Slightly dark and rough skin, bulging veins under the muscles, and wide, calloused joints – the "refreshing" temperament that should have been charming was unconsciously softened by these features; under his slightly curly short black hair, the constant smile at the corner of his lips, on the other hand, diluted the subtle feeling of oppression.
The source of this oppression came from Haruto's squinted eyes, which he sometimes displayed unintentionally.
It wasn't his fault that he had small eyes.
After all, when you smile, the eye muscles naturally squint in a crescent shape.
If a girl with big eyes and a love for smiling displayed this crescent charm, she could seduce many youthful individuals.
Unfortunately, for Haruto, unless you were close to him, he was more likely to scare:
It seemed like he was going to draw his sword and cut someone the second he opened his eyes.
---
"The following students, get ready to enter—"
The training ground used for the exam was not small, but the number of students was significant.
"It's my turn."
Haruto heard the examiner call his name.
"Um..."
After glancing at the students gathered at the entrance, Haruto turned around, bent down, and gently touched Nanao's head; his gestures were so delicate that not a single strand of the girl's loose hair, tucked behind her ears, fell into her eyes.
"No need to wait here."
"The Kidō entrance exam poses no problem for me. You know that well, don't you, Nanao?"
"But—"
The girl barely opened her mouth to speak when Haruto raised his index finger to interrupt her.
"No buts."
"Hurry to the auditorium. The 8th Division is there today."
"If you miss this opportunity, you won't know when you'll get to meet your favorite vice-captain, Yadōmaru Lisa."
Haruto changed the subject without leaving a trace.
As an "intelligence squad", the 8th Division was involved in many secrets and had a low loss rate among the thirteen divisions of the Gotei. Therefore, they rarely visited the Shinō Spiritual Academy directly to recruit new members, let alone with a captain visiting in person.
"So... should I go?"
"Go quickly!"
Haruto gently pushed Nanao, who still looked hesitant, from behind, and watched her walk away with a smile.
"..."
Until the girl's figure completely blended into the crowd, Haruto gradually lowered his waving arm and the smile on his face subtly faded.
No choice.
His name alone belonged in this place.
---
At the entrance of the training ground.
Haruto's height was much taller than the average student, drawing a lot of attention, even in the midst of the crowd.
And the reasons were not all due to his height:
Haruto, hailing from a remote region of Rukongai, was very close to the few noble-born students at the academy.
His grades were excellent, but because of that, he had a bad reputation in the eyes of some students... Of course, his inner monologue was different:
"It's not that I want to cling to the nobles, it's just that the people I care about happen to be nobles."
Soon it was Haruto's turn to enter the line.
"Sensei."
"Yo~"
The examiner's eyes lit up upon seeing Haruto.
"You drew a good number."
The teacher Haruto was referring to was a Shinigami wearing the Shinigami uniform.
In appearance alone, many students at the Shinō Spiritual Academy could rival her; but when it came to her imposing chest, visible from all angles like a majestic mountain, she instantly crushed the naivety of all the young ones with a terrifying and overwhelming advantage.
"Sensei Mutsuki, stop teasing me."
The examiner was none other than Haruto's main teacher for the 5-1 class of the fifth year, and also the seventh seat of the 5th Division: Shokaku Mutsuki.
Being the main teacher of Class 1 was no easy task. The students gathered in this class were at the forefront of the entire promotion.
The level of chief officer alone was not enough to convince everyone; one had to be a high-ranking officer capable of executing the "Shikai" of their Zanpakutō.
Shokaku Mutsuki was a Shinigami gifted with such talent.
"I don't use Shakkahō because I'm not good at intermediate Kidō."
Haruto explained with an ironic smile.
"Do you swear?"
"..."
"Alright, I'll stop teasing you."
Mutsuki slapped Haruto's shoulder heavily, and the slight recoil visibly made the "mountain chain" tremble.
As many students were drawn to this spectacle, Mutsuki's right hand, placed on Haruto's shoulder, seemed to nonchalantly grip him.
"Keep it up."
The fingers, lightly scented with lily, parted upon contact.
"You still have a long way to go."
"Thank you, sensei."
Faced with this official and main teacher, Haruto remained humble as always.
"So—"
Mutsuki yawned and asked somewhat lazily, shaking the ponytail hanging from her shoulder to the back of her head.
"Are you sure you don't want to change the Kidō used for the exam?"
"..."
Haruto didn't respond directly, but Mutsuki understood his answer from his attitude:
"Still Byakurai?"
"That's right."
Haruto nodded under Mutsuki's piercing gaze.
"If I remember correctly, since I've been teaching you since your first year, the Kidō used in every exam has always been Byakurai, hasn't it?"
"Sensei never gets it wrong."
"Stop flattering me!"
Shokaku Mutsuki's casual expression became a bit more serious.
As a student she had personally taught since the first year, Mutsuki took care of him: Haruto was a rare student whose exam results for five consecutive years were sufficient to keep him in the "Class 1".
"You just saw the difficulty of the test. Currently, only a handful of people have achieved an A grade. Even if you master Byakurai, it's just basic Kidō. Getting an A grade with that..."
"Don't expect me to let you pass because of our teacher-student relationship!"
Mutsuki's tone suddenly became firmer, but Haruto could sense that Sensei Mutsuki was genuinely concerned about his grades.
"Thank you for your advice, sensei."
"But rest assured, I've learned a lot of Byakurai-related techniques from the young master, so this exam shouldn't be difficult for me."
"Young master?"
Mutsuki didn't immediately react to Haruto's choice of words.
But soon—
"You mean that brat..."
"That's right."
Before Shokaku Mutsuki could finish, Haruto interrupted her.
"..."
Mutsuki had naturally heard about Haruto's attitude towards nobles, and she didn't know if he was joking or not.
"Regardless."
Mutsuki sighed softly.
"That kind of thing is none of my concern. Keep that in mind."
"Thank you for your work, sensei."
---
On the training ground.
The students who entered next stared intently at the target in front.
Using Kidō didn't just require physical training, but also great concentration. As for warming up, it had to be completed well before entering the field.
Shinigami can absorb external "spirit particles" into their bodies through their breathing and heartbeats, converting them into "spiritual pressure." They then store this pressure in a special organ called "Hakusui" and extract it for use when needed.
There's a specific process for releasing a Kidō.
Take the example of the Shakkahō the candidates were about to perform: not only did they have to perform the corresponding "hand gesture" before releasing it to maintain a smooth flow of spiritual pressure in the body; they also had to focus and strengthen their attention through the "chant" to ensure the Kidō didn't fail.
Of course.
The above knowledge, drawn from the books of the Shinō Spiritual Academy, mainly applied to the student phase of the Shinigami; if one managed to be promoted to a high-ranking officer, they would naturally have the opportunity to learn more advanced Kidō techniques.
Outside of such individuals, there were also talented individuals who showed their potential at the academy and were able to skip unnecessary steps.
For example—
Haruto.
"Prepare your Kidō!"
At Sensei Mutsuki's command.
All the students around Haruto immediately raised their arms and aimed at the target thirty meters away.
"Oh Lord!"
It was once again the familiar chant of the Shakkahō.
Singing simultaneously doesn't increase the power of the Kidō, but in a similar "resonance" environment, it helps improve mental concentration, allowing students to better control the release of spiritual pressure from the Shakkahō.
Similarly.
If discordant sounds mix in the group, it affects and distracts the singers.
Hadō no 4: Byakurai