As a teacher, he naturally didn't appreciate students sleeping in his class—but this problem girl's talent in Hakuda was downright monstrous. Honestly, he didn't have much he could teach her.
He had heard that Hao defeated Instructor Fujimoto in swordsmanship earlier that morning. But when it came to Hakuda, he had no idea what Hao's level was.
The decision not to personally spar with Hao wasn't due to favoritism or underestimation—it was just that, deep down, he had to admit the truth: this child of the Shihōin family had already surpassed him in Hakuda mastery.
"Oh? A new student, huh…"
Yoruichi followed everyone's gaze and turned to look at Hao.
She wiped away the drool from her nap and revealed a mischievous, devilish grin—prompting several nearby students to quietly edge away from her.
Every first-year knew the reputation of this noble heiress—she was the little devil of the academy. There was nothing she wouldn't dare do, and in Hakuda class, everyone present—including Aizen—had been beaten up by her at least once.
"Hao-kun, she's from the Shihōin clan. Calling her the strongest in Hakuda among the students wouldn't be an exaggeration. Be careful,"
Aizen reminded him.
But the faint smirk on his lips gave away his true feelings—he was clearly entertained by the situation.
Yes, he had been beaten by Yoruichi too.
And he had to admit that if they fought purely in Hakuda, without relying on spiritual pressure, even at full power he still wasn't a match for her.
Now then, Hao-kun… can you surprise me again?
"The strongest?"
Hao tilted his head slightly as he locked eyes with Yoruichi, flashing a row of sharp white teeth.
"So, Hakuda—I can think of it as unrestricted close-quarters combat without weapons, right?"
"That's not a bad way to describe it."
The teacher answered before Yoruichi could.
Seeing that Hao wasn't the least bit intimidated, Yoruichi grew more interested.
She stepped forward.
"What, are you good with your fists?"
It was as if sparks danced in the air between them.
The students who had been standing in the way quickly backed off, forming a wide circle with eager, excited expressions.
Hao rolled his shoulders, bones cracking loudly.
"I wouldn't say I'm good… Let's just say I know a little."
Of course he'd trained in unarmed combat—his master had collected ancient martial texts, and Hao had studied all of them.
But in his world, so much knowledge had been lost over time
.
If he considered all the forgotten history of martial arts, he could only humbly say he knew "a little."
"Hah, you're a funny one,"
Yoruichi said, still smiling.
"But judging by your stance and posture, you're clearly a Hakuda expert. Saying you 'just know a little' sounds like you're begging me to bully you."
Her eyes curved into crescents as she grinned.
"You'll make me want to tease you, little guy."
"You look younger than me."
Hao replied with a smile.
And he was being honest.
Both Aizen and Yoruichi were born in Soul Society, and their bodies aged naturally here.
Aizen looked like a young adult, while Yoruichi resembled a sixteen-year-old girl.
Despite the impressive figure she carried, claiming to be an older sister with that baby face still felt off.
Maybe this little devil of the academy was just born with a dominant big-sister complex.
"Heh… I'll make you call me big sis in a minute."
Yoruichi smirked coldly as she rotated her wrists.
Unlike the others in their loose training uniforms, she wore a sleek, tight-fitting outfit tailored in the school's color scheme.
White wrappings were tied above her wrists, adding to her nimble and capable aura.
A slim belt cinched her waist, emphasizing her toned abdomen and visible abs beneath the fabric.
She flaunted her physique with ease, making no effort to hide her power or presence.
"Shihōin-san, remember to suppress your spiritual pressure. Match Hao's—he's registered at Rank 17."
The teacher reminded her.
Not because he was concerned about fairness, but because he was genuinely worried the little devil might accidentally kill the new kid.
"Ooh, Rank 17? Not bad."
Yoruichi commented, like she was offering praise—but her tone was laced with ambiguity.
As a noble of the Shihōin family, she had access to the best resources from a young age.
She'd already been Rank 9 in spiritual pressure at the time of enrollment—and that was only because she didn't care much for spiritual pressure training and preferred focusing on Hakuda.
Rank 17 at enrollment wasn't a big deal to her.
What really interested her was Hao's actual Hakuda skill.
She suppressed her spiritual energy to the correct level, then crooked a finger at him.
"Come on. Let's see what you've got."
Hao didn't get angry at the provocation. Instead, he clasped his fists together and bowed politely.
"Please teach me."
Under the strange gazes of Yoruichi and the other students, Hao moved—with the force of thunder!
In a flash, he crossed the several meters between them. His first punch—fast, fierce, and precise—was aimed straight at Yoruichi's face.
Yoruichi immediately abandoned her initial underestimation and quickly raised both arms to block the blow.
After taking the hit, she used the force to spring backward.
But Hao followed like a wolf biting down on its prey's throat—relentless. His second punch drove toward her abdomen.
Yoruichi truly lived up to her title as the Shihōin family's once-in-a-millennium Hakuda genius. In a split second, she made the right call—using the flexibility of her body, she arched her upper torso backward at extreme speed. Hao's punch only grazed her tight uniform without landing a real hit.
In the next moment, she planted one hand on the ground and swept out a leg in a wide arc, trying to knock Hao off balance after his aggressive follow-up.
But Hao seemed to have predicted it.
He jumped—just enough to narrowly dodge her sweeping kick.
What surprised Yoruichi even more was that his jump wasn't high, only just enough to clear her leg. As they passed each other midair, his raised right foot suddenly came crashing down—aiming directly between her legs.
Yoruichi rolled away awkwardly, dodging the attack in a flustered panic.
Embarrassment flared in her chest, mixed with a trace of fear.
She wanted to counterattack, but from the very start of the match, she had been suppressed.
Now Hao wasn't giving her even the slightest chance to get back up.
The surrounding students were already stunned into silence.
Everything happened so fast—within the blink of an eye, countless exchanges had taken place.
The undefeated Hakuda queen in their hearts—Yoruichi—was now getting pinned to the ground and thrashed by this transfer student Hao!
Hao didn't think targeting the lower body in a fight was dirty at all.
Martial arts were techniques for killing.
Showing mercy to your opponent in combat was cruelty toward yourself.
Even though this was just a spar, Hao had no intention of holding back—not against a powerhouse like Yoruichi.
And after what happened with Instructor Fujimoto, he knew the moment Yoruichi got serious, her spiritual pressure would break through containment.
At that point, he wouldn't be able to damage her at all.
After all, Yoruichi was the heir to one of the Five Great Noble Houses—the Shihōin clan.
Her spiritual pressure level was likely Rank 10 or higher by now.
In simple terms, even without using spiritual pressure offensively, her soul density far exceeded his own.
If you converted it into stat points, her physical durability alone outclassed him by a mile.
If he didn't target her vital points, how was he supposed to win?
Yes—Hao enjoyed fighting, but he hated losing.
Even if her true overall strength was far beyond his own, when it came to the martial arts, he refused to admit defeat.
BOOM—
Another powerful downward kick smashed through the air—his right leg came crashing down like a battle axe between Yoruichi's legs.
To her credit, Yoruichi truly was a Hakuda genius.
Despite being overwhelmed early on, she had dodged every one of Hao's "fatal strikes" so far.
But Yoruichi knew better than anyone: the longer she stayed on defense, the more likely she was to slip up.
Especially against someone like Hao—if she didn't find an opening to turn things around, it was only a matter of time before she got hit where it counted and lost.
Sweat now glistened on her forehead as the intense exchange continued.
Her mind was working at full speed, racing to find a breakthrough.
For the first time in a long while, the Hakuda prodigy of the Shihōin clan got serious.
To her, it felt like time slowed down.
Finally—she saw her chance.
As Hao's foot missed its mark and his stance slightly shifted, she twisted her waist with explosive force.
Her long legs coiled around him like a water serpent—