I Will Bring This Test to an End / The Captains' Attention

Rather than weak, it seemed more restrained.

At that thought, Shunsui Kyōraku looked at Kyōsuke Kuchiki with curiosity.

He wondered what sort of surprise this mysterious, low-profile member of the Kuchiki Clan would bring them.

Jūshirō Ukitake had realized it as well.

As a result, his gaze held a little more scrutiny and curiosity as he looked at Kyōsuke Kuchiki too.

Besides them, plenty of others had their eyes on Kyōsuke Kuchiki, waiting for a good show.

A few who understood the situation had even begun to sympathize with Kyōsuke Kuchiki.

Having no Reiatsu meant he could not even pass the entrance exam.

For a noble, what a tremendous humiliation that would be!

Byakuya Kuchiki had been ruthless enough to personally push his younger brother into such a predicament.

Chapter 4: I Will Bring This Test to an End

"Next, Kyōsuke Kuchiki!"

With every eye on him, Kyōsuke Kuchiki stepped forward.

He walked slowly onto the testing platform.

Unlike the other students, who had been nervous during their tests,

every movement he made was relaxed, as leisurely as if he were taking a stroll through his own backyard, which stretched as far as the eye could see.

He placed his hand on the testing surface with utmost casualness and poured his Reiatsu into it.

"Clang—!"

The next second, everyone present changed expression!

There was clearly not a trace of Reiatsu fluctuation coming from the boy before them!

Yet the spirit markers trembled and rose into the air one after another, bursting with dazzling light!

The powerful Reiatsu swept across the entire venue like a boundless tidal wave, overwhelming everyone. The noble youths who had just looked down on Kyōsuke Kuchiki felt their heads spin, and their chests felt as though some heavy weight had been pressed against them.

This Reiatsu...

I can't breathe...

Monster...

Earlier, they had cried out in amazement at Gin Ichimaru's Reiatsu.

They had thought it the strongest among their peers, impossible to surpass.

But now, compared with Kyōsuke Kuchiki's Reiatsu, it was plainly the difference between a firefly and the bright moon.

Why is he so strong?

The instant Kyōsuke Kuchiki unleashed his Reiatsu, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who had been sitting with his head lowered and eyes closed, abruptly opened his eyes and gave Kyōsuke Kuchiki a serious look.

Then the Captain-Commander, who stood at the very pinnacle of the Shinigami, closed his eyes again, returning to his immovable, impassive demeanor.

"Third-Class Rei'i, Captain-level Reiatsu at such a young age..."

Shaken to the core, Jūshirō Ukitake once again began coughing violently and desperately.

Gin Ichimaru, whose earlier performance had been astonishing, suddenly seemed to fade into the crowd before such an absolute gulf.

The captain of the Thirteenth Division knew that it was not that Gin Ichimaru was too weak, but that Kyōsuke Kuchiki was too outstanding.

Anyone would look mediocre compared with this boy.

There had been only a handful with such talent in the entire history of Soul Society.

"What monstrous talent. No, with Reiatsu like that, he can already be called a monster!"

Shunsui Kyōraku wore a somewhat complicated expression.

There was none of his usual unserious manner left in him now.

He had long known that the second young master of the Kuchiki Clan might be a genius, but genius to this degree was truly outrageous.

The Kuchiki Clan had produced another remarkable figure.

"Kyōsuke..."

While the entire venue was stunned, Byakuya Kuchiki still wore the same cold expression.

Only his slightly trembling hands showed that he was not as calm as he appeared.

Kyōsuke, you did what I, your elder brother, could not!

The lieutenant's position should be yours!

It's decided. Once I get back, I'll double my training time!

No matter how shocked the people in the stands were, Kyōsuke Kuchiki remained composed on the field.

With the Six Treasury Immortal Thief, one of the Eight Extraordinary Skills, at one hundred percent proficiency, he could grow stronger by eating, drinking, and breathing.

Having such powerful Reiatsu was nothing out of the ordinary.

At last, the spirit markers before him lit up in succession, stopping at the seventh.

The instant the result appeared, the entire testing grounds fell so silent that not a crow or sparrow could be heard!

...Third-Class Rei'i!

Born with Captain-level Reiatsu!

Th-this really exists?

Even Jūshirō Ukitake and Shunsui Kyōraku, who had already become captains, had only reached Fifth-Class Rei'i, the Vice-Captain-level, during their entrance exams!

Though the difference was only a single class, the gulf between them was a goal countless Shinigami could never reach, even if they spent their entire lives striving for it!

After all, a Shinigami's Reiatsu could not be strengthened through training. Apart from accumulating it over time and releasing a Zanpakuto, there was no other way to increase it. The gap of one class was an impassable chasm, and who knew how many Shinigami had fallen before it.

This was clear from the fact that, among tens of thousands of Shinigami, fewer than ten had mastered Bankai and were qualified to compete for a captain's position!

There was a world of difference between a lieutenant's Reiatsu and a captain's!

What was more, since the founding of Shin'ō Academy, the number of students with such aptitude had been... zero!

Even across all of Soul Society, there was not a single person!

"A genius..."

"A truly one-of-a-kind genius!"

"Is this the Kuchiki Clan's second young master?"

"No wonder there wasn't any fluctuation of Reiatsu around him. It was all hidden away!"

"To think he can hide even Reiatsu of this level so perfectly. He really is a genius!"

"..."

The louder the praise and cries of astonishment around them grew, the more embarrassed those who had mocked Kyōsuke Kuchiki earlier looked. They could only hurriedly make excuses and slip away early in silence.

If the gap had not been so great, some of them might still have stubbornly refused to admit defeat.

They might even have felt jealousy and hatred.

But faced with such an absolute gulf, normal people could only look up to him with admiration and fear; they would have no other thoughts.

No one paid any further attention to the few losers who had fled, and no one paid any more attention to Gin Ichimaru.

Everyone's eyes and attention were fixed on the handsome, refined boy!

At this moment, Kyōsuke Kuchiki was the focus of the entire venue, the center of the world.

"Kyōsuke Kuchiki... Third-Class Rei'i!"

The person recording the test swallowed and finally announced the result.

But who among those present did not already know?

In the stands, Shunsui Kyōraku drew a deep breath and showed a faint, self-deprecating smile.

"Talent like this is a bit too outrageous, isn't it?"

"Just now, we were saying Tenth-Class Rei'i was already enough to take first place."

Jūshirō Ukitake smiled and looked at Byakuya Kuchiki.

"Congratulations, Lieutenant Kuchiki."

"...Thank you."

A rare hint of pride appeared in Byakuya Kuchiki's eyes.

Below the stands, Kyōsuke Kuchiki had finished the test and stepped down.

"Thank you for your hard work."

He nodded slightly to the teacher in charge of recording the results. There was not a trace of self-satisfaction on his face; he remained as leisurely and composed as ever.

But in everyone else's eyes, he now carried the bearing of a master who kept his talents hidden.

"Sure enough, this is what it means to have a noble's bearing!"

"Third-Class Rei'i at admission. Even in the Kuchiki Clan, he must be the first person with talent like this!"

"Once he graduates, I'm afraid someone's seat as captain will immediately become rather unsteady."

"..."

Chapter 5: The Captains' Attention

Listening to the flurry of discussion around him, Kyōsuke Kuchiki remained undisturbed.

Captains, lieutenants—it's all hollow!

As I see it, it would be best to stay at the main house and be a noble with nothing to do.

Wouldn't it be enjoyable to eat, drink, and have fun every day?

But reality did not allow it. The seemingly peaceful and tranquil Seireitei was not truly at peace; it was no exaggeration to say that wolves surrounded it on every side.

As one of Soul Society's oldest Five Great Noble Clans, the Kuchiki Clan held an exalted position, but the pressure it bore was extraordinary as well.

Under that pressure, no one could stand apart and look after themselves alone. His father in this life had also died in battle because of it.

Therefore, Kyōsuke Kuchiki needed tremendous strength.

He had never stopped training in and unlocking the Eight Extraordinary Skills.

Once his proficiency in the Eight Extraordinary Skills reached a certain point, he needed more stimulation to make it grow quickly.

Otherwise, he would have stayed at home until he had raised every skill to one hundred percent before setting foot outside.

Now that he had finished the test, Kyōsuke Kuchiki had no interest in being stared at like some rare animal.

He said goodbye to Byakuya and went straight home to rest.

Though he had gone home, his name and his Reiatsu had already become known throughout the Seireitei, shocking a number of captains.

Inside the Fifth Division barracks.

"Whoa, Aizen, did you feel that?"

The man with long blond hair raised his head, his face full of surprise.

"Captain-level Reiatsu? This year's new students are excellent. How delightful!"

Hearing him, the man who had been buried in paperwork raised his head and pushed up his glasses.

"Hehe, Captain Hirako, are you a little sorry you didn't go watch the test?"

"A little, yeah."

"Then you can go and watch. I'll take care of the rest of the work."

Shinji Hirako glanced at Sōsuke Aizen and hesitated for a moment.

It would have been a lie to say he was not curious about Reiatsu of this level appearing at Shin'ō Academy's entrance exam.

But the lieutenant before him, who always wore a gentle smile, felt even more dangerous to him.