The Spiritual Arts Academy covers an extremely large area, and its facilities are so complete and its functions so comprehensive that it is a top-notch existence even within the Soul Society.
It makes sense when you think about it; after all, it's the cradle of talent for the Soul Society. Not to mention the many talents it sends to the Gotei 13 every year, many noble families are eyeing the Central Academy, hoping to recruit more Shinigami retainers for their own houses. It would be surprising if they didn't vigorously support it.
Following the crowd, Nagasawa Masaru quickly arrived at the venue where the Spiritual Arts Academy held its graduation ceremony and induction ceremony.
To be honest, he felt that the Spiritual Arts Academy's graduation ceremony was similar to his graduation ceremony in his previous life. Before the principal arrived, the class teachers restrained their respective classes, quietly waiting for the graduation ceremony to begin.
However, perhaps his attire was truly too conspicuous. The Class Seven teacher, who had been resting with his eyes closed and a doting smile on his face, turned his head, first glanced at the wooden plaque on his waist, and then asked with concern.
"Sakamaki Hiroshi, why are you so heavily bundled up?"
Teachers at the Central Academy are generally active Shinigami Seat Officers, or those who have retired from the front lines due to injury. The fact that he hadn't been detected as suspicious at such close range, and was only asked about his veiled face due to curiosity, shows that Aizen's Spiritual Pressure application techniques are indeed very clever.
Seeing that the Class Seven teacher's question had already aroused the curiosity of the surrounding classmates, Nagasawa Masaru could only cover his mouth with his hand and, feigning weakness, slowly said.
"Cough cough… Maybe I caught a chill last night. I woke up this morning feeling a bit unwell… cough cough…"
A look of suspicion flashed in the teacher's eyes for only a moment before Nagasawa Masaru's answer dispelled his doubts.
Although the Soul Society can't be considered entirely peaceful, the Seireitei has been truly calm for too long. Especially after retiring to the academy, this gentle-faced teacher never even considered the possibility of an invader. He just continued with a somewhat worried expression.
"Sakamaki Hiroshi, although you successfully graduated from the Central Academy, your graduation results weren't very good. If you can't perform outstandingly at the induction ceremony, you'll probably have to start as an ordinary squad member when you join a division."
Upon hearing this, Nagasawa Masaru was first stunned, then understood.
The Spiritual Arts Academy's curriculum is six years long. Leaving aside those Genius students who graduate early, just like fourth-year university students in the real world, Central Academy students usually, if their grades aren't too bad, are arranged to intern with the Kidō Corps, the Onmitsukidō, and the Gotei 13 during their final year.
If their strength hasn't improved significantly, after graduation, they will be assigned to join their desired division as ordinary squad members, according to their preference.
If their grades are excellent, they will be exceptionally promoted to a division Seat Officer.
Clearly, the Sakamaki Hiroshi he is currently impersonating doesn't quite live up to his name; he is the former.
Of course, for intern Shinigami who perform poorly during their internship, there is still one way for them to obtain the qualification of a Seat Officer after graduation.
That is, at the graduation ceremony, also known as the induction ceremony, they can earn a corresponding status through their own strength, which is the so-called Seat Officer Challenge.
The reason the teacher in front of him showed a worried expression was because he was concerned that Sakamaki Hiroshi's physical discomfort would affect his last chance to "turn things around" before graduation.
Although this teacher could indeed be considered very responsible, he was clearly overthinking it.
Seeing "Sakamaki Hiroshi" remain silent, the teacher assumed his student was unable to accept his bleak future. He simply shook his head gently and said nothing more.
What made Nagasawa Masaru somewhat helpless was that although the teacher stopped talking, the surrounding classmates fully displayed the friendly spirit of a loving family. Seeing "Sakamaki Hiroshi" looking dejected, they all offered words of comfort, one after another, forcing Nagasawa Masaru to fully commit to the persona of "I'm depressed, don't talk to me."
Fortunately, the Captains of the Gotei 13 did not keep them waiting long. The Spiritual Arts Academy's annual graduation ceremony is quite prestigious in the Soul Society. Led by Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni of the First Division, the thirteen Captains and their Vice-Captains of the Gotei 13 appeared before everyone's eyes.
As twenty-six powerhouses with Spiritual Pressure Rank Five or higher successively stepped onto the rostrum, even without releasing a single trace of Spiritual Pressure, the invisible pressure caused these young Shinigami, who had just been chattering excitedly and dreaming of the future, to instantly fall silent.
"Whew…"
Seeing that his surrounding "classmates" finally stopped comforting him, Nagasawa Masaru also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Of course, although he had temporarily bluffed his way through, he wouldn't be so naive as to think he could simply impersonate someone and sneak into the Gotei 13.
He needed a suitable moment.
At the same time, his gaze subconsciously swept to the man standing in the corner of the rostrum, wearing black-rimmed glasses and a harmless smile.
Sosuke Aizen, one of the most imposing BOSSes in the second dimension.
After seeing the young Kuchiki Byakuya and Ichimaru Gin, Nagasawa Masaru had already deduced that the current timeline was roughly 110 years before the start of the main Shinigami story, or even a bit earlier.
At this time, Aizen, although he hadn't completed the Hōgyoku in his hand, was already quite formidable. Even he, who had activated the Peak Shinigami Experience Card at this moment, dared not underestimate him in the slightest.
However, for Nagasawa Masaru at this moment, successfully joining the Gotei 13 and repairing the damaged Lock Chain and Soul Sleep were the most pressing matters.
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, as the principal of the Central Academy, gave a relatively short speech. He simply offered some words of encouragement and then handed the stage over to the Vice-Captains of the Gotei 13.
The so-called Seat Officer Challenge did not mean that these Central Academy graduates would challenge the Seat Officers of each division in turn.
That would be too troublesome, and it would inevitably lead to some graduates with a lucky mentality specifically picking those Seat Officers ranked nineteenth or twentieth to challenge.
By having the Vice-Captains of each division, who serve as Captain's assistants, act as the assessment targets, it directly eliminated those opportunistic individuals with delusions.
Seeing Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni conclude his speech, several Vice-Captains standing on the stage first exchanged glances. Then, a man with a brown pompadour, wearing the Second Division Vice-Captain badge on his arm, who looked more like a parvenu than a Shinigami, instantly moved to the center of the arena. While twisting his neck, he said in a deep, bold voice.
"Then I'll go first. Little guys who want to challenge me and thus gain the Captains' appreciation, come on up!"