Days as an Overachiever at Shin'ō Academy (Part Two)

For his Hakuda training, Liu Ziyun adopted a "comprehensive training method."

First, he commissioned a variety of training equipment:

Version 1.0: a stationary dummy for practicing basic punches and kicks.

Version 2.0: a moving wooden post that swung at random, simulating an enemy's evasive movements.

Version 3.0: a combination of wooden posts that moved together, simulating an attack from all sides.

Version 4.0: a super-enhanced wooden post fitted with springs and mechanisms that allowed it to "fight back."

The first time his roommate Yūji saw the post that could fight back, he was stunned. "Ziyun, are you... are you sure that's training equipment and not a torture device?"

Liu Ziyun had just taken a punch from the post and doubled over in pain. "Of, of course... ow... it's training equipment... It's called combat simulation..."

Besides training with equipment, he recalled the various martial arts he had seen in his previous life—using an opponent's force against them in Tai Chi, the short-range explosive power of Wing Chun, the elbows and knees of Muay Thai... He learned whatever was suitable.

He even created a few moves of his own.

One was "Shunpo flurry": using Shunpo to close in on an enemy and unleash multiple attacks in a fraction of a second.

Another was "Kidō combination": suddenly releasing a low-numbered Kidō spell during Hakuda to catch an enemy off guard.

But in the academy's Hakuda classes, he kept the results of all this training thoroughly hidden.

"Liu Ziyun!" the instructor sighed. "How did you get hit by the wooden post again?"

Liu Ziyun clutched his head where the post had struck him, stars dancing before his eyes. "I, I'm slow to react..."

"If you're slow to react, why did you choose Hakuda?"

"I wanted to... challenge myself..."

The instructor shook his head and walked away, thinking, This kid has determination, but his talent is just too poor.

To test his true strength, Liu Ziyun occasionally snuck off to Rukongai to "spar" with Hollows.

The first time he went, he was nervous as hell. Despite all his training, it was his first time actually fighting a Hollow.

He chose a relatively weak Hollow, one that had only recently formed and didn't even have a complete mask.

The fight itself... was hard to describe.

He started with Zanjutsu, but he was so nervous that his slash went wide and nearly hit his own foot.

Then he tried Kidō. Halfway through the incantation, the Hollow lunged at him. Startled, he broke off the incantation and rolled out of the way.

Finally, he tried Hakuda and punched the Hollow. The Hollow was barely affected, while his own hand ached for quite a while.

In the end, he used Shunpo to put some distance between them, then finished the fight with a simplified Sōkatsui: "Blue fire!"

After the Hollow dissipated, he collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath. Damn... real combat is completely different from training...

But after the first time came a second, then a third...

As he gained combat experience, he grew more and more proficient. By his fifth year, he could easily deal with ordinary Hollows and even dared to challenge some stronger ones.

Of course, things sometimes went wrong.

Once, he encountered a particularly cunning Hollow. It disguised itself as an ordinary soul and suddenly attacked when he drew close.

The Hollow nearly bit his head off. In the end, he tricked it with an afterimage left by Shunpo and narrowly escaped.

When he returned to the academy, his face was pale and his clothes were torn in several places, giving his roommates a fright.

"Ziyun, did you go training on the back mountain again?" Kentarō asked. "How did you end up like this?"

Liu Ziyun managed a smile. "I, I'm fine... I just took a fall..."

He lay on his bed, his heart still pounding. I almost died... Looks like I need to be more careful...

In every public class at the academy, Liu Ziyun's acting was worthy of a "best actor."

Kidō class: he "accidentally" made a Kidō spell explode right in front of him, covering his face in black soot and leaving his hair standing on end.

"Liu Ziyun!" the Kidō instructor roared. "How did you blow yourself up again?!"

Liu Ziyun breathed out a puff of black smoke, looking aggrieved. "Instructor, I, I can't control my Spiritual Power very well..."

Shunpo class: he "tripped" himself and landed flat on his back.

"Liu Ziyun! Are you here to learn Shunpo or put on a falling act?!"

"Sorry, instructor... I have a poor sense of balance..."

Hakuda class: the moving wooden post sent him scurrying for cover with his arms over his head.

"Liu Ziyun! Can't you take this seriously?!"

"I am taking it seriously, instructor... I just can't beat it..."

Zanjutsu class: he missed with a slash and crashed into the wooden post.

"Liu Ziyun! Where are your eyes?!"

"The, the post is moving..."

As time went on, the instructors lost all hope in him.

"That Liu Ziyun... He has determination, but his talent is just too poor."

"Exactly. It's been five years, and he hasn't improved at all."

"But he works hard. He gets up early to train every day."

"What good is hard work? If he doesn't have the talent, he doesn't have it."

When these comments reached Liu Ziyun, he put on a "deeply hurt" expression, but inwardly he was delighted. Yes, yes, yes. I have no talent, I'm an idiot. Whatever you do, don't pay attention to me...

Every so often, Liu Ziyun returned to the Fourth Division for a "family visit."

His main purposes were, first, to have Tazawa Kentarō treat the hidden injuries caused by his training; second, to secretly learn Kaidō; and third... to see Retsu Unohana.

But in front of Unohana, he became a completely different person.

He was no longer the rascal who had clung to her leg and cried, "Captain, please take me in!" Instead, he was a respectful, polite, and even somewhat reserved young man.

"Good afternoon, Captain Unohana." He bowed properly.

"Mm, you're here." Unohana was sorting medicinal herbs and didn't look up. "Injured yourself training again?"

"Just a minor injury... Sorry to trouble Senior Tazawa."

"Go on."

The exchange was brief and polite, with a certain distance between them.

It wasn't that Liu Ziyun didn't want to be as glib as he used to be, but he didn't dare. He was afraid of revealing his true personality, afraid of attracting attention, afraid of... being sliced up for research.

So he did his best to act like an ordinary student who was "insecure because of his poor talent, trained desperately with little to show for it, and eventually became withdrawn and quiet."

He played the part so well that even Unohana believed it.

Once, after Liu Ziyun left, Unohana watched his retreating figure, her brows slightly furrowed.

"Kiyonosuke."

"Yes, Captain."

"Go to Shin'ō Academy and find out whether Liu Ziyun has run into any trouble there."

"Trouble? What do you mean, Captain...?"

"He's changed," Unohana said softly. "That fearless brat who used to be thick-skinned enough to block a Cero has become... too quiet."

She paused. "That isn't normal."

Kiyōnosuke Yamada went to investigate as ordered and returned with a report a few days later. "Captain, I've asked around. Liu Ziyun's performance at the academy is... very ordinary. He doesn't stand out in any of the four Zankensoki disciplines. The instructors all say he works very hard, but his talent is limited."

"And his personality?"

"He's rather withdrawn and doesn't really fit in. Every day, he just trains, eats, and sleeps. He doesn't have many friends, or any real enemies either."

After hearing him out, Unohana fell silent for a long time.

"Limited talent..." she repeated, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes.

She recalled the brat she had slashed five years ago. By all rights, given his Spiritual Power, the wound from that slash should have healed quickly without leaving a trace.

But a scar remained on his face.

A scar similar to the one on Kenpachi Zaraki's face.

Was it a coincidence?

Or... was he deliberately hiding something?

"Keep observing him." In the end, that was all Unohana said.