Double or nothing (solo)

Although he had graduated, it felt awkward still attending classes. It was almost if nothing had changed. He was allowed later curfew and leave to visit Rukongai. He made his own schedule now. After making several visits to the library he took a trip to the kido branch of the academy. He was officially a graduate and thus didn’t have any classes. But he could visit and talk to the consultants and private tutors. Small fees applied, but he didn’t have much else to spend his money on. The tutor he was assigned was a balding short man with short graying beard. Arawn wanted more training in controlling his reiryoku when using kido. At present his success rate of performing kido was less than 40% even on Hado #1. With proper breathing he only got a trickle of power, and that took several moments. The tutor talked him through some exercises with minimal results. It was vexing for him as well as the instructor. They moved to the practice grounds after the indoor study.

“I see what you mean.” The bald man said after watching Arawn struggle for half an hour. He was unable to fire Sho once after nearly twenty tries. “By not you should have accomplished the spell, it’s like your reiryoku isn’t flowing properly. There a flow, but it disrupted even before it can consolidate.” He rubbed his chin, trying to figure out what was wrong.
“Yes, but when I manifest reiatsu I have no problem at all.” Arawn then focuses his power to the maximum. The air thickens as a result; he chants and fires the spell easily. He then reduces his reiryoku. The tutor looks at Arawn with slight bemused expression on his face.
“Can you do that again?” He asks quietly. Arawn complies and focuses his power again and discharges the spell. “Thunder shake the heavens, roar and shatter the silence, blaze and split the darkness. Hado #4 :Byakurai!” The bolt of energy leaps from this finger and hits the target. The tutor rubs his shiny head, and closes his eyes. He starts humming a song that Arawn doesn’t recognize. Soon he begins bouncing on one foot like a strange dance. During this time Arawn remains silent, he can’t begin to figure what the man is doing.

“It’s very strange.” The man says at length. You can’t build the minimum requirement to create the effect.” Arawn sighs, he knew that much. It seems he had wasted money. The man sees Arawn’s expression and keeps talking. “I advise you from using kido while employing reiatsu like that.”
“Why is that?” Arawn ask only half interested.
“Well, it’s very inefficient; a lot of your energy is going to waste.” He bends over and starts to doodle in the sand. “Let’s say it takes five reiryoku to cast that spell.” Arawn looks at him questioningly. “It’s not the actual unit of measurement, just using it for example.” He draws a ‘5’ on the ground.
“You can only create two the normal way.” He then draws a line above the ‘5’ and puts a ‘2’ on top. Next them he puts an equal signal then an ‘X’.
“So the spell fails.” Arawn says paying better attention. “So why is using reiatsu bad?”
“I’m getting to that.” He smiles. “Reiatsu is when you build up energy and pump it out. Instead of creating two reiryoku it gives you ten.” He erases the two and puts a ten over the five. He erases the ‘X’ and puts a ‘O’. “The spell is successful, but you are left with five extra points lost. Not including the minute amount of power lost in the atmosphere.”
Arawn couldn’t refute the logic. Simple math spelled out the problem, but brought him no closer to a solution. “So why can’t I build my power properly?”
This time the tutor sighs “I can’t say, perhaps you lack the ability to gauge your own power. You can build it, but unsure the quantity needed.” That didn’t help much, but it was clue. “Although you’re a graduate, you skill is less than that of a novice. The minimum requirement of learning to become a shinigami is rather low to be honest. Some shinigami don’t even employ kido their entire careers.” The words don’t comfort Arawn; such an obvious flaw wasn’t to his liking. Time ticked away as he stared down at the ground thinking.

“Can’t I do something with the excess power?” he asked suddenly. He gazed at the math problem. The remainder was 5, enough for a second spell. “What about double spell casting?”
The tutor looked at him in surprise; he didn’t think Arawn knew about that.
“Well at your level it would nearly impossible for you to use two spells in tandem. It takes years of practice and masterful control of reiryoku.” He rubs his head again “You have to focus on the chant and effects almost separately. It’s like looking left and right at the same time while walking straight. And you can’t even walk.” Arawn ignores the comment.
“No, I don’t mean two different spells. I mean two of the same spell.” He looked again at the simple math. “I would only have to focus on one effect and one chant.” The tutor’s eyes widened. It did sound simple and it would reduce the wasted reiryoku significantly.
“But two focal points would be required. Not only that, but quite afew spells don’t benefit with dual casting. Bakudo spells aren’t going to overlap.” The idea wasn’t exactly new, it just wasn’t practical. “Most spells use one hand, dual casting would take both. It’s a high risk tactic.” Arawn listened to the man’s words, but it was a better that excess reiryoku wasted. The tutor knew it was a bad idea, but the look on Arawn’s face made him smile. If he didn’t teach him he would try on his own, or find someone that would.
“We’ll begin the lessons tomorrow. You’ll need a lot of prep work before you’re even ready to attempt something this crazy.

Dividing his point of focus proved harder that expected. Since he was right handed Arawn found it easy to use kido on his primary hand. Rather than try both at the same time, the tutor restricted Arawn to using spells with only his left. The results were worst than his regular attempts at kido. The spells fizzled completely without even manifesting. Even while releasing his reiatsu he couldn't fire any spell successfully. It was like relearning now to use kido from start. Arawn didn't like it, but the tutor said it was the best way to begin the technique.
"Even if this wasn't the case." he mentioned "It's a good idea to be able to cast with either hand. Imagine if your hand is caught or busy, you'll be in a pinch." Arawn knew he had a point. He thought back to his first sparring match, somehow he had been able to use his left hand for kido. It must have been the heat of battle. Now that he was trying to do it willfully he wasn't as capable.

The next few study sessions were the same, each spell he had learned only with his left hand. The progress was slow. The tutor even went as far as to bind Arawn's hand behind his back to further restrict him. It took a little over half a month before he could cast spells with his left hand. Unfortunately his accuracy with his left was horrible. Still it was success of some sort. The tutor then had him alternately cast from each hand every lesson to get him used to aiming one then the other. The accuracy got better, but still short of the center of the target given. Finally the real test would begin.

"You've gotten the grasp of using either hand for casting, but using both is much harder." The tutor lectured, as he spoke he was writing on paper. Arawn looked at him. "What are you writing down?" The tutor smiled at him. "I'm actually documenting your progress." Arawn wasn't sure if he should feel mad, or flattered.
The tutor coughed and continued his lecture. "As it stands I strongly advice you to confine your use of Dual spells both in number and type."
"Confine the number and type?" Arawn asks him.
"Well for one thing you're using both hands. So you'll be abandoning defense completely." It was a valid point, using both hands was risky. "Next is that while using this does reduce your wasted energy, you're still using too much energy overall. Until you can use can pool your energy properly this method is somewhat beneficial." Yet another good point, Dual casting was merely a way to make use of the excessive energy wasted. The tutor continues to jot down notes then looks up. "Lastly I feel you should only attempt it on spells you've already mastered. Trying it on something you're unfamiliar with would fail at best and could be disastrous at worst." He closes the notebook. Let's see if you're can pull it off. Arawn stands in front of a practice dummy, he takes a deep breath to steady himself.

(OOC: Some points I'll like to make. I put them within the post, but I'll dig them out.
1.) Arawn uses too much energy when using kido, Dual Casting is his method to overcome it. He is able to cast two of the SAME spell at once to make use of the extra energy.
Since more energy than needed is still used, using kido remains tiring.

2) This technique only works with Hado. Bakudo does not work.

3) This technique allows him to combine the two spells in one burst, shoot them parallel, or cast in two directions at the same time. Combining can result in a bigger burst or just longer distance/range.

4) He can only use it on kido he's mastered/learned completely. In this case since Arawn is rank 1. He can only Dual Cast kido spells from 1-10, but not the 11-20 he now has access to.

5) Using dual casting requires both hands, thus he is defenseless when using it.)

It was time to test his ability he pumped out reiatsu. He held both hands at the target and steadied his aim. He wasn't sure which spells would work with dual casting, so he would have to rely on trial and error.
"Let the swallow chirp at its finest and emit its power. Hado #3 Crimson Strike!" A beam of energy erupted from his right hand but nothing came from his left.
"No, no, no, no!" the tutor exclaimed "You have focus on the other hand while you chant; don't just expect it to happen on itself." Easier said than done, is what Arawn wants to say. He tries again this time focusing on his left as he casts. This time the energy comes from his left only. The tutor keeps chastising him for his failure. The session ends without much progress.

The following week Arawn doesn’t do much better. Rather than double casting he alternate fires the kido. It’s near dusk the following weekend that Arawn makes a breakthrough of sorts. By focusing on his right then left alternately during the chant he finally fires a double blast. "Let the swallow chirp at its finest and emit its power. Hado #3 Crimson Strike!" From his left and right hand a large blast of energy rushes forth. The beam is much wider than the regular blast. “Excellent job!” The tutor is more excited than Arawn is, but he can hardly blame him. It had been difficult to even pull it off. “One down, nine more to go.” Arawn smiles.