Yoruichi couldn't help but be impressed. For others like her, this was barely a warm-up. But she had a huge advantage over mortal teenagers, even if they were bolstered by some weird powers.
"I'm impressed. Honestly, stunned. Great job, you two," she told them genuinely. She began to chuckle when she noticed their blushes.
"Honestly, just from seeing the way you move normally, I was thinking Bajiquan. But after seeing that test, I can't help but want to teach you a mix of martial arts. You could very well learn your own style."
The two raised their eyebrows.
Wasn't Bajiquan a lost martial art?
Maybe they were wrong.
Yoruichi, meanwhile, was thinking, 'They don't need to know I'm teaching them Hakuda. I even want to teach Amamiya Shunpo. Too bad humans can't really use it.'
She didn't want the kid to break his ankles.
Giving a clap, she said, "Alright. First lesson today. We're gonna do some kata. You're already limber enough, so we'll start with a short meditation and stretch."
---
Ren crashed into his bed.
"That teacher is insane," he mumbled to Morgana.
"Ren, that was rough. Are you sure you wanna do this?" Morgana asked in worry.
"Yes. Absolutely." Ren groaned as he pushed himself up and sat on the edge of his bed.
"I can literally feel my muscles heal rapidly when I use the Third Eye. She's teaching us something weird."
Morgana nearly jumped out of his skin.
"What?! That's not normal. Is it harmful?!"
Ren furrowed his brow. Then he remembered Igor's advice.
"Trust your Social Links."
"Should I trust her?" Ren whispered.
Then he cleared his throat.
"I don't think it's harmful, but Takemi will be monitoring my health for a while. We will know soon."
Although he said that, he was a bit concerned with the glowing veins he could see running through his body when using the Third Eye. It wasn't that they were showing through his skin. He just sort of knew they were there. It was like he could see the construction of his body.
'Are meridians real?'
'All myths come from something, mon ami. We just have to learn step by step,' Arsène advised.
'Is it dangerous? I know you can't tell me much.'
He knew by now that although he was Arsène, and Arsène was him, that didn't mean he wasn't himself and Arsène wasn't Arsène. It was the concept he embraced, the truth he grasped, that had called to Arsène.
Suddenly, his body felt filled with energy, and he took a deep breath before exhaling heavily. It felt like a huge weight had come off of him.
'It is and it isn't,' Arsène said quietly. 'But it is something you would accept.'
---
Ren woke up very well rested. No visit to the Velvet Room, but he felt full of energy. He hoped Yusuke would contact him soon. He was worried about him, but it had only been around a day.
He didn't want to force anything, so he decided to see if his friends wanted to do anything. He opened his phone to see a few messages.
Some memes from Ryuji and Futaba. Shiho explaining how great she felt from the workout. Ann complaining about wanting a crepe... at 5 a.m. And Orihime asking Ren privately if he would like to visit the tarot card reader she mentioned.
Ren couldn't help but chuckle, imagining how she had likely asked over text because she had already admitted it was in the red-light district. The little sun might turn into a nova if she asked in person.
"I'm actually glad I got arrested," Ren couldn't help but say.
He didn't know Morgana was awake. But Morgana simply opened one eye and gave a purr before snuggling back into the blankets.
---
Orihime was embarrassed.
Extremely, extremely embarrassed.
'I already told him it's in the red-light district. Why did I do that?! Why?!' Her face was cherry red as she stared ahead at the board in class.
Ann, who was sitting beside her, was getting worried. She leaned over and whispered, "Do you have a fever? Do you need to go to the infirmary?"
Orihime got even more embarrassed.
"I'll tell you during lunch," she squeaked.
She didn't know if she was actually going to.
She put her face in her hands.
---