Chapter 113: Pressure
Strength grew through tempering.
This precisely represented the meaning behind what Suoh and Hitsugaya did daily.
During this period, Hitsugaya's strength advanced by leaps and bounds.
High-intensity combat drills, combined with improved medicinal pills' nourishment and hot spring recovery, activated his already outstanding combat potential.
His application of Hyorinmaru's Shikai abilities grew increasingly proficient. Recently he'd even developed tactically layered progressions, successfully creating some pressure for Suoh.
His genius showed even more in astonishing learning ability.
Having witnessed Suoh's light clones merely once, he'd used this as catalyst to develop his own ice clones, catching Suoh completely off guard.
Truly deserving of being one of the original story's countable geniuses.
While Suoh himself also felt obvious improvement.
Sparring partners never represented one-sided contribution. Through continuous confrontation with Hyorinmaru, this supreme ice-snow zanpakuto, his understanding and development of Kikou also entered new dimensions.
Hyorinmaru's weather manipulation represented an extremely overpowered skill. The ability's true terror lay in environmental control.
The ability's dominance wasn't instantaneous power eruption, but rather unavoidable domain nature. Cold and freezing represented Hyorinmaru's continuously active passive rules.
Water vapor condensed into frost, frost patterns spreading into frozen domains. The longer time passed, the more opponents felt trapped in ice.
Engaging such opponents proved the best catalyst forcing one's own zanpakuto abilities to undergo qualitative transformation.
Currently, Suoh could almost instinctively deploy a stable light domain around himself, opposing external environmental rules.
RING RING RING—
The alarm clock placed on rock blocks sounded, interrupting Suoh's kido training.
Stopping spiritual pressure circulation, he called toward the other side.
"Hitsugaya, stop digging. Time to rest."
If training pushed too hard, imbalance would eventually occur.
Treating oneself well, maintaining calm heart, living life with proper moderation.
This represented Suoh's current life philosophy.
The other side of rock pillars, Hitsugaya stood at the planned cellar entrance.
"Hadō Number Fifty-Seven: Daichi Tenyō!"
Spiritual pressure spread following his consciousness. Under his manipulation, neat earth blocks flew orderly from underground.
This phenomenon defying common sense could only be achieved through kido.
Efficiency exceeded pure manual excavation by who knows how many levels.
Hearing Suoh's call, his hand movements paused. He piled excavated earth blocks to the side.
Calling back loudly.
"Coming!"
Subsequently he arrived at the hot spring edge.
Suoh's entire person had already immersed into the pool.
Hitsugaya consumed his pill with clear water, heading to the changing room to switch into bathing clothes.
Drawing water to wash dust staining his body before slowly immersing into the pool, releasing a comfortable sigh.
Leaning against poolside rocks, Hitsugaya swept wet hair backward, exposing his smooth forehead, reporting progress.
"The cellar's rough form is about done. Main space has emerged."
"Tomorrow working another day, slightly reinforcing interior walls, I should complete it."
"Consumption still exceeded expectations somewhat. Maintaining that high-precision kido manipulation demands very high spiritual pressure output stability."
He spoke that last sentence somewhat slowly.
First time using kido for such work—novelty combined with solid satisfaction from mastering new techniques.
"Efficiency's already very high."
Suoh's voice carried from beside him, praising.
Hearing that slight sense of accomplishment in his tone, Suoh's mouth corners hooked, heart completely lacking guilt over employing child labor.
Pausing briefly, turning toward more concerning topics.
"Today's ice clone proved excellent. Gave me great surprise. Did you name this technique?"
"Ice Clone."
Hitsugaya answered.
"Good."
Suoh nodded, expressing approval for the technique's naming taste.
Then inspiration flashed, proposing.
"However I think, after luring enemies with this technique, if you could add ice crystal explosion it'd be even better."
"Currently like this, serving only as control and restraint—methods remain too limited."
As the person directly experiencing this technique's effects, Suoh held considerable authority to comment.
This also represented one component of their daily post-training routine—developing zanpakuto abilities through casual discussion.
"Operation's somewhat complex. Current me can't achieve it yet. I'll try later."
Hitsugaya's eyes brightened, committing this suggestion to memory while honestly shaking his head.
He'd once envisioned creating multiple clones like Suoh. Currently one clone already represented his operational limit.
Suoh covered his face with damp towel, leaning back against poolside, speaking in muffled voice.
"No rush. Take it slowly."
"Okay."
For a time, only subtle sounds of water washing across bodies.
Hazy steam blurred vision.
Suddenly.
Hitsugaya spoke up asking.
"Tsukasa, previously you tracked casualty rates in the division, then had Kaien-fukutaichou raise Hollow activity abnormalities at the meeting—that wasn't just from caution, right?"
Only after truly doing similar work did he discover how much effort Suoh invested in this matter.
Not conclusions drawn from casually reviewing reports. Required categorizing each person's injury severity in reports, opponent types and quantities in detail, plus comparing data across different periods.
Suoh lifted the towel from his face, responding calmly.
"I suppose. Caution represents one part, but more importantly, abnormalities don't appear from nowhere."
"Seireitei is vast. Thirteen divisions, thousands upon thousands of Shinigami. Once or twice mission injuries can be attributed to individual performance or Hollow individual differences."
"But if within a long-term relatively stable system, certain metrics begin continuous upward trending, that indicates the system itself is experiencing external influence."
"Especially abnormal increases in large Hollow and special-ability Hollow appearance frequency. I believe this represents natural selection results under environmental changes."
"Environmental changes—you mean Hueco Mundo's environment?"
Hitsugaya pressed.
"Perhaps. Maybe Hueco Mundo experienced some changes we don't know about, causing missions to encounter more and stronger Hollows."
"The reason's unclear. Regardless, this phenomenon exists."
"You've also gone on several missions. You should have some sense of it."
"Yes. No wonder after the Research Department gave their conclusion, you still maintained such vigilance over this matter."
Hitsugaya's words brought recent team-led subjugation mission details to mind, speaking gravely.
"When such normal reports conflict with abnormalities we sense at the frontlines, that's when we need our own calm judgment—especially when these abnormalities are manifesting through our comrades' injuries."
"What we can do is maintain clarity, continue observing, strive to grow stronger, and pay extra attention during usual missions."
Suoh finally instructed.
Not that he enjoyed playing the riddler. Aizen Sosuke's name and Kyoka Suigetsu's ability represented taboo absolutely unutterable at this moment.
His control over the overall situation, absolute information dominance, and terrifying strength capable of placing everyone in illusions without awareness—represented a silent sword hanging above Suoh's head.
"I understand."
Hitsugaya spoke again, not pursuing further explanation.
Keenly detecting beneath Suoh's calm expression lay deeply hidden, extremely profound vigilance—seemingly stemming from concern over unknown existence.
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