"Hey, old man," Megumi broke the heavy silence, scratching his ear casually. "Before we actually get into this... I have a quick question for you."
Naobito grunted, keeping his knees bent and his body primed for high-speed movement. "What?"
"Do you want to fight this big guy?" Megumi pointed a thumb back at the ten-foot-tall, divine-general leviathan towering behind him. "Or do you want to fight me directly? Fair warning: I have a second innate technique."
Silence hit the training grounds like a ton of bricks.
A second innate technique?!
Naobito's brain literally stalled for a second. In the entire multi-millennium history of Jujutsu society, being born with two completely separate innate techniques was practically unheard of. Sure, there were rare historical records of sorcerers acquiring additional techniques later in life through cursed objects or strange brain alterations, but inheriting two distinct techniques from birth? It was impossible!
So that's how he tamed Mahoraga! Naobito thought, his mind racing at a million miles an hour. He must have used his second technique to bypass Mahoraga's adaptation or weaken it! It must be an absurd, god-tier technique!
Standing across from the six-year-old, Naobito began furiously calculating his options like a grandmaster playing speed chess.
Wait a minute... this brat is setting a political trap for me! Naobito realized, a bead of cold sweat forming near his hairline.
He analyzed the two choices presented to him:
Option A: Fight Mahoraga. The Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General was an untameable, mythical nightmare. If Naobito fought Mahoraga and lost, no one in Jujutsu society would laugh at him. Losing to Mahoraga was standard procedure! But if Mahoraga went full blast, Naobito might actually die right here on the dirt."
Option B: Fight six-year-old Megumi directly. If Naobito fought a six-year-old kid directly and lost, his reputation as Clan Head would be instantly incinerated. But Megumi's prestige? It would shoot past the damn stratosphere! A six-year-old kid defeating the fastest sorcerer in the Zenin clan with his own hands?!
This little monster... Naobito glared at Megumi's totally bored expression. He's giving me a choice between my life and my dignity! If I choose Mahoraga, he won't hold back and I'll end up dead so no one can oppose his rule. If I choose to fight him directly, he'll likely spare my life in exchange for stepping on my head to build his own unstoppable legend!
Naobito loved his sake, and he loved his high frame rates, but above all else, he liked being alive. Who in their right mind would choose to die if they could live?
Meanwhile, inside Megumi's head...
Why is this old man staring at me like I just asked him to solve a calculus equation with his mouth? Megumi thought, rolling his eyes internally.
Megumi didn't give a shit about political traps, reputation, or what a bunch of random Zenin NPCs thought of him. He literally just wanted to test his newly acquired Osmosian absorption powers in a real fight!
And as for losing?
Lose? How the hell could I lose? Megumi snorted in his mind. Even if this old guy somehow overpowers me with his speed, I'll just instantly summon Mahoraga again to jump him! What, is it dishonorable? Please. Summoning Mahoraga the second things get inconvenient is the sacred heritage of the Ten Shadows! How could I disrespect my roots?!
Naobito let out a long, heavy breath, settling into a firm combat stance.
"Alright, brat. I'll fight you directly," Naobito grunted, his bloodshot eyes locking onto Megumi. "Let me test what this power of yours can actually do!"
"Cool," Megumi shrugged.
Naobito, adopting a rare, stern tone of an experienced elder instructing a junior, added, "You know... in the jujutsu world, there's a fundamental Binding Vow known as 'Revealing One's Cards.' By explaining the mechanics of your cursed technique to your opponent, the vow automatically boosts your technique's output and overall effectiveness."
He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Of course... if your technique relies heavily on the element of surprise, keep your mouth shut. A smart sorcerer knows when to hold his tongue."
Whatever the outcome of today's fight was, Naobito knew in his heart that Megumi's strength and talent were undeniable. If not today, the kid was destined to lead the Zenin clan eventually. Teaching him basic sorcery logic was the least he could do as the current leader.
Megumi smirked. "There's really nothing secret to hide. My second technique is ridiculously simple... I absorb stuff."
Reaching into his small jacket pocket, Megumi pulled out a thin, sleek sheet of black material—pure, high-density Graphene.
He pressed his thumb flat against the surface.
SWIRL!
A subtle, dark metallic ripple washed over Megumi's skin. In a fraction of a second, his fair complexion shifted into a dull, matte-gray carbon-lattice shade, granting his skin the insane tensile strength and impact resistance of pure Graphene.
"Like this," Megumi said casually.
Before Naobito or the surrounding crowd could even process why the kid's skin had suddenly turned into armor plating, Megumi turned around and laid his hand flat against Mahoraga's massive leg.
BOOM!
A heavy, suffocating wave of divine power surged out of the monster and poured directly into Megumi's small body. Megumi's physical frame tightened, his eyes glowing with a faint, golden celestial light as he absorbed a chunk of Mahoraga's baseline brute strength and physical durability!
With a light wave of his hand, Megumi dismissed the giant shikigami. "Thanks, big guy. Take a break."
Mahoraga melted back into the dark shadows.
"H-He... HE ABSORBED MAHORAGA'S POWER?!" a Zenin elder in the stands shrieked, clutching his heart like he was having a stroke. "IS THAT EVEN LEGAL?!"
Megumi wasn't even close to finished.
He slammed his small hands together, forming a new hand sign.
"Piercing Ox."
MOOOO!
A massive, heavily armored shadow bull materialized beside him with a snort of dark mist. Megumi slapped the bull's flank, instantly absorbing its unique concept: Linear Acceleration. The longer he moved in a straight line, the exponentially stronger and faster his physical impacts would become.
The Ox dissolved back into shadow.
Without missing a beat, Megumi formed another hand sign.
"Rabbit Escape."
POOF!
A rustling wave of hundreds of small, cute white shadow rabbits burst out around his boots. Megumi tapped one of the rabbits with his foot, absorbing their core traits: replication.
The swarm of rabbits vanished.
"Alright, old man," Megumi said, locking eyes with Naobito. "I'm ready. Let's start."
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