17 Chapter 17

As Yuichi and Niko left the library, Yuichi couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation. The idea of working on a project related to artificial souls had greatly began fascinated him and he couldn't wait to dive deeper into the topic with Niko. However, before he could fully immerse himself in the project, he knew he needed to focus on honing his skills.

With that in mind, Yuichi decided to head to the training ground to practice. As he arrived, he saw Mei, his fellow student and trainer, already deep in her own training. She was wielding a sword with precision and grace, striking at invisible opponents with deadly accuracy.

As he approached, Mei noticed him and paused her training. "Ah, Yuichi. I saw your battle against Kira earlier," she said, her tone critical. "You have potential, but there are still many areas where you need to improve."

Yuichi couldn't help but feel a pang of embarrassment. He had lost that battle and knew there were certainly areas where he needed to improve.

Mei must have sensed his discomfort because she softened her tone. "Don't worry, I'm here to help. We'll be sparring today. You can use this opportunity to put into practice what you've learned and to work on the areas you need to improve."

Yuichi tried to protest, "I'm not sure if that's a good idea, Mei. I haven't fully recovered from my previous battle yet."

Mei gave him a stern look. "Don't make excuses, Yuichi. If you want to improve, you need to push through the pain. Besides, you'll never get stronger if you don't train and push yourself. You won't have to worry about fully recovering from wounds if you learn how to not get hit."

Yuichi knew she was right and steeled himself for the sparring match. Mei launched a fierce attack, leaving him no choice but to defend himself. The battle was intense, and Yuichi found himself struggling to keep up with Mei's speed and skill. But even as he fought, he could hear Mei's voice in his ear, giving him tips and advice on how to improve his technique and strategy.

As they fought, Mei began giving Yuichi advice mid-battle. "Watch your form, it's too loose," she called out as she struck at him. "You're leaving yourself open for counterattacks."

Yuichi tried to adjust his stance, but Mei's speed and precision made it difficult for him to keep up.

"Timing is everything," Mei continued. "You're trying to attack too soon, wait for the right moment."

Yuichi tried to take her advice to heart, but it was hard to focus on both the battle and her instructions at the same time.

"And your overreliance on kido spells is draining your reiryoku quickly," Mei pointed out. "You need to learn to control your energy and use it more efficiently."

Yuichi knew she was right. He had always relied heavily on kido spells in battle, but he knew it was a weakness that would need to be addressed later. Currently, he had no effective means of attacking someone stronger than himself.

Although he heard nothing but a constant stream of critiques, Yuichi couldn't help but feel grateful for Mei's guidance. He knew he had a long way to go, but with Mei's help, he felt confident that he was somewhat improving. As he remembered his father once telling him "A true champion realizes that defeat is necessary and he also knows that learning from it is much more useful than winning than always winning. That is part of the path to mastery.

Despite his best efforts, Yuichi ultimately lost the sparring match without being able to land a hit on Mei. But as he caught his breath, he realized that he had learned a great deal from the experience. He would be able to continue improving and one day be able to hold his own against opponents like Kira, Aizen, and even Yhwach.

As the sparring match came to an end, Mei approached Yuichi with a rare smile. "Good job, Yuichi," she said. "You may have lost the battle, but you've made progress. Keep up the hard work and you'll start seeing improvement in no time."

Yuichi nodded, feeling a sense of determination wash over him. "Thank you, Mei. I'll keep working on it."

Mei gave him a gentle pat on the back. "I know you will. Now, head back to the dorm to rest and recover. We'll spar again soon."

Yuichi nodded and made his way back to his room, his mind already focused on the next training session. As he lay down in his bed, Yuichi couldn't help but think about the project he and Niko were working on. He was excited to dive deeper into the topic and learn more about artificial souls. If they could figure it out then this would be a useful card to have in his deck. An idea even popped into his mind that he might be able to create artificial humans with full-bringer abilities in the future.

With that thought in mind, Yuichi closed his eyes and let himself drift off to sleep, his dreams merely a replay of his battle with Mei and Kira. Even in his sleep, he was training honing his skills and improving.

The next day being a free day, Yuichi sat at his desk and worked on his essay paper, focusing on the topic of artificial souls. He had been assigned to research and write about the topic for his Soul Society studies class, and he was determined to do a good job. As he wrote, he found himself becoming increasingly engrossed in the subject matter, reading through various texts and taking notes.

After several hours, Yuichi realized that he had been sitting for too long and decided to take a break. He stood up from his desk and stretched his legs, feeling a sense of satisfaction at how much he had accomplished. He then decided to meditate with his zanpakuto, focusing on his breathing and the connection between himself and his sword.

As he sat in silence, he heard a knock on the door. He opened it to find Hanatarō, who had heard that Yuichi had been injured during his sparring session with Mei.

"Hey, I heard you got hurt, so I thought I'd come and heal you with my kido," Hanatarō said with a smile.

Yuichi thanked him and let him in. Hanatarō performed the healing spell and Yuichi could feel the energy flowing through his body, mending his injuries. He felt better than ever and thanked Hanatarō for his help.

Yuichi moved around and found his body felt lighter. "Thanks, Hanatarō."

"No problem," Hanatarō said. "I'm always happy to help."

As they hung out in Yuichi's room, Hanatarō noticed that Yuichi was curious about healing. He offered to teach Yuichi what he knew about healing with kido. Yuichi was eager to learn and Hanatarō showed him the basics of healing spells, how to channel his energy, and how to control the flow of reiatsu. Yuichi was fascinated and asked many questions.

"It's important to keep in mind that healing is not just about restoring physical injuries, it's also about restoring spiritual balance," Hanatarō explained.

Yuichi nodded, understanding the importance of balancing body and spirit. Hanatarō also showed him how to perform some basic healing spells.

"But remember, healing spells are not meant to be used for combat," Hanatarō warned. "It's an important aspect of being a soul reaper, and it's not something that should be taken lightly."

Yuichi nodded, taking Hanatarō's words to heart. He was grateful for the opportunity to learn from Hanatarō and promised to continue to study and practice healing. As the day came to an end, Yuichi felt grateful for Hanatarō's help and the knowledge he had gained. He knew that healing would be an important aspect of his training and he was determined to continue learning and improving. He thanked Hanatarō for his guidance and promised to practice what he had learned.

"You're welcome, Yuichi," Hanatarō replied with a smile. "Just remember, healing takes time and patience. You won't master it overnight, but with practice and determination, you'll get there."

Yuichi nodded in agreement and Hanatarō bid him goodnight before leaving. As he watched Hanatarō leave, Yuichi couldn't help but feel a sense of motivation and determination. He was determined to master all aspects of being a soul reaper, including healing.

After Hanatarō left, Yuichi sat back down at his desk and worked on his essay paper again, now feeling refreshed thanks to Hanatarō's healing. After a few hours, Yuichi managed to finish his essay and breathed out a sigh of relief. As he looked over his completed paper, he realized that the list of things he needed to accomplish just kept growing as time went on.

Yuichi knew that in order to become powerful and survive in this world, he needed to master the 4 arts of a Soul Reaper: Zanjutsu, Hohō, Kidō, and Hakuda. He also needed to raise his reiryoku to its absolute limit before the next 5 years. He would also need to craft a Kidō spell to hide his reiryoku and reiatsu, awaken his zanpakuto, train its abilities, and master them. Additionally, he needed to get accepted into the Twelfth Division and learn about their technology as much as possible before the incident occurred.

But now, after learning about healing from Hanatarō, he had added mastering the art of healing Kidō, learning how to create a houguoku, using Aizen to turn himself into a Visored, and finally, escaping the soul society with Urahara and Yoruichi. The easiest of these things would normally require decades of training, but Yuichi only had 5 years maximum to accomplish all of this. As for things like learning to create a houguoku, he wasn't even sure how to even go about learning it.

He knew it would be a difficult task, but he was determined to put in the work and effort required to achieve his goals. He picked up his zanpakuto and began to practice, determined to become the strongest Soul Reaper he could be.