Chapter 3: Private Secret Room
"So, Saitō-kun is asking me to help with your training?"
"Yes."
After conversing with Unohana Retsu, Kisei tactfully made his request—hoping she would guide his cultivation.
Unohana lowered her beautiful eyes, her gaze resting on Kisei's determined face. "I had connections with your ancestors. Helping a descendant of the Saitō family is only right."
Overjoyed by her response, Kisei was about to express his gratitude when Unohana suddenly changed her tone.
"However, as a Shin'ō Academy student, shouldn't you seek guidance from the academy instructors for training matters?"
"Besides, I'm merely the captain of the medical squad. Combat isn't exactly my specialty."
If spoken to anyone else, these words might have been believed. But as someone who knew the truth, Kisei wouldn't be so easily dismissed. He had already prepared a reason Unohana couldn't refuse.
"Captain Unohana, I mean no disrespect to your privacy."
"But I've seen my ancestors' evaluation of you in family records..."
"Exceptionally talented, the culmination of swordsmanship mastery!"
"Though I had my doubts, I thought about it carefully—my ancestors wouldn't likely deceive their descendants in such matters."
Kisei fabricated while carefully observing Unohana's reaction.
The Saitō family did have written records about Unohana Retsu, but they only contained ordinary historical accounts, far less exaggerated than what Kisei described.
He had simply added some personal embellishments to achieve his goal.
Yet he wasn't entirely untruthful—Unohana Retsu was indeed a gem in Soul Society's swordsmanship history. The title "Yachiru" didn't come from nowhere. Even Captain Commander Yamamoto acknowledged her swordsmanship prowess.
Kisei's words made Unohana pause slightly, the corners of her mouth lifting almost imperceptibly.
She wasn't some naive young girl to be deceived by flattery. Though that person from the Saitō family had been friendly with her, they would never have spoken such flowery words.
Her inner pleasure came simply from detecting the sincerity in Kisei's words.
Though unsure how he learned these secrets, this child seemed to genuinely respect her swordsmanship abilities from the bottom of his heart.
You little one, you truly please me.
Unohana tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Since Saitō-kun puts it that way, it would be unreasonable for me to keep refusing."
With a testing attitude, she inquired about Kisei's swordsmanship grades at Shin'ō Academy.
"Barely passing," Kisei answered honestly.
Since crossing over, he had realized this body's limited talent.
Though he could currently squeeze into the top ten of his grade like Shūhei, this was only achieved through six years of desperate training.
If not for the system's appearance, Kisei might have peaked at lower-seated officer level at best.
Unohana's gaze sharpened. Had the Saitō descendants fallen to such a state?
The swordsmanship curriculum at Shin'ō Academy wasn't particularly difficult—in her eyes, it didn't even reach the threshold of basic mastery.
If Kisei could only barely pass studies of this level, it indicated he truly possessed no swordsmanship talent whatsoever.
"With your current ability, training under me will be extremely painful—a hundred times more difficult than academy coursework at minimum."
"Even so, do you still insist on your decision?"
Unohana offered her final well-intentioned reminder.
Kisei understood her goodwill—had this been before, he would have retreated upon recognizing the difficulty.
But now, empowered by the Soul King Bloodline and with his talent and potential dramatically enhanced, Kisei feared nothing. What was swordsmanship? Even Kenpachi Zaraki could achieve sudden enlightenment in battle—there was no reason he couldn't learn it!
"Please rest assured on this matter, Captain Unohana."
"I came here... with the resolve to risk my life!" Kisei's gaze was firm.
Unohana secretly admired his determination. With such willpower and temperament, he wasn't entirely weak after all.
Perhaps... there was something to look forward to.
...
Fourth Division, Underground Training Room.
"This is..."
After leaving the captain's office, Kisei followed Unohana through a hidden door into this dim and mysterious underground space.
The room was exceptionally sparse—aside from the pure black ceiling and lighting fixtures, there was only a sword rack in the corner with wooden swords of various sizes neatly arranged.
Despite the spacious area, Kisei felt a suffocating pressure that made breathing difficult, and his Reiatsu became somewhat uncontrollable.
"There's no need to be nervous, Saitō. This is my private training room, though I haven't used it much over the years."
"The oppressive feeling comes from the large amount of Sekkiseki stone used in the construction materials," Unohana explained with a smile.
Kisei suddenly understood—the Shin'ō Academy textbooks mentioned this special ore that could isolate and even restrain spiritual power, primarily used in the Seireitei's defensive wall structures.
No wonder his Reiatsu was going wild—it must be affected by the high-density Sekkiseki stone.
Both placed their Zanpakutō aside and selected suitable wooden swords from the rack.
"Captain Unohana, I'd like to proceed directly with practical combat training," Kisei said, gripping his wooden sword.
"Saitō seems quite impatient?"
Unohana raised an eyebrow—she had originally planned to start with theoretical instruction.
"Ah... because there's only a day and a half left before the field training mission."
"If I can't improve my skills before then, it'll be very dangerous," Kisei sighed.
When did Shin'ō Academy's field training become so difficult?
Unohana paused momentarily. "Then... as you wish."
"I'll suppress my power and speed to that of an ordinary squad member, then launch attacks against you."
"Understood?"
"Please!"
Before the words faded, Unohana leaped forward, her wooden sword swiftly thrusting toward Kisei's chest.
So fast!
Kisei barely managed to discern Unohana's attack trajectory and instinctively blocked with his sword.
Crack!
The wooden swords collided as Kisei barely deflected the strike.
Incredibly powerful too.
Though she claimed to have suppressed herself to ordinary squad member level—theoretically not much different from his current state—after experiencing it firsthand, Kisei realized this wasn't power or speed he could easily counter.
Was it due to technical mastery?
Unohana attacked again after the failed strike, thrusting from different angles.
Thrusting—one of kendo's fundamental techniques. The kendo instructor at Shin'ō Academy had frequently demonstrated it, theoretically nothing particularly special.
However, in Unohana Retsu's hands, a simple thrust was transformed into a fierce and swift offensive technique.
Chest, back, head...
Thrusts from various angles continuously assailed him, the storm-like onslaught leaving Kisei somewhat breathless.
Had it been his former self, he would have surely collapsed by now.
But now, with the enhancement of the Soul King Bloodline, Kisei became like a dry sponge, recklessly absorbing the swordsmanship knowledge and techniques from Unohana.
In just fifteen minutes, the situation began to reverse.
From Kisei being unilaterally beaten, it gradually evolved into him counterattacking once in every ten strikes, and finally into the two of them being evenly matched.
His body, which should have been exhausted, was squeezed to produce more stamina under the nourishment of some mysterious power.
The force of his sword swings grew stronger, and his reaction speed became increasingly faster.
Unohana naturally noticed this astonishing change in Kisei, and a surge of intense excitement—even delight—rose from within her.
Even her address for Kisei unconsciously shifted.
"I'm starting to take a liking to you, Kisei-kun..."