is practice, first and foremost!
If I recall, umm... a feeling like drawing a circle was good, right? Even in drawing, they say "it's good if you can draw a clean circle."
With the image of drawing a perfect circle—
"Ouch!!"
I failed again. The road ahead seems long.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]