Chapter 121
"A smooth graduation like any other day is too boring."
"In this way..."
"At least it proves to their colleagues and nobles that they are not utterly useless."
After the main invigilator changed.
The remaining main event naturally revolved around the examiners and the exam papers— Mutsuki Shōkaku, as the dean, was required to stay in the "audience" to protect the three sages, while the chief examiner was not a teacher from the Shin'ō Academy at all.
Haruto's name is one he's never heard of:
Lieutenant of the Tenth Division, Daijiji Kū Seigen.
At last...
The graduation exam no longer tested skills in Zankensōki, but instead became quite...
Hazardous items:
Hunting down the Void.
"But isn't this a bit too much for the students..."
Isane's tone was somewhat anxious, and Haruto naturally understood her feelings.
"Too dangerous."
Haruto picked up where Isane off.
"Those who were terrified have either died or left six months ago. According to the original procedure, the remaining people should have no problem graduating smoothly."
"There's nothing wrong with treating them as official Grim Soul Reapers."
There are only so few students left in the sixth grade, it's difficult to even gather enough students for a single full class.
"However..."
Even among the official Soul Reaper of the Gotei 13, not everyone has the ability and courage to face a Hollow.
Of the 6,000 members of the Gotei 13, about one-tenth have never seen a Hollow in actual combat. Don't be fooled by Haruto's current ability to easily defeat Giant Hollow; the gap between him and his classmates is probably even greater than the gap between Haruto and Captain-level.
"Although we specifically hired a serving vice-captain, can he really guarantee that there won't be any problems during the hunt?"
"But the report said these Hollows were all requisitioned from the experimental subjects captured by the Twelfth Division."
"They have lost their original ferocity."
Isane looked at it more carefully.
"That's what the Captain Hikifune said?"
"Huh? I don't think so..."
Isane immediately began searching for the content she had just been reading.
"That's for sure."
Haruto waved his hand and said.
"Captain Hikifune is a pure researcher."
"If we're hoping to improve the appearance of the Twelfth Division, we'll probably have to wait until Hiyori Sarugaki becomes a vice-captain."
The Twelfth Division is certainly not slow in producing results, but as for their contributions to the Seireitei and even the Soul Society as a whole...
Judging from the state of Soul Society, you can tell that's wishful thinking.
Nowadays, the Twelfth Division only knows how to line their own pockets. They consider it a great favor if they occasionally manage to slip in some inventions to hand over to their superiors.
"Hollows have nothing to hold them back in Soul Society. Knowing they're destined to die and become prey, I don't think they'd be devoid of ferocity."
"Even..."
"It will be even more ferocious than a wild Hollow."
Before evolving into Adjuchas and possessing a complete self, the Void was pure chaotic evil.
"Then... should we remind Dean Mutsuki?"
After hearing Haruto's explanation, Isane felt that they should still do something.
"Teachers only know more than we do, okay?"
Haruto dispelled Isane's unrealistic ideas.
"Fine..."
"Ten Hollows."
This information was provided by the Hell Butterfly.
"We can barely manage to divide it among the few of us..."
"I suppose that's what Ms. Mutsuki is planning too."
The graduation exam results are determined based on performance during the hunt for Void creatures.
If you don't perform well, the team joining process on the second day will obviously be much more difficult... Whether you can get into your desired squad is a completely different matter from graduating smoothly.
That's right.
Because of the changes in the exam content, the interviews were scheduled for the next day: the captains and vice-captains didn't have that much time to accompany them on a Rukongai.
"Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
"Right."
Haruto nodded readily.
Having experienced the harsh realities of the World of the Living, the fact that these students still choose to remain at the Shin'ō Academy shows that they are quite individualistic.
Tell them to stay away?
Even Haruto couldn't make them behave so obediently during their final academic years.
"What I meant by 'I was able to get this allocation' is..."
"Eliminate all the students first."
"Eh... Eh!?"
Just as Isane was about to nod, she noticed a small problem with Haruto's words.
"Kicked your classmate out of the game?"
"Right."
Haruto nodded firmly.
"The test set by the sage is to assess our performance in hunting down the Void, not how much effort we put into fighting it."
"Isane."
Haruto patted Isane on the shoulder.
"You need to understand that most of the time, the problems the Gotei 13 are internal chaos rather than external attacks."
"This is also..."
"A special lesson the sages taught us as we approached graduation!"
"R-really?"
"Fake."
"... A-Qing!"
Isane stomped her foot on the ground in annoyance... If it were Kiyone or the evolved Nanao, she would have already delivered a headbutt or Kidō attack.
"Okay, okay."
Haruto quickly Isane Yuon.
"I'm just saying this for now."
"How exactly to proceed depends on the strength of these ten Hollows—if they're not that strong, let the students do as they please, and we'll cover for them; but if any of them are troublesome or are even Giant Hollows, then we'll do as I say."
"... good."
Isane- on nodded in agreement with Haruto's plan.
The remaining details can be discussed together after everyone returns to the Shin'ō Academy.
On the day of the exam.
Byakuya didn't come?
The only one who would tiptoe over Haruto's shoulder to peek out is Ayaka... Kiyone's personality supports it, but her height doesn't allow it.
"Without."
Haruto shook his head.
The group that set off from the Shin'ō Academy was not long. In addition to the leader, Mutsuki Shōkaku, there were several other teachers and members of the Tenth Division.
They were the guards responsible for hanging banners at the edge of the forest.
Byakuya has no interest in destroying Hollows.
"If it were a normal graduation exam, Byakuya might find a chance to fight me, but he doesn't even have the desire to perform in this kind of thing."
Haruto had originally planned to ask him to come and help.
But Byakuya doesn't need to formally join the Gotei 13, so it doesn't matter whether he comes or not at this time—he owns the entire Sixth Division, and he can join whenever he wants.
As for Haruto and Urobuchi fighting...
Byakuya knew the outcome without even looking.
"I remember you two had a set number of matches scheduled, didn't you?"
Kiyone, who was walking right in front of her sister, interjected and asked.
"This stuff was all used up a long time ago."
"All right."
Haruto, Ayaka, Isane, Kiyone, Nanao.
The five of them walking at the front were still the same small group, while the students behind them deliberately kept a certain distance.
Things are different now than they used to be.
What was once a complex mix of hostility towards Haruto and the nobility has transformed into pure awe for the strong.
Since the practice of Konsō in the World of the Living, no one has dared to utter such idle gossip anymore.
"A-Qing."
Nanao tugged at Haruto's sleeve from behind.
"Ah?"
What are our standards for action?
At this moment, Nanao has regressed back to her original form as Little Nanao.
--It seems that Nanao hasn't been studying at Lisa Yadōmaru's place lately, so the toxicity of her inspirational quotes has temporarily worn off.
"Let's proceed as discussed the night before last."
No sooner had Haruto finished speaking than he received an Ayaka:
"Why didn't you just say it was Eighth-Class Reii?"
"Isn't it because I think you might be able to break through at the last minute?"
Before Haruto could answer, Kiyone took over the conversation.
"It's not that easy..."
Ayaka pouted her cheeks.
"Besides, Kiyone, aren't you still only at the Eighth Class?"