Chapter 104: Trident

The next day, the three masters of the Yagyū family once again arrived at the Gojo estate in person to claim the Zanpakutō, Nejibana.

The Jujutsu world only knew that Gojo Satoshi had forged another Zanpakutō.

However, no one knew what abilities this blade possessed or just how powerful it truly was.

Three days later, the Jujutsu Organization released an official announcement:

Yagyū Saemon of the Yagyū family successfully eliminated three Grade 1 Cursed Spirits and was officially promoted to a Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer.

The entire Jujutsu world was shaken.

The Yagyū family now had two Grade 1 Sorcerers?!

And more shockingly, Yagyū Saemon had not even been a Jujutsu Sorcerer before this…

What was happening?!

Everyone quickly realized that the key to this development lay in the Zanpakutō that Yagyū Saemon had recently acquired.

After his promotion to Grade 1, Yagyū Saemon returned to express his gratitude, accompanied by Yagyū Hidetsugu.

Once again, they were welcomed into the Gojo clan's grand dojo.

And once again, it was Kumaen who hosted them.

However, unlike before, both sides were noticeably more relaxed this time.

"Congratulations, Master Saemon, on your successful promotion to Grade 1!"

"I must thank Lord Kumaen once again for being the bridge that made this possible."

The relationship between the two clans had grown increasingly harmonious, their interests now more aligned than ever.

However, despite the friendly atmosphere, both Yagyū Saemon and Yagyū Hidetsugu couldn't shake a certain unease.

When Yagyū Hidetsugu had accompanied Shunichi to his promotion assessment, Kumaen had seemed to make things deliberately difficult for Satoshi.

And yet now, as the representative of the Gojo clan, Kumaen looked completely unbothered.

Throughout the entire negotiation process, he had remained unnervingly composed.

Yagyū Hidetsugu and Yagyū Saemon exchanged a glance.

The inner workings of great clans were truly intricate…

But in the end, such matters had nothing to do with them.

As long as the Yagyū family continued to prosper, that was all that mattered.

After all, this time, the Yagyū family had been the clear winners of this transaction.

Even now, Saemon still found it difficult to believe the transformation he had undergone after unlocking Nejibana's Shikai…

If not for Nejibana, he never would have been able to defeat those three Grade 1 Cursed Spirits.

Satoshi and Satoru arrived late.

Yet, no one in the room dared to show any displeasure.

Both brothers were dressed in simple sportswear, having just returned from a training session at the Zenin estate.

After these past few days of intense practice, Satoshi could feel himself on the verge of breaking a limit.

He only needed the right opportunity to unlock Hohō.

However, he wasn't in a rush.

For now, he was more interested in observing how well the Yagyū family was utilizing Nejibana.

Through Nejibana's perspective, he had already witnessed Yagyū Saemon's strength firsthand.

At this point, Saemon was on par with Shunichi.

It was a rare opportunity to see two true kendo masters clash.

Satoshi made a casual suggestion:

"How about a match?"

Saemon and Shunichi met each other's gaze, and in that instant, sparks flew.

Saemon had not forgotten his previous defeat.

Now that he wielded a Zanpakutō on par with Shunichi's, he had every intention of settling the score.

Likewise, Shunichi refused to admit defeat.

That last match had caught him off guard.

If Satoshi hadn't forged Suzumushi for him that day, he would have been utterly humiliated!

This time, he would make sure Saemon understood what it meant to be one of the Four True Masters of Kendo.

Kumaen, watching from the sidelines, was full of doubt.

He kept glancing at Satoshi, completely unable to figure out his true intentions.

Of course, Kumaen didn't have the System.

He had no idea that Satoshi was merely using this match to push both sword wielders to their limits, hoping it would trigger a Bankai awakening.

At the same time, he would passively gain experience points.

A perfect win-win.

And since the duel wouldn't just be a kendo match, but a full-fledged battle between Zanpakutō users, the two fighters moved the battlefield to the Gojo estate's training grounds.

Had they stayed in the dojo, activating their Shikai would have reduced the entire structure to rubble.

"Satoshi, who do you think will win?"

Satoru nudged his brother, whispering with amusement.

"Uncle Shunichi," Satoshi answered without hesitation.

"Uncle Shunichi was already a Jujutsu Sorcerer before, so he's naturally more experienced with techniques."

Moreover, from Satoshi's perspective, Nejibana didn't hold any obvious advantages over Suzumushi.

In a real battle, it all depended on how the two wielders performed.

"I disagree," Satoru smirked. "Wanna bet?"

"If Shunichi wins, I owe you a favor. If not, you owe me one."

Satoshi glanced at his brother and saw that Satoru was clearly scheming something.

But he didn't overthink it and simply nodded.

It was a 50-50 matchup anyway.

Meanwhile, as the two chatted, Saemon and Shunichi had already exchanged multiple strikes.

The strength of their Zanpakutō allowed them to fight without holding back.

Hidetsugu and Kumaen observed in silence, knowing they were witnessing two of the strongest warriors from their respective clans.

Although the outcome wouldn't impact the standings of Yagyū Shinkage-ryu or Gojo Kyokushin-ryu, both sides still hoped for their champion to prevail.

While they watched with bated breath, Satoshi simply sat back, enjoying the show.

Meanwhile, system notifications kept ringing in his mind—

[During the battle of the sword borrowers, corresponding experience is being converted. Swordsmanship experience +1.]

[During the battle of the sword borrowers, corresponding experience is being converted. Swordsmanship experience +1.]

[During the battle of the sword borrowers, corresponding experience is being converted. Swordsmanship experience +1.]

No matter how small, every bit of experience mattered.

At this rate, he would gain at least one or two hundred points of kendo experience from this fight alone.

As the battle progressed, both warriors began to crave more than just a kendo match.

They locked eyes in mutual understanding.

Then, in perfect sync, they leaped backward and raised their Zanpakutō.

Their voices rang out:

"Cry, Suzumushi!"

"Rankle the seas and heavens, Nejibana!"

Two powerful forces erupted from their blades.

Both swords began to transform.

Suzumushi retained its general form.

But Nejibana.

It was no longer a katana.

Kumaen and Hidetsugu were a little surprised.

This was the first time either of them had seen Nejibana's Shikai.

They had never expected it to take such a form.

Saemon was no longer a swordsman.

He now wielded a trident.

(To be continued.)

***

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