Ren accepted the new clothes handed to him by Aizen. "Thanks. Are your exams over?"
Aizen nodded, his gaze sweeping over the bloodstains on Ren's muscular, battle-worn body. "Don't lose heart. Staying alive is what matters. Even if you graduate two years later, it's the same outcome."
He had just finished his own evaluation and had come to check on Ren. In his mind, the worst-case scenario was preparing to collect his roommate's corpse.
Seeing that Ren was still alive, a wave of relief he couldn't quite explain washed over him.
"What are you talking about, Sōsuke?" Ren said, pulling on his clothes. "I've already passed the assessment. All that's left is the graduation procedures."
A flicker of surprise crossed Aizen's eyes. "You're saying…you passed? You defeated Captain Unohana?"
When he arrived earlier, Aizen had caught a glimpse of Captain Unohana. Her aura had yet to fully recede, likely due to the recently concluded battle. Even the brief eye contact with her left him shaken, shattering his earlier assumptions. She wasn't just a top-tier examiner; she was an utterly terrifying opponent.
The sight of blood staining Unohana's uniform as she walked away had cemented his belief that Ren had perished. Yet, here Ren was—not only unharmed but claiming victory.
"Well," Ren said modestly, "I wouldn't call it a complete win. Captain Unohana's spiritual pressure was restricted, and during the probing phase of our fight, she didn't go all out. If she had, I wouldn't have lasted long enough to turn the tables with my Shikai."
He glanced at Aizen, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Honestly, Sōsuke, I owe it to you. Without your help, I wouldn't have awakened my Zanpakutō so easily."
It was only then that Aizen noticed the subtle changes in the sword at Ren's side. No longer an Asauchi, it had transformed into a proper Zanpakutō—a Shinigami's personal blade.
Suppressing his inner shock, Aizen accepted the reality. His roommate was undeniably extraordinary. To emerge victorious against a captain in a same-tier challenge? Truly monstrous.
"I didn't help much," Aizen replied with a smile. "It's your own hard work that paid off. Congratulations Ren-kun, for passing the exam and rewriting the academy's history. I'll have to start calling you 'senpai' now. So, have you decided which division to join?"
Ren shook his head. "I haven't thought about it yet. Let's not dwell on that—let's eat."
Which squad he joined didn't matter much to him. After all, in two days, he would be gone.
It didn't matter if he joined a division. At best, he'd spend a day mingling, take a trip to the human world to broaden his horizons, and then return to his own dimension.
In the cafeteria, all eyes were on Ren, filled with awe and reverence. The news of him defeating Captain Unohana and passing the assessment had spread like wildfire, though no one seemed to know its exact origin.
"If you don't have any particular goal," Aizen suggested, "why not join the Fifth Division? Lieutenant Hirako will look after you."
Aizen himself planned to join the Fifth Division after graduation, so having Ren there waiting wasn't a bad idea.
"That's not a bad idea," Ren replied, swallowing a mouthful of steak.
Aizen raised an eyebrow. "So decisive? Aren't you going to ask about the division's atmosphere, structure, or benefits?"
Ren chuckled. "I haven't made up my mind about anything else, but I trust your judgment, Sōsuke."
To Ren, it made no difference. He'd be leaving in two days anyway. Might as well humour his roommate.
-----
"You really pulled it off, kid," the Captain-Commander said, looking at Ren with admiration during the graduation ceremony. He had assigned Ren an almost impossible task, never expecting him to succeed.
When Captain Unohana volunteered to be the examiner, he had felt a pang of regret. This promising talent, he thought, would likely not survive.
He admired Ren's genius, but he wasn't a softhearted man. This trial was one Ren had sought himself. If he overcame it, the sky would be the limit. If not, then his downfall would be a lesson in hubris.
"I must thank Captain Unohana for showing mercy," Ren said humbly.
At the academy's annual graduation ceremony, most captains were present. Unohana was here as well, though her attendance wasn't merely for ceremony; captains were here to scout new recruits.
Ren could feel the heat of several gazes on him—captains eyeing him like prized prey. His rapid rise had made him a sensation: completing the academy in just three months, mastering Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō, and defeating Captain Unohana in a sparring match. Though still a student, his name was already well-known across the Seireitei.
The captains saw in him a future officer, someone who could quickly ascend to the rank of lieutenant—or even captain. With his talents, such a future seemed inevitable.
"Hahaha! Don't be modest now," the Captain-Commander said, clearly pleased. His gaze swept over the other captains, who were all eyeing Ren intently. "Well, kid? How about joining the First Division?"
The room fell silent at the Captain-Commander's offer. The other captains' hopeful expressions evaporated instantly.
They had all come with the intention of recruiting Ren, but with the Captain-Commander personally extending an invitation, they knew better than to compete.
Even the graduates in attendance were stunned. It was unheard of for the Captain-Commander to recruit a student directly into the First Division. Clearly, he saw something extraordinary in Ren—a future leader, perhaps even a captain.
Ren, however, surprised everyone with his response.
"Thank you for the offer, Captain-Commander, but I've already decided which division to join."
The crowd erupted in murmurs. Many of the students gave him incredulous looks, thinking, Do you even realize what you're turning down?
But Ren had his own plans. To be honest, he could join any division in the Gotei 13, but the one he absolutely couldn't join was the First Division.
The Captain-Commander clearly intended to personally oversee his development, possibly even keeping him close at all times.
That would be a problem when it came time for Ren to leave.
After earning the qualifications to return to his original world, Ren could choose to return at any time. However, if his allotted time expired, the Terminal Space would forcibly extract him without delay—down to the exact second.
Ren had a hunch he would return to this world again someday, so he didn't want to 'disappear' right under the Captain-Commander's nose.
"Oh? You've already made up your mind? Is it the Fourth Division?"
The Captain-Commander raised an eyebrow. He knew that Captain Unohana had brought Ren to the Shin'ō Academy and had served as his examiner. By all accounts, Unohana could be considered Ren's benefactor. It would make sense if Ren wanted to repay her kindness by joining her division.
Still, the idea of Ren going to a support and medical division felt like a waste of his combat potential.
Ren turned his head toward the area where the captains were gathered. When his eyes met Unohana's, she smiled gently and gave him a slight nod.
"No, I want to join the Fifth Division."
His answer caused Unohana's smile to falter ever so slightly. She had been ready to personally mentor Ren.
That's odd, she thought. Ren has no prior connection with the Fifth Division. If he wanted a combat-oriented squad, wouldn't the Eleventh Division be a more logical choice?
"Excellent choice! The Fifth Division has the best perks!"
The current Fifth Division captain, Akiyama Yoriyasu, couldn't contain himself. He appeared at Ren's side in a shunpo, his face alight with unrestrained joy.
He had assumed someone like Ren would be out of his reach. With ties to both the Captain-Commander and Unohana, it seemed inevitable that one of them would claim him.
But for Ren to voluntarily choose the Fifth Division? It was as though a gift had fallen from the heavens.
Ren glanced at the captain of the Fifth Division, a man who hadn't appeared in the original storyline. He does have the look of a filler character, Ren mused. It's only a matter of time before Shinji Hirako replaces him.
Seeing that Ren had made his decision, and with Akiyama practically clinging to him like a lifeline, the Captain-Commander decided against further persuasion.
Given Ren's immense talent, the Captain-Commander was confident that he would grow into a captain-level Shinigami sooner or later.
He wouldn't be staying in the Fifth Division forever.