Omniverse: The Martial Artist

On the training field, two figures moved at lightning speed, fists and feet clashing in rapid bursts.

One moved with graceful agility, the other like a thunderstorm unleashed—every step fierce and explosive.

On the dirt field, the petite form of Yoruichi moved without a trace, while each charge from Hao kicked up violent gusts of wind, clouds of dust, and deep footprints in the ground.

The rest of the students had long retreated to a safe distance, afraid of being dragged into the clash between these two monsters.

To them, this wasn't a match at the level of first-year students—no, even seniors close to graduation might not be able to match this intensity.

Normally, sparring during Hakuda classes didn't go to such extremes. It was meant to sharpen technique, not escalate into an all-out brawl. Students usually avoided using shunpo during matches, since the dojo space was limited.

But today was different.

Their teacher had brought them outside for training, and so the Shihoin family's infamous "witch" and the twisted new prodigy went all in.

Among the spectators, some students watched with apprehension, others with envy. A few concentrated with laser focus, hoping to absorb even a fragment of the techniques being displayed—whether in shunpo or hakuda.

But beyond the crowd, there were two other figures observing from a rooftop nearby.

One stood at the front: an elderly man with an imposing presence, both solemn and somewhat grandfatherly. He had the dignified aura of a true warrior.

A cross-shaped scar marred the upper right of his forehead, lending him a fierce edge. His long white eyebrows matched the sweeping silver beard that fell to his waist, tied neatly with a purple cord.

Leaning on his cane, he glanced sideways at the silver-haired middle-aged man beside him and asked:

"That girl—she's from the Shihoin family, isn't she? What about the other one?"

Lieutenant of Squad 1, Sasakibe Chōjirō, replied respectfully, "He's a new student who enrolled two months ago. His name is Hao. It's said that Captain Unohana brought him in from the Rukongai. Exceptionally gifted."

"Oh?"

Commander-General Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's face showed a spark of interest. "You believe he's gifted too, Chōjirō?"

Sasakibe nodded. "I've kept an eye on him for a while now. Whether it's in swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, shunpo, or kido—he has no weak points. Though he comes from the slums, to be honest, his talent is strong enough to make us feel a bit…"

"A bit what?"

The Commander asked calmly.

Sasakibe hesitated, searching for the right word. After a moment, he said, "…A bit terrifying. Several teachers have already reported that they simply cannot teach Hao anymore."

Seeing the Commander remain silent, he continued explaining:

"On the first day of enrollment, during his very first experience with swordsmanship, Hao managed to defeat Instructor Fujimoto Hashira while matching spiritual pressure. In Hakuda class, he defeated the Shihoin family heir, Shihoin Yoruichi. In his first attempt at kido, he successfully cast Shakkahō."

He then listed out Hao's achievements one by one.

"In shunpo, he's not quite as fast as the Shihoin girl—but that was at the start. After just two months of practice, he's already catching up to Yoruichi."

"Can't be taught, huh… what an interesting boy,"

The Commander-General said with a laugh, his gaze fixed on Hao as the latter exchanged blows in the distance.

"There haven't been any captains subbing in for Hakuda or swordsmanship lately, have there?"

Sasakibe shook his head. "The Soul Society and the World of the Living have both been unstable recently. The Gotei 13 has its hands full with missions—no captain has had the time to substitute in."

The Head Captain gave a slight nod. As the commander of the Gotei 13 and also the head of the Shin'ō Academy, he hadn't visited the academy in the past two months, preoccupied with official duties.

He hadn't expected that on this rare visit back, he'd encounter such an interesting student. It reminded him of his very first batch of pupils.

Staring thoughtfully at Hao on the field, the Head Captain asked,

"What about his spiritual pressure and zanpakutō?"

"His zanpakutō hasn't awakened yet," Sasakibe replied, "but that's normal. After all, he was a street dweller before this and had no exposure to anything related to zanpakutō. His spiritual pressure was only ranked at Grade 17 when he enrolled."

If the students at Shin'ō Academy had heard that, many would've been stunned. A "mere" Grade 17? That was already a lifelong dream for countless others. But to Sasakibe, it was nothing extraordinary.

He had witnessed the academy's history firsthand and knew well that there were plenty of students from noble families with spiritual pressure of Grade 10 or above upon entry—some even as high as Grade 6 before ever setting foot in the academy.

Yoruichi's lower rank was only due to her lack of focus on spiritual pressure cultivation. For someone like her, reaching captain-class pressure was only a matter of time.

"Seventeenth grade with no resources? Average, I'd say."

The Head Captain gave his evaluation flatly. As a living fossil of Soul Society, he'd seen more prodigies than he could count. In terms of initial spiritual pressure alone, Hao didn't stand out to him.

What he did appreciate was Hao's immense talent in the four core combat arts—zan, hak, sō, and kidō. If the boy could raise his spiritual pressure, he would become a pillar of the Gotei 13 in the future.

"Still," Sasakibe added, "though that level may not be high among prodigies, Hao's cultivation rate is remarkable. In just two months, he's already reached Grade 16."

"I've also heard," he continued, "that Hao spends most of his time focusing on the four arts. He hasn't dedicated himself to spiritual pressure training specifically."

The Head Captain nodded.

"So in other words, it's not that he lacks talent in spiritual pressure—it's just not his current focus."

"That's understandable," Sasakibe said. "After all, the academy only lasts six years. Cultivating spiritual pressure isn't something that can be rushed. Learning techniques while he's here is a wise decision. Once he leaves, he won't have such a good environment for learning. He can train his pressure anytime afterward."

"Hahaha…"

The Head Captain let out a hearty laugh. "Chōjirō, it seems you've taken quite a liking to this kid—you even made excuses for him."

Sasakibe shook his head modestly.

"I admire his talent, sir. But I'm not fond of his personality."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"Because Hao wants to graduate early. He's young and arrogant. It's only been two months since he enrolled."

Sasakibe sighed helplessly. That was the sentiment echoed by many of the other teachers.

Aside from the healing course currently covered by Captain Unohana, all the other instructors had already admitted they couldn't teach Hao anymore.

The situation with kidō class was a bit different. Though the former Grand Kidō Chief no longer taught, the new instructor was still capable of casting kidō spells above #80—an undeniable master of the art, and fully qualified to teach.

The real issue was Hao himself. Despite having exceptional talent in kidō, he didn't seem all that interested in hadō. Every kidō class, he spent his time practicing kaidō instead.

According to the academy's graduation standards, Hao had already passed by being able to cast Shakkahō. The instructors couldn't really fault him. After all, healing spells were technically part of kidō too.

"He wants to graduate early?"

The Head Captain stroked his beard, smiling. "What an arrogant brat. Does he really think no one can teach him anything about zan, hak, sō, or kidō?"

With a thud, his staff struck the ground. Dust spiraled out in all directions.

His ancient eyes fixed on Hao on the training field. "Then let this old man give him a lesson."

°°°

Hungry for more chaps? Then check out our pătreon!

Link: Påtreon.com/BaphometFiction

I post 20 advanced chapters of this fanfic there.

If you do subscribe, please do so in the web patreon, not the ios app.