"So tired…"
Nakai Yuu collapsed face-first onto his futon the moment they returned to the dormitory.
Group A training was brutal.
Even on the first day.
Hakuda drills.
Reiryoku stabilization exercises.
Endurance running.
Basic Zanjutsu repetition.
For someone who had barely passed physical assessment, the strain was overwhelming.
Sombravida remained seated at his desk.
"It's only the first day, Nakai."
Nakai turned his head weakly.
"Tsukishiro-nii… please just call me Yu."
Sombravida allowed a faint smile.
Despite exhaustion, Nakai had still carefully escorted him back, matching his pace step by step.
Not once did he complain.
Not once did he try to cut corners.
Perseverance.
That was real.
"My reiryoku runs dry halfway through training…" Nakai muttered. "I can't sustain it like the others."
"The Academy does not directly teach advanced reishi absorption," Sombravida replied calmly. "Most students recover through sleep and meals. Structured breathing and meditation are rarely emphasized this early."
"That explains it…" Nakai sighed.
Then he forced himself upright.
"I'll wash up first. I don't want to smell like sweat."
Seireitei Reishi Density
Once Nakai entered the bath, Sombravida opened the window and sat cross-legged.
He began regulated breathing.
Seireitei's reishi concentration was undeniably denser than Rukongai.
But not artificially cultivated.
Not through "spiritual plants."
It was structural.
The central districts naturally held higher reishi density due to spiritual flow concentration around the Royal Capital and Gotei 13 core.
The Academy simply benefited from that location.
Sombravida inhaled slowly.
His breathing method was not true Hollow absorption.
It was a controlled refinement cycle.
Rather than pulling external reishi aggressively, he synchronized inhalation with his internal circulation, guiding ambient particles along existing spiritual pathways.
It was subtle.
Non-invasive.
He did not strip reishi from the environment.
He aligned with it.
One cycle equaled moderate passive recovery.
But—
Sombravida compressed what he absorbed.
Purified.
Refined.
Condensed.
The total quantity gained per breath was lower than raw intake.
But the density was higher.
Quality over volume.
Nakai Observes
When Nakai returned from bathing, he paused.
Sombravida sat perfectly still.
Spiritual pressure fluctuated faintly.
Not violently.
Gradually.
Steadily rising.
Nakai sat quietly.
He waited.
He did not interrupt.
After half an hour, Sombravida exhaled softly and opened his eyes.
"You were watching."
Nakai flushed.
"Sorry… I was just thinking…"
"You envy it."
"…Yes."
Honest.
"I wish I could improve like that."
Sombravida studied him carefully.
No hidden calculation.
Just desire.
"You can."
Nakai blinked.
"Really?"
"I can teach you a breathing method."
Not Hollow absorption.
Not dangerous.
Just refined regulation.
"Two hours of correct meditative breathing can equal several hours of rest in terms of reiryoku recovery. It cannot replace sleep completely. But it can supplement it."
Nakai's eyes brightened immediately.
"I want to learn."
Sombravida nodded.
He deliberately weakened the intensity further.
He would not teach full compression refinement.
Only stabilization and guided circulation.
"Sit upright. Inhale through the lower abdomen. Guide the reishi along your inner pathways. Do not force it. If you feel strain, stop."
Nakai obeyed earnestly.
For the next several hours, they practiced quietly.
Sombravida monitored him carefully.
No abnormal fluctuations.
No hidden triggers.
He remained cautious.
Kyōka Suigetsu required visual activation.
And Sombravida was blind.
But caution cost nothing.
Trust was earned slowly.
The Next Morning
Nakai's eyes were ringed with dark circles.
But his spiritual pressure was noticeably steadier.
"I feel… strangely energized," he admitted.
"You'll adapt," Sombravida replied calmly.
Kidō Class — Unexpected Summons
Before regular Kidō class began, a Fourth Division instructor approached.
"Hinamori Tsukishiro?"
"Yes."
"The Seventh Seat requested that you receive individual Kaidō instruction."
That confirmed it.
Mizuiro.
Her influence.
Some students stared.
Sombravida kept his expression neutral.
"I understand."
They entered a small adjacent study room.
Two thick volumes rested on the table.
The pages were written with layered reishi-embedded ink.
Traceable through spiritual perception.
"The first section reviews advanced reiryoku control," the instructor explained.
"The second introduces Kaidō theory — spiritual reconstruction principles."
"The third details application methods."
No "Returning Dao."
It was Kaidō.
Healing Kidō.
"Shinigami bodies are composed of reishi," the instructor continued.
"Healing involves stimulating reishi alignment and reconstructing damaged spiritual structures."
Sombravida listened intently.
"Can severed limbs be restored?" he asked.
"With sufficient control and time, yes. Though true regeneration differs from restoration."
"Meaning?"
"Regeneration grows new tissue. Restoration reconstructs existing spiritual pattern signatures. The latter preserves previous muscular memory more precisely."
Sombravida's eyes narrowed slightly.
That distinction mattered.
"And Twelfth Division?"
"They rely on research-based pharmaceuticals and surgical enhancements. Their regeneration agents require materials and preparation. The Fourth Division operates directly on the battlefield. Immediate stabilization."
Different philosophies.
Not superiority.
Complementary roles.
Sombravida nodded respectfully.
"I understand."
They began control exercises.
Fine-point compression.
Layered output.
Localized flow reversal.
Energy rebound containment.
The instructor grew increasingly silent.
Sombravida executed each instruction precisely.
He did not overperform.
But he did not underperform.
After hours of testing—
The instructor closed the book slowly.
She looked at him.
Two words.
"Genius."
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