On the training field.
The students entering next fixed their gazes on the targets ahead with unwavering focus.
Casting Kidō was not merely a matter of moving the body. It demanded extreme concentration. As for warming up, that had already been completed before stepping onto the field.
A Soul Reaper could draw in surrounding spirit particles through breathing and heartbeat, convert them into spiritual pressure, and store that energy within a specialized organ. When needed, it could be extracted and expended.
The release of Kidō followed a specific process.
Take Red Fire Cannon as an example. Before release, the caster needed to assume the correct hand posture to ensure smooth circulation of spiritual pressure. Then came the incantation, which focused and reinforced the mind to prevent spell failure.
Of course, this knowledge—recorded in the Shin'ō Academy's textbooks—mostly applied only during the student stage.
Once someone advanced to higher seated ranks, they would gain access to more advanced Kidō techniques.
And then there were geniuses.
Those who had already begun to shine during their academy years possessed the ability to discard unnecessary steps entirely.
For example—
Ling Qing.
"Prepare Kidō!"
At Mutsuki Shōkaku's command, every student beside Ling Qing raised an arm at once, aiming toward the target thirty meters away.
"Ruler of the skies!"
The familiar incantation for Red Fire Cannon echoed again.
Simultaneous chanting did not increase a Kidō's power, but in a resonant environment like this, it helped stabilize focus and made control of spiritual pressure easier.
Conversely—
If a discordant note appeared within the group, it would disrupt and scatter concentration.
"Hadō Number Four."
Ling Qing was that discordant note.
"White Lightning."
"Just as I thought."
Mutsuki Shōkaku's eyes never left Ling Qing.
The moment she heard the clear declaration of "Hadō Number Four," she knew their earlier conversation had not been a joke.
"As always… chantless White Lightning."
Chantless casting.
Once a caster's mastery of a specific Kidō surpassed a certain threshold, they could omit the incantation entirely.
The advantage was speed.
By discarding the chant, the spell became far harder to anticipate or interrupt.
The disadvantage was power.
Depending on proficiency, chantless Kidō typically produced only one-tenth to one-third of its full strength.
Hadō Number Four, White Lightning, was already known for its low lethality. According to academy texts, it was primarily used to briefly paralyze targets during the capture of ordinary souls.
Even with a full incantation, it merely extended the paralysis duration slightly.
And because the lightning discharged from the fingertip, extending its effective range dramatically increased the difficulty of control.
In short—
White Lightning was a Kidō that could not truly shine without chantless casting.
"Even at peak mastery, chantless White Lightning shouldn't come close to Red Fire Cannon…"
Mutsuki knew better than anyone how demanding this was.
"…Right?"
Then—
Pure white lightning tore through the air, carving a brilliant arc and piercing straight through the exact center of the target.
"Bzz—!"
The low thunder followed a heartbeat after the flash.
"Crack!!"
The target shattered into countless fragments.
Silence fell across the training field.
Then chaos erupted—misfires, detonations, curses.
Not every student could maintain stability under such shock.
From Mutsuki's perspective, any disturbance that caused spiritual pressure imbalance—regardless of later success—would result in a Grade C.
But her attention was not on those side effects.
"Complete destruction."
"Even a Fifth Division officer… no—perhaps even a lower seated officer using mid-level Hadō would only achieve this much."
Lower seated officers generally referred to ranks below Tenth Seat. And in a division of hundreds, earning any seated position was no small feat.
Ling Qing's White Lightning had exceeded that threshold.
She still remembered last year's exam—when he shattered the target then. This year, the power had increased even further.
White Lightning's speed and accuracy were never in doubt. Its flaw had always been power.
And now—
"Grade A. Ling Qing."
Whether by public duty or private judgment, Mutsuki could give no other result.
"It still takes a toll on the body."
Ling Qing shook his arm hard, dispersing the lingering numbness and pain in his fingertips.
In less than two seconds, he had drawn spiritual pressure from storage, condensed it, and released it at the fingertip. That level of output was a severe physical strain.
Unfortunately, physical conditioning was Ling Qing's greatest weakness.
"Slim" was the polite term. Before academy training, his body had been so frail that "feeble" would not have been an exaggeration.
That limitation was the true ceiling on his Kidō performance.
"Still… the result was good."
Sensation gradually returned to his fingers.
"The output just now rivaled most mid-level Hadō. That proves my original thinking was correct—training mid-level Kidō simply isn't cost-effective."
Ling Qing had not lied to Mutsuki.
He truly was not skilled at mid-level Hadō.
"Grade B."
"Grade C."
As Ling Qing exited the field, the results of other students followed. But after his disruption, this group's overall performance was noticeably worse than previous batches.
Just as he reached the gate—
"I object!"
A thunderous shout drowned out Mutsuki's announcement. Every eye turned toward the source.
"Mikazuki…"
Mutsuki frowned slightly.
Ordinarily, she would have taught any student who embarrassed her a lesson in authority.
The problem was—
She knew him.
Short-cropped hair that failed to fully break past its limiter, paired with a modern crescent-shaped topknot. A physique clearly built for combat.
Mikazuki Munenori.
Though shorter than Ling Qing, he was powerfully built.
The Mikazuki and Mutsuki families were both mid-tier nobles with residences near the Seireitei's outer districts. Though she was his teacher, her noble standing was lower than his.
Without her position in the Fifth Division, her future would have been painfully narrow.
But—
"Are you questioning my judgment?"
This was the Shin'ō Academy, founded by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Commander-General of the Gotei 13.
And Mutsuki Shōkaku was a seated officer of the Fifth Division.
The academy was one of the few places in Soul Society where noble pressure mattered least.
And her captain… was famously protective.
So she dared.
Her spiritual pressure bore down on Mikazuki without restraint. The hint of killing intent made his hair stand on end.
"…My apologies, Instructor Mutsuki."
Years of noble upbringing forced Mikazuki to bow immediately.
"My tone was inappropriate. I meant no disrespect to your judgment. But Ling Qing—he absolutely used underhanded means."
His glare snapped toward Ling Qing.
"You're accusing Ling Qing of cheating?"
Mutsuki pressed her temple.
These two had shared Class One for five years. Their relationship had always been hostile.
Ling Qing surpassed Mikazuki in grades and popularity—especially with female students—by just enough to sting.
Even Mikazuki's noble pride had lost its edge after Ling Qing befriended Byakuya Kuchiki.
"Yes!"
Mikazuki's voice rang loud enough to draw attention from neighboring fields.
Mutsuki glanced at the shattered target.
"Evidence?"
"Chantless White Lightning cannot surpass Red Fire Cannon. As for proof—between stealing noble secret arts and exam cheating, I believe Ling Qing understands which crime carries more weight."
Ling Qing glanced at Mikazuki, momentarily speechless.
In principle, Mikazuki was not wrong.
Higher-numbered Hadō were indeed harder and consumed more spiritual pressure. Every thirty numbers marked a major threshold.
But—
That logic applied only within the academy.
Textbooks were simplified models, much like teaching classical physics before modern theory.
According to standard curriculum, White Lightning could never rival Red Fire Cannon.
The only way to break that rule was through noble secret techniques—either modifying existing Kidō or creating new ones outright.
And that—
Was exactly what Mikazuki suspected.
He wasn't entirely wrong.
Without external guidance, Ling Qing could not have advanced White Lightning so quickly.
He had drawn from two noble sources.
The heavy books always tucked under Nanao Ise's arm contained shrine-family Kidō records, tracing back to Katori Batsunsai, the first captain of the Eighth Division.
She had helped him generously.
And the decisive factor—
Came from the Kuchiki family, whose systematic research into White Lightning far surpassed that of any mid-tier noble house.
To Mikazuki, such secret arts were priceless.
To the Kuchiki family?
They were gifts for building friendships.
Especially to a certain young master who had no concept of scarcity.
"Mikazuki."
Ling Qing looked at him calmly.
"You come from a renowned Seireitei noble house. I am a nameless soul from Rukongai."
He knew exactly how to shape public opinion.
Though his reputation had been built almost entirely among female students, those words instantly stirred sympathy among the male crowd.
"By rights, I should not challenge your authority."
"But."
His tone remained even—yet heavier.
"To avoid troubling Instructor Mutsuki…"
He glanced back at her.
Unfortunately, after five years, she knew his tricks far too well.
"Today, I'll grant your wish."
He turned back to Mikazuki.
"…What?"
Mikazuki's excitement betrayed him.
"True Blade Trial."
"You've always wanted to test yourself against me, haven't you?"
Grades at the academy were divided only into A, B, C, and D. Ling Qing always remained just barely ahead—enough to be undeniable, but never decisive.
Yamamoto had designed the system to discourage excessive rivalry.
But Soul Reapers lived alongside death.
Without the will to fight, how could they survive against Hollows?
Thus, when pride, dignity, or interest demanded it, students were allowed to settle matters with their swords.
This was known as—
A True Blade Trial.