So that's Tachikawa Shin...
Kotetsu Isane's eyes quietly settled on the refined boy. He stood out easily among the class. She'd seen his Academy file—there'd been a photo attached—but the real thing far surpassed the image. Not just in looks, but also in reiatsu, and in presence.
And Shin, noticing her gaze pause on him, instantly understood: the information about his Zanpakutō must have reached Squad Four.
Still... she was tall. Seriously tall.
Standing beside a girl like that would feel... intimidating, to say the least.
Isane rarely taught outside her own division, but she'd come prepared for today's guest lecture. Kaidō, or healing kido, was only a sub-discipline under the broader category of kidō in the Academy curriculum. Compared to Hadō or Bakudō, it was considered far less important, and the Academy rarely covered advanced Kaidō techniques.
"Today we'll be introducing the theoretical basis of advanced Kaidō," Isane said gently, turning to the board. "Compared to basic Kaidō, its applications in real combat and emergency care are far more efficient. I hope this lesson will encourage you all to take more interest in Kaidō."
She picked up a piece of chalk and swiftly filled the board with tightly packed text.
The students stared.
"...Kinda dense," Hisagi Shūhei muttered after scanning it.
"Aoshika, can you follow it?" he asked the class's top Kaidō student.
Aoshika frowned slightly. "Barely."
Shūhei glanced around. Most students, Kenzaki included, looked completely lost. Whispered complaints rose: "What even is this?" "I don't get it at all."
Meanwhile, Kotetsu Isane began her explanation, skipping over the basics entirely and diving straight into advanced theory.
For students with weaker Kaidō foundations, it was like trying to decipher an alien language.
Shūhei still scribbled dutiful notes from the board—and then noticed Shin, oddly enough, paying full attention.
"You actually understand this?" he whispered.
"Kind of," Shin replied. "I've never studied this before, though."
His self-study and trips to the library had never focused on Kaidō. But still, he gave it his full attention.
Shūhei knew Shin wasn't the type to slack off. They'd entered the Academy together, and back then, Shin had taken every class seriously.
Isane, for her part, wasn't particularly gifted at public speaking. Being asked to sub was a challenge for her. But Unohana had assigned her the task, and so she was determined to do her best.
Halfway through, she noticed most of the students growing sleepy. Her heart sank a little.
Was she doing that poorly?
The material wasn't wrong... maybe Kaidō just wasn't popular. And the "advanced" Kaidō she was covering was still watered down for the Academy's standards. If she'd taught real advanced Kaidō, they wouldn't have understood a word.
Isane started to feel anxious—until she caught Shin's gaze again.
His eyes were bright, focused.
He was listening. He was interested...
That calmed her. After all, he was the reason she came today.
Of course a student with a Kaidō-type Zanpakutō would be interested in healing arts.
[Affinity: 14]
Shin suddenly raised an eyebrow, then smiled.
He smiled—he definitely understood!
Isane caught the faint shift in his expression and felt her spirits lift. She pressed on, more confidently now, her voice finding rhythm.
The lecture went on for an hour. Only when the dismissal bell rang did Isane snap out of it. She'd gone overtime. The reason? She'd kept an eye on Shin the entire time—he never once lost focus. Encouraged, she'd improvised more content on the spot.
But then she noticed the class exhaling as if waking from a coma, faces weary, desperate for release.
They really didn't care for Kaidō after all...
Still, she closed dutifully: "That's the end of today's lesson. Thank you all for your attention. Kaidō is a profound and rewarding art. With effort, you may discover more than you ever expected. I hope you'll continue exploring it beyond this classroom."
And with that, she exited.
Shūhei stretched and groaned. "That was the hardest class I've ever taken."
In Hadō classes, their instructors always built up concepts step by step—Shūhei had never had trouble following before.
But this lesson? Isane had gone straight to the deep end.
He turned to Shin, who looked thoughtful. "You really into Kaidō?"
"Not particularly. But more knowledge never hurts."
Aoshika chimed in: "I thought Vice-Captain Kotetsu's lecture was great. Our usual instructors never go that in-depth. I wish she'd sub more often."
Kaidō was his specialty—he was genuinely fascinated.
"Please no," Shūhei grumbled.
They were just gathering their things when the class rep ran in. "Tachikawa, Ōizumi-sensei wants to see you."
"Got it."
At that same moment, in the faculty office, Ōizumi Rensuke was speaking with Isane.
"Vice-Captain Kotetsu, thank you so much for taking the time to teach today. That said… your material may have been a bit too advanced for our students. Most of them have never touched high-level Kaidō."
But Isane replied, "You don't spark interest without exposure. Besides, at least a few students kept up. Like Tachikawa Shin—he was very focused the entire time."
"Him? Tachikawa? Focused?" Ōizumi sounded like he'd just heard someone recite the incantation for Hadō #99 backwards.
Isane nodded seriously. "Yes."
Ōizumi recalled that Shin had awakened a Kaidō-type Zanpakutō—that news had spread across the Academy already. Maybe that explained the sudden interest.
Just then, Shin arrived.
Ōizumi waved him in and gave him a strange look.
He himself had once served in Squad Four. He'd transferred to the Academy later. Naturally, he wanted to see more promising students consider Squad Four as their future.
And Shin was undeniably gifted.
"Well, I'll leave you two to talk. I've got something to take care of."
After Ōizumi left, Isane took her time looking at him up close.
He had a clean, calming presence—easy on the eyes and easy to talk to. Thinking this boy might one day be her subordinate made her smile softly, sincerely.
"Tachikawa-kun," she asked, "do you like Kaidō?"
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For this week I will do more release depending on the power stones !
100 Power Stones = 1 chapter (in addition to the daily update)
So give stones if you want mooooar !