"Let me introduce myself. I am Oi Rimi, the current Eighteenth Seat of the Ninth Division. Today, I will be leading everyone in the Soul Burial ceremony. Now, please come forward in an orderly fashion to receive your Asauchi!"
On the stage, a Middle-aged Woman in a soul reaper uniform with a face full of freckles was chattering away, speaking pleasantries. Beside her, two male Shinigami were carrying two large bundles, which they threw onto the ground, opening them to reveal two bags full of Asauchi.
"Everyone, line up and come forward to receive your Asauchi, then use the Asauchi you receive to go to the Human World and participate in the Soul Burial."
The young male Shinigami with the backpack spoke.
"Why does this sword have so many nicks? Can I exchange it?" A petite female student, holding the Asauchi she received, tried to go forward to exchange it.
Once she started, many students below began to stir, clamoring to exchange their swords.
"Silence!"
Seeing this, Oi Rimi, the Eighteenth Seat of the Ninth Division, began to release her spiritual pressure and take control of the situation.
Although her faint spiritual pressure made Ito Makoto want to laugh, he couldn't, because his mind was filled with Ichimaru Gin's warning: 'Be careful of the Soul Burial!'
He knew without a doubt that Aizen was up to something again.
"How is it that wherever I go, something always has to happen?"
Ito Makoto muttered to himself in resignation.
"Rest assured, the Asauchi we are distributing to you now are temporary Asauchi that have been stored in the Spiritual Arts Academy for the convenience of assessments for generations of students. Once you officially join a squad, you will be granted your own exclusive Zanpakuto!"
Hearing Oi Rimi say this, the queue below instantly quieted down.
Before long, Ito Makoto also received an Asauchi that looked relatively old, but its blade was still intact.
...
In front of the Senkaimon, Oi Rimi looked at the group of Shinigami cadets and began to count.
"For this Soul Burial assessment ceremony, thirty-three people were expected, and thirty-three people are present. No one is absent."
After confirming that the numbers and personnel matched, Oi Rimi began to explain the rules of the Soul Burial exam:
"The Technological Development Bureau has selected a suitable area in the Human World and set up a barrier. Next, each of you will be assigned a dummy with a spiritual energy signature. Your mission is to protect the dummy while killing the Hollows!"
"Your score will be determined by the degree of damage to the dummy. If the dummy is destroyed, or if you cannot defeat the Hollows, you will fail the exam and need to return to the Spiritual Arts Academy for another year of study!"
"Below, I will distribute the World-Breaking Pills to everyone. These are items for you to break the barrier and escape in case of an emergency. Be aware that once a World-Breaking Pill is used, it will immediately be considered a failed exam!"
"However, although we have made ample preparations, unexpected things may still occur, so everyone needs to be mentally prepared!"
As soon as these words were spoken, many of the Shinigami cadets present felt a little nervous, but this was also a necessary step for them to become official Shinigami, so no one chose to back down.
"Since everyone has no questions, then let's go!"
Seeing that everyone was ready, Oi Rimi immediately waved her hand, and a huge portal slowly opened from the void. Streaks of white light, like ripples, overflowed from the portal.
Is this the Senkaimon? Hueco Mundo looks more imposing!
Ronan secretly commented.
...
Human World, Mihua Town.
The dark night sky was silent, with only scattered stars hanging high. Below was a landscape of rolling mountains. Streaks of starlight illuminated the mountains enveloped in the barrier.
Suddenly, a huge portal appeared above the mountains. As the portal moved to both sides, figures emerged from within.
Leading the way were three Shinigami in black soul reaper uniform, followed by a group of young men and women in white-and-blue or white-and-red outfits.
Looking at the scene of the Human World below, the Shinigami cadets exclaimed in admiration.
At this moment, Oi Rimi jumped forward and said to the many Shinigami cadets:
"Next, your assessment will be completed in the mountains below. We will score you based on your completion time and the degree of damage to the dummy. I hope everyone achieves a good score, as this relates to your future promotions and rankings within your respective squads!"
"Now, I declare the Soul Burial assessment officially begun!"
With Oi Rimi's command, the young man in the soul reaper uniform beside her flicked out 33 spirit orbs, each heading towards a student participating in the assessment.
Ito Makoto also received a spirit orb. Guided by the spirit orb, he quickly landed in a dense jungle.
After landing, the spirit orb transformed into a dummy emitting faint spiritual light, and an invisible barrier rose around it.
"Roar!"
Suddenly, a roar was heard, and a Freshman Hollow attacked from behind, heading straight for the dummy emitting faint spiritual light.
Seeing this, Ito Makoto didn't even bother to draw his sword, directly pointing his finger from afar:
"Hado #4 - White Lightning!"
A bolt of pure White Lightning directly blasted the Freshman Hollow in front of him into dust. With the death of this Hollow, the invisible barrier surrounding Ito Makoto instantly disappeared.
"It seems everything is going smoothly, and no accidents have occurred."
Previously, Ito Makoto had been highly tense, preventing any potential accidents, but so far, nothing had happened.
"Is this Ito Makoto, the genius who completed six years of curriculum in one year? He's truly impressive!"
Oi Rimi, observing from above, naturally noticed Ito Makoto's performance and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. From the moment Ito Makoto descended into the barrier until he completed the assessment, the process seemed long, but in reality, the entire process did not exceed three minutes.
Just as Ito Makoto was about to meet up with the three examiners, he suddenly sensed an unusual spiritual pressure.
"Get out of the way!"
Ito Makoto shouted in the direction of the three examiners.
Almost simultaneously, a huge opening ripped open behind the three of them, and three massive tentacles surged out from Hueco Mundo, striking towards the backs of the three Shinigami.
Oi Rimi reacted in the first instance, dodging the fatal blow with a sidestep, only having her left shoulder pierced. However, the two Shinigami Squad Members alongside her were not so lucky and were directly impaled from behind by the two tentacles.
"Damn it!"
Oi Rimi, regaining her composure, retreated at high speed, only to see a fleshy ball covered in tentacles crawl out from Hueco Mundo.
"This is... an incomplete Arrancar Gillian!"
Feeling the chaotic and violent spiritual pressure of the giant fleshy ball, Ito Makoto recognized the true identity of this monstrous creature with just one glance.
"Slay it, Twin Scythes!"
Oi Rimi uttered her release command, and her Zanpakuto transformed into two throwing knives. She put the two throwing knives together and then threw them towards the tentacle-covered fleshy ball.
Unfortunately, these throwing knives, named Twin Scythes, did not pierce the Arrancar's Hierro, only striking sparks on its surface.
Instead, the large fleshy ball's tentacles began to attack Oi Rimi, just at this critical moment.
"Hado #31 - Akahō (Red Flame Cannon)!"
At the crucial moment, Ito Makoto unleashed an Akahō (Red Flame Cannon) without incantation. A crimson flame directly incinerated several thick tentacles into charcoal.
As a Shinigami, this clone naturally couldn't stand by and watch the examiner and his classmates be killed right before his eyes.
Thus, he decisively took action.
Unexpectedly, the next moment, exclamations of alarm came from the training ground below. Ito Makoto looked down, and in all the barriers, the Freshman Hollows that were originally the test subjects had undergone different degrees of Arrancar transformation!
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