After arriving, Kaien Shiba immediately found the members of his 13th Division and began asking them what had happened.
Once he learned the situation, Kaien Shiba turned a shocked gaze toward Gilgamesh.
Actually, Kaien Shiba had noticed Gilgamesh as soon as he arrived.
He couldn't help it. Gilgamesh was simply too dazzling; even in a crowd, he stood out at first glance.
But he had never imagined that Gilgamesh would possess Captain-level spiritual pressure. His squad members might be unsure, but how could he not be?
Without hesitation, Kaien Shiba broke into a hearty smile and strode straight toward Gilgamesh.
He knew the other divisions would arrive soon, and that their captains might even come in person.
So he wanted to make a good impression on Gilgamesh before they got there—ideally, he could recruit him outright and secure him for his division after graduation.
No matter where you were, talent was the most important thing.
Watching Kaien Shiba approach, Gilgamesh immediately saw through his intentions.
In fact, Gilgamesh had long been interested in the Shiba Clan. Once one of the Five Great Noble Clans, it had since fallen into decline and been removed from their ranks.
Even so, the Shiba Clan still retained the legacy of a Great Noble Clan.
That legacy lay in their bloodline.
The children of the Five Great Noble Clans often possessed extraordinary spiritual pressure from birth.
The Shiba Clan was no exception.
The head of the main family, Kaien Shiba; the head of the branch family, Isshin Shiba; and Ichigo Kurosaki, the protagonist of Bleach—all of them possessed extraordinary spiritual pressure, and each had Captain-level strength.
Gilgamesh had been wondering how to approach the Shiba Clan.
He hadn't expected Kaien Shiba to come right to him.
His wine-red eyes flickered faintly as he thought to himself, You want to recruit me, but you don't know I want to recruit someone from your clan, too.
Gilgamesh wasn't particularly interested in Kaien Shiba for the time being.
Though Kaien was undoubtedly exceptionally talented and might already have Captain-level strength at this point,
he was a man who valued loyalty and cared more about his comrades than anything else.
It was practically impossible to poach someone like him from the 13th Division—unless some major upheaval occurred, such as everyone in the division dying.
His younger brother and sister, however, as well as the head of the branch family, Isshin Shiba, might be worth approaching.
Isshin Shiba was currently the captain of the 10th Division, but in the original story, he later gave up his captaincy, went to the Human World, and changed his name to Isshin Kurosaki.
With everyone watching, Kaien Shiba came straight up to Gilgamesh.
He was just about to greet him when their eyes met—Gilgamesh's wine-red gaze meeting his own.
To be honest, Kaien Shiba had never seen such beautiful wine-red eyes, like precious gems.
But Kaien Shiba paid no attention to their beauty. Instead, he sensed pity in that wine-red gaze.
Is he pitying me?
Kaien Shiba froze.
He didn't know why Gilgamesh would pity him.
He didn't know why Gilgamesh's pity bothered him so much, either.
"Come closer."
Gilgamesh's voice suddenly rang out.
If someone he had just met had said that to him, Kaien Shiba would never have listened.
But now, as if compelled, he bent down and leaned closer.
Then he heard Gilgamesh whisper into his ear, "I can see the future."
Those six short words made Kaien Shiba's pupils contract sharply, and disbelief spread across his face.
Before Kaien Shiba could say anything, a fresh commotion erupted around them.
"Good heavens, that's a Captain's Haori!"
"Captain Shiba of the 10th Division is here!"
"Did he come for Gilgamesh, too?"
As he listened to the commotion, Kaien Shiba struggled to steady himself. The hearty smile he'd worn before was gone, and he said solemnly, "I hope you'll join the 13th Division after you graduate."
"I promise you: if you join the 13th Division, you can become Third Seat right away."
Kaien Shiba's offer sent the crowd into a new frenzy.
Before Gilgamesh could respond, Isshin Shiba spoke up. "So he's the one who made that burst of spiritual pressure just now."
As he spoke, Isshin Shiba used Flash Step to appear right in front of Gilgamesh. With an easygoing look, he said, "How about it? Want to join my 10th Division?"
"Look, I'm a captain. The fact that I came to invite you in person shows how sincere I am."
After a pause, Isshin Shiba grew serious and continued, "I can promise you this, too: if you're willing to join the 10th Division, I'll recommend you to the Captain-Commander. You'll become vice-captain on the very day you join."
A vice-captain's appointment required the Captain-Commander's approval.
A captain's appointment was even more complicated. It required approval from both the Captain-Commander and the Central 46 Chambers.
Usually, though, if the Captain-Commander approved, the Central 46 Chambers would as well.
Isshin Shiba's words hit like a bomb, sending the whole crowd into an uproar.
Vice-captain—that was the goal they all considered worth striving for their entire lives. Gilgamesh could attain it before he'd even enrolled. It really was infuriating how unfair comparisons could be.
After speaking, Isshin Shiba glanced instinctively at his nephew.
He knew Kaien Shiba's personality well and was sure he wouldn't give up.
But that glance left Isshin Shiba stunned.
Kaien Shiba seemed not to have heard him. His expression was heavy, his brow furrowed, and he looked lost in thought.
What was going on?
Isshin Shiba was about to ask when an old but powerful voice rang out. "The examination is still in progress. All unrelated personnel, leave at once. Do not interfere with the exam!"
The speaker did not appear, yet the voice alone was enough to make the examinees feel a chill in their hearts.
Isshin Shiba and Kaien Shiba naturally knew who it was. Their expressions turned grave, and they left the examination grounds without hesitation.
Yoruichi Shihouin, nestled in Gilgamesh's arms, also grew serious. She hadn't expected Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto to show up, too.
She could ignore Kaien Shiba and Isshin Shiba, but not Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto.
Yoruichi Shihouin had no intention of telling Gilgamesh her true identity yet.
Her identity was tied to too many things; one careless move could drag Gilgamesh into the mess.
The Kingdom of Uruk was only just getting started. If Gilgamesh got caught up in this, it would inevitably hinder the kingdom's growth, and that was out of the question.
Without hesitation, Yoruichi Shihouin jumped onto Gilgamesh's shoulder and whispered in his ear, "I need to step away for a little while."
Then, without waiting for Gilgamesh to respond, she leaped to the ground and darted into the crowd, vanishing from sight.
Gilgamesh's expression remained unchanged. He didn't react at all.
Before long, the examiners restored order to the examination grounds.
The second round, the Kido aptitude test, officially began.
Before you continue