"Genius."
That was the Fourth Division instructor's final evaluation of Sombravida.
His reiryoku control exceeded that of most seated officers she had worked with.
What she didn't know was that Sombravida had once been a Vasto Lorde.
Though he had lost that overwhelming Hollow-level power, decades of precision reishi manipulation had never left him. Control was memory. Memory did not disappear with evolution.
To him, shaping reiryoku was like breathing.
"It's a pity," the instructor sighed. "If you possessed even moderate sensitivity to spiritual language, you would be a prime candidate for the next generation of Kidō specialists."
Sombravida only smiled faintly.
Even so, Kaidō was not something he could instantly master.
A faint green glow flickered in his palm — unstable, weak, but successfully formed.
For a first attempt, it was extraordinary.
The instructor nodded in satisfaction.
While the healing strength was low, the structure was flawless.
With refinement, he would advance quickly.
Sombravida himself felt something different.
In his Hollow life, he had possessed High-Speed Regeneration.
That ability was instinctive and explosive.
Kaidō, in contrast, was deliberate.
Precise.
Methodical.
Not regeneration — reconstruction.
Could it ever approach the speed of High-Speed Regeneration?
Perhaps.
But only if his reiryoku density became overwhelming.
The lesson ended.
Kidō Backlash
By afternoon, the Academy training grounds were in chaos.
Students practiced introductory Hadō:
Hadō #1: Shō
Hadō #4: Byakurai
Even low-numbered spells carried backlash risks when reiryoku control faltered.
Explosions cracked through the air.
Burns.
Minor spiritual recoil.
One student misaligned Byakurai's trajectory and fractured two fingers under feedback compression.
Fourth Division members were stationed nearby for emergency Kaidō.
Nakai Yu fared poorly.
His spiritual pressure was weaker than most Group A students. When Hadō misfired, recoil traveled straight back into his arm channels.
When he returned to the dorm—
"Ow… ow…"
Sombravida listened calmly.
"You forced output without stabilizing your reiryoku flow," Sombravida said. "Kidō punishes imprecision."
"I know…" Nakai muttered weakly.
Sombravida raised his hand.
"I practiced Kaidō today. If you don't mind, I'll attempt treatment."
Nakai brightened immediately.
"Really? The Fourth Division barely finished patching me before pushing me aside."
Sombravida placed his palm over Nakai's forearm.
Green light emerged.
Only now did he truly understand Kaidō.
Under spiritual perception, Nakai's arm magnified into intricate detail:
Micro-fractured spiritual pathways
Disrupted reishi alignment
Overheated muscle fibers
Kaidō required guiding reishi back into proper structure.
Not forcing growth.
Not accelerating regeneration.
Reconstruction.
He adjusted flow delicately.
Layer by layer.
Two hours passed.
The dormitory water clock flipped twice.
When Sombravida withdrew his hand, Nakai flexed his fingers.
"No pain… completely healed…"
"It took too long," Sombravida murmured. "Efficiency must improve."
"Tsukishiro-nii is amazing already!" Nakai protested. "I can barely stabilize Hadō #4…"
"Everyone has strengths," Sombravida replied calmly. "Your reiryoku control is better than your incantation accuracy. After you finish foundational Kidō, consider specializing in Hakuda. Combined with breathing training, you could progress quickly."
Nakai's eyes lit up.
"Then teach me!"
Sombravida agreed.
Not out of kindness alone.
Teaching reinforced his own fundamentals.
And a motivated roommate was easier to monitor.
Accumulation vs. Awakening
That night, Sombravida resumed controlled reishi absorption.
Shinigami growth differed from Hollows.
Hollows evolved through breakthroughs.
Shinigami accumulated.
Time and talent determined speed.
If Hitsugaya possessed overwhelming innate capacity, he would accumulate in a single year what others required a decade to reach.
But accumulation never stopped.
Zanpakutō were catalysts.
Awakening a Shikai amplified spiritual pressure.
Bankai multiplied it dramatically.
But even without release, raw reiryoku density alone could elevate one to monstrous levels.
Kenpachi Zaraki was proof.
A captain without Bankai mastery — yet terrifying through sheer spiritual pressure.
Sombravida would follow a similar path.
Not relying on awakening alone.
But building a foundation so vast that awakening would become merely a multiplier.
He meditated through the night.
Nakai attempted to match him.
Failed.
Fell asleep halfway through.
Early Morning Surveillance
Before dawn, Sombravida exited through the window.
He scaled a nearby tower silently.
From there, he extended spiritual perception back toward his dorm.
One hour.
Two.
Three.
Nakai slept deeply.
No foreign reiryoku signatures.
No concealed fluctuations.
Stable.
"This one isn't Aizen's piece," Sombravida concluded quietly.
Not yet, at least.
Seireitei Morning
The streets were quiet.
Taverns closing.
Shops preparing to open.
Sombravida entered one establishment and lifted the noren curtain.
Inside, a few Shinigami sat finishing late drinks.
"Academy uniform?" the tavern owner called out cheerfully. "What'll it be?"
"No menu needed," Sombravida replied calmly. "I cannot see it."
The owner laughed warmly.
"Second blind Academy student I've seen after Ninth Division's captain."
Kaname Tōsen.
Sombravida's lips curved slightly.
"My name is Hinamori Tsukishiro."
"Yukihira," the owner replied proudly. "Sit, I'll prepare something hearty."
Sombravida activated subtle spiritual perception.
Scanning.
Not aggressively.
Just enough.
Two private rooms occupied.
Three tables with dozing Shinigami.
Stable.
Food arrived.
Sake.
Smoked fish.
Chicken skewers.
As he ate, he extended his perception slightly further—
A voice snapped from a private room.
"Who's carelessly spreading spiritual pressure in here?!"
Footsteps.
Two figures emerged.
One bald.
One with sunglasses and a buzz cut.
The bald one squinted.
"…You."
Sombravida recognized them immediately.
Madarame Ikkaku.
Iba Tetsuzaemon.
Eleventh Division.
"What are you doing here?" Ikkaku asked bluntly.
Sombravida lifted his cup calmly.
"Eating."
A pause.
Then he tilted his head slightly.
"Care to join me?"
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