In the Name of Shihouin

In the Name of Shihouin

It was relatively cumbersome, but it was indeed the best choice for someone who was not skilled at hand-to-hand combat.

Arima Shizuya ran through these brief thoughts in his mind, then slowly let out a breath.

He assumed a stance as well.

Turning sideways, he placed one foot forward and one back. Both hands clenched into fists, his right hand extended forward while his left drew back...

The moment she saw that posture, Yoruichi's eyes lit up noticeably.

"Hey! Aizen, did you give this kid some private lessons?"

The man being questioned merely shook his head respectfully.

"Not yet, Lady Yoruichi."

"Then how did this brat learn that guard?"

And that was not all.

Yoruichi tilted her head, raising her right hand to tap lightly at her cheek, her face full of interest.

"I can say for certain that he didn't have this kind of bearing when we fought last time... Yet he reached this level in just a few days."

If no one had secretly trained him, then there was only one possibility.

This guy truly was 'exceptionally gifted.'

Aizen smiled noncommittally and quietly watched Arima Shizuya's back.

"Just as Lady Yoruichi expected, Shizuya-kun's growth rate is beyond imagination. Given time, I believe he will certainly become someone capable of standing on his own."

On the raised platform.

After a brief exchange of probing and silence, Marechiyo was the first to make a move.

He let out a booming shout and charged straight at Arima Shizuya.

His height of over two meters was undeniably intimidating. At a glance, he looked like a bear pouncing forward.

Yet Arima Shizuya took everything in, his expression not changing in the slightest.

His body gave him the answer even before he had time to think.

He stepped back half a pace and spun... His knees bent as he gathered strength.

Power surged through him, driving Arima Shizuya forward.

With astonishing agility, in what seemed like the blink of an eye, Arima Shizuya slipped sideways beneath Marechiyo's armpit.

"...?!"

Only when he saw the empty space before him did Marechiyo belatedly reveal a stunned expression.

But that reaction was far too slow.

Having secured an advantageous position, Arima Shizuya narrowed his eyes. Without a word, he latched onto Marechiyo and directly locked his neck.

That's right.

Just as Yoruichi had done to Arima Shizuya, the move the boy recreated now was precisely the one that had humiliated him into defeat!

Yet upon seeing this, Yoruichi could not help letting out a low shout.

"Not bad, brat!"

Aizen glanced at her from the side without changing his expression.

"What do you mean, Lady Yoruichi?"

"Don't play dumb. The Academy teaches that old man's stuff, right? The Original Flow he advocates is the main content taught at the school."

Yoruichi Shihouin casually raised her right hand, her index finger drawing shapes through the air.

"That stuff is way too old-fashioned~ It may be the old man's preferred style, but it's difficult to get into. Unlike other fighting methods, where you can learn a thing or two and immediately put them to use with decent stopping power."

Aizen calmly adjusted his glasses.

"Do you mean that Shizuya-kun does not rigidly adhere to form, but instead selects the fighting style best suited to himself and applies it flexibly?"

"Oh! That's exactly it~"

Yoruichi shot a sidelong glance at him, then nudged Aizen's shoulder with her right elbow, her tone full of teasing.

"You sure are good with words. I bet you've tricked plenty of girls too, haven't you?"

"Could I trouble Lady Yoruichi not to say things that might easily be misunderstood..."

"Heh, you didn't deny it. Looks like you really are the secretly flirtatious type."

Leaving aside the interaction between the two below the platform, Marechiyo, who had been taken from behind, wore a pained expression.

"Guh... Ah!"

Feeling his breathing and windpipe being constricted, Ōmaeda Marechiyo instinctively began swaying from side to side, apparently trying to shake Arima Shizuya off his back.

But that was clearly the wrong judgment.

This level of jostling could never make Arima Shizuya voluntarily give up the choke.

And that was not all.

Such frantic movements would only drain his stamina, further weakening the little resolve he had left.

Looks like no one has much concept of this kind of fighting...

Judo was the most effective combat method one could pick up quickly under suitable conditions. Though the Academy's teachings included a branch called 'ground techniques,' it was ultimately not specialized enough.

Arima Shizuya sighed inwardly as he tightened his arms a little further.

Like two giant pythons methodically constricting their prey, Marechiyo's face inevitably turned red from suffocation, and even his body began to sway unsteadily.

Seeing this, Arima Shizuya felt completely reassured.

That was a reaction to oxygen deprivation. It would be over soon...

Just then, the boy saw Marechiyo struggle to raise both hands and place them directly on the forearm Arima Shizuya was using for leverage.

Still trying to resist? Admirable spirit, but he had chosen the wrong method.

In this state, let alone breaking the Rear Naked Choke, it was impossible for him to even budge Arima Shizuya.

Stamina was a matter of one side gaining while the other lost. Ōmaeda Marechiyo had already lost.

As he thought this, Arima Shizuya watched the other man's hands settle on his forearm.

Just as expected.

The force he exerted was nothing to fear.

Yet in the next moment, Yoruichi Shihouin's voice rang out from nearby.

Her tone was light and spirited, like encouragement given to soldiers on the battlefield, displaying all the composure of someone in a superior position.

"A simple contest of technique alone is too boring, isn't it? Marechiyo, release your spiritual pressure."

Yoruichi Shihouin stood beneath the platform in high spirits. She lifted her right hand high, then swept it flatly before her.

Yet the presence she displayed seemed greater than anyone else present.

"In the Name of Shihouin, you cannot lose in a place like this!"

"Understood."

The instant he heard that voice, Arima Shizuya's expression changed dramatically.

Because it had come from beneath him... Damn it, who had ever seen someone caught in a Rear Naked Choke still able to speak?! Instinctively, he wanted to increase his force and knock the other man unconscious outright.

But the surge of pressure erupting from Marechiyo made Arima Shizuya narrow his eyes.

This was bad...

The moment the thought settled, Arima Shizuya was lifted into the air.

His choke was broken apart in an instant, and he had no room to resist at all...

Marechiyo gripped Arima Shizuya's left hand tightly and spun the boy twice above his head.

"Ha!"

With a thunderous roar, Arima Shizuya was slammed onto the dojo floor like a rag doll, smashing the boards into several fractured pieces.

"Cough, cough... Cough..."

His body could not withstand an impact of that magnitude. Amid the drifting dust, the boy slowly rose and could not help opening his mouth.

He spat out a mouthful of warm blood.

"Pfft..."