Spiritual Arts Academy graduates new students every year.
Although there are students graduating every year, in fact, there are not many Shinigami assigned to the Gotei 13. This is not surprising. Although the world is big, not all locations are like Karakura Town. Under normal circumstances, the probability of a soul being born with naturally high spiritual power is actually not high. Among ordinary souls, especially in Rukongai, this probability can be said to be extremely low.
For the nobles, because they have lived inside Seireitei for generations and have been continuously influenced by its stable reishi environment, the probability of a soul being born with spiritual power is slightly higher, but not by much.
For this reason, even among the great noble families, there are still mediocre individuals who lack the qualifications to ever become Shinigami.
This is a reality no one can change.
Even the great noble clans standing at the peak of Soul Society — the Kuchiki, Shihōin, Tsunayashiro, and (formerly) Shiba — are no exception.
Because of this, although the Spiritual Arts Academy recruits new students every year, the actual number is small.
Conservatively, only around a hundred souls manage to pass the entrance examinations each year. With six grades total, the entire Academy only holds a few hundred students at any given time.
Every year, around a hundred graduates leave the Academy. They are then distributed into the Gotei 13, the Kidō Corps, the Onmitsukidō, and other departments. Each squad might only receive one new member.
Some, like the 4th Division, may not receive even a single applicant for multiple years.
It may seem unbelievable — but this is the reality.
There simply are not many souls capable of becoming Shinigami in all of Soul Society. Even counting all nobles who graduate but do not join the Gotei 13, the total number of spiritually qualified souls barely reaches ten thousand.
It is this small number — barely ten thousand — who uphold the order of the Human World, Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo.
As for the Gotei 13 itself, most squads contain only a few hundred Shinigami.
When viewed this way, it becomes clear why Soul Society valued someone like Kurosaki Ichigo so much in the original work. It also explains why they would seek help from Substitute Shinigami or hybrids when dangerous crises occur.
There are simply too few souls capable of reaching that level — and even fewer who become true combat assets.
Every additional powerhouse is a cause for celebration.
Back to the present.
A few years had passed since Tsunayashiro Ayana joined the Eleventh Division. Now, the Academy's annual graduation season had arrived again.
Asido, as usual, delivered the applicant roster to Gosuke Shigure.
Although the Eleventh Division is a pure combat squad, among the hundred or so graduates each year, there are always some who enjoy battle. So the Eleventh Division receives a handful of applications annually. Whether the number is high or low, there are always at least a few.
From this perspective, the Eleventh Division is still faring far better than the Fourth.
Naturally, Gosuke Shigure did not accept everyone.
Those whose combat ability was clearly insufficient were immediately removed.
Not because he was picky — but because he didn't want to send young souls to their deaths.
The Eleventh Division is always the first on the battlefield.
With insufficient combat capability, death is nearly guaranteed.
For Gosuke Shigure, sacrificing young graduates simply for squad expansion would be obscene.
"The number this year is actually even lower than usual."
Gosuke Shigure commented as he flipped through the list.
Asido replied, "Not surprising. After all, not all souls in Seireitei and Rukongai enjoy fighting. I heard the Fourth Division didn't receive any applicants again this year."
"In that sense, our situation is still pretty good."
Gosuke Shigure immediately felt better upon hearing that the Fourth Division had failed yet again.
He dismissed Asido and continued reviewing the list alone in the captain's room.
Attached to each entry was a small photograph.
Soul Society was backward in many things, but surprisingly advanced in others. Compared with the current world's technology, certain aspects of Seireitei's devices were far ahead.
In the feudal era of the Human World, Soul Society had already developed high-reishi devices.
However, because Shinigami lifespans are extremely long, their rate of technological evolution is slow. Thus, the modern world eventually surpassed them.
Gosuke Shigure reviewed each student's performance, determining whether they were suitable for the Eleventh Division.
Until he saw a familiar name.
"Ise Nanao!"
Beside the name was a small portrait — a delicate-looking girl with glasses, scholarly in temperament.
This confirmed it: this was the exact Nanao Ise he remembered.
"Didn't Kyoraku say she'd definitely join Squad Eight? Why is her application in my Eleventh Division roster?"
Gosuke Shigure frowned.
When he and Kyoraku Shunsui had chatted earlier, they discussed Nanao Ise's imminent graduation. Kyoraku had confidently declared she would join the Eighth Division.
Gosuke had thought the same.
Yet now, in the official list, Nanao Ise had submitted an application to the Eleventh Division.
"Error?"
Gosuke wondered.
He checked her grades.
Her Hakuda was mediocre. Her Shunpo was mediocre. Her swordsmanship (Zanjutsu) was extremely poor. According to the report, she still had not manifested a Zanpakutō spirit.
Among the four fundamentals — Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, Kidō — only Kidō was excellent.
Truly the type suited for the Kidō Corps.
Of course, due to her connection to Kyoraku Shunsui, Nanao had another natural choice: the Eighth Division.
As an intelligence and administration-focused squad, the Eighth Division performs mainly clerical duties and has minimal combat requirements. Someone with Nanao Ise's strengths would fit perfectly there.
The only place utterly unsuitable for her —
was the Eleventh Division.
Though Kidō can be used in combat, the Eleventh Division values direct confrontation above all else — blades first, discipline by might. In the Eleventh Division, many Kidō-type Zanpakutō are outright mocked. The squad's culture is centered on stripping combat down to raw frontline swordsmanship.
For someone like Nanao…
Joining the Eleventh Division was almost unthinkable.
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ 90+ CHAPTERS BEFORE PUBLIC RELEASE OR PURCHASE FOR LIFETIME ACCESS!
WE ARE CURRENTLY ON CHAPTER 233 ON PATREON.
Patreon.com/HACKDWORLD