"Nourish" You?

Of course, not every division in the Thirteen Divisions was open for graduates to choose freely.

Some of the more specialized divisions, for example:

As the head division, the First Division normally did not extend invitations to graduates at all, except for the very few students with exceptionally high potential whom they recruited in advance.

As the "Onmitsukidō," the Second Division was also the private preserve of the Shihōin Clan, one of the Four Great Noble Clans. It had its own independent reserve training system and likewise almost never recruited ordinary graduates from outside.

As the "Noble Command Division," the Sixth Division adhered to the principle of nobles governing nobles. Even when it opened recruitment to Shin'ō Academy graduates, it only allowed Shinigami with noble backgrounds to join. Unless they had other connections, ordinary graduates from civilian Rukongai backgrounds had no chance of entering.

Beyond that, each division recruited graduates according to its own personnel vacancies.

Among them, the combat-focused Eleventh Division had always had considerable vacancies due to its persistently high casualty rate. As for the Thirteenth Division, which was responsible for stationing personnel in the World of the Living and purifying Hollows, it needed to recruit large numbers of graduates every year to fill the vacancies left by Shinigami stationed there.

Therefore, the division representatives present this time were from the Third, Fourth, Fifth, Tenth, Eleventh, and Thirteenth Divisions.

"Alright, the representatives of each division have finished speaking. Next, all graduates may select a division, after which the representatives will independently assess your eligibility for admission."

"If you do not meet the assessment requirements, you may also consider applying to join the Kidō Corps, serve as a Seireitei gatekeeper, or become a retainer to the nobles..."

Once all the seated officers representing the divisions had finished their speeches, the graduates throughout the hall began to split off under the announcement of Shin'ō Academy's elderly headmaster, heading toward the representatives of their preferred divisions.

Chiba Makoto, who had long since made his choice, took a deep breath and was about to move when he suddenly felt someone seize his wrist.

Turning his head, he found a gleaming bald head before him.

"Chiba, join the Eleventh Division with me!"

Madarame Ikkaku, dressed in Shin'ō Academy's uniform, wore an excited expression as he spoke enthusiastically to Chiba Makoto.

Chiba Makoto's body stiffened. He had never expected that despite deliberately avoiding Madarame Ikkaku, he would still be caught by this bald bastard.

"I'm not good at fighting. I won't meet Captain Kenpachi's assessment requirements," Chiba Makoto explained helplessly to Madarame Ikkaku once more.

"Don't worry!"

Madarame Ikkaku patted his chest and assured him boldly.

"Captain Kenpachi was the boss that Yumichika and I acknowledged back in Rukongai. He'll definitely do me this favor."

"That's right..."

Before Madarame Ikkaku's voice had faded, another man who looked like a pretty boy walked up and blocked Chiba Makoto's path. Tossing his bangs with one hand, he said, "Chiba, trying to sneak away like this isn't glamorous at all. Just join the Eleventh Division with Ikkaku and me. Then, just like before, Ikkaku and I can fight on the front lines while you heal us. That would be a perfectly glamorous combination."

Heal you two?

The corner of Chiba Makoto's eye twitched. He could not help regretting using the word "heal" back then, when he had talked Madarame Ikkaku and Ayasegawa Yumichika into charging ahead for him in order to avoid fighting.

Now that graduation was at hand and he was about to embark upon his wonderful future, how could Chiba Makoto possibly choose to stick with a bald gay man and a pretty boy, healing each other?

Besides, Kusajishi Yachiru was the only woman in the entire Eleventh Division who looked remotely sexy. Even if Chiba Makoto had lost his mind, he would never choose the Eleventh Division.

It was not as if every other female Shinigami in the Soul Society was already dead!

"Heh heh..."

Chiba Makoto gave a smile that did not reach his eyes as he secretly tried to break free of Madarame Ikkaku's fingers. Yet he found that this time, Ikkaku had him in an iron grip; the muscles in that hormone-packed arm even twitched faintly.

And noticing Chiba Makoto's attempt to struggle, Madarame Ikkaku and Ayasegawa Yumichika moved closer to him once more, trapping him between them from front and back, flanking him from both sides, giving him absolutely no chance to escape.

At that moment, amid the hall where people were gradually dispersing, Chiba Makoto's situation—sandwiched between two burly men—was impossible not to notice.

For a moment, Chiba Makoto was completely numb from this sudden pincer attack!

"Hey, hey, hey, what the hell are you two doing? I'm not suited for combat at all. If I join the Eleventh Division and have to fight all the time, I'll probably die in the line of duty before long..."

After a pause, Chiba Makoto said with helplessness and regret on his face, "Ikkaku, Yumichika, although it pains me deeply to part with you two, you probably don't want to have to attend my funeral someday, do you?"

At those words, Ayasegawa Yumichika narrowed his eyes slightly, though his face showed neither agreement nor disagreement.

At Shin'ō Academy, as reserve members of the Thirteen Divisions, these students were no greenhouse flowers. Throughout their studies, they had repeatedly faced Hollows in battle.

Chiba Makoto's combat performance could only be described as unremarkable. Neither his Shunpo, Hakuda, Zanjutsu, nor Kidō stood out; only his healing Kaido and Medical Skills were exceptionally proficient.

Other than that, compared to ordinary graduates, Chiba Makoto's sole outstanding trait was that he had already mastered his Zanpakuto's Shikai.

However, Chiba Makoto's Zanpakuto's Shikai ability seemed to consist entirely of healing-oriented powers. Thus, during his years at Shin'ō Academy, Chiba Makoto, who appeared unsuited for combat, had basically always teamed up with Ayasegawa Yumichika and Madarame Ikkaku.

It was precisely because he had spent so much time around Chiba Makoto that Ayasegawa Yumichika, who usually concealed his own true Shikai ability, had gradually developed a feeling that Chiba Makoto might be like him—that what his Zanpakuto displayed in everyday circumstances was merely a half-Shikai state.

Of course, Ayasegawa Yumichika had no evidence for this. What mainly stirred his suspicions was the calm and steadiness Chiba Makoto displayed whenever they faced Hollows.

Especially on several occasions when both Ayasegawa Yumichika and Madarame Ikkaku had been driven into desperate straits, fighting until they were covered in blood, Chiba Makoto had still remained spotless and unhurried as he healed them.

This... was not normal!

Thinking of this, Ayasegawa Yumichika could not help giving Chiba Makoto another long, searching look, while he and Madarame Ikkaku tightened their front-and-back hold around him.

It had been one thing when there had been few opportunities at Shin'ō Academy. Once they dragged Chiba Makoto into the Eleventh Division, they would have plenty of chances to study him thoroughly.