Bab 210: Graduation Exam

"Oh? Is it that time already?"

In the 5th Division, Ailin looked at the document in his hand.

He had been so focused on enhancing his clone's reiatsu in Hueco Mundo that he had neglected to keep track of time in the Soul Society.

The document detailed the upcoming graduation exam for the sixth-year students of the Shin'ō Academy. The 5th Division, along with the 13th Division, was tasked with protecting the examinees during their practical assessment in the World of the Living and evaluating their performance.

Since Ailin had taken control of Hueco Mundo, the number of Hollow attacks on the Soul Society and the World of the Living had plummeted. He didn't require "sacrifices" to conduct his experiments, unlike Sōsuke Aizen.

Furthermore, Las Noches now housed nearly all the Menos Grande with independent consciousness, from Adjuchas and above. As a result, there had been no Gillian-class Hollow attacks in decades.

Now, even Shinigami who had joined the Gotei 13 in the past century rarely encountered a Gillian. For them, the primary targets were small and medium-sized Hollows. Gillians and higher-level Hollows were dealt with by the Royal Guard, the "Zero Division."

With the decline in Hollow attacks, the number of Shinigami casualties had also dropped significantly. This had led to stricter recruitment standards for the Gotei 13 over the past few decades. After all, with fewer vacancies, they required far fewer new recruits.

Consequently, the graduation exam for the Shin'ō Academy had become increasingly difficult. In the past, sixth-year students were tested against "weak Hollows" created by the 12th Division. In recent years, the exam had evolved into a practical assessment in the World of the Living, requiring students to patrol for a period and eliminate any attacking Hollows.

Since small Hollows were far stronger than the artificial "weak Hollows," a number of students perished each year during the exam.

To mitigate casualties, a Gotei 13 division was assigned to protect the students during their assessment. This year, it was the 5th Division's turn.

On the list in Ailin's hand, several names were circled in red. These were students who had caught the attention of various Gotei 13 divisions and were highly likely to be recruited upon passing the exam. The circles served as a reminder to the protecting Shinigami to prioritize their safety.

While casualties among other students were regrettable, the loss of these promising individuals was to be avoided at all costs.

Among the circled names, Ailin recognized several familiar ones: Renji Abarai, Momo Hinamori, and Izuru Kira.

"Heh, it seems talent always finds a way to shine." Looking at the documents, Ailin smiled faintly.

He had abandoned his "Shinigami Hollowfication" experiments after successfully creating "White." The half-formed Hōgyoku in his possession was better suited to transforming Hollows into Arrancar, boasting a high success rate.

As for "Shinigami Hollowfication"... Ailin didn't know how many experiments Sōsuke Aizen had conducted, but he had only managed to create one successful subject—"White."

The power to perform "Shinigami Hollowfication" primarily resided in the other half of the Hōgyoku, currently in Kisuke Urahara's possession.

Like Aizen, Urahara had never failed to successfully transform a Shinigami into a Hollow. Of course, he had only experimented on Shinji Hirako and his comrades.

But the fact that all eight of them had survived the process spoke volumes.

Ailin, focused on enhancing his own reiatsu, hadn't even bothered to create more "White" clones, let alone brainwash Momo Hinamori and the others.

Without Aizen's manipulations, these promising students had attracted the attention of other Gotei 13 divisions, earning their designation as "priority personnel."

"I've been spending too much time in Hueco Mundo lately. A trip to the World of the Living might be a nice change of pace," Ailin thought.

…

On the day of the graduation exam, 237 sixth-year students from three classes gathered for the assessment.

Early in the morning, they were assembled at the 13th Division barracks. After all, their testing ground was the World of the Living.

Shortly after the students arrived, Ailin, accompanied by members of the 5th Division, also arrived at the 13th Division.

"It's been a while, Captain Ukitake," Ailin greeted Jūshirō Ukitake, the captain of the 13th Division, maintaining the facade of Sōsuke Aizen. They exchanged pleasantries, upholding the social graces expected of captains.

"Captain Aizen, the safety of these students is in your hands."

"Rest assured, Captain Ukitake. While I cannot guarantee how many students will pass the exam, I can assure you that if any of them are in danger, I will be the first to rush to their aid."

As Ailin chatted with Ukitake, the students exchanged excited whispers.

"Hey, Momo, is that Captain Aizen?" A girl standing beside Momo Hinamori nudged her shoulder, pointing towards Ailin. Her eyesight was poor, and she wore thick-rimmed glasses, making it difficult to see at a distance.

Momo looked up and immediately spotted the large "5" emblazoned on Ailin's captain's haori. Her face lit up with delight.

"Yes, it's Captain Aizen. We're so lucky that it's the 5th Division protecting us this year."

"I heard that the 5th Division is known for its rescue operations. They have the most experienced Shinigami in that field. They always have the lowest casualty rate during these exams."

Ailin had maintained his tradition of visiting the Shin'ō Academy twice a year. As a result, he was more recognizable to the students than many other captains.

Of course, what truly excited them was the fact that ever since the exam format had changed, the years when the 5th Division provided protection consistently had the fewest casualties.

"Greetings, students. It's been a while. You're all looking well," Ailin called out, waving to the students.

"Ah, Captain Aizen!"

"Hello, Captain Aizen!"

The students erupted in cheers, thrilled by Ailin's gesture. As aspiring Shinigami, they knew that Captain Aizen was one of the thirteen strongest captains in the Gotei 13.

This might be the closest they ever got to a captain. After the exam, whether they passed and joined a Gotei 13 division or failed and were assigned to the Hollow extermination forces, their chances of interacting with such a high-ranking individual were slim.

They cherished this moment of connection with Captain Aizen.

"Hahaha, you're all so enthusiastic." Ailin raised his hand to silence the cheers.

"Students, I visit the Shin'ō Academy to teach a lesson or two almost every year. Many of you are familiar faces. It is an honor to have played a role in your development and to be here to protect you during this final stage. To me, it feels like a passing of the torch. Today, I am here to guide and protect you. When you grow stronger, you will take over the responsibility of safeguarding the Seireitei from us, and in turn, you will mentor the next generation."

"I overheard some of you saying that the 5th Division always has the lowest casualty rate. That makes me blush. The truth is, it's not because we're particularly skilled. It's simply because we've been fortunate enough to avoid encountering too many or too powerful Hollows during these exams, allowing us to protect the students with minimal losses."

"I want you all to remember this: Your exam is a practical assessment. The tasks you will be performing are identical to those carried out by official Shinigami."

"Even with the 5th Division's protection, there is still a chance of casualties. And while for some, a casualty might be just a statistic, a low 'mortality rate,' for those who lose their lives before we can reach them, it's a '100%' mortality rate."

"So, I urge you to take this exam seriously. Regardless of your results, if you all return safely, I believe that will be a victory in itself."

"My subordinates will now distribute fireworks to each of you. If you encounter danger, immediately launch the firework. Once we see the signal, we will dispatch a rescue team to your location."

"However, as you know, using the firework will result in an automatic failure of the exam."

"Do you understand?"

"Yes, Captain Aizen!"

"Don't worry, Captain Aizen. If we encounter an opponent we can't defeat, we'll run and call for help immediately!"

After all the students received their fireworks, Ailin nodded to Ukitake. "Captain Ukitake, I've made all the necessary arrangements. Please open the Senkaimon to the World of the Living so we can proceed to the exam site."