As a teacher, he naturally disliked students sleeping during his lectures. Yet, when faced with this extraordinary girl whose talent in hand-to-hand combat bordered on monstrous, he realized there was nothing more he could teach her.
He'd heard that Ren had defeated Teacher Fujimoto during the kendo class earlier that day. However, he was unsure of Ren's proficiency in Hakuda.
It wasn't that he harboured any dislike for the transfer student or underestimated him. Quite the opposite—he had to admit in his heart that this child of the Shihōin family had already surpassed him in Hakuda mastery.
"Oh? A newbie, huh…"
Yoruichi turned to look at Ren, following the gazes of the gathered students. After wiping the faint traces of her nap from the corner of her mouth, she flashed a devilish smile that sent the nearby students scurrying away.
Every first-year student knew that this noble lady was the true embodiment of the term 'Demon Princess.' There was nothing she wouldn't dare to do. In Hakuda class, everyone present—including Aizen—had been beaten by her at some point.
"Ren-kun, she's from the Shihōin family," Aizen remarked with a faint smile. "It's not an exaggeration to say she's the strongest among the students here in Hakuda. Be careful."
However, the slight curve of Aizen's lips betrayed his inner amusement. He truly found the situation rather entertaining.
After all, he had also been on the receiving end of Yoruichi's fists and had to admit that even going all out in pure unarmed combat, without relying on spiritual pressure, he was no match for her.
Ren-kun, will you surprise me again?
"Strongest?"
Ren tilted his head slightly as he met Yoruichi's gaze, flashing a grin that revealed his pearly white teeth. "So, Hakuda... can I interpret it as no-holds-barred, weaponless combat?"
"You wouldn't be wrong to think so," replied the instructor for this class.
Seeing Ren's lack of fear, Yoruichi's interest was piqued. She took a step closer to him, a spark of excitement glinting in her eyes. "Oh? Are you saying you're skilled in hand-to-hand combat?"
The air seemed to crackle with anticipation. Students who had been standing between Yoruichi and Ren instinctively stepped aside, most of them brimming with the thrill of an impending spectacle.
Ren stretched his body, a series of loud pops resonating from his joints. "Skilled? I wouldn't dare say that. Let's just call it a little something I've dabbled in my spare time."
Of course, Ren had trained extensively in hand-to-hand combat. His master's collection of ancient martial arts texts covered nearly every technique imaginable. Yet, in the world he came from, so much martial knowledge had been lost to time that he felt his understanding could only be called superficial when considering the vast history of combat arts.
"Hah! You're an amusing one," Yoruichi chuckled, narrowing her eyes. "From your stance alone, it's obvious you're a master of Hakuda. Yet, you call it 'dabbled'? Be careful—talking like that makes me want to bully you a little."
"You look younger than me," Ren replied with a grin.
It was the truth. Both Yoruichi and Aizen were natives of the Soul Society, which meant they aged naturally in this world. Aizen appeared close to a young adult, while Yoruichi resembled a sixteen-year-old girl.
Despite her ample assets and commanding demeanour, it felt odd to see her treat herself as the "big sister" in the conversation. Perhaps this 'Demon Princess' of the academy was simply born with the soul of a teasing elder sister.
"Hmph. I'll make you call me 'onee-chan~' by the time we're done," Yoruichi retorted with a mischievous smile, rolling her wrists.
Unlike the other students, she wasn't wearing the loose-fitting academy uniform. Instead, she sported a custom-tailored, form-fitting white outfit that matched the school's colours. Her wrists were wrapped with strips of cloth, adding a practical yet rugged touch to her appearance.
The belt cinched tightly around her waist accentuated her toned physique, and the faint outline of defined abdominal muscles hinted at her explosive strength. Yoruichi made no effort to hide her physical prowess.
"Shihōin, remember to keep your spiritual power in check to match Hoshino's spirit class—seventeenth rank," the instructor reminded her.
It wasn't out of concern for fairness but to prevent the 'Demon Princess' from accidentally killing the new transfer student.
"Oh? Seventeenth rank, huh? Not bad," Yoruichi commented. Though her words sounded like praise, her tone carried a subtle edge.
As the heir of the Shihōin family, Yoruichi had access to the best resources from a young age. She'd entered the academy with a ninth-rank spiritual power level, and that was only because she disliked training spiritual pressure, preferring Hakuda instead.
A spiritual power rank of seventeen was unremarkable for a new student, but Yoruichi cared little about that. All that mattered to her was Ren's skill in combat.
With her power restrained to the seventeenth rank, she gestured at Ren. "Come at me."
Ren wasn't provoked by her taunt. Instead, he clasped his fists and bowed politely. "Please enlighten me."
In the odd silence that followed, as Yoruichi and the others gave him quizzical looks, Ren moved—like a bolt of lightning!
The few meters between them disappeared in an instant as he launched a thunderous punch straight at Yoruichi's face—fast, precise, merciless!
Yoruichi's lighthearted demeanour vanished. She swiftly raised her arms to block the blow, her instincts kicking in. The impact forced her to retreat, but Ren closed the distance again like a predator locking onto its prey. His next punch was aimed squarely at her midsection.
Yoruichi, worthy of being the hakuda genius of the Shihouin family, instantly made a judgment, using her body's extraordinary flexibility to flip backwards rapidly, letting Ren's punch graze her tight-fitting clothes without causing harm.
Immediately after, she supported herself on the ground with one hand and swept her leg out, trying to take advantage of Ren's unstable lower body after his unsuccessful attack to knock him off balance.
But Ren seemed to have anticipated her move and jumped in advance. What surprised Yoruichi even more was that Ren didn't jump high, just enough to avoid her leg. As he passed by Yoruichi's long leg, his right foot, which had been raised during the jump, quickly chopped down, aiming at Yoruichi's lower body.
Yoruichi rolled away awkwardly, feeling both embarrassed and a bit surprised. She wanted to counterattack, but having been suppressed at the beginning of the fight, Ren didn't give her a chance to get up.
At this moment, the surrounding students watching the fight were already stunned. In the blink of an eye, Ren and Yoruichi had exchanged many blows, and the 'Demon Princess' they thought was invincible in hand-to-hand combat was being pressed to the ground by the new transfer student!
Ren didn't see anything wrong with targeting the lower body in combat. Martial arts were, at their core, techniques for killing. Showing mercy to an opponent in battle was the same as being cruel to oneself.
Even though this was just a sparring session, facing someone as skilled as Yoruichi, Ren had no intention of holding back. Especially after learning from Fujimoto's earlier defeat, he understood that if he ever came close to injuring Yoruichi, her suppressed spiritual pressure would likely surge uncontrollably. Realistically, he couldn't break through her defences.
Yoruichi was, after all, the heir to the Shihōin family, one of the Four Great Noble Houses. Her current spiritual pressure level was likely above the tenth rank. Simply put, even if she refrained from using spiritual pressure offensively, her inherent "soul density" far surpassed his own.
In terms of attribute points, Yoruichi's physical resilience was leagues ahead of his. If he avoided targeting her vital areas, how could he possibly win?
Yes, Ren loved fighting—but he hated losing even more.
Even if Yoruichi's overall abilities far outmatched his, in the realm of martial arts, he refused to accept defeat.
Boom!
Another powerful downward strike—his right leg descended like a battle axe aimed between Yoruichi's legs.
To her credit, Yoruichi truly lived up to her reputation as a Hakuda prodigy. Despite the unfavourable start and finding herself on the defensive, she managed to dodge every one of Ren's "critical hits."
But Yoruichi understood the principle of "the longer you defend, the more likely you are to lose." Especially against a martial artist of Ren's calibre—if she didn't find an opening to counterattack, it was only a matter of time before she was struck in a vital spot and defeated.
Beads of sweat glistened on her forehead as the intense physical exertion pushed her to the limit. Her mind worked rapidly, calculating a way to turn the tide.
For the first time in a long while, the Shihōin family's Hakuda genius got serious. In Yoruichi's perception, time seemed to slow down.
Finally, she spotted an opening.
As Ren's kick missed its mark, Yoruichi's body twisted, her waist generating explosive force. Her long legs lashed out, moving like water serpents, coiling around Ren.
_________
[T/N] - Guess who got a new story? Me~
Checkout my new story [Haikyuu: Zero to Almighty] if you like. It's a solid story. Heck, I wasn't planning to translate it, but I liked the story so much that I ended up doing it....
Hope you guys like it too.