Jujutsu Fighting Art

Before Ryosuke had time to respond, Yuki moved.

With a swift, precise motion, she feinted an attack on his left flank. Instinctively, Ryosuke raised his arms to defend, but before he could react, Yuki had already pivoted and landed a light strike on his right shoulder.

Ryosuke staggered under the impact, surprised. He hadn't even seen the blow coming. Yuki, however, smiled slightly.

"Too slow. You reacted to the first attack, but you didn't anticipate the second. In a real fight, that would've cost you."

Ryosuke rubbed his shoulder, a determined glint in his eyes. "Alright, I get it."

"Second rule."

Yuki hadn't even finished speaking when she raised her hand to effortlessly block Ryosuke's sidekick. Her movement was so fluid and precise that Ryosuke, off balance, almost stumbled.

He tried to follow up with another attack, hoping to regain the advantage, but Yuki, with disconcerting speed, grabbed his ankle. With a controlled motion, she flung him backward, slamming him forcefully against a nearby tree. The impact was harsh, and Ryosuke felt the air leave his lungs as he crashed into the rough bark.

Before he could even get back on his feet, Yuki continued,

"Second rule: never stay static."

Still dazed, Ryosuke tried to stand, but Yuki was already right in front of him, her shadow cast over his face.

He didn't even have time to process what was happening before she raised her arm, ready to strike. Reflexively, he crossed his arms in front of him to shield himself. But, to his surprise, instead of aiming for his flank or stomach as he expected, Yuki struck directly at his head. The hit was clean and precise, enough to disorient him. Before he could react, she followed up with a kick that sent him rolling across the ground, even more violently than before.

Ryosuke winced in pain as he landed, but he refused to stay down. Gritting his teeth, he quickly got to his feet. Without hesitation, he launched into a new series of attacks.

This time, he decided not to hold back, unleashing a flurry of punches and sweeping kicks with his legs, hoping at least to force her to retreat.

But Yuki dodged effortlessly. While moving with agility, she continued speaking, as if the fight posed no challenge at all.

"Third rule: only strike when you're sure to hit."

With that, she blocked one of Ryosuke's punches almost nonchalantly, and before he could comprehend what was happening, she used his own force against him. In an instant, she pinned him to the ground with a controlled but powerful move, her fist stopping just millimeters from his face.

Ryosuke lay still, his gaze locked with his aunt's. His heart pounded, not from exhaustion, but from the shock of how easily he had been defeated.

Lying on his back, Ryosuke tried to make sense of what had just happened. He had anticipated a difference in experience between them, but he hadn't expected that gap to be so vast.

"As expected, I suppose…"

Yuki slowly stood up and looked at him for a moment, a soft smile lightening her features.

"You're doing well, my dear nephew. For someone who only recently awakened to jujutsu, your level is well above average. You manage your cursed energy quite well. The only issue is that it's not yet instinctual, which forces you to take time to adjust. And that time… means death against an experienced sorcerer."

Ryosuke lay there for a moment, staring up at the sky. His mind was racing. He let out a small laugh, more to himself than anyone else. The situation, though humiliating, only excited him.

"Again," he finally said, getting up slowly. He quickly dusted off his clothes, never taking his eyes off Yuki. "Let's go again."

Yuki observed him carefully, her smile widening slightly.

"Very well," she finally said, nodding with a satisfied air. "But this time, try to surprise me."

No sooner had she finished speaking than Ryosuke reappeared in the blink of an eye behind her, his foot slicing through the air in a swift arc aimed at her flank.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment, but Yuki reacted with surprising agility. She leaned forward gracefully, dodging the attack by mere inches. Taking advantage of the momentum Ryosuke had built in his strike, she quickly pivoted, her arm extending in a perfectly controlled motion. She struck her nephew in the ribs with measured force, enough to knock him off balance.

Despite the sharp pain that shot through his body, Ryosuke managed to intercept the blow in time. He gritted his teeth, stepping back to regain his footing.

Repositioning himself quickly, he was already preparing a new offensive. But before he could even launch it, Yuki was already upon him, like an elusive shadow. In a split second, she firmly grasped his face and slammed him to the ground with no apparent effort.

Ryosuke's back hit the ground hard, his breath knocked out of him. He looked up at his aunt, slightly dizzy. But Yuki, unphased, stood above him, a mischievous spark in her eyes.

"That was a good block," she said with a slight smile, releasing her hold on him. "But you still have that latency issue. Your reactions are too slow." She stepped back, giving him space to stand.

Ryosuke, as he got up, clenched his fists. The remark stung, but he knew she was right. He could feel it himself. He had to consciously distribute his energy throughout his body. Judging the amount and the flow took too long.

"If my energy wasn't so abundant, this would have been a lot more difficult."

He was relying on his massive reserves of cursed energy to bypass the complex steps of proper distribution.

"What if I fully embraced that advantage?"

TO BE CONTINUED!

Next Chapter: The Advantage of Being Privileged