Chapter 53: Learning Through Pain
Training was like this—countless subtle flaws remained invisible to oneself, requiring an experienced teacher's observation and correction from the outside.
After one-on-one focused instruction, Suoh Tsukasa had grasped the essentials of the Three Forms of Righteousness technique within a reasonable timeframe.
Yuuki Shinosuke stood quietly to the side, nodding slightly as he observed the imprints on the wooden post.
The moment Suoh withdrew his fist, his teacher's voice rang out again.
"Different post. Continue. Move, then left-right combination punches."
"Yes, sir!"
Without pause, Suoh understood immediately. His feet moved like wind as he rapidly shifted to another wooden post not far away.
In the transition between motion and stillness, his fist thundered forward with the three alignments unified.
BOOM—BOOM—
Two consecutive strikes, the second impact following immediately after the first.
The two fist imprints faced each other, identical in depth, their edges matching perfectly.
Hearing no command to stop, Suoh kept moving. He weaved swiftly through the room, leaving a pair of clear fist marks on each wooden post.
Yuuki Shinosuke stood motionless at his original position, his gaze sharp as a hawk's as it tracked the young man's every movement.
"That's enough. The Three Forms of Righteousness are the foundation supporting the Original Style's advanced hakuda techniques. This is all I can teach you."
"Next, you need to dodge or block my attacks while simultaneously counterattacking. Try to carve this technique into your instincts."
As his words ended, he bent his knees slightly, raising his arms into a basic boxing stance, his feet advancing slowly.
His eyes locked onto Suoh's like lightning, his voice suddenly intensifying.
"Remember! The Original Style's 'righteousness' isn't about rigidly maintaining form—it's about finding stability within movement."
The next instant, his massive frame bore down like a collapsing mountain. His punches weren't as fierce as one might imagine, yet they carried an overwhelming pressure that swept toward Suoh like deep ocean currents, penetrating everywhere.
Almost simultaneously with his teacher's opening move, Suoh had also taken his stance, his gaze locked tightly on the man's movements.
The punch came toward Suoh's left shoulder, not particularly fast, allowing him to clearly predict where it would land.
THUD—
His left arm folded upward, solidly blocking the heavy strike. Their limbs collided briefly.
Suoh felt heavy force transmit through his arm. He naturally sank his shoulder and rotated his hips, redirecting part of the force into the ground.
His right fist shot out like a dragon emerging from its den.
SLAP—
Yuuki Shinosuke's palm caught his fist firmly.
"Finding stability in movement—you're already doing well."
Yuuki Shinosuke gave Suoh no time to think, stepping back to briefly create distance.
"Now, pay attention!"
As his words fell, the real assault surged toward Suoh like a tidal wave.
This time was different from that probing punch.
Yuuki Shinosuke's attacks became faster and fiercer—straight punches and hooks alternating in rapid succession.
In the quiet room, the sound of fist meeting flesh rang out continuously without pause.
No more verbal instruction came.
Whenever Suoh's counterattack after dodging or blocking failed to meet Yuuki Shinosuke's standards, the next instant brought an even faster, sharper punch.
After delivering this direct physical lesson, the attacks would return to their normal offensive rhythm.
Suoh quickly caught on to this pattern. The controlled physical pain created pressure that drove his focus deeper into the training than any verbal guidance could.
It forced him to eliminate all unnecessary movements, dodging or blocking with minimal motion while investing more energy into his counterattacks.
The sparring continued until the dismissal bell rang. Both men put their shirts back on, each taking a white towel to wipe away the light sweat.
Yuuki Shinosuke was extremely satisfied with the results of this focused instruction session. His mood was particularly pleasant.
Even under his continuous pressure, Suoh had maintained his stance throughout, never showing the slightest disorder.
He looked at the young man beside him, whose breathing had already steadied, and asked with genuine concern and a smile.
"Suoh, how are you feeling?"
"No problems."
Suoh nodded, answering readily.
To learn to fight, first learn to take a beating.
Before hakuda class, Suoh had already mentally prepared himself for the corresponding hardship.
While the library's texts were somewhat vague about offensive techniques, they hadn't hidden as much about absorbing strikes and managing force. He'd gained considerable knowledge from them.
Thanks to this daily accumulation, he hadn't suffered too badly.
"Good, that's good."
Yuuki Shinosuke secretly breathed a sigh of relief—he'd worried about traumatizing his rare student. Then he changed the subject.
"I heard from Kandou that you've already requested the graduation assessment forms."
"Do you have a division in mind?"
"If not, I can serve as your reference and help you enter the First Division directly after graduation."
"If you're fortunate enough to receive guidance from Head Captain Yamamoto after joining, it will benefit your future path immeasurably!"
Yuuki Shinosuke's tone was confident, his eyes brightening as he spoke.
He wasn't making empty promises. While he couldn't arrange for an ungraduated student to directly enter a division like Byakuya Kuchiki could, recommending an excellent graduate was no problem.
The First Division, personally commanded by Original Style founder Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, was essentially the gathering place for Original Style students. He had plenty of relevant connections there.
Moreover, a top graduate like Suoh who could lock down a seated officer position immediately upon joining—even the elite-filled First Division wouldn't refuse such talent.
"I've already chosen the Thirteenth Division as my goal."
Unlike his previous answer to Kandou Shiki, Suoh's attitude this time was firm and clear.
Actually, before enrollment, his preferred divisions had been the Eighth and Tenth.
After all, excluding the divisions led by the Hueco Mundo trio, there weren't many divisions in the Gotei 13 with normal atmospheres.
These two division captains had deep foundations and were in their prime—they could fight!
There was also the Thirteenth Division. These three divisions had the most relaxed and free atmospheres overall, unlike other divisions which each had obvious drawbacks.
However, now that Suoh had not only met the Kaien couple but become good friends with them, he naturally couldn't watch tragedy befall them.
He also couldn't warn them in advance. After all, he didn't know when or where the Hollow that might kill them would appear.
After meeting Abarai Renji and the others, Suoh could confirm from Renji's attitude toward Rukia that she hadn't yet been adopted by the Kuchiki family.
The incident would occur several years after Rukia's adoption and joining the Thirteenth Division, but without a specific timeframe, it was difficult to grasp.
Given this, he could only join the Thirteenth Division himself ahead of time, gather information, and stay close to prevent the tragedy.
Having already decided his development path after entering the Gotei 13, and to prevent any butterfly effect he might trigger, choosing to graduate early this year was what he considered the most prudent approach.
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