Boom—
Luke was blasted backward, crashing through several carts loaded with training equipment. He finally twisted in midair and barely managed to land on his feet.
He glanced at the bamboo sword in his hand, replaying the intricacies of the Captain-Commander’s last strike.
"That’s enough for today, boy. You should have a thorough understanding of your shortcomings by now."
On the other side of the room, the Captain-Commander draped his broad haori over his shoulders again. He looked at Luke, who was covered in bruises and cuts. "You’re still not quite ready to graduate early."
Luke rolled his aching shoulders. "I simply want to join the Gotei 13 as soon as possible. I believe real combat is the fastest way to grow stronger."
The Captain-Commander paused on his way out, then turned around. "So that is what you think. But you should also know that if you spend a few more years studying at the academy before graduating, you can enter the Gotei 13 at a much higher rank."
The students present were stunned. They had not expected the Captain-Commander to be so blunt. He was practically spelling it out for Luke.
With Luke’s talent, his Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō were already among the very best in Shin'o Academy. If he spent a few more years refining himself and raising his Spiritual Pressure, he could graduate directly into a seated officer position in the Gotei 13—perhaps even as a vice-captain.
But if Luke chose to skip ahead and graduate during this final exam, his current Spiritual Pressure would limit him to becoming an ordinary rank-and-file Soul Reaper. At most, a captain might favor him a little because of his talent.
Luke met the Captain-Commander’s eyes. "Every fledgling has to leave the nest eventually. And only in the sky can it fly higher."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of the Captain-Commander’s mouth beneath his white beard. "Very well. Then this old man will give you one chance. If you can satisfy the examiner, you may graduate early."
With that, the Captain-Commander left the classroom. Clearly, this had been his final lesson for Luke.
Luke walked into the murmuring crowd and began using Kaidō to treat his injuries.
This was already his third swordsmanship spar with the Captain-Commander. The strongest Soul Reaper was no empty title. In Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō, the Captain-Commander had no weaknesses. Every discipline was terrifyingly strong.
Including Hakuda, Luke had now sparred with him seven times. His win count was still zero. Defeating an ancient monster whose base attributes existed on an entirely different plane was no easy task.
Still, the Captain-Commander had come to teach him. During their battles, he had deliberately displayed all kinds of advanced combat techniques, and Luke had gained enormously from them.
On his status panel, several of his core mastery abilities had improved significantly. Each had risen by three levels.
[Master-Level Swordsmanship Mastery]
Level: Lv. 23/40 (+3)
Mastery Effect: The Explorer has achieved considerable attainments in swordsmanship and may be called a master of the art. When attacking with a bladed primary weapon, damage is increased by an additional 46%.
[Master-Level Martial Arts Mastery]
Level: Lv. 21/40 (+3)
Mastery Effect: The Explorer has achieved considerable attainments in martial arts and may be called a master of the art. When attacking in unarmed combat, damage is increased by an additional 42%.
[Master-Level Force Dissipation Mastery]
Level: Lv. 24/40 (+5)
Mastery Effect: The Explorer becomes more sensitive to the flow of force in battle. When subjected to a powerful impact, they can redirect and disperse the force, greatly reducing damage caused by blunt-force shock.
Yes, Luke’s greatest improvement was neither his unarmed combat nor his swordsmanship. It was his force dissipation mastery.
Yamamoto was simply too monstrous. Luke had always been at a disadvantage in their spars, and if he wanted to avoid getting crushed, the first thing he needed was to become harder to put down.
Otherwise, against the Captain-Commander, whose combat masteries were likely already at the grandmaster level, Luke would be smashed apart head-on in an instant.
"Luke, are you really in such a hurry to graduate?"
After class, Aizen walked with Luke toward the cafeteria and could not help asking.
Luke smiled as he used Kaidō to heal himself. "What, Sosuke? Afraid you’ll miss me?"
"Not at all."
Aizen’s expression did not change. "I simply think you could study for another two years before graduating. Raising your Spiritual Pressure would do you no harm. A Soul Reaper’s daily work is not as safe as you think. When carrying out missions in the World of the Living, anything can happen. If your luck is bad and you run into a Menos Grande, that will be the end of you."
I’d love to stay here another two years and farm more attributes, Luke thought. But Endspace isn’t giving me that much time.
The final exam was only two days away, and Endspace had clearly calculated the timing. He only had four days left in this world.
"Sosuke, you know me pretty well. I just want to get out there and find some excitement."
Luke grinned and patted Aizen on the shoulder. "If you can’t bear to see me go, why not graduate with me?"
"You’re joking again, Luke. My Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō are far behind yours. What would qualify me for early graduation?"
Aizen remained calm. "Besides, judging by what the Captain-Commander said, I do not know how it was handled in the past, but graduating early this time will likely be exceptionally difficult. If a captain is the examiner, there is no way you could possibly pass."
Aizen had roughly pieced together the situation. The Captain-Commander admired Luke and did not want him graduating so early. He wanted Luke to understand that there was always someone stronger, to stay and train properly for a few more years—to hammer this divine steel into shape before throwing it onto the battlefield.
Under those circumstances, any examiner chosen to test Luke would certainly be as difficult as possible. Given Luke’s absurd proficiency in the four Soul Reaper arts, even a vice-captain would not be guaranteed to beat him without relying on superior Spiritual Pressure.
That meant the examiner was very likely one of the Gotei 13’s captains. Even if that captain suppressed their Spiritual Pressure, how could Luke possibly win?
After considering everything, Aizen believed the Captain-Commander was merely finding an excuse to put more pressure on Luke. There was no way he intended to let Luke truly graduate early.
"But you can already use Shikai, Sosuke. Very few Soul Reapers can do that while they are still at the academy. You’re unquestionably a genius too. Graduating early should not be difficult for you."
As he spoke, Luke set down an enormous basin of food on the table, ready to replenish his Life Source.
"You flatter me, Luke. Since you have made up your mind, all I can do is hope you pass the Captain-Commander’s test and set a new record for the fastest graduation in Shin'o Academy history."
Aizen sounded helpless. Under normal circumstances, early graduation would not be difficult for him. There had been geniuses in the academy’s history who graduated after only two or three years.
Shin'o Academy did not deliberately hold back geniuses. As long as they excelled in Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō while possessing outstanding Spiritual Pressure, they could graduate.
For example, if a student earned perfect marks in all four Soul Reaper arts and possessed Rank Ten Spiritual Might, they could naturally graduate immediately. They would enter the Gotei 13 as a seated officer, even if it was only the lowest seat.
Aizen currently possessed Rank Five Spiritual Might. If he truly wanted to graduate, he would certainly qualify. The problem was that Luke had made too much of a splash. This term, anyone seeking early graduation would probably have to go through the same thing as Luke... challenge a captain.
So whether for the sake of his future goals or because of the difficulty of graduating early this time, Aizen had no intention of joining Luke’s challenge. They would simply meet again in the Gotei 13 someday.
——————
Starting tomorrow, there will be bonus chapters after the recommendation push begins. Please show your support—monthly votes and follow-up reads are incredibly important for a new novel!
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register