Chapter 18: In the Face of Danger

“Are you really going to kill me just for this?” Satoru Gojo was stunned. He had seen people fiercely protective of their loved ones, but never this ruthless. “Do you have to be so cruel… ugh, ugh, ugh.”

Suguru Geto quickly covered Gojo’s mouth. “You better watch what you say.” Didn’t he see the veins bulging on the other guy’s hand? He really might kill you!

“But it’s all true…”

Gojo was forcibly silenced before he could finish.

Geto turned to Rokumei Kisaragi and said, “Gojo really doesn’t know the person you mentioned, but as for the Zen’in family you spoke of, they are one of the three great families, and mortal enemies of the Gojo clan.”

Rokumei recalled that one of his purposes for coming here was to investigate the relationship between the Zen’in family and Toji. Upon learning the other’s identity, he naturally asked, “Since they are enemies, you must know more about the Zen’in family’s secrets than anyone else. Tell me.”

Gojo was not someone to be easily intimidated.

“Why the hell should I…”

Geto nudged Gojo’s shoulder and gave him a warning look. “Gojo! Don’t provoke him.” They needed to buy time. Reinforcements would arrive soon.

Gojo caught on, reluctantly saying, “The Zen’in family is a pile of dog crap! Hey! Don’t attack me, this is the truth!”

Rokumei hadn’t even moved a finger. From the curse sorcerer’s information, he learned that Toji had run away from the Zen’in family when he was barely an adult and never returned. In their previous life, whenever Rokumei asked about Toji’s past, he would always speak of it with disdain, calling it a garbage dump.

The Zen’in family must have done something to Toji to earn his lasting hatred.

But Rokumei couldn’t understand why, if Toji called the Zen’in family a garbage dump, he would sell Megumi back into that same dump.

This was also one reason why Rokumei had not directly attacked the Zen’in family.

“Go on.”

“The Zen’in family is a group stuck in the last century — no, even saying ‘last century’ insults that era! They’re stiff as coffin boards passed down from the Heian period! Stinky and rotten, disgusting!”

“They…”

Originally just stalling for time, Gojo’s complaints about the Zen’in family grew more passionate: “They believe women are just accessories to men, and that’s bad enough. Worse, the Zen’in family worships sorcerers above all else. If you don’t have cursed energy, you have no value at all…”

Rokumei suddenly raised his eyebrows. “Wait, you’re saying the Zen’in family prioritizes sorcerers?”

“Yeah. Ordinary people have no dignity in the Zen’in family. Women are treated like playthings or servants, and men are worth less than livestock. So what?”

Rokumei’s face darkened — Toji had no cursed energy.

According to Gojo, wouldn’t Toji have been treated just like that?

The thought of Toji being mocked and bullied by his own family made Rokumei furious enough to want to wipe out the Zen’in family.

But his remaining sense of reason told him that Toji was incredibly powerful, and the Zen’in family wouldn’t be foolish enough to abuse him just because he lacked cursed energy.

He asked Gojo, “If a person has no cursed energy but is stronger than most who do, would the Zen’in family still treat him like an ordinary person?” Though reluctant to believe it, this was the only explanation for Toji’s departure.

As expected, Gojo confirmed, “Yeah! I remember a few years ago, the Zen’in family had a pair of twins — one born with innate talent, the other cursed-bound — and they were treated as a disgrace, raised as servants…”

No wonder Toji left and called the Zen’in family a trash heap.

Being seen as a disgrace for lacking cursed energy, mocked, targeted, trampled into the deepest mud by kin, and even having one’s existence erased — this was why Toji abandoned his dignity.

“What a sorcerer-first philosophy, what a disgraceful family, what a Zen’in family.”

A sharp killing intent gathered in Rokumei’s eyes. Within his spiritual sea, his vast energy surged like a tidal wave fueled by his rage.

“Hey, you’re not going to…”

Watching the man with seemingly blood-deep enmity toward the Zen’in family, Gojo’s anxiety magnified — was he really planning to annihilate the entire Zen’in clan?

Gojo guessed right.

The Zen’in family was now on Rokumei Kisaragi’s assassination list. If he confirmed everything was true, the Zen’in family would face his slaughter.

But before dealing with the Zen’in family, he needed to resolve the current problem.

Lowering his gaze toward the two, Rokumei said, “Since you have given me the information I wanted, I will forgive your attempt to harm my family. I will gladly send you... to reincarnation!”

Roar!

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth twisted into a vortex and poured into the spiritual dragon’s body. The dragon instantly grew several times thicker, its terrifying aura climbing higher and higher!

“His family?” The cold glint in the boy’s eyes stirred Geto’s memories.

“Damn! What kind of thanks is this?”

As Gojo darted away, he looked at the stunned Geto and urged, “Geto! What are you standing there for? If you don’t run, you’ll get blasted to death!”

Geto still didn’t react. Gojo cursed silently, gave up fleeing, and turned to channel all his cursed energy for a desperate fight against the spiritual dragon.

“Go!” Rokumei changed his finger seal, and the spiritual dragon charged toward Gojo with a roar.

Within the Azure-Eyed man’s sight, the giant dragon grew closer and closer. When it was only a few yards away, Gojo unleashed his full power.

“Technique spin, Azure, the strongest strike—”

Boom.

The spiritual dragon collided with Gojo’s cursed energy orb, generating an impact several times stronger than before. Not only was the earth leveled, but the space-sealing barrier shattered, cracks spreading everywhere.

What fate awaited Gojo, facing such a strike at close range, was obvious.

He should have died without question. Yet, at the moment the shockwave arrived, he comprehended another use of the Azure technique.

Teleportation!

Using this, he quickly escaped the core area, dodging the deadliest blow, though he still paid a heavy price — most of his bones shattered, his internal organs bleeding heavily, and even his Azure eyes stained with blood.

But he remained fearless, bursting into a maniacal laugh: “Hahaha! You can’t kill me. I’m just one step away from mastering the reversal technique. When that time comes, it will be your end—”

Suddenly, a cold voice came from behind: “Too bad.”

“What?” Gojo’s pupils flickered as he whirled around, only to see the spiritual dragon had transformed again — now a long blade, Yuyumae, gripped tightly by Rokumei, swinging down hard toward his head—

“I understand what it means for the lion to fight the rabbit, and I’m going all out—”

There was no way to dodge!

His Six Eyes analyzed in 0.01 seconds! He hadn’t reached the threshold for the reversal technique! He couldn’t withstand this strike!

Just then, from afar, Geto shouted, “Our goal is to bring you back to the Technical College! We never intended to harm your child or family!”

He finally realized something was wrong.

As a child, when he tried to adopt a stray kitten on the street, the mother cat discovered him — and her fierce gaze was no different from this boy’s now.

It was the madness of a parent fighting desperately against an intruder after sensing their offspring was threatened!