Chapter 8: Unpretentious

Clang—

Gojo Kensei's hammer slipped from his hand, the sharp sound of metal striking the ground finally snapping Gojo Takaya out of his state of utter shock.

"Kensei, be careful!"

In a flash, Takaya moved to catch Kensei, who nearly collapsed onto the ground. He carefully placed the boy onto a nearby bed, his face filled with concern as he looked at his pale and exhausted apprentice.

A hint of heartache flickered in Takaya's eyes, and in that moment, he made a firm decision—

Kensei was far too young. He could not allow him to push his body to the limit just for the sake of forging cursed tools.

A six-year-old blacksmith capable of crafting cursed tools would no doubt shake the entire jujutsu world. However, Takaya had no desire for Kensei to gain fame through this.

After all, Kensei possessed the Six Eyes—his path was not meant to be that of a mere cursed tool forger.

For some reason, from the very first moment he had laid eyes on Kensei, Takaya had felt an unshakable certainty—this boy was destined to leave an indelible mark on the world of jujutsu.

After ensuring that Kensei was properly settled, Takaya turned his gaze back to the weapon the boy had just forged.

The moment his eyes landed on the blade, Takaya's expression froze.

— What's going on? Who switched the weapon? This isn't how it looked before!

— Just moments ago, when it was completed, this blade radiated an icy chill and was completely white… but now, it looks like an ordinary katana?

Confusion filled Takaya's mind.

Though he was not the most powerful sorcerer, he was still a jujutsu practitioner. There was no way someone could have silently replaced the weapon right under his nose.

That meant there was only one possibility—this seemingly ordinary katana was the very same weapon Kensei had forged.

— Could it be… that the white blade I saw earlier was just an illusion?

— No… that doesn't make sense. I haven't eaten anything strange today, so why would I be hallucinating?

For a blacksmith, keen eyesight was a fundamental skill.

If this had not happened right before his very eyes, Takaya would never have believed that he had simply "seen wrong."

"So, what exactly is the ability of this cursed tool?"

"Does it have an ice-based power like Yoru-Koori?"

Takaya picked up Sode no Shirayuki, his gaze tracing every detail of the blade, the guard, and the hilt.

At the same time, he attempted to channel what little cursed energy he had into the weapon.

But nothing happened.

Sode no Shirayuki gave no response whatsoever.

"Did I get it wrong? Was Kensei not forging a cursed tool, but just an ordinary weapon?"

"But… why would an ordinary weapon require a cursed tool as a material?"

"During the forging process, I clearly felt an immense power hidden within this blade…"

Takaya shook his head, utterly bewildered.

He was certain—this was no ordinary weapon. It was a cursed tool. The only explanation was that his own limited cursed energy was insufficient to activate it.

"It seems the secret behind this cursed tool… is something I'll have to ask Kensei about once he wakes up."

Takaya carefully prepared to store Sode no Shirayuki, but just as he was about to put it away—

The forge's door suddenly swung open.

"Gojo Shunichi, what are you doing here?"

Takaya's expression darkened the moment he saw the newcomer. His voice carried a distinct edge of displeasure.

Shun'ichi's attitude toward Kensei was no secret within the Gojo Clan.

If he was here now, it could only mean trouble.

"Oh? What's this?" Shunichi sneered. "Master Takaya doesn't seem very pleased to see me."

His tone carried a hint of disdain as he deliberately emphasized the word "Master," making it sound less like respect and more like mockery.

As a Grade 2 sorcerer and a master swordsman, Shunichi's status within the Gojo Clan far surpassed that of a mere cursed tool forger like Takaya.

He didn't care for Takaya's opinion in the slightest.

Ignoring the tension in the room, Shunichi strode into the forge, casually surveying his surroundings.

When his gaze landed on Kensei, who lay unconscious on the bed, a flicker of contempt crossed his face.

— A fake Six Eyes trying to compete with the real one?

— There are people out there with even greater talent who work even harder. What gives you the right to stand on the same level as Lord Satoru?

— Lord Satoru is the true heir of the Gojo Clan. He alone possesses the true Celestial Vision. Your very existence is nothing but an obstacle to his future.

Shunichi's disdain for Kensei was evident, and he made no attempt to hide it.

Two boys, identical in appearance, yet Shunichi's attitude toward them couldn't be more different.

The reason was obvious—their cursed energy.

While Kensei bore the Six Eyes, he lacked the immense reserves of cursed energy that defined the true successor of the Gojo Clan.

"Enough, Shunichi! What do you want?"

Takaya's patience had worn thin. His voice grew sharp, his expression grim.

This was his forge.

Even if jujutsu sorcerers held a higher status in the Gojo Clan, that did not give Shunichi the right to act so disrespectfully.

Takaya was still the Gojo Clan's only cursed tool master.

Shunichi finally shifted his gaze away from Kensei and instead focused on Sode no Shirayuki, which rested in Takaya's hands.

"I just finished interrogating the assassin."

"I heard that he had a Grade 1 cursed tool on him, and that you took possession of it."

"I'm here to collect it."

"That weapon is classified as a murder weapon and must be placed under the Gojo Clan's official vault. Master Takaya, hand over the Grade 1 cursed tool."

So that was his true motive.

He had come for Yoru-Koori.

A Grade 1 cursed tool was a rare existence even within the jujutsu world.

Previously, Shunichi had been furious at the assassin's failure. But when he heard that the assassin had also "gifted" them a Grade 1 cursed tool, his mood had improved considerably.

— A failed assassin who delivers high-grade weapons instead? Sounds more like a generous benefactor to me.

— If that's the case, by all means—send more assassins. Bring us more cursed tools!

"Grade 1 cursed tool?!"

Takaya stiffened, instinctively shifting Sode no Shirayuki behind his back.

But Yoru-Koori was gone. It no longer existed in this world.

And the weapon in his hands—Sode no Shirayuki—was Kensei's first-ever forged cursed tool.

No matter what rank it would eventually be classified as, Takaya refused to let Shunichi take it.

However, as a seasoned Grade 2 sorcerer, Shunichi immediately caught onto Takaya's hesitation.

Before Takaya could react, Shunichi vanished—

And reappeared behind him in an instant.

With a swift motion, he snatched Sode no Shirayuki from Takaya's hands.

"So this is the weapon?"

Shunichi turned it over in his hands, inspecting it closely.

A flicker of disappointment crossed his face.

"Hmph. For a Grade 1 cursed tool, it sure looks… painfully ordinary."

.......

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