Chapter 4: Entering Shin’ō Academy
The entrance exam concluded quickly, with fewer than ten students passing. Across all four major districts of Rukongai, the total number of successful candidates barely reached fifty.
Led by the instructors, the students from the Eastern District who had passed the test traversed most of Seireitei, finally arriving at the western Hakutōmon Gate.
Before them stood a massive, ancient-looking building, its architecture reminiscent of private academies from the World of the Living's past.
Inside the dojo, large plaques adorned the gray-white walls, with the character "元" (Founder) elegantly inscribed in flowing calligraphy.
Shin'ō Academy was originally known as the "Founder's School," established by the renowned Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, the academy's first headmaster and the legendary Captain Commander- of the Gotei 13.
It was unclear whether the current headmaster was a devoted admirer of Yamamoto, but his gleaming bald head reflected the overhead lights so intensely that Masatsuki Aozaki had to squint.
Seated in the main position, the bald headmaster maintained a strict and dignified demeanor, his voice full of authority as he declared,
"Welcome to Shin'ō Academy. I hope that over the next six years, you will learn what it takes to become an outstanding Shinigami."
As he spoke, his gaze swept across the crowd, momentarily lingering on Masatsuki, Rangiku, and Gin. Though his expression appeared casual, he was clearly assessing them.
All three were geniuses. If nothing unexpected happened, they would eventually distinguish themselves in the highly competitive ranks of the Gotei 13.
Masatsuki took a quick look around. The dojo housed not only students from the impoverished districts of Rukongai, dressed in tattered clothing, but also well-off students from Seireitei, their appearances reflecting their privileged upbringings.