At the Gojo First Elder’s estate, Kaito’s daily routine gradually returned to its usual peaceful rhythm.
Eating, sleeping, arduous training, and eating again…
An apparently monotonous cycle, but now a new variable had been introduced: he was working in the forge.
Every day, Kaito secluded himself amidst the roaring heat, striving to recreate Hyōrinmaru—his first Zanpakutō (Soul Cutter Blade).
The appearance of the ice dragon that day had shaken both the Jujutsu High Headquarters and the Gojo main family to their core.
Curious and greedy visitors beat a path to the First Elder’s estate continuously.
However, thanks to the First Elder’s immense authority, those people never gained a single opportunity to bother Kaito.
Initially, they grumbled, but after seeing the piles of “defective products”—lifeless, warped blades stacked high like mountains behind the garden—their caution gradually turned into mockery.
“Turns out it was just a blind cat stumbling upon a fried fish,” they whispered to one another, leaving with triumphant smirks.
The belief that Kaito’s trick was exhausted, and that Hyōrinmaru was merely a stroke of random luck, quickly spread.
At the Gojo main house, the elders breathed a sigh of relief; they preferred to believe in coincidence rather than accept that someone with Heavenly Restriction could mass-produce heaven-defying weapons.
The Second Elder even harbored intentions of confiscating Hyōrinmaru, but the firm stance of Clan Head Gojo Sei extinguished that plot.
Regardless of how the outside world shifted, there were still those who placed absolute faith in him: his parents, Sei and Otome; his older brother, Satoru; and his friend, Ieri Shoko.
Ever since the banquet, Shoko frequently visited and became a young companion to Lady Otome.
She used her Reverse Cursed Technique to soothe the physical pain of Otome’s body.
Although it could not completely cure the illness, it at least brought Otome some comfort.
Seeing this, Shoko’s parents were overjoyed, beginning to dream of a political marriage between her and the genius Satoru to consolidate their status.
Shoko couldn’t care less about those schemes.
To her, the Gojo brothers were simply special friends.
Satoru was arrogant and liked to stir up trouble, but he was fundamentally good-natured.
As for Kaito…
in Shoko’s eyes, his composure and his diligent silhouette by the forge possessed a strange attraction—a quiet yet enduring charm that eclipsed even Satoru’s ostentatious dominance.
Returning to Kaito.
“Another failure?”
He murmured softly, his hand slowly caressing his latest finished product.
His Six Eyes narrowed, scanning every detail of the lifeless blade.
In theory, he was precisely replicating the process that had created Hyōrinmaru: using a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit as the energy core, compressing dozens of lower-grade ones to form a shell of cursed energy, and then fusing everything into a high-quality weapon blank.
Kaito had experimented with every possible variable.
He substituted the weapon blanks with existing Cursed Tools, upgraded the “shell” with stronger Cursed Spirits, and even altered the compression density…
Yet, the result remained a solid zero.
The items he created were indeed superb, sharp, and durable Katana, but they lacked the most crucial element: the breath of life—that sacred feeling the original Asauchi had borne.
What was he missing?
A piece of the soul, or a resonance that physical science could not explain?
While absorbed in jotting down his deductions in his messy notebooks, the light footsteps of the First Elder echoed, interrupting his deep thoughts.
“Any results yet, Kaito?”
“Not yet, Grandfather.
This path is indeed far more difficult than I imagined,” Kaito sighed, setting his pen down.
“Haha, it’s quite alright.
The second time is always harder than the first.”
The First Elder offered a gentle smile.
Having lived to this age, he possessed a rare stillness to see through life.
He was not overly impatient, yet he had never lost faith in his grandson.
To him, something appearing for the first time was called a miracle.
Miracles happened everywhere, yet people overrated them too much.
Only those who could replicate that miracle multiple times with their own hands were true powerhouses, true masters.
And he believed Kaito was precisely that person.
“Take a break for now.
Someone is here to see you today.”
“If it’s the higher-ups, just show them that pile of junk outside, Grandfather.
They’ll lose interest right away,” Kaito replied, his voice slightly weary.
“Haha, it’s not those old men.
The ones looking for you this time are two children.”
“Brother Satoru and Shoko?”
Satoru had visited once.
If not for his dense training schedule at the main house, he probably would have packed his bags and settled here permanently.
“No, two children from the Zenin clan.”
Kaito paused, his eyes flashing with surprise: “Them?”
Toji and the Ten Shadows girl—Tobu.
Kaito held a considerable amount of goodwill toward these two, especially Toji.
Although Satoru always felt this connection was strange, Kaito understood that between “those of the same kind,” an invisible bond always existed.
“So, do you want to meet them?
Don’t worry, outsiders aren’t rejected here.”
“Yes, I’ll go greet them.”
Kaito set aside his calculations about the forge and brushed the coal dust off his shirt.
Straightening his clothes, he took a deep breath and stepped into the main hall.
In the guest room, Toji and Tobu sat waiting, a simple travel backpack resting on each of their shoulders.
Following the uproar at the Zenin estate, Naobito had decided to allow Toji to take Tobu away for a week to let the public outcry die down.
Tobu sat on the chair, her eyes still slightly red—evidence of her previous tears—yet her hand busily stuffed Takoyaki skewers into her mouth.
Toji looked at his little sister, letting out a soft sigh: “Honestly…
only at times like this do you act your age.”
Toji scanned his surroundings.
He wasn’t sure if it was just the nature of this place, or if anywhere simply felt pleasant as long as it wasn’t the Zenin estate.
The First Elder’s estate offered a surprisingly comfortable atmosphere, completely devoid of that suffocating, heavy tension.
Engrossed in his thoughts, he suddenly noticed Kaito and the First Elder entering.
Kaito offered his signature smile and proactively extended his hand toward Toji: “Long time no see.
I thought you wouldn’t come.”
“Haha, well, there were a few troublesome matters that needed to be settled once and for all,” Toji shook Kaito’s hand amicably.
The sight of a rugged, seasoned man and a six-year-old child becoming friends was somewhat out of place, yet it exuded an indescribably interesting charm.
Kaito turned toward the young girl halfway through her skewer: “Honored to welcome you, Zenin Tobu.”
“Just calling me Tobu is fine,” she replied, her voice still bearing a hint of childishness but full of resolve.
“Besides, we already know each other—I even ate your pie.”
Neither Toji nor Tobu cared for their “Zenin” surname.
Kaito burst out laughing: “Haha, my apologies for what happened that day.”
“It’s fine, but remember to tell your older brother to get ready—next time, I’m going to knock him flying.”
The overbearing declaration caused the room to pause for a beat.
Perhaps only Tobu possessed enough confidence to stand right in the middle of the Gojo estate and declare she would “knock flying” their Six Eyes genius.
Seeing that night was beginning to fall, Kaito signaled the servants to lead the siblings to their private rooms before everyone gathered for dinner.
It had to be said that Kaito was an exceptionally capable “chef.” Tonight’s dinner was prepared entirely by his hands.
Originally, kitchen duties belonged to the servants, but ever since Kaito noticed that the daily menu lacked sufficient balanced nutrition for high-intensity training, he had taken to the kitchen himself and “monopolized” the position ever since.
There were only four people at the dining table: the First Elder, the Toji-Tobu siblings, and Kaito.
Ever since the First Elder retired and chose a secluded lifestyle, few people frequented the estate, which was staffed by merely five or six trusted servants.
Tasting the dishes Kaito made, Tobu could not hide her astonishment, her eyes sparkling with happiness: “All of this…
was made by you?”
“I hope it suits your tastes,” Kaito said humbly.
“It’s delicious!
How about you leave the Gojo family and become my personal chef?” Tobu tossed out another overbearing invitation.
The First Elder sat beside them, sipping wine while laughing heartily.
At his age, he still maintained very “earthen” hobbies like drinking, fishing, and occasionally playing a few small rounds of gambling.
Looking at the two Zenin descendants before him, he suddenly felt nostalgic: “You two are just like that guy—the most open-minded Zenin members I’ve ever known.”
Although they disliked being called by their surname, both Toji and Tobu immediately recognized who he was referring to.
“That old man…
what exactly is his relationship with you?” Toji asked, a curiosity shared by Kaito and Tobu.
“That Naobito fellow was quite arrogant and wild in his youth as well,” the First Elder recalled, his gaze distant.
“But after a joint mission where I saved his life, he insisted on taking me as his master.
Later on, he turned out to be a decent drinking buddy.”
Tobu thought this sounded strangely familiar.
An older version of Naoya?
Did everyone in the Zenin bloodline have a tendency…
to enjoy being mistreated?
“Even so, he and I shared a common goal: to change this rotten jujutsu world.
But it seems we were both too old and incompetent.
Now, all expectations rest upon you children.”
Looking at the three children around the table, the First Elder had a powerful premonition of a future that would be completely overturned.
None of the three said anything further, silently finishing their dinner.
“I went easy on you last time, but there won’t be any of that today.”
“Please guide me!”
Early the next morning, the training field of the First Elder’s estate vibrated with the momentum of two figures facing each other.
Toji and Kaito had decided to spar to test their strength, agreeing to use only wooden staves.
On the corridor, Tobu, the First Elder, and the servants stood watching with focused eyes.
Compared to the cramped hall from before, this outdoor field was far more spacious—an ideal venue for these monsters to unleash their power.
BOOM!
Without warning, both dashed toward each other at extraordinary speed.
The moment their wooden staves collided, a sharp crack echoed, creating a shockwave that kicked up clouds of dust beneath their feet.
Toji made full use of his physical build and long reach, unleashing strikes carrying thousands of pounds of force.
He appeared and vanished like a phantom, slipping past Toji’s keen senses to seek an opening.
Thwack!
Thwack!
Bang!
“Not bad, kid!
Your Heavenly Restriction physique is truly impressive!” Toji praised while delivering strikes.
“Haha, you flatter me—compared to you, I still have much to learn!” Kaito replied, sweat beginning to trickle down his face.
Suddenly, Toji shifted his footwork, gripping his wooden staff with one hand to deliver a downward vertical strike.
Kaito was forced to raise his staff with both hands to block.
Oh no!
Kaito realized too late.
Taking advantage of the moment his opponent’s weapon was locked, Toji’s free hand punched directly toward Kaito’s ribs with lightning speed.
In this hair-trigger moment, Kaito twisted his body to absorb the impact and minimize the damage.
CRACK!
The wooden sword in Kaito’s hands shattered under the immense pressure.
He backed away a few steps, took a deep breath, and let go: “Looks like I lost this match.”
“Don’t be disheartened,” Toji lowered his staff, his voice turning genuinely sincere.
“You’ve maximized the potential of Heavenly Restriction, and you’ve even mastered the way to perceive all things.
The only gap right now is experience and age.”
The servants witnessing the match could only stare with wide, astonished eyes.
Most of them were Grade 2 sorcerers or higher.
They didn’t harbor prejudice against Heavenly Restriction, but they had merely viewed it as a flaw to be pitied.
Yet today, watching these two clash, they realized with shock that it was not weakness, but a gift from heaven—a pure and terrifying combat potential.
The First Elder nodded slightly in satisfaction, while Tobu cheered happily: “As expected, Brother Toji is still the strongest!”
Toji wiped a smear of sweat from his forehead, glancing at Kaito: “In reality, it’s because we used wooden staves.
If you had wielded that sword from the start, I might very well have been defeated.”
Kaito merely smiled without answering.
He knew Toji was being modest.
His victory over Ogi was largely due to the element of surprise and that old man’s carelessness.
Facing a wild beast like Toji, victory remained a massive unknown.
Furthermore, he knew he had not yet fully touched the true boundary of Hyōrinmaru’s power.
Both felt satisfied.
For the first time in their lives, they had found a soulmate—sharing the same starting point, the same circumstances, and the same burning desire to crush fate and reach the summit.
“Will I be able to witness ‘it’ once more?” Toji initiated, still captivated by the beauty of the Zanpakuto.
“Of course.
But after just losing to you, using it for a rematch feels a bit…
unfair,” Kaito said wittily.
Toji lightly tapped Kaito’s head: “Are you looking down on me, kid?” Though they had only known each other briefly, their closeness was already like that of long-time confidants.
“Then let me!” Tobu suddenly spoke up.
“Oh?” Kaito was surprised by her offer.
“Facing the inheritor of the Ten Shadows is a bit…”
“Don’t tell me you’re scared?” Tobu narrowed her eyes provocatively.
Kaito burst into laughter.
Wasn’t this the opportunity he had always dreamed of?
Facing one of the ultimate techniques of the jujutsu world to hone himself.
Tobu was naturally combative; she wanted to use this match to vent all the frustration built up at the Zenin house over the past few days.
As the two prepared their stances, the First Elder suddenly intervened: “Hold on.”
“Are you going to stop us, Grandfather?” Kaito felt a bit disappointed.
“No, but if ordinary people see this scene, it won’t be good at all.” With that, he began chanting, his voice echoing with immense authority: “Emerging from darkness blacker than darkness, purify that which is filthy.”
A jet-black “Curtain” slowly descended from above, enveloping the entire mansion into an isolated space.
“There.
You two can go all out.
But remember, this is my home—I don’t want us all sleeping outdoors tonight!”
Crisp laughter rang out across the training field.
Everything was prepared.
A classic confrontation between the Zanpakuto and the Ten Shadows officially began.
Kaito securely slung Hyōrinmaru across his back, facing Tobu in her neat sportswear, her familiar pair of short swords drawn at her sides.
“The entire estate is the arena, there is no time limit, and absolutely no casualties allowed.
Understood?” the First Elder declared sternly.
As the referee, he radiated an aura that brought the surroundings to complete silence.
“Understood!”
Unlike his match with Ogi, this time Kaito proactively drew his sword right from the start.
Hyōrinmaru seemed to sense the formidable strength of its opponent as well; the blade vibrated intensely, radiating a bone-chilling cold.
Tobu stood opposite him, clearly sensing the crushing pressure.
Kaito stood there looking like a smaller yet more composed version of his brother, enveloped by a frigid mist.
Not making her opponent wait, Tobu opened with a wind-slicing burst of speed.
Holding her short swords in a reverse dagger grip, she utilized her innate flexibility and agility to close in on Kaito in a fraction of a second.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
A downward thrust, followed immediately by a dangerous horizontal slash.
“So fast!” Kaito thought to himself, yet his vision caught the trajectory in time to raise his blade in defense.
“Even as a Shikigami user, your close-combat skills are remarkably strong,” Kaito commented as their weapons locked.
“You’re not bad yourself,” Tobu countered with a smirk.
Normally, Shikigami users relied heavily on their “Pokemon,” making themselves a fatal weakness when approached.
But Tobu was different.
Naturally intelligent and guided by a future “Heavenly Tyrant,” she understood the importance of physical martial arts.
“Compared to your brother, your martial arts are far more refined,” Tobu remarked.
Having fought Satoru, she knew there were moments she could touch him, and he only remained unharmed thanks to Limitless.
But with Kaito, she felt a complete sense of helplessness against his seamless defensive footwork.
“Physical martial arts are all I have, after all,” Kaito replied softly.
The probing phase ended, and both decided to start the real fight.
“Nue!” Tobu called out her Shikigami’s name in a low tone.
As known, the Ten Shadows usually required three steps to cast.
If they merely called the name, they could directly extract a portion of the Shikigami’s ability without manifesting the complete entity.
Instantly, a surge of blue-purple electricity enveloped Tobu’s body, surging electrical charges raising her power and speed to a whole new level.
Danger!
instincts screamed in Kaito’s mind.
Tobu’s speed was now twice as fast as before.
She slashed twice in succession, forcing Kaito to step back, then used her hand against the ground as a pivot to deliver a powerful, gorgeous roundhouse kick.
Kaito was knocked backward.
Seizing the opportunity, Tobu dashed forward like lightning, thrusting her short blade fiercely toward him.
CLANG!
A sharp metallic collision echoed.
Kaito managed to block the attack with Hyōrinmaru, but the momentum of the thrust still slammed him into the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.
“Don’t tell me Heavenly Restriction only amounts to this?” Tobu smirked, sparks still crackling around her body.
“Sorry, my bad,” Kaito sprang up from the dust, brushing off his shoulder.
“If I don’t respond properly, it would be quite rude.”
Kaito paused for a beat, taking a deep breath to flood his bloodstream with oxygen.
Funneling all his power into his legs, he launched himself forward.
A downward slash carrying terrifying weight descended.
BOOM!
Tobu struggled to block.
Instantly, Kaito parried her short swords aside, spinning to deliver a precise kick straight into her shoulder.
The girl was sent skidding back, gasping for air.
The techniques Kaito used were a synthesis of practical swordsmanship and bare-handed martial arts, completely unconstrained by any formal framework.
“Hmph, annoying guy!” Despite her words, Tobu offered an excited smile.
She poured in more cursed energy, amplifying the power of the lightning.
The two figures collided, the sound of clashing weapons Clang!
Clang!
echoing throughout the estate.
Toji and the First Elder watched without blinking, while the servants could only see two flashes of light flickering continuously across the training field.
When the dust cleared, the two had separated, breathing heavily.
Small scratches covered both of them.
Kaito looked a bit more “disheveled”—his neatly kept white hair was now sticking straight up like a rambutan due to Tobu’s static electricity.
“Haha!” Tobu couldn’t help but burst out laughing at the sight.
Kaito looked bewildered, not understanding what was happening until he used Hyōrinmaru’s blade to reflect his face.
“Looks…
pretty stylish, doesn’t it?” Kaito scratched his head with a bitter smile.
Watching from afar, Toji burst into laughter as well.
He wasn’t laughing at Kaito’s hair, but because he saw that Tobu had finally found genuine joy.
Only at moments like this could she truly be a proper six-year-old child.
“The power of that sword isn’t just this much, is it?” Tobu narrowed her eyes, the Nue electrical aura surrounding her growing brighter.
“Show me your full power!”
Kaito smirked, his Six Eyes serenely taking in the battlefield: “Same to you.
I want to see the true forms of your Shikigami.”
With that, Kaito firmly gripped Hyōrinmaru, raising it straight toward the sky, his voice echoing across the estate:
“Sit Upon the Frozen Heavens — Hyōrinmaru!”
BOOM!
A massive ice dragon, following a wave of bone-chilling spiritual energy, erupted from Kaito’s blade.
Its blood-red eyes radiated immense pressure, letting out a roaring cry that froze the surrounding space in a split second.
Witnessing Hyōrinmaru up close, Tobu felt its imposing aura had only increased compared to last time.
It wasn’t an impure Cursed Spirit; it was pure, powerful, and divine—similar to her Shikigami, yet on an entirely different plane…
“Intriguing.
Divine Dog, Nue!”
The shadow beneath Tobu’s feet expanded, and two battle Shikigami were summoned in their complete forms.
Nue spread its wings crackling with electricity, its size matching Hyōrinmaru.
The black-and-white Divine Dog pair was as large as fierce war-wolves, baring their fangs and claws ready for battle.
“Go, Hyōrinmaru!”
“Nue!”
The two creatures clashed, roaring sounds and ear-splitting thunder echoes ringing out everywhere.
The servants watching could only stare with wide eyes: “Is this a Pokemon battle?!”
Hyōrinmaru charged violently, frost enveloping its body to amplify the momentum of its attack.
Nue dodged flexibly, and upon reaching a suitable altitude, it fired a high-voltage electrical current straight toward Hyōrinmaru.
Below, the two masters were not resting either.
Kaito concentrated a thick layer of ice at the tip of his blade, firing it forward to tear through the ground and pierce toward Tobu.
Tobu and her Divine Dogs quickly scattered in opposite directions to evade the attack.
The massive ice blade froze the entire line of trees behind Tobu in a fraction of a second.
Not giving Kaito time to catch his breath, Tobu closed the distance while her two Divine Dogs attacked Kaito from two directions with sharp claws.
Yet only a sharp Screech!
Screech!
sounded.
An ice wall composed of interwoven layers appeared, blocking the Divine Dogs’ assault: Rokui Hyōketsujin!
(Six-Clothing Ice Formation!)
Because of the extreme force put into the attack, when the Divine Dogs’ claws collided with the solid ice wall, an immense recoil exploded.
Tobu was thrown backward like a kite with a severed string.
Kaito didn’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
While Nue was still busy holding off Hyōrinmaru in the sky, he kicked off the ground, shooting forward like an arrow to finish the match.
Yet, right at the moment Tobu seemed destined to slam into the brick wall, she unnaturally shifted her falling direction, as if an invisible gravitational force pulled her straight down to the ground.
Kaito narrowed his eyes, following her movement.
From the shadow beneath Tobu’s feet, a massive dark-green frog extended a long tongue, wrapping around her waist to break her fall.
It was Toad.
“Your ability to utilize Shikigami is so flexible even I’m envious,” Kaito stopped, taking a deep breath to stabilize his rhythm.
“Not compared to your ice manipulation abilities,” Tobu retorted, standing firm on Toad’s back as she brushed off a thin layer of snow from her shoulder.
That Kaito could create shields or summon an ice dragon was something Tobu had witnessed at the banquet.
But the Shinkū no Kōri no Yaiba (Vacuum Ice Blade) technique—the ability to launch long-range ice blades—was truly a variable outside her calculations.
“After that match, I spent quite some time refining it further.
This is the first time I’ve applied it in actual combat,” Kaito explained nonchalantly, his hand firmly holding the hilt.
“Fascinating…
Truly fascinating!”
Tobu suddenly laughed aloud—a laugh bordering on wild and crazed.
Adrenaline in her bloodstream was surging.
In the Jujutsu world, Cursed Energy was an energy source extracted from negative emotions; the larger the cursed energy, the denser the negativity and madness within the vessel.
For someone born with a vast reservoir of cursed energy like Tobu, possessing a latent “crazy streak” was completely understandable.
Tobu’s eyes no longer reflected friendly banter, but a desire to tear apart and conquer her opponent.
Conversely, Kaito maintained a terrifyingly calm demeanor.
Yet beneath that quiet mask, the thrill of facing a genuinely strong opponent began to tingle through every single cell.
“Then try this!”
Tobu decided to deliver her decisive strike.
She recalled Divine Dog and Toad, the shadow beneath her feet surging to summon Max Elephant.
Kaito narrowed his eyes, his breath pausing for a beat: “That move?”
This was the combination attack Tobu had used against Satoru.
Max Elephant would spray water to create a perfect conductive environment, after which Nue would launch a high-voltage current to sweep the entire battlefield.
Understanding the danger, the First Elder immediately signaled the servants to retreat to the veranda, avoiding becoming victims of this large-scale “cleansing.”
Kaito did not flinch; on the contrary, he felt an intense surge of excitement.
Tobu using this move proved she truly regarded him as an equal opponent.
“Return, Hyōrinmaru!”
He recalled the ice dragon back into the blade.
Kaito wanted to directly face the strongest attack of the Ten Shadows using his own strength.
Tobu was briefly surprised, then smiled in admiration: “Wanting a head-on clash?
Bold!”
A massive Max Elephant appeared, its trunk spraying a high-pressure stream of water that formed a torrential downpour covering the training field.
Above, Nue reached its ideal position, its wings vibrating violently as purple-blue light intensified.
“HIGH VOLTAGE: 100,000 VOLTS!”
Following Tobu’s pointed finger, a massive electrical current shot straight toward Kaito faster than sound.
A terrifying BOOM echoed, and Kaito’s location was engulfed in thick smoke.
Everyone held their breath in fear, but as the smoke cleared, his silhouette emerged.
The scene was a bit…
awkward.
Kaito’s white hair was now frizzy and standing straight up like an 80s Disco dancer.
The ice dragon Hyōrinmaru had shattered into thousands of glass-like fragments—it had used its own body as a shield to protect its master from the electrical shock.
Although Hyōrinmaru could regenerate, the price paid was a non-negligible recovery period.
“Gasp…
gasp…
The Ten Shadows truly cannot be underestimated,” Kaito wiped a smear of blood from the corner of his lip.
Tobu’s “crazy streak” seemed to cool down after unleashing that energy-draining attack.
Looking at Kaito’s “rambutan” hair, she almost burst out laughing, but astonishment quickly took over her mind when she saw he still had the strength to stand firm.
“I’ve seen you use this move once, and its power has only increased,” Kaito spoke up, his gaze sharp.
“However, did you ever consider that this rain doesn’t just benefit you?”
Tobu froze.
She suddenly realized a fatal mistake: Kaito’s ability was Ice, and Ice was intimately connected to moisture.
The water-soaked environment right now was…
“Tensō Jūrin!” (Heaven’s Subjugation!)
Under Kaito’s influence, Max Elephant’s rain suddenly transformed into a fierce blizzard.
Tobu tried to dismiss her Shikigami, but it was too late.
Where she stood, five snowflakes at five corners began to glow brilliantly:
“Rokui Hyōketsujin!”
This time, thanks to the abundant moisture, the formation speed of the ice block was unbelievably fast.
A BOOM sounded, and Tobu was completely sealed inside the icy amber.
Toji and the First Elder stared with wide eyes—had Kaito truly defeated the Ten Shadows?
Kaito gasped heavily; that combination had drained his very last drops of energy.
But just as he was about to sigh in relief, cracking sounds echoed from the ice block.
BOOM!
The ice block shattered into a hundred pieces.
Tobu stepped out, her breathing ragged, yet her eyes still full of battle spirit.
Kaito could only sigh helplessly: “In that split second, you managed to coat yourself in cursed energy for protection?”
“Of course!
As if I’d lose the same way that bastard old man did!” Tobu flipped her hair.
Shifting cursed energy to resist instantaneous freezing required an exceptionally high-level technique, and she had pulled it off.
Kaito smiled faintly, sheathed his sword, and raised both hands: “I surrender.
I admit defeat.”
“Huh?” Everyone watching was stunned, Tobu most surprised of all.
“My Six Eyes show me that your cursed energy is still very abundant, and you still have two Shikigami you haven’t shown,” Kaito explained casually.
He knew Tobu still had Great Snake and Rabbit Escape in the shadows.
“If we keep going, I’ll definitely collapse from exhaustion first.
So, you win.”
“Hmph!” Tobu retracted the shadows, sitting down on the field to rest.
She knew Kaito was saving face for her; even if she had remaining Shikigami, he still had enough strength to fight on.
Kaito walked over gently, handing her a clean handkerchief: “Here, your face is dirty.”
Tobu took the handkerchief, letting out a playful smile: “You should fix that ‘rambutan’ on your head too—it looks hilarious.”
“Haha!”
The earth-shattering battle ended in the laughter of two children.
Toji and the First Elder looked at them with affectionate eyes—between these two lonely souls, a friendship transcending all clan prejudices had clearly blossomed.
The servants stood there, quietly questioning their life choices: What kind of monsters are kids these days, anyway?