Interested

Interested "So, Shizuya-kun. Did you learn anything?"

Watching Arima Shizuya slowly come back to himself, Aizen explained softly.

"Sorry. Though I didn't want to interrupt you while you were so focused, there was no helping it... The upperclassmen didn't perform very well this time, so Lady Yoruichi will likely be leaving soon."

Huh, so soon?

The next moment, the two of them heard Yoruichi shouting from nearby.

"You're all hopeless! You're practically graduates under the Old Man, yet with this little skill, your legs would probably go weak the moment you saw a Hollow."

I take that back.

She really did look like someone who might say, "This is boring. I'm leaving."

But there was nothing to be done about it.

After all, no one here could spark Yoruichi's interest.

Considering how busy she was with official duties, this sort of thing, which was basically just a bit of fun, clearly wouldn't be approved.

A little playtime was enough. She had to get back to work...

Arima Shizuya watched Yoruichi Shihouin looking utterly bored, feeling that he had already gained quite a lot today.

Then Aizen spoke beside him.

"Shizuya-kun, don't you want to go up and try?"

"..."

He was too shocked.

So shocked that the Party didn't react right away.

Arima Shizuya blankly turned his head. Looking as though he could not believe what he had heard, he wore a stunned expression before raising his right hand and pointing at his own face.

"Uh? Me...?"

Aizen nodded affirmatively and emphasized it again.

"That's right. You, Shizuya-kun."

Folding his hands into his sleeves, Aizen wore an expression that was difficult to describe.

It seemed to hold a trace of anticipation, yet it also seemed more like he was encouraging Arima Shizuya.

And yet his words were merely a request, which gave Arima Shizuya an extremely strange sense of dissonance.

"If I'm not mistaken, Shizuya-kun should possess extraordinary learning ability, correct? I do not understand the principle behind it, but your talent is one of the reasons I acknowledge you."

So.

"Do not doubt yourself. Try bravely exchanging blows with a strong opponent. Wouldn't that also be valuable experience?"

Seeing Arima Shizuya look at him somewhat helplessly, Aizen smiled and extended his right hand.

As though encouraging the boy, Aizen lightly patted his shoulder.

"Be brave, Arima-kun. Talent may indeed be a mineral deposit, but before it is excavated, it is merely something external."

"Go and realize your true strength. As your instructor..."

"I will always be watching you."

At that point, no matter how hard he tried, he could no longer bring himself to refuse.

It had to be said that Aizen was indeed exceptionally good at observing his surroundings. Arima Shizuya had expected him to notice something unusual about him, but he had never imagined...

Aizen would understand it so thoroughly.

It was like his shorts had practically been stripped off...

Arima Shizuya could only take a few selective deep breaths before slowly rising to his feet.

Since it had come to this, he might as well go down there and take a beating.

He had come to the Academy to train in the first place. The path might have been roundabout, but in the end, it had still brought him back to the most basic thing.

Come on, Yoruichi Shihouin!

Arima Shizuya slowly stepped forward, approaching the edge of the dojo.

The person who had been overseeing everything, seemingly this class's instructor, appeared to want to say something after spotting Arima Shizuya.

But Aizen got to him first.

Who knew what the two of them said, but the man soon calmed down and chose to continue watching from the sidelines.

What enviable negotiating skills.

Gathering his thoughts, Arima Shizuya slowed his breathing.

No need to be anxious, and no need to be nervous. It was only an Exchange Blows. Relax... He only needed to give it everything he had.

Wearing the Academy uniform, Arima Shizuya slowly walked forward.

His footsteps made no sound, yet Yoruichi Shihouin, who had her back to him, turned around.

The tall, dark-skinned woman wore an interested expression, as though she were getting to know Arima Shizuya all over again.

Her eyes glimmered faintly as she looked him over from head to toe.

"Heh..."

Her voice became distinctly teasing.

"Looking at that rhythm, that stance... You actually know your stuff."

"Why did you pretend not to know anything earlier? Were you trying to act like a beginner so you could secretly learn something?"

Arima Shizuya could not answer.

After all, she had hit the mark perfectly... He really had been secretly learning.

And he had copied two things at once.

His guilty conscience made him too afraid to respond.

He could only keep a straight face as he assumed his stance.

"First-year Arima Shizuya. Please go easy on me."

Yoruichi crossed her arms, subtly accentuating the sharp curve of her chest. Then she raised an arm and brushed her cheek with her palm.

Her slender fingers stroked the side of her face, and her golden pupils narrowed.

Like a leopard cat that had spotted prey, she radiated a dangerous and terrifying aura.

"Ha, a newcomer can have this kind of presence? Not bad! I'll give you a chance."

She turned her right hand over and raised two fingers, standing straight like a mast catching the wind of battle.

"Two moves! If you can take two of my moves, I'll make an exception and recruit you into the Mobile Corps!"

That's way too unfair— one person lying on the ground gritted his teeth and was about to speak.

But another companion clamped a hand over his mouth.

The look in his eyes was vicious enough to devour someone.

You idiot! Do you think this is some kind of reward? Do you know that to Lady Yoruichi, there's basically no difference between three moves and two?!

It was simply because Yoruichi had already decided by instinct.

She only needed two moves to take down her opponent. That was all.

Arima Shizuya did not respond. He simply continued repeating the process of breathing.

Allowing his tense body to relax a little more, then a little more.

Rustle...

His feet shifted.

His Tabi scraped across the floor soaked with sweat and splattered with blood, making a faint sound.

He was about to face a true powerhouse, an absolute pioneer in the field of Hakuda.

He had no advantage, so he needed to adjust his strategy now...

The 12 Hakuda attribute points stored within him melted away in his mind, replaced by a vast array of knowledge and techniques.

They became streams of surging currents, coursing throughout his body with the pumping of his heart and the violent rush of his blood!

No instruction, no reminders needed...

Arima Shizuya raised both hands in front of him and turned his body halfway sideways.

Without being taught, he assumed a guard stance.

The smile on Yoruichi Shihouin's face deepened.

"Oh~ A rather novel fighting stance? Interesting. The school that old man founded wouldn't teach something like this."

To be honest.

"I'm even more interested in you now, kid."

Her words were polite.

But Yoruichi had already burst straight toward him.

What a thing. She was only talking to numb her opponent, but once she made her move, she did not hold back in the slightest.

Here she came!

Even with his enhanced foundation, Arima Shizuya could only see a black shadow flickering wildly before his eyes.

Forget catching her figure—he could not even catch her shadow! But Arima Shizuya did not panic. He pursed his lips, crossed his arms, and tensed every muscle in his body before his chest.

A figure like rushing thunder appeared before Arima Shizuya. Yoruichi raised her right leg high and lashed it toward him like a whip.

Faintly, Arima Shizuya seemed to hear even the air being torn apart.

Before he could think further, the attack had already arrived.

Smack! The heavy strike slammed directly into Arima Shizuya's forearms.

"Guh..."

The boy's face instantly twisted into a knot. He bared his teeth, feeling every hair on his body stand on end! His body began retreating uncontrollably as the force he could not disperse traveled up his arms, pierced through his chest, and surged wildly through his entire body.

He had almost fallen...

But he could still hold on! And although it hurt terribly, Arima Shizuya felt exhilarated—because he saw Yoruichi's surprised expression.

Just as expected.

His observations from earlier had come in handy! When fighting someone, Yoruichi seemed to really enjoy using kicks.

Since he could not see her movements anyway, he might as well take a gamble! And the result was a complete success.

Arima Shizuya seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Enduring the pain, he pushed aside the sword-like toes thrust toward him.

He absolutely could not retreat now!

He needed to use the momentum of a step forward to close the distance.

I won't be able to catch the next move at all. As long as she doesn't follow the usual pattern, I'll definitely get sent flying.

So he could only attack first... Get in close and suppress Yoruichi!

His heart pounded wildly, and his breathing became rapid.

The 12 Shunpo attribute points melted away as well, seeping into his flesh.

His somewhat stiff footwork became much lighter, and even Arima Shizuya's body grew more nimble.

He could get closer... No problem, this was the best opportunity!

As though he had entered some profound state, Arima Shizuya felt the world around him begin to slow.

Yoruichi's long leg was brushed aside, and his palm still retained a trace of that springy sensation.

Unfortunately, the Party had no intention of savoring it.

He entered even closer range.

At last, a hint of surprise appeared on Yoruichi Shihouin's face.

"You..."

Before she could finish.

Arima Shizuya reached out with his left hand and grabbed Yoruichi by the collar.

Such disrespect! Under normal circumstances, the people from the Disciplinary Office would certainly reprimand him—but things had already come this far, and he could not care about that now! He drew in a sharp breath, turned sideways, and twisted his hips... The movement was incredibly fluid, clearly not something improvised at the last moment.

Arima Shizuya widened his eyes, intending to throw Yoruichi Shihouin straight to the ground! And at that moment.

The Second Division captain, who had seemed "slow to react," finally gave a real response.

The corner of her lips curled upward, and her feline eyes narrowed. Her throat bobbed once before twitching as she let out a faint, almost inaudible murmur.

"Hoh..."

Unknown and impossible to gauge.

This kid Aizen had brought over really had made her somewhat...

Interested!