Shatter

The registration site was bustling.

A sea of people stretched in every direction.

As part of the admission process, all candidates were given a unique number and asked to wait their turn for the spiritual power test. According to the number order, each would take the test one by one, and if their results were sufficient, they would pass.

The process seemed straightforward, but in reality, the pass rate was quite low, and a large number of hopefuls had already been eliminated by mid-morning.

Of course, for Saikyō, there was no pressure at all.

"I'm number 518, so I still have about two or three hours to wait," Saikyō muttered to himself as he stood in line, glancing at the number on the plaque in his hand—"518."

Regarding the issue of the line and sorting, Saikyō couldn't help feeling a bit bitter. Before arriving at the registration site, he had briefly entertained the idea of "using a backdoor."

Though Saikyō wasn't yet well-known, he carried the prestige of being a member of the Shihōin family. With Yoruichi backing him up, he could almost act without restrictions throughout Soul Society.

But reality was different.

The admissions process for the Shino Academy of Spiritual Arts adhered strictly to the principles of fairness.

No matter one's status, race, or age, the only criterion was the spiritual power test. Because of this, Saikyō's wish to bypass the queue naturally fell apart.

"I really didn't expect the assessment to be so strict, and the pass rate even lower than I'd imagined," Saikyō thought to himself after a long period of observation.

During those hours of waiting, people were eliminated one after another, leaving the site with downcast faces.

The results were brutal!

"I wonder what my test results will be."

Out of sheer boredom, Saikyō began to look forward to his turn.

In his memory, Shiba Kaien had achieved "Sixth-Class Spiritual Power" in the entrance exam, allowing him to enroll in the academy. Kaien was considered a genius for that achievement.

What about himself?

Would he achieve even better results?

Perhaps even reach Tenth-Class Reiatsu?

For Saikyō, surpassing Shiba Kaien wouldn't be difficult. He possessed the talents of affinity with Wind, Fire, Thunder, Earth, and Water attributes. This "attribute affinity" meant that five types of Reiatsu coexisted within him, perfectly fused, which significantly boosted his spiritual power.

With the same quantity, the strength and density of Saikyō's Reiatsu were several levels above the average.

This was the source of his confidence!

"Hey, buddy, did you hear?" a voice suddenly whispered behind him.

Saikyō turned his head slowly, and a rough face with a bushy beard and a somewhat bulky frame came into view.

The man leaned in closer, covering his mouth with his hand, speaking in a conspiratorial tone.

"What's up?" Saikyō asked, confused.

"You haven't heard? This year's enrollment has been reformed! The top fifty performers in the entrance assessment will be placed in a special training class." The bearded stranger's eyes gleamed as he revealed the news.

"A special training class? Are you serious?"

Initially just listening with mild curiosity, Saikyō's interest piqued at the mention of a "special training class."

Under normal circumstances, students admitted to the academy would be divided into six grades, according to their performance in the courses. Each grade would then be divided into different classes based on the results of the assessment.

But the concept of a "special training class" was something Saikyō had never heard of before.

"This news is absolutely legit! Because of the special training class, the number of applicants this year has skyrocketed," the bearded man said, his voice swelling with excitement.

"Brother, do you know the specifics of this special training class?" Saikyō asked, his curiosity now fully aroused.

"Ha, you've asked the right person!" The bearded man smiled confidently. "What makes the special training class so attractive is its instructors."

"Really? How so?"

"That's right. Besides the academy's regular instructors, there are also seats from the Gotei 13, including vice-captains!" The bearded man dropped another bombshell.

"Even the seated officers and vice-captains are guest instructors?" Saikyō's eyes widened in shock.

Compared to the academy's regular instructors, high-ranking officers and vice-captains brought far more prestige and experience. Becoming their student would indeed be a huge advantage for any young Shinigami-in-training.

"Surprised? I had the same reaction when I first heard it!" The burly man smiled broadly and continued, "My name's Rainer, from East Rukongai, District 8. And yeah, my goal is to enter the special training class!"

"..."

Saikyō fell silent, not quite knowing how to respond.

Come on, Rainer!

Having a dream is a good thing, but one should also be realistic, right?

After just a bit of observation, Saikyō could easily tell that Rainer's strength wasn't nearly enough to make it into the top fifty.

"What about you, buddy? You don't look very old. Even if you don't pass today, don't get discouraged. You're still young, and there's always next year," Rainer added, continuing to talk, offering Saikyō unsolicited advice and encouragement.

"As long as it makes you happy," Saikyō responded with a shrug, not bothering to engage further.

Rainer's self-assured attitude left him speechless, but Saikyō did make a mental note of the information. The special training class was definitely something worth striving for.

---

Time flies.

Another three hours passed by quickly.

Finally, it was Saikyō's turn!

"Number 518!"

With his number called, Saikyō walked towards a small testing room, holding his registration plaque.

After a brief introduction, the spiritual power test was ready to begin.

"Inject your spiritual power into the test crystal. The brightness of the crystal will automatically determine your spiritual power level," explained the instructor in charge of the assessment, giving a curt nod to indicate for Saikyō to proceed.

Following the instructor's instructions, Saikyō stepped up to the testing crystal.

"I'd better take it easy. Don't want to scare anyone," Saikyō thought to himself, deciding to hold back. He then activated his Reiatsu and began channeling it into the test crystal.

Buzzzz—

With a soft hum, Reiatsu flowed gently from Saikyō into the crystal.

"Not bad... It seems we've got a promising candidate here," the instructor, who had been a bit disinterested at first, suddenly became more alert as he sensed the flow of spiritual power. His gaze focused sharply on the crystal, eager to see what would happen next.

What level would Saikyō's Reiatsu reach?

The answer came soon enough!

BOOM!

Without any warning, the initially gentle spiritual power suddenly surged violently.

The air filled with a heavy, resonant noise, and under the influence of Saikyō's Reiatsu, the ground beneath the small testing room trembled.

"No way!"

"Such intense Reiatsu?!"

The instructor's eyes widened in disbelief.

And when he turned his attention back to the crystal, he almost couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Because...

The testing crystal had developed multiple cracks, and it looked as though it was about to shatter!