Chapter 63: Assessment
After returning to normal academy life, several months passed in the blink of an eye.
Suoh Tsukasa first passed the initial assessment, then the secondary assessment, and now faced the final examination for early graduation.
In truth, for ordinary students, the Shinoreijutsuin's graduation threshold wasn't particularly high.
Regular students only needed to demonstrate basic combat capability to graduate easily.
The Gotei 13's expectations for most graduates were limited to handling routine duties like cleaning, patrol work, and reconnaissance missions.
The vast majority of graduates never progressed beyond this, becoming the foundation stones that kept the Gotei 13 functioning after joining a division.
But for someone like Suoh applying for early graduation, the goal wasn't merely to graduate—it was a special debut before the Gotei 13.
Early graduation itself sent a powerful signal designed to attract attention from various divisions.
For such students, the graduation assessment wasn't an endpoint but a stage to demonstrate strength and potential far exceeding their peers.
The Shinigami promotion system reflected this as well.
Regular graduates entered divisions starting as ordinary squad members, only earning seated positions after accumulating sufficient merit and passing rigorous combat evaluations.
Students who graduated early could receive the honor of direct seated officer appointments after passing division examinations—a completely different starting point.
Therefore, applicants faced assessment standards far exceeding regular examinations.
The initial assessment had included roughly a hundred students from various grade levels taking the exam alongside Suoh.
By the secondary assessment, the elimination rate had exceeded three-quarters.
And now only Suoh and four other senior students remained for the final examination.
Abarai Renji, whom Suoh had encountered again during the secondary assessment, hadn't managed to pass.
At this moment, outside the final examination hall, thick cypress doors completely blocked all sounds from within like a barrier.
Suoh and the other senior students sat on wooden benches outside the door in order of their test scores, carrying their Asauchi, awaiting the examiners' summons from inside.
Time ticked by second by second in oppressive silence. The corridor air felt heavy as a physical weight, carrying an atmosphere of solemn, invisible pressure.
Light falling through high windows stretched the waiting figures' shadows long across the floor.
After an indeterminate time, the doors suddenly swung open.
"Examinee Number One, Suoh Tsukasa."
"Yes."
Suoh responded and rose, his steps steady as he entered through the open doorway.
Behind him, the doors closed silently, once again separating inside from outside.
The examination hall's interior was extremely spacious. Three head examiners and assistant examiners wearing black haori sat elevated on a high platform.
Proctors holding clipboards stood at the four corners of the hall, responsible for review and recordkeeping. The atmosphere was solemn and stern.
The head examiner seated at the center of the platform, whose expression was most severe, let his blade-like gaze fall on Suoh as he slowly spoke.
"Examinee, state your name."
"Class One, Year 2069, Suoh Tsukasa."
Suoh met the head examiner's scrutinizing gaze with a calm expression.
Hearing this, the head examiner on the platform picked up a dossier placed beside his table, containing records of all Suoh's training, evaluations, and field exercise results since enrollment.
The head examiner didn't rush to read the dossier's contents. Instead, he held it in hand while carefully comparing Suoh himself with the photograph in the file.
Inside the great hall, silence reigned so complete a pin drop would echo.
Only the faint rustling of paper being turned and unfolded broke the quiet.
While the waiting process might seem agonizing to observers, Suoh's heart remained perfectly calm throughout.
'All this intimidation theater. Who are they trying to scare?'
Beyond confidence in his own abilities, this level of scrutinizing gaze wasn't nearly enough to make him nervous.
He actually found this unconventional examination setting quite novel. Unfortunately, he already knew the final assessment's format, which diminished the interest somewhat.
The previous two assessments had both been single-subject tests for each discipline with a final composite score—only the difficulty level had differed.
The final assessment's format was simply the most direct comprehensive combat evaluation, nothing particularly innovative.
The head examiner on the platform finished reviewing the performance records in the dossier, his eyes brightening involuntarily.
Zanjutsu, hakuda, hoho, and kido all rated excellent. Theory examinations all excellent as well. Field training results equally excellent.
The head examiner carefully finished reading this flawless transcript and the teacher evaluations attached at the dossier's end.
Only then did he truly look at the black-haired youth standing with sword at his side in the hall.
The Shinoreijutsuin had a long and storied history, producing talented individuals year after year.
But students who could stand in this final examination hall after only one year of enrollment, with such brilliant past performance—those were rare.
"Only one year since enrollment, yet successfully advancing to the final assessment..."
"Student Suoh, I look forward to your upcoming performance."
The head examiner's voice had softened somewhat from before, carrying obvious appreciation.
As his words fell, one of the assistant examiners stood from his seat, using shunpo to appear before Suoh, speaking in a low voice.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes."
Without unnecessary words, the final assessment began directly.
The assistant examiner immediately closed in with shunpo to launch hakuda attacks. Suoh raised his hands to meet him. The two figures crossed paths across the hall, exchanging fists and feet for over a dozen exchanges before switching to ranged Kido competition.
Alternating Kido techniques collided continuously in midair. After the light and sound faded, they finally switched to the most direct zanjutsu assessment.
"Stop!"
The entire assessment process lasted only about one incense stick's worth of time before the assistant examiner called a halt.
Throughout the examination, Suoh's performance hadn't disappointed the examiners.
Shunpo afterimages, hakuda collisions, Kido flames, and the cold gleam of zanjutsu.
During the assessment, whether his combat posture or his level in zanjutsu, hakuda, hoho, and kido—everything fully met their standards for an excellent graduate.
Hearing the assessment had ended, Suoh stopped moving and sheathed his blade. His breathing remained steady without the slightest sign of exertion.
As if what he'd just faced wasn't the final examination but merely routine sparring practice.
And in fact, that was accurate. His daily training intensity with both the zanjutsu and hakuda instructors had long exceeded the assessment's standards.
As for Kido, that was already Suoh's strongest subject—handling it felt even more effortless.
Seeing this, the head examiner and assistant examiners on the platform briefly exchanged opinions before quickly announcing the result.
"Precise spiritual pressure control, proper combat rhythm management."
"Suoh Tsukasa, congratulations on passing the final assessment."
"The academy will transfer your file to the division you applied for today."
"They'll dispatch someone shortly to escort you. Wait in your dormitory tomorrow."
"Thank you, honorable examiners."
Having obtained the desired result, Suoh bowed respectfully to the examiners.
As he walked out of the great hall, the four senior students still waited outside.
Seeing Suoh emerge first, their gazes flickered slightly, as if trying to read something from his face.
But his expression remained too calm, revealing nothing.
They ultimately asked nothing, simply watching quietly as Suoh's solitary figure departed.
Stepping into the courtyard, the daylight opened suddenly bright.
Suoh stopped and stood in the courtyard, his gaze sweeping across the academy building's flying eaves and the courtyard's vegetation. Sunlight fell across him, his blue and white uniform rustling gently in the breeze.
Since enrollment, there were many places in this academy Suoh had never visited—the senior classrooms, the elective course teaching buildings. Many corners remained unfamiliar scenery to him.
Though his time at the school had been rather short, he couldn't deny that at the Shinoreijutsuin, Suoh had spent a relaxed and pleasant period of academy life.
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