The Price  

Some students, encountering a Hollow for the first time, froze in terror, their limbs trembling, their swords slipping from their grasp. They stood paralyzed, awaiting their demise.

If not for the intervention of the 5th Division Shinigami, they would have become Hollow fodder.

However, some students, after the initial shock, managed to regain their composure. Even if they couldn't defeat the small Hollows they encountered, they could still escape, preserving their lives. Some, upon encountering fellow students during their flight, even teamed up to face the threat together.

Generally, two reasonably skilled students could confidently handle a small Hollow. Even weaker students, working together in groups of three or five, could manage to slay a Hollow without sustaining injuries.

Soon, the hundred or so small Hollows lured by the Hollow bait on the first day were eliminated, divided and conquered by the students.

The strong, wielding their swords with finesse, dispatched their foes single-handedly. The weak, banding together in small groups, achieved victory through teamwork.

Colorful fireworks soared into the night sky, signaling calls for help. Ailin had provided these rescue flares to each student. Upon launching a firework, the nearest guardian Shinigami would rush to their location, rescuing them from danger. However, using the flare meant automatic failure of the exam. They would be denied entry into the Gotei 13 and instead be assigned to the Hollow extermination forces, spending the rest of their lives battling Hollows.

This was the price the commoners of Rukongai paid for aspiring to become Shinigami.

For a million years after the founding of the Soul Society, the power of the Shinigami had been monopolized by the nobles.

Then, over three thousand years ago, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto established the Genji School, sharing his knowledge of swordsmanship and breaking the nobles' stranglehold on power. He faced opposition and persecution from the nobles, but his immense strength only fueled his resolve, attracting a growing number of supporters.

Alarmed by Yamamoto's rising influence, the nobles couldn't bear the thought of a commoner challenging their authority. Hundreds of them joined forces, mobilizing their Shinigami retainers and launching an attack on Yamamoto's Genji School.

Many of Yamamoto's students, still in training, perished in the assault.

Yamamoto, consumed by rage, transformed into a "fiery demon," unleashing his wrath upon the Seireitei. He stormed through the noble district, activating his Bankai, Ryūjin Jakka, and slaughtering hundreds of nobles involved in the attack. The number of noble families in the Seireitei plummeted from over a hundred to just forty-six.

However, during his rampage, Yamamoto's reiatsu brushed against the will of the Soul King. Sensing the Soul King's boundless compassion, Yamamoto's anger subsided. He entered the Seireitei, becoming the first line of defense protecting the Soul King.

The remaining forty-six noble families, cowed by Yamamoto's strength, were forced to unite, forming the Central 46 to counter his influence.

The standoff between Yamamoto and the nobles continued until the ancient King of Hueco Mundo descended upon the Soul Society, intending to invade the Soul King Palace, devour the Soul King, and become the supreme ruler of all existence.

Yamamoto, still young at the time, was defeated. Although the ancient Hollow King ultimately failed, vanquished by Ichibei Hyōsube, the leader of the Royal Guard, and sealed within a Zanpakutō, Yamamoto's defeat forced him to confront his limitations. He realized that he alone couldn't protect the Soul King.

He reconciled with the nobles, establishing the Gotei 13 to control the Seireitei's military might, while the nobles maintained their influence through the Central 46.

He transformed his Genji School into the Shin'ō Academy, opening its doors to the entire Soul Society, teaching those with reiatsu how to become Shinigami and wield their power to protect the Seireitei.

To ease tensions with the nobles, Yamamoto branded his past self as a "fiery demon," incorporating that incident as a mandatory lesson for the students of the Shin'ō Academy.

Since Yamamoto's Gotei 13 valued strength above all else, some nobles joined its ranks, bringing their retainers with them and assuming leadership of various divisions, their family skills dictating the division's responsibilities.

The 2nd Division, led by the 21st head of the Shihōin Clan, Chika Shihōin, was formed from her family's Onmitsukidō, becoming the "Stealth Force."

Ginrei Kuchiki, inheriting the captaincy of the 6th Division from the first captain, Furofushi Saito, established it as the division responsible for handling noble affairs.

To further strengthen the Gotei 13, Yamamoto opened the Shin'ō Academy to all who possessed reiatsu, regardless of their social standing. This decision struck at the very foundation of the nobles' power.

For a million years, what had allowed the nobles to maintain their lofty position and disregard for commoners? It was their control over the power of the Shinigami, their absolute strength.

If the commoners of Rukongai gained access to that power, how could the nobles maintain their privileged status?

However, their opposition couldn't sway Yamamoto's determination to bolster the Gotei 13.

Yet, the nobles' million-year legacy ensured that their descendants possessed exceptional talent, far surpassing that of the commoners.

After much negotiation, Yamamoto and the nobles reached a compromise.

Yamamoto would accept two noble children as his disciples and guarantee them captaincy upon completing their training, increasing the nobles' influence within the Gotei 13.

In return, the nobles would cease interfering with the Shin'ō Academy, accepting students from all backgrounds.

However, any commoner who attended the Shin'ō Academy but failed to become a member of the Gotei 13 would be sent to Hueco Mundo, joining the Hollow extermination forces and spending the rest of their lives fighting Hollows.

The Hollow extermination forces had once been a place where the nobles exiled criminals. This agreement essentially treated the commoner students as criminals, guilty of "illegally acquiring Shinigami powers without the nobles' permission."

After all, according to noble law, sharing Shinigami powers with others was a capital offense. They couldn't punish Yamamoto directly, but they could punish the students who failed to meet their standards.

Over the centuries, this system had proven effective. While many commoners from Rukongai with reiatsu attended the Shin'ō Academy each year, they either became Shinigami within the Gotei 13 or perished in Hueco Mundo.

For over two thousand years, the Seireitei remained the domain of the nobles, while Rukongai remained a slum, with no change in sight.

Now, even though it was only the first day of the exam, the sheer number of Hollows appearing in the city had already forced many students to launch their rescue flares, becoming the first casualties of the assessment.

…

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Under the cover of night, figures in black shihakushō descended before Ailin, carrying injured students covered in blood.

Most of the students wore expressions of terror, while some were severely wounded.

However, those who were rescued were the fortunate ones. Those who couldn't wait for the arrival of the 5th Division Shinigami had already perished.

After all, only a little over thirty Shinigami had accompanied Ailin to protect the examinees. No one had anticipated that the 12th Division would create such a challenging exam.

It was among the most difficult exams since the assessment format had changed.

"Bakudō #73 - Tozansho!"

As Ailin chanted the incantation, a blue light shot from his hand, expanding into a translucent, triangular barrier over ten meters tall. The barrier encompassed the injured students, preventing their wounds from worsening.

Ailin turned to one of the Shinigami. "Matsuri, your healing skills are quite impressive, if I recall correctly. I'll leave these students in your care."

To Ailin, the students' injuries were minor. He could heal them effortlessly, even without using his Zanpakutō. However, he was currently impersonating 5th Division Captain Sōsuke Aizen.

Aizen had never displayed any healing abilities, and Ailin wouldn't risk exposing himself for the sake of a few students. Fortunately, among the 5th Division members accompanying him was one who had trained in healing Kidō. While she couldn't fully heal the students in a short time, she could stabilize their condition.

"Yes, Captain Aizen."

A young woman with blonde hair tied in a bun stepped forward, entering the barrier. Green light emanated from her hands as she administered emergency treatment to the injured students.

Her name was Matsuri Kudo, and she had a twin brother, Fujimaru Kudo, who was also a seated officer in the 5th Division.

Ailin had some vague memories of the twins. However, unlike the other Shinigami, he had never seen them in the main storyline of Bleach.