HRU: Chapter 316/317

Chapter 316: Demonstration

"Bakudō #4: Hainawa!"

The simple technique blocked the probing attacks of all six attackers. At the same time, the Kidō rope wrapped around Utahime's body, temporarily rendering her unable to fight.

"Hadō #4: Byakurai!"

The white lightning shot from Satoshi's fingertips was sharp and elegant. Though not extremely powerful, it precisely struck and knocked away the replica of the Inverted Spear of Heaven that Kenshin was about to draw.

"Hadō #11: Tsuzuri Raiden!"

The yellow current carried a paralyzing charge as it tore through the sky, taking down every single black bird above. Even though it was his first time clashing with Mei Mei, Satoshi showed clear familiarity with her Black Bird Manipulation technique.

"Hadō #31: Shakkahō!"

A crimson orb burst from Satoshi's palm, blasting Shoko away. Although the two were childhood friends, Satoshi didn't show any mercy during this confrontation.

Among the group of six, Shoko served as the healer. She could rapidly restore the others' injuries. If she wasn't dealt with immediately, the longer the fight dragged on, the more troublesome it would become.

"Hadō #33: Sōkatsui!"

Sōkatsui shattered the defenses of the special-grade Cursed Spirit Rainbow Dragon, instantly disabling Suguru's most easily controlled cursed spirit. It also wiped out a large portion of Suguru's spirit army in the process.

"Hadō #63: Raikōhō!"

Kenshin's physical attacks were relentless. Though he could hold his ground against Satoshi's Heavenly Restriction for a short time, the overwhelming force of Satoshi's Kidō still left him in a difficult spot.

"Hadō #73: Sōren Sōkatsui!"

Satoru's Limitless Technique was fast and incredibly powerful. Its forward rotation and Blue's pull posed a considerable threat to Satoshi. But under the impact of this dual-layered Hadō—the most advanced one Satoshi could currently cast—Satoru could only barely defend himself.

"Bakudō #81: Dankū!"

Kenshin managed to retrieve his Inverted Spear of Heaven.

Mei Mei once again summoned her Black Birds, preparing to launch her technique—Black Bird Manipulation: Kamikaze.

Utahime broke free from her restraints and began chanting her Kagura to amplify the Cursed Energy of the other five.

Shoko summoned Minazuki to rapidly heal her teammates' injuries.

Suguru's eyes widened as he summoned Tamamonomae—his trump card, a special-grade illusion-type Cursed Spirit he had never revealed to anyone before.

Satoru released his Zanpakutō, Senbonzakura, unleashing a blizzard of razor-sharp petals that stormed toward Satoshi like a pink blade-storm.

Though it was their first time fighting side by side, the six of them displayed near-instant synchronization. Their attacks were seamless and coordinated.

However, in the end, all these carefully planned techniques were blocked by Satoshi's Dankū—shattered by this transparent wall into nothing but a collective sigh.

...


Seeing the attacks of Satoru and the other five completely neutralized by Dankū, and recalling how Satoru had eliminated a contestant earlier with just a single Kidō, the entire audience was stunned by Satoshi's strength.

Satoshi was so powerful that the sister school goodwill event itself now seemed meaningless.

So, he hadn't been boasting after all. He really was planning to take on the high-ranking combatants from both factions at once.

At the Tokyo General Directorate—

Yagyū Hidetsugu sat at the round table with the other deacons, his smile unrestrained. He was secretly delighted.

Everyone knew Gojo Satoshi was stronger, yet they still insisted on gathering here for this so-called "review" and had to watch the live broadcast of the Curse Corpse battle together. Why were they making life so hard for themselves?

The truly wise had already withdrawn their votes and refused to participate in any anti-Satoshi decisions.

The only ones still resisting were those backed by the Zenin and Kamo clans. But even they were merely holding out because the powers behind them wouldn't allow them to surrender without resistance...

This vote was meant to revoke Satoshi's title as a Special Grade.

But with so many abstaining and Satoshi displaying such overwhelming strength at the event, this veto vote had become nothing more than a joke.

Who calls a vote just to veto a proposal?

What kind of stupidity is this?

Hidetsugu sneered inwardly. Supporting Satoshi was the best investment he'd ever made in his life.

The Yagyū clan's rise in prestige was entirely thanks to that decision.

Not only had it produced a Grade 1 sorcerer for the clan, it had also forged a strategic alliance between the Yagyū and Gojo clans.

Though the fates of the two families were now bound together, given the strength of Satoshi and Satoru, it would be at least eighty years before the Gojo clan declined.

As for what the Yagyū family would become in eighty years?

Hidetsugu didn't care, nor did he intend to. Children and grandchildren have their own paths.

Meanwhile, the other deacons watched Hidetsugu's smug expression with eyes full of resentment.

They, too, were puppets of the Three Great Sorcerer Families, but none lived as comfortably as the Yagyū clan.

It really was like catching the right wind—when even a pig could fly.

Once obscure in the world of jujutsu, the Yagyū clan had now become the leader of the minor families under the Gojo clan's protection.

That single decision had helped them leap forward by decades.

The other families could only grit their teeth in regret. They hadn't been able to grasp such an opportunity, hadn't been able to attach themselves to the Gojo clan like the Yagyū had, and had failed to become one of the core families at the General Directorate.

If they were given another chance, they wouldn't hesitate. They'd immediately present their family treasures in exchange for Satoshi's support—and for a Zanpakutō that could transform their family's sorcerers...

(To be continued.)

Chapter 317: The Change of Senbonzakura

"Dankū! I wonder if Satoshi's Dankū can withstand my Star Rage?"

There was a glimmer of excitement in Yuki's eyes.

Satoshi was incredibly powerful—and so was she. In her eyes, she and Satoshi were the most perfectly matched pair in the entire jujutsu world.

Yuki knew that Satoshi was emotionally slow, but she would not give an inch in matters of the heart.

Because she was the so-called "girlfriend" from nine years ago, Yuki felt more justified than anyone else when standing before Satoshi. In the eyes of the cursed tool community, her connection with him was undoubtedly closer.

Satoshi, I know you're looking for someone who can test your strength. But you've chosen the wrong opponents. Satoru and the other six can't be your grindstone. They can't give you the pressure you need.

Yuki tossed her long golden hair, exuding a mixture of charm and heroism.

"Satoshi, in the entire world of jujutsu, the only ones qualified to be your opponents are Lord Tengen, me, Toji, and that Curse User who ambushed you with a Domain."

"Satoru barely counts as half an opponent..."

"If you want to experience the true peak of sorcery, then come fight me. This sister school goodwill event is nothing but a game to you."

After understanding Satoshi's real reason for participating in the event, Yuki found it meaningless.

Satoshi was not under any pressure.

Kenshin and the others would soon realize the overwhelming gap between them and Gojo Satoshi. They might even fall into the same despair Toji had nine years ago.

Yuki's heart burned with anticipation. She wanted a real battle with Satoshi, regardless of the level...

...

Satoshi stood high above, calmly looking down at the six participants below him.

Disappointed. He was too disappointed.

The future generation of both Tokyo and Kyoto Jujutsu High couldn't even force him to draw his Zanpakutō.

He admitted that the new Kidō techniques he had mastered were powerful and difficult to predict.

However, if the six had been a bit stronger, perhaps they could've pushed him to unsheathe his blade.

After firing off so many Kidō spells, Satoshi's Reiryoku was nearly exhausted. But the six who stood before him seemed to have already given up on continuing the fight...

Utahime and Shoko had lost all pretense of grace and collapsed to the ground.

As support sorcerers, they had exhausted nearly all of their Cursed Energy. Though their amplification and healing played vital roles during the battle, they hadn't achieved any substantial results.

Mei Mei was still barely standing, but the backlash from her Black Bird being pierced by lightning had left her aching all over and unable to move.

Tamamonomae, summoned by Suguru, had completely lost her previous elegance. Her kimono was wrinkled and torn, lacking any of the mystique of a special-grade spirit.

Kenshin was kneeling on one knee, using the replica of the Inverted Spear of Heaven to hold himself up. Even in this condition, he was unwilling to show weakness before Satoshi.

The pride of the Kamo clan wouldn't allow him to surrender.

As for Satoru, Satoshi's biological brother—other than their opening clash at the start of the event, none of Satoru's techniques, from Reverse Cursed Technique to his Zanpakutō attacks, had even touched Satoshi. Even Satoshi's Dankū couldn't be broken.

Was this the gap between them?

Satoru didn't want to believe it. He refused to believe there could be such a huge disparity between himself and Satoshi.

But when he saw the disappointment in Satoshi's eyes, Satoru felt a flame of frustration building inside him.

They weren't enemies. They were brothers born of the same mother. Deep down, Satoru was happy that Satoshi was strong.

But as the gap between them continued to widen—even after Satoshi had been asleep for nine years—Satoru couldn't hide his sense of defeat.

Maybe he shouldn't have compared himself to Satoshi at all?

Satoru knew he was strong. If given a few more years, he was confident he could surpass even a Special Grade like Yuki—just as long as he didn't compare himself to Gojo Satoshi...

But was that even possible?

Satoshi was like a monolith standing at the summit of the jujutsu world. To reach the peak, one had no choice but to surpass him.

No one wants to be second best. Not even when the one above them is the strongest in the world.

Satoru gripped Senbonzakura tightly. All that remained of his blade was the hilt—but to him, it was his last hope, his final conviction.

The Limitless Technique was incredibly powerful. When paired with the Gojo clan's Six Eyes, it was arguably the strongest technique in the entire world of curses.

Senbonzakura was also incredibly powerful. According to Satoshi, it was the most refined Zanpakutō he had forged aside from Ryūjin Jakka, standing on par with Katen Kyōkotsu.

Yet even with this configuration, Satoru still couldn't see any hope of victory.

They were the majority, and Satoshi was the lone opponent.

And still, Satoru felt nothing but despair.

Am I really not as good as Satoshi?

Compared to his own privileged upbringing in the Gojo clan, Satoshi had grown up under harsh discrimination. If not for forging a Zanpakutō at the age of six, he might have continued to be dismissed as worthless.

A useless Six Eyes paired with a body devoid of Cursed Energy.

And yet, with that body, Satoshi earned the title of the strongest sorcerer, and even destroyed Ryoumen Sukuna's fingers.

Satoru asked himself if he could've done what Satoshi did. But no matter what, he would never admit defeat.

A white mist flowed from Satoru's Six Eyes. The once-lifeless cherry blossom petals scattered in the sky began to move in unison.

The petals seemed to embrace Satoru, as if acknowledging and welcoming him.

Seeing this, Suguru and the others were stunned. None of them reacted right away to what was happening.

Kenshin had no idea what these dancing petals meant.

Only Satoshi looked at the swirling Senbonzakura petals surrounding him. His eyes first showed surprise, then anticipation...

(To be continued.)