"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.)
***
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