"Leave?"
Oka Kamo froze, his mind reeling. "Lord... Lord Head, go where?"
Takanobu Kamo no longer bothered to mask the absolute disdain in his eyes. "Back to your branch family, of course. Where else?"
"The branch family?" Oka looked up, his face a mask of disbelief. "But... My Lord, you promised me! You said I would be named the Third Elder of the main house!"
"Lord Head... please... what did I do wrong? Tell me, I'll change! I'll do anything!"
"Hahahaha!"
Takanobu and Hiroki shared a look before erupting into simultaneous, mocking laughter. Even young Hikaru, standing nearby, couldn't suppress a snicker. They looked down at Oka as if he were a pathetic stray, their eyes dancing with a cruel, knowing amusement.
"Oka, did you truly start believing you belonged in the main house?" Takanobu shrugged, his tone airy. "A Clan Elder? A position for a branch family brat? A nobody who has a bit of a knack for research but doesn't even possess an innate technique? Don't be absurd."
Thud!
Oka's legs gave out, and he collapsed to his knees, his eyes glazed with shock. "So... everything you promised... it was all a lie?"
"Naturally," Takanobu chuckled. "The 'Artificial Technique' is a resounding success. We have the data, the results, and the prototypes. You no longer have any utility."
"A lowly branch member who only squeezed his way in through his son's talent... to actually covet an Elder's seat? Your delusions are as vast as your insignificance."
"Leave by tomorrow. As for your son, Kamo Noritoshi... if he knows what's good for him, we might let him stay. He is a 'Blood Manipulation' user, after all. Though, as you've seen, the Kamo clan won't be lacking those anymore."
Takanobu, Hiroki, and Hikaru stepped over the kneeling man, their words like an autumn frost cutting through dead leaves. Oka remained on the floor, his spirit shattered, a hollow shell of a man whose singular life goal had turned to ash.
Three Days Later: The High Council Meeting
The Gojo clan, having been silent for so long, had been "graciously" invited by the Kamo family. Bound by protocol, they had no choice but to send their elders to participate.
No one was surprised by the agenda. With the Zenin clan decimated and the Gojo in semi-seclusion, the Kamo were moving to officially dissolve the Zenin's status and absorb their assets. The "Big Three" had dominated the jujutsu world for centuries; the fall of one was a feast, and the Kamo were ready to gorge themselves.
Their eagerness was almost unseemly. The Zenin corpses were barely cold, yet here was Takanobu, acting more energetic than a funeral director at a plague.
As the elders of the Jujutsu Headquarters took their seats, Takanobu Kamo naturally occupied the center chair, radiating authority. After a tedious opening of self-congratulatory platitudes, he finally cut to the chase.
"I trust you have all heard the tragic news. The Zenin clan has met with a terrible misfortune. On behalf of the Kamo, I offer my deepest condolences."
The room collectively rolled its eyes. Condolences? You were probably squealing with joy in your sleep.
"However, the dead are gone, and we must look to the future of the jujutsu world," Takanobu continued. "With the Zenin absent, our infrastructure is failing. We lack the manpower to handle the surge in cursed spirit activity. Therefore, the Kamo are prepared to deploy our elite unit, the 'Iwa,' to fill the void left by the Zenin."
A wave of sycophantic applause broke out among the minor officials. Takanobu's smile widened as he revealed his true aim.
"Furthermore, since the Zenin clan exists now in name only, shouldn't their vast properties, industrial holdings, and council voting rights be... redistributed?"
The room erupted into a cacophony of hushed whispers and excitement. But to everyone's surprise, the Gojo clan's representative was the first to stand and agree.
"I think it makes sense," the Third Elder of the Gojo clan stated bluntly. "The Zenin have no one left. They shouldn't be hogging the pot if they can't cook the meal."
The First Elder of the Gojo clan buried his face in his hands. "Third Brother, try to be a bit more civil."
"Brother, the truth is rarely civil!"
Takanobu was puzzled by the support until the Third Elder continued. "So, I propose that all Zenin assets and voting rights be transferred to the Gojo clan!"
The room went silent. Takanobu's smile curdled. "The Gojo elder surely jokes..."
"I'm not joking," the Third Elder said with total sincerity. "We have the Six Eyes twins as heirs. What do you have?"
Takanobu's brow arched. He had been waiting for this exact question. "Hikaru, bring them in!"
Hikaru and a group of young Kamo children filed into the hall. Takanobu gestured to them with bursting pride. "These children are the new dawn of our clan—all of them are inheritors of Blood Manipulation!"
On command, Hikaru and the others surged their cursed energy. "Blood Manipulation: Flowing Red Scale!"
Crimson markings flared across their skin—the unmistakable signature of the Kamo's peak technique.
"Actually Blood Manipulation?!"
"So many at once?"
"First the Six Eyes, then the Ten Shadows, and now a legion of Blood users? Is this a new Golden Age?"
The council elders began to whisper. Some recalled rumors of experiments between the Kamo and Zenin, but most didn't care. If they could use the technique, who cared if it was natural or not? The tide of opinion shifted instantly toward the Kamo.
Takanobu's smirk was permanent now. He dismissed the children and looked at the Gojo elders. "You have your twins; we have our legacy. However, the Kamo are reasonable. We can split the Zenin inheritance equally between our families."
The Gojo elders fell silent.
"Now, on to the next matter," Takanobu said, his voice ringing with authority. "The sentencing of Maki Zenin. Given her terrifying power, she is likely to become another sorcerer-killer like Toji Fushiguro. Massacring a Great Family is an unforgivable sin. I believe..."
"You believe what, exactly?"
A voice, sharp and sudden, sliced through Takanobu's speech. He spun around to vent his fury, but the words died in his throat. A cold shiver raced down his spine.
"Lord... Lord Gojo..."
Souma Gojo had appeared in the Gojo family's seat, though no one had seen him enter. He was wearing his dark glasses, casually cracking melon seeds and looking at Takanobu with terrifying indifference.
"Maki is my student. She is also Toji's disciple. I think it would be wise for you to choose your next words very carefully."
Takanobu swallowed hard, his throat dry. "Lord Gojo... this was a massacre..."
"Massacre? What are you talking about?" Souma tossed a shell aside. "This was a standard Zenin family matter. If the Zenin themselves aren't complaining, why are you so bothered?"
Takanobu wiped sweat from his forehead. "Not complaining? They're all dead!"
Souma spread his hands innocently. "They really don't mind. If you don't believe me, you're more than welcome to go down there and ask them yourself."
The threat was naked, absolute, and bone-chilling.
After a long, agonizing silence, Takanobu Kamo forced a strained smile onto his face. "Indeed... since the Head of the Gojo clan puts it that way, let us categorize this as an internal Zenin affair."
"Maki Zenin is... innocent of all charges."
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