Standing Out

"Urahara Kisuke, Shihoin Yoruichi, and Diezuka Hiroe, hurry over here for your tests!"

At the teacher's call, the students on the field silently parted to make way. Under everyone's watchful gaze, the three of them lined up and approached the testing apparatus.

"The heir to the upper noble Urahara family, and the heir to the Five Great Noble Families' Heavenly Gifted Soldier, the Shihoin family. I wonder what their spiritual power levels are. I can't wait to find out!"

"And that Diezuka Hiroe, too. A commoner was taken in as the Head Captain's personal disciple. I want to see what he's capable of!"

Voices admiring Urahara and Yoruichi rose from the crowd, but when it came to Hiroe, they turned disapproving. He felt a little awkward, as if he'd become the Head Captain's personal disciple through connections.

"Don't mind them. There are geniuses among commoners, too. Take you, for example." Yoruichi offered Hiroe a few words of comfort.

"It's fine. They'll shut up soon enough!"

"Oh?" Yoruichi suddenly grew interested. Turning her head, she lowered her voice and asked, "You're not holding back this time?"

"The old man said I could let loose a little this time. It won't cause any problems."

Soon, the three of them reached the testing apparatus. It was called a machine, but it looked more like a prop. Before them was a dry, hexagonal pool with five bamboo poles of varying heights standing in it. A hand-rest stood at the pool's edge.

The Spirit Pool was the device used to test a Soul Reaper's spiritual power level. It hadn't changed since ancient times, and legend claimed that the Soul King had bestowed it upon the world.

But Hiroe knew that was nonsense. The device had appeared at the same time as the Shino Academy, created to establish a basic recruitment standard for the Gotei 13. That was why he called it a machine.

Following the order, Urahara went first. As soon as he placed his hand on the hand-rest, the pool before him began to change.

Clear water surged up from the bottom, quickly covering the first bamboo pole, then the second, and then the third.

The Spirit Pool could detect six spiritual power levels. The number of bamboo poles submerged indicated the tested person's level.

If the pool filled completely, it meant their spiritual power had reached level six. That was the level of most Gotei 13 vice-captains.

Before long, the water indicating Urahara's spiritual power had passed the fourth bamboo pole and was slowly reaching the fifth.

The lone pole seemed like a wall, holding back the surging water and allowing it to rise only little by little.

The water reached a third of the way up the fifth pole.

Halfway.

It reached the top. Couldn't it push a little harder? It was so close to covering the fifth pole!

The teacher in charge of the test had already stood up, muttering encouragement to Urahara as if that would make the water surge over the pole.

Unfortunately, although the water in the pool seemed to rise just above the pole, it didn't cover it. That meant Urahara's spiritual power level was level five.

"Level five, full! Spiritual power level five, full!" the teacher exclaimed excitedly. From level five onward, the water's height divided each level into three grades: brow, half, and full.

Even for someone born into an upper noble family, having such a high spiritual power level at this age was extremely rare. Calling him a genius was no exaggeration.

"As expected of an upper noble!"

"Idiot! This result would hold its own even among the Five Great Noble Families. He's a genius!"

Amid the constant praise, Urahara returned with a smile and high-fived Hiroe and Yoruichi. He acted like he didn't care, but Hiroe knew he was feeling pretty pleased with himself. The high-five was proof enough.

"Okay, I'm next!" Yoruichi said, rolling her shoulders as she headed toward the Spirit Pool. If you didn't know she was going for a test, you'd think she was heading into a fight.

Once the Spirit Pool had returned to its dry state, Yoruichi gently placed her hand on the hand-rest.

Just like with Urahara, the water soon covered the fourth pole and began its own journey upward.

Halfway.

Full!

The teacher in charge stood up again. Watching him from behind, Hiroe looked utterly exasperated. If he knew he'd have to stand up again, why had he sat down in the first place?

This time, though, the teacher didn't mutter to himself. His usually fair face had turned red from the strain, as if he were the one being tested.

"It's passed! Level six, spiritual power level six!" The teacher let out a loud shout, as though releasing all his pent-up excitement. He looked at Yoruichi and cried, "Princess Yoruichi, you can apply to graduate right now!"

Yoruichi shook her head and returned to the other two, giving each of them an enthusiastic high-five.

There was almost no discussion this time. It wasn't that they thought Yoruichi's result was only natural; they were simply stunned by her level-six spiritual power.

Nobles might have an advantage over commoners in talent and spiritual power, but level six meant the strength of a Gotei 13 vice-captain. Just on that basis, she could rank among the top thirty in Seireitei.

Even for someone from one of the Five Great Noble Families, it was an absurd achievement.

That was why the teacher had just asked Yoruichi if she wanted to graduate immediately. Anyone with level-six spiritual power could apply to graduate at any time and choose whichever division they wanted to join. The Spiritual Arts Academy couldn't teach a monster like her much more.

Still, some people on the field disagreed. Kao Susumu was one of them.

In his eyes, for someone the same age as him, a commoner who'd gone from having no spiritual power level to level four was far more impressive than these nobles, who were born with spiritual power.

"So what if she's level six? That's all upper nobles and the Five Great Noble Families are capable of."

His undisguised contempt immediately angered the other noble students. They had held back earlier because they hadn't outperformed him, but now his words had set off the powder keg in their hearts.

"Shut your filthy mouth, commoner!"

"Commoners are commoners—lowly and stupid!"

"It's true that nobles are born with spiritual power levels. Upper nobles and the Five Great Noble Families can even reach levels four and five. But reaching level six at this age is an unheard-of achievement!"

"Level six is something you commoners can't hope to reach in your entire lives!"

At the same time, Hiroe swung his arms as he walked over to the Spirit Pool. A boy from a middle noble family pointed at him and said, "You're called a genius, too, just like her. But open your eyes and look carefully, commoner. Level four is as far as you'll ever get!"

"That's right. Going from level four to level five is already too difficult, let alone reaching the even harder level six." Another boy shook his head and sneered. "Too bad stupid commoners don't know that."

The Spirit Pool returned to its dry state once more. Hiroe acted as if he hadn't heard the voices behind him and placed his hand on the hand-rest without a change in expression.

This time, the teacher in charge didn't stand up again. He'd only gotten halfway to his feet before the sight before him left him gaping. He froze there with his rear sticking out.

The water in the Spirit Pool had already covered the fifth bamboo pole, and unlike with Urahara and the others, it showed no sign of slowing down. It was still rising rapidly.

The teacher, bent over, wanted to say something, but his mouth was hanging open and wouldn't close. All he could do was make a few strange, meaningless sounds.

"At this rate, the Spirit Pool will fill up!" the teacher thought, watching the water near the one-third mark. As expected of the Head Captain's disciple. He's going to reach the heavens!

Just as he was about to cheer for the first student in the Spiritual Arts Academy's history to reach the maximum spiritual power level upon enrollment, the astonishingly fast-rising water suddenly stopped. There was no warning, no time to prepare. It just stopped.

The teacher dropped back into his chair and began coughing violently. The plunge from the clouds to the depths was an awful feeling—so frustrating that he didn't know what to say!

"L-Level six, brow!"

There wasn't a sound from the crowd. The noble boy who'd mocked Hiroe had even shrunk to the very back of the group. He'd been thoroughly humiliated.

Kao Susumu gritted his teeth and stared at Diezuka Hiroe in the distance. As a fellow commoner, he couldn't accept being outdone like this.

"I'll work hard and become the Head Captain's disciple, too!" Kao clenched his fists and swore to himself. Without considering Hiroe's own efforts, he credited all of Hiroe's achievements to Yamamoto.

"Thanks!"

Hiroe smiled as he said it. After making clear that he wasn't graduating, he returned to Yoruichi and Urahara, ignoring their outstretched hands and refusing to join in the childish high-fives.

"Are you provoking us?"

"No, no!" Hiroe waggled a finger and said with a smug grin, "I'm teaching you the proper way to show off."

Yoruichi was instantly speechless. She exchanged a glance with Urahara, and the two of them gave Hiroe a thumbs-up in unison. What a way to show off, bro!

"Come on, don't be like that. I'm only doing this once. The stage will belong to you two from now on."

"Tch!" They both waved their hands. He made it sound as if Diezuka Hiroe would actually keep a low profile from now on. Besides, when they'd tested their spiritual power, they'd realized that the Spirit Pool wasn't something you could fool with Kido or anything like that!

Hiroe smiled without explaining. He'd meant what he said. Maybe a true genius couldn't keep a low profile—but what if other people didn't think he was a true genius?