Chapter 36: Interlude
Nighttime, personal room.
The student dormitories had fallen into complete silence. Only the evening breeze outside carried gentleness, brushing past the wooden window to bring spring's warmth.
Having finished his daily spiritual power training, Suoh lay face-up on his bed, the back of his head pillowed on the soft cushion. His entire body's limbs relaxed. He didn't even want to move a fingertip.
After the afternoon kidou class ended, he'd taught Hitsugaya his spiritual power manipulation training method. After all, it wasn't anything particularly valuable.
But the other party had thanked him as if receiving a precious treasure, his serious attitude actually making Suoh himself feel somewhat embarrassed.
Because Suoh still had his own little thoughts underneath it all.
He could bring Hitsugaya along for morning basic training. Having another companion on the road meant sharing sweat brought added joy from walking side by side.
As for evenings... he'd respectfully decline.
Besides needing quiet solitary time to digest the day's gains, it was also a small personal insistence of his.
He absolutely didn't have, nor did he want to have, any habit of being alone in a room with another male late at night in the quiet hours—even a youthful-appearing Hitsugaya.
Just imagining the scene of two people silently practicing together in a quiet room gave him goosebumps.
Even with Hitsugaya's personality, he most likely wouldn't proactively propose joint nighttime training.
But just in case the other party really did ask, he worried he'd steel himself and agree.
So directly killing that possibility was the best solution.
"The bed's really comfortable."
Suoh contentedly rolled in a circle on the bed, thoroughly dispelling that tiny bit of insignificant embarrassment in his heart.
With a thought, he raised his hand and pointed up one finger.
In the darkness, his fingertip lit up with faint light. Instantly, a golden spiritual power cord flew up, floating in the air.
'Bakudou Number Four: Hainawa.'
He recited silently in his heart without speaking aloud, lying on his back and directly releasing kidou through Incantation Abandonment.
The lowest-level kidou had no lengthy spirit words. The technique's name itself was part of the spirit words.
This technique actually wasn't difficult. The difficulty lay in how to maintain the kidou's stability and power after release.
With Suoh's current spiritual power manipulation ability, he didn't need to borrow verbal recitation to focus his mind either.
At this moment, he wasn't thinking about practicing technique—purely playful mischief had taken over.
The cord of light in the air twisted into an "S" for a moment, then twisted into a "B."
Watching the light cord change forms in the air, the corners of his mouth couldn't help lifting. His fingertip then rapidly moved.
The cord of light began self-coiling and was deftly woven. First a round head, then torso and limbs.
In the blink of an eye, an adorably naive little golden figure suspended in midair.
Looking at it, Suoh's eyes were full of admiration for his own work. Using an extremely low breath of sound, he cheerfully hummed a melodious tune from his memories.
"Giligili ai..."
Under his humming, the little golden figure began twisting its graceful body, convulsing in the air like receiving electric shocks in a brilliant dance.
"So satisfying!"
Several minutes later, having played to his heart's content, Suoh praised with complete satisfaction.
Having played enough, he contentedly liberated the little golden figure. The cord of light subsequently returned to its original form.
The next moment, Suoh's fingertip moved again, as if plucking invisible strings.
Suddenly the cord of light shot forth through the air, coiling around the handle of the nearby asauchi.
Shing—
A ringing sound. The asauchi neatly drew from its sheath, the blade reflecting nightlight, suspended in midair flashing with cold gleam.
Following his fingertip's movements, the asauchi in the air danced accordingly.
At first, only the simplest moves from kendo—chop, slash, thrust, sweep.
However, after only a few breaths, the manipulated asauchi's dancing speed suddenly accelerated, weaving a fine mesh of light in the air.
But before long, he stopped his hand's movements.
With a thought, the cord of light suddenly retracted, smoothly returning the asauchi into its sheath.
"Not quite right. Completely lacks the actual feel of swinging a sword."
"Only has the form, at most good for bluffing people."
Suoh's brow furrowed slightly as he evaluated the results of this whim-driven attempt.
"But thinking about it, that makes sense. After all, it's the lowest-level kidou. Being able to do this much is about right."
However, he quickly became philosophical again. In terms of tactical value, this move was somewhat flashy but impractical—at most it could only be considered juggling.
Lower-level kidou had too simple spirit particle structures. Once subjected to external force, they were easily destroyed.
But reconsidering, this attempt wasn't entirely without value. At least in situations where the sword left his hand, he could quickly recall it—also a decent little trick.
Unable to create any special kidou usage, Suoh wasn't particularly disappointed.
After all, kidou had been passed down until now after countless optimizations and improvements. If there were any completely new applications, they'd have long since been added to textbooks as examples.
"Ahh..."
He stretched with a big lazy stretch. His joints released soft cracking sounds.
Late night was the most precious relaxing moment of his day.
Gradually, drowsiness struck. Suoh closed his eyes, his breathing gradually becoming steady. The wind sounds and insect chirping outside the window became a lullaby accompanying him to sleep.
...
The next day.
When morning's first rays spilled across Suoh's bed, he'd already awakened.
Last night's self-entertainment had brought relaxation that let him sleep especially well. His whole person felt refreshed.
After simple washing up, Suoh changed clothes. Just stepping out the dormitory door, he saw Hitsugaya Toshiro standing beneath the courtyard's pine tree, silver hair glowing faintly in the morning light.
The youth with wooden sword on his back leaned against the tree, fingertips flickering with spiritual light. While waiting for Suoh for morning practice, he still continued the spiritual power manipulation training taught to him yesterday.
Hearing the door open, Hitsugaya also stopped his training. The glow at his fingertips faded as he turned his head to look toward the approaching figure.
"Suoh, morning!"
"Yesterday following the method you taught, I practiced all night."
"Very useful. Just currently I can only manage rapid single-finger number changes."
His voice remained cool, but had long since lost the distance from their first meeting, carrying a trace of barely perceptible excitement.
"Good that it's useful. This is slow grinding work—can't rush it."
"For you to preliminarily master single-finger transformation in one night, the progress is already quite good. Just persist with nightly training."
Suoh walked forward. Looking at his earnestly serious appearance, his tone carried a kind of veteran's calm.
"Training on an empty stomach won't do."
"Here, you eat one too. Don't chew it."
He then pulled out a porcelain bottle from his waist and poured out two pills, first stuffing one in his own mouth, then tossing one toward Hitsugaya.
Hitsugaya caught it smoothly, gave it a simple glance, and swallowed it.
"What is this?"
The taste was slightly sweet with a faint herbal fragrance, somewhat like the sweet natto beans he loved eating.
"Three Elements Pill. Body-nourishing sugar pills I made myself."
"Line your stomach, nourish your spirit."
"Same old reminder—pay attention to moderation. Let's begin training."
Putting away the porcelain bottle and drawing the wooden sword from his waist, Suoh explained matter-of-factly.
"Mm."
Hitsugaya clearly understood what he'd swallowed definitely wasn't as simple as described. However, he already owed too many favors. He could only firmly remember them in his heart.
He then drew the wooden sword from his back and together they began training.
A light breeze passed, dispersing the faint medicinal fragrance remaining from the pills just now.
Two wooden swords successively swung forth, breaking through morning mist, tracing coordinated trajectories in the courtyard.
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