Chapter 58 ⥤ Sometimes Life Can Have Its Ups… or Just a Series of Downs
He had initially thought Akira was carefree and thoughtless, but the man's perspective on matters proved far more astute than his own. Despite living in the Rukongai, he showed remarkable familiarity with the nobles' underhanded dealings.
Yet just when Sōjun thought they were having a serious discussion, one mention of the Shihōin family's offer completely shattered his defenses.
Raise the price?! How could he possibly do that?
The Shihōin clan had already offered their future Head as a candidate — and it was essentially a two-for-one deal!
He tried to consider every eligible woman in the entire clan, then glanced at Akira, who had begun training intensively, and immediately abandoned the futile idea. None of them could compare to having Yoruichi.
Even if they were all willing, Akira would certainly refuse.
Well, best to let things take their natural course. Now that they had backing, those troublemakers would likely show more restraint...
Having temporarily set aside Sōjun's worrisome thoughts, Akira focused on his self-training.
The battle with the Adjuchas had revealed major shortcomings in his abilities. While he possessed trump cards against strong enemies, they required preparation time.
Offering prayers to the deity wasn't as simple as speaking words. Without a proper medium for communication and his current level of faith in Mimihagi, he'd likely receive no response. Not every dangerous encounter would have Aizen nearby to assist and draw attention.
Currently, he had few options to become stronger, though they were all effective: inscribing the Kidō pattern for Shakkahō (Hadō #31) and training to increase Reiatsu.
The former offered quick results but carried risks, while the latter was safer but slower. Akira decided to pursue both approaches.
After bidding farewell to his wealthy roommate, he eagerly left the hospital room with a carefree attitude unbefitting a proper patient.
Watching this scene, Sōjun's mood grew even more melancholic.
Though his injuries were less severe than this guy's, his discharge date would likely be delayed considerably.
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Unohana's Private Training Ground.
Practice makes perfect — while Unohana was busy elsewhere, Akira had already made himself at home in her cottage. The spacious grounds and quiet environment were perfect for intensive solo training.
Drawing from his previous two attempts, inscribing the Shakkahō Kidō pattern went much more smoothly this time.
Scorching heat spread across his skin, turning it brilliant red as if painted with blood. The burning sensation erupted from within, coursing throughout his body like being roasted in a furnace, evaporating every drop of moisture.
As the inscription process continued, his body temperature rose rapidly, soon breaking through the limits that ordinary Shinigami could endure.
The surrounding air became distorted, making Akira, who sat cross-legged in the center, appear almost abstract.
The difficulty of inscribing the Shakkahō pattern was clearly several times higher than that of Byakurai.
Beyond the complex patterns, there was another crucial reason: as the Hadō #31 patterns were completed, they conflicted with the Hadō #4. Their incompatible properties would take time to polish for perfect integration.
Akira now seemed to be in the depths of hell's furnace. Flames surrounded him in a sphere, enveloping him completely, wildly burning everything around.
His strong will once again proved useful — compared to his childhood in the Sakahone District, this level of hardship remained bearable.
Time passed bit by bit.
In the distorted figure, black patterns mysteriously appeared, crawling and meandering across his skin, adding an eerie quality to his appearance.
Unaware of this, Akira kept his eyes tightly shut, focusing entirely on inscribing the Kidō pattern.
When the final stroke was complete, his eyes suddenly opened. A fiery mark flashed across his pupils and vanished, the intense flames around his body instantly receded, leaving a new mark on the ring finger of his left hand.
"Success!" Compared to before, Akira clearly sensed the changes in his Spiritual Body, his already robust constitution reaching new heights.
Now, even without using prayers, he could face the Adjuchas with more dignity.
His lack of Reiryoku meant he couldn't sustain a prolonged fight — he could battle, but only briefly.
To fight equally with this type of Menos Grande, or to defeat it directly, he would need to focus on strengthening his Reiatsu.
With this in mind, he shook the remaining ashes from his clothes and changed into a fresh Academy uniform.
While he didn't own much, clothes weren't a problem. His Daily Check-in rewards consistently provided Gotei 13 or Shin'ō Academy uniforms, sometimes even including women's styles.
Speaking of check-ins... Akira suddenly remembered that Sōjun's interruption had made him forget today's check-in.
He casually activated the daily draw.
Three seconds later, a blinding light forced his eyes shut, obscuring his vision completely.
"Wow, a golden legend!" A bold voice seemed to echo from all directions.
The dramatic display filled him with eager anticipation.
What would it be? Star Platinum? The World? Or perhaps the Ora Ora Rush?
No one can resist the temptation of ORA, no one!
The reward appeared.
〈 Obtained Hakuda Level +5! 〉
〈 Hakuda Level increased! Currently at Level 28! 〉
Having killed the Adjuchas bare-handed earlier, he had gained new insight into Hakuda, advancing from LV22 to LV23. These additional five levels pushed him straight to LV28.
New Hakuda knowledge flooded his mind like waves, seamlessly integrating into his being.
"Well, something is better than nothing." Akira sighed, his expectations deflating as he prepared for another training session.
The Hakuda improvement wasn't worthless. These occasional lucky draws were simply the universe balancing out his accumulated misfortune.
Someone once said that life is just a series of downs after downs after downs... after downs × n...
Fortunately, Akira's life wasn't quite that bleak. Though the Kidō pattern inscription had aggravated his injuries somewhat, it had also enhanced his Spiritual Body's quality.
Therefore — minor injuries weren't going to stop him. His training would continue at full intensity!
The thought of Aizen studying at the Shin'ō Academy while he recovered from his wounds made his chest tighten with urgency.
With this resolve burning in his mind, he dove straight into training.
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Meanwhile, in East Rukongai, District 32...
The wilderness forest lay ravaged from battle.
Research Institute personnel and the 2nd Division were conducting detailed investigations, trying to determine why the Hollow had managed to intrude into Soul Society.
To their south, several waves of light blurred with the air. Hidden within, watchful eyes observed the scene as Reiatsu steadily built.
And even further south, another figure shrouded in similar light waves stood watching, their calm brown eyes fixed on the blurred shapes ahead.
Killing intent saturated the air...
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