Kidō (Kenji Hiroshi)

Kidō (鬼道, "demon way" or "spirit way"), sometimes referred to as Magic (魔法, Mahō), is one of the four main combat forms of the, as well as the Visored and Tsuji. Kidō enables the practitioner to utilize sorcerous powers through the use of incantations, and can be roughly split into two categories: Hadō (破道, Way of Destruction) for offensive spells and Bakudō (縛道, Way of Binding) for protection and support. There are, however, more advanced fields; chiefly a broad category of healing and forbidden spells.

History
Kidō evolved from the ancient teachings of Keidō. This was a method of martial arts invoking the power of the four seasons using one's. The teachings of the aforementioned art came about either through observation of Hakyoku, who was a Tenjin cast down from the Amenokai by, or through the Tenjin taking students. Whichever account is correct the Keidō form was born and its teachings passed down to s by way of various shrines spread throughout the, which paid homage to the Fallen God. Hakyoku's nemesis Ikusa, who was himself a Tenjin known as the Yellow Dragon God, passed down his own method of philosophical swordsmanship referred to later as the Yuengiri's Wan'nesu, which became the rival style to Keidō.

Keidō was considered the primary means of combating prior to the introduction of the  or the creation of the Seireitei and the advent of the s. Garian Shinjo, who was also known as the Sage of the North, was a master of the ancient Keidō form, and one of those who passed its teachings along to the next generation, specifically Kusaka Kori and Yori Hisagi. He would later completely revolutionize the techniques and built the foundation of what would eventually become modern Kidō, earning him his place as a member of the Royal Guard in the process; this contribution was noted by the, who was known also as a Tenjin by the name of The Balancer, as a significant contribution to the Soul Society. He passed on what he knew to the first generation of the Gotei 13 and also served as a teacher in the institution created by. In addition Garian laid the foundation for what would eventually evolve into the Kidō Corps.

Throughout the Gotei 13's existence the Kidō Corps stood at the forefront of innovation regarding Kidō usage, with many remarkable practitioners of the arcane arts being produced. One such master, trained by Garian personally, was Ino Choyo. Like her mentor before her she introduced revolutionary advances which her first son, Kentaro Hiroshi, and her student, Ayumi Satonaka, inherited. These advances where inherited next by the new iteration of the Kidō Corps led by Myōga Hisamaru, which was an organisation attached to Kentaro's new Gotei 13 following The Collapse.

Overview
Kidō is an effective and expansive form of combat that utilizes elemental spells of an offensive nature, barriers for support and protection, and even seals to restrict an opponent. It might not even be restricted to battle; Kidō can be used practically as well, such as creating light-sources or cooking meals. There is even a branch for healing referred to as Kaidō (回道, Turn Way). Each category, split into Hadō and Bakudō, have a series of spells numbered 1 through 99, with higher-numbered spells boasting far greater power.

In addition to these numbered spells there exist a number of spells that are not included amongst the two main branches, usually having been created by a master of Kidō to meet specific criteria and situations. These spells are usually restricted to their creators or those close to the creator, mostly duo to the difficulty in replicating the effects. Seals and barriers in particular are noted to be quite long-lasting, but no individual spell will last forever. Kidō spells, regardless of the practitioner's skill, will eventually weaken to the point of failure, though this usually only relates to seals or barriers; the effects of Hadō are usually brief, albeit intense, and thus never exist long enough to weaken.

There are only two things required to utilize Kidō at a basic level. The first is a strong reiryoku and the second is an incantation, with no-two incantations being the same. A skilled practitioner can forgo the incantation completely at the expense of power, though spell strength is not fixed across practitioners. A sufficiently powerful practitioner can make even low-levelled spells utterly devastating when used in the correct manner, as reiryoku is the deciding factor when spell-strength is involved.

Terminology & techniques
Terminology


 * Keidō (頃道, Way of Seasons) -- the discipline which modern Kidō was based upon.


 * Bakudō (縛道, Way of Binding) -- a branch of Kidō designed to supplement the users abilities with immobilizing effects. An example is.


 * Barriers (結界, Kekkai) -- a protective branch of Kidō that protects the user, their allies, or restricts entry. An example is Senkōjūmonji.


 * Seals (封, Fū) -- a difficult branch of Kidō that focuses on sealing away dangerous people or artefacts, often requiring some preparation to create. An example is.


 * Hadō (破道, Way of Destruction) -- a branch of Kidō designed to directly attack an opponent(s), often with elemental effects. An example is.


 * Gisei Hadō (犠牲破道, Sacrificial Way of Destruction) -- a sub-branch of Hadō that requires the practitioner to sacrifice a part of themselves. An example is.


 * Kaidō (回道, Turn Way) -- a branch of Kidō encompassing a series of unnumbered spells intended to heal an individual. An example is Jikō.


 * Nigendō (二元道, Way of Duality) -- a sub-branch of Kidō created by Kenji Hiroshi and Van Satonaka that combines elements of Hadō, Bakudō and Kaidō classes that comprise thirty spells.


 * Akazuno Kidō (開かずの鬼道, Forbidden Demon Way) -- a branch of Kidō considered illegal, carrying with them a hefty punishment. An example is.


 * Kaizō Kidō (改造鬼道, Modified Demon Way) -- a branch of Kidō focusing on the modification and improvement of existing spells. An example is.


 * Zasshu (雑種, Hybrid) -- a branch of techniques combining Kidō spell-craft with other combat forms, such as Hakuda or Zanjutsu. An example is Onigiri.

Techniques


 * Kuiki (区域, Boundary) -- a technique where one places defensive barriers around their person that only react to certain stimulus. Sometimes referred to as "Wards".


 * Eishōhaki (詠唱破棄, Incantation Abandonment) -- a technique where one abandons the incantation, usually at the cost of overall power.


 * Nijū Eishō (二重詠唱, Twofold Incantation) -- a technique where one mixes the incantation of two spells together to dually save time and confuse the target.


 * Kōjutsu Eishō (後述詠唱, Spoken-After Incantation) -- a technique where one utilizes the incantation after using the spell, which powers the spell up to its usual strength.


 * Hojūeishō (補充詠唱, Exchanged Incantation) -- a technique where one exchanges the incantation with extended hand gestures, enabling silent casting without sacrificing spell-power.

Behind the Scenes

 * Bakudō #9. Geki and Bakudō #10. Hōrin shared the same number (#9.) and incantation. The author, Kenji-Taichō, changed Hōrin to #10. and altered its incantation slightly to differentiate the two spells.
 * Hojūeishō was created by N for the Fanon Canon project on BFF, and is used here with his permission. Sōeigeki, which is a spell from, was given its number and incantation by N as well, and used here with his permission. The same applies to Hachitoge, again created by N.