The next morning, after saying goodbye to my family, I packed my things and set off. Today I would be accepted. There was no point in doubting it. I knew my level was higher than that of many students. And I didn't even care if I didn't get into the 1st Class — the main thing was simply to get in. After that, I could do everything I needed to do.
I had a goal, and I was moving toward it.
Shunpo!
The fast pace chased away both my excitement and my confused thoughts.
By noon, I was already there.
There was quite a crowd. Everyone was desperate to know whether they had passed or not. Excitement, fear, panic, joy, and despair — all of these emotions churned in the air around.
Now there was a long table here, and applicants approached it in several queues to receive their results. There were also some shinigami standing there whom I had not yet seen. Judging by their expressions, they were prepared for an influx of very emotional people who couldn't accept the word "no." Right in front of me, someone was carried away — he didn't take kindly to being rejected. And further ahead, some aristocrat was being politely asked to leave.
"He-he-he," I heard a laugh behind me.
A cold breeze seemed to accompany it.
I turned around…
And nearly fainted.
A girl stood behind me, her face eerily reminiscent of Gin's: narrowed eyes, a wide smile. Black hair tied into a side ponytail. Short, slight of build. Dressed in expensive clothing — a gray kimono decorated with snakes. She herself resembled a snake in some way. Cute… but unsettling.
Her aura was rather frightening.
"Serves him right," she hissed, clearly delighted by someone else's misfortune. "Something wrong?" she asked, tilting her head.
"You're strange," I chuckled.
"Heh-he-heh." A laugh — eerie enough to raise goosebumps. "It's your turn, pretty boy."
She was right. My turn had come.
I stepped forward, gave my name, and was handed a form.
YEEEEESSSSSSSS!!! I'M IN THE FIRST CLASS!!!
Cool!
After offering me a dry congratulations, the shinigami directed me to the warehouse for my uniform and told me where to settle.
In high spirits, I headed toward the indicated building. Some people, upon seeing that I had passed, followed me with envious glances. I ignored them. My mood was too high for anything to matter.
Then I sensed danger behind me.
I jumped sharply aside — a body flew past.
"YOU BASTARD! I FOUND YOU!" roared a very large man with a shaved head in the middle. Who gave him that hairstyle? It suited him surprisingly well. "I'LL KILL YOU!"
He lunged to grab me.
I crouched. A strike to his knee. A forward roll. A strike to the other knee.
He staggered and tried to lean his weight on me.
I leaped back.
"It won't work!" he barked, laughing. "I've been training hard since last time, and your weak punches and pathetic holds don't scare me."
"I don't even know who you are," I shrugged.
"DIE!!!" he bellowed.
He was wrong about the punches being weak.
I darted forward.
My palm struck his throat.
He froze, stunned.
Then — a knee to the nose.
A fountain of blood burst forth, and he toppled.
That was that.
"Anyone else have a problem with me?" I asked calmly.
The crowd stepped aside without a word.
Clap-clap-clap.
A lone applause. The snake girl, hands clasping enthusiastically.
"Heh-heh-heh, that was fun," she said. "And it's even more fun over there!" She pointed toward a small commotion.
About ten people had surrounded a trio, trying to get to them. Ah, these idiots. I recognized them — the same thugs I'd beaten up two months ago. Apparently, they still hadn't learned proper behavior. Fine by me; I didn't mind giving them a preventive beatings.
I sprinted over. A strike to the back of the one on the edge — he collapsed onto his friend. Then both received kicks to the face. I had lost my sandals in the previous fight.
A kick to the right one's knee, and a jab to his neighbor's throat.
Hands reached for me, but I dodged and rammed my forehead into an idiot's nose. The last ones were taken down by those they themselves had attacked.
"You guys don't learn, do you?" I smirked, pressing one thug's face to the ground with my foot.
"You…?" he muttered in disbelief.
"Good night!" A light tap — he was out cold. "How are you three?" I asked the victims.
They turned out to be an unusual trio: a red-haired guy with strange eyebrows — the one who had lasted longer than me in the exam; a skinny blond with short hair; and… me?
Standing before me was an exact copy of myself. Same height, similar face, same hairstyle with a strand between the eyes — only with violet irises.
They also stared at me in surprise. My double — who seemed to be a girl — looked especially stunned.
"Rukia, is this your relative?" the redhead asked the girl.
"No…" she replied slowly.
Here you go…