The exact instant Ogi was about to deliver the finishing blow, Kaito’s consciousness was abruptly yanked into a strange space.
It was a quiet world beneath a bleak, overcast sky, surrounded by endless, overlapping snow-capped mountain ranges.
Fierce blizzards roared relentlessly, blanketing the entire field of vision in pure white.
“Where is this?
Am I…
dead?”
“To utter the word ‘dead’ so nonchalantly, you have quite some courage, kid.”
A deep voice echoed through the void.
Kaito turned around and froze instantly.
Standing before him was an adult man with distinctive long blue hair, wearing an ice-blue kimono accompanied by body armor on his chest.
But the strangest feature was his limbs—they were fashioned from razor-sharp ice crystals, taking the form of dragon claws.
Looking closely at the face, Kaito realized it shared an eighty percent resemblance to his own, only more mature and weathered, featuring an imposing X-shaped ice scar across it.
“Rest assured, you aren’t dead.
This is your inner world.”
“Quite stormy, isn’t it?” Kaito mused silently.
He hadn’t expected his own inner mind to be this gloomy and stifling.
“Any complaints about this place?”
“Ah, it’d be nice if it were a bit brighter…
Wait, you can read my thoughts?” Kaito startled, his mind quickly connecting the dots.
Why was he here?
Who was this man?
If this was his inner world, then…
“Are you me?”
“Yes, and also no,” the young man replied calmly.
“I am a reflection of your soul, as well as your power.
I have been by your side longer than anyone else, even your Gojo clan.”
Light dawned on Kaito: “Are you…
Asauchi?”
The young man smirked and let out a loud laugh: “Ha ha ha!”
Kaito looked bewildered: “Did I say something wrong?”
“Not wrong, but the name ‘Asauchi’ you know isn’t actually the name of a blade.
It is merely an nameless state.
I am the soul of the sword you forged, and Asauchi was just the initial embryonic form I passed through.”
Kaito nodded in understanding.
Asauchi was merely the starting point, and now was the time it required a true identity.
“Then, what is your name?”
“I cannot tell you yet.”
“What?” Kaito narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
“Because currently, your mind is still too noisy to hear it.
Look at that sky.” The young man pointed toward the gloomy mountains.
“This world is so stifling because you yourself are still lost in hesitation.
Are you training and fighting merely to prove that Heavenly Restriction isn’t weak?
Ridiculous!
Such a trivial reason is unworthy of my service.”
Kaito closed his eyes, remaining silent.
“Despite your calm exterior, you were genuinely shaken by that Zenin fellow’s words, weren’t you?
Witnessing the power of Limitless and Ten Shadows, you began to doubt yourself.
Even wanting to make friends with Toji—was that because you wanted to get stronger, or simply because you wanted to find someone in the same boat to escape your loneliness?”
No…
those are all weak reasons, Kaito thought to himself.
He realized he had been wrong.
Ogi’s flame-wrapped slash hadn’t just wounded his physical body; it had struck at his self-esteem.
He had always been proud that he could catch up to his brother through training, but he had forgotten the core purpose of the blade in his hands.
“If that is all you have, then turn back, Kaito.” The young man hummed coldly, turning around to leave.
“No!” Kaito suddenly spoke up, his voice turning firm.
“You’re right—I once doubted myself, I was once lonely.
But there is one thing that will never change: I crave the top!
I am greedy for everything—power to protect, power to fight, power to make others look up to me…
I am precisely that greedy!”
Kaito’s honest and resolute declaration created a violent resonance.
The mountains collapsed and the sky cleared, yet the blizzard erupted with far greater intensity and power than before.
The young man laughed aloud: “Ha ha ha!
Well said!”
His body began to glow brilliantly, gradually transforming into a massive ice dragon.
It was an Eastern dragon with exquisitely carved ice scales and dignified, glowing red eyes.
“I acknowledge you, my master!”
The dragon coiled and lowered its head, gesturing for Kaito to step up.
Understanding the invitation, Kaito stood proudly atop the dragon’s head.
“Listen closely, Kaito.
Power comes from the name.
Call out my name, and freeze this world together with me!”
Snapping back to reality, right at the instant Ogi’s blade was merely inches away, Kaito snapped his eyes open.
A bone-chilling wave of spiritual energy exploded as he yelled at the top of his lungs:
“Sit Upon the Frozen Heavens — Hyōrinmaru!”
Following Kaito’s release command, the Asauchi began to transform violently.
From a plain katana, the blade suddenly lengthened and curved sharply.
The tsuba morphed into the shape of a four-pointed snowflake, while the hilt shifted to a cool snow-blue.
Yet that was not the most astonishing part.
Pointed in the direction of Kaito’s blade, a massive entity gradually materialized within the shroud of frost.
It was Hyōrinmaru itself.
The ice dragon with blood-red eyes let out a proud roar, causing the surrounding space to freeze.
The entire hall was thrown into uproar!
From the surging spiritual energy to the transformation of the blade and the appearance of the dragon…
everything far exceeded the comprehension of everyone present.
It was neither a Cursed Spirit nor a standard Shikigami.
It bore no filth or corruption, radiating an intimidating, terrifyingly divine aura instead.
Satoru chuckled with excitement, his eyes shining brightly: “Hehe, as expected, my little brother is no ordinary guy!”
Over at the Gojo elders’ seats, the Second Elder nudged the First Elder with a trembling voice: “What is this?
What did you do to the boy?” The First Elder merely offered a mysterious smile: “I did nothing.
The boy forged his own destiny.”
On the Zenin family’s side, their previous gloating turned to dead silence.
Naobito Zenin narrowed his eyes slightly.
Having never harbored prejudice against Heavenly Restriction, he had paid attention to Kaito from the beginning, but this spectacle was still entirely beyond his expectations: “Can a Heavenly Restriction user truly unleash this kind of power?”
Tobu stood frozen.
She wondered if Kaito had found a way to break nature’s curse?
Could Toji do the same?
But looking closely, she realized that surge of energy didn’t originate from Kaito’s body, but from that brilliant blue katana.
Toji smirked, his eyes filled with sheer amusement.
Meanwhile, in the Kamo family area, the woman with the forehead scar observed thoughtfully.
Her eyes widened as if she had discovered an invaluable toy: “A cursed tool possessing its own soul and elemental power?
Fu fu…
how intriguing.”
…
Back in the arena, Ogi forced himself to stay calm, though cold sweat drenched his back.
“You bastard, what kind of trickery are you using?
You aren’t a Heavenly Restriction user!”
“Not at all.
I’ve been telling the truth from the very beginning,” Kaito replied calmly.
“Then what is that monstrous thing?”
“That is my partner.”
“Hmph, I’ll burn both you and that monster to ashes!” Ogi roared, blindly believing that Kaito was merely using some high-grade summoning cursed tool to put on a show. This story is hosted at novelping dot com.
He channeled all his remaining power into his strongest attack:
INNATETECHNIQUE RELEASE: BLAZING FLAMES!
However, this time, before the blue fire could even touch Kaito, it crashed into an impenetrable wall.
Ryōjin Hyōheki!
A giant ice shield composed of thousands of interwoven ice panels materialized, blocking Ogi’s fury dead in its tracks.
Everyone in the hall fell completely silent.
An Ice-type technique?
Never recorded in the Gojo lineage!
The ice shield not only blocked the strike but also delivered a powerful repelling force.
Ogi dodged in panic as intense cold began to seep into his lungs.
“Go, Hyōrinmaru!”
Upon its master’s command, the ice dragon darted forward.
A single tail whip carrying an extreme freezing effect sent Ogi flying, causing him to cough up a mouthful of fresh blood.
The pride of a Grade 1 sorcerer within him completely shattered.
“Damn it…
DO OR DIE!”
Ogi frantically poured all his remaining cursed energy into one final strike, the flames exploding to three times their normal size.
This was a Binding Vow made at the cost of complete energy exhaustion.
However, as he tried to close in on Kaito, a frost pentagram array suddenly appeared beneath his feet.
Rokui Hyōketsujin!
Surging frigid air erupted from the ground, extinguishing Ogi’s flames in an instant while forming a dense block of ice that trapped him tightly inside like an insect in amber.
“Gasp…
gasp…
It’s over.”
Ogi lay motionless within the eternal ice, his consciousness unclear.
The arena sank into silence for a second before bursting into thunderous cheers.
A six-year-old child bearing Heavenly Restriction had defeated a Zenin elite—an unprecedented feat!
Kaito quickly released his stance.
The ice dragon dissolved into tiny particles of light and retracted into the sword.
The sword’s form had now permanently changed, no longer the nameless Asauchi.
He gently stroked the blade:
“Let’s take good care of each other from now on…
Hyōrinmaru.”
Kaito sheathed his sword, slung it diagonally across his back, and nonchalantly stepped down from the stage.
“Achoo!” He shuddered slightly.
“Need to find a new set of clothes…
it’s really cold.”
Kaito slowly walked down to the stands, where his parents and Satoru were already waiting.
Lady Otome quickly stepped forward, holding a fresh set of clothes she had thoughtfully prepared.
“Thank you, Mother…
Achoo!”
“You silly boy, why did you have to risk your life like that?” Otome’s eyes turned red as she hugged her son tightly, gently wrapping the coat around him.
Satoru stood beside them laughing heartily, unable to hide the pride in his eyes: “My little brother is indeed super strong!” He leaned down, inspectingly gazing at Kaito’s transformed blade with curiosity.
“That burst of power earlier came from this, right?
You called it Asauchi?”
“Ah, yes, but it’s no longer an Asauchi.
Its true name is Hyōrinmaru.
That is the true soul of this blade.”
“What?
A sword actually has a soul?” Satoru was astonished.
“Yes.
Its true form was that ice dragon from earlier.”
“Ah, I see…
So its main technique is sealing and defense?” Satoru concluded after observing the match.
Kaito shook his head: “That’s only a small part of it.
I only just learned its name, so there are still many moves yet to be unlocked.”
His answer left everyone around stunned into silence.
Creating ice shields and sealing techniques alone were enough to rank as high-grade techniques, yet Kaito claimed that was only the beginning?
This was clearly elemental manipulation at absolute perfection.
By now, the elders of both the Gojo and Zenin families had gathered, listening to every word.
The Second Elder of the Gojo clan was the fastest to rush over, grabbing Kaito by the shoulders, his voice trembling with excitement:
“Brat…
no, Kaito!
Where did you get this sword?
How does it possess such heaven-defying power?”
The fact that the Second Elder addressed Kaito directly by name showed he was beginning to acknowledge his value.
But Kaito had no fondness for someone who constantly tried to ostracize him, coldly brushing the old man’s hands away.
“Take your hands off Kaito,” the First Elder intervened.
“The boy just went through a life-or-death battle.
Let him rest.”
“Don’t you understand?
The strategic value of this thing…” the Second Elder yelled.
“It is a blade I forged with my own hands,” Kaito interrupted in an icy tone.
The entire hall exploded.
A six-year-old child could forge a weapon possessing a soul?
This completely overturned the logic of the jujutsu world.
On the Zenin family’s side, Naobito could no longer maintain his usual smile.
He chugged his sake to calm his nerves.
While the servants were busily thawing Ogi out, the leaders were worrying frantically: If Kaito could mass-produce these weapons, wouldn’t he create an invincible army?
The First Elder pondered: “This is the Asauchi you spoke of before, right?
It has evolved?”
“Yes.
Asauchi was merely the embryonic stage.
From now on, I will call this type of weapon by another name.” Kaito paused briefly, utilizing his intuition to declare its fateful title:
“Zanpakutō—Soul Cutter Blade.”
“Zanpakutō…
A name truly worthy of its power,” the First Elder praised.
However, the warm atmosphere didn’t last long before the Second Elder poured a bucket of cold water over it.
He turned to look at the First Elder and Gojo Sei with greedy, malicious eyes:
“This weapon…
I order it to be confiscated from Kaito and handed over to Satoru for use.
Such a powerful treasure must be held by the strongest to maximize its value!”
Shocking news!
No one expected the old man to be shameless enough to publicly demand the plunder of a child’s achievement in front of everyone.
The First Elder looked at the Second Elder with a weary gaze, while Gojo Sei stood bewildered.
Otome used her body to shield Kaito, protecting him from these people.
“This…
I don’t think that’s right!” Gojo Sei suddenly spoke up, breaking the Second Elder’s pushy demeanor.
“What isn’t right, Sei?
You are the Head of the Clan; your every action must put the clan’s interests first!” the Second Elder growled, trying to use his seniority to overwhelm him.
“I said NO means NO!”
Gojo Sei raised his voice sternly.
This was the first time Otome and the children had seen such an intimidating expression on him.
An aura from the current Head of the Clan erupted, cold and resolute.
This was the image Otome had been desperately waiting to see in her husband for so long—a man who dared to stand up and protect his son against corrupt prejudices.
“Second Elder, I know you care about the clan.
But your era has long passed.
The current jujutsu world…
belongs to these children!”
“You bastard, how dare you…!” The Second Elder trembled with rage.
Just as he was about to move, his arm was grabbed firmly like an iron vise by the First Elder.
His sharp gaze made the Second Elder tremble instantly, all his aggression vanishing in a split second.
He was forced to pull back sullenly, not daring to utter another word.
Amidst the high-strung atmosphere, Satoru suddenly spoke up in his characteristic playful tone, shattering the suffocation:
“Hey, why is no one asking the opinion of the ‘main character’—me?”
Satoru stepped forward, crossing his arms and pouting as he looked at Hyōrinmaru: “That sword that comes with the dragon looks…
so ugly, I don’t want it!
Besides, it’s my little brother’s friend—who dares to steal it?”
Whether it was ugly or pretty wasn’t the point, but everyone understood: Satoru was using his own way to assert ownership for his brother.
He leaned down, grabbing Kaito by the shoulders, shaking him back and forth with excitement:
“So Kaito, when we get home you have to forge me another one.
It has to be cooler, stronger, and a hundred times more ‘blazing’ than this one, got it?”
Kaito looked at his overbearing older brother, thinking silently: This guy really knows how to exploit labor.
“Alright, fine…
but I can’t promise I can replicate it right away,” Kaito sighed.
The birth of Hyōrinmaru still involved a lot of coincidences; he couldn’t standardize the Zanpakutō forging technique immediately.
“Ha ha!
I can wait, but don’t make this genius wait too long!” Satoru laughed aloud.
The First Elder coughed a few times, signaling the end of the ceremony: “That is enough.
Everything ends here today.
I ask all guests and family members to disperse.”
Under the authority of the most powerful figure in the Gojo family, the crowd began to back away and leave amidst bustling discussions.
Ogi remained unconscious due to a severe drop in body temperature, quickly loaded into an ambulance to be taken back to the Zenin estate.
The Zenin group also began gathering, preparing to depart Gojo territory in a heavy silence.
Naobito glanced at his family’s youngsters, his eyes landing on Tobu: “What do you think, kid?”
“Thinking about where to go play next week to unwind,” Tobu replied in her usual indifferent tone.
“Ah, that’s up to you.
But I meant about what happened today?”
Tobu stayed silent for a moment before quietly uttering: “Six Eyes Limitless, Heavenly Restriction…
and that mysterious sword.
Zanpakutō.”
Naobito’s emotions today had been nothing short of a roller coaster.
He had been excited by his youngest son Naoya’s drive, then felt helpless against the dominance of the Six Eyes.
When the Ten Shadows Technique emerged and fought Satoru to a draw, he saw a ray of hope.
Even upon learning that one of the Gojo twins had Heavenly Restriction, he breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the balance of power between the two houses was finally equalized.
His family had a Heavenly Restriction user too, after all!
Yet, after witnessing the power of the Soul Cutter Blade, Naobito was utterly shaken.
Gojo Satoru was one of a kind, but the Soul Cutter Blade was a weapon—and weapons could be forged.
Naobito was a connoisseur of cursed tools; treasures like the Inverted Spear of Heaven and the Soul Splitter Katana were still displayed in his storehouse.
But that “Zanpakutō” was on an entirely different level.
It was not a mindless tool; it carried the breath of a real living entity.
“Indeed, they cannot be underestimated.
The future of the Zenin clan depends on you kids,” Naobito said heavily.
Eavesdropping behind them, Naoya felt as though he had received a surge of motivation, inwardly resolving to train even more fiercely.
His mental list of “powerhouses to surpass” had grown longer today: Toji, Tobu, Satoru, and now Kaito.
As for Tobu, her thoughts ran much deeper.
Satoru was an interesting rival she would definitely fight again.
But Kaito evoked a strange emotion within her.
Tobu understood clearly how harsh the fate of a Heavenly Restriction user was from looking at Toji.
Though the Gojo family seemed more open-minded than the Zenin, ancient prejudices still existed.
Yet Kaito had proudly smashed through them all to walk an entirely different path.
I wonder if Brother Toji is happy?
Tobu thought to herself.
Her brother had always been lonely.
She wanted to be by his side, but she knew his pain was something she could never fully comprehend.
Only someone in the same situation could truly reach his soul.
Involuntarily, she looked around and asked: “Huh…
where is Brother Toji?”
The Gojo family convoy was ready to depart, sleek black luxury limousines lined up.
This time, Kaito would return directly to a private estate with the First Elder to continue his special training, forced to part ways with his parents and Satoru here.
“Make sure you eat well, son.”
“Wait for me, I’ll definitely come visit you soon!” Satoru stated firmly.
With his current influence, those old traditionalists certainly had no excuse left to prevent him from meeting his brother.
Kaito smiled, bidding farewell to everyone.
Just as he was about to step into the car, a tall, muscular figure lumbered over.
The towering build and invisible pressure radiating from him immediately put Satoru and Lady Otome on high alert, blocking Kaito’s front.
“Great fight, kid.
Heard that…
you wanted to be friends with me?” Toji spoke, his voice deep and rugged.
Satoru tried to intervene, but Kaito gently brushed his brother’s hand aside.
He stepped forward, facing the man destined to be called the future “Heavenly Tyrant.”
“Pleased to officially meet you, Zenin Toji.
I am Gojo Kaito,” he extended his hand, his eyes unwavering.
“Just call me Toji.” This time, the Zenin man shook his hand in return.
However, Toji’s eyes didn’t leave the Zanpakutō on Kaito’s shoulder for even a second.
He smirked: “Since we’re friends, shouldn’t there be a bit of ‘sincerity’?”
Suddenly, the hand gripping Kaito’s yanked aggressively, intending to throw him off balance.
At the same time, Toji’s other hand shot out like lightning toward the hilt of Hyōrinmaru.
Satoru startled: “You bastard!”
Yet Kaito didn’t fall.
Yielding to the pulling force, he twisted his body at an exceptionally clever angle, stepping back half a pace to dodge Toji’s sword theft by a hair’s breadth.
“As expected, you had an ulterior motive!” Satoru hissed, his murderous intent flaring.
“Calm down, Satoru, I’m fine,” Kaito replied calmly.
Though Toji’s action appeared sly, the senses of a Heavenly Restriction user told Kaito that Toji bore no malice.
It was simply a rough, “street-style” greeting.
“Aren’t you scared, kid?” Toji pulled his hand back, an amused look on his face.
“If I panicked over just this, how would I be qualified to protect Hyōrinmaru?”
Toji looked at Kaito, inwardly holding the child in high regard.
After witnessing the battle with Ogi, Toji had found a new path for himself: Cursed Tools.
And who better to walk alongside than the very person who forged them?
His test just now held a brutal philosophy: If you are too weak to stop me from taking your blade, you aren’t worthy of being my friend.
Only if you can keep it do you have the right to stand as my equal.
“We could have talked more if we weren’t interrupted by that troublemaker,” Kaito produced a small piece of paper and handed it to Toji: “This is the address where I’m staying.
Feel free to drop by when you’re free, I’ll welcome you properly.”
Toji took the paper, glanced at the address, and countered: “Aren’t you afraid I’ll come to assassinate you?
We only just met for the first time.”
“I trust you.”
Kaito’s words were brief yet deeply sincere, causing a man who mistrusted the entire world like Toji to pause for a beat.
The Gojo convoy began to roll, leaving behind Toji’s lonely figure watching them go.
He returned to his sister.
“Where did you just go?” Tobu asked.
“Just went to grab some ‘convenience’ for the future.”
Tobu caught sight of the paper bearing the Gojo crest; she guessed a fair bit, though she certainly didn’t think her brother had just attempted to…
steal a new friend’s sword.
“Are you going to go meet him?”
“Of course.
Soon.” Toji smirked—a rare smile devoid of bitterness.
“Then I’m coming with you!” Tobu said eagerly.
“I have to make full use of this one-week vacation!”
Toji patted his sister’s head, his gaze sweeping toward the horizon where the car carrying Kaito had just disappeared.
A seed of change had begun to sprout within the heart of a man originally destined to be an enemy of the jujutsu world.