Soi Fon vs. Yoruichi

Yoruichi smiled at the blushing girl, then stepped aside with Soi Fon to watch the newly inducted Punishment Force members fight.

Overall, these Soul Reapers were quite capable, but the one drawback was that while they were all good, none stood out. Not one of them had what it took to become a Seated Officer.

Once they had all finished fighting, Yoruichi took off her Captain's Haori, revealing the clothes she wore for battle. Her tight black shihakushō left both shoulders and her back **. At first glance, it was suited for combat, but only the three of them knew there was a reason for its design. Yoruichi's Shunkō combined Hakuda and Kidō. Once the user entered the Shunkō state, highly concentrated Kidō enveloped their back and shoulders, tearing the clothing there apart. Thus, any fabric on the shoulders and back was completely unnecessary; even if it were there, it would be blasted to pieces.

Yoruichi looked at Soi Fon and took a fighting stance. "Come on, attack me with everything you've got!"

"But..." Soi Fon hesitated, but Yoruichi called out, "Come on! If you won't attack, then I will!"

What Ye Yang had taught her flashed through Soi Fon's mind, and her resolve immediately strengthened. She vanished in an instant. Yoruichi stared wide-eyed as Soi Fon disappeared before her, only to reappear in front of her the next moment. Without thinking, Yoruichi blocked a side kick with her right hand, then spun around and kicked, forcing Soi Fon to defend. Yoruichi used Shunpo to open up the distance.

Soi Fon was shocked. She truly was Yoruichi, the Flash Goddess. Her speed was beyond anything Soi Fon could match.

Little did she know that Yoruichi was even more surprised. Yoruichi studied the girl before her. Leaving everything else aside, her Shunpo just now had definitely been no slower than that of most Seated Officers. Yoruichi had even been stunned for a moment when Soi Fon used it, and in that moment, Soi Fon had seized the initiative.

A smile curled at Yoruichi's lips. What an interesting girl. This time, Yoruichi moved first. Just how fast was her Shunpo? In an instant, she appeared behind Soi Fon and struck at her neck with a knife-hand blow. Fortunately, Soi Fon reacted quickly and ducked, but Yoruichi unleashed a storm of attacks. No matter how talented Soi Fon was, she couldn't possibly match Yoruichi. Sure enough, after barely holding out for a while, Soi Fon took a punch to the shoulder and was sent flying backward.

Yoruichi came over to her and asked, "Are you all right? I couldn't hold back in time."

Soi Fon staggered to her feet, her eyes full of stubborn determination. "No, Commander-in-Chief, I can still fight."

"You..." Yoruichi looked at the stubborn girl, unsure what to say. But she found herself liking the girl, because seeing her was like seeing her own younger self.

What else could Yoruichi say to a request like that? She simply nodded without a word.

As they spoke, the two began fighting again. Yoruichi was almost entirely on the offensive, but she was surprised to find that Soi Fon was no longer as completely overwhelmed as before. As the fight went on, Soi Fon adapted to Yoruichi's speed. After a while, she was able to trade blows with Yoruichi, and even counterattack from time to time!

By now, Yoruichi had stopped concerning herself with the fact that Soi Fon was a newly inducted Punishment Force member and increased her speed another notch. She found that the increase was effective at first, but the longer they fought, the more Soi Fon caught up. So Yoruichi increased her speed again, continuing until Soi Fon's potential and stamina reached their limits.

When Soi Fon was exhausted and gasping for breath, Yoruichi was surprised to find that she was already using about half her speed. Yoruichi inwardly exclaimed, How **! Such talent for Shunpo was practically on par with her own.

Soi Fon, meanwhile, was utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally. To deal with Yoruichi, he had focused all his attention on her. Then, as her body reached its limit, her mind reached its limit as well. She knew she had enough strength left for one more attack, and she didn't want to perform poorly in front of the person she admired.

Ye Yang had warned her before that she must never reveal Bajiquan unless she had no other choice. Brother Ye Yang, I'm going to use that move. I'm sorry.

Soi Fon suddenly used Shunpo and appeared in front of Yoruichi. Yoruichi was shocked; she hadn't expected her to still be able to move! But she calmly raised both arms to guard herself. Soi Fon shouted, "Open!"

Her palm struck Yoruichi's arms. Yoruichi suddenly felt a tremendous force hit her, and her arms were forced apart, leaving her wide open. Yoruichi cried out in alarm, but it was too late. Soi Fon's right hand had already reached her neck, and her next strike was about to hit Yoruichi in the face. At the critical moment, Yoruichi raised her left arm with incredible speed and blocked the blow, but even so, her arm tingled from the impact.

Soi Fon's attack wasn't over. Her palm shifted, and she whipped the back of her hand around. The strike looked weak, but Yoruichi could sense a force no less powerful than the previous blow. This time, Yoruichi blocked with her other arm. If she used the same arm again, she might well be injured!

Sure enough, a tremendous force struck her, jolting Yoruichi backward. But Soi Fon didn't stop there. She pressed her attack, pulling back the right hand whose back had been facing Yoruichi and following with an elbow strike. Yoruichi had already lost her balance. Faced with the fierce blow, she chose not to meet it head-on, instead bursting into her fastest speed and vanishing from before Soi Fon in an instant.

Soi Fon's final attack missed, and her body could take no more. She collapsed onto the ground. Did I lose? Even after trying so hard, did I still lose?

Yoruichi appeared before Soi Fon. Seeing the dejection in her eyes, she said, "You did very well. Even I had to dodge that last attack of yours. It's all right. When I was your age, I might not have been as strong as you." Then she gave her a smile as bright as the sun.

Soi Fon immediately came to terms with it. If the person she admired could be defeated by her so easily, what would there be to admire? Besides, she was only twenty and still had plenty of time to grow. Thinking this, Soi Fon looked at Yoruichi's radiant smile and found herself smiling too.

Yoruichi held out her hand. "Get up. Starting today, you're a member of the Bodyguard Corps under the direct command of the Corps Commander-in-Chief."

The sudden surprise stunned Soi Fon. She asked haltingly, "C-Commander-in-Chief... is this true? Can I join your Bodyguard Corps?"

"Of course. Aren't you getting up?" Yoruichi pulled Soi Fon to her feet and continued, "And stop calling me Commander-in-Chief. It sounds awful. Just call me Yoruichi from now on."

"How could I? You're the Commander-in-Chief, and I'm just your guard. How could I do that?" Soi Fon clearly couldn't accept it.

"Why not? I'm very easygoing. Anyway, you can't call me Commander-in-Chief," Yoruichi said in a commanding tone.

"Yes! Commander... um, Lady Yoruichi." She still added "Lady" to Yoruichi's name. It couldn't be helped; the teachings passed down in her family since childhood and her admiration for Yoruichi made it impossible for her to change how she addressed her.

Yoruichi put a hand to her forehead helplessly. "Call me whatever you like, then. But that last move of yours was impressive. What's it called? I take it that was a technique?"

"King of Hell's Three-Point Hand!" Soi Fon replied.

"King of Hell's Three-Point Hand? Good name. Did you create that technique yourself? It's very impressive." Yoruichi asked with considerable interest. She was full of curiosity about the newcomer. Not only did Soi Fon have an astonishing talent for Shunpo and immense potential for growth, but there was also that brief glimpse of the King of Hell's Three-Point Hand. Yoruichi even thought of training her as her successor.

Hearing this, Soi Fon hurriedly shook her head. "I didn't create it. Someone else taught it to me."

"Hmm? Someone else taught you? Who was it? Can you tell me?" Yoruichi's voice was full of **, and her face was almost pressed against Soi Fon's, leaving Soi Fon unable to think. "Well... he won't let me share information about him. Ah, don't..."

As Soi Fon spoke, Yoruichi was actually blowing warm breath into her ear. Soi Fon's face instantly turned bright red, and her body went limp. She was about to fall, but Yoruichi caught her.

"So, Soi Fon, do you trust me? If someone trusts me, how could I possibly let it slip? Little Soi Fon, tell me. I won't tell anyone else," Yoruichi continued to **.

Before long, Soi Fon gave in under Yoruichi's onslaught and said in a faint voice, "Then you mustn't tell anyone else."

"Mm, I promise!"

After receiving Yoruichi's promise, Soi Fon decisively sold Ye Yang out. "He said his name was Ye Yang, but he didn't tell me his family name," she whispered. "I've always called him Brother Ye Yang."

It was hard to describe Yoruichi's expression at that moment. Was she smiling? Did she look puzzled? Disbelieving? Or was it an amused smile? It was hard to tell. In any case, it was quite a sight.

"Did you say his name was Ye Yang? Are you sure?"

"Yes. He also said he was in the Second Division and used to be in the Punishment Force. Do you know him?" Soi Fon asked. Looking at Yoruichi's expression, she thought they must know each other.

"I do, and we're more than just a little close~" Yoruichi said with a smile.

"Really? That's wonderful! Are you friends?" Soi Fon was full of hope.

Yoruichi's expression suddenly turned grim. "Unfortunately, we're enemies." In truth, Yoruichi was delighted. This girl was far too interesting. She had actually gotten her trouble-averse and cocky little brother to teach her personally. Things were getting more and more interesting. She wondered what would happen if she took Soi Fon to see him.

"Hahaha..." As Yoruichi thought about it, she couldn't help laughing.

Soi Fon panicked. The person she admired most and the person closest to her were actually enemies. What was she supposed to do? She said quietly to Yoruichi, "Lady Yoruichi, could you please not go after Brother Ye Yang? He's one of the most important people in my life."