Kamo Itsuki took a deep breath as the crimson flame in the black casket flared higher, casting dancing shadows across the chamber walls. The humming intensified, vibrating through the floor and into his very bones. The red pupil on the casket seemed to swirl, as if alive, its gaze piercing straight into Kamo Itsuki's mind.
A voice—deep, resonant, and strangely familiar—echoed within the chamber. It was not spoken aloud, but transmitted directly into his consciousness.
"Child of the Kamo, you who bend blood to will and life to power, are you ready to inherit the legacy hidden for centuries?"
Kamo Itsuki's heart thumped in his chest. He had anticipated a challenge, perhaps some magical seal or test, but this… this was different. The black casket was alive in a sense, aware of him, and judging him.
"I… I am ready," he whispered, his voice steady, though a shiver ran down his spine.
The casket's crimson eye flared brighter, and the surface of the black wood began to ripple like liquid obsidian. Symbols, ancient and unrecognizable, burned along the edges, tracing patterns of power. Then, slowly, a panel on the top of the casket slid open, revealing a hollow interior that glowed with a blood-red light.
Inside floated a small, crystalline vial containing a swirling liquid that seemed to pulse with life. Around it, spectral figures of past Kamo Clan heads flickered like memories in motion, observing silently. Kamo Itsuki could feel the weight of centuries pressing down—the expectation, the vigilance, the knowledge of generations.
As he reached out, a surge of Cursed Energy enveloped him, connecting his Blood Manipulation directly to the vial. Instantly, visions flashed before his eyes: centuries of techniques, experiments, and battles—all the ways Blood Manipulation had been honed and refined, all the failures and successes hidden from the outside world.
"This is the Codex of Blood," the voice intoned. "Every secret, every refinement, every forbidden technique is contained within. But be warned: mastery comes not through mere imitation. You must understand the essence, or you will be consumed by it."
Kamo Itsuki's mind raced. He could already sense the surge of potential—the way his Blood Manipulation could evolve beyond his current limits, the ways he could manipulate Cursed Energy and blood simultaneously without restraint. Every move he had ever executed could now be refined, amplified, and reinvented.
He lifted the vial carefully, and as he did, the casket sealed itself once more, the crimson eye dimming to a faint glow. The chamber returned to quiet, save for the soft hum of the moonlight spilling across the black wood.
Kamo Itsuki took a deep breath, feeling the immense responsibility settle on his shoulders. The Codex was not just a tool—it was a path. A path to power, to survival, and perhaps, to changing the future of the Kamo Clan itself.
"I understand," he said softly. "I will master this… and I will protect everything the Kamo Clan stands for."
Even in the silence of the chamber, Kamo Itsuki felt the weight of destiny pressing upon him, but also an exhilarating sense of purpose. With the Forbidden Blood Codex now in his hands, he knew that nothing—not even Gojo Satoru or the greatest threats of the world—could stop him from becoming the true embodiment of the Kamo Clan's legacy.
Kamo Itsuki's body glimmered faintly under the pale moonlight filtering into the secret chamber. The transformation had not only refined his appearance but had infused him with a presence that radiated authority and latent power. His black kimono now clung perfectly to his newly honed frame, and subtle crimson veins traced faintly across his skin, pulsing in rhythm with his Cursed Energy.
He lifted his arms, flexing deliberately, feeling the newfound flow of Blood Manipulation coursing through every fiber of his being. Each movement carried an almost tangible weight of energy, as if the room itself bowed to the power now contained within him.
Kamo Itsuki's eyes, previously dark and calculating, now shimmered with shifting colors, reflecting the kaleidoscopic light cluster he had touched in the blood sea. That same mysterious spectrum of hues swirled deep within his pupils, hinting at the limitless potential now at his disposal.
Taking a cautious step forward, he felt the chamber floor beneath him respond subtly to his presence. The residual aura of the black casket seemed to hum faintly in recognition, as though acknowledging that its successor had fully awakened.
He closed his eyes for a moment, centering himself. The memory of the blood sea, the countless light clusters of Cursed Techniques merging and evolving, remained vivid in his mind. That experience had left a mark—not just on his Cursed Technique, but on his very perception of power. He could now sense Cursed Energy with a precision that surpassed normal comprehension, discerning even the faintest threads of life and intention around him.
Opening his eyes, Kamo Itsuki extended his hand, testing the limits of his new power. A thin thread of blood energy emerged, spiraling elegantly into the air. It was alive, intelligent, as if it knew instinctively how to move and respond. With a flick of his fingers, it coiled and formed a delicate shape, then dissolved back into nothingness.
A soft smile formed on his lips. "So… this is truly the Blood Manipulation of the Kamo Clan," he whispered to himself. "Stronger, more flexible, limitless… and yet, it's just the beginning."
He stepped back, surveying the room. The black casket, now quiet and inert, seemed to retreat into its centuries of secrets, satisfied that its power had found a worthy heir.
Kamo Itsuki's mind was already racing ahead, imagining the battles to come. Gojo Satoru, Sukuna, the other Divine Children—none would be able to underestimate him again. With the full might of his newly awakened Blood Manipulation, he had not only grown stronger; he had evolved into a force of nature, a living embodiment of the Kamo Clan's legacy.
He exhaled deeply, feeling the blood energy pulse within him, resonating with his heartbeat. "I must train… refine this further. No one—not even the strongest—will surpass me unchallenged. This is my path. My blood… my power… my will."
And with that, Kamo Itsuki stepped out of the secret chamber, reborn, ready to face the world with a power that even legends would one day speak of in awe.
P@tre0n Seasay for advanced chapters and early releases