Genius and Genius

The bell had just rung when the white-haired teacher slowly shuffled out of the lecture hall.

Shin yawned and flopped his head onto the desk, only for a familiar voice to ring in his ears.

"Tachikawa!"

He slanted a glance sideways. A girl with shoulder-length brown hair had come up to his seat, wearing the red-and-white school uniform. She was petite, but the overly stern expression on her pretty face somewhat spoiled her looks.

"You haven't submitted your graduation exam application yet."

"It's voluntary, isn't it? I can't be the only one who hasn't." Shin just lay there, answering dully.

Hisagi Shūhei, sitting beside Shin, was organizing his textbooks. He glanced over but said nothing.

Kanazawa's delicate brows knit slightly. "What do you mean by that?"

As one of Class A's two class representatives, she always took her duties seriously—but it also made her seem a bit cold and distant. She had few friends, and the only people she talked to much were these two.

Shin tilted his head to look at her, his voice unhurried. "I feel like my foundation in the various subjects isn't solid enough. I don't really have confidence in the graduation exam, so I'll spare myself the embarrassment of overreaching."

Kanazawa's eyes widened in surprise. She couldn't help glancing at Hisagi Shūhei, who only gave her a helpless look in return.

"You're not planning to graduate this year?"

"I want to improve myself a bit more."

After a moment's thought, Kanazawa pulled out a roster and skimmed it. Quite a few names were already recorded—students who wanted to apply for the graduation exam. Their homeroom teacher, Teacher Nanda, would screen them again, crossing out anyone clearly unqualified, and send the rest for assessment. Only those who passed could graduate.

Shūhei handed over another roster. "Could you give this to Teacher Nanda as well?"

He was the other class representative for Class A, handling the same duties as Kanazawa.

Kanazawa took it and looked it over, even more puzzled. "Your name isn't here either?"

Shūhei said, "Same reason as this guy."

"..."

Kanazawa was silent, quietly tucking away both rosters.

Shūhei stood up and lightly kicked Shin's shin. "Next class is Kido Practice. We need to switch rooms. Don't fall asleep."

Tachikawa Shin was a genius—at least, that's what his homeroom teacher Nanda Hidezawa firmly believed. But he was also furious at Shin's lackadaisical attitude, which he saw as a complete waste of talent.

"Those were his exact words?" Nanda Hidezawa asked after listening to Kanazawa's account.

Kanazawa nodded. "Hisagi said the same thing."

Nanda Hidezawa frowned. "What are those two up to?"

Kanazawa said, "Tachikawa has been skipping a lot of classes lately. Not just yesterday's Swordsmanship class—he also missed the Kido Theory class the day before yesterday. Maybe he's realized his shortcomings and wants to study another year."

She thought back to Shin's careless posture when he was lying on the desk, and suddenly felt her own words rang a little hollow.

Nanda Hidezawa was still flipping through the roster. He knew his students' grades well. In his view, fewer than a handful could graduate smoothly this year—and the one with the most potential seemed to have no intention of graduating early.

The Spirit Training Academy's graduation exam was extremely difficult for fourth-year students. And after the exam, there were still the entrance exams for the Thirteen Divisions, the Kido Corps, and the Onmitsukidō. Failing those meant being sent back to school for retraining.

Nanda Hidezawa sighed softly. "If they really have that kind of resolve, then fine."

He looked at Kanazawa. "What about you? Same reason?"

Kanazawa pursed her lips lightly and nodded without a word.

#

The Kido Practice classroom was outdoors.

By their fourth year, students had already learned everything the Spirit Training Academy could teach. The fifth and sixth years focused mainly on practical application—participating in Soul Burials in the Human World and working within the Soul Society itself, laying the groundwork for becoming full-fledged Shinigami.

The content of this Kido Practice class was nothing new to the fourth-year students; they had practiced it many times before. The only difference was how proficient they were.

Officially, the Academy taught all Kido up to number seventy, but students mainly practiced up to number fifty in their daily training. For important assessments, Kido between fifty and seventy might be tested, with the specific number chosen based on the student's Spiritual Pressure Level. Perfect release wasn't required.

High-level Kido demanded significant Spiritual Pressure. Students of the Academy, who weren't even full Shinigami yet, clearly couldn't handle it. After becoming official Shinigami, they could choose to study further on their own to improve.

Shin's Kido skills were among the best in his year. It wasn't just because of his system—he had considerable natural talent too. His Spiritual Pressure Level of 13 already far surpassed the other Academy students.

He estimated that Hisagi Shūhei, also an outstanding student, was only around Level 7.

"Yo, everyone doing well?"

When they arrived at the outdoor classroom, the person waiting for them wasn't their usual Kido Practice teacher, but a handsome young man in a black Shinigami robe.

Most students recognized him—Shiba Kaien, Lieutenant Captain of the Thirteenth Division. He had come to the Academy before to substitute for teachers.

The Academy often invited high-ranking Shinigami from the Thirteen Divisions, the Kido Corps, and the Onmitsukidō to give lectures, including Captain-level figures.

Shiba Kaien had a very easygoing personality, and the students liked him a lot. The only problem was that every time he came, he would loudly promote his Thirteenth Division, "luring" outstanding students to list it as their first choice upon graduation.

"Long time no see, everyone." Shiba Kaien spoke with a grin. "I'll be substituting today."

His gaze swept across the students present, and when it met Shin's eyes, he deliberately gave him a wink.

"Feels like he's here for you."

Hisagi Shūhei murmured from beside Shin.

Every year, the Academy graduated quite a few students, but only a handful were truly outstanding. Although fourth-years hadn't reached graduation time yet, they could apply early for the graduation exam. Shiba Kaien's intentions were obvious.

Xin sighed and said, "It's only natural for someone as outstanding as me to attract attention."

Shūhei: "..."

Thinking about last night's events, Hisagi Shūhei suddenly asked in a low voice, "Are you turning down Miss Matsumoto because you want to join the Thirteenth Division?"

Xin replied, "No."

Shiba Kaien first chatted amiably with a few familiar students, then said, "Enough small talk. Let's begin Hakudō practice. First group: Tachikawa Shin, Aoshika."

He pulled out the student roster and started calling names.

Xin, upon being called, stood up alongside a tall, long-faced male student and walked to the front. About twenty meters from where they stood, several targets were placed. Unlike the wooden targets used by lower grades, these were special targets made of Saketsu Stone.

Fourth-year students had basically mastered kidō up to number fifty, and their power had reached a certain scale. Ordinary wooden targets could no longer withstand it.

Shiba Kaien looked at Xin standing there and said with a smile, "Let's start today with Hadō #63."

The moment these words were spoken, a wave of complaints rose among the students. Hadō #63 was Raikōhō, already considered an extremely difficult subject for students.

Shiba Kaien's smile didn't fade. "What are you complaining about? Your future exams will also be limited to within number seventy. If you don't master the kidō between fifty-one and seventy, you'll lose points."

Once the students in the back row quieted down, Xin slowly raised his arm and glanced at the white Saketsu Stone target in the distance, without any hesitation.

"HADŌ #63: RAIKŌHŌ!"

Golden lightning instantly surged from his palm, spreading dense arcs of electricity through the air as it precisely struck the white target.

Shiba Kaien raised an eyebrow at the sight and couldn't help letting out a soft "tsk." Just from its appearance, this Raikōhō was very well-formed. Since it hit a Saketsu Stone, he couldn't tell the exact power, but the spiritual pressure fluctuation just now gave him a rough idea.

"This kid..."

Muffled gasps of surprise rose from among the students. Shiba Kaien's smile widened, and he then looked at Aoshika beside him.

Aoshika was cursing inwardly. Xin had suddenly abandoned the incantation, putting immense pressure on him as his group partner.

Feeling countless eyes on his back, Aoshika wished he could finish as coolly as Xin, but he knew he couldn't pull it off. He had no choice but to faithfully chant the spell.

"HADŌ #63: RAIKŌHŌ!"

As his spiritual pressure fluctuated, a large area of golden lightning surged outward, crackling as it formed a web of electricity in front of him.

The moment he unleashed the hadō, Aoshika felt the wild spiritual pressure inside him was impossible to control. The spreading lightning couldn't be focused like Xin's had been. Just as he thought, This is bad, his vision blurred, and when he came to, he realized he had somehow retreated two meters back.

Still shaken, Aoshika gasped for breath and looked at the person beside him. "Th-thank you, Vice-Captain Shiba!"

Shiba Kaien just smiled and said, "Glad you're okay."

Xin and Aoshika returned to their seats. Aoshika still felt embarrassed. Glancing at Xin's relaxed expression, his sense of defeat deepened.

Why did I have to be paired with this guy!

Shiba Kaien looked at the roster again and noticed that Aoshika's grades were marked as decent in this class. After a moment's thought, he said, "Let's move on to practice with number fifty-four."

This statement also let many people breathe a sigh of relief.

"You're too good at showing off," Hisagi Shūbein warned Xin.

"I'm naturally handsome."

"..."

Hakudō practice continued. Aside from Hisagi Shūhei and Kanazawa, who executed it perfectly, the other students had varying degrees of trouble. Those with poorer grades couldn't even perform it at all.

Shiba Kaien corrected each student's mistakes, then led another round of practice with hadō and bakudō in the fifties.

A few minutes before class ended, the students began free activities. Many gathered in groups to discuss kidō or chat. Shiba Kaien was also surrounded by a crowd, cheerfully telling them anecdotes about the Thirteenth Division.

Xin lay alone on the wooden floor, resting. He squinted at the blue sky, enjoying the leisure.

A dark shadow suddenly blocked his view.

"Kanazawa, is something wrong?"

Kanazawa sat down beside him, looking at this handsome boy. After a moment's hesitation, she spoke. "Your grades are so good. The graduation exam shouldn't be a problem for you."

Xin replied, "Not at all. My Kaidō grades are pretty poor."

Kanazawa didn't believe his nonsense. What Xin called "poor" was only poor compared to Aoshika, who ranked first in Kaidō.

The graduation exam tested a student's overall ability. Specialists in a particular area could also graduate smoothly. In Kanazawa's view, Xin's swordsmanship alone was enough to meet the standard.

Kanazawa was silent for a moment, then said, "I didn't apply for the graduation exam either."

Xin casually replied, "Is that so?" His posture suggested he didn't care at all.

This response blocked the words Kanazawa had prepared to continue. She remembered the roster where she had deliberately crossed out her own name, then stood up and left.

None of the top three in Class A among the fourth-year students planned to graduate early. She wondered what Teacher Nanda would think.

Hearing that Kanazawa seemed to have walked away, Xin slowly closed his eyes.

The bell rang, ending the morning classes. Normally, fourth-year students at the Spirit Training Academy had only three classes a day—two in the morning and one in the afternoon—leaving plenty of free time.

With graduation approaching and new students arriving, outdoor practical classes had also decreased.

Students in the open-air classroom left one by one. Just as Xin was about to get up, he noticed Shiba Kaien, who should have also left, smiling as he approached.

"Come on, I'll treat you to lunch."

Spirit Training Academy cafeteria.

"You invited me to eat, so why am I the one paying?"

"I forgot to bring money when I left home today."

Shin looked at the Lieutenant Captain before him with considerable speechlessness. The two of them sat down by the window at the edge, and Shiba Kaien, clad in his Shinigami Robe, drew the gazes of many students.

"The food at the academy really brings back memories."

Shiba Kaien spoke between mouthfuls as he devoured his meal.

Shin looked at him and said, "You only spent a year here, didn't you?"

Shiba Kaien had graduated from the Spirit Training Academy in just one year and joined the Thirteenth Division as its Third Seat, causing quite a stir at the time. If outsiders considered Shin a genius, then Shiba Kaien was the kind of genius among geniuses. Coupled with his surname "Shiba," Kaien was shrouded in far too many halos.

And because the Thirteenth Division's Captain, Ukitake Jūshirō, was frail and ill, Lieutenant Captain Shiba Kaien managed all division affairs. He was a man who combined strength, ability, and personal charisma.

Boundless future.

"Let's not dwell on the past. You know why I came to find you, right?" Shiba Kaien said as he ate.

"You want me to join your division?"

A look of "you're a sharp one" spread across Shiba Kaien's face. He said, "I know Miss Matsumoto must have approached you already. Even though the Tenth Division's Captain is my uncle, he's an extremely unreliable guy. You'd have no future going with him. Come with me instead. When I become Captain, maybe I'll promote you to my adjutant."

He spoke ill of his own uncle without restraint, while simultaneously dangling a carrot in front of Shin.

Adjutant?

Shin smiled faintly at Shiba Kaien. If everything went smoothly, Kaien would certainly be able to become Captain.

If everything went smoothly.

"I don't plan to graduate this year. Or next year either," Shin said directly.

Only then did surprise appear on Shiba Kaien's face. "Why?"

He valued Tachikawa Shin, naturally because of the talent Shin had displayed. In his view, Shin had already fully reached the standard for graduation.

Shin didn't give a specific reason. He only said, "After I graduate later, I can indeed prioritize the Thirteenth Division. But there's something I want to do in these two years, and I hope you can help me."

A look of interest appeared on Shiba Kaien's face. "Tell me about it."

Shin spoke slowly. "I want to establish an official organization among the students of the Spirit Training Academy. As an ordinary student, I definitely couldn't manage it. But if you, as the Thirteenth Division's Lieutenant Captain and the next head of the Shiba Family, step forward, it would be much easier."

The smile on Shiba Kaien's face gradually faded. His gaze fixed on Shin.

"You're from the Rukon District, aren't you?"

A smile spread across Shin's face instead. "Yeah, Gokō District. Is there a problem?"

Shiba Kaien let out a light scoff, his eyes unreadable. "Not a small ambition you've got there."

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