The entrance exam concluded quickly, with fewer than ten students passing. Across all four major districts of Rukongai, the total number of successful candidates barely reached fifty.
Led by the instructors, the students from the Eastern District who had passed the test traversed most of Seireitei, finally arriving at the western Hakutōmon Gate.
Before them stood a massive, ancient-looking building, its architecture reminiscent of private academies from the World of the Living's past.
Inside the dojo, large plaques adorned the gray-white walls, with the character "元" (Founder) elegantly inscribed in flowing calligraphy.
Shin'ō Academy was originally known as the "Founder's School," established by the renowned Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, the academy's first headmaster and the legendary Captain Commander- of the Gotei 13.
It was unclear whether the current headmaster was a devoted admirer of Yamamoto, but his gleaming bald head reflected the overhead lights so intensely that Masatsuki Aozaki had to squint.
Seated in the main position, the bald headmaster maintained a strict and dignified deanor, his voice full of authority as he declared,
"Welco to Shin'ō Academy. I hope that over the next six years, you will learn what it takes to beco an outstanding Shinigami."
As he spoke, his gaze swept across the crowd, montarily lingering on Masatsuki, Rangiku, and Gin. Though his expression appeared casual, he was clearly assessing them.
All three were geniuses. If nothing unexpected happened, they would eventually distinguish themselves in the highly competitive ranks of the Gotei 13.
Masatsuki took a quick look around. The dojo housed not only students from the impoverished districts of Rukongai, dressed in tattered clothing, but also well-off students from Seireitei, their appearances reflecting their privileged upbringings.
Among them, he spotted a familiar face.
Sōsuke Aizen—Lieutenant of the 5th Division and a special calligraphy instructor at Shin'ō Academy.
It was said that his classes were always packed, with students even crowding the hallways just to hear his lectures.
His brown hair, slightly tousled, ford soft bangs over his forehead. He wore a loosely draped Shihakushō, with the academy's white uniform beneath it, giving him an air of quiet refinent.
However, he looked noticeably different from the composed and calculating figure Masatsuki rembered from the ani. At this stage, Aizen still carried a trace of youthful inexperience, lacking the full asure of his future poise. Even so, the charisma of a future antagonist was already beginning to take shape.
As for the person sitting beside him—Sōjun Kuchiki... Well, he had a certain delicate beauty.
Seated with impeccable posture, he appeared fragile, as if a gentle breeze could knock him over. Though only a few hundred years old, he exuded a frailty reminiscent of soone nearing two thousand. His body seed perpetually weak, as if his very bones lacked the strength to support him.
Truly enviable individuals...
Masatsuki felt a tinge of emotion.
Sōjun Kuchiki was fortunate. As the heir of the prestigious Kuchiki clan, one of the Four Noble Families, he possessed their innate talent, though his frailty rendered him ill-suited for combat.
But Aizen... he was a true prodigy—a genius among geniuses.
His talent was so overwhelming that it left him isolated, with no peers to match him. Deep down, he even wished he were just an ordinary Shinigami.
That kind of ability... it was excessive.
Even Masatsuki couldn't help but feel envious.
He had clawed his way up from the very bottom, struggling to reach a re sixteenth-rank Reiatsu level, while Aizen was already contemplating the limits of Shinigami existence—aning he had likely achieved first-rank Reiatsu by now.
And in the future, if he truly succeeded in breaking those limits, surpassing even Yamamoto—the strongest Shinigami—to reach an entirely new plane of existence...
That was sothing beyond envy.
At this point in ti, Aizen was still quite young, carrying a sense of pride and innocence unique to youth.
He concealed it well, but in his interactions with Masatsuki Aozaki, it occasionally surfaced without him realizing it.
Sensing Masatsuki's gaze, Aizen maintained his signature gentle smile and playfully winked.
"Masatsuki, we're going to be living here from now on. Looks pretty nice, don't you think?"
Rangiku took the student uniform handed out by the instructor, spreading it out and running her fingers over the fabric.
This was a material she had never seen in Rukongai. Even the best clothes in Rukongai couldn't compare to the standard-issue uniforms given to every student here.
She smiled happily.
Why did souls from Rukongai strive to enter Shin'ō Academy? Was it to beco Shinigami and serve the nobles?
Of course not. It was simply a chance at a better life—a way out.
Even if they couldn't beco nobles, just being an ordinary Shinigami ant rising above the common souls of Soul Society. The living conditions were far superior to those in Rukongai.
Not to ntion the abundance of Reishi in the air—sothing Rukongai could never compete with.
Who wouldn't want a better life?
And with a good training environnt and professional instruction at Shin'ō Academy, cultivating their abilities would be far more efficient.
"Aizen wasn't lying after all..." Masatsuki muttered to himself.
"Is that enough to satisfy you?"
He turned his head, grinning broadly.
"That's not nearly enough. It has to be even better."
His current goal was simple—joining the Hōgyoku experint was out of the question for now, so his best option was to secure a top ranking in Shin'ō Academy's graduation exam. If possible, he wanted to earn a Seated Officer position right away, climbing the social ladder and securing a better future for himself.
Being a gang boss in Rukongai no longer interested him. Now that he had stepped into the ranks of warriors, there was no point in staying a re thug.
One word from a Shinigami, and those street thugs wouldn't dare defy him.
As for providing certain... services to noble ladies...
He figured he didn't have to give that up just yet.
"Next, each instructor will take their students to their respective classrooms," the bald headmaster announced in a loud, authoritative voice.
The dojo instantly fell silent. The instructors seated in the front row rose one after another, list in hand, and began leading their students toward the classrooms.
Once inside, the teachers stood at the podium, outlining the curriculum for the next six years.
By this point in ti, Shin'ō Academy was fully developed, and its Shinigami training system had matured.
The core of their studies revolved around the four fundantal Shinigami disciplines known as Zankensoki, along with the practice of Konsō (Soul Burial).
"Zan" referred to Zanjutsu—the art of wielding a blade, the Shinigami's primary thod of attacking enemies.
"Ken" was Hakuda—hand-to-hand combat techniques used by Shinigami.
"So" was Hohō—the movent techniques that enabled Shinigami to traverse distances in an instant.
"Ki" stood for Kidō—the spell-based techniques that transford Reiryoku into various offensive and defensive abilities.
And finally, Konsō—the fundantal duty of a Shinigami, guiding deceased souls to Soul Society.
Masatsuki made up his mind to take his studies seriously. Though Zankensoki ford the foundation of their training, mastery of these disciplines was essential for true strength.
Reiatsu alone wasn't enough—only by refining these skills could he beco a true powerhouse.
After about fifteen minutes, Sōjun Kuchiki finished introducing the students to the academy's structure and curriculum.
As most of the students dispersed, Masatsuki, Rangiku, and Gin wrapped up their conversation and made their way to the cafeteria.
Noble families in Soul Society never lacked money, so with his... services to noble ladies, Masatsuki had managed to make himself a minor fortune.
He quickly selected an extravagant al for the three of them, filling an entire long table with food.
Rangiku wasted no ti digging in, her generous appetite on full display. Her cheeks puffed up with food, making her look like a stead bun.
Gin, in contrast, was more reserved. He hesitated for a mont, watching Masatsuki and Rangiku eat before picking up his chopsticks—though once he started, his pace was just as fast as theirs.
"Mind if I join you?"
Sōjun Kuchiki approached their table, his gentle gaze falling on the three students devouring their al.
He sighed softly.
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