Monkey Show

It wasn't exactly something to look forward to, but time dragged its feet all the way to noon anyway.

Arima Shizuya followed the teacher who would be teaching Hakuda that afternoon, and the group moved into the dojo.

The place was similar to a Kendo Hall, available for rent and borrowing. But Noble Lords favored it in everyday use, so over time, commoners rarely came to places like this.

"Today's Monthly Exam will serve as your first test. Senior students will be taking time out of their schedules to spar with you."

"Don't think about winning. Just give it your all. The exam is only meant to test your Hakuda level, so losing is perfectly normal."

It might have sounded rather discouraging.

But that was indeed the truth.

Thanks to Aizen's prior explanation, Arima Shizuya clearly understood the reason behind it now.

'Under the guise of exams and training, they suppress new students and teach you about hierarchy and such. It's not exactly rare.'

'After all, you're Academy students who have only been enrolled for a month. Going directly up against senior students is bound to be difficult.'

'But this is a rite of passage for every student. Shizuya-kun won't be an exception... Savor this malice that has been passed down for a thousand years.'

Aizen's words were still vivid in his mind.

It wasn't difficult to hear the dissatisfaction the Parties involved felt toward such things. Those memories from his own student days must have resurfaced as well...

To avoid standing out too much, Arima Shizuya didn't mind appearing mediocre.

After all, his goal was to learn properly. The means didn't really matter~

"Next, I will announce the order of your exams. Please prepare yourselves accordingly."

"Oda Mata Kyō..."

As expected, Arima Shizuya's name had been placed last—there was no way that wasn't rigged.

Figures kept appearing outside the door, and quite a few unfamiliar people were entering the dojo.

"Huh? Why are so many people coming?"

"You don't know? These exams are open. Anyone interested is free to come watch."

"I heard that, occasionally, someone who performs exceptionally well can be specially admitted into the ranks ahead of schedule."

"Huh?!!! Why didn't you tell us that earlier?!"

"Because we can't win at all... Do you think the seniors will go easy on us?"

Yes.

That was precisely the reason.

In terms of nature, it was pretty much the same as Yoruichi taking time out of her day to come to the Academy and beat people up.

At its core, it was only meant to satisfy the tastes of those above them. The so-called exam was just a name. A name.

If you didn't like it, then find a way to climb higher.

Build seniority and take up important positions.

Become the senior others spoke of, earn their respect, and eventually become one of those spectators... Huh?

Arima Shizuya's expression abruptly froze.

Because he saw Tōsen Kaname walking in through the door—without even looking this way, the man raised his right hand and made a simple gesture in his direction.

Did that count as a greeting?

'You actually had time to come watch my exam...'

There was a lot to complain about.

So when Arima Shizuya had mentioned this to Tōsen Kaname before, that strange smile had appeared on the man's face.

Had he been planning to come watch him make a fool of himself? It was irritating, but there was no point saying anything now.

Arima Shizuya could only press his lips together and pretend not to notice Tōsen Kaname's faintly mocking smile.

The first pair had already begun sparring.

The result was unsurprising. The one who stepped up was a Sixth Year Student nearing graduation; the gap in their abilities was enormous.

Moreover, Arima Shizuya was enrolled in the resource-starved Commoner Class.

Rather...

Wouldn't it be more troubling if someone on this side actually won? Amid cries of pain, the first student to step up was thrown straight off the platform.

His body curled into the shape of a shrimp. Only after a while did he stagger back to his feet and make his way over to the "culprit" who had just beaten him down.

He wiped away the tears and snot brought on by the intense pain, composed his expression, and straightened his back.

Then he forced himself into a slightly misshapen bow.

"Th-thank you for your guidance!"

"Mm. Keep working hard from now on."

One side was resentful, while the other was utterly perfunctory.

Arima Shizuya watched the classmate he had only recently met wobble off the platform. After a moment of silence, he stepped forward and offered him a hand.

"Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine... Thanks, Arima-kun."

He didn't look fine.

Every muscle in his body was taut, and his face kept twitching uncontrollably.

He must have been unwilling to accept it too.

After all, this was no different from a public execution.

What a pathetic sight.

Wanting to lighten the mood a little, Arima Shizuya patted him on the back and joked, "Don't mention it. When I get sent flying later, make sure you come give me a hand too."

As soon as he finished speaking, the teacher overseeing the exam called out loudly.

"Candidate Number One, Oda Mata Kyō... Pass!"

Just as had been said before.

When the opponent was far beyond your capabilities, giving it your all was enough.

The observers would offer a relatively fair judgment.

Soon, the second match began.

This one was even more miserable... After taking a raised-leg high kick directly to the chin, the student crashed to the ground and couldn't get back up for a long while.

"...Pass!"

The standard really did seem quite low.

Since Arima Shizuya had taken the initiative to help someone earlier, the other students now cooperated tacitly, ensuring the losers did not appear too miserable.

The exams continued like that until the fourth person stepped onto the platform.

Though she was a rather delicate-looking girl, the Sixth Year Student facing her had no intention of holding back.

He punched her so hard that she threw up.

"...Pass! Clean up the filth you vomited up. The next pair, wait!"

The female student wiped away her tears as she sobbed and cleaned up the mess on the platform. Watching from below, Arima Shizuya furrowed his brow tightly.

So this was what they called an exam.

No wonder Teacher Aizen had specifically told him not to eat anything hard to digest.

'If you throw up, you even have to clean it yourself...'

A large number of spectators had gathered nearby, most of them simply there to watch the spectacle.

Like a monkey show forced upon the performers.

Their group was doing something meaningless, while their opponents were merely venting their own frustrations.

So did an exam like this really have any meaning?

Sure enough, this kind of thing was unpleasant, Teacher Aizen.

Arima Shizuya felt a hot, murky breath churning in his chest, but then his expression abruptly turned surprised.

Because he saw them.

Two familiar figures were entering through the door.

Kotetsu Isane and Ise Nanao.

The moment they entered, they looked around in every direction and quickly spotted Arima Shizuya.

Kotetsu Isane beamed happily and waved at him from across the room.

Ise Nanao, standing beside her, calmly pushed up her glasses and gave him a slight nod as well.

Huh?!

Tōsen Kaname was one thing, but why were these two here?

Though he was deeply shocked, he couldn't exactly pretend he hadn't seen them. After some hesitation, Arima Shizuya could only force up an extremely strained smile.

The two girls took seats at the outermost edge, while Arima Shizuya was still wondering what was going on.

Then another familiar figure appeared outside.

It was Aizen Sōsuke.

Seeing that smile that didn't reach his eyes, Arima Shizuya had a sudden realization.

Aizen had brought them here, hadn't he?! Although Arima Shizuya had never told Aizen about his relationships, all it took was a little concern and investigation to figure it out.

But that only made Arima Shizuya even more confused.

Why had he called all his acquaintances here? Was he hinting that Arima Shizuya should give it his all so he wouldn't embarrass himself before his friends?

Or did he have some other arrangement in mind?

Aizen had never mentioned any of this to him.

So what exactly was he planning...? That guy always came up with strange ideas at odd moments. Arima Shizuya's heart immediately rose into his throat.

His thoughts were a complete mess, and amid that conflicted, inexplicable atmosphere, the exams neared their end.

"The final pair... Arima Shizuya!"

There was no more room to keep thinking. Under his classmates' gazes, Arima Shizuya slowly rose to his feet.

"Here!"

He adjusted his breathing and walked forward at an unhurried pace.

The dojo, once cold and empty, was now packed with people.

Where had they all come from...? Were they all here to watch?

Through his conversations with Kotetsu Isane, Arima Shizuya had come to understand that he was somewhat well-known among the first-year students.

But surely he hadn't attracted this much attention? Something about this definitely felt off!

"Arima Shizuya, good luck!"

...Huh?

Where had that come from? Turning his head, he saw a classmate seated nearby shouting at him.

They rarely spoke in normal times, but his gaze now burned fiercely, as if lit by the flames of flesh and blood.

"You're so strong. Please, win this match for us."

"Otherwise, they'll look down on all of us. Please!"

"Arima-kun, do your best!"

It wasn't unusual for every member of a class except Arima Shizuya to suffer crushing defeat among the first-years.

But people had their pride.

Anyone would feel resentful at being toyed with like this.

At this point, Arima Shizuya couldn't say much. He could only smile softly and nod.

"Uh... I'll give it my all."

Making grand promises really wasn't something Arima Shizuya could do.

As he pondered this, he sensed a faint warmth from the side.

He turned his head instinctively.

Tōsen Kaname had lowered his head and raised a hand toward him in a thumbs-up.

—What was that, encouragement?

Kotetsu Isane raised her hand high and waved it repeatedly as if waving a flag, her expression slightly excited.

—She probably wanted to say something encouraging, but there were too many people and she felt shy. Yeah, she really was cute.

Ise Nanao had her hands folded flat over her knees, shoulders drawn tight, her eyes staring firmly in his direction from behind her glasses.

—Was this Ise Nanao's unique way of cheering someone on? It was a little abstract.

As for Teacher Aizen.

That guy had moved directly to the front row, his face still carrying that inexplicable smile.

But perhaps because Arima Shizuya had watched him for so long, he could sense subtle differences in the man's body language.

Teacher Aizen seemed to be in an exceptionally high mood? So what exactly was he looking forward to...? You're kind of scary, Dora Aizen!

A stranger of a senior stood on the platform. Judging by his slightly tense expression, he too seemed to feel as though he were facing a formidable enemy.

Arima Shizuya slowly stepped onto the platform and, as required, nodded and bowed to him.

"Arima Shizuya. Please guide me!"

The other person parted his lips, about to reply.

But a familiar shout came from outside.

"Wait!"

Before the words had faded.

A figure swept over from afar and came to a straight-backed stop in front of Arima Shizuya.

That was...

The uniform black wrap garment marked her as someone who was not an Academy student.

Her long purple hair was tied into a high ponytail. With eyes curved into crescents and arms folded across her chest, she tilted her head up in a proud pose.

"Hey, Arima Shizuya!"

Her voice was loud and direct, as exaggerated as her extraordinary presence.

"I already made an exception and allowed you to graduate early so you could work under me, didn't I? Why did you refuse?"

Yoruichi Shihouin.

Why was she here? Before Arima Shizuya could figure it out, Yoruichi Shihouin stepped forward half a pace and grabbed him by the collar.

"Playing dumb at a time like this? Isn't it a little late for that? Or have you already forgotten what happened before?"

"...Could you give me a hint?"

So what exactly had happened? A teasing glint appeared in Yoruichi's eyes. Her right hand tightened, yanking Arima Shizuya closer.

"You made a move to grab my chest, and now you want to pretend nothing happened? This year's new students sure have some nerve."

Huh? Something like that had actually happened?

Before Arima Shizuya could react, the dojo had already erupted—after all, from the spectators' perspective, those words were impossible not to read into! This chaos seemed to be exactly what Yoruichi wanted. The amusement in her eyes deepened, but she released him at once.

The brown-skinned girl spoke without turning her head.

"Hey, this is an exam, right? A Hakuda test for first-year students?"

The Sixth Year Student from earlier was already sweating nervously, and the proctor was no better.

"Y-Yes, Lady Yoruichi, that's right!"

"Then get the hell out of here. I'll be taking over the rest of the exam."

The two of them scrambled away in a panic, leaving only Yoruichi and Arima Shizuya standing on the platform.

As she looked him up and down, Arima Shizuya could only force a smile.

He had absolutely no memory of anything so scandalous. At most, he vaguely remembered that startled cry before he had been choked unconscious.

So had he really done something like that? Damn, he couldn't remember a thing. What a loss!

"Um, Lady Yoruichi, I..."

"Enough small talk. Since it's an exam, there ought to be some challenge involved, shouldn't there?"

With a bright smile, the girl snapped her fingers.

"Ōmaeda, get over here!"