CH 12: TO A NEW BEGINNING *COUGH*
When the test ended, only about one hundred students passed, and out of those hundreds. Only 6, if you count Gojo and Toshiro, were admitted to class 1.
Despite such a result, the instructor seemed rather happy, and Gojo, with his experience, could understand why.
For normal humans, the higher the number the better. No matter how skilled one was, sending a wave of mobs would always do the trick.
But in the supernatural world, this rule didn't really apply.
The larger the difference in power, the higher the number of cannon fodder needed to match would increase.
That's why, for supernatural warriors, having that one guy that can act as a nuclear bomb is way better than having a bunch of fireflies.
'I really wonder who is the strongest bastard in this world.'
He had been the strongest sorcerer when he was alive. No way in hell would he be satisfied with anything else than becoming the strongest in this world as well.
----
Looking at the sun that was setting, the instructor faced all the examinees who passed, "Now then, for those who succeeded, you guys have the rest of the day to do everything you want and say your goodbyes to your family and friends. After this, you will officially enter the academy tomorrow and won't be able to go out before the holidays in a few months. Understood?"
"Yes!"
"Well then, now I can introduce myself. My name is Kego Ayama. I am the teacher of the 1st years of class 2. All I want to say is... Congratulations and welcome to the Shin'o Academy."
All the shinigamis present clapped, making the souls who succeeded tear up with emotion.
Even Toshiro had a few tears at the corner of his eyes.
The only one who felt bored was Gojo. He wanted to hurry up and enter the academy to learn the theory behind Kido so that he could recreate Limitless.
Even though he was still strong with just the Rokugan, walking without Limitless activated made him feel a little restless. As if he was walking around naked.
This wasn't a feeling he appreciated.
"Now, before you go, each of you will register your name and family name if you have one. You will also get your measurements taken and you must indicate your dominant arm."
Excitement bubbled around. All their eyes focused on the waist of the instructor, where a sword in its sheath could be seen.
Even without being told, they all understood why they had to indicate their dominant arms.
Soon, they would have their own zanpakuto. Only by doing so could they really be seen as shinigami.
This made Gojo scratch his chin while in his thoughts. He really wondered what kind of zanpakuto he would get.
From what Momo told him, what the student got was more like the embryo of a zanpakuto.
Also known as Asauchi, or sword without name.
Once an Asauchi and a shinigami got attuned, those with enough talent could allow their sword to give birth to a soul and awaken a name.
Only by knowing this name could an Asauchi be officially called a zanpakuto. Furthermore, all zanpakutos were unique since they were born from the souls of their Wielders.
Of course, from what she told him, just getting the name wasn't enough. But she wasn't clear about everything so she hadn't delved much into her explanation.
'Well, it's good enough as long as I don't get some useless skill.'
Aside from some curiosity, he wasn't wasn't particularly thrilled about owning a zanpakuto either.
The most important thing for him as of now was to reach a sufficient level in Kido. If he was able to master Limitless once again, as long as he didn't meet some weird bastard able to mess with time and space or something of the like, he should be invincible.
'I should also master sealing techniques.'
If back then he didn't get stupidly sealed, things would have without a doubt been different.
It was with such bitter thoughts filling his mind that he registered.
----
"Gojo, are you going to come with me?"
"Hahaha~! Nah, not now. You and your grandmother must have many things to say to each other. Go spend some time with her."
They went after they finished with everything they had to do and Toshiro waved goodbye to Jidanbo. They were walking in the Rukongai when Toshiro proposed that they go home together.
Of course, Gojo refused. He could give his goodbyes later, but at the end of the day, he was just a stranger.
As long as he was there, Toshiro wouldn't really be able to express himself.
What's more, it was a little his fault that Toshiro decided to join the academy. As such he felt a little awkward facing the kind old woman.
"Are you sure?"
Toshiro asked with some worries. For these few days, he had come to see Gojo as a friend, if not a sort of big brother. (E/N: Silver hair gang)
In the Rukongai, conventional families did not exist. After all, the vast majority of them did not have the amount of energy necessary to feel hunger, much less giving birth like the souls in the Seireitei.
What's more, the chance of finding your family members from when you were alive was incredibly low as long as you didn't die together at the same time, moment and place. Even then, the chances were still low.
As such, all families in the Rukongai were more of adopted families than anything else.
The same went for Toshiro, Momo, and their grandmother.
The three of them had been living as a family for close to a hundred years even though they weren't related when they were alive.
In this world, they were his most precious family.
Still, he understood that for Gojo who was still a new soul, he wasn't used to the way the souls in the Rukongai lived.
He was feeling a little downcast when he suddenly felt his hair being ruffled.
"Gojo?"
Crouching down in front of him, Gojo said, "Man, watching you look down like this makes me feel like I am doing something bad. Come on, let's go home. I will prepare something to show my appreciation to the old hag."
"Ah~! Yes. I am sure grandma will be happy!"
The rest of the night went as well as possible.
The grandmother asked him to take care of Toshiro and Momo in the academy and wished them well.
He could feel how good-hearted this woman was.
Gojo had always lacked family warmth, even during his life.
After all, even though all the members of the Gojo clan could use Limitless. Without the Rokugan, Limitless was just a slightly more powerful cursed technique that was basically impossible to use.
Because of that, since the moment of his birth, he had been basically worshipped as a god by all the people in his clan and was already the unofficial leader of the Gojo clan by the time he was in high school.
That's why he had to admit that the few days he spent under this home with this gentle old woman and his two slightly troublesome 'siblings' had been incredibly blissful.
Looking at the full moon hanging high in the sky with a cup of cheap sake in his hand, Gojo gulped it all down in one go.
"To a new beginning."
He then began to cough heavily, "Damn what the hell do they make this thing with? My badass moment was totally ruined."
Cursing, he took out a dango from the plate on his side, "Yeah, this is the stuff."