Chapter 81: The Rise and Fall of Seniority
Only after Satoru had left the arena did the watching Shinigami snap out of their daze.
"V-Vice-Captain Yadōmaru... lost?!"
"That guy didn't even release his Zanpakutō!"
"Hey, hey... is this for real?"
Among them, those with seated officer positions were even more shocked.
Unlike the average Shinigami, they had heard about the previous prison assault incident.
Back then, when they heard Satoru had fought two Captains single-handedly, they dismissed it as fake news.
But now, seeing him effortlessly defeat Lisa Yadōmaru, they finally realized something was off.
Among Vice-Captains, Lisa was one of the strongest.
Defeating her meant this boy named Satoru Mikami had already earned the right to challenge higher ranks!
Many noble-born Shinigami began considering recruitment.
But they quickly dismissed the thought.
Satoru already bore Genryūsai's mark.
Unless they were one of the Five Great Noble Houses, it was better not to overestimate themselves.
On the high platform, Ginrei Kuchiki, who had been half-lidded, couldn't help but open his eyes a little wider.
Satoru Mikami... he knew this boy.
His son, Sōjun Kuchiki, had gotten along well with him at the academy.
At the time, he hadn't been pleased.
As the heir of the Kuchiki family, Sōjun mingling with some brat from Rukongai was hardly appropriate.
But later, after Satoru caught Yamamoto's eye and even became his disciple, Ginrei's attitude softened somewhat.
After the prison incident, he had kept an eye on Satoru.
Now, witnessing his strength firsthand, he felt a stir in his heart.
This boy's talent might not be inferior to Kōga Kuchiki's!
If they could bring him into the Kuchiki family...
Ginrei instinctively glanced at Yamamoto's back.
Better to think it over carefully...
After Satoru passed his exam, Seinosuke stepped onto the field.
Since his goal was clear—joining the Fourth Division—his test was straightforward.
Staff prepared various animals, inflicting different wounds on them—slashes, blunt force, Kidō...
Watching the scene, Satoru couldn't help but click his tongue.
Thankfully, the Soul Society hadn't developed any animal rights groups yet, or this would've caused an uproar.
Once the animals were wounded, the staff withdrew, leaving the field to Seinosuke.
His task was to provide emergency treatment to all the animals within fifteen minutes.
Fourth Division officers would evaluate his results to determine if he qualified for recruitment.
Under everyone's gaze, Seinosuke smirked.
Chin raised, he strode confidently to the first animal.
This was a wild boar, its thick hide covered in several deep, bleeding wounds.
Seinosuke narrowed his eyes, observing the injuries for a few seconds.
Then, he raised both hands as if conducting an orchestra and gave a swift pull.
Several spiritual threads instantly materialized out of thin air.
Under Seinosuke's practiced control, the threads swiftly darted into the boar's flesh, piercing both ends of the severed blood vessels.
Once all the vessels were threaded, the lines tightened, pulling them together.
Next, a brilliant green light radiated from Seinosuke's hands.
Under its glow, the stretched and aligned vessel ends rapidly fused together.
Within five or six seconds, all the severed blood vessels were completely restored!
Seinosuke smirked slightly and repeated the same process to reconnect the flesh.
A flash of healing light later, the boar looked no different than when it had first been brought in.
Even the bloodstains on its body had been wiped away by Seinosuke's spiritual energy.
And all of this had taken less than forty seconds!
Then came the second, the third…
In under ten minutes, Seinosuke had treated all the animals.
The 4th Division officer could no longer stay seated and rushed onto the field.
After inspecting every animal, he exclaimed excitedly:
"E-every injury has been fully restored!"
"Rating: First Class!"
"No—no, First Class isn't enough to describe such flawless work! This should be Upper First Class! Supreme First Class!"
Several 4th Division members quickly stepped in to stop him, explaining that no such rating existed.
Though it bordered on farce, everyone had witnessed just how much of a prodigy this young man named Yamada Seinosuke was in the art of healing.
The surrounding Shinigami all broke into pleased smiles.
For those who lived by the sword, having such a talent in the 4th Division was excellent news.
Chōjirō announced Seinosuke's successful completion of the examination.
With this, all three members of the group had successfully graduated ahead of schedule.
Seinosuke walked back, looking smugly at the other two.
"So, Satoru, Aizen, are you suddenly feeling impressed by me?"
"You can still call me 'Lord Seinosuke' now if you want."
Satoru shot him a glance. "I have Captain Unohana's autograph."
"Dad!!"
Lord Seinosuke instantly dropped two generations in rank.
After the graduation exams for Satoru and the others concluded, the atmosphere in the training grounds grew noticeably heavier.
All the Shinigami present as witnesses unconsciously straightened their backs.
Next up was the captain qualification exam for the three new candidates!
Once the area was cleared, Chōjirō looked down and announced—
"Now, we will begin the first captain competency exam."
"Third Seat of the 3rd Division, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi! Step forward!"
From the crowd, a blond man stood up.
His features bore a distinctly Western appearance—whether he was mixed-race or simply a Westerner who had died far from home was unclear.
Under the gaze of the crowd, he slowly walked forward and bowed respectfully toward the high platform.
Chōjirō turned to look at Yamamoto.
Yamamoto glanced at the captains beside him.
Then he said, "Captain Hirako, you will serve as the examiner."
Hearing this, Shinji scratched his head and sighed in resignation.
Chōjirō nodded. "The examiner will be Captain Shinji Hirako of the 5th Division!"
"Third Seat Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, within the allotted time, demonstrate the strength befitting a captain and earn Captain Hirako's approval!"
In a flash, Shinji appeared opposite Rōjūrō.
"Captain Hirako, I look forward to your guidance."
Rōjūrō wore a solemn expression.
Shinji waved a hand dismissively. "No need to be so serious. My exams are pretty lenient. As long as—"
Before he could finish, Yamamoto's stern voice rang out from the platform. "Captain Hirako, if you conduct this exam carelessly, I will be displeased."
Shinji flinched, quickly clearing his throat and adopting a serious demeanor.
"Uh, Rōjūrō, was it? You heard him... I won't be holding back, so be careful."
"Understood."
Rōjūrō nodded.
His hand rested on the hilt of his Zanpakutō.
As Chōjirō declared the exam begun, Rōjūrō drew his blade without hesitation—
"Play, Kinshara!!"
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