I am Masahiko Yano, commissioned by the Central Office 46 to preside over the entrance assessment of the Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy.
"Now, I officially announce the commencement of the first spiritual pressure test for the entrance examination!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the sixteen proctors—dressed in the traditional black robes of the Shinigami—took their positions around the four testing instruments. Their presence served as a warning to any candidates tempted to cheat.
One by one, names were called, followed by either a declaration of failure or a rare announcement of success.
"Hassegawa Masami, Thirteenth Class, failed." "Maori Sahui, Seventeenth Class, unqualified." "Masaki Inagaki, Eleventh Class, failed." "Kego Kazuki, Tenth Class, unqualified."
A series of disqualifications heightened the tension in the air. Murmurs of concern spread through the crowd. Many had invested everything in this exam, some even going to desperate lengths to be here.
"It's so hard! Ninth-class spiritual power is already tough enough! Damn it... I took out a loan from those bastards in District 79 just to participate. If I don't pass, I'm doomed!"
A thin man with green hair clutched his head, his whispers barely audible amid the growing unrest.
Then, a voice broke through the grim streak of failures.
"Ryoo Kaga, Ninth-Class Spiritual Power—Pass!"
Relief flooded Ryoo Kaga's face, and he shouted in excitement. "I did it! I passed!"
A nearby proctor sighed, unimpressed. "You only cleared the first stage. Get moving to the next test."
Ryoo's excitement dimmed, but he hurried toward the next assessment area.
More names followed.
"Matsumoto Rangiku, Seventh-Class Spiritual Power—Pass!"
A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd. Seventh-class spiritual power was exceptionally rare, far beyond the standard ninth-class cutoff. Many past candidates barely scraped by at ninth-class, making this result even more astonishing.
"Seventh-class? Even the elite team members usually don't surpass eighth-class! Who is she?"
The curiosity quickly turned to admiration—and for some, jealousy.
Ito , who had been uninterested until now, raised his head. He spotted a blonde girl, around fourteen or fifteen years old, standing confidently before the measuring instrument. Her striking beauty, accented by a small mole near her lips, made her all the more captivating. But what truly drew everyone's attention were—
"Ahem. Eyes up here," a nearby proctor warned some of the more distracted male candidates.
Oda Yu, another hopeful examinee, clenched his fists. "Damn it… I've been in the Corpse Soul Team for years and barely reached eighth-class. And now a girl younger than me is already at seventh? How is this fair?"
As Rangiku walked toward the next assessment area, Makoto Ito stroked his chin thoughtfully. "At this time, she must already be under Aizen's influence. That would explain her impressive spiritual power. If she were completely unrestrained, just how strong could she become?"
The examination continued.
"Shimazu Leopard, Eleventh-Class Spiritual Power, unqualified." "Makino Kazuhiro, Ninth-Class Spiritual Power, pass." "Torya Kubo, Twenty-Sixth-Class Spiritual Power, failed." "Nazawa Masami, Ninth-Class Spiritual Power, pass." "Hana of the Star Palace, Tenth-Class Spiritual Power, unqualified."
Then, a familiar name caught Ito Makoto's attention.
"Hisagi Shuuhei, Seventh-Class Spiritual Power—Pass!"
"Oh? He's in my cohort? Interesting."
Ito Makoto spotted a boy around twelve years old standing before the measuring device, his expression calm and composed. A fresh tattoo—two bold numbers, '69'—was inked on his cheek. The skin around it still looked swollen and raw, indicating it had only recently been done.
"Two candidates with Seventh-Class Spiritual Power!"
The atmosphere in the examination hall shifted. The sheer excitement from the crowd made it seem as if they had achieved those rankings themselves. Even the proctors exchanged glances, clearly impressed.
Yano Masahiko let out a hearty laugh. "Well now, this year's candidates are full of surprises!"
A deputy examiner coughed, reminding him to maintain his composure. Yano quickly straightened, regaining his authoritative stance, and resumed calling names.
The assessments dragged on, and then—
"Tsukada Nobuji, Ninth-Class Spiritual Power—Pass!"
A trembling voice echoed through the hall. "I... I did it! I passed!"
It was the same green-haired man who had been muttering nervously earlier. Tears of relief welled in his eyes.
The proctor sighed. "Alright, enough noise. Move on to the next test."
Finally, Ito Makoto stepped forward.
"Is it finally my turn?"
Ito Makoto's recommendation letter had been pending for a long time. As he stood in line, he wondered whether the candidates outside the gate would even finish their assessments by the end of the day.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped toward the spiritual pressure tester. He exhaled slowly, steadied himself, and grasped the handle firmly.
A dazzling golden light erupted from the device, flooding the examination hall. The brilliance lasted over ten seconds before gradually dissipating.
The room fell silent.
"This... this is fifth-class spiritual power!"
The invigilator responsible for reading the results stood frozen, staring at the display in shock. After a moment, he finally found his voice.
"Makoto Ito, Fifth-Class Spiritual Power—Pass!"
The hall erupted in an uproar.
"What?! Is this thing broken?!"
The disbelief spread among the rejected candidates, especially Kubo, who had only managed twenty-sixth-class spiritual power. He was the loudest, his frustration spilling over into accusations.
"There's no way! The tester must be malfunctioning!"
"Silence!"
Masahiko Yano, the head examiner, infused his voice with a wave of invisible pressure, sweeping over the examination hall like a crushing tide. Those with weaker spiritual power, especially those below the ninth-class threshold, trembled under the weight of his authority. Some struggled to remain standing.
Kubo, however, was hit the hardest. His breath hitched, and he collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air.
But Makoto Ito? He felt nothing. The pressure barely registered. Without hesitation, he turned and walked toward the next assessment area, completely unfazed.
The shocked expressions of the other candidates were understandable. After all, even Ichimaru Gin—the child prodigy who had since become the third seat of the Fifth Division—had only reached sixth-class spiritual power during his entrance exam.
The classification of spiritual power in the Soul Society was straightforward:
Below ninth-class: Weak or negligible spiritual pressure.
Ninth-class: Standard for ungraduated Shinigami trainees.
Eighth-class: The expected level of an average squad member.
Seventh-class: Elite squad members.
Sixth-class: The level of a seated officer.
Fifth- and Fourth-class: The level of vice-captains, though most held fourth-class rankings. Even if a fifth-class candidate didn't become a vice-captain, they would still attain a high-ranking position.
Third-class and above: The esteemed Captain-level ranks.
This was why Makoto Ito's result was so shocking.
In the back, Yu Oda, who had previously scoffed at Ito, suddenly grinned and nudged his teammates.
"Hah! What did I tell you? I knew he'd pass."