Chapter 60: Chapter 60 ⥤ Finals Approaching—What's Your Choice?
Hurricane winds, sickles of air, and black shadows vanished in an instant — before they could even scream. All that remained was a charred, unrecognizable corpse lying silently in the lightning-carved crater.
The shadows froze, unable to process what they'd witnessed. Their leader, their strongest warrior, had been obliterated by a single incantation-less Hadō.
The sheer power gap left everyone present in despair.
As they came to their senses, they turned to flee.
But they were too slow. Having dispatched their most formidable member in spectacular fashion, drawing all eyes to himself, the figure shrouded in curved light reversed his Zanpakutō, pointing its tip downward as rippling waves of light danced along the blade.
In that instant, all movement ceased — even the air seemed to stagnate, as if time itself had stopped.
⤫ Shatter, Kyōka Suigetsu ⤬
The calm, serene voice echoed across the empty battlefield. Even the flames at the edges faltered, their dance gradually diminishing.
In the silence, a crisp shattering sound rang out.
The next moment, as clarity returned to their eyes, they instinctively drew their Zanpakutō and turned on the shadows beside them. Blood gushed forth, pooling into rivers that covered the scorched earth.
At some point, that figure had withdrawn to the battlefield's edge, his brown eyes calmly observing the mutual slaughter as if it were a distant spectacle.
"Rebels, nobles, profits, power..." Aizen mused with indifference. "Is this the true nature of Soul Society? How filthy indeed. Though that guy doesn't seem particularly clever, he see through this more clearly than anyone else. I suppose that's what you'd call... intuition..."
The battle intensified until all perceived enemies lay dead. Only then did the survivors snap from their daze, staring in horror at what lay before them.
Several black-clothed figures lay scattered across the ground, their bodies carved by countless blade strikes until they were nearly pulverized. Blood pooled beneath them, turning the scorched earth crimson.
"Did... did we do all this?"
"H-how is this possible? I'm just a researcher!"
"Don't look at me, I can't even cast Hadō #10!"
In their shock, the group quickly compared stories and reached a startling conclusion.
In matters of life and death, terror unleashes extraordinary power. This primal fear had awakened their latent abilities, enabling them to overcome the assassins who had ambushed them.
"Was I always this strong?" One researcher stared at his blood-covered hands, dumbfounded.
"Why are we wasting time with research then!"
"I'm joining the 11th Division and heading to the frontlines!"
"Count me in—let's all go!"
The survivors, intoxicated by their victory, shouted with wild enthusiasm.
Having been too weak to qualify for the Gotei 13's official ranks, they had resigned themselves to conducting basic experimental research at the Shin'ō Academy. Now, with their newfound potential revealed, they naturally yearned for a grander future.
After a brief discussion, they unanimously decided to report to the 11th Division the next day!
Aizen remained indifferent to whatever consequences his Kyōka Suigetsu might bring — whether these people lived or died meant nothing to him.
Beyond refining and developing Kidō patterns, he had another pressing matter to address.
⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬
Coordinated Relief Station, Room 3.
"What did you say?!" Akira's eyes widened, "The Academy has final exams?"
Having anticipated this reaction, Aizen's expression remained perfectly calm, as if the matter didn't concern him at all.
"Well... isn't this common knowledge?" Sōjun smiled awkwardly from the adjacent bed, "Didn't Kaoru-sensei tell you all?"
"No, definitely not." Akira shook his head vigorously, having no recollection whatsoever.
"It was explained in the first class." Aizen stated flatly, "You and I received full marks in practical training for participating in two missions. Though I didn't contribute much in either case."
Akira's eyes grew even wider, like brass bells.
"I know what you're thinking. I've already prepared all the material you might need for the final exam. You just need to memorize it to pass."
The most hardworking priest in all of Seireitei immediately broke into a smile, declaring Aizen his best friend.
Then, Aizen placed a stack of books twenty centimeters high onto the hospital bed.
Seeing this, Akira's smile froze, and his voice trembled, "This much?"
"This is just the table of contents. The actual material is over there." Aizen pointed out the window at books stacked into a small mountain, nearly filling the corridor, "'Three Histories of Soul Society,' 'Origins of the Thirteen Divisions,' 'The Nature of Hollows,' 'Spirit Body Structure and Analysis,' 'Soul Burial and Purification'..."
Akira stared in shock at the familiar face before him, silently listening as he listed book titles for nearly a minute.
"These are just the basic theories." Aizen sighed, "I've simplified it as much as possible for you. If you can't even remember these, you'll have to give up on the exam."
"What about you?"
"I've naturally memorized them all."
Aizen was exasperated. With Akira's talent, he could master this knowledge with just a little time. Yet this guy would rather practice sword strikes under a waterfall with weights than memorize a single character.
In his own words, memorizing these things wouldn't make him stronger, so what was the point? Brain capacity was limited, and he needed to allocate his mental space efficiently — only then could he stand at the pinnacle.
{T/N: In this case, I agree. If Kenpachi Zaraki had to pass through the Academy and final exams to be recognized as a Shinigami, it would be ridiculous.}
Though Aizen couldn't understand why a student who hadn't even graduated suddenly had such lofty ambitions. Seeing his determination, however, he couldn't say much more and had to let him be.
"Damn it!" Akira raged, "Having the answers in your head — isn't that the same as cheating? Why not compete fair and square with luck!"
As his words fell, the hospital room went silent. The two stared at the enraged youth with strange expressions, momentarily at a loss for words.
After a moment of silence, the good-natured Sōjun tried to persuade him.
"Actually, first-years don't need to memorize that much, and there's still time before finals. You just need to..."
After Sōjun's lengthy explanation, Akira tried to calm himself and begin memorizing from the table of contents.
But his resolve crumbled quickly. Despite the text being simplified to its bare essentials, the mere thought of memorizing what he deemed useless information made his head pound.
In his mind, it would contribute nothing to his future...
So instead, Akira set aside the books and retrieved incense, ritual wands, offerings, and other ceremonial items from beneath his hospital bed. Under the bewildered stares of his companions, he began his ritual.
"Has he always been like this?" Sōjun asked with clear skepticism.
Aizen's eyes flickered with resignation as he nodded.
True to form, there were no surprises — when faced with the choice between studying and cheating, this guy opted for rituals...
⤫⤬⤫
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