C16 The Test to Rush to the Execution Ground

Aizen's smile was like a breath of spring, a stark contrast to Ichimaru Gin's icy, narrow gaze. It was enough to garner support even from a team captain.

The candidate, despite his physical impairments and unwavering spirit, was clearly receiving special attention.

The looks they received made Lucia and Renji feel as though they were walking to their doom.

Even Aizen's usually comforting smile seemed tinged with malice.

"Alright, since Captain Aizen holds this candidate in such high regard, I hope he passes the exam. Whether he joins your Fifth Division or not will depend on whether I'm inclined to step aside," Ichimaru Gin said, his eyes narrowing and the corners crinkling with a hint of challenge.

His chilly demeanor suddenly took on a cutting edge.

"Hehe, Captain Ichimaru, you seem quite intent on winning this. But let's wait for the results before making any plans. If he fails the exam, our debate here will have been a waste of time," Aizen replied with his characteristic warm smile.

"Lucia of the Kuchiki Clan, I'll clear the path for you. Keep up and don't keep everyone waiting," Aizen said before turning to lead the way.

Ichimaru Gin let out a forced laugh and quickly followed.

As Aizen's longtime rival, they were constantly at odds. Yet, Ichimaru Gin was well aware that Aizen's visit was a ploy, akin to fishing. They had already secretly obtained a copy of the report on the young man. They knew his chances of entering Shinoreijutsuin were slim.

Still, Aizen had made the trip, driven by his arrogance, curious to see how Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni would extricate himself from this spectacle. Would he continue the farce, turning the exam into a mockery? Or would he halt the process and strip the candidate of his eligibility, preserving the academy's prestige?

In Aizen's view, this was all part of the covert chess match between him and Yamamoto Genryuusai. And for that very reason, he was more than willing to stir the waters further.

Stirring the waters further would only make the game that much more entertaining.

Lucia and Abarai Renji felt a chill in their hearts under the weight of the surrounding stares.

The examinees who had scattered seemed like grim reapers, hastening them on their way.

Indeed, the predicament they found themselves in was like being stuck on the back of a tiger, unable to dismount.

Only Taku could sleep soundly, lulled by the effects of alcohol.

"We're damned if we do, damned if we don't. Let's just go," Abarai Renji said, managing a wry smile.

Initially, he had reveled in Taku's fluctuating spiritual pressure.

But now, Renji's only wish was for Taku to sober up a bit and perform well enough to secure a respectable ranking.

They didn't need to become the butt of jokes for the next century.

Despite this, recalling the results of his own repeated tests, Renji's face turned ashen as he strode toward what felt like the gallows.

"Next up, Greenwood White Stone!"

Nanao Ise nudged her glasses and beckoned the next examinee forward.

The Shinoreijutsuin exams were split into two parts: a written test and a spiritual pressure test.

An old adage in the Court of Pure Souls went, "Only mediocrity sits for the spiritual arts written test."

In a world ruled by survival of the fittest, theory was a skill, but true life-saving power came from strength.

Against overwhelming spiritual talent, the written test was merely a formality that could be bypassed.

Thus, the spiritual arts written test followed the spiritual pressure test.

The device before Nanao Ise was a spiritual pressure tester, a product of the Twelfth Division's Technological Development Department, crafted by Kurotsuchi Mayuri.

One simply had to channel their spiritual energy into a punch to gauge the amplitude of their spiritual pressure and accurately assess their power level.

This was undoubtedly a more reliable measure than the previous Spiritual Bamboo test.

Greenwood White Stone emerged from the crowd, his concentration palpable as waves of spiritual energy danced around his clenched fist.

Then, with no unnecessary flourish, he brought his fist down hard on the machine.

Thud!

The dull echo of impact filled the air.

Moments later, the display lit up with three red digits.

"505, five bamboo spirit pressure, pass!"

"Next up, Sherry White!"

"480, four bamboo spirit pressure, fail, but eligible for the spirit arts written exam..."

"Next, Lisanna!"

"708, seven bamboo spirit pressure, pass with distinction, a promising candidate!"

"..."

Name after name was called out.

Watching each capable examinee, the digits flashing on the testing machine, and enduring the interminable wait was sheer agony.

In Lucia and Renji Abarai's minds, this was a restless kind of demise.

"Next, Shiba Taku."

Nanao Ise pushed up her glasses, eyeing the trio whose entrance was somewhat peculiar.

She was well aware of the discussions about indomitable spirit.

Yet, she couldn't help furrowing her brow at the sight of Taku, bound like a mummy.

"Can he even take the exam like this? Someone quickly untie him!"

"Yes, yes, let's get him untied and not waste any more time."

Kyoraku Shunsui approached briskly.

He was filled with regret at this point.

He hadn't anticipated finding someone with a greater penchant for alcohol than himself.

To think someone would arrive drunk to the Shinoreijutsuin exam, an event of such significance.

Unlike those out of the loop, Kyoraku Shunsui, as the chief examiner and having been privately tutored by Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni, knew well that Shiba Taku had sustained no injuries after obliterating the evil spirit with a single punch.

It was this very uniqueness that had prompted Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni to play a little trick and draft Shiba Taku into the Gotei 13 as bait.

Confronted with this tricky predicament, all Kyoraku Shunsui could do was hope that this venerable figure would sober up once the bandages were removed.

Otherwise, his shortcut might not be so easy to navigate.

"Untie... Untie the bandages?" Lucia and Renji exchanged a glance, their expressions even more bitter.

Recalling the recent events, they rallied their spirits.

They steeled themselves and took action.

"Captain Kyoraku, I... I just want to remind you, if anything goes awry later, make sure you intervene promptly, or things could spiral out of control," Lucia said as she unwrapped her bandage.

Witnessing this, Kyoraku Shunsui paused for a moment.

To him, this was the examination hall of the Shinoreijutsuin, and as captain, he had weathered many storms.

If Shiba Taku did indeed lose control in a drunken rampage, he was confident he could subdue him with a swift chop of his hand.