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After wrapping up his search in the records room, Hiromitsu Morofushi rushed over to the training hall, fortunately managing to avoid being late.
During martial arts class, the students were required to warm up inside the facility first to reduce the risk of muscle strain. Today's instructing officer was a middle-aged man by the surname of Fujii. Compared to the permanently bloodthirsty Instructor Onizuka, he looked like a friendly uncle who had just returned from a countryside vacation, even going so far as to mildly correct the warming-up postures of various students. If they hadn't known his background beforehand, practically none of the students would have guessed that he was one of the finest hand-to-hand combat masters within the entire police academy.
"Class, what we are going to learn today are combat techniques applicable within law enforcement scenarios. First, you all must observe my movements with absolute precision."
Once the warm-up concluded, Instructor Fujii utilized a punching bag to demonstrate an assortment of moves, including straight punches, side kicks, and grappling takedowns. The students surrounding him watched without blinking, mentally calculating whether they would be capable of defending against the instructor's assaults if they were in its place.
"Remember, you must generate force from your waist and hips, shifting your center of gravity at the appropriate moments before instantly pulling your fist back to defend!"
"Understood, Instructor!"
However, while Fujii's movements appeared flawless to the average eye, they still resembled toddlers playing house in the eyes of Satoru Gojo—appearing both clumsy and adorable. He twirled a stray lock of his upturned hair out of sheer boredom, resting his lower back against the protective wall padding as he let out a massive yawn.
I wonder if the members of the Gojo clan will notice anything amiss with Shiro acting as my double?
Judging by the activity logs transmitted over the past two days, things seemed to be proceeding relatively smoothly. Well... aside from the segment protesting that Tama had slipped laxatives into his barley tea.
Then again, do laxatives actually work on an AI?
Gojo privately pondered a bunch of random nonsense. By the time he lifted his eyes to look back across the hall, he discovered that Instructor Fujii had already split the students into pairs to initiate the simulation phase of the lesson.
"Class, joint-locking and counter-locking techniques are exceptionally vital in actual combat. Mastering them properly can drastically elevate your probability of subduing a criminal." He clapped his hands, calling out Furuya Rei against Jinpei Matsuda, and Wataru Date against Kenji Hagiwara.
Two pairs of roommate duos? Now this is interesting.
Gojo's interest piqued, and he sauntered over to spectate alongside the rest of the students. At this moment, he noticed Instructor Fujii casting a glance toward him, seemingly intentional yet fleeting, though the man retracted his sight almost instantly. Since he didn't register the presence of any malice, Gojo didn't take the matter to heart at all.
"Have you checked your protective gear and rubber firearms?"
Once the instructor confirmed everything was correct, he instructed Matsuda and Hagiwara to play the roles of armed criminals, while Furuya and Date portrayed police officers. One side would launch an attack, while the opposing side utilized locking techniques to counter them. The officer's objective was to strip away the rubber firearm and subdue the perpetrator.
The rubber bullets loaded inside the guns possessed negligible force; under the prerequisite of wearing protective gear, they would cause a minor sting at the absolute worst.
The wounds on Jinpei Matsuda and Furuya Rei's faces had already healed for the most part. The two stood face-to-face, looking rearing to go.
"Alright, you may begin—"
Jinpei Matsuda grinned, lifting the orange rubber gun with his right hand. Furuya Rei crouched slightly into a stance, keeping a tight lock on his opponent's movements.
Matsuda abruptly jerked his arm, launching a pre-emptive strike with the muzzle aimed straight at Furuya's chest. Yet, Furuya had already anticipated the move; flashing to the side, his right hand capitalized on the momentum to clasp Matsuda's gun-wielding wrist, his thumb pressing viciously into his pressure point.
Matsuda winced from the pain, his wrist instinctively spasming, but he refused to release his grip. Instead, he balled his left hand into a fist, driving a swinging elbow directly toward Furuya's face. Furuya immediately retreated a step, allowing Matsuda to seize the window to break free from the clamp, the muzzle locking on once more—
Bang!
The sound of the rubber gun echoed, but Furuya had already closed the distance, wrapping himself around Matsuda's right arm and twisting it with borrowed force. The two possessed comparable physical strength, remaining in a deadlock for a full minute over this single maneuver.
However, Furuya captured the exact fraction of a second when Matsuda relaxed, instantly locking his joint in reverse. The rubber gun finally slipped from his hand. Furuya Rei followed up with a sweeping kick; Matsuda lost his footing, crashing straight down onto the soft mat.
"...Tsk, missed it by a hair." Matsuda muttered under his breath, though he harbored no genuine displeasure. Furuya Rei smiled, extending a hand to haul him back up.
"Furuya, you performed excellently," Instructor Fujii praised, concurrently pointing out the graze marks left by the rubber bullet on his protective gear. "Matsuda's reflexes were also incredibly swift. If those weren't rubber bullets, it would have been more than enough to injure an opponent."
This round could be considered a narrow victory for Furuya Rei.
Next, Wataru Date and Kenji Hagiwara, who had already equipped their protective gear, stepped out of the line. Both of them enjoyed immense popularity among their peers, and their coexistence within the same dorm room could be described as highly pleasant.
Despite this, the moment Kenji Hagiwara looked up at Wataru Date, his eyelids couldn't help but twitch involuntarily. A height exceeding two meters made the man opposite him resemble an absolute human wall.
...Regardless, I can't afford to lose in terms of momentum at the very least.
Hagiwara adopted a defensive posture, loosening his shoulders. "Class Rep, don't you dare go easy on me."
Wataru Date exposed a neat row of bright white teeth. "Rest assured, I won't."
Hagiwara bolted forward, delivering a whip-like kick toward Date's lower body in an attempt to disrupt his center of gravity. Date weathered the blow through sheer endurance, utilizing the momentum to press forward as his right arm snared around Hagiwara's gun-wielding wrist like a pair of iron pincers.
Hagiwara reacted instantly, evading to the left.
After several rounds of chasing and dodging in this manner, Hagiwara's momentum gradually shifted from active to passive, forcing him into a continuous retreat.
"Uh oh..."
The rubber gun in Hagiwara's hand dropped directly to the floor. Date granted Hagiwara zero room to catch his breath, flipping his entire body over so that his back slammed squarely against the soft padding.
"Ow, ow, ow—" Hagiwara rubbed his shoulder. "You really didn't hold back in the slightest, Class Rep!"
Date let out a hearty laugh, extending a hand to pull him up. "It's because you're far too slippery, constantly dodging without launching an attack."
"Hagiwara, Date, you two demonstrated that exceptionally well just now." Instructor Fujii waved his hand, signaling for them to return to the ranks before addressing the class: "The critical factor is never brute strength, but rather pinpointing the exact position and timing to anticipate your opponent's point of exertion. You all might find it difficult right now, but once you train it into muscle memory, you will discover—" He paused, offering a smile brimming with absolute confidence. "This is simpler than snapping a pair of chopsticks."
The students nodded, faintly grasping the realization.
"To better allow you all to appreciate this principle, let's conduct another simulation." Instructor Fujii scanned his surroundings, his gaze ultimately landing on a certain black-haired, crimson-eyed youth. "Hisano, why don't you play the role of the police officer?"
Satoru Gojo suddenly found these words incredibly familiar. Right, during class yesterday, hadn't he proposed letting Instructor Onizuka roleplay as a criminal or a hostage? Did the boomerang manage to strike back at him this quickly?
"As for the other individual..."
Furuya and Matsuda simultaneously looked toward Hiromitsu Morofushi, who was standing to the side. The cat-eyed youth blanked for a moment. "What's wrong?"
Very quickly, a realization struck him. Since the previous two pairs the instructor called up were roommates, then the two individuals for the third group... were highly likely to be roommates as well. Meaning, he had to go head-to-head against Nozomi-kun?
The freak who scored perfect marks on the physical evaluation, whom Matsuda and Zero combined couldn't overpower, and who hadn't shed a single drop of sweat during training?
Me fighting Hisano, for real?
Looking at it this way, he absolutely had to give it his entire effort; he couldn't let himself be looked down upon by Zero and the others.
However, defying everyone's expectations, Fujii didn't call out Hiromitsu Morofushi's name. Instead, he smiled faintly. "I shall personally assume the role of the perpetrator."
In reality, although Fujii had been absent due to other commitments during the entrance examinations, as an old friend of Onizuka's, he had long since caught wind of the most troublesome "thorn in the side" within Onizuka's class—Hisano Nozomi. Particularly after accidentally overhearing a few students discussing Gojo's remarks during Onizuka's lecture, he intended to let this arrogant youth taste a bit of hardship.
Naturally, Fujii genuinely believed this would be beneficial for Gojo. A tree that stands taller than the forest will surely be destroyed by the wind. This child was far too conceited regarding his own strength; if he truly encountered a desperate criminal in the future... a single instance of carelessness could easily result in dying in the line of duty. Thus, he absolutely had to make the boy understand the proverb: beyond the mountains, there are higher peaks; beyond the heavens, there are greater skies.
"Are you willing to come up and demonstrate with me, Hisano?"
By this stage of the game, Satoru Gojo had already deduced the man's intentions flawlessly. Unfortunately, that was a reality destined never to manifest.
"Since the instructor has put it that way..." He elongated his syllables, his tone lighthearted as though they were merely discussing a lunch menu. "Then why don't we play around a little?"
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