Twins

Naobito appeared in front of Naoya in an instant, reaching for his hand—but Naoya dodged with a sharp pivot. Without hesitation, Naobito adjusted and delivered a swift, precise kick that sent Naoya flying backward, skidding across the cracked training ground.

But just as Naobito prepared to press his advantage, a sudden, searing pain shot through his side. His breath hitched, and his legs buckled as he dropped to one knee—a rare moment of vulnerability. His hand instinctively clutched his torso, fingers trembling slightly. His eyes widened in realization—at the exact moment their blows had connected, Naoya had slipped in a devastating punch to his liver.

It wasn't just luck. It was precise. Intentional. And it hurt like hell.

Naoya had never been able to pull off something like this against him before, but now, he was different. This was only possible because he had entered a state beyond his limits—a state known as the Zone.

3 seconds left.

Naobito let out a low chuckle despite the sharp pain radiating from his side. "You sneaky little…" he muttered, his voice laced with both irritation and amusement.

Before he could rise, Naoya appeared in front of him in an instant, faster than before—completely locked in, his focus razor-sharp. With all his might, he drove his fist straight into Naobito's face.

BOOM!

A shockwave burst from the impact, and for a split second, sparks of black energy crackled through the air, distorting space itself.

Naoya grinned, his breath heavy but his eyes gleaming with triumph. "What's wrong? Can't move?" he taunted, watching as Naobito staggered from the sheer force of the blow. "Guess you're not the fastest anymore."

His fist was still tingling with cursed energy as he shouted the words, relishing the moment.

"KOKKKKUSSSSSEN."

The sheer force of the blow was overwhelming, and Naobito's head snapped back as he was sent flying.

Naoya grinned, his breath heavy but his eyes gleaming with triumph. He stood tall, his fist still tingling with the remnants of cursed energy as he watched Naobito's body crash to the ground, unconscious.

0 seconds left.

Naoya's Vow of Temporal Perfection had ended, but he didn't lose, and the fight didn't go over 120 seconds. Because of that, the binding vow didn't take all his cursed energy—it only took half, leaving him tired but not completely drained. Still, his body hurt, his muscles were sore, and his mind felt slow from exhaustion.

He took a deep breath, his smirk slowly fading as the excitement of the fight wore off. Looking around at the destroyed training grounds, he could see how intense the battle had been. Without saying anything, he turned and walked to his room to rest.

....................................….

One week had passed since Naoya's fight with Naobito. Winning against the clan head had been a stroke of luck, but as Naoya often reminded himself, luck is also considered a power. The victory had solidified his reputation within the Zenin clan, and whispers of his strength and potential were spreading like wildfire. But Naoya wasn't one to rest on his laurels. He knew that luck alone wouldn't carry him to the top.

Today, however, the mood in the Zenin estate was somber. News had spread that one of the high-ranking elders, Ogi Zenin the younger brother of Naobito and Naoya Uncle, had welcomed twins into the world. While the birth of children was usually a cause for celebration, in the Zenin clan, twins were seen as a curse rather than a blessing. The clan believed that twins disrupted the flow of cursed energy, often resulting in one or both siblings being born with weak or no cursed energy at all.

In a clan obsessed with power, tradition, and the strength of cursed techniques, twins were treated as defects. They were often cast aside, excluded, or outright abandoned, seen as lesser compared to their relatives with greater abilities. It was a harsh reality, but one that had been ingrained in the Zenin clan for generations.

Naoya, however, saw things differently. He knew something the rest of the clan didn't—that in the future, these twins would play a pivotal role in the downfall of the Zenin clan.

As Naoya walked toward Ogi Zenin's house, he didn't bother knocking or announcing himself. He planned to walk right in without a second thought. But before he could step inside, two servants quickly moved to block his way.

"Master Naoya, please stop," one of them said, his voice shaking a little. "Master Ogi has ordered that no one is allowed to enter."

The other servant forced a nervous smile and nodded. "Thank you for understanding, Master Naoya."

Naoya stopped, narrowing his eyes at them. For a moment, he just stared, his expression unreadable. Then, a small smirk appeared on his face.

"Oh?" He chuckled, his tone light but with a hint of danger. "Is that so?"

The servants exchanged worried looks. They knew Naoya wasn't someone they wanted to upset, but they also couldn't ignore Ogi's orders. Before they could say anything else, Naoya moved.

With a quick kick, he sent the first servant crashing to the ground. The second barely had time to react before Naoya shoved him aside with a flick of his hand. The two groaned in pain, but Naoya didn't even glance at them.

"I don't remember asking for your opinion," he said coldly as he stepped inside. He didn't care about Ogi's orders or what the servants had to say. If he wanted to enter, he would. That was how the Zenin clan worked—strength ruled everything, and Naoya wasn't about to follow anyone else's rules.

But as he walked further into the house, he stopped at an expected sight.

Ogi Zenin stood in the hallway, his expression dark. His hand was already gripping the hilt of his katana. In an instant, he moved, the sharp blade pressing against Naoya's throat. The cold steel glinted in the dim light, a clear warning.

Naoya, however, didn't even blink. His sharp eyes met Ogi's, and his smirk only grew. He tilted his head slightly, almost as if he was enjoying the moment.

"Hey there, Uncle," Naoya said, his tone casual despite the blade at his neck. "You look upset. Did I walk in at a bad time?"

Ogi's eyes narrowed, and his grip on the katana tightened. The blade pressed slightly against Naoya's throat, a silent but clear warning. "You have no right to barge into my home, brat," he growled, his voice low and threatening. "What do you want?"

Naoya's smirk didn't fade. If anything, it grew sharper. "Twins are a bad omen, Ogi. Everyone knows that," he said, his tone smooth and mocking. "But hey, at least now your legacy will be twice as pathetic."

Ogi's face darkened with rage, veins bulging on his forehead as he tried to keep his composure. Naoya's words were like daggers, stabbing at his pride and insecurities. His grip on the katana tightened until his knuckles turned white, but he didn't strike—not yet.

"Damn, Ogi," Naoya continued, his voice light but dripping with venom. "First, you fail to surpass Naobito, and now you can't even produce a decent heir? If I were you, I'd start thinking about killing myself."

Ogi's patience snapped. His face twisted with rage, and without warning, he swung his katana at Naoya. But before the blade could connect, Naoya's cursed energy flared. In an instant, Ogi was frozen in place, trapped within an animated frame . His body stiffened mid-strike, his expression locked in shock and fury.

Naoya didn't hesitate. He stepped forward, his smirk widening as he delivered a powerful kick to the frozen frame.

CRACK!

The sound echoed through the room as the frame shattered, sending Ogi flying backward. The force of the blow launched him through the doorway and out of the house, his body crashing into the ground outside. Dust and debris filled the air, and for a moment, everything was still.

Naoya stepped over the wreckage, his expression calm but his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. He barely spared Ogi a glance as he walked past, his tone casual yet dripping with mockery.

"Tell you what," Naoya said, his smirk never fading. "If one of them survives long enough, maybe I'll let them work under me. As a servant, of course."