Lu Li took the fresh set of clothes from Aizen. "Thanks. Finished with your exams?"
Aizen nodded, his gaze sweeping over the lattice of bloody scars crisscrossing Lu Li's rugged, heavily muscled torso. "Do not be discouraged. Surviving is an achievement in itself. Graduating in two years is perfectly fine."
He had just finished his own exams and immediately come up to check on Lu Li. In his mind, the absolute worst-case scenario involved him collecting his roommate's corpse. Seeing Lu Li alive and breathing brought him an inexplicable sense of relief.
"What are you talking about, Sosuke? I passed the trial. All that's left is the graduation paperwork," Lu Li said casually as he pulled on his new shirt.
A flash of genuine shock broke through Aizen's usual composure. "You... passed? You actually defeated Captain Unohana?"
On his way up the stairs, he had crossed paths with Captain Unohana. Perhaps because the battle had just concluded, a terrifying, residual aura still clung to her. Just from making brief eye contact, Aizen instantly realized his previous analysis had been catastrophically wrong. Captain Unohana was absolutely not the "best-case scenario"—she was a profoundly terrifying, dangerous woman.
When he saw the massive bloodstains soaking her haori, he had fully braced himself to arrange Lu Li's funeral. Yet, not only was Lu Li perfectly fine, but he was casually claiming he won.
"I wouldn't exactly call it a win. After all, Captain Unohana had her Reiatsu strictly suppressed. She didn't use her full strength during the initial probing phase of the deathmatch. If she had, I wouldn't have survived long enough to achieve Shikai and turn the tables," Lu Li said modestly. He looked at Aizen. "Honestly, Sosuke, I owe you big time. Without your help, awakening my Zanpakuto would have been vastly more difficult."
Only then did Aizen notice the distinct changes to the blade resting at Lu Li's waist. It was no longer a standard-issue Asauchi; its hilt and scabbard had physically transformed, marking it as a true, exclusive Zanpakuto.
Suppressing his internal shock, Aizen accepted the absurd reality: his roommate was an absolute freak of nature who had genuinely defeated a Captain in a matched-Reiatsu duel.
"I barely did anything. This is purely the result of your own relentless effort," Aizen smiled warmly. "Congratulations on clearing the trial and breaking the Academy's historical record, Lu Li. I suppose I will have to start calling you 'Senior' now. By the way, have you decided which Division you will join?"
Lu Li shook his head. "Haven't thought about it yet. Whatever, let's go eat."
Honestly, joining any specific squad of the Gotei 13 was completely meaningless to him right now. He was leaving this world in exactly two days. Regardless of which Division he joined, he'd just be killing time for a day, maybe taking a quick stroll through the World of the Living to broaden his horizons before the Terminus Space dragged him back.
...
Inside the cafeteria, every single gaze directed at Lu Li was filled with absolute awe and reverence. The news of him passing the special trial and defeating Captain Unohana had spread like wildfire, though nobody knew exactly who had leaked it.
"If you don't have a clear goal in mind, why not join the Fifth Division? Seated Officer Hirako will take good care of you," Aizen suggested between bites. He was personally planning to join the Fifth Division upon his own graduation, so having Lu Li go ahead and pave the way wouldn't be a bad idea.
"That's not a bad choice. Fifth Division it is," Lu Li said right after swallowing a massive chunk of steak.
Aizen was slightly taken aback. "That decisive? You aren't even going to ask about the Division's culture, internal dynamics, or benefits?"
Lu Li chuckled. "I haven't thought about it anyway, and I trust your judgment, Sosuke."
I'm leaving in two days anyway. It makes zero difference to me. Might as well make my roommate happy.
...
"Good work, brat. You actually pulled it off."
At the Shin'o Academy's official graduation ceremony, the Captain-Commander looked at Lu Li with deep, complex admiration. He had deliberately assigned Lu Li an impossible task, yet the boy had genuinely emerged victorious.
When Unohana had volunteered herself to act as the examiner, Yamamoto had felt a twinge of regret, assuming this peerless seedling was destined to die before it could bloom. He truly admired Lu Li's genius, but he wasn't a soft-hearted man. Lu Li had demanded this trial. If the boy could claw his way through, the sky was the limit. If he failed, he would simply die from his own arrogant hubris.
"I only survived because Captain Unohana showed mercy," Lu Li replied modestly.
For the Shin'o Academy's annual graduation ceremony, the vast majority of the Gotei 13 Captains were in attendance. Unohana was standing among them today.
The Captains weren't just there to offer blessings and wave at the students; they were there to draft new recruits. Lu Li could feel multiple burning, predatory gazes locking onto him from the Captains' lineup. Clearly, he was the absolute hottest commodity on the market.
Speedrunning the Shin'o Academy in three months, mastering Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hoho, and Kido, and defeating Retsu Unohana in a matched-tier deathmatch—even though Lu Li was still technically a student, his name was already legendary across the entire Seireitei.
Every single Captain wanted this monstrous seedling. With a little polishing, he would instantly become a highly competent Seated Officer. Given his terrifying talent, reaching Lieutenant—or even Captain class—was merely a matter of time.
"Hahaha, there is no need for false modesty now. But it seems you've become quite the target," the Captain-Commander laughed, in exceptionally good spirits. He swept his gaze over the covetous Captains and asked, "What do you say, brat? Do you want to join the First Division?"
The moment Yamamoto spoke, the expressions of the surrounding Captains fell flat. All their eager anticipation instantly evaporated. They had specifically shown up today to poach Lu Li, but if the Captain-Commander himself was making an offer, there was zero chance they could compete.
The entire graduation venue, Captains included, was deeply shocked. This was the very first time the old man had actively and publicly invited a fresh graduate to join his personal squad. It showed just how profoundly highly he valued Lu Li. It was blatantly obvious that the Captain-Commander intended to keep Lu Li close to personally mentor him. Under his tutelage, a new Captain-class powerhouse would undoubtedly be born within a century.
"I deeply appreciate the offer, Captain-Commander. However, I have already decided which Division I wish to join."
To everyone's absolute astonishment, Lu Li politely declined the Captain-Commander's invitation. The surrounding students stared at him like he was insane. Do you have any idea what you just threw away?!
But Lu Li had his own plans. Honestly, he could go to any squad in the Gotei 13... except the First Division. The old man clearly intended to keep a close eye on him and continue his "iron-fist education." When the time came for Lu Li to extract from the world, disappearing directly under Yamamoto's nose would be highly problematic.
Having secured his return qualification, he could actively choose to extract at any time. But if his time limit expired, the Terminus Space would violently rip him out of the world without granting him a single extra second. Lu Li had a faint premonition that he might eventually return to this world in the future, so he absolutely did not want to trigger a massive incident by inexplicably "vanishing" under the Captain-Commander's direct supervision.
"Oh? You've already made your choice? The Fourth Division?" Yamamoto deduced. He knew Unohana had personally brought Lu Li to the Academy and subsequently served as his examiner. She was undeniably the boy's "benefactor." Wanting to follow her to repay that debt was highly understandable. However, he couldn't help but feel that tossing such a monstrous combat prodigy into a rearguard medical unit was a tragic waste of talent.
Lu Li turned toward the Captains' viewing area. As he met Unohana's gaze, she offered him a warm, gentle smile and a slight nod.
"No. I wish to join the Fifth Division."
Lu Li's answer caused Unohana's smile to freeze for a fraction of a second. She had already fully prepared herself to personally "train" him within her ranks.
It made absolutely zero sense. Lu Li had practically no prior interaction with the Fifth Division. Even if he wanted to join a dedicated combat squad, shouldn't he have chosen the Eleventh Division?
"Excellent eye! The Fifth Division offers the absolute best benefits!"
The current Captain of the Fifth Division, Yoshitaka Akimoto, couldn't contain himself. He practically Shunpo'd directly to Lu Li's side, unable to hide the sheer, unadulterated joy on his face. He had completely written off any chance of snatching this prodigy. Between the Captain-Commander's invitation and Captain Unohana's prior connections, he thought he was completely out of the running. But Lu Li had voluntarily chosen his squad! It was like a winning lottery ticket dropping directly into his lap!
Lu Li stared at this Fifth Division Captain who had absolutely zero presence in the canon manga. He genuinely has the face of a completely disposable mob character, Lu Li thought dryly. He'll probably get replaced by Shinji Hirako in a century or so.
Seeing that Lu Li had firmly stated his choice, and watching Yoshitaka Akimoto look ready to physically cling to the boy to prevent anyone from stealing him, the Captain-Commander dropped the issue. Given Lu Li's peerless talent, ascending to the rank of Captain was inevitable. He wouldn't be stuck as a grunt in the Fifth Division forever anyway.
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