After some awkward small talk, Luca bid farewell to the Dean and his instructor.
In the end, he chose to decline the Dean's suggestion of early graduation.
It wasn't that Luca didn't want to graduate early and find a way to sneak into the Department of Research and Development.
But there were still plenty of things worth learning within the Shin'ō Academy.
Furthermore, although he had watched the Bleach anime in his past life, he needed to understand the specific details, rules, and regulations of the Seireitei through his current campus life.
So he wasn't in a rush to graduate and slave away for someone else in the Gotei 13.
However, Luca did take the opportunity to ask Headmaster Yamada about the recruitment requirements for each division.
This kind of "career guidance" wasn't typically available to first-year students.
But after Headmaster Yamada explained everything in detail, Luca realized that joining the 12th Division wasn't as simple as he had thought.
For ordinary graduates, there wasn't much to say.
Upon graduation, they were simply assigned to various divisions by the Academy based on needs.
The threshold for such assignments wasn't high.
Joining the 4th Division didn't require mastery of Kaidō (Healing Kido), and the 12th Division didn't require one to be a scientific genius.
Regardless of a division's duties, they all needed a large number of low-level grunts for menial tasks. If talents were roughly equal, further training after joining could filter out the useful ones.
But for graduates with specific aspirations who wanted to join a particular division, it was more troublesome.
Usually, during the graduation exam, captains or seated officers from various divisions would come to observe and extend invitations to outstanding students afterward.
Ideally, a genius student like Luca would be fought over by every division, giving him plenty of choices.
But in reality, these invitations from higher-ups were quite subjective. Most of the time, if a Captain liked your vibe or if you had connections and someone put in a good word, you were in.
The trouble was Luca's target: the 12th Division.
Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi was an eccentric weirdo with an unpredictable personality.
He wouldn't necessarily extend an invitation just because Luca showed talent.
According to Headmaster Yamada, during the graduation exams for the past two years, neither the 2nd Division nor the 12th Division had sent anyone to observe.
Not just captains—even the lowest seated officers didn't show up.
They simply accepted whatever random students were assigned to them and called it a day.
This gave Luca a headache after leaving the Dean's Office.
Maybe I need to show off some scientific research talent alongside my studies?
No, with Mayuri's terrible personality, unless I make a huge commotion, he might not proactively recruit me.
Compared to recruiting me as a researcher, it feels more likely he'd recruit me as a test subject...
Thinking of this, Luca felt speechless.
He could already imagine his tragic fate: joining the Department of Research and Development, working his way up from a lowly lab assistant, only to end up strapped to an operating table.
Sigh. If all else fails, I should build good relationships with the Academy teachers. Even if ordinary students are randomly assigned, the lists are still made by people.
Although, rejecting invitations from other divisions to forcefully join as a regular grunt feels a bit like devaluing myself.
Of course, Luca was just thinking ahead. Things hadn't reached that desperate stage yet.
Maybe Captain Kurotsuchi will take one look at me, realize I'm a once-in-a-millennium scientific prodigy, beg me to join the R&D Department, and insist on marrying Nemu to me?
After comforting himself with delusions, Luca shook his head with a wry smile.
Forget it. Worst case, I'll find a way to join the 13th Division. Jūshirō Ukitake should be easy to talk to. Maybe when I go to the World of the Living for a Konso mission, I can defect to Kisuke Urahara and trade intel for tech!
Shaking off these wild thoughts, Luca arrived back at the dormitory area.
Since he had left class early in the afternoon, the other students hadn't returned yet. He walked into his room, closed the door, and looked around.
"Hmm~ perfect opportunity. Should I give it a try?"
"But my Shikai made such a huge commotion earlier. Better set up some cover first~"
Action followed thought!
After locking the door, Luca immediately drew the Zanpakutō from his waist and whispered.
"Plug-in, Shinken!"
The next instant, the short sword transformed into the black blade again.
With Shikai active, Luca didn't pause. He thrust the sword into the empty air in front of him and began a rapid incantation.
"Bakudō #8: Seki! Bakudō #39: Enkosen!"
"Bakudō #21: Sekienton! Bakudō #26: Kyakko!"
Four Bakudō spells were released in succession, and light flowed across the blade of Shinken.
However, the surroundings seemed unchanged. Even the usual visual effects of casting Kidō were absent. If not for the feedback from his Zanpakutō, it would seem like Luca was just muttering to himself.
But in Luca's eyes, holding Shinken, the air around him seemed fixed by some force, transforming into an invisible defensive field!
Yes! The air!
In fact, back in the Dean's Office, Luca had held back in his explanation of his ability.
The targets Shinken could "plug into" weren't limited to tangible people or objects.
In Luca's eyes, the omnipresent air, filled with spiritual energy, could also be designated as a target!
Moreover, the Kidō he injected wasn't limited to internal explosions or traps. He could also continuously diffuse the injected Kidō, effectively "enchanting" the target.
The four Kidō Luca injected into the air around him served two purposes: the first two turned the air into a barrier to increase defense, while the latter two were to mask the Reiatsu in the area, preparing for what he was about to do next.
Seeing the preparations complete, Luca held Shinken horizontally across his chest again.
Stroking the blade lightly, he spoke a brand-new release command.
"Read, Shinken!"