"Oh? You already said it was impossible, so why would I compete with you?"
Luke found Yoruichi rather amusing. Was this how nobles' bizarre thought processes worked?
Yoruichi was awkward for a moment. Looking at Luke's face, she found him even more irritating—more aggravating than her lazy childhood friend.
"Then... how about this? You run half the course, and I run the full course. Whoever finishes in less time wins. Is that fair enough?"
Yoruichi added, "It is unlikely, but if you really do win, then from now on... I'll address you respectfully."
Luke rubbed his chin, picturing Yoruichi forcing those words out with a resentful, embarrassed expression. Hmm... forget it. He did not have that kind of weird hobby.
"That won't be necessary. If I win, teach me some advanced Flash Step techniques instead."
Luke's goal was clear. He had not come to this mission world to tease a little girl. What he wanted was Yoruichi's advanced Flash Step technique—[Utsusemi].
Going by its performance in the original story, [Utsusemi] was absolutely a technique distinct from Flash Step. It was a movement skill practically equivalent to blinking through space.
Yoruichi frowned at first, surprised that Luke was so eager to learn. But after thinking it over, she realized she could not lose under these terms.
If she won, she would finally reclaim some dignity and make this flashy transfer student address her properly from now on. And while it was impossible, even if she somehow lost, she would become Luke's teacher. Thinking about it, that would be pretty satisfying too.
"Fine. It's a deal."
Yoruichi nodded and beckoned Luke over. "I'll start by teaching you the basics of Flash Step."
Luke moved closer and received Yoruichi's hands-on instruction.
It had to be said—Yoruichi's teaching ability was... terrible. Compared to Sosuke, it was like heaven and earth.
Ichigo had actually managed to learn something from Yoruichi. His comprehension really was exceptional.
Still, while Yoruichi was a poor teacher, Luke understood everything. Fortunately, he had an exceptional ability to absorb martial techniques.
"I see. Let me try it first."
With Teacher Yoruichi's close-range guidance, Luke felt that he had grasped the trick. He walked over to an open section of the training field.
The basic theory of Flash Step centered on a "foothold." It was a technique that relied on explosive muscular force to propel the user in a straight line from one foothold to the next. Put simply, this footwork was not particularly flexible. It required footholds and a planned destination in advance.
Because of Flash Step's principles, the testing course for this class was divided into sections. Each stretch between footholds was roughly twenty meters. There were ten sections in total, making the full course two hundred meters.
Yoruichi's proposed contest meant she would run two hundred meters while Luke ran one hundred, and they would compare their times.
Luke settled into position and calmed his breathing. He lowered his body slightly, and the muscles in his calves tensed and bulged, as though beasts were coiled beneath his skin.
In the next instant, power surged through him like a tide. The recoil from his foothold launched him forward in an explosive burst. He crossed the distance like he was flying and reached the next foothold.
After steadying himself, he looked toward the display at the side. It had recorded his time for that section.
0.973 seconds.
Luke frowned at the number. Flash Step had not given him some earthshaking increase in speed. Once he accelerated normally and reached top speed, he could already cover twenty meters in one second.
And after crossing just one section, his calves felt slightly sore. That proved Flash Step was not yet a technique he could use continuously for extended periods.
"Oh? Not bad."
Yoruichi looked surprised. Not only had Luke succeeded on his first attempt, but considering his Spiritual Might rank, his speed was already above average for Shin'o Academy.
She took a light step and instantly arrived beside Luke.
The display read 0.491.
Luke pondered for a moment before realizing he had fallen into the wrong line of thinking.
It was true that he could run twenty meters in a second, but that was after accelerating. Flash Step's advantage was that it brought the user to top speed instantly, compressing the entire acceleration process of normal running into an almost negligible span of time.
It was a movement technique built around instantaneous bursts, perfect for emergency repositioning in battle or pursuing an enemy.
And Yoruichi's Flash Step had completely crushed his. He could also tell that she had deliberately suppressed her Spiritual Might to roughly his level.
This girl had no intention of cheating him. Her attainments in Flash Step were genuinely profound. Her speed did not come from her stats, but from technique.
As expected of the future Flash Goddess, Luke thought. But he had no intention of giving up on the contest. That had only been his first attempt at Flash Step. He still had plenty of room to improve.
As Luke continued practicing Flash Step, the soreness in his legs gradually became less severe. He was slowly getting the hang of it.
After around twenty attempts, he stopped practicing and sat down to meditate with his eyes closed.
"Hey, class ends in twenty minutes. Aren't you going to practice some more? At this rate, you're going to lose."
Yoruichi spoke beside him, her eyes full of amusement. She was in an excellent mood. Luke might be a genius, but she had utterly dominated him in Flash Step.
He had practiced many more times just now. Although he had improved, the gains were not particularly obvious.
"Relax. I never go back on my word. Whatever the result is, I'll accept it. Just let me have some quiet for a while."
Luke waved a hand as he spoke, as though he were shooing away a fly.
Yoruichi did not get angry. She already considered victory certain. To her, anything Luke said or did now sounded like the barking of a defeated dog.
Luke sat cross-legged. In his mind, another version of himself appeared, endlessly reenacting the process of Flash Step. Luke watched that other self, observing the rhythm of its muscles and the transmission of its power.
The instant the dismissal bell rang, Luke opened his eyes. Standing beside him, Yoruichi felt as though something about the man had changed. His dark eyes seemed deeper than before.
But she did not think much of it. She walked to the starting point first, then moved beneath the watchful eyes of the gathered students.
An afterimage lingered in the air. There was almost no sound. A moment later, Yoruichi's figure solidified at the finish line.
The screen there displayed a striking number.
4.396 seconds.
Even when she stopped, she was silent. Only her dark violet hair drifted lightly through the air.
Elegant. Utterly elegant.
Even Luke could not help but admire it. No wonder Yoruichi could serve in the Onmitsukidō. With Flash Step like that, she could kill without a trace or a sound.
"Your turn, kid."
Standing at the finish line, Yoruichi crooked a finger at Luke. Even the way she addressed him had changed. Clearly, she had already decided that she had won.
Thanks to Purple-Gold Mie for the 10,000-coin donation, and to Chang'an Wanderer for the 2,000-coin donation.
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