The Store Manager's New Invention (Edited)
The next day.
North of Shuangji Hill, directly beneath the Shuangjiding Platform.
That secret training base.
"Saikyō, are you finally awake?"
Urahara Kisuke's voice broke the stillness of the surroundings.
"Huh... Am I hungover?"
Saikyō opened his eyes groggily, and the first thing he saw was Urahara Kisuke's face, with a faint smile.
He woke up immediately—he had gotten drunk last night!
"Shopkeeper Urahara, I didn't cause any trouble last night, did I?" Saikyō quickly threw off the blanket and subconsciously checked himself, breathing a sigh of relief after confirming that his clothes were still intact.
Thankfully, the worst hadn't happened.
Otherwise...
This little bit of fresh meat would have been wasted for nothing.
"Oh, heh heh heh..."
"Saikyō, you're right to be concerned. Lieutenant Yadomaru teased you for being too young to drink and even thought about taking you away when you were drunk. Of course, I didn't let that happen."
Urahara Kisuke leisurely fanned himself with a playful grin.
"Teasing me for being young?"
Saikyō clenched his fists secretly.
A few years from now, who knows who might make the first move?
Lisa-chan, just wait!
That day will come soon!
"Saikyō, are you sober now? Can you continue training this afternoon?" Urahara Kisuke quickly changed the subject, more concerned about the progress of their special training.
In fact, Saikyō's performance over the past few days had far exceeded his expectations.
Even if they slowed the pace from here on, based on his current progress, the plan could still be perfectly realized within three months.
But the more time he spent with Saikyō, the more amazed Urahara Kisuke became.
Witnessing Saikyō's extraordinary talent firsthand, Urahara Kisuke didn't want to hold back anymore. He even changed his original plan, expanding beyond the limits of low-level Kidō.
In other words...
Urahara Kisuke planned to intensify the training.
He was even more eager than Saikyō himself to push his Kidō potential to its limits and see where it could take him!
"Mr. Urahara, even though my head is still a bit foggy, I can train normally," Saikyō said, patting his forehead.
"Alright, Saikyō, focus on familiarizing yourself with all the Kidō you've learned over the past few days and adjust your state."
Urahara Kisuke nodded slightly, then raised his voice, "Also, I just remembered—I have something in my lab that would suit you perfectly."
"What is it?"
Saikyō's curiosity was instantly piqued.
"You'll find out soon. Even though it's a replica, it can help you improve your strength in many ways." Urahara Kisuke kept him in suspense.
"Mr. Urahara, you're not just pulling my leg, are you? Can it really boost my strength in every aspect?" Saikyō asked, half-doubtful.
"Don't believe me? Just wait, you'll be surprised."
Urahara Kisuke chuckled warmly.
It was as if he could already foresee Saikyō's reaction.
---
Time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, it was afternoon.
"Hadō Number 11: Tsuzuri Raiden!"
Saikyō's voice echoed, spreading across every corner.
His entire body was wrapped in a layer of bright lightning, making him look like a walking thunderbolt.
Crackling—
The sound of roaring thunder came in bursts.
If anyone else had been there to witness it, they would've been astonished.
That's because along with the terrifying thunder, there were flashes of scorching heat from the flickering sparks.
Clearly, fire-attribute Reiatsu had been fused into the fully mastered Tsuzuri Raiden.
"Not bad. From now on, I can perfectly combine the attributes of fire and lightning in every Kidō." Saikyō retracted his Reiatsu in satisfaction.
By fusing fire and lightning attributes, the power of his Kidō increased dramatically.
It was a game-changing enhancement!
"Water attribute, earth attribute, wind attribute, light attribute, dark attribute..."
"I wonder what kind of transformation Kidō will undergo once I've mastered all the attributes."
Saikyō grew more and more excited at the thought of mastering multiple attributes.
Perhaps by then, every Kidō he used would break through to an entirely new level!
Just then—
From the entrance of the training base, Urahara Kisuke's voice called out.
"Saikyō, I'm back. I've brought what you were asking for."
Saikyō looked toward the sound and saw Urahara Kisuke holding a long black cloth bag in his hand, which seemed to contain some kind of special item.
"Mr. Urahara, is this the replica you mentioned this morning? Is it a Zanpakutō?" Saikyō guessed from its appearance.
"In a way, yes. It's a Zanpakutō, but only a half-finished one."
Urahara Kisuke chuckled and snapped his fingers.
Then, under Saikyō's gaze, the shopkeeper untied the belt and pulled the object from the bag.
"A real Zanpakutō?!"
Saikyō's eyes instantly lit up.
In Urahara's hands was a well-crafted sword with an impeccable, flawless design.
It looked almost exactly like a Zanpakutō—a near-perfect replica.
"That's right, it's a special container I created to mimic a Zanpakutō," Urahara Kisuke said proudly, raising the item.
"Mr. Urahara, what exactly does it do?" Saikyō calmed himself and asked, curiosity piqued.
It was the first time he'd heard of a Zanpakutō replica, especially one invented by Urahara Kisuke.
That made him all the more intrigued!
"While it looks similar, with a scabbard and sharp blade, it's still just an imitation. It lacks an inner soul space and can only channel Reiatsu," Urahara explained, somewhat regretful.
"Channeling Reiatsu... That's the key point, right?" Saikyō immediately understood.
He knew exactly what Urahara's intentions were. The shopkeeper likely wanted him to use this experimental item to control the multiple attributes of Reiatsu within him.
"Mr. Urahara, if I'm right, are we about to begin sword training?" Saikyō asked.
"Exactly, Saikyō. Looks like you're ready."
Urahara Kisuke handed the replica sword to Saikyō.
"Over the next few days, use this katana to channel different types of Reiatsu to enhance the power of your slashes!" Urahara laid out the general training plan.
"Mr. Urahara, I understand!"
As Saikyō received the katana, he felt invigorated.
This sword, specially made by the shopkeeper, was practically tailor-made for him!