“We must kill Toji at all costs.”
“Once he’s dead, Tobu’s guardianship will be vacant.
As her biological father, even if she refuses to acknowledge me, my status will grant me absolute authority before the clan elders.”
“When that time comes, I’ll force Naobito to step down.
The position of Clan Head must be mine.”
The two figures whispering in the dark room were Toji’s father and Zenin Ougi.
They had nurtured this treacherous plot for a long time.
By secretly allowing rogue curse users to attack key grain storehouses, they inflicted heavy losses on the Zenin clan, forcing Naobito and Tobu into constant movement to quell the chaos.
It was the perfect excuse to undermine the current Clan Head’s credibility.
The only obstacle was Toji—the guardian of the Ten Shadows heir.
As for Tobu, despite possessing a supreme inherited technique and having supportive factions, she was still just a twelve-year-old girl in their eyes, easily manipulated as a pawn.
Toji’s father joined hands with Ougi without a second thought.
He loathed Toji, believing that the birth of such a “useless” child had cost him his chance to compete with Naobito years ago.
He wanted to remove this thorn in his side while securing a deal: if he helped Ougi ascend the throne, the next successor would be Zenin Jinichi—the eldest son he took pride in.
Naobito’s bitter sorrow was entirely justified.
A clan where everyone, top to bottom, did nothing but scheme against one another instead of growing together, clinging desperately to rotten, filthy power.
“How far along is the plan?”
The two old men were communicating over the phone with two covert informants at the grain storehouses.
“My lords, everything is proceeding as planned.
Toji has been surrounded by the curse users and tortured to exhaustion.”
“Is there any chance he survives?” Ougi asked cautiously.
“Impossible, my lord!
Those curse users were meticulously selected, numbering in the hundreds.
Toji doesn’t stand a single chance of fighting back.”
In their eyes, Heavenly Restriction or not, he was nothing more than a slightly stronger physical human.
Facing overwhelming numbers, he was merely a fish on the chopping block waiting to be slaughtered.
“Very well, good job.
I will reward you handsomely when this is over.”
“Thank you, my lords!”
Hanging up, the two servants looked at each other in glee, beginning to dream of the upcoming life of wealth and privilege.
Yet, amidst their triumphant laughter, a cold, deep voice carrying the breath of death echoed right beside their ears:
“I see…
I understand the situation now.”
Toji stood towering behind them like a ghost manifested from thin air.
“You bastard!
How are you still alive…
Gah!”
Before they could react or defend themselves, two blades pierced their vitals.
Fresh blood spurted violently from their mouths, staining the ground red.
“Urgh…
Killing us…
the two lords will never forgive you…” One managed to utter a final threat.
“Don’t worry,” Toji pulled out his blades coldly, his eyes filled with utter contempt.
“They’ll be joining you soon enough.”
The two corpses collapsed on the spot.
Toji lightly flicked the blood off his blades.
To him, the blood of these two was pure filth.
Several days had passed since that bloody night at the cliff, and the atmosphere within the Zenin estate had grown unnaturally stifling.
Ougi and Toji’s father issued a summons for a grand clan assembly in the middle of the mansion’s vast courtyard.
Naobito and Tobu had just returned from a long series of suppression missions.
Tobu was sluggish; she had no interest left in these dogmatic meetings hosted by the elders.
Her mind was occupied only with returning to her room for a deep sleep, and once rested, dragging Toji over to Kaito’s forge to visit her white-haired friend.
However, Ougi—who had been laying low for years to avoid her—actively showed up this time with an unusual demeanor.
He no longer carried his former overbearing arrogance, but his eyes gleamed with a sickening slyness.
“Go take a look.
This meeting will hold many surprises for you.”
Hmph, Tobu let out a weary sigh.
Seeing the abnormally large gathering of clan members, her instincts warned her that something was wrong.
Still, she decided to check it out; if it got too boring, she could always slip away.
The Zenin courtyard was packed tightly with people.
On the elevated platform sat the powerful elders.
Ougi and Toji’s father were already seated there with cryptic expressions.
Naobito, having just stepped back into the compound without a moment to grasp the situation, was forced to sit in the center.
“What is the meaning of this?
Eldest Brother?
Ougi?
Why convene the entire clan so grandly?” Naobito asked, raising an eyebrow.
“You’ll find out soon enough.
Heheh…” Ougi sneered triumphantly.
Naobito snorted softly, calling a servant to bring his familiar gourd of liquor.
Taking a deep swig, he fell into deep thought.
Below the platform, the military might of the Zenin clan was fully gathered: the Hei—the elite sorcerers with arrogant eyes—and the Kukuru—those without cursed techniques but equipped with formidable combat skills.
Tobu stood in a shaded corner near the platform, trying not to draw attention.
However, as the successor to the Ten Shadows Technique, blessed with tall stature and radiant, delicate features, she naturally acted as a magnet attracting both admiration and envy from the surrounding clan members.
“Sister Tobu!
You’re back?” Naoya ran up, flustered.
“Yeah, was planning to rest, but I got dragged out here.
Have you mastered the exercise I assigned you?” Tobu asked with the strict air of an elder sister, lightly flicking her long black hair.
Naoya was 11 years old now.
Instead of letting him fall into the trashy mindset of the Hei unit, Tobu and Toji personally mentored the boy.
To Naoya, being coached by these two “monsters” was both a privilege and a nightmare.
“Ah…
that exercise of forcing myself to move within 48 frames?
Of course I…” Naoya scratched his head, eyes darting around to find an excuse.
Tobu was all too familiar with his laziness.
She whacked him firmly on the head: “Trying to gloss over it again, aren’t you?”
“I’m not!
But pushing it to 48 frames is double the technique’s standard!
It’s not something you can do just by trying…” Naoya whimpered, rubbing his head.
Naoya’s technique relied on speed, and Tobu had pointed out that if he could process more frames within a second, he would reach an entirely new level.
Just as she was about to lecture him further, the loudspeaker on the elevated platform blared, cutting their conversation short.
“Today, we have gathered the entire Zenin clan here to announce a matter of gravity!”
“It’s starting,” Naoya hurriedly redirected Tobu’s attention toward the platform to avoid another hit.
“Hmph.”
Tobu temporarily spared the boy, her gaze hardening as she directed it toward Ougi and Toji’s father.
She wanted to see what kind of farce these two old men were planning to stage.
“As you may know, the Zenin clan’s key storehouses have recently been under relentless attack by a group of rogue curse users, causing significant losses to our family!”
“That’s right!
That’s right!”
Furious shouts erupted in unison from the guards below.
Attacking the storehouses meant cutting off resources, striking directly at their wallets.
“And we have uncovered the true mastermind orchestrating these attacks from behind the scenes.” Ougi paused for effect, his treacherous eyes sweeping over the crowd.
“He…
is a member of our very own clan!”
“WHAT?!”
The entire courtyard shook.
From low-ranking guards to powerful elders, everyone was shocked to the core.
Naobito’s eyes widened; he took a heavy gulp of alcohol to compose himself: “Is that true?
How could I, the Clan Head, be completely unaware of this?”
“That is due to your indulgence and weakness, Brother!” Ougi interrupted coldly.
“Hmph!
Where does old Ougi get the nerve to speak like that!” Tobu muttered curses under her breath from her corner, gripping the hilt of her sword tightly.
The clan members buzzed with chatter; who could be so brazen as to betray the clan?
Such a crime carried only one penalty: execution!
“After extensive covert investigations, the respectable Ougi and I have uncovered ironclad evidence convicting the mastermind!” Toji’s father spoke up, emphasizing the word “respectable” with heavy irony.
“He…
born without cursed energy, was unable to keep up with his peers.
Instead of striving to improve himself and become useful, he harbored supreme hatred against the family that raised him…!”
“Hey…
could it be…?” Many quick-witted clan members began to guess.
As for Tobu, her large blue eyes were already veined with wrath.
“That’s right!
The traitor is none other than the scum bearing the Heavenly Restriction—Zenin Toji!”
The entire clan was stunned.
Everyone knew the clan rejected Toji, but they had only ever viewed him as fearsome and solitary.
No one expected him to use such filthy, cowardly tactics for revenge.
“Unforgivable!” “Shred him to pieces!” “Kill the traitor!” The Hei unit roared in unison.
They had already nursed grudges after being beaten by Toji; now they had every reason to release their hatred.
From a few initial shouts, nearly every clan member below was echoing calls for Toji’s death.
Not a single person questioned Ougi’s despicable accusations.
Except…
“ALL OF YOU, SHUT YOUR MOUTHS!”
A clear yet commanding female voice boomed, cutting through the uproar.
Everyone knew who it belonged to.
“Nue!”
Shadows surged beneath Tobu’s feet, summoning the shikigami Nue in its fully realized, colossal form.
Its massive wingspan blotted out the sun, exuding terrifying pressure that silenced the entire crowd.
Not a single person dared utter another word.
Nue carried Tobu into the air, swooping straight toward the platform.
BOOM!
A shockwave echoed upon landing.
Tobu pressed her cold blade directly against the throats of Ougi and Toji’s biological father.
“You two feel like you’ve lived long enough, don’t you?
If you dare utter another lie to slander Brother Toji…
I will personally send you to meet our ancestors!”
Everyone gulped in fear.
That sudden outburst of cursed energy…
was this the power of the legendary Ten Shadows?
Many had never witnessed it before, and only now realized what the pinnacle of the jujutsu world truly meant.
Standing below, Naoya’s eyes sparkled brightly as he looked up at Tobu in sheer awe.
“You bitch!
You dare threaten to kill your own biological father?!”
“Tobu, I know you are fond of my son, but harboring a traitor is a crime that even the Ten Shadows successor cannot…!”
Tobu said nothing, merely releasing an even denser wave of killing intent, driving her blade a fraction deeper into the skin of their necks.
Seeing things spiraling out of control, Naobito could no longer sit idly by.
He stepped into the middle to mediate:
“Tobu!
Restrain your killing intent!
And as for you two, Toji may be rough around the edges, but he is a man of honor.
Where did you get the evidence to accuse him?”
As if prepared beforehand, Ougi ordered his subordinates to bring out a series of forged evidence he had painstakingly fabricated.
From letters to receipts…
all were meticulously signed with Toji’s name.
They even presented recorded footage of Toji entering the base of the rogue curse users.
Tobu looked at the two old men with utter disgust, as if staring at piles of trash.
She had lived with her brother for so long; did she not know his nature?
He was too lazy to even hold a pen, so where would this pile of letters with polished signatures come from?
Yet, to the foolish crowd below, these were indeed “ironclad proof.”
“There’s no doubt left, Toji is truly a traitor!”
“We must capture him!
Kill him!”
“Wait…
where is he?” Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
It was only then that everyone realized: where was the person at the center of all this drama?
“Rest assured!” Ougi began his speech with a familiar, hypocritical tone.
“According to reliable reconnaissance reports, Toji…
is already dead!
Due to a dispute over dividing profits with the curse users, he was surrounded and tortured to death!”
“WHAT?!”
“Retribution came swiftly!”
“Serves that fool right, trying to harm others only to be bitten back!”
Many breathed sighs of relief, many gloated in victory, and many regretted not being able to kill Toji with their own hands.
Naobito took a heavy drink of liquor, but the smile on his face vanished completely, his eyes reflecting deep exhaustion: “You two…
have really gone too far…!” Naobito, like Tobu, knew Toji’s true character.
Yet these two dared to fabricate something so despicable.
Toji’s father remained arrogant, turning his spear toward Naobito:
“Eldest Brother!
For things to reach this point, it is because you indulged him too much!”
With his own biological father stating it, everyone believed Toji was unequivocally guilty.
“The damages to the clan over the past few days are substantial.
As the Clan Head, you must take full responsibility!”
Murmurs of agreement echoed from below.
“Therefore, today we decree a series of crucial decisions!” Toji’s father announced grandly.
“First, Clan Head Naobito, having caused great damage through his leniency toward Toji, shall step down from his position!”
“What?!”
“Second, Zenin Toji’s name is erased from the clan, and his position as guardian of the Ten Shadows is revoked.
The Ten Shadows is sacred and cannot be sullied by a traitor like him!”
“Finally, considering Ougi’s merit in exposing the traitor, along with being the biological father of the current Ten Shadows heir, we nominate him to become the 27th Clan Head!”
A series of shocking announcements landed in a single day, causing the crowd to buzz wildly.
Some agreed, while others objected.
“Lord Naobito was doing a fine job!”
“Didn’t Ougi lose to the Gojo kid back then?
How can he become Clan Head?”
“Why not let the Ten Shadows heir become Clan Head?”
“She’s only 12 years old, and a female Clan Head?
There’s no precedent!”
This chaos was precisely what Ougi and Toji’s father wanted.
They believed that weighing the options, appointing Ougi was the obvious outcome.
Tobu could no longer contain herself.
Seeing her loyalty and respect for Toji trampled made her lose her composure.
She swung her blade, leaving a slash across Ougi’s shoulder as blood sprayed out.
“Argh!
You bitch!”
“Today, I’ll sever this arm of yours, let’s see if you dare utter another lie!”
“Are you still refusing to accept reality?
The Toji you admire was just a despicable scoundrel.
And he…
is already dead…!”
“Who’s dead?”
A deep, warm young man’s voice echoed unexpectedly from high above the main platform.
No one had sensed his presence until he spoke.
Every pair of eyes turned toward the center of the platform, and everyone froze in unison.
“Toji!” Naobito gasped in relief, the liquor gourd in his hand trembling slightly.
“Brother!” Tobu called out, her surging killing intent dissolving halfway, replaced by overwhelming joy.
“What…
how are you alive?!”
“Impossible…
did they…?!”
Ougi and Toji’s father were deeply shocked, their pupils shrinking in horror.
They couldn’t believe their eyes.
The man who was supposed to be rotting at the bottom of a ravine now stood towering before them, unharmed and proud.
“Thanks to you two.
It took quite a bit of effort to make it back here.
The moment I return, I find you’ve built up such a grand image of me.
Since when did I know how to write letters?” Toji glanced at the fake evidence on display, dropping a bitter, sarcastic remark.
The clan members below were equally shaken.
The man they had just unanimously condemned had now appeared boldly before them.
Normally, a living traitor would be busy fleeing, so who would dare march straight into the enemy’s den like this?
“You bastard!
You’re the mastermind behind everything!”
“Traitor!
How do you have the nerve to show your face here?!”
The crowd began to shout, insults and curses buzzing like hungry flies.
“Hmph.” Toji didn’t bother to care.
“Brother!” Tobu rushed to her brother’s side, her hands trembling as she checked the bloodstains scattered across his shirt.
She was about to summon Tranquil Deer to heal him, but noticed that the deep wounds from before had already completely closed.
“Lord Ten Shadows!
Get away from him!”
“That’s right!
He’s just a worthless trash conspiring to destroy the clan!”
Shouts dripping with prejudice continued endlessly.
Regaining his composure as Clan Head, Naobito lowered his voice:
“Toji, it’s good to see you safe.
What on earth happened?”
“Hmph, nothing major.
Someone just assigned me a mission to eliminate bandits, then secretly sold information to them, arranging an ambush to send me to the afterlife.”
“Lies!
You’re clearly smearing us!” Ougi roared to drown out his fear.
“Toji!
As your father, I advise you to surrender while you can, maybe then you’ll keep your dog life!” His father added, his voice trembling despite his attempt to maintain an authoritative demeanor.
“Idiots.”
Toji nonchalantly pulled out a handheld recorder, flipping the playback switch so the audio amplified across the courtyard:
“He’s dead, Tobu’s guardianship will be vacant.
When that time comes, as her biological father…
I will have absolute authority before the elders…”
The loud, triumphant voices of Ougi and Toji’s father resonated with crystal clarity.
Toji had calculated everything carefully; he didn’t strike immediately, choosing instead to let them confess their full ambitions before sending them off to the underworld.
The two old men turned pale as sheets.
They hadn’t expected Toji to be this prepared, inwardly cursing the two servants for giving false reports.
However, the clan members below—most notably the Hei and Kukuru units—seemed to have lost their minds to hatred:
“Fabrication!
You used tricks to fake the lords’ voices!”
“Scum!
You must die!”
They hated Toji to the bone, so the truth no longer mattered.
In their eyes, Toji had to be guilty.
Seeing the guards stirring, Ougi seized the opportunity to regain his footing:
“That’s right!
Guards!
Subdue this traitor immediately, don’t let him deceive anyone else!”
The Hei and Kukuru units quickly assembled, weapons drawn, surrounding the high platform.
“You bastards!
Did you forget I’m still here?!” Tobu erupted with cursed energy, ready to fight alongside her brother to carve a path of blood.
Tobu was about to intervene, but a large hand rested on her shoulder, stopping her.
“Leave them to me.
I don’t want your hands dirtied by this trash.”
“But Brother…!”
“Trust me.
Besides, help me drive everyone who isn’t involved out of here.”
Tobu paused, looking into Toji’s resolute eyes before turning to Naobito.
The old man seemed to understand something from the girl’s gaze as well.
“Hey kid!
What are you planning to do?!” Naobito panicked.
“Nue!”
Tobu summoned Nue, its massive talons grabbing Naobito and lifting him straight into the air, isolating him from the impending battlefield.
“You brat!
Let this old man down right now!”
“Just sit tight and watch, old man!” Tobu shouted into the wind.
“Didn’t you always want to change this Zenin clan?
Then first, we must pull out these rotten roots!”
Naobito hung helplessly in the air, his eyes fixed below.
There stood Toji, single-handedly facing an entire clan, hand resting on the hilt of his blade as his killing intent began to condense.
Toji stood alone amidst the encirclement of hundreds of clan members.
The Zenin guards looked at him with contempt, convinced that even if he were a martial arts genius, subduing him against overwhelming numbers was merely a matter of time.
The Kukuru unit charged first, led by Zenin Nobuaki.
However, they were mistaken.
Toji didn’t even bother to draw his sword; using only his bare hands—fists carrying the brutal force of the Heavenly Restrained Tyrant—he knocked them down one by one as if clearing trash.
Realizing they couldn’t compete bare-handed, the Kukuru unit desperately drew cursed tools and bows, hoping weapons would cover the gap in strength.
It was all meaningless.
In the blink of an eye, the Kukuru unit was wiped out, lying scattered beneath the platform.
The Hei unit standing behind remained largely unmoved.
To them, the Kukuru were merely path-clearing fodder.
This time, Zenin Chojuro stepped forward to command, deploying a structured tactical formation: a team specializing in fire techniques to seal off the area and eliminate escape routes, a close-combat team equipped with heavy cursed tools to close in, and a team possessing gaze-based control techniques to paralyze the target.
Chojuro, who possessed earth manipulation, began weaving hand signs.
His plan was as follows: use the control team to immobilize Toji, then use earth techniques to launch him into the air for the long-range team to deal damage, and finally finish him off with his signature rocket punch technique.
Amidst this web of absolute suppression, Toji suddenly halted all movement.
He slowly crossed his pair of swords into an X-shape in front of his chest.
An eerie silence descended upon the platform.
While everyone remained startled, Toji’s voice echoed, low yet distinct like a funeral knell:
“Flower wind rages, flower god cries.
Heavenly wind rages, heavenly demon laughs.”
“Katen Kyōkotsu.”
A wave of pitch-black spiritual pressure gushed forth, devouring the sunlight.
The ordinary pair of Katana in his hands began to warp, transforming into twin wide-bladed scimitars of bizarre shape, bearing the breath of the underworld.
As the twin blades unsealed, the jet-black steel revealed itself alongside a terrifying wave of pressure that exploded right in the center of the platform.
“What?!” Ougi trembled.
He remembered this feeling vividly—the cold, overwhelming pressure from six years ago when facing Kaito flooded back, suffocating his heart.
“Could it be…
absolutely impossible!” He tried to use his remaining rationality to suppress the rising terror.
In the sky, Tobu couldn’t hide her amazement: “Katen Kyokotsu!” Though surprised by the unfamiliar name and her brother’s sinister chant, she quickly recognized the nature of that power.
“Did Kaito succeed?
But this sword looks completely different from Hyorinmaru.” Tobu held her breath, her eyes refusing to miss a single second.
Naobito, though still “imprisoned” in the air by Nue, felt both relieved and annoyed.
Relieved that the Soul Slayer artifact had finally appeared in the hands of a Zenin, strengthening the clan.
Annoyed because those foolish elders had turned that legendary blade into a scythe of death pointed directly at their own family.
“Hmph, cheap tricks!”
The Hei unit, truly belonging to the “ignorant are fearless” category, charged wildly according to the original plan.
“Paralyzing Gaze!”
The technique struck its target.
Given the massive power gap, they could only restrict Toji for a single second.
But to them, one second was more than enough.
“Earth Style!”
Zenin Chojuro roared, launching Toji into the air.
“Long-range team, attack!”
A volley of blazing fireballs hurtled straight toward the mid-air Toji.
Yet, in mid-flight, Toji lightly spun his body, the corners of his lips twisting into a subtle smirk:
“Bushōgoma (Lazy Spinning Top).”
The massive wind blades not only formed an absolute barrier but also swept up the fireballs, deflecting them straight back toward their casters.
“Argh!
Aaargh…!” Tragic screams echoed as the sorcerers were burned to ashes by their own flames.
“Don’t falter!
Prepare for engagement!” Chojuro shouted at the top of his lungs.
But Toji was already at the highest point.
“Takaoni (High Demon).”
Toji plunged down like a jet-black meteor.
The rule of this game was remarkably simple: whoever occupied the higher position gained absolute victory.
Toji struck down, completely collapsing the massive platform in a horrific impact.
The violent shockwave blew away everything in the vicinity.
At that exact moment, a massive rocket punch from the vice-captain’s technique struck directly where Toji had landed.
Dust covered the area, and Toji’s form lay crushed beneath the debris.
“Heh, serves him right!” The guards breathed a sigh of relief, gloating.
However, their smiles quickly froze.
The image of Toji being crushed blurred, gradually dissolving into the shadows like a lifeless illusion.
“Kageokuri (Shadow Afterimage).”
From behind the Hei unit, Toji stepped out completely unscathed, his blades quietly dripping blood.
He looked at the group frozen in fear, letting out a soft, contemptuous snort: “The game has only just begun.”
Up above, Naobito’s mouth hung open in shock, his eyes fixed on his nephew.
Meanwhile, Tobu analyzed the situation with calm rationality.
“Bushōgoma, Takaoni, Kageokuri…”
Three abilities, yet they seemed to share no apparent connection.
They were completely different from the consistency of Kaito’s Hyōrinmaru.
Every time Toji recited a name, a new type of power was unleashed.
“What are those?” Tobu whispered.
Having grown up without family warmth, she was completely unfamiliar with these concepts.
On the contrary, Naobito realized the anomaly: “Could it be…
are those all children’s games?” He recalled nostalgically, “Yes, when my parents were alive, they used to play these games with me.
Ah…
sorry, kid.” Naobito suddenly realized he had accidentally touched upon his niece’s painful past.
“It’s fine, keep talking, old man.”
“The first game is spinning tops; the second is high jump, where whoever is higher wins; the last is staring at one’s shadow, so that when you look away, you see afterimages.”
Tobu nodded lightly, clarity dawning in her eyes: “So that’s the true nature of the moves he just used.”
Naobito broke out in a cold sweat.
Those were no longer children’s games; they had been transformed into lethal killing moves: creating absolute wind barriers, devastating downward strikes, and the ability to create clones from shadow illusions.
“And that last move he used…
how is it any different from your Ten Shadows?”
In fact, it was arguably superior.
Tobu had never considered manipulating shadows in such a manner.
She made a mental note to experiment with it after this battle.
“What are you bastards doing?
Attack him all at once!” Ougi roared madly.
The morale of the guards had hit rock bottom.
The coordinated tactics they had practiced for years to eliminate cursed spirits and enemies were effortlessly broken by Toji alone.
“Get up, all of you!
We must destroy that monkey!” Toji’s father screamed in desperation.
“Hmph, fools.” Toji looked coldly at the chaotic crowd.
“Then let me show you the very pride you so fervently worship.”
“Kageoni (Shadow Demon).”
As the command finished, Toji vanished into thin air.
The Zenin clan members immediately raised their guard to the maximum limit.
His father screamed: “He ran!
Find him immediately…
Gah!”
A blade pierced through his lungs from behind.
Ougi fared no better as a clean sword stroke embedded itself straight into his abdomen.
The remnants of the Kukuru and Hei units fell one by one with fatal stabs through their hearts.
The terrifying truth gradually came to light: the source of the lethal damage was blades rising directly from their own shadows.
Everyone, including Tobu and Naobito, fell silent in shock.
The very technique the entire clan worshipped, the “blessing” that an outcast like Toji never possessed, was now being executed by him in a manner more brutal and refined than anyone else.
Shadow techniques…
Toji transformed the battlefield into a shadow marsh where he reigned as the sole ruler.
The servants fled in absolute terror; the sight of soldiers being stabbed to death by their own shadows would haunt them for the rest of their lives.
Naoya alone remained standing, his face reflecting pure, unhinged admiration.
He worshipped the Ten Shadows; he worshipped absolute physical strength.
And now, both had converged perfectly within a single man.
In under ten minutes, the entire army present at the platform had been wiped out.
Compared to the original timeline’s ruthless slaughter, Toji was somewhat more merciful now—he did not kill women and children.
Though the damage to the Zenin clan was massive, it was still fortunate that over half of their forces were away on external assignments.
Toji emerged from his father’s shadow, his eyes looking at the old man without a trace of emotion, like looking at a sworn enemy.
“You unfilial son…
what have you done?”
“Kageoni.
Whoever steps on a shadow loses.
And to me, losing means death.”
“You bastard…
I should have killed you long ago!”
“You missed that chance a long time ago, too.” Toji decisively plunged his blade deep into his father’s heart.
The heavy gasping gradually faded away.
Withdrawing his blade, he walked step-by-step toward where Ougi was clutching his wounded stomach.
His posture—casual and icy—was no different from a butcher preparing to wrap up his day’s work.
“Stop!
Don’t come any closer!”
Ougi screamed in despair, his face pale and filled with terror.
Just as Toji’s jet-black blade was about to swing down to finish his lifelong enemy, a figure landed from the sky.
“Stop it, Toji!” Naobito had finally freed himself from Nue, standing between Toji and Ougi.
“This many lives is more than enough.
Show me some respect and end it here.”
Toji paused, his dense killing intent weighing heavily on Naobito’s shoulders as if trying to crush him.
The two men stared intently at each other.
Finally, Toji let out a cold, contemptuous snort.
With a wave of his arm, a clean sword stroke severed Ougi’s arm as a final warning, before casually releasing the Soul Slayer back into its standard Katana form.
Ougi’s wails echoed throughout the courtyard.
Clutching his severed shoulder, tears and snot streamed down his face, completely devoid of any elder dignity.
Tobu landed right beside her brother, her small lips curving into a subtle, mocking smirk: “Hmph, this stinky old man sure has a long life.”
“Tobu…
quickly summon Round Deer…
save me!” Ougi crawled toward the girl with pleading eyes.
“Divine Dogs!”
Tobu didn’t bother wasting words.
The pair of black and white hounds snarled as they manifested, causing Ougi’s face to turn pale with fear as he stumbled back toward the medical room.
Dismissing her shikigami, she ran up and grabbed Toji’s arm:
“Those moves just now were really awesome, Brother!”
“When I’m free, I’ll show you all of them.” Toji patted his sister’s head, his voice softening noticeably.
“Promise!
So Kaito really succeeded.
I need to go over there soon and demand he forge me a new one!”
Witnessing the two siblings chatting and laughing casually amid a battlefield strewn with corpses, the remaining survivors couldn’t help but shudder in horror.
Yet, there were still those foolish enough not to recognize the situation.
A surviving elder trembled as he roared:
“Toji!
Do you know what you’ve done?
And you too, Tobu!
Why didn’t you step in to stop him?
You’re the Ten Shadows!”
Toji glanced over, his gaze razor-sharp: “Ah, looks like there’s still a fly left.”
“Let me send him on his way too.”
“All of you, shut up!” Naobito barked loudly, turning around to slap the elder who had just spoken straight across the face.
“Do you want the entire Zenin clan wiped out before you’re satisfied?
You absolute fool!”
Naobito let out a heavy, weary sigh.
He understood Toji’s current strength all too well; combined with that eerie Soul Slayer blade, he could completely level this mansion if he wished.
Furthermore, Toji was the sole bridge to the Gojo family’s “forging genius.” Yet these parasites only wanted to push geniuses away.
“Alright, old man,” Toji spoke up, cutting through the chaos.
“While I’m here, I have two announcements.
First, I’m returning Tobu’s guardianship back to you.”
“Brother!” Tobu clutched Toji’s arm in panic.
“You’re grown up now; you can protect yourself,” he looked at his sister with steady eyes.
“Besides, I’ve already cleared out the worst scum in the clan for you.
From now on, you’re still my sister—an empty title cannot define our bond, right?”
Tobu went quiet for a moment, then nodded softly.
She knew Toji needed his freedom.
“Second matter,” Toji stated clearly, his voice echoing across the courtyard.
“As of today, I officially renounce this clan.
The Zenin surname…
I don’t need it anymore.”
The elders rejoiced internally, but Naobito broke into a cold sweat.
This was the worst-case scenario he had envisioned.
“Toji, reconsider!
As long as you stay, I will grant your every request.
Your wife is about to give birth, right?
You can bring her here, and she will receive all the privileges of a major clan lady!”
“Enough, old man!” Toji cut him off.
“I respect you because you were the second person in this family to treat me like a human being.
I still remember what you said 12 years ago about nurturing young sprouts.
But my nature doesn’t suit this confinement.
Just take care of Tobu and the kid Naoya…
My job was merely to pull out the rotten wood so they have space to bloom.”
He cast a side glance at the elders hiding in the corner, scaring them so badly they didn’t dare breathe loudly.
Naobito bitterly realized he couldn’t sway Toji’s resolve.
“I accept all your conditions,” Naobito sighed deeply.
“However, you must still bear the Zenin name.
From now until forever, you are still a member of the Zenin family.
That is the only demand I will not concede on.”
Saying that, he quickly tossed his black privilege card to Toji.
Smirking, Toji understood the gesture and caught it:
“Hmph, giving you face then.
Keeping a surname won’t kill anyone.
Let’s go, Tobu.
I’ve got money now, let me buy you dinner.”
“How about we buy ingredients and take them to Kaito’s place to cook?
He’s a great cook!”
“Sounds good.”
Watching the backs of the two siblings fade into the distance, Naobito sighed softly, feeling ten years older.
He was going to be extremely busy dealing with these corpses and this massive mess.
Seeing Tobu walk out of sight, Naoya hurriedly ran after them: “Sister Tobu!
Brother Toji!
Wait for me!”
“You brat!
Get back here!” Naobito shouted in vain.
He wondered just how much longer he could steer this broken clan.