Rukia felt something strange—an odd sense she couldn't quite place—as she looked toward the group of upperclassmen seated before her. Her gaze finally settled on Tachikawa Nobu.
Other than that brief glimpse of him during the entrance ceremony, this was technically their first proper meeting.
And yet, the way he looked at her… it was as if he already knew who she was.
Uneasy, she lowered her eyes and offered a respectful bow to those before her.
Hisagi Shūhei began routinely, "Please start by introducing yourself."
"Hello, senpai. I'm Rukia from Class B, First-Year Cohort. I come from Inuzuri, District 78 of South Rukongai. I don't have any particular hobbies. I just hope to become a capable Shinigami through my studies here at the Academy. If I'm accepted into the student council, I'm happy to work in any department."
Compared to Hinamori Momo's earlier performance, Rukia's introduction was fairly ordinary. Nobu had already caught a glimpse of the scores Mitsugorō had written beside him—Rukia's was the lowest so far.
Coming from Rukongai and being a Class B student, she was probably already disqualified in Kasakurōji Mitsugorō's mind.
"Please answer the first question," came the prompt.
"I would choose to stay behind and fight the Menos Grande alongside the upperclassman."
"Please explain your reasoning."
Rukia pressed her lips together before replying, "I just think… in a moment like that, you shouldn't abandon a senior to face danger alone. Even if it means sacrificing myself, maybe it would help to have someone stand beside them. I'm not a top student—to the Soul Society, losing someone like me would be less of a loss than losing that senpai. If I stay, maybe I can help reduce the risk they face."
Nobu raised an eyebrow at her answer, then spoke suddenly: "Well said."
Everyone else froze in slight surprise as he continued, "For a first-year student to show such clarity and resolve—that's impressive."
Mitsugorō frowned but remained silent. He glanced again at this girl named Rukia. Aside from being decently pretty, there was nothing especially noteworthy about her—and she was from Class B.
Still, after a moment of hesitation, he adjusted the score in his notebook.
So far, very few applicants had passed. Half the student council slots for first-years were already reserved for noble-born students—something Nobu couldn't change. As for the rest, he could play with the selection however he liked.
The other council members, catching Nobu's tone, also seemed to realize something. A few quietly began making new notes.
Smiling faintly, Nobu waited as Hisagi Shūhei resumed: "Please move on to the second question."
Hinamori's answers earlier had been textbook examples—for the second question, she'd clearly outlined her approach. For the third, she'd cleverly responded that she would first consult the president's opinion.
By contrast, Rukia's answers to the last two questions didn't stand out as much. Yet the council didn't score her immediately—instead, their eyes turned to Nobu again.
Seeing his continued encouragement, they resumed their evaluations.
At last, Hisagi said, "After our collective review, Rukia-san, congratulations. You've passed the interview."
Rukia was stunned. She hadn't expected to pass, especially after feeling that her later responses had fallen short. For a moment, her eyes lit up with surprise and joy.
"Thank you, senpai." She bowed deeply, again and again.
"You should thank our president here—he was very generous with you," Mitsugorō quipped, unable to resist a jab.
But Nobu didn't seem bothered. He chuckled lightly, "We should give our juniors more chances. I trust my instincts."
Even Rukia, slow as she sometimes was, realized by now: it was the president's support that had swayed the rest of the panel. Gratitude bloomed quietly in her heart.
And Nobu, noticing the change, smiled even more.
"All right. Be sure to report on time tomorrow."
"Yes, sir!"
After Rukia left, Nobu shot Mitsugorō a grin, which made the latter wonder if the guy was crazy. He'd been mocking him just now—hadn't Nobu noticed?
What Mitsugorō didn't realize… was that his sarcastic comment had just caused Rukia's affinity to spike to 15.
[Spiritual Pressure Level: Lv. 17]
[Zanpakutō Unlock Progress: 10%]
Rukia exited the interview room and found Hinamori Momo waiting for her in the corridor.
"Rukia!"
"Momo…"
"How did it go, how did it go?" Hinamori asked eagerly.
"I passed!" Rukia beamed.
"Really?! That's amazing!" Hinamori squealed and pulled Rukia into a celebratory hug.
Even though they hadn't known each other long, Hinamori's warm, open personality put Rukia completely at ease. She already felt that this girl was genuinely kind.
"It's all thanks to your encouragement," Rukia said sincerely. "I really thought I'd failed."
Hinamori smiled brightly. "Don't mention it. You passed because you're capable—nothing to do with me."
Rukia still felt a lingering tension in her chest. "I was so nervous when I stepped into the room. The senpai looked so intimidating…"
"I know, right?" Hinamori agreed. "They were all so serious—it really got to me. But the president seemed really kind."
Rukia thought of Nobu, his face flashing briefly through her mind. She murmured, "He really is. I didn't perform that well, honestly, but he encouraged me—and I think the others went easier on me because of that."
Hinamori chimed in enthusiastically, "See? You think so too, right? He's amazing. They say he was the one who first proposed forming the student council! And he's a top student at the Shin'ō Academy—a real genius! He's best at swordsmanship, and even his instructor can't beat him anymore!"
"You sure know a lot," Rukia said, a little surprised.
"Well, of course I did my research!" Hinamori replied, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I figured I'd meet the president during the interview, so I thought it'd help to know more about him."
Rukia privately marveled at how prepared Hinamori had been. Compared to that, her own success felt like sheer dumb luck.
All thanks to President Nobu—kind and generous as he was.
The two chatted as they walked out of the building, Hinamori asking which department Rukia hoped to join.
"I haven't decided yet. I don't know much about the departments."
"I hope we end up in the same one."
"Mm."
Plenty of candidates were still left to interview. It took Nobu and the others another hour or two to finish.
In the end, a total of nineteen first-years passed the interview.
These nineteen would be evenly assigned across six departments: Disciplinary, Operations, Finance, Public Relations, Academics, and Arts—meaning three new students per division.
Once the final assignments were made in the student council headquarters, Nobu leaned back in his chair and stretched with a yawn.
"Ugh, I'm exhausted. That was brutal."
Mitsugorō left with the others.
"Want to grab dinner?" Hisagi asked. Kanisawa looked over too.
"You go ahead. I've got something else to take care of."
Hisagi raised a brow. "What is it?"
Nobu just smiled. "Secret."
Hisagi gave him a look. "Don't tell me you're going to meet one of the new girls already?"
Nobu rolled his eyes, too lazy to dignify that with a response.
Hisagi and Kanisawa left together. On their way to the dining hall, Kanisawa asked suddenly, "Do you think Nobu actually likes that girl we interviewed today?"
Hisagi blinked at the unexpected question, scratching his head. "That Hinamori girl is pretty cute… so maybe, yeah. I could see it."
Nobu, meanwhile, had also left the office. It was late afternoon now, and classes had ended for the day.
He headed alone to the swordsmanship hall, using his student council privileges to enter without issue.
Next to the dojo was the weapon storage room. Inside, rows upon rows of identical black-bladed practice swords—asauchi—lined the walls, each neatly labeled with a number.
Academy students weren't allowed to keep their own asauchi. They could only use them during swordsmanship or combat training classes. Over the six years of study, it was extremely rare to awaken one's zanpakutō before graduation. Ninety-nine percent of students only began developing their personal blades after receiving an asauchi upon assignment to a squad.
Even then, many Shinigami would never achieve that awakening in their entire careers. Those who did were already candidates for seated positions.
A zanpakutō was a weapon forged from the very soul of its wielder. Once a Shinigami received an asauchi, they had to continuously pour their spiritual energy into it over time, slowly building a connection—until they could finally hear its voice, and draw upon its true power.
Nobu walked slowly among the racks, stopping in front of the blade he usually used in swordsmanship class. He reached for it.
Nothing.
No reaction.
After a moment's silence, he returned it to its place.
[Zanpakutō Unlock Progress: 11% (Partial Awakening)]
[Zanpakutō Unlocked. Call its true name to reveal its form.]
Call its name… call its name…
Nobu's eyes swept over the entire room of asauchi. To him, they all looked the same. Not one gave him that supposed "resonance."
It's not here?
He frowned, deep in thought, staring again and again at his system interface—and then something clicked.
[Spiritual Pressure Level: Lv. 18]
[Spiritual Energy Reserve: 15%]
The so-called "reserve" was just that—a measure of how full his spiritual energy was. His had never been full.
Because he was constantly leaking it.
It was like puncturing a small hole in a ball—slowly letting air escape. The leak was subtle enough that most wouldn't notice.
He did this deliberately. His spiritual pressure was already far beyond his peers', and he didn't believe any concealment technique could truly fool someone stronger.
But if his reserves were always low, it gave the illusion that his power was capped—and others wouldn't suspect anything.
He returned to the swordsmanship hall, sat cross-legged in the center, and closed his eyes.
[Spiritual Energy Reserve: 16%]