𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄 | 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 [MINOR EDITING]

²⁴ ʜɪɢʜᴇʀ ᴄʟᴀss

"Welcome, new students, to the Soul Reaper Academy. You are now part of a proud tradition—a unique school dedicated to building the Stealth Forces and Thirteen Court Guard Squads of the future. Apply yourselves diligently to your studies, and uphold the honour to our school."

Once the announcement ends, all the students resume walking toward the entrance to the Academy. I swallow nervously when I, myself, enter the building. No, I'm not nervous over this. I'm only nervous since the Head Captain has once again requested my presence within the training grounds of the First Division. However, instead of being notified through one of my clansmen, I'd been told by a Hell Butterfly. As soon as I'd seen it, I'd grown angry once more, the maroon stripes on its wings reminding me of my brother.

Because I've been placed in the Advanced Program, I turn down the right corridor, and follow a small group of students. I am surprised to see Shinji in the middle of it, and I immediately run after him.

"Shinji!" I call, and he stops in the middle of the hallway, looking glum. I stop just a foot away from him and frown. "What's wrong?"

"Everything!" he says. "I was so caught up in the entrance exam that I accidentally did too well on it."

"And what's the problem with that?" I ask, confused.

"Now I'm going to have to do well on everything else, too," he says with a groan. I snigger at his response. "And just what's so funny?"

"It's just, for someone who wants to become a Captain, you sure aren't willing to put in the work for it." He scoffs at me.

"I am!" Shinji insists. "I'm just not all that thrilled over the workload."

At the sound of the warning bell from the courtyard, we fall into step beside each other on our way to our first lesson. And then it hits me.

"You shouldn't be complaining," I point out.

"And why not?"

"Because your only job is as a student. I'm the Head of the Kaoku Clan, too, and this means I've got a lot more responsibility on my hands than anyone else in our year."

Shinji rolls his eyes and enters the room before me. "That doesn't mean anything," he tells me.

"Hey, just because I'm not a Captain, this doesn't mean I'm not entitled from shirking off my mother's duties from when she led our Clan," I say pointedly. "Until someone takes her place, or until someone is finally promoted to the Lieutenant or Captain of the Fifth Division, I'm forced to give orders." I sigh. "It comes with the territory, I suppose."

"Central Fourty-Six hasn't done anything about it yet?" Shinji inquires. I shake my head.

"Not a thing. And you'd think that'd be top priority, considering the lecture the Head Captain gave me the other day."