Chapter 39: The Elegance of That Blade

Three days later, in front of the Senkaimon at the Seireitei.

"Eh? Is it really you leading the team, President?"

Momo Hinamori and the other students of Class A from the first-year class were quite surprised to see that the leader of the upperclassmen was none other than Shin.

Aside from Hinamori, Izuru Kira, and a few other student council members, the rest were not just surprised; many wore expressions of excitement. Tatsukawa Shin was a legendary figure within the Shin'o Academy, and many viewed him as the goal they aspired to reach. Having the chance to go on the field training in the real world alongside their idol was a pleasant surprise for many.

"Is it that strange for me to lead the team?" Shin asked with a light laugh, his eyes sweeping over the members of Class A.

All the familiar faces were there.

It was indeed this time...

He said to the group, "I won’t make any unnecessary self-introductions. We will now draw lots to split you into groups of three for the operation."

Aoki brought over the box for the lots, and the crowd gathered around.

Shin took out the Hell Butterfly communication device issued to the upperclassmen for this mission. It was similar to a mobile phone, using spirit particles to transmit signals. However, since mobile phones had not yet appeared in the real world at this time, the scientific technology of the Soul Society was arguably far ahead of the living world.

Because these devices relied on spirit particle transmission, they were easily susceptible to interference and shielding by spiritual pressure.

It was just an ordinary field training exercise, so it was unlikely anyone would expect foul play.

The first-year students had already finished drawing their lots.

Momo Hinamori, Izuru Kira, and Renji Abarai, who were well-acquainted with each other, happened to be in the same group.

Shin stared at the drawing box, silently wondering if this was truly just a coincidence.

Although it had been the same in the original story, had his arrival not affected what should have been a random occurrence?

Aizen was secretly orchestrating this training accident from behind the scenes to test the talents of Hinamori, Kira, and Renji. If they met his standards, he could make them useful tools in the future.

And all three of them stood out as expected: Hinamori became Aizen’s lieutenant, and Kira became Gin Ichimaru’s lieutenant.

Renji Abarai was likely abandoned by Aizen due to his personality.

As they prepared to pass through the Senkaimon, the lowerclassmen seemed a bit nervous. Many had only read about Hollows in books, and the prospect of fighting them—even though they were only low-level ones—made many feel anxious.

Shin turned to look at the younger students and comforted them with a gentle smile: "Don't worry. Fighting Hollows isn't as difficult as you imagine. You just need to apply what you've learned at the academy, and everything will be fine. Besides, with us upperclassmen here, we will certainly protect your safety."

His words carried great conviction, and his mere presence was enough to put many of them at ease.

The Senkaimon opened slowly, and Shin stepped through first.

The Real World.

The location for the simulated combat was a seaside town. While it was in the real world, it was actually a false space created because it was a combat zone against Hollows; if it were held in a real city, it would inevitably endanger the residents.

Therefore, the Twelfth Division of the Gotei 13 used a Kido barrier to create a replica of the space.

The entire town was occupied only by the Hollows released in advance and the students of the Shin'o Academy.

Shin stood on the tallest building in the town, with Shuhei and Kanizawa at his side.

This training would last for quite a while, and their primary duty was to ensure the smooth progress of the exercise and the safety of the lowerclassmen. As for the specific combat of each group, there was no need for them to interfere excessively.

Shuhei was using his communication device to coordinate with the barrier team. After finishing, he said to Shin and Kanizawa, "Everything is going smoothly."

"Is that so."

Shin’s expression remained indifferent. From his position, he could overlook the entire town.

The moonlight was gentle, casting ripples across the sea.

Before Shuhei and Kanizawa could react, Shin suddenly vanished with a Shunpo, and a massive blade of light flared ahead.

BOOM!

A large, several-meter-tall Hollow was cleaved in two directly down the middle, crashing to the ground on both sides.

Shuhei and Kanizawa finally regained their composure and quickly followed with Shunpo. They stared, bewildered, at the Hollow that was already dissolving into spirit particles.

"This size..." Shuhei muttered. "This is already beyond the regulations, isn't it?"

Moreover, neither he nor Kanizawa had detected the creature; it was adept at hiding its presence. If Shin hadn't discovered it in time, the lowerclassmen would likely have suffered casualties!

Shuhei quickly took out his communication device and called out: "Barrier team, a large Hollow exceeding the regulations has appeared inside the barrier. What is going on?"

A moment later, a voice came from the other end: "Everything shows as normal here. Are you sure about what you're saying?"

"Normal? A large Hollow nearly six meters tall just appeared. This is completely beyond the regulations!"

"Are there any casualties on your end?"

Shuhei glanced at Shin and replied, "No, the large Hollow has already been dealt with."

"That’s good. There might have been a deviation when the Hollows were deployed."

Shuhei Hisagi frowned: "I am requesting a temporary suspension of the training to conduct a sweep of all Hollows within the barrier."

After he said this, there was a long pause on the other end before they finally responded: "There is no need to suspend the training. Such a situation will not happen again."

Shuhei immediately became agitated: "Barrier team?"

The voice returned: "We have investigated. One of the Hollows was skilled at hiding its spiritual pressure, so it was mistaken for a small Hollow during deployment. It will not happen again; there is no need to suspend the training."

Shuhei turned off the device, but his brow remained furrowed with worry and lingering fear.

That Hollow just now...

If Shin hadn't been here, something truly terrible might have happened!

Kanizawa also looked displeased: "To have such a slip-up, they are completely trifling with the students' lives."

She turned to Shin: "Shin, thank goodness you were here."

Shin’s expression remained as usual. Was everything over now?

In the original story, it seemed that only this one had caused trouble, but now he dared not be so certain.

He had disrupted someone's original plan, and he wondered what actions that person would take next.

Meanwhile, at the barrier team's location.

The last member there fell dead under the blade of a silver-haired boy after answering the communication.

"The situation seems a bit unexpected, Captain Aizen. That Hollow was taken care of before it even encountered those children."

In front of a screen with a slightly blurred image, a man with a gentle and refined air looked at the familiar figure on the screen with contemplation.

Tatsukawa Shin.

Someone already destined for the Fourth Division, not within the scope of the tools he planned to use in the future.

The current captain of the Fourth Division was a troublesome person; older and more experienced than him, and one who had never truly shown their hand, making it hard to gauge their true strength.

"Then we shall simply include him in the test as well."

Aizen pushed his glasses, which caught the light. In the dim room, his face appeared somewhat dark and sinister.

"Release two more Hollows inside."

Gin Ichimaru looked at the still-dripping Zanpakuto in his hand and remarked, "That flash of his blade just now was impressive. I think even ten more wouldn't make a difference."

"No, you are mistaken, Gin," Aizen countered.

"Since this is a test, the goal is not to kill him, but simply to see his true level."

"Therefore, one large Hollow like the previous one, plus a Gillian, will suffice."

Gin Ichimaru’s perpetually squinted eyes opened slightly, thinking he had misheard.

A Gillian?