"Kaidō proficiency test?"
A puzzled look crossed Shimo's face. He had never heard of such a thing before.
"This is the entrance test?"
Yamada Seinosuke gestured for the Fourth Division members behind him to step forward.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, two squad members approached, carrying an injured Shinigami on a stretcher.
Judging by the insignia on his uniform, the man appeared to be from the Eleventh Division.
But his face was so utterly generic that no one could identify him.
"It's simple," Seinosuke said with a sinister grin. "Just heal him."
"To lower the difficulty a bit for you, I've even granted you permission to use your Zanpakutō abilities."
"In other words, just get this Eleventh Division member back on his feet."
There was no mistaking it—this sly bastard wasn't holding back at all.
What seemed like a generous offer from Seinosuke was, in truth, a trap.
The Eleventh Division soldier lying before him was clearly on the brink of death.
Though Shimo wasn't trained in healing techniques, he could gauge someone's condition from their spiritual pressure.
"So, you brought me someone half-dead, huh?"
He kept that thought to himself. Outwardly, his expression remained calm, betraying no sign of frustration.
"Then I must really thank you for this thoughtful gift, Liutenant Yamada," Shimo replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"But I don't think this is necessary at all."
Seinosuke sneered with open disdain.
"Not necessary?" he scoffed. "Hah! Young people these days are really something else."
Shimo couldn't be bothered to engage with him any longer.
Thanks to his mastery over Kidō, unless the injury involved some rare condition or special curse, he was fully capable of treating it with Kaidō.
He knelt down in front of the wounded Shinigami, overlapping his hands and pressing them out in front of him.
Spiritual energy gathered between his palms, forming a green barrier of light that hovered between them.
Guiding the energy gently, he pressed the Kaidō barrier against the man's wounds.
A shocking scene unfolded before everyone.
The massive, jagged gash began visibly healing at a pace noticeable to the naked eye.
The wounded man's weak spiritual pressure also began recovering rapidly.
"He's just a freshly graduated brat..."
Seinosuke's eyes widened in disbelief, his face contorted with astonishment.
"I already thought Shimo's combat strength was incredible, but I didn't expect his Kaidō skills to be this high too…"
"A newly graduated student at this caliber..."
"Wait, but I don't recall ever teaching him Kaidō myself…"
Among the onlookers, a female Kidō Corps member named Asami Ryōko furrowed her brows.
This result went far beyond her expectations.
"Maybe someone from the Kyōraku family trained him?" she muttered, trying to make sense of what she was seeing.
Tissue continuously regenerated at the wound site, forcing the muscles and skin to reform rapidly.
In less than a minute, Shimo withdrew his hands and smiled faintly at Yamada Seinosuke.
"Liutenant Yamada, I believe I've passed your Kaidō test, haven't I?"
Seinosuke's mouth twitched as if being forced into motion. With a stiff, fake smile, he said:
"Y-Yes… you've passed."
"Welcome to the Fourth Division."
He handed over the squad's badge, handbook, and other standard items.
As Shimo took them, he caught a whisper, so quiet it was nearly inaudible.
"Once you're in the Fourth Division… you'd better behave."
Shimo returned a friendly smile.
But for some reason, what others saw as a calm, polite smile looked to Seinosuke more like a demon's wicked grin.
He knew in his gut—ever since he tried to sabotage Shimo, a grudge had already been forged between them.
At first, he hadn't thought much of the boy—just another noble brat from Shin'ō Academy.
But after witnessing Shimo's terrifying skill in Kaidō, a creeping sense of regret began to claw at his heart.
This young man was no gentle soul.
A cold shiver ran down Seinosuke's spine. He shook his head, trying to dismiss the unease.
Hopefully, this kid wouldn't do anything too outrageous…
Unfortunately for him, things were heading in the exact opposite direction.
For one, Shimo wasn't known for turning the other cheek—and two, it was Yamada Seinosuke who had started this.
And to top it off, the system had just delivered a crushing blow that left Shimo with no room to refuse.
[New check-in task released: Please report to the Fourth Division and register daily. Objective: Become Liutenant of the Fourth Division.]
[Reward: Spiritual Pressure Amplification!]
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