"I must say, I'm truly astonished. Your Kidō talent surpasses even mine back in the day."
Tsukabishi Tessai said in amazement. No matter how he looked at it, he hadn't expected Kurosaki Rei to actually succeed—and with such a high degree of completion, at that.
As the Grand Kidō Chief, Tessai was hailed as a once-in-a-millennium Kidō prodigy. Yet even he, when practicing Shakkahō in his youth, had progressed step by step through lower-numbered spells before finally succeeding.
Kurosaki Rei, on the other hand, had just touched Kidō for the first time today—and on his second cast, he successfully released Shakkahō.
That level of Kidō talent was simply absurd.
"You flatter me, sensei. I'll still need to learn a great deal from you in the future…"
Kurosaki Rei replied modestly, then glanced at Aizen and smiled.
"I'll also need Sōsuke's guidance."
At this point, Aizen was genuinely shaken. He and Yoruichi had shared the same assumption—that someone like Kurosaki Rei probably wouldn't excel at something as delicate as Kidō.
And yet… Kurosaki Rei had succeeded on his first try.
It was almost… on par with him.
Well—Aizen himself had also succeeded on his first attempt back then.
Behind the black frames of his glasses, Aizen's eyes narrowed slightly. Then he put on the same bright, friendly smile his classmates were used to.
"Let's learn from each other and improve together, Rei-kun."
The other students were still reeling from shock when Tessai spoke again—dropping a bombshell that left jaws hanging.
"After graduation, would you consider joining the Kidō Corps? That way, your talent wouldn't go to waste."
Kurosaki Rei was caught off guard. He hadn't expected Tessai to be so… proactive. This was their first meeting, and it was only the first class.
Around them, students looked on with naked envy.
The Kidō Corps was a special unit independent of the Gotei Thirteen. Shinigami who joined it were almost always top-tier elites, with excellent benefits and high status. Judging by Tessai's tone, if Kurosaki Rei joined after graduation, he'd likely step straight into a high-ranking position.
A true fast track to the heavens.
Kurosaki Rei also noticed Tessai's choice of words. It seemed that addressing someone as "Sir " wasn't a later habit—it was something Tessai used instinctively once he acknowledged someone's worth.
The offer was tempting.
But unfortunately, even if Kurosaki Rei were to stay in this world for a long time, he had no intention of joining the Kidō Corps.
In his eyes, that was a place for "casters." He was a martial artist to the bone—he loved close combat, fists colliding, blades drawing blood. The Kidō Corps didn't suit his style.
He wanted to learn Kidō only to expand his tactical options in battle.
"Thank you for the offer, sensei," Kurosaki Rei said sincerely. "But I've only just enrolled, and I haven't decided on my future path yet. Could I have some time to think it over?"
It was a polite refusal, leaving Tessai his dignity.
Tessai felt a twinge of disappointment. He knew this child had been personally brought to the academy by Captain Unohana, and that his swordsmanship and Hakuda were both exceptional—a rare all-round genius with limitless potential.
Such a person naturally had the right to choose his own road.
And truth be told, the Kidō Corps was somewhat limiting. Tessai himself was the Grand Kidō Chief—he wasn't going anywhere. With Kurosaki Rei's talent, after graduating and gaining some experience, becoming a captain of the Gotei Thirteen was entirely possible.
"Very well," Tessai said at last. "Continue practicing for now. If you have any questions about Kidō, feel free to ask me directly."
Even after being politely turned down, Tessai made no effort to hide his admiration. He was more than willing to nurture this Kidō prodigy.
For the remainder of the class, Kurosaki Rei practiced all the Kidō spells listed in the textbook.
Watching many of his classmates frown and struggle over something as simple as Hadō No. 4 · Byakurai, Kurosaki Rei felt genuinely puzzled.
…Was Kidō really that hard to learn?
He had always possessed extraordinary control over his own body. After mastering how to mobilize reishi, he found that he could manipulate the energy within him with the same precision and finesse.
To him, Kidō was nothing more than arranging and combining reishi according to a fixed pattern, then releasing it as an offensive or functional technique.
But now a new issue arose.
Although Kidō didn't seem difficult, Kurosaki Rei found himself losing interest in Hadō.
From his way of thinking, Hadō existed to injure or kill enemies—so why not just draw his blade and cut them down directly?
In contrast, Bakudō and Kaidō were far more appealing. Bakudō could restrain enemies, while Kaidō could heal himself.
Especially the latter—if his Kaidō became strong enough, wouldn't that mean he could go all-out on offense in certain situations, barely needing to defend?
Unfortunately, Kaidō was rather complex and not included in the first-year textbook. There were a few Bakudō spells, but they were all extremely low-level.
What he wanted was something more advanced.
So Kurosaki Rei turned to his all-purpose roommate—Student Aizen.
"Sōsuke, can you teach me some Bakudō that aren't in the textbook?"
"Bakudō?" Aizen asked curiously. "I do know a few, but why are you interested in that?"
To him, most people wanted flashy, high-powered Hadō. He himself was currently researching how to cast Kurohitsugi.
"I think killing enemies with Hadō is a bit troublesome," Kurosaki Rei replied casually. "Bakudō has more practical applications—binding people, for example."
He paused, then added—under Aizen's increasingly strange gaze:
"Sōsuke, how about you bind me with one first? I want to feel it out."
"…Why are you looking at me like that? Do it. The sensei only said we shouldn't try dangerous Hadō anymore—Bakudō should be fine, right?"
Kurosaki Rei urged him on. "Come on. The higher-level, the better."
Even with Aizen's composure, he raised a hand to his forehead for a moment before chanting:
"Self-destruction, black dog of Rondanini—look upon me! Completely burn, sever your own throat!
Bakudō No. 9—Geki!"
Kurosaki Rei didn't dodge.
A red glow wrapped around his body instantly, and he felt his movements become sluggish. At the same time, a burning sensation of suffocation spread from his neck.
Bakudō No. 9 · Geki was a restraining spell that also inflicted harm. Kurosaki Rei could still move with effort, but the choking sensation severely impaired his combat effectiveness.
By his judgment, if one were hit by this in real combat and couldn't break free quickly—or end the fight immediately—defeat would be inevitable.
As expected, Bakudō was a powerful form of combat support.
After a moment of thought, Kurosaki Rei mobilized his spiritual power to resist the spell, while simultaneously exerting brute physical force to "tear" against it.
When the tension reached its limit, the red light shattered and dispersed.
"When the gap in spiritual pressure isn't too large," Aizen explained calmly, "low-level Bakudō can usually only restrain or interfere with an enemy temporarily. It's difficult to completely immobilize them."
"Only high-level Bakudō can truly lock down an opponent's movements—but that demands far greater control over one's spiritual power."
Kurosaki Rei nodded.
"Then give me something more advanced, Sōsuke. You should… know some, right?"
Aizen smiled as usual and shook his head.
"You overestimate me, Rei-kun. I may have some talent in Kidō, but I'm still just a first-year like you. How could I know such high-level Bakudō?"
"If you're interested in advanced Bakudō, you should ask Instructor Tsukabishi. Bakudō isn't particularly dangerous—he'll likely be willing to teach you."
Kurosaki Rei stared at Aizen's harmless, gentle face.
Yeah right. I'd believe that when pigs fly.
He couldn't be sure whether Aizen could already cast something like Kurohitsugi, but firing off Bakudō or Hadō in the sixties or seventies was probably child's play for him.
Unfortunately, someone as patient and calculating as Aizen wasn't going to drop his mask just because of a little pressure from him.
Left with no choice, Kurosaki Rei went to consult Tessai.
"Oh? Bakudō and Kaidō?" Tessai mused after hearing his request. "Bakudō, I can teach you a few spells suitable for your current spiritual pressure."
"As for Kaidō… when Captain Unohana comes to teach, you should ask her instead."
Tessai smiled faintly.
"I'm sure Captain Unohana would be more than happy to teach you."