Chapter 3: Honest People Don't Bully Honest People
The principal of Shin'ō Academy was not a highly influential figure in Seireitei.
Take a future principal, for instance—they were merely a former third seat of Squad 5 who transitioned to this role.
The current principal was a pragmatic former seated officer who retired from Squad 1 and took up this position.
There were many Shinigami like him in the Soul Society—those who dedicated themselves in obscurity without ever receiving a moment in the spotlight.
Especially in the near future, when he would die protecting his students and most of the faculty at the hands of holy soldiers, he would never have his day to shine.
But this stern old man, who embodied the "Genryū" spirit, never cared about such things.
His only wish was for Shin'ō Academy to nurture more outstanding students, contributing to the great cause of protecting the Soul Society and maintaining the balance of the three realms.
Thus, every year at this time, the principal personally oversaw the frontline of the entrance examinations.
Day after day, until the exams concluded.
"Sigh, ever since Captain Hitsugaya graduated, the quality of incoming students has declined year after year. How am I to answer to Lord Genryūsai for this?"
Even with his attitude of treating all students equally, and knowing that exceptional talents like Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake—who possessed paired Zanpakutō—pure prodigies like Kaien Shiba and Gin Ichimaru, and once-in-a-millennium super-geniuses like Tōshirō Hitsugaya were rare occurrences, the current mediocre situation was actually normal.
Yet the principal remained dissatisfied—not with the students, but with the current teaching methods.
In his view, work should be approached with the same relentless vigor as swordsmanship: never slacken, for stagnation meant one had strayed from the path or reached their limit.
With those geniuses as precedents, it was clear that Shin'ō Academy had not yet reached its limit in talent nurturing. There must still be undiscovered seedlings of potential hidden in unnoticed places.
The academy needed to innovate its philosophy, make new changes, and bring these promising talents into its fold.
Doing so would visibly strengthen the Gotei 13.
Unfortunately, though he had the courage for reform, Shin'ō Academy was ultimately just one of many institutions under the jurisdiction of the Central 46. As its principal, he lacked the authority to change the rules.
This left him deeply frustrated.
Noticing this, the elite teacher accompanying him, Gengorō Ōunabara, offered words of comfort:
"Principal, don't lose heart. This year we have two new students with seventh-level Reiatsu, and among the upperclassmen, there are noble elites like the Shihōin family heir. Overall, it's much better than previous years."
"You don't understand. This is just a temporary glow—it changes nothing. Besides, talent from noble families isn't something to pin hopes on. Their excellence is expected; Shin'ō Academy can't teach them much more."
The principal shook his head.
"Though those two new students aren't as outstanding as the famous graduates of the past and have severe imbalances in their abilities—making them genuine problem children—I'd still choose them over the great nobles."
"Speaking of nobles, I heard the one from the Kuchiki family has been stationed in the living world?"
"It seems so."
"She also originated from Rukongai and was in Class 2 back then. Though many don't think highly of her now, I trust Captain Ukitake's judgment. She will be the best candidate to succeed as Lieutenant."
"Her? As Lieutenant?"
Gengorō couldn't agree, but with the Kuchiki family backing her, it wasn't entirely impossible.
However, they were destined to fall short compared to their peers like Abarai.
They were already Lieutenants.
Even this year, the two new graduates named "Yuyu Yayahara" and "Rindō Atau" could rely on their solid strength to become high-ranking officers immediately after graduation, then set their sights on the Lieutenant positions.
By any measure, they appeared more promising than that adopted daughter of the Kuchiki family.
The topic involving noble families didn't continue.
For the remaining time, the two walked around the examination venue and encountered some "illiterate" candidates who had been eliminated due to inability to read, write, or having excessively poor cultural literacy.
Candidates like these appear every year.
The living world has only just entered the 21st century, and many people cannot afford education, let alone in Rukongai where resources are scarce and education lags behind—this is entirely normal.
While native souls born from the union of two souls are more likely to possess Reiryoku aptitude, they hold no inherent advantage in cultural literacy.
Shin'ō Academy would not lower its standards because of this.
The entire curriculum spans six years.
This limited time is barely enough to learn the basic skills of a Shinigami.
If part of that time were allocated to literacy classes, it would inevitably affect the progress of combat training, leading to a decline in the comprehensive combat proficiency of graduates.
This would not benefit the "great cause of the Court Guard."
For the sake of the Gotei 13 and personal safety, these candidates could only be mercilessly eliminated.
The Academy Director had no objections to this.
The entrance exam is neither too difficult nor too simple.
First, candidates must possess a certain level of Reiryoku aptitude and basic cultural literacy.
These are non-negotiable requirements.
Then, they are scored based on physical abilities, sensitivity to Kidō, and other combat-related qualities. The top few dozen candidates are selected and admitted into Class One and Class Two, while the rest are eliminated.
Those who are eliminated have no one to blame but their own lack of skill; there is no reason for grievance.
In a way, failing them is actually for their own good.
The same applies to illiterate candidates.
The Academy Director wanted to change the admission process and expand the scale but never considered lowering the difficulty.
On this point, he firmly stood with the wise members of the Central 46.
Mentioning changes, the Academy Director couldn't help but sigh, "The detection devices produced by the Technology Development Bureau are far more effective than the old methods."
"Just have the person sit in the chair, and all the data comes out. It saves labor costs and eliminates the risk of misjudgment."
It could be said that the convenience brought by science and technology gave the Academy Director hope for the success of his reforms, but the Central 46 did not share his view.
"It's good, but it's too expensive."
Gengorō muttered, suspecting that the Technology Development Bureau had inflated the price and severely overcharged Shin'ō Academy.
"Hmm... That face looks somewhat familiar."
They were standing in the detection room, observing the candidates through a laboratory-like glass window.
The Academy Director stared at the orange-haired boy and couldn't help but stroke his chin.
Suddenly, the examiner exclaimed, "Reiatsu, fourth class?! Potential ability dataization failed, unable to assess?!"
The Academy Director and Gengorō were stunned for a moment before exchanging glances, both seeing the unmistakable surprise in each other's eyes.
And the surprises were not over yet.
The next candidate also brought the same shock to everyone present.
"Reiatsu, fourth class... Potential ability dataization failed... Also unable to assess..."
The examiner swallowed nervously and looked helplessly at the Academy Director.
The Academy Director himself stood frozen for a while before snapping back to reality. He took a deep breath to steady himself.
"Have the background checks for these two candidates been completed?"
"Yes, they were souls guided to the Soul Society just yesterday. They are currently residing in Junrinan and obtained their passes with local elders as sponsors. The Plus preparation permits and procedures are all in order."
The examiner hurriedly replied.
"That's good, that's good..."
The academy head muttered to himself, appearing relatively calm, but Gengorō couldn't help glancing at him.
How the hell was this not a problem?
He wasn't a native from Rukongai, nor was he from one of the four great noble families.
He was merely the soul of a deceased human, yet he possessed such high-density spiritual energy—was that normal?
Both fifth-class and fourth-class Reiatsu were levels only Lieutenant ranked Shinigami possessed.
Without even obtaining a Zanpakutō or coming into contact with Shinigami powers, he could already rival Lieutenant level Shinigami—was that normal?!
How would this make Abarai and others who had worked hard for decades to attain Lieutenant positions feel?
Gengorō's emotions were complicated.
On one hand, he felt bitter that his proud students were being surpassed by "mere" humans.
On the other hand, he felt excited because these two monstrous examinees would undoubtedly enter Class One, replacing Abarai and others to become his most proud students in the future.
"But Academy Head..."
At this moment, the examiner hesitated, seeming to have something difficult to say.
"What is it?"
The academy head frowned.
"Please see for yourself."
The examiner handed over a report.
The academy head took it, and Gengorō curiously leaned in to look.
"Kurosaki Ichigo... Kurosaki, an unfamiliar surname. It seems the familiar appearance was just a coincidence. Fourth-class Reiatsu, overall evaluation: Excellent."
"Shirogane Sōma, fourth-class Reiatsu, overall evaluation: Excellent."
"All points deducted in Kidō talent... but compared to other freshmen, they still far exceed them. There are no perfect geniuses in this world. I believe when they become captains in the future, they'll surely become flawless."
Wait!
The academy head suddenly noticed a comment below Ichigo's transcript: "Cultural literacy unsatisfactory," and his eyes widened in shock.
Gengorō adjusted his glasses, his face full of astonishment.
"This..."
The two exchanged glances, their emotions shifting from extreme excitement to extreme frustration in an instant.
"Didn't they say the living world is very developed now..."
"Academy Director, Ōunabara-sensei, the living world develops too quickly. There might be some minor differences in grammar now."
The examiner explained tactfully.
"Then why isn't the other one affected?"
"Well... perhaps there's also a slight difference in their cultural levels."
"Is that so? Is there a difference?"
The academy head asked doubtfully.
"..."
The examiner blinked, somewhat confused.
"Ahem, the academy head has sharp eyes. These two examinees have a three-year age difference. The so-called difference wouldn't exist if they were the same age. It's like you can't compare a youth with an adult—the former certainly won't have as much life experience as the latter."
Gengorō explained seriously.
"But Shin'ō Academy is a place for teaching. We can't turn someone away just because they lack experience. If anything, we should do the opposite."
"Moreover, Shin'ō Academy's mission is to cultivate Shinigami. Their Shinigami talent is unparalleled. Besides, prodigies are clever and quick-witted—they'll quickly catch up from this level of backwardness."
"Exactly! We can't miss out on excellent students because of stereotypes and formalism. That would go against Genryūsai-sama's original intention in establishing Shin'ō Academy."
Academy Director casually tucked the report into his chest and instructed the examiner, "Once you finalize the results, file them directly. Also, refrain from mentioning such erroneous remarks in the future, or I may have to consider reassigning you to a different position for reflection."
"...As you wish, Director."
The examiner initially wanted to point out that the results report had already been taken by him, but upon hearing the latter part of the statement, his eyelids twitched involuntarily.
...
"Why do you even know classical Japanese!?"
In the hallway outside the Shin'ō Academy examination hall, it was common for candidates to discuss the exam content and their respective performances.
And it was almost inevitable to feel exasperated upon discovering that one's roommate was actually an academic prodigy.
"I am a man of culture, after all."
Faced with Ichigo's frustration, Sōma responded with utter nonchalance.
"Am I not one too? My grades have always been at the top of my class."
"But I plan to become a folklorist in the future. The University of Tokyo's Faculty of Letters Archaeology Research Office has already opened its doors to me."
"...Well, I have nothing more to say."
Ichigo had no choice but to concede.
"By the way, I won't fail because of this, will I? I answered a lot of the questions based on gut feeling."
"Trust your instincts. Believe me, your intuition is definitely reliable. If there's any problem, it's the academy's issue—let them deal with it themselves."
"I hope so. I really don't want to go through the Eleventh Squad's channels. Dealing with battle maniacs is the last thing I want—I hate fighting people."
"Exactly, we're both decent folks. The higher-ups at Shin'ō Academy are well-versed in education. Those who hold the teaching whip must be virtuous and surely won't mind extending some flexibility."
Sōma nodded in agreement.