Within the training courtyard flanking the northern wing of the Spiritual Arts Academy in Soul Society, the world-transmitting gate stirred with a low hum as its shimring arc slowly split apart, revealing the reiryoku-lined rift between worlds. As the final residual pulses of spiritual energy dispersed into the air, Matsumoto Rangiku stepped through first, her stride unhurried and elegant despite the lingering battle dust upon her uniform. Trailing closely behind her, the last group of students filed in—Shiraha among them, composed and silent, eyes steady, posture unshaken by the ordeal they'd survived.
Around the courtyard, only a handful of students milled about, scattered like leaves in waiting, their presence confirming that this group was the final contingent to return from the Human World. As they erged, an instructor from the Shinō Academy, sharp-eyed and tense, approached at once, his face montarily relaxing with relief as he scanned their numbers and found them intact. "Thank goodness," he said, voice edged with exhale. "You've finally returned."
A collective breath left the group, the unmistakable sensation of survival lifting so invisible weight from their shoulders as the familiarity of Soul Society wrapped around them like an old cloak. The walls, buildings, and sky all looked unchanged, but none of them would see those sights the sa way again.
"That soul burial practice was too dangerous," soone muttered, the words half-lost in the breeze as a second voice followed with grim honesty, "If Shiraha and Vice-Captain Matsumoto hadn't been there, we'd have died facing that nos Grande."
"Ono… Ryūsuke… Yamashita…" ca another quiet voice, spoken with a heaviness that made the nas feel carved into stone; their absence lingered, too loud to ignore. No one needed to say it aloud—they hadn't made it back, and nothing could change that.
Walking beside Shiraha, Hinamori Momo forced a faint smile, her tone light despite the unease still curled in her chest. "Brother Shiraha, it's a blessing we didn't run into Kuriau or Kutu while passing through the Dangai…"
Shiraha gave her a nod and a faint curve of his lips, his voice level as ever. "Encounters like that don't happen easily."
Their exchange was cut short as the instructor turned toward Matsumoto and bowed respectfully, posture formal. "Vice-Captain Matsumoto, thank you for your leadership."
She waved him off with her usual laidback grace, brushing off the gesture with a lilt of her voice. "No need for thanks. It's part of the job."
At her ease, the surrounding students instinctively followed suit, bowing in unison, voices blending in respectful gratitude. "Thank you for your guidance!"
Returning their appreciation with a carefree smile and a flick of her fingers, Matsumoto stepped back and added with a breezy tone, "Then I'll leave the rest to you. Good luck with your graduation exams."
With a soft gust of wind trailing behind her, she vanished in a single practiced Shunpo, already en route to the Tenth Division's barracks to submit her after-action report on what had transpired in the Human World.
The instructor, taking control again, turned to the assembled students and gestured toward the academy proper. "Everyone, follow ."
With the soul burial internship completed, only the final assessnt remained—a technical but crucial checkpoint to determine whether each student had t the requirents for formal graduation. In silence, the group followed him into the next phase of their journey.
…
One by one, nas were called aloud as students approached the reiryoku-sensitive device situated on a raised dais within the evaluation hall. The instrunt, designed to read the embedded spiritual activity within the students' issued Konsō badges, recorded how many souls each candidate had successfully guided to rest. As each na echoed through the chamber, a badge was placed on the scanner and a result announced.
"Matsutosuke—eight confird soul burials—qualified."
"Kira Izuru—ten confird soul burials—qualified."
The process repeated, steady and routine, until a na pierced the rhythm and drew every eye like gravity itself.
"Kuchiki Shiraha!"
The murmuring ceased as a hush spread across the room. All attention locked on the calm figure now approaching the reader. Renji leaned slightly forward, voice low but laced with curiosity. "I wonder how many souls Shiraha managed to send."
"With his strength?" Kira mused, thumb resting against his chin. "At least fifteen."
By the ti Shiraha stepped in front of the device, whispers had already begun to swirl. "Did you hear? His squad was attacked by an Adjuchas-class nos Grande during the internship."
"An Adjuchas? That's practically at Vice-Captain level…"
"And he killed it on his own. If he hadn't been there, their whole team would've been wiped out."
"I want to see what kind of score he pulls…"
The tension thickened as Shiraha, unbothered by the storm of attention, removed the badge pinned to his chest and pressed it gently against the reader. The instructor, clearly intrigued, leaned closer, eyes flicking to the monitor as the reading processed.
"Kuchiki Shiraha… Soul burials—six."
The room remained silent for a mont as the instructor's brow furrowed. He leaned down, double-checked the result, tapped a few verification sequences, then slowly looked back at the room.
"Confird—six soul burials."
The silence shattered into disbelief.
"Six? Only six?"
"I thought he'd have at least twenty!"
"No way… even I have more than that."
"Is that what they an by 'genius can't do grunt work'?"
The reactions ca quickly, confusion and shock blending into a sea of murmurs. How could soone powerful enough to slay an Adjuchas—a feat that should place him well beyond graduation standards—score so low on a task as basic as Konsō?
Renji's brow knit in confusion. "Brother Shiraha, what happened? Why only six?"
"Maybe he just didn't find many wandering spirits," Kira suggested, though his voice lacked confidence.
The instructor, now visibly puzzled, stepped forward. "Classmate Shiraha, given your capabilities, how is it you only perford six burials?"
Unfazed by the scrutiny, Shiraha offered a mild smile and answered with calm certainty. "Sensei, the academy's rules state that three soul burials are sufficient for qualification. Everything beyond that is supplental, correct?"
The instructor hesitated, caught between policy and expectation. "That's… technically correct. Though most students exceed that minimum to ensure favorable evaluation…"
He trailed off, realizing that Shiraha's situation didn't fit within the standard model. This wasn't a regular student attempting to scrape by. Shiraha had applied for early graduation, a rare exception granted to individuals whose strength, pedigree, and battle-readiness far outpaced the curriculum. The soul burial internship, for soone like him, was formality—nothing more.
After a pause long enough for the whispers to regain montum, the instructor raised his voice with finality. "Kuchiki Shiraha—soul burial internship: passed."
Before the noise could rise again, Hinamori leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Brother Shiraha, which division are you planning to join?"
"Hinamori," Renji interjected, scoffing. "That's obvious. He's joining Sixth Division."
"Exactly," Kira added. "He's the younger brother of Captain Byakuya and heir to the Kuchiki clan. Sixth Division is basically guaranteed."
The assumption swept the room like wildfire. It made too much sense—nobility, bloodline, and power all aligned toward one inevitable path.
But Shiraha, unfazed, shook his head gently. "I haven't decided yet."
He hadn't forgotten the system's patterns, how certain actions triggered check-in prompts or hidden evaluations. Choosing a squad wouldn't be a matter of preference—it would be a strategic move tied to his progression. Another opportunity might soon arise.
With the results finalized, Renji, Kira, and Hinamori turned toward the exit. As they reached the threshold, they offered small bows of respect. "We'll head out first, Brother Shiraha."
Though they had joined the soul burial practice, they were still in their third term at the Academy and didn't et the criteria for full graduation. Their ti would co later.
Alone once more in the now quiet evaluation hall, Shiraha exhaled softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Now cos the graduation assessnt."
His internship phase had ended, and the next test awaited.
As if summoned by those words, a figure materialized soundlessly in front of him—a mber of the Onmitsukidō, clad in the sleek uniform of the Stealth Corps, presence silent but unmistakably precise.
"Kuchiki Shiraha," the operative spoke in a voice that cut cleanly through the still air, "by direct order of First Division Vice-Captain Chōjirō Sasakibe, I've been assigned to escort you to the practice field for your graduation assessnt."
It was clear this Shinigami had been waiting for quite so ti, concealed in silence, tasked with retrieving him the mont conditions were t. The specifics only reinforced what Shiraha already expected—this was no ordinary test.
Shiraha offered a simple nod, his voice low but unwavering. "Understood. Let's go."
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