Chapter 86: The Power of the Zanpakutō

Chapter 86: Chapter 86: The Power of the Zanpakutō Katori Nanatsuki and Yoruichi returned to the meditation chamber. "Show me your Zanpakutō’s release," Nanatsuki said, a bit impatient. In his previous life, Yoruichi never used a Zanpakutō, so he had no idea what hers would be like once released. Yoruichi nodded and drew her blade. "Shine, Raibyō!" Sparks of electricity immediately arced around the short blade. "Raibyō is a Kidō-type Zanpakutō... Its ability allows me to release lightning..." Yoruichi’s eyes lit up. "It seems like the lightning is easier to control—I think I can use it to perform the Raikiri sword technique!" Now that Yoruichi had reconciled with her Zanpakutō, the lightning it released was fully under her control. Blue and white arcs of electricity surged across her body, and soon she was glowing with radiant thunderlight. "Come at me, let’s try it out," Nanatsuki said. "Then here I come!" As soon as the words left her mouth, a flash of lightning filled the chamber—Yoruichi had closed the distance between them in an instant. But the next second, her advance suddenly stopped, freezing just a few centimeters away. She couldn’t move. "Huh???" Yoruichi blinked in confusion. Looking closely, she noticed shadows had entwined around her body. Shadow Bind: Blade Catch! Nanatsuki had already plunged his blade into the shadow before she moved. His mastery-level Blade Catch granted him tremendous timing control, letting him intercept her in that split-second window. The lightning on Yoruichi’s body vanished alongside the shadows, and she was able to move again. "So this is your Zanpakutō’s ability, Sensei? That’s incredible—I couldn’t move at all!" Yoruichi said in amazement. "That’s because my Reiatsu is much stronger than yours. You couldn’t break free," Nanatsuki replied. Just then, several notifications popped up on Nanatsuki’s status interface: [Disciple Shihōin Yoruichi has learned the sword technique "Raikiri". Reward calculated.] [Received reward: 5,000 General Ability EXP] [Received reward: Shunko (Entry Level)] [Guided Shihōin Yoruichi through Shikai training. Reward calculated.] [Received reward: 10,000 General Ability EXP] [Received reward: Spiritual Nourishment Pill Formula] Shunko! Nanatsuki was a bit surprised—this training reward turned out to be Shunko. If Yoruichi had followed her original growth path, she would eventually develop a unique Shunko system. But for now, she didn’t know it yet. "Yoruichi, I have a type of physical technique here that fuses Hakuda and Kidō. I think it would suit you well," Nanatsuki said with a smile. "It’s not a sword technique?" Yoruichi asked curiously. "Nope," Nanatsuki replied as he gathered his Reiatsu. A high-density compressed Kidō energy concentrated around his back and shoulders. Violent currents of blue Reiatsu burst forth, instantly tearing and blasting apart the fabric on his shoulders and back. Nanatsuki casually pulled off the remaining tattered cloth. "This technique is called Shunko. It enhances speed and power for the user. Even regular attacks will carry Kidō force. The only downside? Kinda ruins your clothes." The visual effect when using Raikiri was similar to Shunko. But fundamentally, they were very different. Raikiri focused on instantaneous burst power—stimulating the body with high-voltage lightning to push it to the limit, concentrating speed and strength in a single explosive moment. That said, using Raikiri placed a heavy burden on the body. If poorly executed, it could even backfire with electrical recoil. Shunko, on the other hand, while also explosive, was more sustained. It combined Hakuda with Kidō, weaving compressed Kidō around the user’s shoulders and back, then channeling it into the limbs to produce tremendous propulsion. It was a continuous process. ’Maybe I could combine the two...’ Nanatsuki thought. He recalled Yoruichi’s Shunko: Thunder Beast Combat Form – Flash Black Cat War Princess. If he could fuse Raikiri with Shunko, they might achieve a result similar to that form. Nanatsuki stroked his chin. ’Could it be that the reason she later abandoned the Zanpakutō... was because her Zanpakutō’s power could be replaced with lightning-based Kidō?’ With Shunko, even barehanded strikes carried Kidō power—making it a full replacement for the Zanpakutō’s effect. But now that Yoruichi had learned Raikiri, she could wield her Zanpakutō’s lightning far more effectively. If she layered both abilities, her potential would soar even higher. "Next, I’ll teach you Shunko ," Nanatsuki said. "Great! I’ve still got one more break left—I’ll just stay here and learn as much as I can!" Yoruichi beamed. [Current Training Task Added: Guide Shihōin Yoruichi in Shunko training (In Progress)] The Shin’o Spiritual Arts Academy was about to enter summer vacation—a full month-long break. Nanatsuki planned to take his disciples to train in the mountain hinterlands. Especially the first-year class. They would undergo another swordsmanship evaluation next semester. Nanatsuki hoped to help them raise their strength a bit more over the break so they could score higher in the exams. This round of rewards had given him 15,000 points of General Ability EXP. Combined with his previous investment, he could now raise his Reiatsu level again. Allocating the EXP to Reiatsu, his level rose from 78 to 79. Then Nanatsuki checked the other reward—the Spiritual Nourishment Pill Formula. The Spiritual Nourishment Pill was a medicine crafted from one’s own Reiatsu and alchemical herbs. When consumed, it restored Reiatsu and greatly extended one’s endurance in battle. Shin’o Spiritual Arts Academy — Today was the day results were posted. Those listed would be assigned to one of the Gotei 13, becoming official Shinigami. Hoshino Rie and Shihōin Yoruichi had gone together to check the board. Both of their names were on it—Yoruichi’s under the Second Division, Rie’s under the Fourth. Even seeing her name on the list, Rie was still nervous. Her field exam had been excellent, but her division of choice was the Fourth. And the Fourth only accepted students proficient in Kaidō. She still had to take a Kaidō assessment later—and she had only recently learned Kaidō. She was afraid of messing it up. Yoruichi patted her on the shoulder. "Don’t worry. Relax. Worst case, you’ll just go to a different squad!" A gentle voice called from behind them. "You two are here as well?" The girls turned around and saw Katori Nanatsuki. Nanatsuki had come to check the list too. Since he was graduating from the Sixth Year class, he was sure to receive a round of feedback rewards, so he’d shown up early. Other than the late Kōta who died during Field Training, and Kan no Ki Homura who perished in the Bakkōtō incident, all the other students’ names were on the list. "Sensei!" ×2 Nanatsuki nodded warmly. "Rie, the Kaidō assessment isn’t difficult. Your level is more than enough to pass. Don’t be too nervous." Hearing her teacher’s voice, Rie felt the anxiety in her heart melt away. "I’ll definitely pass the test!" she said with determination.