REVIEWS AND POWERSTONES PLSSS!!!!!Chapter 30: Mockery
The dining hall at noon was packed and bustling, students from various years traveling in groups—much livelier than during the morning.
Suoh carried his tray through the crowd, its portions as astonishing as always, drawing the gazes of passersby.
He came alone to a seat by the window, claiming a corner for himself within this noisy environment.
His right hand held chopsticks, picking up a mouthful of rice and placing it in his mouth. Between chewing, his left hand casually turned a page of his book.
As the pages turned and his fingertips brushed across a key section, Suoh's gaze paused there.
"Incantation Abandonment and Recitative Chanting."
He set down his chopsticks, concentrating on the text's description, reading word by word through the most essential content in "Kidou Incantation Techniques."
Incantation Abandonment allowed kidou to be released without chanting, drastically reducing the release time for mid-to-high level kidou—an extremely practical technique in combat.
Recitative Chanting was a supplementary method built upon Incantation Abandonment's foundation, allowing one to compensate for power by supplementing spirit words after releasing the kidou first.
"With these two methods, kidou usage in combat will become much more flexible."
"However, while the techniques are excellent, they consume more mental energy. It still depends on grasping the right timing."
"Unfortunately, this book doesn't mention the higher-level kidou techniques of Double Incantation or Counterattack Cancellation."
Finishing the book in his hands and closing its pages, Suoh thought to himself.
In his memory, Double Incantation in the original story had only been used by two people with the surname Kuchiki—Byakuya and Rukia.
Similarly, Counterattack Cancellation had only been displayed by Shihouin Yoruichi and those close to her, Soi Fon and Urahara Kisuke.
Such high-level abilities were probably secret teachings of the Four Great Noble Houses. Otherwise, so few people wouldn't use them.
After this morning's search, Suoh understood that the books in his hands might possibly represent the limit of knowledge he could access at the Shinoreijutsuin.
While contemplating, his hands didn't stop moving. He lifted the warm miso soup and took a light sip.
He switched out the finished book on his left with a thicker new one.
"Complete Explanation of Kidou Spells" mostly contained content requiring rote memorization.
This book differed from the previous one focused on techniques. Most of it comprised incantation entries requiring memorization and content related to the spiritual power construction of kidou formation.
With Suoh's memory, he easily recorded the key points. His left hand flipped pages at flying speed.
The crowd's clamor didn't affect Suoh's eating or reading speed.
However, some discordant voices still pierced through the bustle and entered his ears.
"Hey, look at him. Eating is eating—what's with reading at the same time?"
"Flipping that fast, what could he possibly remember?"
"Putting on airs, so irritating!"
Not far from the neighboring table, a male student with carefully styled slanted bangs elbowed his companion at the same table.
Lowering his voice to discuss Suoh's obviously conspicuous independent behavior amid the crowd.
"Exactly. After all, he's from Rukongai. Just the dining hall's food taste, yet he eats so happily, like he's never eaten before."
His companion, a male student with parted hair, added mockingly in a low voice, his gaze sweeping between Suoh and the tray before him.
As if finding a point to attack, attempting to use it to demean him.
"Right."
"That silver-haired shorty isn't with him at lunch. Probably couldn't stand this weird guy anymore."
"Haha."
The slant-banged student seemed to remember something. With ill-intentioned speculation, his sudden delight made his volume unconsciously rise slightly.
The two exchanged a knowing look and immediately snickered quietly.
Their discussion wasn't too loud or too soft, exactly right to drift into the perceptive Suoh's ears.
He looked up and glanced at the two gossiping students, quickly recognizing their identities.
Elite class peers, spiritual power ratings decent enough to rank in the upper-middle tier, from the Seireitei but their clothing bore no family crests—clearly not nobility.
The spiritual power rating system was an old-era standard nobles used among themselves to measure strength. Even those from the Seireitei like them struggled to clearly understand the differences the numbers represented.
In these ordinary students' perception, the gap between them and him was merely the minor numerical difference between six and twelve or thirteen. But the chasm in actual strength absolutely couldn't be measured by numbers.
Having received instruction in the four Shinigami combat arts from family elders since childhood, in their eyes this slight difference in spiritual pressure could completely be compensated for through technique.
Superiority from background and blind confidence in their abilities—these were precisely the capital they used to provoke and mock Suoh.
Suoh's gaze only lingered on the two for a brief moment before returning to the book in his hands.
People of this level weren't worth wasting his time on.
"Too... too arrogant!"
That calm gaze made the two gossipers somewhat anxious. Suoh's eyes seemed to puncture their pretended sense of superiority.
The feeling of being ignored was like a small thorn embedding itself in their hearts.
Their laughter stopped abruptly. An inexplicable discomfort and jealous fire spread through their chests.
"You...!"
The slant-banged student with less restraint immediately stood up, wanting to return Suoh's discourteous gaze.
"Calm down! Did you forget the school rules?!"
Before the words left his mouth, the parted-hair student beside him hurriedly grabbed his arm and pressed him back into his seat, speaking in a low voice.
He was much calmer than Slant-bangs. One of the Shinoreijutsuin's school rules was strictly forbidding private fighting among students.
"Endure it. Official classes start tomorrow morning anyway."
"By then in zanjutsu class, with your kendo level, won't dealing with him be easy?"
"Challenge him to a sparring match. Make him lose face in front of even more people."
The parted-hair student then leaned close to Slant-bangs' ear, quietly detailing the idea he'd just thought of.
Slant-bangs' eyes lit up upon hearing this. His angry expression was gradually replaced by anticipation and barely concealed excitement.
"You're right!"
The two enthusiastically discussed tomorrow's details for a few exchanges—such as how to "casually" propose a sparring match, how to "accidentally" lose control to make the opponent even more embarrassed, and so on.
Finally, in excellent spirits, the two left their seats carrying trays they'd barely touched, heads held high with pleased expressions.
Suoh didn't pay attention to their departure.
Academy, new students, provocation, sparring, humiliation.
This kind of overused third-rate script—he'd long since anticipated it would play out with him as a character.
Like identical novels he'd read countless times, he didn't need to turn the page to already guess what the next page would say.
Nothing more than those who felt superior in background and ability suppressing and ostracizing those seemingly weaker, consolidating and elevating that tiny bit of self-esteem in their hearts.
"Tomorrow I'll play along with them."
Since the other party insisted on expecting him to take the stage and co-perform this tedious drama, he was happy to oblige.
After all, in this orderly academy life, occasional small interludes could slightly adjust one's mood.
Thud—
Closing the book beside him, he finished the last bite of food on his tray.
Though the dining hall chef's skills couldn't be called top-tier, they excelled in fresh ingredients, moderate seasoning, and generous portions that filled you up.
As a fellow cook, he had no habit of wasting food.
Standing up, he returned his tray to the collection area, tucked his textbooks under his arm, and left the dining hall with relaxed steps.
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