From the outside, Shino Academy was an imposing building.
Inside the academy, it was divided into several specialized areas.
There were ghost rooms, kendo rooms, and other facilities...
The square at the academy's entrance was massive, easily large enough to hold several thousand people without feeling crowded at all.
At the main gate, there was a plaque reading "Shino Academy" in bold characters. The calligraphy was powerful, the strokes etched deep into the wood. The majestic air it gave off was unmistakable-it had to have been written by Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni himself.
Upon entering the academy grounds, multiple buildings came into view. Chairs lined both sides of the path for resting, while students in white Shino Academy uniforms walked beneath the trees.
Inside a faculty office, Kuranosuke Kiyota-the teacher in charge of Shino Academy's elite group class–was seated at his desk reviewing documents.
Several other instructors who had no current classes lingered nearby.
At that moment, two sets of footsteps approached from down the corridor. Kiyota looked up when the door opened and saw Rangiku Matsumoto, the lieutenant of Squad 10, walk in.
"Matsumoto, why do you have time to visit the academy today?"
Rangiku placed her hands on Yuta's shoulders from behind and smiled. "Today's main character isn't me-it's him."
Yuta handed over a letter.
Kiyota furrowed his brows slightly. Whose letter could this be?
Upon receiving it and seeing the chrysanthemum seal of Squad One on the envelope, his entire demeanor changed. Letters from the First Division were rare and carried significant weight.
[We now have Yuta, a commoner from Rukongai who has immense potential.]
[Arrange for him to enter Shino Academy without any entrance exam.]
After reading it through, Kiyota stole another glance at Yuta.
What kind of person could receive a direct recommendation from the Captain?
"I understand. Since he's been recommended by the Captain commander, there's no longer any requirement for a spiritual pressure test."
Matsumoto knew exactly why Kiyota looked so surprised.
Shino Academy's standards were rigorous. Soul Reapers graduating from it headed into life-and-death combat situations-it wasn't some ordinary training school. Very few were ever admitted without testing unless their spiritual pressure was so overwhelming that no evaluation was necessary.
That thought alone made Matsumoto stiffen slightly.
Just earlier in the room, Yuta had identified someone standing beyond the doorway based solely on their spiritual pressure-even though she herself hadn't noticed anything.
While spiritual pressure couldn't be seen with human eyes, doors typically did little to conceal it... unless the pressure was being withheld intentionally within one's body. If that was the case, then it became exceedingly difficult to detect.
Which could only suggest one thing: Yuta's ability to perceive spiritual pressure was sharper than hers-and she was a vice-captain.
Matsumoto stared at Yuta's back with silent astonishment.
Kiyota opened one of the drawers in his desk and pulled out a stack of wooden student ID tags. Each one had a triangular top and rectangular body.
He imbued his fingertip with spiritual energy and engraved markings onto one of them before handing it over.
"This is your student ID card."
Yuta accepted it and turned it over. His name was inscribed on the front alongside his designation in the elite group. On the back were detailed carvings of Shino Academy's emblem and structure.
"There are multiple sizes of uniforms available. Find one that fits you best."
Before Yuta could choose his own uniform, Matsumoto stepped in ahead of him eagerly.
In one corner of the room sat a wooden box filled with folded school outfits in various sizes.
Boys' uniforms were blue and white; girls' were red and white.
Each bore the emblem of Shino Spiritual Arts Academy on the chest.
Matsumoto held up a set against Yuta's body and then frowned slightly. "Too small..."
"This one's too tight too-you'll want something larger."
"Hmm... this one should be good!"
"Looks like your figure is better suited for Yuta's size than mine is! Hurry up and try it on!"
It was obvious that Matsumoto cared about how Yuta looked in uniform far beyond how much Yuta himself did.
She dragged him toward the bathroom and shoved him inside before stepping back with excitement in her eyes.
When he returned after changing, her eyes widened instinctively at what she saw.
Yuta had always looked handsome before-but that had been in his simple Rukongai clothing. Now dressed properly in Shino Academy's white uniform, it was as though someone had painted him directly out of a scroll depicting noble warriors or princes from old legends.
More than his face though-it was his build that stood out. Broad shoulders, solid frame-the kind built for strength and command. It wasn't something found among commoners often.
She spotted one wrinkle around his collar that hadn't settled right and instinctively reached out with her bare hand to smooth it flat for him.
"So lovely..."
She scanned him up and down again with visible satisfaction in her expression-but then noticed Yuta staring at her closely.
"What? Is there something on my face?"
Yuta spoke calmly. "You're the lieutenant of Squad 10... You're not really planning to attend classes with me... are you?"
Grinning now, Matsumoto replied lightly, "You'd be surprised-it might actually happen! I could teach you anything you want: combat techniques, hand-to-hand fighting, spellcasting... I wouldn't hold anything back."
She gave a wink right after saying that but softened her tone slightly afterward. "Just kidding... but really, I'll drop by when I have time to check on you."
"See you~"
Matsumoto lifted her hand to kiss her palm playfully before blowing it toward Yuta while giving a playful one-eyed wink as she left-not out of character for Rangiku Matsumoto at all.
Once she was gone, Yuta began wandering through Shino Academy alone to explore its layout firsthand.
The territory was much bigger than he had imagined-not only were there administrative buildings and classrooms, but secluded groves dotted various corners between structures too.
From time to time, he felt bursts of unique spiritual energy nearby from different directions inside the academy grounds.
Drawn by curiosity toward one strong signature, he followed it until arriving outside a classroom bearing a plaque:
"Kidō Lecture Hall."
He pushed open the door gently and stepped inside-
What he saw immediately divided into two distinct areas:
The first was a long rectangular platform made of polished wood stretching forward under his feet. Students sat kneeling formally across it in neat rows.
Four painted red columns stood anchored at each corner of this raised floor beneath a traditional sloped roof above their heads. Everything beyond that point opened into dry grasslands scarred by repeated destruction from high-level spells. Far off in the distance stood wooden dummies mounted with red center-point targets for aim practice.
At that moment-a petite female Soul Reaper stood alone toward the end of the platform.
It would be hard to call her youthful given Soul Reaper lifespans-but her build suggested someone young nonetheless. Dressed in standard Shinigami attire, she stood firm with legs apart at shoulder width; her right hand extended outward while her left clasped beneath her elbow for support as she stared intently at her target far away.
Even from behind-from posture alone-it was obvious how seriously she approached what she was doing with discipline and focus blended effortlessly together in her form.
Yuta stood completely silent behind everyone as he watched from afar without interrupting anything-
The girl began speaking clearly:
"O King! Mask of flesh and bone; fluttering wings; bearer of human name! Amidst heat and chaos-we advance south over sea!"
As her crisp chant echoed forward-a ball of flame gradually ignited over her open palm-
The surrounding wind surged inward toward it-the condensed energy within grew unstable and pulsed wildly between bursts-
"Hadō #31: Shakkahō!"
The fireball zipped straight through wind and space before smashing into its target across the field with pinpoint precision-a direct bullseye that exploded into charred fragments on impact!
The girl turned around after finishing and smiled softly at those gathered behind her on the platform-
"That concludes our incantation for Hadō #31: Shakkahō. Did everyone memorize it?"
"Yes, Miss Kuchiki!"
That girl-
Was none other than Rukia Kuchiki of Squad 13-
Now serving as instructor within Shino Academy's Kidō program.
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