Captains Fight Over Recruits

Lu Li took the new clothes from Aizen. "Thanks. You finished your exam too?"

Aizen nodded, looking at the bloody marks on Lu Li's bare, muscular body. "Don't be discouraged. Being alive is what matters. Graduating in another two years would be fine too."

He had just finished his own assessment and come over to check on Lu Li. In the worst-case scenario he had imagined, he would have been coming to collect his roommate's corpse.

Seeing that Lu Li was still alive, he inexplicably felt relieved as well.

"Sōsuke, what are you talking about? I already passed the assessment. All that's left are the graduation procedures."

Lu Li spoke as he got dressed.

A trace of surprise flashed through Aizen's eyes. "You mean you... passed the assessment? You defeated Captain Unohana?"

When he arrived, he had seen Captain Unohana. Perhaps because the battle had only just ended, a certain aura around Retsu Unohana had not fully subsided.

After merely meeting her gaze, he realized that his previous judgment had been wildly wrong. Captain Unohana was not the easiest draw among the Examiners at all. She was an absolutely terrifying woman.

When Aizen saw the large bloodstains on Retsu Unohana, he had already prepared himself to collect Lu Li's body. Yet not only was Lu Li fine, he was saying that he had won.

"I wouldn't exactly call it a victory. Captain Unohana had her Reiatsu restricted, and she didn't use her full strength during the probing stage of the fight. Otherwise, I wouldn't have lasted long enough to turn things around with Shikai."

Lu Li spoke modestly and looked at Aizen. "Sōsuke, I really owe you this time. Otherwise, I wouldn't have awakened my Zanpakuto so easily."

Only then did Aizen notice that the sword at Lu Li's waist had changed somewhat. It was no longer an ordinary Asauchi, but a Shinigami's personal Zanpakuto.

Aizen suppressed the shock in his heart and accepted the truth. His roommate really was absurdly talented. He had actually defeated a Captain in a challenge between equals.

"I didn't help much. It was the result of Lu-kun's own hard work."

Aizen smiled. "Congratulations on passing the assessment, Lu-kun. You've rewritten the Spirit Arts Academy's history. I'll have to call you senior from now on. By the way, have you decided which division you want to join?"

Lu Li shook his head. "I haven't thought it through yet. Forget that for now. Let's eat."

Which division of the Gotei 13 he joined did not mean much to him right now, since he would be leaving in two days.

No matter which division he joined, he would only be there for a day at most. He would take a stroll through the Living World to broaden his horizons, then return to End Space.

Inside the cafeteria, every gaze directed at Lu Li carried respect and awe. The news that he had passed the assessment and defeated Captain Unohana spread quickly, though no one knew where it had originated.

"If Lu-kun doesn't have a clear goal, why not join the Fifth Division? Seated Officer Hirako will look after you."

Aizen made the suggestion. He planned to join the Fifth Division after graduating, and it would not be bad for Lu Li to go there and wait for him.

"That's not a bad choice. Then the Fifth Division it is."

Lu Li said this after swallowing a mouthful of steak.

Aizen was somewhat surprised. "That decisive? You're not going to ask about the Fifth Division's culture, internal situation, treatment, and so on?"

Lu Li smiled. "I haven't decided anyway, and I trust Sōsuke's judgment."

In any case, he would be leaving in two days, so it made no difference where he went. He could treat it as making his roommate happy.

At the Spirit Arts Academy's graduation ceremony, the Captain-Commander looked at Lu Li with a face full of emotion. "Good kid, you really did it."

He had thought he had assigned Lu Li an impossible task, yet Lu Li had actually won.

When Unohana volunteered to serve as the Examiner, he had still felt some regret, thinking that this promising young talent would most likely not survive.

He truly appreciated Lu Li's talent, but he was not a softhearted man. This was a trial Lu Li had brought upon himself. If he could overcome it, the sky would be the limit. If he could not, then Lu Li would have died because of his own arrogance.

"I also have to thank Captain Unohana for showing mercy."

Lu Li spoke modestly. At the True Spirit Arts Academy's annual graduation ceremony, most Captains attended, and Unohana was here today as well.

The Captains were not here simply to watch the ceremony and offer their blessings. They had come to pick recruits.

At that moment, Lu Li could feel several heated gazes upon him, coming from the various Captains. Clearly, he was now the hottest prospect around.

He had completed the True Spirit Arts Academy in just three months, excelled at Zan, Hakuda, Hoho, and Kidō, and even defeated Retsu Unohana in a battle between peers. Though Lu Li was still only a student, his name was already known throughout the Seireitei.

The Gotei Captains all wanted this promising talent. After bringing him back and cultivating him for a while, he would soon become a qualified Seated Officer. They believed that, with the talent Lu Li had displayed, becoming Lieutenant-class or even Captain-class was only a matter of time.

"Hahaha, this isn't the time to be modest. Still, kid, you've caught everyone's eye."

The Captain-Commander was in an excellent mood. He swept his gaze over the Captains staring at Lu Li and laughed. "So, kid, how about joining the First Division?"

The moment the Captain-Commander said that, the expressions of several Captains changed, and their anticipation instantly vanished.

They had come here for Lu Li today, but now that the Captain-Commander had spoken, there was clearly no chance left for them.

Everyone at the graduation ceremony was stunned, including the Captains. This was the first time they had seen Head Captain Yamamoto personally invite a graduate to join the First Division.

It was clear how highly he regarded Lu Li. One could foresee that the Captain-Commander likely intended to keep Lu Li at his side and teach him personally. Perhaps in a hundred years, another Captain-class powerhouse would emerge.

"Thank you for your kindness, Captain-Commander, but I've already decided which division I want to join."

To everyone's surprise, Lu Li actually declined the Captain-Commander's proposal.

The students looked at Lu Li strangely, thinking, Do you even know what you've just missed?

But Lu Li had his own plans. Honestly, he could join any division in the Gotei 13, except the First Division. The Captain-Commander obviously wanted to continue educating him and would very likely keep him by his side.

If he returned then, it might become troublesome.

After obtaining the qualification to return, he could choose to return voluntarily. But if his remaining time ran out, End Space would forcibly pull him back, not allowing him to stay even one second longer.

Lu Li vaguely had a feeling that he might come to this world again, so he did not want to "disappear" under the Captain-Commander's watchful eye.

"Oh? You've already made your decision, kid? Is it the Fourth Division?"

The Captain-Commander knew that Unohana had brought Lu Li to the Spirit Arts Academy, and that Unohana had served as his Examiner. Thus, Unohana absolutely counted as Lu Li's benefactor. It was understandable if Lu Li wanted to follow Unohana to repay her kindness.

Still, he felt that sending Lu Li to a medical support division would be somewhat wasteful of his combat talent.

Lu Li turned to look toward the area where the Captains stood. When his gaze met Unohana's, she gave him a gentle smile and nodded.

"No, I want to join the Fifth Division."

Lu Li's answer made Unohana's smile stiffen for a moment. She had already been prepared to personally train Lu Li.

That made no sense. Lu Li had never had any dealings with the Fifth Division before. Even if he wanted a combat-oriented division, shouldn't he consider the Eleventh Division?

"Excellent choice! Our Fifth Division has the best benefits!"

At that moment, Akimoto Yoshitaka, the current Captain of the Fifth Division, could not help striding out. He used Shunpo to reach Lu Li's side, unable to suppress the joy on his face.

He had originally thought that such a promising talent had nothing to do with him. Not to mention the Captain-Commander, Captain Unohana also had a connection with this kid. No matter how he looked at it, Lu Li should never have ended up in his division.

Yet Lu Li had actually said himself that he wanted to join the Fifth Division. It was practically a pie falling from the sky.

Lu Li looked at this Fifth Division Captain, who had never appeared in the original work, and thought, Sure enough, he has the face of a complete extra. Hirako Shinji will probably replace him in another hundred years.

Seeing that Lu Li had already spoken, and that Akimoto Yoshitaka looked ready to cling to Lu Li and never let go, the Captain-Commander gave up on trying to persuade him.

He felt that, given Lu Li's talent, it was only a matter of time before he grew into a Captain-class powerhouse. He would not remain in the Fifth Division forever.

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