Now, Satoshi was already in this stance before even drawing his Zanpakutō.
So what would it mean if Satoshi actually released his Zanpakutō?
Would it mean that the only people capable of standing against him were Satoru and the other two who also wield Zanpakutō?
Yes. Ever since the incident where Sukuna's finger was destroyed, the world of jujutsu had reached a consensus.
That is, birth technique is one system, and each individual's innate technique could serve as an indicator of their talent.
And the other was the Zanpakutō system—entirely created by Satoshi.
Yagyū Saemon, the Grade 1 sorcerer of the Yagyū clan, had already proven through his own Zanpakutō that as long as one possessed a Zanpakutō, they could wield techniques, draw out their own power, and become a true sorcerer.
Therefore, in the eyes of the General Directorate, a sorcerer who possessed a Zanpakutō was considered someone with two innate techniques.
As for Satoshi, he could no longer be measured by ordinary standards.
As the forger of Zanpakutō, Satoshi wielded two Zanpakutō himself.
At the same time, he was a rare carrier of a Heavenly Restriction, possessing a physique as powerful as Toji.
And now, after sleeping for nine years, Satoshi had also mastered a mysterious ability—Kidō.
With so many buffs stacked up, many in the General Directorate found it hard to understand why so many still supported Satoru and the other candidates.
Could they truly not see the power gap between Satoshi and the rest?
Many of the higher-ups in the General Directorate were helpless in the face of such a phenomenon. There wasn't much they could do. All they could do was hope that these six students from Tokyo Jujutsu High and Kyoto Jujutsu High would help more people recognize Satoshi's true strength.
...
At the same time, hidden in the shadows, Choso was carefully watching Satoshi, scrutinizing his every move.
Ever since receiving the mission from Kaori, he had been residing in Tokyo. This Special Grade cursed spirit, whose behavior was nearly indistinguishable from that of a human, had been constantly thinking of ways to confront Satoshi in the future.
However, he was not as blindly arrogant as that fool from the Kamo family.
Satoshi was incredibly fast and overwhelmingly powerful. If one couldn't restrict him, they could never defeat him.
At this moment, Choso was even hoping that this so-called prodigy of the Kamo family would bring out some hidden trump card to force Satoshi into an unfavorable position.
That way, he might be able to observe more of Satoshi's abilities.
Thanks to Kaori, he already knew about the two Zanpakutō: Sode no Shirayuki and Ryūjin Jakka.
Choso had mentally prepared himself for Satoshi's terrifyingly strong body, having seen it firsthand when he was bound by that curse. Compared to then, Satoshi's current body was hardly any weaker.
At present, the only unknown was Kidō.
Even though Kidō wasn't the main factor in destroying Sukuna's fingers, it definitely played an essential role in their annihilation.
At first, after reviewing Satoshi's live broadcast, Choso thought he had only learned a few low-level Kidō spells.
But now, seeing with his own eyes during this stream that Satoshi used the Fifty-Eighth Binding Technique: Slapping the Toes and Chasing the Bird…
Choso finally understood that Satoshi wasn't just high in offensive output—he also had overwhelming capabilities in auxiliary techniques such as tracking and mobility.
The most important point was, no one knew if Satoshi had other hidden trump cards within Kidō.
...
Satoshi's sudden appearance startled both Mei Mei and Utahime. But the one most shocked was Kamo Kenshin, who had been extremely confident in his concealment ability.
But there was no time to be surprised by Satoshi's speed. Now that he had revealed himself, they had no choice but to initiate the battle.
Kamo Kenshin launched a punch with his right fist, aiming to catch Satoshi off guard. A surge of cursed energy erupted from his arm, blazing forward.
To be fair, this Kyoto Jujutsu High student did have his own trump cards. At the very least, his cursed energy reserves were higher than both Suguru and Shoko.
Even when compared to Satoru, he wasn't far off. It was no wonder the Kamo clan had placed their hopes on him.
Mei Mei immediately distanced herself from Satoshi. Her Black Bird Manipulation Technique was only effective at long range.
And without a Cursed Tool at the moment, keeping her distance was the only way to ensure survival. Though in her heart, she knew that no matter how far she fled, with Satoshi's speed, it would be meaningless.
But this sense of distance still gave her some mental security.
At the same time, a crow landed on her arm—her wingman, tasked with supporting Kamo Kenshin's next attack by providing aerial cover.
The moment Satoshi locked eyes with her, she understood clearly—this was not the time to hide her strength.
She was prepared to use Black Bird Manipulation Technique: Kamikaze at any time.
As for Utahime, whose role in the team was akin to Shoko's, she moved as soon as Mei Mei did.
She was the support. She absolutely couldn't allow herself to be approached by Satoshi.
She needed to keep herself in a safe zone. If she were taken down, Kenshin's combat effectiveness would be instantly cut in half.
Even as she retreated, she had already begun chanting Kagura, amplifying the cursed energy of both Mei Mei and Kenshin while simultaneously applying restrictions to Satoshi's movements.
As the support's buffs increased the team's power, the debuffs equally weakened the enemy. Utahime's value in this team was extremely evident.
If this were a typical Japanese RPG, Kenshin would be the tank and melee physical DPS.
Mei Mei would be the mage-archer hybrid, responsible for ranged magic output.
And Utahime, naturally, would be the priest and buffer, responsible for healing allies and applying negative effects to enemies.
This was a perfectly synergized three-man team, each complementing the others' strengths and covering their weaknesses. That was why Kyoto Jujutsu High sent this trio to counter Satoru's team.
If Satoshi hadn't appeared, Gakuganji Yoshinobu truly believed his school's trio would not be outclassed by Satoru's.
But now—Satoshi stood before them for the first time. A trace of anticipation flashed in Yoshinobu's eyes.
Surely, in this situation, Satoshi would be caught off guard, right?
As long as he dared to take Kamo Kenshin's punch head-on...
(To be continued.)
***
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