XX-level Hokage

These two Grim Reapers are Nero Sato and Hogg. In the Sixth Division, their strength is second only to the immortal Saito. They are usually arrogant and will not easily let go of anyone who challenges their position.

Saito, who is immortal, made no comment on this. She had expected Nero and Hogg to express their dissatisfaction directly, but instead of stopping them, she wanted to see how Mashiro would respond.

Just as she said, whether or not she can gain these guys' trust depends on Mashiro herself.

However, no matter how much opposition there is, the fact that Mashiro is the vice-captain of the Sixth Division will not change; this is her decision.

If that event succeeds, then the Gotei 13 will be able to cover the entire Soul Society. At that time, a squad that only knows how to fight and kill will definitely not work.

Although she disliked Shihouin Senhito, she still agreed with what he said. Mashiro simply smiled; she wasn't angry or upset by Nero and Hogg's words.

"It seems you two have some doubts about my abilities." Mashiro's voice was calm and firm as she slowly walked to the center of the training ground, her gaze fixed on Nero and Hogg. "Then, let's have a match."

Nero and Hogg exchanged a glance, a hint of surprise flashing in their eyes. They hadn't expected Mashiro to propose a contest so directly, nor had they expected her to have such courage.

Saito, who was immortal, was also somewhat surprised. She knew that in her last match with Mashiro, she had unleashed a vast ocean of energy. Nero and Hogg, on the other hand, would not do what she did.

"Hmph, since you're so eager for a duel, then we'll grant your wish." Nero snorted coldly, hoisting his giant axe onto his shoulder and striding towards Mashiro. Hogg followed closely behind, a sharp longsword appearing in his hand, its tip trembling slightly, as if anticipating the impending battle. "Wait, a duel is fine, but we need some rules." Saito, the immortal being, suddenly spoke, interrupting the impending fight, "You two..."

"If you can defeat Mashiro within ten moves, then there's a different story. But if you fail to win within ten moves, then you must obey Mashiro's orders from now on, without the slightest complaint."

Upon hearing this, Nero and Hogg hesitated for a moment. Although confident, they dared not underestimate Mashiro. After all, anyone chosen by the captain must have some skill or ability.

However, they quickly hardened their resolve. After all, they were the elite of the Sixth Division; how could they possibly be defeated by a woman who looked so frail?

"Alright, as you say, Captain."

Next, the three of them arrived at the center of the training field.

Nero was the first to unleash his Shikai. "Roar! Jackal!"

The giant axe in his hand drew a sharp arc in the air, and then three chains appeared on the axe handle. At the end of the chains, three gnolls were struggling fiercely.

Hogger followed closely behind, his longsword flashing through the air like lightning. "Tear it apart, Windrunner!"

A gust of wind swept in, the longsword in Hogg's hand disappeared, and then his body began to swell, transforming into a black beast.

Then, Mashiro also activated her Shikai. "Choose your path, Zero White!"

Then, the orange gem that was set in the hilt of the sword emitted a dazzling light.

Immediately afterwards, a flash of orange light appeared in her hand, and the silver-white samurai sword in her hand transformed into a golden, openwork longsword. The sword's appearance was magnificent and dignified, and its blade shone with a golden light, presenting a flowing light effect that gave people a very dazzling feeling.

Seeing this, Saito, who was watching from the sidelines, revealed a strange expression.

"Like Lord Yamamoto's, a multi-form Zanpakuto? No, it seems even more special than Lord Yamamoto's." Saito, the immortal, muttered to himself.

Looking at the golden longsword in his hand, Mashiro murmured, "The Sovereign's Power!"

In an instant, the three-headed werewolf summoned by Nero in front of Mashiro immediately let out a painful hiss, then quickly shut its mouth, as if it was being firmly shaken to the ground from above by an invisible hand, its limbs spread apart and pressed tightly to the ground, unable to move an inch.

This was only the initial scene. As time went on, blood began to seep from the mouths, eye sockets, and ear canals of the jackals, but they could no longer make a sound.

By the time Nero realized the problem and tried to recall the gnolls, the three-headed gnolls were already completely dead.

Nero, pale-faced, knelt on the ground. A force field similar to Shinra Tensei? Shinsou. No.

The area affected by the power of the king was significantly smaller than that of the original Shinra Tensei, and even the other people watching nearby were not affected.

Moreover, even if her original self used Shinra Tensei at full power, it wouldn't cause such substantial damage as ruptured blood vessels or internal organs; instead, it would manifest as external injuries.

Heavy pressure? Force field?

She slowly began to understand, and after thinking for a while, she looked at Hogg, who was completely dumbfounded. "Shall we continue?"

Before Hogg could answer, Mashiro blurted out, "Royal power!"

An unprecedented pressure descended once again. Caught off guard, Hogg's body slumped and he was immediately pinned to the ground. However, compared to Nero's gnolls, Hogg's physical attributes were greater and stronger, and his defenses were also stronger. He was not unable to move and was able to make sounds of pain.

At this moment, Hogg, who was over three feet tall, let out a sharp cry and gripped the floor with both hands. However, despite his incessant screaming, he was still unable to stand up.

Then, Qi Bai heard the sound of bones breaking.

At that moment, Mashiro suddenly remembered the phrase used to describe sovereignty: "Beneath the throne, looking down upon all living beings."

The more you resist, the stronger the countermeasures you will face.

Chapter Ten: The Path of Ghosts

Seeing that Nero and Hogg had both lost their ability to fight, Mashiro ended her Shikai form, glanced around, and said with a smile, "Shall we continue?"

All the members of the Sixth Division stared at Mashiro in utter shock and silence. *Clap clap clap*

At that moment, Saito Immortal walked over, clapping his hands.

"Iss, take Nero and Hogg to the Fourth Division. We have another mission in a couple of days." "Yes, Captain Saito!"

Then, Saito, who was immortal, continued: "As you have all seen, Mashiro is a genius and is fully qualified to be the vice-captain of the Sixth Division. So, if anyone has any objections, they should go and have a go at Nero and Hogg first. Mashiro, come with me."

After saying this, Saito, who was immortal, turned and left.

Mashiro nodded to the others in the training room and then followed them.

Upon entering the captain's room, Saito, seemingly immortal, casually reclined in a chair, looking at Mashiro with great interest, and said, "Not bad at all. You are much more capable than I imagined."

"Just lucky," Mashiro replied softly.

She was indeed lucky this time. First, the power of the king was much stronger than she had expected, and second, Nero and Hogg were both very careless towards her.

"You're right. After all, the range of your attack just now wasn't that big. If those two hadn't been waiting for you to complete your Shikai and hadn't been within your image range, you really wouldn't have been able to defeat them so easily."

"After all, for a domain-type ability like yours, a ranged Kido would suffice." Saito, the immortal being, pointed out the flaws in the royal power.

As the youngest member of the Gotei 13 and the youngest strongman recognized by Yamamoto, Saito, who is immortal, is a true child prodigy.

“Indeed, just as Captain Saito said, my Royal Authority lacks the ability to launch an attack. If the opponent doesn’t enter my field of vision immediately, then I’m just a sitting duck,” Mashiro said with a light laugh.

This statement is true, but it is not entirely true.

"Anyway, while we prepare for the mission these next two days, I'll teach you a few Kido techniques. With your aptitude, you should be able to get a date," Saito Immortal said.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Captain Saito." Mashiro smiled and nodded.

Mashiro had read many books about Shinigami and Hollows in the study yesterday, so she naturally knew what Kido was. Kido is an advanced technique used only by Shinigami, and it is divided into three types: Hado, Bakudo, and Kaido.

Among them, the Hado is a kind of demonic path that uses attack and destruction to directly attack the opponent. It requires chanting a pleasant incantation before it can be released. People with strong spiritual power can skip the chanting, but if the requirements are not met, the intensity of the release will be much less than when chanting.

Unlike the Hado, the Bakudo is a demonic path aimed at binding and restricting. It shares the same concept as the Hado, and its power is reduced if it is not chanted. However, the Bakudo can be strengthened by chanting after it is used.

Finally, the primary function of the Resurrection Path is only healing, making it a completely supportive type of Kido. "I wonder which Kido Captain Saito is going to teach me?" Mashiro asked curiously.

"I'm better at Hado than Bakudo. As for Kaido, I doubt many Shinigami know it. Only the Fourth Division of the Gotei 13 has some," Saito Immortal replied.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Captain Saito." Mashiro nodded with a smile.

"I'll teach you three techniques today, and two more tomorrow. The five techniques I'll teach you are all quite practical Breaking Techniques. First, Breaking Technique One: Thrust."

As he spoke, Saito unleashed a small shockwave from his immortal fingertip. The shockwave struck the courtyard outside the house, instantly creating a hole in the ground.

"The 'Rush' is the most basic Hakudo, and it's the first Hakudo that almost all Shinigami who know Kido learn. Although the 'Rush' won't be very useful once you learn some of the later Hakudo, it's very suitable for you right now."

After saying that, Saito, who was immortal, began to explain to Mashiro the method and techniques for releasing the Hado Rush. Half an hour later, Mashiro successfully mastered the Rush.

"Captain Saito, there's something I'm confused about. I remember that casting Kido requires chanting a pleasant incantation, right?" Mashiro asked, somewhat puzzled.

“For those powerful or special types of demonic arts, chanting is certainly necessary, but for basic demonic arts, chanting can be completely omitted.”

To take the example of a madaka, simply put, the chanting of the hymn can be omitted for madakas below level 30.

"Of course, for some powerful Shinigami, even those with advanced Hado of level 30 or higher can skip the chanting of the incantation, but that's too early for you," Saito Immortal explained.

"Judging from what you're saying, Captain, you must also be one of those powerful Shinigami who can skip chanting incantations," Mashiro said with a smile.

"Haha, that's true, but there are only a few moves. For me, Kido is actually not very useful, Binding Dao doesn't suit my fighting style, and Returning Dao is even less relevant. The only one I've learned is Hado, but Hado is like a chicken bone to me right now."

"Mid-to-low level Breakthroughs can omit the chanting, but the damage isn't enough. High-level Breakthroughs can't completely omit the chanting. Since the chanting can't be omitted, it's very troublesome. It's faster for someone like me to go up and hack a few times." Saito Immortal shook his head and said.

"From that perspective, Kido is indeed quite useless for a Shinigami of your caliber, Captain," Mashiro sighed.

Mashiro originally wanted to find an opportunity to study Kido in depth, since Kido in this world is like Ninjutsu. In a ninja duel, the side with more Ninjutsu undoubtedly has a huge advantage.

Upon hearing Saito's words about immortality, Mashiro hesitated. Indeed, if advanced Kido couldn't cancel the incantation, it would be like advanced Shinobi...

If the hand seals cannot be removed from the technique, its effectiveness will be greatly reduced.

"That's not quite right. I'd say it's rather useless to me personally, compared to advanced Breaking Techniques, which have vastly different power levels."

"If I could reach the point where chanting the incantation is unnecessary, for example, by raising my hand and striking with the Ninety Black Coffin of the Dao, even if the Black Coffin's power is only one-third of its original strength, I would be killed instantly without time to defend myself. Although I wouldn't die, I would be severely injured." Saito Immortal explained.

"I see." After thinking for a moment, Mashiro had another idea.

If we combine the release method of Hado with ninjutsu, will a new Hado be created?... "Alright, let's learn the second form, Hado No. 4 White Lightning."

As Saito, who was immortal, released a blue-white lightning bolt from his fingertip.

The Fourth Destruction, White Lightning, can paralyze an enemy's body and is one of the most commonly used Destruction techniques by Shinigami against Hollows.

Then, Saito, who was immortal, began to explain to Mashiro the method and techniques for releasing the Fourth Hado Technique, White Lightning. In the same half hour, Mashiro successfully mastered the White Lightning.

Chapter 11: The First Mission (Part 1)

"As expected, Mashiro, your talent is truly remarkable! The speed at which you learn Kido is astounding. If the Kido practitioners in the city knew, I think they would..."

"They'll definitely be very interested in you," Saito Immortal suddenly said.

"The Ghost Path?"

"A special unit that specializes in using demonic arts, specializing in tasks such as opening passages, breaking barriers, and sealing things. They are considered a cooperative force of the Grim Reapers, but they are not very useful," Saito Immortal said with great disdain.

"I see. Mashiro didn't ask any further questions."

"Alright, let's move on to the next move, the Twelve Subdued Fires of the Destruction." After saying that, Saito Immortal stretched out his palm, and a ball of flame appeared out of thin air, which then unfolded into a huge fire net.

"Although the Hidden Fire manifests as a net of fire, it cannot be used to bind an opponent, because it will explode immediately once it covers the opponent. The reason it is net-shaped is simply to increase the blast radius." As he spoke, Saito Immortal lowered his palm and lightly clenched it. Instantly, a series of explosions spread out.

"This is a good method," Mashiro muttered to herself. If it weren't for the fact that chakra doesn't exist in this world, she would really like to try converting this technique into fire release.

Perhaps because it involves changes in form, under Saito's guidance of immortality, it took Mashiro an hour to master the Twelve Fukuho of the Hakudo.

"Alright, that's enough for today. You can go back and practice these three forms of Hakado first. I'll teach you two more complex ones tomorrow." Yawning, Saito Immortal sat back down in his chair.

Upon hearing this, Mashiro nodded slightly, said goodbye, and left. The next day, Mashiro arrived at the captain's office as promised.

"Today I will teach you two complex Hakudo techniques, which are also Hakudo after Hakudo Thirty. First is Hakudo Thirty-One: Red Fire Cannon." After saying that, Saito Immortal stretched out his hand towards the wall of the courtyard.

"You ruler! Masks of flesh and blood, all things, soaring wings, things bearing the name of mankind! Scorching heat and strife, rising southward across the sea, marching forward!"

As the incantation began, a pink ball of light appeared from Saito's immortal palm, then suddenly shot out with a "BOOM!"