"Brilliant!"
Even the observing instructors couldn't help but exclaim.
Yoruichi's counterattack was nothing short of perfect—being pinned to the ground, her only hope of turning the tables was grappling.
And she actually managed to find that tiny opening!
She moved fast.
In a flash, her legs clamped tightly around Hao and coiled up like soft vines.
Hao's eyes sharpened.
He hadn't let his guard down, but this move from Yoruichi did hit a weak point in his stance.
Among all types of opponents, he had always found grapplers the most troublesome.
Back in his original world, he'd defeated a few masters of the art—not because grappling was weak, but because his sheer strength overwhelmed their technique.
This time was different.
Yoruichi's spiritual-body strength was roughly equal to his own—maybe even stronger.
He no longer had the advantage of brute force.
If she managed to fully lock him down, it would be his loss.
In a split-second, as if by instinct, Hao flipped backward in a sudden somersault.
The long legs that were about to wrap around his neck hesitated mid-move—and just like that, the tide of the match turned again.
If Yoruichi didn't adjust her posture midair, her head would smash into the ground.
But if she did adjust, her legs would fail to lock onto Hao.
That one instant of hesitation decided the match.
No one expected what happened next: Instead of falling hard like Yoruichi had anticipated, Hao planted his hands on the ground mid-flip.
While Yoruichi was busy correcting her form, he shifted—his waist twisted, and he flung her off him.
Before Yoruichi could get back up, a powerful punch had already stopped just short of her face.
The rush of wind from the blow stirred her bangs, and a bead of sweat slipped into her amber eyes—still wide with shock.
Hao slowly straightened up from his half-kneeling position.
"Thanks for the match."
He had held back at the last second—not out of pity, but because he suddenly remembered what had happened during sparring with Instructor Fujimoto.
If that punch had actually landed, he wouldn't have been the one getting hurt—he would've taken the backlash.
The training hall was eerily silent.
A few heartbeats passed, and then—
"She lost?"
"The demon queen actually lost?!"
"The Shihōin heir lost to a transfer student?"
"Wasn't Yoruichi supposed to be the hakuda prodigy of the clan? How could she lose…"
"Didn't she beat a teacher once in sparring?"
Amid the stunned murmuring, Aizen stood quietly.
His expression was unreadable—but inside, he was anything but calm.
His gaze followed Hao's back, unblinking.
He beat Shihōin Yoruichi… even in close-quarters combat?
Just how much is this guy capable of?
"You really never trained in Hakuda?"
Yoruichi's expression was complicated as she looked at Hao while getting up.
From the chatter around them, she'd more or less pieced together Hao's background.
He had apparently come from the outer Rukongai—just a common street soul.
"There's no one teaching Hakuda in the outer districts," Hao said calmly. "I just figured out some moves on my own."
Of course, he couldn't tell the truth about being from another world.
This was the best cover he could give.
If he wanted to graduate early, he couldn't afford to play dumb and hide his power like Aizen did.
He had to go all out—shine as brightly as possible—to achieve that goal.
"Hmph! Don't get cocky," Yoruichi huffed. "I was just careless at the start. Next time, I'm definitely beating you."
Clearly, she didn't fully buy Hao's explanation.
To her, while his fighting style seemed wild—driven by instinct—there was a clear structure beneath it.
He'd definitely received systematic training.
Hao found her reaction amusing.
So this was Yoruichi before becoming the mature, flirtatious powerhouse he remembered from the original story—so competitive, like a kid.
"Beat me first, then talk," he said with a smirk, walking away toward Aizen.
"Sōsuke—how about a round?"
Yoruichi clenched her teeth in frustration, glaring at Hao's retreating figure.
Yes, she had underestimated him at first.
But even if she'd gone all out from the start, she couldn't say for sure she would've won.
This transfer student was a hakuda expert.
She had never lost to anyone in Hakuda—ever.
No. She had to win.
Not for the honor of the Shihōin clan—but because she just couldn't swallow this bitter pill.
Thinking about Hao's shameless leg attack aimed at her lower half, Yoruichi ground her teeth in frustration.
Next time, I swear I'll crush his damn nuts with a kick!
At that very moment, Hao—currently sparring with Aizen—suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. His movement slowed half a beat, and Aizen's casual punch landed cleanly on his chest.
Aizen gave him a strange look.
Is Hao holding back on purpose to save my pride?
For the rest of the class, Hao continued sparring with Aizen. Aizen, to his credit, earnestly asked many questions about Hakuda (hand-to-hand combat).
Of course, Hao didn't actually know this world's version of Hakuda.
Instead, he taught Aizen some practical fighting techniques from his own experience.
But since Aizen's performance during sparring remained fairly average, Hao couldn't tell whether he'd actually learned anything or not.
More than once, Hao nearly blurted out:
"Aren't you tired of pretending, Aizen? Can you just fight seriously for once?"
"You might make a good teacher one day, Hao. I learned a lot from this session."
Aizen said this sincerely after class.
He truly had gained insights—though he hadn't shown much during the sparring.
Hao's unconventional combat thinking intrigued him.
He felt it could be valuable for his own goals in the future.
"By the way, Hao—have you ever studied Kido before?"
Aizen asked, since the next class was Kido.
---
Hao stared at the towering man before him—middle-aged, wearing reflective glasses, a bizarre hairstyle with horn-like tufts, and a deep blue robe.
This world just kept getting weirder.
Wait a second… isn't that the Grand Kido Master, Tessai Tsukabishi? He's already teaching at Shinō Academy at this point in time?
"Hao, don't zone out during this class," Aizen reminded him. "Tessai-sensei is the Grand Kido Chief. He only teaches at the Academy for one month each year."
Hao silently praised the situation in his heart.
No kidding. Who would've thought the future shopkeeper under Urahara's command was already the legendary Grand Kido Master at this time?
Judging by the reverent expressions on the students' faces, it was clear how much respect Tessai commanded.
Everyone sat up straighter, focusing intently—afraid to miss even a fragment of "Kido truth."
"I hear we have a transfer student joining us today," Tessai began, his eyes briefly resting on Hao.
"I'll start with a quick overview of the basic principles of Kido. Even if you've heard it before, don't be disappointed—truth often lies in the fundamentals."
Tessai's glance made it obvious that although this was Hao's first day, he had already become the talk of the Academy.
Still, none of the other students complained—they all listened carefully as Tessai spoke.
Hao found himself deeply engaged.
This was his first formal exposure to "supernatural" abilities. While he was a martial arts fanatic, he wasn't at all uninterested in Kido.
If used well, it could prove highly effective in battle.
Surprisingly, this bizarre-looking uncle had a knack for teaching.
Tessai's explanations were clear and approachable, and Hao quickly understood the basics of Kido.
Kido is divided into three branches:
Hadō (Destructive Arts)
Bakudō (Binding Arts)
Kaidō (Healing Arts)
In essence, Kido involves manipulating one's internal spiritual energy—primarily through incantations—to form various effects.
While incantation isn't strictly necessary to release Kido, it acts like a mold or framework.
It helps shape and stabilize the spell.
If someone masters a specific Kido spell, they can skip the chant entirely and cast it instantly.
However, very few Shinigami are capable of that.
Even the more talented ones can only skip incantations for low-level Kido.
Only those with extreme talent in Kido can cast high-level spells without chanting.
Case in point: the seemingly mild-mannered student standing next to him—Aizen Sōsuke.
"Aizen-kun, you seem to get along well with our new student," Tessai said partway through the lesson.
"Why don't you guide him through casting some basic Kido?"
Aizen didn't look surprised at all.
Though he'd held back in every class so far, his Kido grades still ranked among the top.
He was genuinely curious:
Just how talented was Hao when it came to Kido?
Now he would get a firsthand look.