"What?!"
"No way—did I hear that right just now? Captain Shiba said… they came here under the Head-Captain's orders?"
"Bai Chen… isn't he being valued a little too highly?!"
The classroom wasn't large to begin with.
And Shiba Isshin had a naturally booming voice.
So every word he'd just spoken—
Each syllable—
Hit the students like a heavy explosive, slamming straight into their minds.
The atmosphere in the room detonated instantly.
"Bai Chen's luck is insane, isn't it?"
"He actually caught the Head-Captain's eye!"
"That's the legendary… strongest Shinigami in a thousand years!"
At the back of the classroom,
Renji Abarai stood frozen, his face filled with shock, emotions swirling chaotically inside him.
Originally—
Forget Shinigami captains!
Even when passing academy executives in the corridor, Renji would instinctively straighten his posture in respect.
Let alone Shinigami captains—
Existences whose power and status towered far above the academy itself,
figures revered by all souls.
In Renji's eyes,
A Shinigami captain was the ultimate goal—the reason he'd taken part in the autumn entrance exam in the first place.
And now…
Without any warning whatsoever—
He was suddenly standing face-to-face with two living, breathing captains!
Before he could even finish feeling excited—
Shiba Isshin dropped that bombshell of an announcement.
In an instant—
Renji's mind went completely blank.
"Shinigami captains…"
"Personal instruction…"
"I don't want to admit it, but… I really envy Bai Chen."
Renji slumped, letting out a heavy, frustrated sigh.
Even now, long after Isshin's voice had faded from the air,
Renji still couldn't process it.
A Shinigami captain—
Someone whose mere presence made it hard for him to breathe—
Had come specifically for Bai Chen.
And had openly declared, in front of everyone,
that he would personally train him.
Even witnessing it with his own eyes—
It still felt unreal.
Nearby, compared to Renji,
Kira Izuru wore a similarly shocked and envious expression—
but there was also a bitter, helpless smile on his face.
Seriously…
Just yesterday, Bai Chen had literally blown apart half the training grounds with a single punch—
nearly turning the instructor into a vegetable.
And yet—
Not only did he receive no punishment—
He actually earned the Head-Captain's approval?!
At that thought, Kira felt numb all over.
"Damn it…"
"Bai Chen isn't… secretly the Head-Captain's some kind of favored protégé or something, is he?"
He knew how ridiculous the idea sounded.
But without it, Kira genuinely couldn't explain why Bai Chen was receiving such absurd treatment.
Same exam day.
Same enrollment day.
Everyone else was still basking in the joy of becoming first-year students, preparing for regular classes—
Meanwhile Bai Chen?
Accidentally cripples the White Combat instructor?
No problem.
Just replace him with a Shinigami captain.
One captain might not be enough?
Then send two, rotating instruction—
Just to make sure Bai Chen finishes all graduation requirements in the shortest possible time.
At this point, Kira was completely speechless.
This kind of treatment—
Even heirs of the Four Great Noble Houses might not qualify for it.
Bai Chen…
Was actually more privileged than the nobles themselves.
As for Hinamori Momo—
Her emotions were even more complicated.
"Ah…"
"Personal training… doesn't that mean… I'll be separated from Bai Chen?"
The moment she realized that she might no longer see him every day,
The light in her clear, bright eyes dimmed instantly.
Her mood sank straight to rock bottom.
They hadn't known each other for long.
But during this short time—
With Bai Chen around, Momo had genuinely felt happy every single day.
Without realizing it, she had even begun to rely on him.
Just as she was starting to imagine their relationship growing closer—
This sudden turn happened.
"..."
Momo let out a quiet, sorrowful sigh.
She didn't want to part from him.
But she also understood the gap between them.
From the very beginning, it had been inevitable.
With Bai Chen's talent, there was no way he'd follow the standard six-year path.
Like the geniuses before him,
he was destined to graduate early.
Separation was bound to happen sooner or later.
She just hadn't expected it to come this fast.
Meanwhile—
As the students were still reeling from the shock,
Bai Chen was already speaking with the two captains at the front of the room.
"Captain Shiba… Vice-Captain Matsumoto…"
"Are you saying that my training won't be limited to Shinō Academy?"
"That I can choose another location within Seireitei for daily training?"
Bai Chen asked seriously.
"That's right."
Matsumoto Rangiku smiled and nodded calmly.
"Given our positions and duties as the Tenth Division's captain and lieutenant, we can't stay at the academy for long periods."
"Of course," she added casually,
"places explicitly forbidden by regulations are still off-limits."
"I understand."
Bai Chen nodded thoughtfully.
If that was the case—
Then the most suitable training area would probably be the outskirts of Seireitei.
However—
Just as Bai Chen was thinking this over,
A familiar system notification suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Ding!"
"New sign-in task released!"
"No time limit. Please proceed to the area near Sōkyoku Hill on the outskirts of Seireitei and complete sign-in."
"Upon completion, you will receive a special reward: Illusion Technique – Dark March (Enhanced & Modified Version)."
This caught Bai Chen completely off guard.
The sign-in location—
Was actually near Sōkyoku Hill!
And the reward—
The forbidden-level illusion technique from the shinobi world:
Dark March Technique!
Enhanced and upgraded by the system!
At that moment—
Any lingering surprise Bai Chen felt vanished instantly.
Now he couldn't wait to leave with the two captains.
"Heh…"
"If I remember correctly… Sōkyoku Hill is also located near Seireitei's outskirts, isn't it?"
As the thought formed,
Bai Chen's eyes lit up with excitement.
Without the slightest hesitation, he looked at Shiba Isshin and Matsumoto Rangiku and gave a decisive answer:
"Then…"
"Let's go to Sōkyoku Hill."
"The surrounding area is remote and quiet—perfect for secluded training."
As he spoke, the corner of Bai Chen's mouth curled upward.
He was already itching—
To master his first illusion technique.
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