The banquet of the Three Great Families was not merely a social gathering.
It was a political chessboard—a place where displays of strength were used to determine the hierarchy of the jujutsu world.
Every famous clan and long-established school had sent representatives.
The Inumaki clan, renowned for its Cursed Speech, and the New Shadow Style school, with its Simple Domain, were among them.
Yet the center of everyone’s attention remained the Three Great Families: Kamo, Zenin, and Gojo.
Each clan possessed supreme inherited techniques, powers that had allowed them to stand at the pinnacle of authority for centuries.
The Kamo clan was notorious for its extreme obsession with protecting its bloodline.
There were even rumors of close-kin marriages intended to preserve the purity of their lineage.
However, their failure to find a successor to the “Blood Manipulation” technique had left them sitting on a bed of nails.
The Zenin clan represented the opposite extreme: diverse cursed techniques, but rotten ideology.
Their motto— “If you’re not a Zenin, you’re not a jujutsu sorcerer; if you’re not a jujutsu sorcerer, you’re not a human being” —had become a stain of archaic bigotry.
Recently, the emergence of successors to the “Ten Shadows Technique” and “Projection Sorcery” had helped restore their prestige, despite the shadow of their deeply rooted misogyny.
Finally, there was the Gojo clan.
Their lifestyle was somewhat more “laid-back”: live normally, wait for the Six Eyes to be born, look down on everyone else, and then go back to waiting.
The “Limitless” only became an untouchable existence when combined with the “Six Eyes.” This year, rumors surrounding a pair of Six Eyes twins had made the Gojo clan’s position even more mysterious—and terrifying.
The guests feasted while whispering among themselves.
Everyone understood that this year’s banquet was, in truth, a showdown between the Zenin and Gojo clans.
As for the Kamo clan?
Perhaps they were still busy…
making babies.
.
.
.
Inside the magnificent hall of a skyscraper hotel, an atmosphere of luxury filled the room, with an elaborate buffet and all kinds of Western delicacies.
Yet the mood suddenly became somewhat awkward because two of the main figures had yet to arrive.
“What is this?
Are they deliberately arriving late just because they’re the center of attention?” the head of the Kamo clan grumbled impatiently.
“Please, calm down.
There are still fifteen minutes before the banquet officially begins.”
A beautiful woman with an alluring figure smiled gently in an attempt to reassure him.
Unfortunately, a mysterious horizontal scar crossed her forehead, giving her otherwise stunning appearance an eerie and melancholic quality.
.
.
.
Down in the hotel lobby, the Zenin delegation had already arrived.
Zenin Naobito was dressed in an elegant kimono, yet he was casually holding a jug of sake and gulping it down without a care in the world.
When Toji questioned their delay, the old man merely laughed heartily.
“Making your opponent wait is one of Musashi’s strategies.
Besides, the Gojo clan hasn’t shown up yet, so why should we go in first?”
Old man Naobito was still as eccentric as ever.
Toji, also dressed in a kimono, and Tobu standing beside him both gave the old man a sideways glance.
Beside him were Naoya, Tobu, and Toji.
Apart from the four of them—Naobito, Naoya, Tobu, and Toji—there was also Zenin Zenichi, Toji’s older brother, a man obsessed with hierarchy and order; her nominal father, Zenin Ogi; and several other Zenin elders and their descendants.
Toji’s presence immediately caused whispers among the Zenin attendants.
“Why is that useless bastard with no cursed energy here?”
“If Brother Toji isn’t going, then I’m staying home too,” Tobu said coldly.
The pressure of cursed energy radiating from her Ten Shadows Technique instantly silenced the attendant.
Despite being only six years old, her strength was already enough to make even Grade 1 sorcerers wary.
Naobito quickly intervened and decided to lead the delegation inside first.
He really didn’t want Tobu getting angry.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, a convoy of three luxurious limousines belonging to the Gojo clan was gliding through the streets.
Satoru had requested a separate car for his family simply because he didn’t want those annoying old men ruining Kaito’s reunion.
The reason they were late was simple: they had to detour to the residence of the Grand Elder to pick up the “second Six Eyes.”
When the car stopped in front of the estate, two figures had already been waiting for them for quite some time.
The moment the door opened, Satoru shot out like an arrow and threw his arms around his younger brother after years of separation.
“Kaito!
I’ve missed you like crazy!”
Otome followed behind him, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at the son who had grown far more mature and robust.
Kaito stood there with the Asauchi strapped to his shoulder and tightly wrapped, smiling as he accepted his brother’s embrace.
“I’ve missed you too, Brother Satoru.”
Kaito gently pried Satoru off him—his brother clinging to him like a cat—before embracing his mother, Otome.
His brows furrowed slightly when he noticed that his mother’s health was gradually deteriorating.
As for Gojo Sei, Kaito merely bowed deeply.
He still didn’t know how to face this man—his father.
Then the convoy continued on its way.
The Grand Elder sat in a car with the other elders, while Kaito rode with his family.
After such a long separation, he was bombarded with questions about everything that had happened to him.
Sei and Otome were both delighted and surprised to learn that the Grand Elder had actually trained Kaito to use a cursed tool capable of exorcising cursed spirits.
At that point, Satoru noticed the sword at Kaito’s side.
“Is that a cursed tool?”
“It’s a sword I forged myself.
It’s called an Asauchi.”
“You forged it yourself?
That’s impressive.”
At the Gojo estate, Satoru had also been taught how to use weapons.
But he still preferred fighting barehanded.
Fundamentally, there simply wasn’t a cursed tool strong enough to surpass him.
With just one glance, he could tell that the Asauchi before him was an exceptional cursed tool—one that even seemed to conceal something mysterious.
He was about to ask more when the car came to a stop.
The Gojo delegation had arrived at the banquet.
…
“As expected of the Gojo clan.
Even when arriving late, you have to make an entrance, huh?”
Naobito laughed heartily.
“Do you really have the right to say that?” everyone replied with pointed looks.
“My apologies.
The reason our delegation was late was because we had to pick me up.”
The Grand Elder answered humbly.
“Haha, if it’s the Grand Elder, then I suppose we can’t complain.”
Clearly, despite his advanced age, the Grand Elder still commanded enormous respect—even from the other clans.
“So, Naobito, where is the successor to the Ten Shadows Technique?”
“Haha, children should be allowed to do as they please.
Besides, Grand Elder, you got one thing wrong.”
“Wrong?”
“Yes.
The successor is a girl.”
“Oh?
That’s unexpected.
It seems the Zenin clan really is changing.
What do you think about arranging a marriage between that girl and one of my two grandsons?”
What the hell?
Something as important as marriage was being discussed as casually as buying vegetables at a market.
Everyone inwardly cursed.
The most irritated of all was the head of the Kamo clan: “Are these two old bastards planning to use their successors to push our clan aside?”
Naobito laughed loudly.
“Haha, sounds like a good idea.
Two successors of Limitless—either one would be a profitable match.”
The Grand Elder smiled meaningfully.
“There’s only one.”
…
While the marriage that would determine her entire life was being casually auctioned off by two old men, the Gojo brothers were leisurely walking around the dining area with their mother.
Sei was still busy entertaining guests.
Because he possessed the Six Eyes and Limitless from birth—techniques that consumed enormous amounts of energy—Satoru had an insatiable sweet tooth to keep his brain functioning.
Kaito had it somewhat easier since he only used the Six Eyes, but his intense training still required a considerable amount of calories.
And so, the three members of the family casually wandered from table to table, completely ignoring the curious and admiring gazes around them.
There was no denying that the three of them were exceptionally beautiful: a gentle and pure-looking mother accompanied by twin sons with almost androgynous beauty.
The scene was so perfect that anyone would have wanted to capture it with a camera and preserve it forever.
At the dessert counter, Satoru discovered that only three slices of cherry cake remained.
He carefully took one and gave it to his mother.
But just as he reached for the second slice, his hand suddenly touched the hand of another little girl.
It was a petite, pretty girl with short brown hair and a distinctive beauty mark beneath her eye—Ieri Shoko.
“Ah…”
Shoko let out a soft sound, her eyes revealing a hint of disappointment as she stared at the cake.
Seeing this, Satoru suddenly broke the slice he was holding in half.
Shoko was just about to feel touched, thinking he was going to give it to her, when—
“Here, this is for my little brother.”
Satoru calmly handed one half to Kaito.
“Thanks.”
Kaito accepted it just as casually.
Shoko’s emotions immediately sank.
But then Satoru handed her the remaining half.
She blinked in surprise and awkwardly accepted it.
“Then…
what are you going to eat?”
“Me?
Anything’s fine.”
With that, Satoru casually grabbed the last whole slice of cake from the table and stuffed it into his mouth.
Shoko froze again.
This was the first time she had ever met someone who behaved in such a completely irrational manner.
Standing beside them, Otome couldn’t help but laugh.
She knew her son’s bizarre personality all too well, but she also found the girl in front of her rather adorable.
She was about to offer Shoko her own slice when Kaito suddenly spoke.
“You can have mine.”
He placed his half of the cake onto Shoko’s plate.
“Oh, no, it’s fine.
I only wanted to taste a little—”
“So nobody’s eating this, right?
I’ll take it!”
Another girl’s carefree voice cut through the conversation.
A second little girl appeared and swiftly snatched the piece of cake, leaving all four of them stunned.
She was around the same age as the Gojo twins, with shoulder-length black hair and sharp, spirited eyes.
It was Tobu.
Beside her stood a tall, muscular teenager with a scar at the corner of his mouth, making his already intimidating face look even more ferocious.
Tobu held the piece of cake up to the person beside her.
“Brother Toji, open your mouth!”
Toji shook his head helplessly.
“Nah.
I’m full.
Besides, I don’t like sweets.”
“Then I’ll eat it.”
Tobu stuffed the cake into her mouth, immediately grimacing.
“It’s way too sweet.”
Whether it was because his favorite dessert had just been insulted, because Satoru had recognized it as delicious after his first bite, or simply because he saw his little brother’s portion being “stolen,” Satoru immediately snapped.
“Hey, you!
Where did you come from?
How dare you take my brother’s cake?”
“Didn’t he give it up?
She wasn’t going to eat it, so I took it.
What’s the problem?”
Tobu shot back loudly.
But when she looked at Satoru more carefully, she suddenly froze.
White hair.
Blue eyes.
And a pair of twins.
This was the “Six Eyes Twins” everyone had been talking about.
But something was strange.
Why could she only sense cursed energy from one of them?
Her eyes shifted toward Kaito, and she froze for a moment.
There was absolutely no cursed energy.
That sensation…
was extremely similar to Brother Toji.
At the same time, Kaito was observing her as well.
Through the Six Eyes, he could see an enormous amount of cursed energy emanating from Tobu—perhaps roughly equal to Satoru’s.
Yet he could perceive absolutely nothing from Toji.
Another one of my kind?
Interesting.
Although Toji didn’t possess the Six Eyes, his extraordinary instincts allowed him to vaguely sense something familiar from the white-haired child.
“Forgive my brother.
He’s just a little too protective of me.”
Kaito stepped in to defuse the tension.
“Little brother, do you finally see how much I care about you?”
Satoru immediately took advantage of the opportunity and wrapped his arms around Kaito.
“Yeah, yeah.
Now let me go.”
Kaito struggled free of his brother’s embrace before walking toward Toji.
“I’m Kaito.
I think you’re quite interesting.
Shall we get acquainted?”
Tobu and Toji froze.
Before either could respond, a booming voice echoed throughout the hall.
“THE BANQUET PORTION HAS COME TO AN END!
ALL GUESTS ARE REQUESTED TO MOVE TO THE MAIN HALL FOR THE COMPETITIVE EXHIBITION!”
The so-called “exchange” was, in reality, a stage where the younger generation of each clan displayed their strength so the elders could show off their respective power.
“What a complete farce,” Satoru muttered.
As far as he was concerned, there wasn’t a single person his age here worth worrying about.
“Let’s go.
If we don’t, that old man will start nagging again.”
Tobu said as she tugged on Toji’s sleeve, before turning back toward Kaito.
“We’ll get acquainted later.
We’ve got something to do.”
“Wait, I don’t even know your names!”
“Toji.”
“And I’m Tobu.”
Neither of them used the Zenin surname.
Even though they were representing the clan, they had no pride whatsoever in bearing that name.
“Toji…” Kaito murmured.
His instincts told him that this man was definitely an existence that could not be ignored.
“They’re pretty rude,” Satoru commented.
Kaito patted his brother on the shoulder.
“It’s fine.
Besides, they’re really strong.
You didn’t feel it?
Especially that girl.
Her cursed energy might even be greater than yours.”
Satoru laughed loudly.
“You’re right.
For someone that age to have that kind of strength, perhaps the only…”
He suddenly stopped, his gaze becoming sharper.
“But the more frightening one is the guy beside her.
He’s…
just like you, little brother.
Looks like they’re both from the Zenin clan.”
Otome, who had been quietly observing everything, gently patted both of her sons on the head.
“All right.
You’ll meet them again sooner or later.
Let’s get back to the others.”
She then looked kindly toward Shoko, who was still standing there in confusion.
“What’s your name, dear?”
“I-I’m Ieri Shoko.”
“You’re the girl who can naturally use Reverse Cursed Technique?
How impressive for someone so young.”
Otome smiled.
She had already heard of Shoko and had even researched her technique carefully, holding onto the faint hope that it might one day heal her own deteriorating body.
“I’d love to talk with you more, but we really have to go.
I’m sorry about what happened with the cake earlier.
Let me make it up to you with mine.
Don’t worry, I haven’t touched it.”
“Oh, if Mother isn’t going to eat it, then I’ll—”
“You’ve eaten enough!”
Satoru was about to “scavenge” the cake when Otome gently pinched his cheek.
Shoko couldn’t help laughing in delight at the sight.
“Bye, Shoko!”
Kaito’s voice echoed from the corridor as the three members of the Gojo family disappeared from view.
Shoko finally composed herself and took a bite of the half slice.
A sweet flavor spread across her tongue—so sweet that she had to frown.
“It’s definitely…
way too sweet.”
.
.
.
Tobu and Toji slowly made their way toward Naobito’s section.
“What did you think of them earlier?” Tobu asked quietly.
“Pretty formidable.
No wonder he’s the Six Eyes.”
Toji answered briefly.
“No, I mean his younger brother.”
Tobu lowered her voice.
Normally, when you couldn’t sense even the slightest trace of cursed energy from someone, there were only two possibilities: either they possessed an extremely sophisticated method of concealing their presence, or they were…
“Hmm.
I don’t know.
Could be.”
Toji’s eyes showed a hint of thoughtfulness.
As someone with a Heavenly Restriction, he understood exactly what his little sister was getting at.
If there really was a child from the Gojo clan who possessed the same “curse” as him, perhaps he would feel a strange sense of kinship.
But then again, this was the Gojo clan.
How could someone who possessed the Six Eyes possibly have no cursed energy?
The two siblings entered the main hall.
The elders sat proudly in the highest seats, while the younger generation gathered into groups below the stage.
The moment Naoya saw the two of them, he called out proudly.
He had just beaten a Kamo child to a pulp.
That boy’s technique was “Blood Covenant”—using blood as a medium to control and strengthen animals.
It was considered the closest approximation to Blood Manipulation currently possessed by the Kamo clan.
However, against Projection Sorcery, Naoya had easily broken through the swarm of beasts and defeated their master directly.
The Kamo clan had truly fallen into decline.
As the winner, Naoya had the right to challenge the next contestant.
His eyes burned with determination as he looked toward the two older siblings he admired, before settling on the Gojo twins who had just arrived.
“I’ve come here to become the strongest!
Therefore, I must fight the strongest.
Get up here—Six Eyes!”
Naoya pointed directly at Satoru.
The crowd erupted into whispers.
The Zenin clan was challenging the Gojo clan this early?
From above, Naobito cursed inwardly, frantically waving his hand: “You damn brat, stop!
You can’t beat him!”
But through Naoya’s wonderfully “accurate human translation system,” that frantic waving became: “That’s my son!
Beat him!”
Which only made the Zenin boy even more fired up.
Down below, Satoru looked at Kaito with a bored expression.
“What now, little brother?”
“He pointed directly at you.
If you refuse now, those old men will nag us to death when we get home.”
Kaito shrugged.
Satoru reluctantly shuffled onto the stage, wearing an expression that practically begged to be punched.
Standing in the middle of the hall were two complete opposites: a fired-up Naoya and a Satoru casually…
picking his nose.
“FIGHTERS, STATE YOUR NAMES!” the referee shouted.
“I am Zenin Naoya—the man who will one day carry the Zenin clan on his shoulders!
My dream is to stand alongside my two older siblings!”
Naoya declared proudly.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Toji and Tobu, however, quietly moved away because they were far too embarrassed.
“Uh…
Gojo Satoru.”
He answered curtly.
But immediately, the cheering grew even louder.
Everyone was eager to see the strength of the legendary Six Eyes.
“BEGIN!”
Naoya launched the first attack.
He began by revealing his technique—a personal binding vow designed to increase the efficiency of his cursed energy.
“My technique is Projection Sorcery.
Anything I touch must move according to the 24-frames-per-second sequence I determine.
If it fails to follow that movement, it will be frozen.”
Compared to the world of Bleach, where revealing your technique only to get immediately countered was practically a tradition, things here actually made more sense.
The moment he finished speaking, Naoya shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
Punches, kicks, and hooks flew at terrifying speeds.
Naobito was astonished.
He hadn’t expected Naoya to improve this much.
It was the result of countless days spent being “tortured” by Toji and Tobu during training.
Naoya attacked relentlessly, while Satoru simply stood there.
Many people thought Naoya was dominating the fight, but those with real strength could tell that Satoru hadn’t been harmed in the slightest.
After several minutes, Naoya began to tire.
“Why…
can’t I touch him?!” Naoya snarled.
“Hey, you’re a Zenin, aren’t you?
You should know my technique.”
Satoru spoke casually.
“Limitless…”
Naoya gritted his teeth.
The paradox of Achilles and the tortoise.
The distance between Satoru and everything else was effectively infinite.
Naoya broke out in a cold sweat.
Only by facing it directly could he truly understand how terrifying that invisible wall was.
“Revealing your technique is useless.
If you can’t touch me, your technique is nothing more than decoration.”
Satoru twisted the knife.
Naoya helplessly jumped backward, landing atop one of the decorative pillars at the corner of the arena.
The audience assumed he had given up, but Toji and Tobu narrowed their eyes.
Naoya began removing the weights attached to his body: arms, legs, back…
Small weights clattered onto the floor.
At first, several people laughed because they looked ridiculously small.
BOOM!
The ground shook violently.
Dust exploded into the air as the weights hit the floor.
The thunderous impact echoed throughout the hall, silencing everyone.
Naobito looked at his son with a mixture of pride and pity.
“That Toji kid…
What the hell kind of training has he been putting you through?”
Satoru’s sleepy expression disappeared.
His brilliant blue eyes gradually became serious.
“Listen, Gojo!” Naoya shouted.
“Projection Sorcery works on myself as well, allowing me to reach an unbelievable speed!
And secondly…
your Limitless can’t be maintained forever.
It’ll fry your brain if I keep attacking you and force you to maintain it continuously!”
He was right.
Satoru had not yet learned Reverse Cursed Technique, meaning he couldn’t automatically heal his brain.
That weakness was Naoya’s only chance.
“HERE I COME!”
Naoya launched himself down from the tower.
The combination of acceleration, his technique, and the removal of his weighted restraints created an overwhelming burst of speed.
For thirty minutes, the hall could see nothing but blurred afterimages.
Naoya attacked continuously without pause, gradually forcing Satoru backward.
They were only tiny steps, but they were enough to prove that Limitless was not absolutely invincible.
The entire hall held its breath.
Could the Six Eyes actually lose?
The Gojo elders broke into a cold sweat.
Only Sei, Otome, and Kaito remained completely calm.
“That’s a clever plan,” Satoru finally said.
“But it only works if I just stand here and let you attack me.”
Satoru raised his fist, precisely targeting Naoya’s trajectory.
BOOM!
A tremendous repulsive force blasted Naoya away, sending him crashing into the wall of the hall.
One single blow.
Naoya was pinned against the wall.
Thanks to the Six Eyes, Satoru had observed Naoya’s movements with absolute clarity.
His fist was reinforced with Limitless as well.
To Naoya, it felt as though he had been flying straight into a meteorite.
When he finally regained his senses, tears welled up in Naoya’s eyes from sheer frustration.
Satoru calmly approached him.
“Relax.
You’re one of the few people who have actually made me take this fight seriously.
You’re very strong.
You should be proud of that.”
Recognition from the strongest?
Naoya began sobbing again, but this time they were tears of happiness.
The audience erupted into thunderous applause.
Even though he had lost, Naoya had proven his worth, while Satoru had once again established the overwhelming supremacy of the Six Eyes.
While Shoko was called down to treat Naoya, Satoru returned with a bored expression.
He thought to himself: “He’s pretty strong…
compared to ordinary people.”
He kept the thought to himself, not wanting to ruin the atmosphere.
The Gojo elders were basking in triumph, while the Zenin elders ground their teeth in frustration.
Yet they had no grounds to criticize Naoya.
Satoru was simply too strong.
Naobito could only shake his head and accept the result.
Suddenly, Zenin Ogi shouted loudly:
“So what if you beat Naoya?!
If you’re really strong, go fight the one who possesses the Ten Shadows Technique!
She’ll wipe the floor with you!”
By sheer bad luck, his voice rang out precisely when the hall had fallen silent.
The entire room froze.
Then the crowd erupted into an uproar.
Tobu rubbed her temples and cursed inwardly:
“That damn old bastard…”
Toji chuckled and glanced at his little sister.
“Hehe.
Looks like you’re the old man’s new hope again, kid.”