The Splendor of That Blade

Three days later, in front of the Seireitei's Gate of Crossing.

"Huh? You're the one leading the team?"

Hinamori and the other first-year students of Class A were a bit surprised to see Shin at the head of the senior students.

Besides Hinamori, Kira, and a few Student Council members, the rest of the students weren't just surprised; many even looked excited.

Shin Tachikawa was a legendary figure at the Spirit Training Academy, with many aspiring to be like him.

Being able to accompany their idol on this field trip to the Human World was a pleasant surprise for many.

"Is there anything strange about me leading the team?" Shin said with a light chuckle, his gaze sweeping over the Class A members.

The familiar faces were all there.

This is indeed the time...

He addressed the crowd, "I won't give any unnecessary self-introductions. Now, we'll draw lots to divide you into groups of three for the operation."

Aoshika then brought over the lottery box, and everyone gathered around.

Shin took out the communication device that had been distributed to the senior students for this mission. This device was similar to a mobile phone, a communication machine that relied on spirit particle transmission. However, mobile phones didn't exist in the Human World at this time, indicating that Soul Society's scientific and technological advancements were far ahead of the Human World's.

Because the communication device relied on spirit particle transmission, it was easily susceptible to interference and shielding from Reiatsu.

It was just a normal field trip to the Human World, so it was unlikely anyone would think of tampering with it.

The first-year students had finished drawing their lots.

Hinamori Momo, Izuru Kira, and Renji Abarai, three students who knew each other well, happened to be in the same group.

Shin's gaze fixed on the lottery box, thinking, Was this just a simple coincidence...?

Even though it was like this in the original work, has my arrival not affected these random situations?

Aizen, from behind the scenes, had secretly orchestrated this field trip accident to test the talents of Hinamori, Kira, and Renji. If they met his standards, he could make them his useful tools in the future.

And the three of them did not disappoint, standing out from the rest. Hinamori Momo became Aizen's lieutenant, and Izuru Kira became Ichimaru Gin's lieutenant.

Renji Abarai was likely abandoned by Aizen due to his personality.

As they walked towards the Gate of Crossing, the junior students appeared somewhat nervous. Many had only read about Hollows in books, and now they were going to fight them. Although they were only very low-level Hollows, it still made many uneasy.

Shin turned to look at these juniors and said with a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, fighting Hollows isn't as difficult as you imagine. You just need to apply what you've learned at school. There won't be any problems. Besides, with senior students like us here, we'll definitely protect your safety."

His words carried a lot of conviction, and his presence alone made many feel at ease.

The Gate of Crossing slowly opened, and Shin stepped through first.

Human World.

The location for the simulated combat was a seaside town. This was technically the Human World, but it was actually a fabricated space. Since it was a battleground against Hollows, if it were set in a real city in the Human World, it would inevitably affect the residents.

Therefore, the Twelfth Division of the Central 46 Residence used a Kido barrier to create a spatial replica.

Besides the Hollows that had been placed there beforehand, the only other occupants of the town were the students from the Spirit Training Academy.

Shin stood on the tallest building in the town, with Shūbīng and Kanazawa beside him.

This field trip would last for a considerable period. Their main responsibility was to ensure the smooth progress of the internship and the safety of the junior students. As for the specific combat situations of each group, they didn't need to interfere too much.

Shūbīng was communicating with the members of the barrier team using the communication device. After finishing, he said to Shin and Kanazawa, "Everything is going smoothly."

"Is that so?"

Shin's expression was calm. From his vantage point, he could overlook almost the entire town.

The moonlight was gentle, casting shimmering reflections on the sea.

Before Shūbīng and Kanazawa could react, Shin suddenly disappeared from his spot with a Shunpo. A massive blade light flashed ahead.

BOOM!

A large Hollow, several meters tall, was split in two from the middle and crashed to the ground.

Shūbīng and Kanazawa snapped back to reality and quickly followed with Shunpo. They looked at the Hollow, which was dissipating into spirit particles, in a daze.

"That size..." Shūbīng muttered, "That's beyond the regulations, isn't it?"

Moreover, neither he nor Kanazawa had detected this Hollow, which was adept at concealing its presence. If Shin hadn't intervened in time, and the junior students had encountered it, there could have been casualties!

Subsequently, Shūbīng quickly took out his communication device and called out, "Barrier team, a large Hollow exceeding regulations has appeared within the barrier. What's going on?"

A moment later, a voice came back from the other end of the communication device, "Everything appears normal on our end. Are you sure about this?"

"Normal? A large Hollow reaching six meters in height just appeared. That's completely beyond the regulations!"

"Are there any casualties on your end?"

Shūbīng glanced at Shin beside him and replied, "No, the large Hollow has been dealt with."

"That's good. There might have been a deviation during the Hollow deployment."

Hisagi Shūbīng's brow furrowed. "We request to temporarily suspend the internship and investigate the status of all Hollows within the barrier."

After he finished speaking, there was a longer pause on the other end before the response came, "The internship does not need to be suspended. This situation will not occur again."

Shūbīng immediately became agitated, "Barrier team?"

A voice from over there responded, "We've investigated. There was a Hollow skilled at hiding its Reiatsu, so when it was deployed, we mistakenly identified it as a small Hollow. This won't happen again, and the internship does not need to be suspended."

Shūbīng turned off the communication device, but worry and lingering fear remained on his brow.

That Hollow from earlier...

If Shin hadn't come this time, something truly terrible might have happened!

Kanazawa also showed displeasure. "To have such a mistake happen, they're completely playing with the students' lives."

She then said to Shin, "Shin, thank goodness for you."

Shin, however, remained composed. Was everything over now?

In the original story, only this one Hollow caused trouble, but he couldn't be sure now.

He had disrupted someone's original plan. What actions would that person take next?

At the same time, in the barrier team.

The last member here died by the blade of a silver-haired boy after answering the communication device's questions.

"The situation seems a bit unexpected, Captain Aizen. That Hollow was dealt with before it could even encounter those children."

In front of a slightly blurry screen, the refined and gentle man looked thoughtfully at the familiar figure on the screen.

Tachikawa Shin.

Someone already designated for the Fourth Division, he was not within the scope of his future planned tools.

The current Captain of the Fourth Division was a very troublesome person, much older and more experienced than him. He had never seen the Captain truly fight, meaning it was difficult to ascertain his true strength.

"Then let's include him in the test as well."

Aizen lightly pushed his slightly reflective glasses. In the dimly lit room, his face appeared somewhat dark and sinister.

"Deploy two more Hollows."

Ichimaru Gin glanced at the still-dripping Zanpakutō in his hand and said, "That last strike was astonishing. I think deploying ten more would be the same."

"No, you're mistaken, Gin," Aizen denied.

"Since it's a test, it's not aimed at killing him. We just need to see his true capabilities."

"Therefore, one large Hollow like before, plus one Gillian, will suffice."

Ichimaru Gin's habitually narrowed eyes opened slightly. He thought he had misheard.

A Gillian?

The New Year's events are finally finished. Normal updates will resume starting tomorrow.