The Splendor of That Slash

Three days later, before the Seireitei Senkaimon.

"Huh? The President is leading the team?"

When Hinamori and the other first-year Class A students saw that Xin was the leader among the upperclassmen, they were all somewhat surprised.

Aside from Hinamori, Kira, and a few Student Council members, the rest were not merely surprised. Quite a few even revealed excited expressions.

Tachikawa Shin was something of a legendary figure at the Spirit Training Academy, and many regarded him as someone to strive toward.

Being able to travel with their idol during this Human World field training came as a pleasant surprise to many.

"What's so strange about me leading the team?" Xin merely chuckled and casually replied, sweeping his gaze over the Class A members.

All the familiar faces were here.

So it really was this time...

He said to them, "I won't waste time introducing myself. We'll now draw lots to divide you into groups of three for the operation."

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

Xin took out the Communication Device issued to the upperclassmen for this operation. It was similar to a cellphone, a communication device that relied on reishi transmission. However, cellphones did not yet exist in the Human World at this time, so Soul Society's scientific research was currently far ahead of the Human World's.

Because the Communication Device relied on reishi transmission, it could easily be disrupted or blocked by spiritual pressure.

It was only an ordinary Human World field training exercise. Surely no one would imagine that someone might sabotage it from behind the scenes.

The first-years had already finished drawing lots.

Hinamori Momo, Izuru Kira, and Renji Abarai—the three classmates who knew one another well—had happened to been assigned to the same group.

Xin stared at the lot box, secretly wondering whether this was merely a coincidence...

Although it had happened this way in the original story as well, had his arrival failed to affect something that was supposed to be random?

Aizen had secretly engineered this training accident from the shadows in order to test the abilities of Hinamori, Kira, and Renji. If they met his standards, he could make them useful tools in the future.

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

Renji Abarai had likely been discarded by Aizen because of his personality.

As they prepared to pass through the Senkaimon, the younger students appeared somewhat nervous. Many had only seen Hollows in books, and now they were about to fight them. Though they were merely very low-level Hollows, quite a few still felt uneasy.

Xin turned to look at his juniors and smiled faintly as he reassured them, "Don't worry. Fighting Hollows isn't as difficult as you imagine. You only need to apply what you've learned at school. Nothing will go wrong. Besides, upperclassmen like us are here. We'll definitely keep you safe."

His words were highly convincing. Simply having him standing there put many at ease.

The Senkaimon slowly opened, and Xin was the first to step inside.

The Human World.

The simulated battle site encompassed a coastal town. It could be called the Human World, yet it was actually a false space. Since it would serve as a battlefield against Hollows, choosing a real Human World city would inevitably endanger its residents.

Therefore, the Seireitei's Twelfth Division had used a Kido Kekai to create a spatial replica.

Aside from the Hollows placed there in advance, the entire town contained only Spirit Training Academy students.

Xin stood atop the tallest building in town, with Shūbīng and Kanazawa beside him.

This training would last for quite some time. Their main duty was to ensure that it proceeded smoothly and that the younger students remained safe. They did not need to deliberately interfere too much with the specific battles of each group.

Shūbīng was using the Communication Device to communicate with members of the Kekai team. When he finished, he said to Xin and Kanazawa, "Everything is going smoothly."

"Is that so?"

Xin's expression remained calm. From where he stood, he could almost overlook the entire town.

The moonlight was gentle, shimmering across the sea.

Before Shūbīng or Kanazawa could react, Xin suddenly vanished from where he stood with a Shunpo. A massive blade of light flashed ahead.

Boom!

A large Hollow several meters tall was cleaved directly in two, its halves crashing to the ground on either side.

Only then did Shūbīng and Kanazawa recover their senses and hurriedly follow with Shunpo. Watching the Hollow dissolve into reishi, they were both somewhat stunned.

"That size..." Shūbīng muttered. "It has already exceeded the regulations, hasn't it?"

Moreover, neither he nor Kanazawa had detected this Hollow. It had even been skilled at concealing itself. Had Xin not discovered it in time, the younger students might very well have suffered casualties if they encountered it!

Shūbīng immediately took out his Communication Device and called out, "Kekai team, a large Hollow exceeding the regulations has appeared inside the Kekai. What's going on?"

A moment later, a voice came through from the other end of the Communication Device. "Everything appears normal on our end. Is what you said true?"

"Normal? A large Hollow nearly six meters tall just appeared. That completely exceeds the regulations!"

"Were there any casualties on your side?"

Shūbīng glanced at Xin beside him and replied, "No. The large Hollow has already been dealt with."

"That's good. There may have been an error during the Hollow deployment."

Hisagi Shūhei frowned deeply. "We request that the training be temporarily suspended so all Hollows inside the Kekai can be inspected."

After he said this, the other side paused for much longer before finally responding, "There is no need to suspend the training. This will not happen again."

Shūbīng immediately grew agitated. "Kekai team?"

A voice came from the other end. "We have already investigated. One Hollow was skilled at concealing its spiritual pressure, so it was mistakenly classified as a small Hollow during deployment. This will not happen again. There is no need to suspend the training."

Shūbīng switched off the Communication Device, but worry and lingering fear remained between his brows.

That Hollow just now...

If Xin had not come this time, something might truly have happened!

Kanazawa also looked dissatisfied. "How could they make such a mistake? They're treating the students' lives like a joke."

Then she said to Xin, "Xin, thankfully you were here."

Xin's expression remained unchanged. Was everything really over now?

In the original story, it seemed that only this one Hollow had caused trouble, but he did not dare be certain now.

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

Meanwhile, at the Kekai team's location.

After answering the question through the Communication Device, the last member here died beneath the blade of a silver-haired boy.

"Things seem to have gone a little differently than expected, Captain Aizen. That Hollow was dealt with before it even encountered those children."

Before a somewhat blurry screen, a refined and scholarly man looked thoughtfully at the familiar figure on the display.

Tachikawa Shin.

A person earmarked as a future Fourth Division member was not among the potential tools in his plans.

The current captain of the Fourth Division was a troublesome person. He was far older and more senior than Aizen, and no one had ever seen him truly fight. That meant it was difficult to determine his actual strength.

"Then include him in the test as well."

Aizen lightly adjusted his somewhat reflective glasses. In the dim room, his face appeared several shades darker and more sinister.

"Deploy two more Hollows."

Ichimaru Gin glanced at the Zanpakutō in his hand, still dripping blood, and said, "That slash just now was truly remarkable. I think even deploying ten more would make no difference."

"No, you're mistaken, Gin." Aizen rejected his words.

"Since it is a test, we are naturally not trying to kill him. We merely need to see his true level."

"So, one large Hollow like the one from before, along with one Gillian, will be enough."

Ichimaru Gin's usually narrowed eyes opened slightly, as though he had misheard.

A Gillian?

The New Year matters have finally been taken care of. Normal updates will resume starting tomorrow.