The lanterns in the corridor were already lighting up one by one, though the sky had yet to darken.
The students returned to the tiered classroom once more, waiting for the results of the in-school examination to be published.
Unlike the written exam, which required strict seating by number, the front and middle sections of the classroom were already packed, as everyone wanted to see the results immediately.
Latecomers could generally only find seats in the back and corners.
Suō Tsukasa's gaze swept across the room, finally resting beside the silver-haired boy who had just taken a seat in the corner.
"Hello."
Maintaining a proper social distance, Suō Tsukasa sat down next to Hitsugaya Tōshirō and greeted him.
"Hm."
Hitsugaya Tōshirō nodded in simple response, his attitude neither overly warm nor distant.
With the previous anxious emotion gone, his usually tense brows and eyes were much more relaxed.
The sight of the two sitting side-by-side—one black-haired, one silver-haired—captured the attention of most people in the classroom.
"Damn it, where did all these geniuses crawl out from in the Rukongai?"
"We're having terrible luck."
A small cluster of people in the side-rear of the classroom kept their eyes on the two figures, one black and one white.
One of them, a noble descendant with upward-slanting eyes and a hint of arrogance, muttered bitterly under his breath.
The other commoner students present might not understand, but how could they, who were born into nobility, not know what fifth-grade and sixth-grade meant?
An ordinary Shinigami's Reiryoku level is within the twentieth grade; a Vice-Captain is between the fourth and fifth grade, and above the third grade are Captains.
That meant he was currently competing for a limited spot in the elite class with someone at a Vice-Captain's level and another at a High-Ranking Seat Officer's level. It was too ridiculous.
He actually wanted to curse out "monsters" rather than "geniuses," but with many ears around, cursing was the most he could manage.
New students like them, who could reach such high Reiryoku levels upon enrollment, were destined to become top figures in the Gotei 13 unless they died prematurely. They were not people one could afford to offend.
The other noble descendants felt the same way. The more people stepping over their heads, the greater the chance they would fail the examination.
For them, who came from low-to-mid-ranking noble families, the elite class was their only path upwards.
The standard for the in-school exam was the sum of two scores. Only a small fraction of annual applicants were brave enough to apply for the elite class, so the results were compiled quickly.
Just then, a faculty member holding the list entered through the door, and the entire classroom instantly fell silent.
Everyone's gaze focused on the paper in his hand, awaiting the verdict that would determine their future.
"The examination results are now announced."
Soon, two lists were posted on either side of the blackboard.
The list on the left was sparse, containing only a few dozen names, while the one on the right was densely packed, almost filling the entire white paper.
As soon as the lists were out, naturally, some rejoiced while others wept.
Hitsugaya Tōshirō took the top spot, despite his last-place written exam score, thanks to his first-place Reiryoku level.
The second spot went to Suō Tsukasa, who was first in the written exam and second in Reiryoku level.
Suō Tsukasa didn't care about the ranking, as it was perfectly reasonable: in the Shinigami world, Reiatsu is everything.
"Damn it, if only my written exam score had been a little higher."
A student sitting in the front row slammed the desk in extreme frustration.
Suō Tsukasa glanced briefly, noticing that most of the people near the cut-off line had poor written exam scores.
When Reiryoku levels were roughly the same, the written exam score became the decisive factor.
He also didn't see the name "Kusaka Sōjirō" on the list, which was a minor surprise to him.
But it wasn't overly strange, as that character belonged to a non-canonical movie, and even some of the basic settings deviated from the original work's scope.
"Quiet. Those who passed, remain."
"Those who failed must leave the Shin'ō Academy immediately."
The faculty member knocked on the podium, delivering the final verdict. His resonant voice utilized a Reiryoku-based intimidation technique.
The entire classroom fell silent instantly. The faces of the failed students were pale and ashen.
But no matter what emotions they held in their hearts, they were meaningless in the presence of the faculty member.
The classroom soon became empty. With the departure of the failed students, the classroom quickly emptied, leaving only the thirty students of the elite class.
"Congratulations to all of you for becoming students of Class One."
"I am Kamiki Mokusho, and I will be your homeroom teacher and Kidō instructor."
"Shortly, a dorm supervisor will take you to the General Affairs Office to receive your Asauchi and be assigned dormitories."
"I wish you all success in your studies."
Only now did the students learn his name, and his tone was noticeably gentler.
As he spoke, his gaze lingered on Suō Tsukasa and Hitsugaya Tōshirō for a moment, carrying the unique expectation of a teacher towards outstanding students.
Having given his instructions, he did not tarry and turned to leave.
His departure caused a momentary lull in the empty classroom.
Ten minutes later, another dorm supervisor with a kind face arrived at the classroom.
He led the group to receive their school uniforms and the Asauchi that would accompany a Shinigami throughout their life.
After the Asauchi were distributed to everyone, the dorm supervisor's expression turned serious as he cautioned them.
"The Asauchi can only be used during the practice of Soul Burial in the real world later in the academic year. On normal days, you are only permitted to use wooden swords for Zanjutsu training."
"You must never use them without permission, and strictly forbidden is carrying the Asauchi off campus."
"I hope you will keep these prohibitions firmly in mind."
A Shinigami must be inseparable from their Asauchi every day, and only through years of constant association and tempering can they imprint their soul onto the Asauchi to create their own Zanpakutō.
The Asauchi are only temporarily loaned to the students until they graduate; they will be formally granted only after they join a squad.
Suō Tsukasa looked down at the Asauchi in his hand: a standard-length blade with a plain handguard.
It looked like an ordinary iron sword, and he could feel nothing special about it at the moment.
Everyone around him was the same, similarly inspecting the Asauchi that would accompany them for the rest of their lives.
"Alright, put them away. Follow me to select your dormitories now."
The dorm supervisor commanded, not leaving the students much time.
The students complied, putting their Asauchi into cloth bags and solemnly carrying them on their backs.
The group followed the dorm supervisor through the long corridor and soon arrived at the dormitory area located behind the academy.
"This is Sakura-en, where you will be living from now on."
"Across from us is Aoba-ryō, where the ordinary students reside."
"Of course, whether in Sakura-en or Aoba-ryō, you must remember the school rule strictly forbidding private duels."
The dorm supervisor pointed to the left, where ten vertical rows of small courtyards enclosed by white walls stood, each a self-contained unit.
Through the moon gate, one could see that the courtyard layout was quite spacious and elegantly arranged.
A winding gravel path ran through the center, separating two independent single-room wooden houses, with a vigorous, ancient pine tree planted in the corner, giving the environment a quiet, secluded feel.
The opposing Aoba-ryō, in contrast, consisted of rows of large, more compactly structured longhouse-style buildings. Compared to the dwellings of ordinary residents in the Rukongai, the only difference was the change from multi-person occupancy to single-person private rooms.
This was precisely one of the ways resources were slanted towards the elite class; the rule of the strong prevailing in the Soul Society was always subtly evident.