Chapter 16: The Bandages Come Off
Aizen's warm, gentle smile carried the refreshing feeling of spring breeze—standing in sharp contrast to Gin Ichimaru's cold, narrow-eyed smirk.
With even captain-level figures openly supporting the cause, the "wounded-but-unyielding" examinee was now receiving VIP treatment.
The weight of those staring eyes made Rukia Kuchiki and Renji Abarai feel like they were marching to their execution.
Even Aizen's kindly smile now carried a faint, sinister edge in their eyes.
"Alright then. Since Captain Aizen values this examinee so highly and hopes he passes the assessment… whether he ends up in your Fifth Division will depend on whether I'm willing to step aside," Gin said, the corners of his narrowed eyes curling upward.
His already chilling aura sharpened instantly.
"Heh heh, Captain Ichimaru, looks like you're determined to claim him too. But let's wait for the results before we start fighting over him. If he fails the exam anyway, arguing here would just be a waste of time," Aizen replied with his usual mild laugh.
"Kuchiki Rukia of the Kuchiki family—I'll clear the way for you. Hurry and follow. Don't keep everyone waiting too long."
With those words, Aizen turned and led the way.
Gin let out a dry chuckle and quickly followed.
As Aizen's longtime partner, the two were clearly at odds.
But Gin knew exactly why Aizen had bothered to show up today: fishing.
They had already obtained a copy of the boy's report through covert channels. They both understood that—with this boy's qualifications—passing into the Shin'ō Academy should have been impossible.
Yet Aizen still chose to come.
He was confident—arrogant, even—wanting to see how Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni would handle the fallout from this little drama he had orchestrated.
Would the old man keep the performance going, turning the entire exam into a laughingstock? Or would he shut it down immediately—revoke the pawn's eligibility and preserve the academy's prestige?
In Aizen's view, this was all a private chess match between him and Yamamoto.
That was precisely why he had fanned the flames of the "wounded-but-unyielding" narrative. The murkier the waters became, the more entertaining the game.
Under the crushing weight of thousands of staring eyes, Rukia and Renji's hearts turned ice-cold.
The candidates who had willingly parted to form the path now felt like grim reapers urging them forward.
The situation had them completely trapped—riding a tiger they could no longer dismount.
Only Kuroha—thanks to the mercy of alcohol—remained blissfully snoring away.
"No matter what, we're dead anyway. Let's just go," Renji said with a bitter laugh.
At first, he had secretly gloated over Kuroha's three-bamboo reiatsu. Now, he only hoped that when Kuroha stepped onto the platform, he'd at least sober up a little—maybe scrape a decent score.
Anything to avoid turning them into the Seireitei's punchline for the next century.
But remembering that he himself had repeatedly confirmed the three-bamboo result… Renji's face darkened to an ashen hue as he marched toward his doom.
"Next—Sōgo Shirashi!"
Nanao Ise adjusted her glasses and motioned for the next candidate to step forward.
The Shin'ō Academy entrance exam was divided into two parts:
Written theory test
Reiatsu practical test
But an old saying had long circulated in the Seireitei: "Only mediocrities bother with the written spiritual arts exam."
In this world of survival of the fittest, theory was merely a skill—real survival depended on strength. In the face of overwhelming innate spiritual talent, the written test was just an unnecessary formality that could be selectively skipped.
That was why the written exam came after the reiatsu test.
Today, the machine in front of Nanao had been developed by the Twelfth Division's Technology Development Bureau—specifically by Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Candidates simply channeled their reiatsu into a punch against the machine; the resulting amplitude accurately measured their spiritual power level. Compared to the older bamboo-stick method, it was far more reliable.
Sōgo Shirashi stepped forward, took a deep breath, and focused. Spiritual energy began to ripple around his fist.
In the next instant—without any flourish—he slammed it into the machine.
BANG!
A dull impact echoed.
Three red numbers quickly appeared on the display.
"505—five bamboo reiatsu. Passed!"
"Next—Sherry White!"
"480—four bamboo reiatsu. Failed. Eligible for the written spiritual arts test…"
"Next—Risana!"
"708—seven bamboo reiatsu. Passed. Excellent score. A promising candidate!"
"…"
Names were called one after another.
Watching candidate after candidate produce solid results, with the numbers climbing on the display and the endless waiting… it was pure torture.
In Rukia and Renji's minds, this death felt particularly restless.
"Next—Shiba Kuroha."
Nanao adjusted her glasses again and looked toward the unusual trio.
She had obviously heard the rumors about the "wounded-but-unyielding" candidate.
But seeing Kuroha wrapped up like a mummy, she couldn't help frowning.
"Can he even take the exam like this? Hurry and unwrap him."
"Yes, yes—unwrap him quickly. Don't waste time."
Shunsui Kyōraku hurried over.
By now he was already regretting everything.
He never imagined that someone could out-drink even him. To show up blackout drunk for something as important as the Shin'ō Academy entrance exam…
Unlike the clueless crowd, Shunsui—as chief examiner and the recipient of Yamamoto's private "special treatment"—already knew the truth: Kuroha hadn't been injured at all when he one-punched the mutated oni.
That unique trait was exactly why Yamamoto had decided to bend the rules and use him as bait in the Gotei 13.
Faced with this impossible situation, all Shunsui could do now was pray to this little ancestor: Please—once the bandages come off—snap out of the drunken stupor.
Otherwise, this little backdoor he'd agreed to open would become a disaster.
"Un… unwrap the bandages?" Rukia and Renji exchanged a glance.
The bitterness on their faces deepened.
Recalling everything that had happened so far, they forced themselves to rally.
With gritted teeth, they began to act.
"Captain Kyōraku… I have to warn you. If something happens later, please be ready to step in immediately. Otherwise… it'll spiral out of control," Rukia said while unwrapping the bandages.
Watching the scene, Shunsui paused for a moment.
In his eyes, this was the Shin'ō Academy exam grounds. As a captain, what kind of storms hadn't he weathered?
Even if Kuroha went on a drunken rampage, Shunsui was confident he could knock him out with a single chop.
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