"Now then, Shizuya-kun. Did you learn anything?"
As Shizuya snapped back to himself, Aizen spoke softly.
"My apologies. I didn't wish to interrupt you while you were so focused, but I had no choice… The upperclassmen performed rather poorly this time, and Lady Yoruichi will likely be leaving soon."
Huh—already?
The next moment, the two of them heard Yoruichi's shouting from not far away.
"You're all pathetic! You're about to graduate under the old man's roof, and this is your level? If you ran into a Hollow, you'd probably start shaking in your boots!"
Retracting his earlier thought—
She really did look like she could say This is boring. I'm leaving.
But there was nothing to be done.
No one here had managed to pique her interest.
And with her duties keeping her busy, something that was essentially "for fun" wouldn't be allowed to drag on.
So she'd play a little, then go back to work…
Shizuya watched Shihōin Yoruichi, clearly bored, and thought today's gains were already more than enough.
Then Aizen's voice came from beside him.
"Shizuya-kun… do you not want to step in and try?"
"..."
He was too shocked to respond immediately.
Shizuya slowly turned his head. As if he couldn't believe what he'd heard, he stared, then lifted a hand to point at his own face.
"Uh… m-me? Me?"
Aizen nodded firmly.
"Yes. You."
Hands tucked into his sleeves, Aizen wore an expression that was hard to describe—
A hint of expectation, like he was encouraging Shizuya, yet what he asked for was simply a request.
The mismatch made Shizuya feel strangely off-balance.
"If I am not mistaken, Shizuya-kun, you possess an unusual capacity to learn. I do not understand the principle behind it, but your talent… is one of the reasons I acknowledge you."
So—
"Do not doubt yourself. Be brave enough to exchange hands with a stronger opponent. Is that not, in itself, a precious experience?"
As Shizuya looked at him helplessly, Aizen smiled and extended his right hand.
Like he was steadying the boy, Aizen patted his shoulder gently.
"Be brave, Arima-kun. Talent may be a mine, but before it is unearthed, it is nothing more than buried stone."
"Go and cash in your true strength."
"As your guidance instructor…"
"I will be watching you."
With things said to that point, there was no way to refuse.
And honestly—Aizen really was frighteningly observant.
Shizuya had expected him to notice that there was something unusual about him, but he hadn't expected…
Aizen to understand it this precisely.
It was like his shorts were about to get pulled down in public.
Shizuya could only take a slow, steady breath, then rise.
If it had come to this, then he'd go down there and take a beating.
He'd come to the Academy to train in the first place. The road had been winding, but in the end it circled back to the most basic truth.
Come on, Shihōin Yoruichi!
Shizuya stepped forward toward the edge of the dōjō.
The person who seemed to be supervising the session—likely the instructor for this class—noticed Shizuya and looked like they were about to speak.
But Aizen moved first, approaching the instructor.
Shizuya didn't know what the two of them said, only that the instructor calmed down quickly and chose to continue observing.
That negotiating skill really was enviable.
Shizuya gathered himself and slowed his breathing.
No anxiety. No nerves.
It was just a spar.
Relax… and give it everything.
Wearing the Academy uniform, Shizuya walked forward.
His steps were silent, yet Shihōin Yoruichi—who had been facing away—turned around immediately.
The tall, dark-skinned woman looked at him with open interest, as if reassessing him from scratch.
Her gaze brightened slightly as she scanned him up and down.
"Heh…"
Her voice turned playful.
"That footwork… that posture. So you actually know what you're doing."
"Why were you putting on that clueless face earlier? Trying to pretend you're a beginner so you can steal a few tricks?"
Shizuya couldn't answer.
Because she was dead on.
He was stealing.
And he'd stolen two at once.
The guilt made him unable to respond at all, so he simply set his face and settled into his stance.
"First-year, Arima Shizuya. Please instruct me."
Yoruichi folded her arms, subtly lifting the sharp curve of her chest. Then she raised an elbow and lightly stroked her cheek with her palm.
Slender fingers brushed along the side of her face. Her golden eyes narrowed.
Like a leopard-cat spotting prey, she radiated danger—predatory and terrifying.
"Hah. Just enrolled, and you've got this kind of presence? Not bad. I'll give you a chance."
Her right hand flipped, two fingers flicking upward, held vertical like a mast catching wind—stirring fighting intent like a rising gust.
"Two moves! If you can take two moves from me, I'll make an exception and recruit you into the Onmitsukidō!"
That's not fair—someone on the floor ground their teeth, about to protest.
But another student clamped a hand over his mouth, eyes sharp enough to bite.
You idiot! Do you think this is a benefit? Don't you realize that to Lady Yoruichi, three moves and two moves are the same thing?!
Because by instinct alone, Yoruichi had already decided—
Two moves were enough to take him down.
That was all.
Shizuya didn't respond. He only repeated his breathing—again and again.
Loosening the body that had tensed with nerves.
A little more.
A little more.
Sha…
A shifting step.
His tabi scraped over a floor slick with sweat and spattered blood, making a faint sound.
He was about to face a true powerhouse—an absolute pioneer in the realm of Hakuda.
He had no advantage.
So at times like this, he had to change the approach…
The twelve points he'd gained in Hakuda dissolved inside his mind, replaced by a flood of knowledge and technique.
Like streams of clear water, they surged with each beat of his heart, with the rush of blood—spreading through his body.
No guidance.
No reminders needed.
Shizuya raised both hands in front of him and turned his body halfway to the side.
He adopted a guarded stance as naturally as breathing.
Yoruichi's smile deepened.
"Oooh~ that's a pretty novel starting guard for hand-to-hand. Interesting. The old man's school definitely doesn't teach this."
To be blunt—
"My interest in you just went up, kid."
She spoke politely—
But her body had already exploded forward.
So talking was just a smokescreen.
When she moved, there was nothing soft about it.
Here she comes!
Even with his strengthened foundation, Shizuya could only see a blur flickering wildly before his eyes.
Forget tracking her body—he couldn't even catch her shadow.
But he didn't panic.
Lips pressed tight, Shizuya crossed his arms in front of his chest and tensed every muscle.
A streak like thunder snapped into view—
Yoruichi's right leg rose high and whipped down like a heavy lash.
For a split second, Shizuya thought he heard the air itself tear.
No time to dwell.
The strike was already here.
Smack!
The heavy blow slammed into Shizuya's forearm.
"Guh—!"
His face twisted. His teeth bared as every hair on his body stood on end.
His feet skidded backward uncontrollably. The force he couldn't disperse surged up his arm, pierced through his chest, and raged through his entire body.
He almost fell—
But he held.
And despite the pain, Shizuya's mood surged upward—
Because Yoruichi's face had flashed with surprise.
Just as he thought.
Watching her earlier had paid off.
When Yoruichi fought, she liked to use kicks.
If he couldn't see her moves anyway, then he'd gamble—and the result was a complete win.
Shizuya seized the opening.
He endured the pain and knocked aside the thrusting foot that came in like a fencing stab.
He could not retreat here.
He had to use a forward surge—close the distance.
I can't track her next move. If she breaks pattern even once, I'm getting sent flying.
So he had to go on the offensive.
He had to get inside—smother Yoruichi up close.
His heart pounded. His breathing sharpened.
The twelve points he'd gained in Shunpo melted as well, sinking into flesh and bone.
His stiff footwork suddenly grew lighter.
Even his body felt lighter, as if gravity had eased.
He could get closer—
Yes. This was his best chance.
As if entering something profound, Shizuya felt the world slow.
Yoruichi's long leg had been guided aside; his palm still felt the elastic rebound of that contact.
But he had no time to savor it.
He stepped into a tighter range.
For the first time, real surprise appeared on Yoruichi's face.
"You—"
Before she could finish—
Shizuya reached out with his left hand and grabbed her by the collar.
Insolence.
Under normal circumstances, the disciplinary office would have torn into him for it—
But he was past caring now.
He drew in a hard breath, turned his body, twisted his hips—
Fluid, clean, not the desperate movement of someone improvising on the spot.
Shizuya's eyes widened as he tried to throw Shihōin Yoruichi to the floor.
And then—
The Second Division Captain who had seemed "slow to react" finally responded.
Her lips curled upward.
Her eyes narrowed like a cat's.
Something rolled in her throat, then escaped as a low, almost amused murmur.
"Oh…?"
Unknown. Hard to gauge.
This kid Aizen had brought—
He was actually…
Interesting.
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