Zen'in Clan – Meeting Hall
The air was tense. The Zen'in clan elders were gathered in their usual deliberation chamber, sitting in a circle around a table carved with lineage emblems.
"It's already confirmed," a servant announced upon entering. "The spirit was of higher rank one. Almost special. It was hunted without outside support."
The silence was total. The elders exchanged glances.
"Alone?" said one of them, Kaien, a man with white hair and a face carved by age. "Didn't he receive a single assist technique?"
"None. He only used his domain and his new technique... time-jumping."
A murmur swept through the room like a cold wind. Kaien frowned.
"We are cultivating a weapon... no, something more dangerous. An anomaly that no longer abides by our rules."
"But also a hope," Ogi Zen'in replied calmly, sipping tea without looking up. "Satoru Gojo is alone out there, and that boy... if he continues like this, he'll be the only piece we can put on that board."
"At what price, Ogi?" an elderly woman replied, closing her fan with a dry click. "Didn't you see him coming? Covered in blood, smiling as if he enjoyed the pain. That's not discipline. It's insanity."
"Or it's evolution," Ogi retorted. "Sometimes what the clan needs isn't a leader, but an enforcer. A monster with a noble name."
In the halls of the Zen'in Clan
Several servants whispered as they watched the sealed box containing the cursed spirit's head pass by. Naoya's aura, even though wounded, was so heavy that it was hard to breathe near him.
"Did you see what he did?" one whispered. "Everyone says so. He didn't use any auxiliary barrier techniques." He did it alone. And his domain worked perfectly.
"And I heard he withstood an ambush from behind. He was nearly killed… and yet it still destroyed him."
In a corner, a young clan apprentice, Ryoma, watched silently as Naoya walked down the hallway with bandages on his abdomen. His expression wasn't one of respect… but fear.
"How do you compete against someone like that?" he thought. "He trains us, beats us, tells us we're trash… but every day I believe him more. Maybe… maybe we really are."
Kamo Clan – Private Residence
Noritoshi Kamo flipped through a report with a serious expression. His mother, standing behind him, spoke bluntly.
"He's no longer just an arrogant child. He's established himself. With that temporary technique and that domain, his growth is exponential."
"He's stained with blood, Mother," Noritoshi retorted. "He doesn't reason like a leader. He lacks self-control."
"Nor did Toji Fushiguro, and yet the world still trembles when his name is mentioned. This boy... he's casting an equally large shadow."
Gojo Clan – Private Room
Satoru Gojo was reading the same report, though less formally. He was leaning back on a sofa, holding a drink in one hand and the scroll in the other.
"Naoya Zen'in, uh... killed a quasi-special spirit at age 14. And they say he used something like a time jump..." He smiled arrogantly, but his gaze shone with alertness. "Interesting. Very interesting."
He was silent for a few seconds.
"I'll have to start looking at that side of the board too. Not out of fear. Just out of caution."
Then he laughed to himself.
"Though if he ever decides to mess with me... Time Cell Moon Palace won't do him any good."
Independent Sorcerers – Shikoku Region
Two mid-rank exorcists were sitting around a campfire. One of them was talking excitedly.
"That's right! Naobito Zen'in's grandson. He killed a higher-ranking person like it was nothing. He almost died, but he came back with his head! Literally!"
"I've heard it, yes," the other sorcerer lit his pipe. "And also that his mastery warps time. Some say he inherited part of Toji's soul, although that doesn't make sense."
"What if he goes for more? If at 14 he's already killing quasi-specials... what will happen in four or five years?"
"The clan balance will change. And we'd better not be enemies of the Zen'in when that happens."
Zen'in Clan – Naoya's Recovery Room
The young man lay prone. His torso was bandaged, but his face had the same confident expression as always. In his hand, he held a paper with several seals of approval from the Sorcery Commission. Official recognition for his feat.
"Almost special... but not enough to kill me," he muttered.
He laughed to himself. Slowly, painfully, he sat up. A maid tried to stop him.
"Lord Naoya, please, your injuries..."
"Injuries?" He looked at her with contempt. "The only thing hurt here was the ego of a cursed spirit who thought he could defeat me."
He stood up, ignoring the pain. He walked to the window. From there, he could see several young men of the clan training in the courtyard.
"They look at me differently now," he thought. "Not as the heir anymore. They see me as something more. Something to fear. Perfect."
His smile widened.
"And this is just the beginning."