Recruitment

The last few days of preparation before the start-of-term assessment passed quietly and peacefully.

Wang Xun went to the training grounds again and collected another round of fragments. All his abilities rose steadily.

[Name: Wang Xun]

Spiritual Might: ninth rank (experience: 305/5000)

Kendō: lv2 (experience: 1920/2000)

Hakuda: lv2 (experience: 1845/2000)

Shunpo: lv2 (experience: 1785/2000)

Kidō: lv3 (experience: 1705/3000)

Zanpakuto: Asauchi resonance 82%

[Special abilities]

Hollowfication: lv1 (experience: 10/1000)

Hōgyoku (awakening: 0.05%)

Wang Xun glanced over his panel. At this rate, once he collected fragments on a large scale during the start-of-term test, all his abilities except Shunpo should break through to lv3.

That afternoon, when the two finished training and walked out of the Kidō practice grounds, the setting sun had dyed the buildings of the Seireitei gold.

"The start-of-term test is tomorrow," Nanao said as she walked, leafing through her notes. "I should review the part about each division's duties and work procedures..."

Wang Xun yawned and rubbed his ravenous stomach.

"But shouldn't we get something to eat first?"

Only then did Nanao realize she hadn't eaten anything since noon. Right on cue, her stomach gave a soft rumble.

Seeing Wang Xun making faces at her, she instantly turned red.

A wave of embarrassment and annoyance rose in Nanao, and she made to pinch Wang Xun's waist.

She was still small, barely reaching past his waist, so even raising her hand was a bit difficult. Wang Xun took the chance to dodge.

As the two were fooling around, a somewhat languid voice came from the side.

"Hey, long time no see, Wang Xun."

The two turned to look.

A young man in a Spiritual Arts Academy uniform was leaning against a maple tree.

His long black hair was loosely tied back, with a few strands hanging casually over his forehead.

He was handsome to the point of looking almost feminine, with slightly upturned phoenix eyes and a playful smile on his lips.

Most striking of all was the garment faintly visible beneath his uniform jacket. It was made of expensive brocade, with elaborate clan patterns embroidered on the cuffs.

Tokinada Tsunayashiro.

He was a member of the main branch of the Tsunayashiro Clan, one of the current Four Great Noble Clans, and Wang Xun's classmate in the elite class.

"Classmate Tsunayashiro."

Nanao nodded politely, but a trace of wariness flashed in her eyes.

"Little girl from the Ise Clan, you're as serious as ever."

Tokinada chuckled and turned his gaze to Wang Xun.

"Have a chat?"

Nanao looked at Wang Xun. He scratched his head and smiled at her apologetically.

"Sorry, Nanao. Go on to the cafeteria first. We won't eat together today."

Nanao hesitated, then nodded and left with her books in her arms.

After walking some distance, she couldn't help looking back.

Tokinada Tsunayashiro and Wang Xun stood side by side beneath the tree, looking relaxed, as though they were simply chatting.

What does that guy want with Wang Xun this time?

She muttered under her breath, inexplicably a little unhappy.

The two of us were going to eat together...

Damn it.

Nanao walked away slowly.

Under the maple tree, Tokinada took an exquisite gold cigarette case from his clothes, shook out a slim cigarette, and placed it between his lips.

"Want one? It's a rare thing I got from the World of the Living."

Wang Xun shook his head.

"No thanks. I'm not very interested in that. What did you want to see me about?"

A tiny Reishi flame lit up at Tokinada's fingertip. He lit the cigarette and took a deep drag.

"You know, of everyone in the elite class, you're the one who interests me most."

Tokinada flicked his cigarette.

"Those people desperately showing off their abilities are complete idiots as far as I'm concerned. But you... that thing I asked you about before, you really won't consider it?"

"I'm just an ordinary person, and my strength is nothing special. I'm not as unfathomable as you imagine."

Seeing Wang Xun's calm expression, Tokinada curled his lip.

"You've probably heard that, among the nobles of the Seireitei, the Tsunayashiro Clan has the most members and the fiercest internal competition."

"I've known how to read people since I was three. Everyone around me either curries favor with the powerful or schemes against each other. I can tell what's real and what's fake at a glance."

Wang Xun smacked his lips. This guy really wasn't easy to fool.

"Know how I noticed?" Tokinada shrugged. "Mainly because I was bored."

"My clan insisted I come here to study for a few years, saying it would look good on my record. I'm not going to fight for my life in the Gotei 13, so what do I need that record for?"

He spoke lightly, but Wang Xun could hear the helplessness in his words.

A direct descendant of one of the current Four Great Noble Clans had been sent to the Spiritual Arts Academy to study alongside ordinary people. For someone like him, who wasn't particularly talented, it really was a kind of torment.

"To find some entertainment, I started observing the people around me."

Tokinada took another drag.

"That's when I noticed you. Everyone else genuinely trains their hardest, but you... you're much like me. Deep down, you look down on hard work."

"But I can tell you crave strength. Especially when you look at the people in the elite class, there's a light in your eyes. You never pay any attention to those mediocre people who train hard."

Wang Xun felt somewhat helpless. That much was true: it was hard for people much weaker than him to drop attribute fragments.

He just hadn't expected anyone to notice that too.

"My confidence comes from the clan behind me. But where does yours come from?"

Tokinada Tsunayashiro stared into Wang Xun's eyes.

"Second, you treat me, them, and every other noble scion the same way. You're neither servile nor arrogant, neither flattering nor distant. That's rare in the Seireitei."

Wang Xun sighed. He truly hadn't expected anyone to study him like this.

"Sharp observation, but everything you've said is just speculation. It doesn't prove anything."

Tokinada chuckled and casually stubbed out his cigarette.

"You really won't join the Tsunayashiro Clan?"

He stared fixedly at Wang Xun.

"Come be my retainer. I'll give you the same treatment as a lieutenant: food, clothing, housing, transportation, cultivation resources, access to our library... whatever the Tsunayashiro Clan has, you can have it too."

Wang Xun was taken aback.

The offer was even better than the one Tokinada had made before.

A lieutenant's compensation meant a salary of at least several million kan a year, as well as access to resources and knowledge reserved for nobles.

For a Soul Reaper of common birth, it was practically a leap to a higher social class, let alone for a Spiritual Arts Academy student.

But those things didn't mean much to Wang Xun.

He had businesses in the Rukongai, so he wasn't short of money.

And although it would look like he was attaching himself to a noble family, the benefits he could actually gain would be very limited.

There was no way the resources that truly touched on the clan's core would be made available to an outsider like him.

Most importantly, the rules and restrictions among the nobles would limit how efficiently he could collect fragments in the Gotei 13.

The loss would outweigh the gain.

"A tempting offer."

Wang Xun looked up at the night sky.

"But sorry, I still lean more toward the Gotei 13."

"Is that so."

Tokinada's tone carried the understanding of someone who had expected this.

The more Wang Xun acted this way, the more convinced Tokinada became of his own suspicions.

"There's no need to answer in a hurry. There's still over a year until graduation, so take your time thinking it over. You might change your mind."

"In the meantime, if you run into any problems-for example, if some blind noble gives you trouble-just use my name."

Wang Xun raised an eyebrow.

"Is that appropriate?"

Tokinada lit another cigarette.

"People lift each other up. Even if you stick with your choice in the end, I'd still like to be your friend. I trust my judgment."

He blew out a smoke ring and looked at the setting sun gradually sinking into the distance.

"That's enough talk. I'm off." Tokinada waved. "Good luck on tomorrow's test, genius who works so hard to stay mediocre."

He turned and left, his black hair drifting gently in the evening breeze.

After a few steps, he suddenly looked back and winked at Wang Xun.

"Oh, right. That girl from the Ise Clan-I wouldn't recommend getting too close to her. If you have time, look into her family background."