"H-How is that possible?!"
"An SSS rating?!"
"They say… since the founding of Shinō Academy, not a single student has ever registered captain-level spiritual pressure—let alone scored SSS!"
Just a second ago, the crowd was still marveling at the strength of Shihouin Yoruichi and Kuchiki Byakuya.
But now, every gaze had shifted—to a brown-haired boy with a warm spring breeze of a smile and a pair of modest brown-rimmed glasses.
"Who is that guy with the glasses?"
"His score's higher than mine… and even Byakuya's!"
"Urahara, even you don't compare, right?!"
In an instant, the eyes of Yoruichi, Byakuya, and Urahara Kisuke all landed on Aizen.
But unlike the other two, Urahara's gaze lingered—not on Aizen, but on the calm, refined, black-haired young man standing beside him. The one who wore black-rimmed glasses and carried the same poised, scholarly air.
They looked alike.
One smiled like sunlight after winter.
The other smiled with bookish grace.
More importantly, they stood side by side—not in deference or hierarchy, but as equals.
"An SSS-level student…"
"Didn't think we'd see a once-in-a-century prodigy like this."
"Captain-Commander Yamamoto will be thrilled."
The emergence of an SSS-rated freshman at Shinō Academy caused such a stir that even Ukitake Jūshirō, Captain of Squad 13 and head of admissions, rushed to the scene.
"Aizen, is it?"
"Process his enrollment immediately."
"Assign him to Class One."
Facing a prodigy of this magnitude, Ukitake wasted no time issuing orders.
Even the four great noble clans—who valued lineage above all—would be scrambling to recruit a talent like this.
As Yamamoto's disciple and a captain himself, Ukitake had to act first. The Gotei 13 couldn't let such a genius slip into noble hands unchecked.
Class One was composed entirely of nobility—gifted students from high-ranking Shinigami families.
People like Kuchiki Byakuya.
People like Shihouin Yoruichi.
Though someone from Rukongai could be accepted, they'd have to possess the potential to become a captain-class Soul Reaper.
"Aizen-san, please come with me."
The examiner who'd tested Aizen stood up at once, abandoning the rest of the queued candidates without a second thought.
Aizen smiled gently.
"I'd be happy to follow you, sir."
"But… my brother is still waiting to be tested."
"Would you mind finishing his evaluation first?"
There was still warmth in Aizen's tone, but deep within his eyes, a sharp glint flickered.
He wasn't pleased that Lan Yan had been ignored.
"Your brother?"
The examiner, still stunned by Aizen's unprecedented results, turned around to look behind him—at the boy who shared his features.
Another elegant, unassuming youth.
Polite. Easy on the eyes.
The resemblance was clear.
The examiner's heart skipped a beat.
If the younger brother's a once-in-a-century genius… then surely the older brother can't be far off.
Good thing Aizen reminded me—or I would've offended them both in one stroke.
"Forgive me," the examiner said, quickly sitting back down.
"I was careless."
"Please, place your hand on the spirit orb."
"I'll begin the test right away."
He even offered Lan Yan a faint, apologetic smile.
"No problem."
Lan Yan smiled back and laid his hand on the crystal orb.
The disregard of small minds never bothered him.
Besides—this examiner had just drawn Aizen's attention.
He was probably already marked.
Fated to be devoured by a Menos Grande… or used as raw material for the Hōgyoku.
Such was the bond between the brothers.
Each saw the other as both rival and kin.
"Blood brothers, huh?"
"No wonder they look alike."
"I just wonder how the older brother compares."
Yoruichi, Byakuya, and the others made no move to leave.
Ordinarily, a soul from Rukongai wouldn't have been worth a second glance. But Lan Yan? He was different.
Even if his results turned out mediocre, the fact that he was Aizen's brother made it worth watching.
"Don't worry," the examiner said gently. "Just inject your spiritual pressure into the orb."
"If you don't know how to control it, that's fine. Just relax and let it flow."
"The orb will measure it automatically—it might just take a little longer."
Captain Ukitake stepped forward, offering a kind smile.
"Thank you."
Lan Yan nodded, then channeled his spiritual pressure into the orb.
Purple. Blue. Green. Yellow. Orange…
As the colors danced across the crystal surface, every face in the crowd began to change.
"Red! It turned red! "
"Oh my god!"
"Two geniuses in one family! The younger brother's once-in-a-century, and so is the older one!"
The examiner nearly choked as he called out:
"Lan Yan Sōsuke…"
"Spiritual Pressure: Captain-level—"
Crack!
Before he could even finish, the orb flared with red light—and then cracked.
Hairline fractures spread like snakes across its surface before it shattered into a spray of sparkling dust.
"…!"
No one could find words.
Then—Boom!
A massive surge of spiritual pressure erupted like a tidal wave.
When it passed, candidates collapsed.
Some fell to their knees, hands braced against the ground.
Others crumpled completely, unable to rise.
A few were pinned flat, unable to so much as twitch.
Even the examiners began to drop one by one.
Only a handful of students remained standing—those of noble birth with immense spiritual heritage.
Like Yoruichi. Like Byakuya. Like Urahara.
Among commoners, only a precious few managed to stay upright—barely, swaying under the crushing weight.
"A monster like this… in Soul Society?"
Yoruichi's amber eyes gleamed with interest.
"Impressive…" Urahara thought silently.
The younger brother is terrifying.
But the older one? He's even worse.
"A soul from Rukongai… stronger than me?"
Byakuya's hands clenched quietly at his sides.
He gritted his teeth in silence.
From that day forward, he would train harder.
He couldn't let the Kuchiki name be outshone.
"…As expected," Aizen murmured, watching Lan Yan from the crowd.
"Brother…"
"In terms of spiritual pressure, you're already ahead of me."
Originally, he hadn't intended to release his full strength.
But in the end, he'd changed his mind.
He wanted to see the gap between them with his own eyes.
To do that, a little exposure was worth it.
After all—there were merits to hiding one's strength.
But there were just as many to revealing it.
"What… what kind of spiritual pressure is this?"
"It feels like a mountain pressing down on my chest!"
"He's really from Rukongai? Not some hidden noble bloodline?!"
Now, all eyes in the plaza were fixed on Lan Yan—with awe, with fear, and with reverence.