"Spiritual power, third stage."
"Fail."
Hasumi Ren stood by the spiritual rank testing device, pronouncing the verdict expressionlessly.
"W-What..."
Upon hearing the result, the frail youth before him turned pale instantly.
"Young man, this is the part where you say 'the tides turn every thirty years, so do not look down on...'"
Ren felt a poke at his waist. Turning around, he saw the petite Ise Nanao looking up at him with a glare.
"Don't listen to his nonsense. We don't use terms like 'spiritual power stages.' This guy just made it up."
Nanao explained to the examinee.
"However... his conclusion is correct. Your Spiritual Pressure is too low; the testing device doesn't even register a value."
"I'm sorry, you don't have the aptitude to become a Soul Reaper."
Tears welled in the boy's eyes as he turned and left, looking utterly crestfallen.
Ren watched the boy's dejected back and sighed deeply.
"The truth is the sharpest blade, Nanao-chan."
Nanao rolled her eyes at him.
"It's still better than fooling him with made-up terms."
Ren laughed heartily.
It had been five years since he transmigrated to the Soul Society, and he had seen this scene far too many times.
Souls from the Rukongai arrived with dreams of becoming Soul Reapers, yet most couldn't even cross the most basic threshold of spiritual rank.
Souls with so little spiritual power usually wouldn't live more than a few decades, let alone become Soul Reapers with lifespans spanning millennia.
Ren tapped on the keyboard a few times, and the numbers on the testing device reset.
"Alright, next."
These were the enrollment days for the Shin'o Academy.
As a fifth-year student, he was occasionally required to assist the faculty with administrative tasks.
Essentially, he was free labor.
Today, he and some of his peers were responsible for assisting with the spiritual rank testing for the applicants.
"Ren, look over there."
Ren followed Nanao's gaze.
A group of three was walking through the crowd toward them.
Leading them was a black-haired young man with a straight back and a steady gait, wearing a bright, sun-like smile.
Following closely was a girl with an athletic build, her black hair tied with a white headband, carrying a bit of wild delinquent energy.
At the back was a somewhat rough-looking boy, peering curiously at his surroundings.
Looking at them, Ren felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
Beside him, Ise Nanao adjusted her glasses, her eyes turning serious.
"Do you feel it? His Spiritual Pressure... it's very strong."
Ren nodded.
Even from a distance, he could sense a powerful spiritual energy that far exceeded that of ordinary applicants.
The black-haired youth waited patiently at the back of the line, while the two younger ones stood to the side, making faces and pumping their fists to cheer him on.
The line moved quickly until it was his turn.
"Next, number one hundred seventy-six!"
The black-haired youth stepped forward and handed over his number plate.
"My name is Shiba Kaien, from West Rukongai."
Kaien said with a smile, his voice clear and bright.
Ren looked at him and instinctively froze for a moment.
"What is it?"
Nanao noticed his reaction and asked.
"Nothing."
Ren shook his head, suppressing the stir in his heart.
He pointed at the testing device. "Place your hand on it and release your Spiritual Pressure."
Kaien complied. In the next second, a potent Spiritual Pressure erupted from him, and the numbers on the testing device began to climb rapidly.
Finally, the number stopped at six.
"Spiritual Rank... Grade Six!"
The testing grounds erupted into an uproar.
The instructor overseeing today's tests appeared beside Ren at some point, staring at the results in shock.
A Sixth Grade Spiritual Rank... that was already at the level of a high-seated officer or a Lieutenant's assistant.
A talent like this was a once-in-a-century occurrence in the history of the Shin'o Academy.
Even Nanao, who had been watching from the side, could not hide her surprise.
The moment Shiba Kaien pulled his hand back and withdrew his Spiritual Pressure, a glowing fragment fell from him.
No one else reacted, but Ren's eyes narrowed slightly.
This was the ability he had awakened after transmigrating: he could see various attribute fragments dropped by others and absorb them through contact for his own use.
For three years, relying on this ability, he had climbed from being a low-tier student whose Spiritual Pressure barely met the entrance standards to his current level.
Moreover, by frequently hanging out in the library with Nanao, he had managed to collect a massive amount of Kido knowledge fragments.
Ren subtly took half a step forward and, while returning the number plate, touched the fragment.
[SYSTEM: Obtained Spiritual Power fragment, Spiritual Rank EXP +200]
Ren's pupils constricted slightly.
Usually, the fragments he picked up only provided single-digit points.
Just one burst of Spiritual Pressure had dropped a two-hundred-point experience fragment...
"Not bad."
Ren took a deep breath, looking at Shiba Kaien.
"Shiba Kaien, you've passed the spiritual power test. Report on time tomorrow for the second round."
"Understood. Thanks for your hard work."
Kaien withdrew his hand with a smile and turned to give a victory sign to the excited Kukaku and Ganju.
Ren watched the scene, his thoughts drifting as memories from his past life resurfaced.
Shiba Kaien—the man who would complete the entire Shin'o Academy curriculum in two years, join the Gotei 13 immediately upon graduation, and become a Lieutenant within five years...
"Hey, what are you spacing out for?" Nanao tapped his shoulder lightly with her book. "Next person."
Ren snapped back to reality, nodded, and continued the testing process.
"Truly incredible talent. Back when I enrolled, my Spiritual Rank was only eighteen."
"Indeed." Nanao flipped a page of her Kido theory book. "It seems a formidable individual will be joining the freshmen this year."
As she spoke, a white fragment drifted down beside her.
Seeing it, Ren reached out and patted Nanao's head, allowing the fragment to land on him in the process.
[SYSTEM: Obtained Kido Insight, Kido EXP +5]
"What was that for?"
Nanao brushed his hand away, looking at Ren with exasperation.
"Nothing. I just saw that heroes of the world are as numerous as the stars, and my heart couldn't help but swell with excitement."
"What do you mean 'heroes of the world'? It's just one guy standing out from the crowd."
"Ha, you're quite strict, little girl."
"Get lost... Anyway, you said you opened a new shop in the Rukongai. How many does that make?"
"Let me think... the third one, I believe."
"Tch, capitalist..."
Ren: ?
While chatting with Nanao, the spiritual rank testing continued.
By the end of the day, Ren had assisted in testing hundreds of people.
Few were qualified.
Most had mediocre aptitudes of rank eighteen or nineteen. Occasionally, someone with fifteen or sixteen would appear, considered a decent prospect.
High spiritual ranks as rare as Kaien's did not appear again.
But Ren didn't mind.
He diligently moved around every corner of the testing grounds, quietly picking up the fragments that no one else could see.
[SYSTEM: Obtained Spiritual Power fragment x2, Spiritual Rank EXP +10]
[SYSTEM: Obtained Kido Insight x2, Kido EXP +10]
Unfortunately, the probability of fragments dropping from a bunch of freshmen was extremely low.
It wasn't even as much as the Kido experience points Nanao generated just by reading.
Apart from the surprise provided by Shiba Kaien, today's haul was barely better than nothing.
The sun set, and the enrollment work for the day drew to a close.
The grounds gradually emptied as the testing staff packed up and left one by one.
Ren and Nanao walked out of the testing area side by side, heading to the cafeteria for dinner.