HRU: Chapter 177/178

Chapter 177: Psychological Master
Seeing Jogo fall silent, Okkotsu Yuto once again showed a hint of amusement on his face.

Jogo's heart was stirred by Okkotsu's words.

If Bankai really exists, then just how powerful would Ryūjin Jakka be after reaching Bankai?

I was already trembling under my Zanpakutō's Shikai. If I were to face Ryūjin Jakka in its Bankai state, I might not even be able to stand.

A wave of inexplicable panic rose in Jogo's chest, but soon after, a trace of excitement followed.

He longed to witness Ryūjin Jakka's Bankai with his own eyes.

...

Sekiguchi Seiji stared at the pillar of fire rising into the sky, his entire body filled with shock.

What kind of power is this?

Under the intense light, Sekiguchi Seiji couldn't even see clearly who had launched such a terrifying attack.

The Rainbow Dragon was a Special Grade Cursed Spirit, yet its full-strength attack was wiped out so easily.

Moreover, he had a hunch. If that pillar of fire had been aimed directly at the Rainbow Dragon, the Rainbow Dragon would have been instantly obliterated.

"Is this kind of power really something a human can possess?"

Standing beside Sekiguchi Seiji, Yaga Masamichi's eyes, hidden behind his sunglasses, were also filled with disbelief.

The power of Ryūjin Jakka was beyond anything Yaga Masamichi could imagine. Even standing here at this moment, he could feel the earth trembling beneath his feet.

The flames erupting from the ground had torn the earth apart. Yaga Masamichi could feel the devastation left by those towering pillars of fire. This land would likely remain scorched and barren for years to come.

He desperately wanted to know the source of this power.

If the higher-ups could obtain such power, then realizing their vision for the future wouldn't be so difficult.

Yōshu stood frozen, his expression blank. A question surfaced in his mind.

It seems the conflict wasn't actually with the Yagyū family.

The true conflict lay with the Zanpakutō forged by Satoshi. Zanpakutō were at the center of both these missions.

In the previous mission, Gojo Shunichi had used his Zanpakutō, Suzumushi, to repel a Special Grade Cursed Spirit, becoming famous after a single battle and successfully advancing to Grade 1 Sorcerer.

And in this mission, the weapon at the heart of it was Nejibana, held by Yagyū Saemon, as well as the flames unleashed just now.

There was no doubt. Satoshi had appeared here.

Those pillars of fire soaring into the sky were exactly the power unleashed by Satoshi's Zanpakutō, Ryūjin Jakka, which he had painstakingly forged.

In the end, the three of them seemed almost redundant.

Yagyū Saemon was in danger, and Satoshi had personally come to his rescue.

Could it be that the relationship between the Yagyū family and the Gojo family had become this close?

Yōshu frowned deeply.

Some of the old, stubborn elders within the Jujutsu Association were still unconvinced by the Gojo family—whether it was Satoru, who possessed Limitless and Six Eyes, or Satoshi, who mastered Zanpakutō forging.

These were all obstacles to their control over the Jujutsu world.

That was why the Association had been secretly cutting off the Gojo family's ties to the world of curses, with small clans being the first to suffer.

Now, with Satoshi personally stepping in to rescue the Yagyū family, this likely signaled that the relationship between the two families had reached a new level.

...

Zenin estate.

Even though they didn't know exactly what had happened, the Zenin family still felt it clearly when Ryūjin Jakka's power exploded outside Tokyo.

"This is the power of a fire-attributed Zanpakutō!"

Zenin Ogi's face darkened instantly.

He had originally believed that the fire-type Zanpakutō could not be controlled by Satoshi. After all, Satoshi hadn't used this Zanpakutō back when he was attacked by Curse Users.

But now, after leaving the Tombs of the Star, Satoshi had clearly gained control over it.

Even though he didn't know the specific details of Ryūjin Jakka, Zenin Ogi could still roughly guess how terrifying Satoshi's Zanpakutō truly was.

After all, it was the one that took the longest to forge, and its creation had caused the greatest disturbance in the celestial phenomena.

"So, what exactly forced Satoshi to use this Zanpakutō?"

Zenin Naobito glanced at his younger brother, his tone filled with suspicion.

He truly wanted to know whether Ogi regretted his previous decisions.

Zenin Ogi understood the implication behind Naobito's words. His expression turned grim.

Everything I've done so far has been for the sake of the Zenin family. There's no selfish intent in my actions. But who could have known that Satoshi would be so capable, to the point of changing the landscape of the Jujutsu world with his Zanpakutō alone?

"Naobito-sama, Ogi-sama!"

The voice of the Zenin family's intelligence officer came from outside the door.

"Enter."

Zenin Naobito took a sip of water, calmly waiting for the details of the incident.

Moments later, both Zenin Naobito and Zenin Ogi fell into silence.

Facing the Special Grade Cursed Spirit, Rainbow Dragon, Satoshi had drawn Ryūjin Jakka and personally rescued Yagyū Saemon, who had been on this mission.

Could a Special Grade Cursed Spirit even withstand a few strikes from a Zanpakutō?

And was Yagyū Saemon really worth such a drastic move?

The expressions of Naobito and Ogi were complicated. Logically speaking, Satoshi shouldn't have been so concerned about the Yagyū family.

Even though the Yagyū family had once gifted the Tsuki no Tsurugi to Satoshi and Yagyū Jubei, hadn't Satoshi also given Nejibana to the Yagyū family in return?

That should have balanced things out.

So why did Saemon's life or death seem so important?

Naobito and Ogi were both confused. In the end, they could only attribute it to Satoshi's own will.

After all, neither of them knew about the existence of the system.

For Satoshi, even though the probability of Yagyū Saemon unlocking Bankai wasn't high, there was still a chance—like drawing a lottery ticket.

Moreover, Geto Suguru was also involved in this mission. So Satoshi's intervention was, in a way, reasonable.

However, as a result of this incident, the entire Jujutsu world had now misunderstood the relationship between the Yagyū family and the Gojo family.

But this misunderstanding aligned perfectly with the Gojo family's strategic goals.

The Gojo family was now seeking to unite many of the smaller Jujutsu clans and transform the Big Three Sorcerer Families into the only true superpower within the Jujutsu world.

The Yagyū family was an important piece in the Gojo family's plan.

Yagyū Saemon, as the pillar of the Yagyū family, was someone the Gojo family could not afford to lose.

With Satoshi's appearance, the Yagyū family was now completely tied to the Gojo family.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 178: Reverse Cursed Technique, Maybe Not the Strongest Treatment

In the Kamo household.

Kaname continued to push himself relentlessly, doing everything he could to become the rightful successor of the Kamo family's Red Blood Manipulation Technique.

As long as the Kamo family could produce an heir capable of wielding Red Blood Manipulation, their decline could be avoided.

He could accept the decline of the Kamo family. What he could not accept was that, under his leadership, the Kamo family would fall so far behind the Gojo and Zenin families.

Kaname also understood that Zanpakutō represented another possible path.

However, the Zenin family had already provided a precedent.

The Gojo family, who held exclusive control over Zanpakutō forging, would never easily allow their blades to fall into the hands of others.

Even though Toji remained a member of the Zenin family, his ties with the Gojo family were far closer.

Even if he possessed a Zanpakutō, it would not serve the Zenin family.

Moreover, Kaname suspected that there was some conflict between his own family and the Gojo family that he had yet to uncover.

Uncle Kamo was truly dead, and the leadership of the Forging Association had fallen into the hands of others. All of this hinted at the growing rift between the Kamo and Gojo families.

In this situation, the Kamo family's chances of acquiring a Zanpakutō were practically nonexistent.

What Kaname didn't know at this moment was that Satoshi had once again demonstrated the power of his Zanpakutō.

If he had witnessed Ryūjin Jakka in action, his anxiety would have only worsened.

…

"Hidetsugu, how is Saemon?"

Yagyū Hidetsugu had just received word from the association that Yagyū Saemon was in critical danger.

After hurriedly reporting the news to Yagyū Yusuke, he had been ready to rush to the mission site.

However, after witnessing the massive pillar of fire erupting from the outskirts, Hidetsugu's anxiety immediately eased.

Hidetsugu recognized the technique as belonging to Ryūjin Jakka. Although he didn't know why Satoshi had appeared at the mission site, with Satoshi there, the crisis was surely resolved.

At this point, even if he hurried over, there would be nothing more he could do.

"The situation should be under control," Hidetsugu replied softly to the head of the family, his expression much calmer now.

"What happened?" Yagyū Yusuke asked, surprised. The report from the association had made the situation sound dire, yet Hidetsugu was suddenly so composed.

Hidetsugu pointed toward the sky.

"Lord Yusuke, perhaps you didn't notice. Just now, at the location where Saemon's mission was taking place, Gojo Satoshi's Zanpakutō unleashed a technique."

"It was the power of that fire-type Zanpakutō."

Upon hearing Hidetsugu's explanation, Yusuke let out a deep breath of relief.

"I see. So it was Satoshi who saved Saemon."

Hidetsugu nodded. "From what we know so far, that seems to be the case."

Yusuke's expression grew serious.

"Satoshi's intervention this time is effectively a great favor to the Yagyū family. If something had happened to Saemon, it would have been a devastating blow to us."

"Going forward, we must deepen our cooperation with the Gojo family."

"You need to speak up more in the association. You cannot remain passive and indifferent like before."

"Remember, including the incident with Gojo Shunichi, both you and Saemon owe your lives to the Gojo family."

Hidetsugu recalled his previous conversation with Kumaen and the ambitions of the Gojo family.

Thinking of these things, his expression became solemn.

This situation was also an opportunity for the Yagyū family.

If the Gojo family succeeded in their plans, even if the Yagyū family could not join the ranks of the Big Three Sorcerer Families, they would still rise into the upper tier among the jujutsu clans.

Once the Big Three no longer existed, all families would be on equal footing. Power would determine rank.

"I understand. I will fight for more influence within the association," Hidetsugu replied firmly, his eyes sharp with resolve.

Having decided to align with the Gojo family, the Yagyū family had to become their most dedicated supporters.

After all, the Yagyū family also had a silent rival.

The Ieiri family possessed the rare and valuable Reverse Cursed Technique, and Ieiri Inamichi had even tried to arrange a match between his daughter Shōko and Satoshi.

Compared to Saemon, Hidetsugu felt they held no advantage.

One was refined and graceful, the other strong and imposing.

After Satoshi forged a Zanpakutō for Shōko, the Yagyū family's advantage had grown even smaller.

Because of this, they had to maintain a strong sense of urgency.

What Hidetsugu didn't know was that the Ieiri family, whom they quietly regarded as rivals, already possessed their own Zanpakutō.

…

At the Ieiri household.

Ieiri Inamichi stood calmly beneath the sky, sensing the waves of heat in the air. His mood was relaxed.

After all, he had already been in high spirits all day.

Shōko had obtained her Zanpakutō, and the abilities of this blade perfectly complemented the Ieiri family's Reverse Cursed Technique.

It also seemed that the relationship between Satoshi and Shōko was progressing smoothly.

Inamichi felt hopeful for the Ieiri family's future.

When the Gojo family eventually seized full control, the Ieiri family could follow Shōko's lead and secure their place at the top.

Most importantly, the Reverse Cursed Technique itself remained a rare and valuable resource.

The title of "strongest healer" was not just empty praise.

The Reverse Cursed Technique was still an extremely rare ability in the world of jujutsu.

Originally, Inamichi had worried that Satoshi might forge a Zanpakutō capable of competing with the Reverse Cursed Technique.

But now, the only Zanpakutō with healing abilities was in Shōko's hands. This meant the Ieiri family faced almost no competition.

Unfortunately, what Inamichi failed to realize was that while he focused on the uniqueness of Zanpakutō, he remained unaware that Satoshi possessed far more than just these abilities.

Once Satoshi completed his Shunpo training and fully mastered the Way of Kidō, the entire jujutsu world would witness what it truly meant to be a Shinigami.

The Reverse Cursed Technique, which the Ieiri family so proudly relied on, was not as irreplaceable in Satoshi's eyes as they believed.

After all, within Kidō, there existed the Kaidō—the art of healing.

Hadō focused on offense. Bakudō specialized in control. Kaidō handled healing.

When Satoshi fully mastered Kidō, he would become the most well-rounded Shinigami this world had ever seen.

When the strongest Kidō combined with the strongest Zanpakutō…

Neither Kenjaku nor Ryomen Sukuna would be able to stand against him.

As for the idea of beheading Satoru, it had been an impossibility from the moment Satoshi was born into this world.

Because Satoshi was destined to be the strongest Shinigami here.

A being who possessed a body bound by Heavenly Restriction, eyes that could see through all things, the killing power of a Shinigami, and the strongest Zanpakutō, Ryūjin Jakka…

Such an existence was destined to ascend the throne at the peak of the jujutsu world.

(To be continued.)