New Kidō – The Eightfold Method

The next day.

Shin'ō Spirit Academy, Fourth-Year Class One.

It was well known that while many students enrolled each year, only a handful of top-tier classes were truly worth paying attention to.

This was because each year's evaluations and class placements were determined by lineage and end-of-term exam results.

This meant that every first-class group of a given year represented the most distinguished and promising individuals among their peers.

The children of nobles were naturally nobles.

And those with the potential to be future powerhouses carried a corresponding sense of pride.

In other words—

None of these students were easy to deal with.

—Ordinary instructors often struggled to earn their respect.

After all, regular academy instructors were usually those who had either failed to be selected by the Gotei 13 or had been unable to make a name for themselves within it, ultimately returning to the Tower of Fangs as a fallback.

Those with ambition naturally looked down on such individuals.

However—

Today was a little different.

Students who typically busied themselves with networking and socializing—laying the groundwork for their family legacies and future careers—

Had all gathered in the classroom.

Even the homeroom instructor was sweating…

Ugh! The pressure in here is intense!

Pulling out a handkerchief, the middle-aged instructor wiped his sweat while murmuring to himself before forcing a flattering smile.

Long-winded speeches weren't his forte, and everyone had clearly come here for a reason—it wasn't to listen to him ramble.

So he got straight to the point.

"Uh… It's quite rare to have the whole class gathered like this today."

"So let's keep things brief—please welcome our special guest lecturer with a round of applause."

A special guest lecturer.

As the term implied, these were experts invited from outside the academy to provide specialized training for future members of the Gotei 13 and other key positions.

Such lecturers were never just random nobodies.

After all, Shin'ō Spirit Academy carried the prestigious name of Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni and was the only officially sanctioned school within the Seireitei.

And today's guest lecturer, in particular, had an unusual appeal to the students.

A certain level of anticipation filled the air.

As a short sequence of footsteps echoed from outside—

Knock, knock, knock…

Three rhythmic taps on the door.

Then, the door was pushed open.

Black hair, grown long enough to reach his shoulders. A faint, unreadable smile hung on his face.

Beneath the standard black shihakushō, he wore a well-fitted, dignified haori.

Embroidered on the back—

The number "五" stood out strikingly in bold, crimson thread.

The man strode forward and stopped beside the podium, flashing a polite smile toward the instructor.

"Apologies, I ran into something on the way… Am I late?"

The instructor shook his head frantically, his tone unusually deferential.

"You must be joking! There's no way you'd be late! The timing is perfect!"

As if.

Even if the guest had been late, so what?

Was he supposed to scold a current Gotei 13 captain—one of the most elite figures in Soul Society?

Maybe if he had a death wish…

"Well then, I'll leave the rest to you. I'll be taking my leave now."

He could stay and listen.

But honestly? He wasn't particularly ambitious and had little interest in such things.

After the instructor exited the classroom, the guest lecturer scanned the room, then cleared his throat.

"Ahem… First, let's start with introductions."

Taking a step forward—

He raised his right hand and turned slightly, his thumb—

Pointing to the kanji on his back.

"As you can see, I am the current captain of the Fifth Division."

"My name is—"

"Seiya Arima!"

The class rose to their feet, clapping.

There had been no prior instructions, no formal cue—

It was a purely instinctive response. Even Seiya himself was caught off guard for a moment.

"Captain Seiya, we've heard so much about you!"

"Your accomplishments are widely known in the Seireitei! I even came back to campus just for this lecture…"

"You're even more handsome in person than in the photos…"

Although his tenure as captain was relatively short compared to other long-established leaders,

Seiya had been active, highly skilled in interpersonal relations, and exceptionally competent in handling affairs.

Under his leadership, the Fifth Division had not only become more specialized but had also gained the trust of numerous other divisions.

Even among noble families, it was now considered desirable to have Fifth Division personnel assist with various tasks.

It wasn't just reputation—

The division itself was evolving into an all-round powerhouse.

And this, naturally, was reflected within the academy.

The students' respect and admiration were the ultimate validation of Seiya's years of hard work.

Among all past captains of the Fifth Division—

His tenure was shaping up to be one of the most well-organized.

As for Seiya himself?

Hearing such an enthusiastic reception, he gave a somewhat sheepish smile.

Ahh, didn't expect to be this popular~

Returning to his alma mater after more than forty years—

It was a nostalgic feeling.

But personal sentiments aside, today's visit was about business.

He was here to teach.

And that meant focusing on the purpose of this lecture.

"Alright, we don't have much time, so let's get straight to the point."

Just as Shinji Hirako had once given a special guest lecture decades ago—

Seiya, too, had prepared a topic for today.

Lifting the chalk, he turned his back to the class.

Bearing the name of the Fifth Division,

He raised his right hand and swiftly wrote across the board—

Kidō.

Turning back around, Seiya now wore a subtle smile.

The atmosphere was settling, the rhythm of the lesson falling into place.

"Let's start with a simple question."

"It's nothing too serious, so just answer freely."

"Among the four fundamental combat skills you've learned, which do you find the most practical?"

A brief silence followed.

Students exchanged glances before answering.

"Kendō… Shunpo… Kidō…"

It was a multiple-choice question, after all.

Each student had their own preferences, but among the answers, Seiya quickly picked up on a pattern.

He raised a hand, signaling for silence.

"All of your answers have their merits. I trust these are conclusions you've reached through hard work and experience."

"But from what I've heard—at least three-fifths of you have answered with Kidō."

Not surprising.

For most unseated Shinigami, the four fundamental skills had practical limitations.

—Kendō? Enough to get by, but in-depth training usually came after achieving Shikai.

—Shunpo? Useful, but advanced techniques were monopolized by high-ranking nobles.

The publicly available content was relatively basic, making further mastery difficult.

—Hakuda? As it was four decades ago, the modern era still saw most low-level Shinigami prioritizing their Zanpakutō over hand-to-hand combat.

Each of these three disciplines had their strengths—

But also major drawbacks.

Perhaps that was why—

So many students ultimately placed their focus on the fourth option.

Kidō.

After all, anyone who could enroll in the academy already possessed some ability to manipulate Reiryoku.

To them, using Kidō was as natural as turning on a faucet.

And more than that—

Kidō came with incantations for guidance.

Most publicly known spells followed set formulas, allowing users to simply recite and apply them.

Thus, in essence—

All Kidō practitioners were merely standing on the shoulders of giants, seeking new horizons.

"It's convenient, isn't it?"

Seiya's tone was thoughtful.

"After all, Kidō has developed into a highly specialized discipline."

"Kekkai spells for restraining enemies."

"Healing techniques under the Kaidō branch."

"And Hadō—which specializes in destructive force."

There were even forbidden techniques capable of manipulating the environment or disrupting the cycle of souls itself.

With enough skill, a true Kidō expert could handle virtually any situation.

Perhaps that was why—

Kidō remained so widely respected among the academy students.

"Captain Seiya, but… how does this relate to today's lecture?"

"Oh, good question~"

It was something he had planned to explain soon anyway.

But since they were getting impatient, he might as well move things along.

"Because today's topic is precisely about that."

Long story short—

"I want you all to consider this."

"What if there was an entirely new category of Kidō—beyond the existing three?"

"A new category of Kidō?"

The moment Seiya posed the question, murmurs rippled through the classroom.

The students were caught between curiosity and skepticism.

After all, the established categories of Kidō—Hadō, Bakudō, and Kaidō—had existed for centuries.

Even the forbidden arts, despite their secrecy, still fell within these classifications.

Could something entirely new truly exist?

Seiya gave them no time to dwell on it.

"Think about it—Hadō is for destruction, Kaidō is for healing, and Bakudō is for restraint."

"But what if we had something different?"

"Something that manipulates perception? Alters cognition?"

He let the question linger before continuing.

"Of course, right now, nothing like that officially exists."

"But… that may change soon."

"Because I, Seiya, have been developing a new form of Kidō—one that every Shinigami can use."

"It's still in the experimental stages, and it's far from complete, but I've already made progress."

"So."

"If conditions allow, I'd like to name it—"

A brief pause.

Then, with a calm smile, Seiya spoke.

"Shin Kidō: The Eightfold Method."

Derived from the concept of the Eight Aspects of the Heavenly Dragon, this was one of the results of his forty years of research.

—

Meanwhile, within the Fifth Division barracks, Aizen Sōsuke sat at his desk, looking rather exasperated.

"So this… is the reason you caused an uproar at the academy?"

Seiya, standing across from him, scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well… that wasn't my intention."

Aizen sighed, pressing his fingers against his temple.

"I see. You only meant to spark their curiosity so they'd take an interest in your research."

"…Yeah."

"But you didn't expect the response to be so overwhelming that it drew attention from outside the academy?"

"…Yeah."

"To the point that the First Division had to send personnel to suppress the commotion?"

Clap.

Seiya pressed his palms together and bowed slightly.

"Sorry! I didn't think it would blow up like that!"

Aizen, rather than getting angry, simply took a sip of his tea and sighed.

"I don't intend to reprimand you, Seiya."

"You are a captain now—at least try to maintain your dignity."

"And while your 'Eightfold Method' is indeed something that can be shared with the public… presenting it in such a setting was a bit careless. Oh well, what's done is done."

The First Division was already aware of the situation.

It was only a matter of time before the topic was brought up at the next Captains' Meeting.

Not that it mattered—it was all within expectations.

"And besides…"

Aizen leaned back slightly, his expression softening with a hint of amusement.

"You did this for our plan, didn't you?"

So.

Adjusting his posture, his tone remained calm.

"Did you find any promising recruits this time?"

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Powerstones?

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