Chapter 84: Too Ugly, I Don’t Want It

Satoshi didn't think too much about choosing the Inverted Spear of Heaven, nor did he ever consider keeping it for himself.

The reason he picked it was simple, this cursed tool was supposed to belong to Toji. Seeing it in someone else's hands just felt... wrong.

In Satoshi's opinion, only Toji, himself, or a perfected version of Zenin Maki in the future were qualified to wield such a special-grade cursed tool.

The Inverted Spear of Heaven, combined with a Heavenly Restriction-enhanced body, was the ultimate combination—like instant noodles and sausage, a perfect match.

Even though he didn't need it now, it was only right for him to hand it over to Toji as his exclusive weapon.

As for materials to forge future Zanpakutō? There would be plenty of opportunities later.

---

"Toji, take this. The Inverted Spear of Heaven is yours."

Satoshi casually tossed the oddly shaped weapon toward Toji.

To his surprise, the moment Toji caught it, his expression twisted with something close to disgust.

"This thing is ugly. I don't want it."

Satoshi was so shocked he nearly choked. What the hell?!

Wasn't the Zenin Toji he knew someone who prioritized practicality over everything? When did he start caring about aesthetics?!

A mental image of Satoru instantly popped into Satoshi's mind. Was the influence of his brother on him really this strong?

He had only been around Toji for half a month, yet Satoru had already managed to turn this battle-hardened straight-edged warrior into someone who rejected a weapon just because it was ugly?!

Terrifying.

Satoshi shuddered, glanced at Toji holding the Inverted Spear of Heaven, and shook his head.

"Oh, come on. If you look at it a few more times, it's not that bad. Ugly yet cool—ugly yet cool."

But... yeah, I get it. The size is a bit much. Unlike a katana, this thing is pretty conspicuous when carried around.

Honestly, both Toji and I need to find a cursed spirit that can store items. That way, we won't attract too much attention when carrying weapons in public.

Satoshi turned the black short blade in his hand, lost in thought.

Actually, I might need this type of cursed spirit even more than Toji. The more Zanpakutō I forge in the future, the more space I'll need to store them.

Damn, it'd be great if I had a cursed spirit like Rika. I don't want Toji's storage-type cursed spirit—too ugly.

In the original story, during the Culling Game, Rika had demonstrated her ability to store weapons in an armory-like fashion.

Letting Yuta reach into her belly and select a weapon looked way cooler than Toji or Geto Suguru pulling cursed tools out of some grotesque storage cursed spirit's mouth.

Spending too much time with Satoru really does make you care about style.

I mean, given the choice, who wouldn't prefer driving a Ferrari (Rika) over some beat-up, secondhand compact car (a storage cursed spirit)?

Now, staring at Toji's disgusted expression, Satoshi felt a headache coming on.

With a sigh, Satoshi tried again.

"Fine. Once I finish forging your Zanpakutō, you can swap it out. Until then, just use the Inverted Spear of Heaven."

"I don't need it. My fists are enough," Toji replied firmly.

Satoshi had to admit, he had a point. Giving Toji the Inverted Spear of Heaven right now was like giving wings to a tiger.

The guy was already the worst nightmare for sorcerers. The true significance of this weapon wouldn't come into play until his inevitable battle against Gojo Satoru in the future.

Before Satoru, was there really anyone out there who could force Toji to use this weapon?

Probably not.

Forget it.

"Alright, alright. If you don't want it, then don't take it. No need to act all dramatic about it," Satoshi muttered. "You just want to pressure me into forging your Zanpakutō faster, huh? I get it."

"At least hold onto the Inverted Spear of Heaven for now. You don't expect a six-year-old to carry something that huge, do you?"

"Let's head back to the Gojo clan."

Satoshi gave up on convincing Toji and decided to leave things as they were.

If Toji refused to use his signature weapon in this worldline, then so be it.

The Zanpakutō Satoshi would forge for him would become his new signature weapon instead.

---

Meanwhile, at the Gojo Clan.

Ieiri Inamichi, who had previously sent Shoko to the Gojo family under the pretense of a mission, now stood before the clan head.

His goal was to use Reverse Cursed Technique to extract a cursed object that had fused with Gojo Kotetsu's body.

This incident involving the cursed spirit's secret attack had drawn the full attention of the Gojo family.

They planned to analyze the cursed object to determine the identity of the culprit.

The Gojo clan suspected it was the work of a Curse User, only someone like that would be bold enough to use a human as a vessel for a cursed object.

Gojo Kotetsu was a promising talent of the Gojo family. His transformation into a cursed creature was unacceptable.

If the culprit wasn't found, would the younger generation of the Gojo clan continue to be targeted? Would Gojo Satoshi become the next victim?

The clan head refused to accept such a possibility.

As long as they could extract the cursed object, they might be able to uncover clues about the perpetrator.

After half an hour, Ieiri Inamichi, drenched in sweat, finally completed the procedure.

In his hands, he held a container filled with a grotesque, flesh-like mass.

"Phew…"

He exhaled deeply, offering the clan head a pale smile.

"Mission accomplished."

All eyes focused on the container.

If not for Inamichi's confirmation that it was a cursed object, they might have mistaken it for a part of Gojo Kotetsu's body.

The clan head studied it closely, his expression suddenly shifting.

Something about it looked familiar…

Yes. He had seen something like this before, stored deep within Jujutsu High's restricted vault.

Although the containment vessel was different, the cursed object inside was nearly identical to what he had seen back then.

A special-grade cursed object and next to it had been Master Tengen's Palace.

Could someone have stolen that sinister artifact right under Tengen's nose?

If Jujutsu High's Treasury had truly been raided, there was no way they would have stayed silent about it.

Doubt crept into the clan head's mind. Could there be an inside job at Jujutsu High?

Or… was the entity that attacked Gojo Kotetsu not a Curse User, but another sorcerer family within the higher-ups?

Otherwise, how could this special-grade cursed object have ended up here?

One name surfaced in his thoughts.

The Kamo Clan.

His suspicions needed verification.

But for now, the most pressing task was to visit Jujutsu High's restricted archives and confirm whether the set of evil cursed objects was still intact.

(To be continued.)