Chapter 37: Cut Them All Down? How to Compete Without Weapons? (BONUS)

The kendo match should have already started. I wonder who's stronger, the kendo master of the Yagyū family or the kendo master of the Gojo family?

I hope the fight lasts longer so I can reap more benefits.

Satoshi felt the system notifications flooding in, and the joy of gaining something for nothing filled his heart. He quickly switched his perspective to Suzumushi's, and the image of the Gojo family dojo appeared clearly before his eyes.

However, what surprised him was the complete silence inside the dojo.

Standing right in front of him, a sturdy middle-aged man in a kimono was staring at "him" in shock, his eyes filled with disbelief.

At the man's feet, a katana lay broken in two, looking utterly pitiful.

"What... what just happened? Your sword—"

Yagyū Saemon pointed at the Suzumushi in Shunichi's hand, his voice faltering.

The katana he wielded wasn't an ordinary weapon, it was a cursed tool. Yet after just ten exchanges, it had been cut cleanly in half by the blade in Shunichi's hand.

This was the first time Saemon had ever encountered such a thing.

Looking at the shattered remains of his weapon, a trace of pain flickered in Saemon's eyes. To a kendo master, their sword was more than just a tool, it was a trusted companion.

No true swordsman would willingly part with their weapon.

And yet, the sword he had relied on for so long renowned for its durability had been severed so effortlessly by Gojo Shunichi. Even more unbelievable was that Suzumushi showed no signs of damage, not even a single dent or bend in the blade.

This was completely beyond his expectations.

Nearby, Kumaen and Yagyū Yusuke, who had been watching the match, were just as shocked.

They had expected a fierce and evenly matched duel between two top-tier swordsmen. Instead, the fight had barely begun when Saemon's weapon was already destroyed.

As the duel momentarily paused, the Yagyū family's disciples hurried to offer replacement weapons to Saemon.

During this brief respite, Shunichi found himself deeply shaken by Suzumushi's power.

So this is the true strength of a Zanpakutō...?

Thinking back to his previous bet with Satoshi, where he had clashed dozens of times against Satoshi's Sode no Shirayuki with his Cicada's Cry, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

If Satoshi's strength had been on par with mine back then, wouldn't my Cicada's Cry have been completely destroyed by Sode no Shirayuki?

As Saemon struggled to wield an unfamiliar weapon, a hint of sympathy flashed through Shunichi's eyes.

At the same time, for the first time in this kendo duel, where he had initially felt uncertain, he began to feel a spark of confidence.

Even though he hadn't made any special preparations, the unexpected power of Suzumushi had essentially made him unbeatable.

…

Five minutes later.

With all the Yagyū family's weapons broken by Suzumushi, a hint of awkwardness appeared on Shunichi's face.

At this moment, not only was Saemon fuming in frustration, but even Yusuke, who had been observing the duel, had an expression as dark as coal.

This is ridiculous.

What the hell is going on? Samurai swords are expensive, damn it! Is this still a kendo match, or is it just a contest of weapon durability? What material is Gojo Shunichi's sword even made of? Why is it so absurdly strong?

Yusuke shot a glance at Gojo Kumaen, suspicion flickering in his eyes.

If the Yagyū family hadn't been the ones to initiate this match, he would have seriously suspected that this was some elaborate trap set up by that cunning old fox, Gojo Kumaen.

Yet, even as Yusuke started questioning things, Kumaen himself was equally surprised.

As the leader of the Twin Curse Faction, he was privy to all the important information about the people in his faction.

He knew for a fact that the weapon Shunichi was wielding wasn't his usual blade, Cicada's Cry, but an entirely new one—far superior to Cicada's Cry.

Thinking back to how Shunichi had spent nearly a month locked away in the forge, Kumaen couldn't help but entertain a wild thought.

Could this be… a Zanpakutō?

Kumaen furrowed his brows, but he quickly shook his head, forcefully suppressing the idea.

Impossible! Satoshi spent an enormous amount of time and resources trying to forge a cursed tool like this, yet he never succeeded. There's no way he could have randomly forged one now.

Besides, even if he did manage to forge a Zanpakutō, why would Satoshi give such a valuable weapon to Shunichi? If something this powerful was unveiled, it would attract an enormous amount of resources. It would make far more sense to keep it for himself rather than handing it over to someone like Shunichi.

Is Satoshi really that generous? Does he not realize that Shunichi is part of the Twin Curse Faction? That's impossible. They've had conflicts before.

Putting himself in Satoshi's shoes, Kumaen found it unthinkable that he would willingly hand over such a weapon.

Even though Shunichi's stance toward the faction had wavered in recent times, he had once been a staunch opponent of Satoshi.

Under those circumstances, anyone with common sense would still hold some level of distrust.

If it were him, Kumaen would never do something so reckless.

Which meant… perhaps Cicada's Cry had been destroyed by Satoshi, and Takuya, out of guilt, had reforged a new weapon for Shunichi?

People believe what they want to believe.

Even when faced with reality, their biases often blind them to the truth.

…

This level of power…

Toji smirked.

Gojo Satoshi, huh? When I return to the Zenin Clan, I should really help him find some cursed tools that match his needs.

Since he's capable of setting such precise forging requirements, it seems like he's already discovered the exact method for crafting Zanpakutō.

Toji's lips curled slightly. He was eager to see what kind of Zanpakutō Satoshi would be able to forge once he obtained the necessary materials.

Just Suzumushi alone was enough to allow a swordsman to completely dominate others in terms of weapon quality and that was without even factoring in Suzumushi's special abilities.

If Gojo Shunichi could truly master Suzumushi's power, he might even break through from a Grade 2 sorcerer to a Grade 1.

That would certainly shake up the power dynamics within the Gojo family.

Toji glanced at Kumaen beside him and shook his head slightly.

Your thinking is outdated. You don't understand the significance of a Zanpakutō.

With weapons like these, who would still dare to call Satoshi useless?

These arrogant old men will eventually pay the price for underestimating him.

A gleam of anticipation flashed in Toji's eyes as he imagined the future.

He was looking forward to the day Satoshi took control of the Gojo family, just to see the looks on the faces of these so-called elders when that day finally arrived.

And when that moment came…

Toji's smile widened.

He couldn't wait.