HRU: Chapter 116/117

Chapter 116: The Zanpakutō Is Afraid

Kamo Residence.

Kamo Shinji stared at his wife with a displeased expression.

"This generation of the Gojo family has produced two individuals with Six Eyes. One of them inherited Limitless and will definitely become a powerful jujutsu sorcerer in the future."

"The other has created an unprecedented Zanpakutō system!"

His face was filled with frustration. As the head of the Kamo family, not a single one of the children his wife had borne for him could inherit the family's Red Blood Manipulation technique.

"The Kamo family's Red Blood technique must be passed on!"

"You must give me a child who inherits the Red Blood technique."

Listening to her husband's impotent fury, Kamo Mio looked on with disdain, not taking his words to heart in the slightest.

"Whether I can give birth to a child who inherits the Kamo clan's technique depends on you, doesn't it? I don't have the Kamo family's blood, so stop blabbering."

"You men always like to blame women for your incompetence."

"Is it our fault the Kamo family has declined to this point?"

Kamo Mio shook her head dismissively, turned, and left, not even granting Kamo the respect due to a clan head.

Kamo Shinji's face turned red with anger, but he could do nothing against his wife.

She came from a prestigious clan herself, and his words often held no weight in front of her.

Uncle still hasn't returned. The Gojo family has forged a Zanpakutō this time… Surely uncle had a chance to observe it, right?

As the only Grandmaster Blacksmith, could Uncle learn the forging process behind this so-called Zanpakutō? If he could grasp it, perhaps the Zanpakutō could temporarily compensate for the lack of an heir who can inherit Red Blood Manipulation...

Shinji looked out at the moonlight and the blazing flames rising from the Gojo compound, his expression a mixture of regret and anticipation.

But what he didn't know was that Kamo Shin, who had been watching the entire forging process at the Gojo residence, was already drowning in despair…

…

Inside the forge, Kamo Shin's body trembled as he raised a finger to point at Gojo Satoshi. His cracked lips opened slightly, but no words came out.

As a master blacksmith, how could he not recognize the power of the Cursed Tool in Gojo Satoshi's hand?

Just a few minutes ago, he had been mocking Gojo Satoshi for failing to reforge the Special Grade Cursed Tool Kagerō into a Zanpakutō, even feeling relieved that he had survived the attempt.

But now, in just a matter of minutes.

He had experienced the true meaning of joy turning into despair.

Why?

Why did Gojo Satoshi incorporate the Shōso phase during the forging of the Zanpakutō, allowing the weapon to finally take shape?

Kamo Shin truly couldn't understand it.

The Shōso phase, his greatest trump card, had now become the very measure that decided his fate.

He had eliminated countless potential threats using that technique.

So in the end… was he to die because of it?

How did Gojo Satoshi achieve this? How could the fusion of a Cursed Object and a Cursed Tool forge such a mysterious Zanpakutō?

Even after watching the entire process, he still couldn't grasp the principles behind forging this blade.

He finally understood why Gojo Satoshi had been so calm, even allowing him to observe up close.

Feeling the cold stare of Gojo Kumaen beside him, Kamo Shin knew, his fate was already sealed.

…

Kumaen pressed his lips together. In his heart, he was both shaken by the flame-like sword and quietly pleased at Kamo Shin's inevitable downfall.

Forging Ryūjin Jakka had been extremely difficult, but its terrifying capabilities more than justified Gojo Satoshi's years of effort.

In truth, Gojo Kumaen even harbored a heretical thought.

That Gojo Satoshi's Ryūjin Jakka might be even more outrageous and rare than the Gojo clan's Six Eyes.

Before Ryūjin Jakka's creation, he had thought that Gojo Satoshi's success in forging a Zanpakutō was due largely to his possession of the Six Eyes.

But now, standing before the pressure of Ryūjin Jakka, those thoughts vanished.

No matter how rare the Six Eyes were, how could they give birth to something more powerful than this?

The true root of everything was Gojo Satoshi himself.

The Gojo family was born blessed, all because of him.

Because of Gojo Satoshi's existence, the Zanpakutō came into the world. Whether he had the Six Eyes or not, the blade would still have been born in his hands.

Satoshi was destined to become a world-changer.

And if the Gojo family wanted to reap the greatest rewards in the future, they needed only to follow Gojo Satoshi's lead.

At this moment, Kumaen solidified his belief.

He would not stand in Gojo Satoshi's way, he would lead the Gojo family and become his strongest supporter.

As for Gojo Satoru… all he could do was sigh inwardly.

Compared to Gojo Satoru, it was clear that Gojo Satoshi was the one most suited to lead the Gojo family.

This traditionalist had completely overturned the beliefs Gojo Kumaen once held.

Cursed Energy?

In front of Gojo Satoshi's Ryūjin Jakka, and faced with Zenin's overwhelming physical prowess, Cursed Energy was nothing more than a gift the heavens gave to the mediocre.

People like them could only barely glimpse Gojo Satoshi's true strength with the aid of Cursed Techniques.

As for Kamo Shin, who stood against the tide, in Gojo Kumaen's eyes.

He was already a dead man.

…

Before Ryūjin Jakka, Satoru, Toji, and Shunichi all tightened their grips on their own Zanpakutō.

Just like the blade in Yagyū Saemon's hand, all three of their Zanpakutō were trembling ever so slightly.

The Zanpakutō are afraid!

The three of them exchanged glances, seeing the shock mirrored in each other's eyes.

They had known that the Zanpakutō forged by Gojo Satoshi was powerful but never imagined that it would induce fear in their own Zanpakutō.

"All things in the world return to ashes!"

Satoru murmured Ryūjin Jakka's release phrase. Even the words of its Shikai exuded overwhelming dominance.

Toji continued to calm Katen Kyōkotsu, his expression gradually returning to composure.

Satoshi had already surprised him time and time again. He knew there would be more about Satoshi he couldn't comprehend in the future.

But he didn't mind.

They were friends, weren't they? Even with the age gap, they both bore the weight of Heavenly Restriction they could understand each other.

Shunichi's eyes, filled with unwavering trust, remained fixed on Satoshi.

He knew that Satoshi would never let him down.

In his heart, only a Zanpakutō as powerful as Ryūjin Jakka was worthy of someone like Satoshi.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 117: Kamo’s True Ending

Outside the Gojo family mansion.

A woman holding a pink paper umbrella quietly observed the pillar of fire piercing the night sky. She gently touched the suture across her forehead.

"Zanpakutō, huh?"

"I didn't expect it to wield such powerful strength."

"This generation of the Gojo clan is frighteningly talented."

Kaori smiled faintly, speaking to herself.

She could sense the immense potential of the Zanpakutō, but she also understood clearly—Gojo Satoshi, in his current state, couldn't yet unleash the weapon's full power.

"Gojo Satoshi, the one who forged the Zanpakutō... can you really keep it for yourself?"

"I like this Zanpakutō very much. Why don't you give it to me?"

A seductive smile spread across Kaori's delicate face. It wasn't as if she hadn't killed a Six Eyes user before.

Originally, she hadn't cared much for the Gojo twins of this generation. But now, Gojo Satoshi might just be worth her attention.

If she could obtain this brand-new Zanpakutō, her future plans would become significantly easier to execute.

…

Inside the forge.

Satoshi ran his hand along the still-hot blade, his heart brimming with satisfaction.

I almost gave up, he thought. But in the end, Ryūjin Jakka was successfully forged.

Obtaining Shōso by accident was the critical turning point.

He should probably thank Kamo Shin for that final provocation.

If he hadn't been so bold with his declaration, he might never have connected the dots to the yakisugi technique.

Gojo Satoshi gently swung the blade. The towering pillar of fire slowly receded, eventually getting fully absorbed into Ryūjin Jakka.

The heat hanging in the air began to dissipate.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully forging the Zanpakutō: Ryūjin Jakka.]

The system's notification confirmed the birth of Ryūjin Jakka. On the system's Zanpakutō panel, the blade now appeared in the display list.

[Zanpakutō: Sode no Shirayuki (Owner: Gojo Satoshi) (Borrower: None)]
[Zanpakutō: Suzumushi (Owner: Gojo Satoshi) (Borrower: Gojo Shunichi)]
[Zanpakutō: Senbonzakura (Owner: Gojo Satoshi) (Borrower: Gojo Satoru)]
[Zanpakutō: Katen Kyōkotsu (Owner: Gojo Satoshi) (Borrower: Zenin Toji)]
[Zanpakutō: Nejibana (Owner: Gojo Satoshi) (Borrower: Yagyū Saemon)]
[Zanpakutō: Ryūjin Jakka (Owner: Gojo Satoshi) (Borrower: None)]

From this moment on, Gojo Satoshi possessed two Zanpakutō for himself, one ice, one fire.

Sode no Shirayuki and Ryūjin Jakka.

These two blades were more than enough for the current Satoshi.

After all, biting off more than he could chew would only hinder him.

He hadn't even completed the Bankai of Sode no Shirayuki yet, and it would take even longer for Ryūjin Jakka to reach its Zanka no Tachi state.

Moving forward, Satoshi no longer planned to actively pursue forging new Zanpakutō.

His approach would be more casual.

After all, sword borrowers must be chosen with care. Lending a Zanpakutō recklessly would be nothing short of blasphemy toward the blade itself.

…

Satoshi approached Kamo Shin, Ryūjin Jakka in hand.

"Looks like I won the bet between us."

The absent-minded Kamo Shin slowly returned to himself.

At that moment, he looked years older, his energy completely drained.

He had considered going back on the bet, but that idea vanished as quickly as it came.

Right now, the Kamo family wasn't even in the same league as the Gojo clan.

Compared to the flourishing Gojo family, the Kamo clan was clearly in decline.

If his attempt to assassinate Gojo Satoshi was ever exposed, the consequences would be devastating to the Kamo family's already fragile reputation.

That was something he, who had dedicated his life to the clan's revival, could not allow.

Moreover, all the leverage was in Gojo Satoshi's hands now. Kamo Shin understood that this "bet" was no longer anything more than a charitable formality granted by Satoshi.

"I understand."

Kamo Shin's hoarse voice echoed inside the forge.

He cast one last look at the Zanpakutō that had determined his fate, then opened his mouth with difficulty to ask one final question.

"What's the name of that technique?"

Sensing Kamo's sincere curiosity, Gojo Satoshi chose to fulfill the dying man's last wish.

"Flowing Blade-like Flame."

Kamo Shin nodded. In this moment, he was simply a blacksmith.

The forging process he had witnessed from Gojo Satoshi was no longer mere craftsmanship—it was a miracle.

"Flowing Blade-like Flame... what a brilliant technique."

He turned and looked at Gojo Takuya.

"Takuya, the future of the Association will be in your hands. I hope that under your and Gojo Satoshi's leadership, th Jujutsu Blacksmith Association will flourish."

From the moment the first Zanpakutō appeared, he had tried everything to suppress it, knowing it would disrupt the Cursed Tool world's structure.

Now, he understood—he had merely tried to shake a giant tree.

The moment Zanpakutō entered this world, it was destined to leave an indelible mark on the jujutsu world.

This was the trend of the times. If he couldn't understand that, he would only be crushed beneath the wheels of change.

"Grandmaster, you…"

Takuya didn't know about the bet between Gojo Satoshi and Kamo Shin, nor was he aware of Kamo's prior actions.

So, he couldn't understand why Kamo would suddenly entrust him with such responsibility.

But Kamo Shin didn't say another word. He simply dragged his aging body out of the forge and left the Gojo residence step by step.

He was the head blacksmith of the Kamo family, the clan's elder.

His death had to be untainted by disgrace.

It was the only way to preserve what remained of the Kamo family's reputation…

"Satoshi, what's going on with Grandmaster Kamo? What did he mean just now?"

Gojo Takuya frowned. Something felt off about Kamo today.

"Takuya, don't worry. Grandmaster Kamo entrusted the Association to you, so you'll have to bear that responsibility."

Gojo Kumaen patted Takuya on the shoulder.

He knew this was Kamo Shin's final gesture of goodwill toward the Gojo family, a trade before death.

In exchange for sparing the Kamo family, he handed over the fully formed Jujutsu Blacksmith Association.

Kumaen was willing to accept this offer. After all, gaining control over the entire Association was a major opportunity.

It would allow the Gojo family's influence in the jujutsu world to expand even further.

As long as Kamo Shin honored their agreement, the conflict between the Gojo and Kamo clans would end here.

This was exactly what both sides hoped for.

(To be continued.)