"Everyone, I have an announcement. From today onward, I am the acting head of the Zen'in Family. I have finished speaking. Who agrees, and who objects?"
As Eichi's words fell, the meeting hall erupted instantly.
"How can a brat be the family head!"
"Where is the family head? Bring Naobito out!"
…
Eichi watched the clowns before him with amusement. They shouted and yelled, yet not a single one dared to make a move against him.
It was like a cat crouching before a mouse, watching its futile struggle.
Eichi had not felt such pleasure in a long time.
"This is the Zen'in Family. Once we find the family head, we'll see how he punishes you."
After shouting for a while and still not seeing Naobito appear, someone finally tried to stand up and leave.
"Trying to escape?"
Eichi smiled as he looked at the old man heading for the door, his eyes icy.
"I'm going to—"
Pfft.
"Ah!"
Before the old man could finish speaking, his body was cut cleanly in half at the waist.
"Ah, ah, save me!"
He crawled on the ground in agony.
"How dare you!"
Several people in the hall jumped to their feet in shock.
One had to know that until now, Eichi had only knocked people unconscious.
He had not actually killed anyone.
That was why they still dared to provoke him.
"Are you done? You didn't kill him, right?"
If Naoya died, Naobito would probably hesitate.
"Hm. Why are you so slow?"
Toji's gaze swept across the hall, as if selecting prey.
"Happy things should be shared with friends, shouldn't they?"
Eichi spread his hands.
"That's true."
A cruel smile curved on Toji's lips.
"Can I start?"
With the Split Soul Katana resting on his shoulder, Toji was already impatient.
"Of course. I've been waiting for you. Leave that one to me. The rest are yours to handle however you like."
Eichi pointed at Ogi.
"OK."
The next second, Toji charged into the crowd.
"Ah!"
Screams rang out one after another.
"You, you actually dared, ah!"
An old man pointed at Toji with a trembling finger. In the next moment, his arm was severed.
"Noisy."
Toji shot him a cold glance.
The desire to slaughter surged.
Some tried to flee. Some fought back.
It was all useless.
"Soon, very soon. Once I find the family head, I'll make him punish you severely!"
An old man took advantage of Toji's distraction and ran for the exit.
A pair of golden eyes appeared in the shadow behind him.
Pfft.
The old man stared down in disbelief.
Kuro's sharp claws had pierced straight through his chest.
He collapsed just one step from the sunlight outside, falling back into the shadow.
Hoo.
The sound of flames igniting appeared beside Eichi.
Ogi drew his cursed tool katana and slashed at him.
He had not expected Eichi to actually dare to move, but he knew that if he did not kill Eichi now, he would never escape.
"Technique Release: Scorching Brow!"
Ogi went all out from the very beginning.
His plan was simple. Take advantage of the moment Eichi was distracted and kill him with a full-power sneak attack.
Pfft, crackle.
A massive white hand emerged from Eichi's shadow and firmly grasped Ogi's blade.
The sound of flames scorching flesh rang out.
Yet the hand was completely unharmed.
Compared to Tamamo-no-Mae's flames, Ogi's were far too weak.
After Mahoraga adapted to Tamamo-no-Mae's flames, Ogi's full-strength attack could not even break its defense.
The current Mahoraga was no longer a blank slate acting on instinct. It adapted deliberately, drawing from stored adaptations.
"Ugh!"
Ogi struggled desperately, trying to pull his blade free.
Most of his strength lay in his sword, so he could not let go.
No matter how hard he tried, the blade would not budge.
Suddenly, Mahoraga released its grip.
Ogi, still exerting force, stumbled backward uncontrollably.
Mahoraga stepped forward and punched him squarely.
"Puh!"
Ogi spat blood and was sent flying.
Eichi calmly raised a shadow wall, stopping Ogi from being blown out of the hall and keeping him within Mahoraga's reach.
Bang.
"Cough, cough."
Ogi slammed into the wall, blood pouring out.
With a single punch, Mahoraga had completely robbed him of his ability to fight.
"This won't do. Mai's despair and Maki's pain can't be repaid so easily."
The Ten Shadows Treasure Wheel rotated.
Round Deer slowly emerged from the shadow wall.
Reverse Cursed Technique activated, and Ogi's injuries rapidly healed.
"You, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Ogi had thought he was about to die, yet Eichi saved him again.
'Does he only want to humiliate me, not kill me?'
A spark of hope appeared in Ogi's heart.
"That was a sneak attack. It doesn't count. Now it's a fair duel."
"What?"
Mahoraga attacked again before Ogi could say anything.
Rumble.
"Hm?"
The vibration of the ground caught Eichi's attention.
"That old man is called Chojuro, right?"
Chojuro Zen'in, a member of the Bing unit. His Technique allowed him to control earth. He had once participated in the siege of Maki after her Awakening.
Among this generation of the Zen'in Family, he was indeed long-lived. He would only be cut down by Maki nine years later.
"Ah, so fast."
Round Deer sent a request, asking whether to continue healing Ogi.
Eichi glanced over. Mahoraga had already struck Ogi twice more, leaving him closer to death than before.
"I didn't see it. Heal him and start over."
"You, puh—"
Ogi tried to speak, but fresh blood spilled from his mouth.
As soon as he recovered, Ogi turned and slashed at the shadow wall.
His blade left a shallow mark.
As he prepared a second strike, Mahoraga's attack arrived.
A massive foot lifted and kicked him straight into the wall.
"Hiss. He's almost paste. A sneak attack from behind doesn't count. Heal him and start over."
A few seconds later.
"Ogi didn't draw his blade. That doesn't count. Start over."
A few seconds later.
"You're a Jujutsu Sorcerer and you're not even using your Technique? That's unfair to you. Start over."
…
"Enough. Stop insulting me!"
Ogi finally snapped.
"You haven't acknowledged the sanctity of the duel. Start over."
"Ahhh!"
…
An hour later, a completely broken Ogi lay on the floor, his eyes empty.
The old men who had been cut in half by Toji were long dead.
"Is it over?"
Toji walked over with his hands in his pockets.
After destroying the Zen'in Family, the nest of demons that had oppressed him for more than a decade, Toji felt deeply satisfied.
Even he, someone who disliked alcohol, felt like having a drink.
"It's over."
Eichi stood up, preparing to leave.
"What about this trash?"
Toji looked at the mess covering the floor.
"It stinks. Since it stinks so much, throw it out back as fertilizer."
The shadows churned, dragging all the debris into the soil of the Zen'in Family's backyard.
The next day, Naobito announced to the outside world that Azuma Eichi had become the acting head of the Zen'in Family.
On the same day, the Gojo Family announced that Gojo Satoru had become the acting head of the Gojo Family.
(To be continued.)