"This is my strongest move!" Muguruma Kensei shouted. "Shun Strike!"
In his haste, Muguruma Kensei unleashed a sword technique he hadn't fully mastered.
However, the thrust he put all his strength into failed to deliver the expected power. In fact, because he hadn't charged up properly, it wasn't much stronger than a regular stab—worse, it left him wide open.
Thud—
Kuchiki Sōjun calmly blocked the thrust with one hand on his sword, then flicked his wrist. The wooden blade snapped up and smacked Kensei square on the forehead, knocking him out cold.
Muguruma Kensei had lost.
Nanatsuki wasn't surprised at all.
The gap between the two was simply too large.
And not just in one area—swordsmanship, Reiatsu, movement, even combat instinct. Kensei lagged behind Kuchiki Sōjun in every category.
Kensei had been pressured from the start. If Kuchiki Sōjun hadn't deliberately held back to observe his swordplay, the match probably wouldn't have lasted more than a few exchanges.
Nanatsuki glanced at the Status Interface to check their Reiatsu levels.
[Kuchiki Sōjun]
[Talent: S]
[Reiatsu: Lv45]
—
[Muguruma Kensei]
[Talent: S]
[Reiatsu: Lv30]
Kuchiki Sōjun's Reiatsu was even stronger than Flash Goddess Yoruichi's. Clearly, he had already completed Zanpakutō Meditation Training—and maybe he could already release his Zanpakutō.
That didn't necessarily mean his talent was above Shihōin-san's.
The Shin'o Spiritual Arts Academy had no age limit for enrollment. In fact, he was older than Yoruichi and had been training for years under his father, Kuchiki Ginrei, the Captain of Squad Six.
Kuchiki Sōjun had only enrolled this year because many noble students were entering the Academy.
Most of these students would eventually join Squad Six after graduation.
His future subordinates would likely be selected from among this very group.
As the heir to the Kuchiki family, he was destined to inherit the captaincy of Squad Six.
"Kuchiki Sōjun wins." Nanatsuki stepped onto the stage, slung the unconscious Kensei over his shoulder, and checked his injuries. A bump had swelled on his forehead, but it wasn't serious.
Still, he had passed out and would likely miss the upcoming loser bracket match.
Half of the first-round participants would move into the loser bracket, but only eight would make it through the final elimination and continue the exam.
With Kensei unconscious and unable to draw lots, he was disqualified from the loser bracket and ended up dead last in this assessment.
This type of tournament setup only allowed for rough ranking—it wasn't feasible to conduct a thorough seeding with so many students.
But true talent would shine eventually. A few bad draws wouldn't permanently bury someone with real potential.
"Tch. If he hadn't forced himself to use a move he hadn't learned, he wouldn't have exposed such a huge opening and gotten knocked out," Hirako Shinji muttered with an eye roll.
"His opponent was really strong," Chijō Kana said, her expression serious as she watched Kuchiki Sōjun calmly leave the stage. She wasn't confident she could beat him either.
"You guys haven't trained long enough. Just do your best," Nanatsuki said, handing Kensei over to the two and heading back to resume overseeing the exam.
The first round concluded, and the remaining matches were split across two arenas. Danmu Zōsuke took the students who had fallen into the loser bracket to the adjacent swordsmanship room for their assessments.
Both the winner and loser brackets would each select eight students to enter the quarterfinals. Matchups would follow a same-group avoidance rule—students from the winner bracket would only face those from the loser bracket.
"Chijō Kana, Amamimon Tomoya—please come to the stage."
Having had a bye in the first round, Chijō Kana now entered the second round. Her drawn opponent was a student from Class 1—a short man with a shaved forehead and crown, styled in a traditional chonmage. His face was sharp and simian, giving him a monkey-like appearance.
"So you're from the Chijō clan?" Amamimon Tomoya ogled Chijō Kana's notably full figure.
"Let's have a proper match!" Chijō Kana frowned at his invasive stare and immediately drew her wooden sword, intent on teaching him a lesson.
"Heh, nice spirit you've got there. Almost convincing." Amamimon Tomoya sneered. He clearly didn't take the girl seriously. The Chijō clan wasn't known for cultivating martial strength—they preferred hiring powerful bodyguards over training their heirs.
"Cut the crap!" Chijō Kana couldn't stand it. She raised her wooden sword with both hands, let out a fierce shout, and leapt into a vertical slash. "Take this!"
Sensing her sudden surge of Reiatsu, Amamimon Tomoya felt a jolt of danger.
He hurriedly raised his wooden sword to block overhead, but before he could gather any Reiatsu—
CRACK—
His sword snapped clean in half, and Chijō Kana's blade struck him square in the face.
The sheer force of the blow drove his legs through the wooden floorboards.
Boom!
The platform exploded into splinters, scattering chips of wood in every direction.
Amamimon Tomoya was driven into the floor and knocked out on the spot.
"Her Reiatsu isn't any weaker than Katori-sensei's other two disciples... What's with this year's batch of monsters?" Swordsmanship Department Head Yamada stroked his beard in awe. "Looks like the Chijō family's about to welcome a true prodigy..."
"Indeed. I believe the last time someone from the Chijō clan held a seated officer's position was two or three hundred years ago," Ushada Hakugen nodded.
"This match should've been held outside..." Asido said helplessly. First-year exams never caused this kind of commotion. It just so happened to be raining today, forcing them indoors.
"I'll make a note of that—next time, the Hakuda exams will definitely be outside," chuckled Department Head Nakano.
Asido cast a glance at the expressionless Tsunayashiro Tokitani and smirked inwardly. Looks like this Tsunayashiro-sensei isn't going to take my seat that easily.
With his insight, he could tell right away—Muguruma Kensei, despite his loss, was brimming with potential.
Kensei's strength wasn't inferior to Hirako Shinji's. Losing to an older and more experienced Kuchiki Sōjun wasn't shameful at all. Given time to grow, Kensei could very well reach seated officer—or even lieutenant—level.
Once a student like that started Zanpakutō Meditation Training, their Reiatsu would grow explosively, quickly outpacing the rest.
By then, Class 1 would have a hard time keeping their top rankings.
Asido sighed again. This year's freshmen really are exceptional...
To prevent accidents for the following matches, a fresh wooden platform was laid over the broken area.
The matches resumed.
Hirako Shinji drew one of his own classmates and quickly wrapped up the fight.
By noon, both the Round of 32 and the Sweet 16 matches in the winner bracket were completed.
Chijō Kana, Hirako Shinji, Kuchiki Sōjun, and Ōmaeda Kishinosuke had all advanced without facing each other, smoothly making it to the quarterfinals.