Though it was only the second time, Toji found himself already acclimating to the hellish hours spent within that abyssal room. Despite the ordeal lasting longer than the last, he rose far more swiftly, his recovery borders on the unnatural. It was only then that the reality of his condition set in. Blood, both his own and that of the butchered spirits, saturated his clothes and dripped onto the floor, staining his bed. The metallic stench of gore was stifling.
He retreated to the washroom, letting the cold water rinse away the filth of the Cursed Spirits and the lingering sensitivity of a mind frayed by the clan's cruelty.
"Hah... At least I can't feel any presence left in that room. It'll take them some time before they can throw me back in there."
After summoning an attendant to settle his meal and clear the soiled bedding, a faint, heavy lethargy remained, despite having slept for over a full day. Sloth tugged at his limbs, tempting him to remain still, but he forced himself to move. He had to. If he ever intended to trample the members of this clan and walk out of this wretched estate on his own terms, he could not afford to be stagnant.
He stepped out into a secluded courtyard, away from prying eyes, and began to replay his movements from the pit. During the slaughter, he had surrendered entirely to primal instinct. Even now, he was certain that was the only correct way to fight.
'If that's the case... I need to sharpen my senses. I must hone my body until it can unleash those instincts without hesitation.'
He wondered what kind of expression he had worn when the euphoria of tearing through Cursed Spirits consumed him. He was likely grinning—an ugly, manic thing. He could feel the blood of a combat maniac pulsing through his veins. As he rehearsed his strikes, his mind conjured images of the future: himself standing over the broken bodies of every combatant in the Zenin clan. The thought was electrifying.
Lost in the trance of training, he didn't notice the sun dipping below the horizon until the shadows grew long. Suddenly, a face he had pushed to the back of his mind resurfaced. Was that brat still doing nothing but sleeping? At that age, eating and sleeping were the only requirements, yet he had the strange intuition that the child was different. As Touya's image appeared, the memory of that small, warm hand reaching for his own flickered through his mind.
"Tch. That's enough for today. I need to rest."
He shook his head to clear the useless sentimentality and returned to his room. After washing once more, he lay down on the freshly tidied bed, but that phantom sensation of warmth persisted. Grunting in annoyance, he pushed himself up and left the room.
'I'm only going out because the Elders might come bother me if I stay inside... Right. That's all it is.'
Armed with that self-justification, his feet carried him through the silent halls until he stopped before the infant's room. The brat was staring vacantly at nothing, but as soon as he sensed Toji's presence, his gaze locked on and a bright, toothless grin split his face. Looking at that face, Toji felt the complex knot in his head simply... unravel. Unable to fathom why he was reacting this way, Toji let out a hollow, dry chuckle and stepped inside.
Settling into the chair beside the crib, Toji looked down at the boy.
"Hah. Why is it that you only smile when you see me? I saw you the other day; you didn't even crack a grin for your own father. Do you think I'm a joke, kid? You little brat."
His words were sharp, but looking at the beaming face before him, he found he couldn't actually muster any anger. He sat in a daze, watching the infant's cheerful expressions, until his sensitive ears caught the sound of approaching footsteps and voices from the corridor. They were unmistakable: the Clan Head and the Elders.
"Hah... It'll be a disaster if they catch me here. Those pieces of trash never give me a moment's peace."
He let out a sigh and prepared to slip away, but then a wickedly amusing thought crossed his mind.
'The Elders would probably have a stroke if they knew the boy they treasure so much only smiles for me. The Hope of the Zenin? I think I'll taint him myself.'
Toji reached down, gave the infant's cheek a firm squeeze, and vanished into the shadows. He found himself looking forward to the future—to the look on the Elders' faces when they realized their 'genius' was close with the clan's greatest failure.
***
Several months passed since that day, and I had reached the point where I could crawl around my room—though my world was still limited to these four walls. My dull daily routine now included Toji's secret visits. I felt a wave of relief knowing his favor toward me had increased. I hadn't noticed at the time, but at some point, that familiar scar had appeared on the corner of Toji's mouth. Based on my knowledge, Toji was roughly ten years older than me, but with that scar and his sheer physical presence, he already looked like a full-grown man.
Toji would often drop by and mutter about various things—mostly curses directed at the Elders or the attendants who looked down on him.
"There isn't a single person in this clan with a functioning brain. Except maybe your father. He doesn't seem to think much of me either way. The same goes for the Clan Head's wife."
That made sense. Even in the original series, Naobito Zenin was considered one of the only 'likable' characters within the clan. It was a relief that Toji didn't seem to harbor deep resentment toward my father. Considering Naobito was the one who personally went to find Toji even after he had left the clan in the future, I didn't think their relationship would be entirely toxic. He was certainly the most 'normal' person in this household. I felt a sense of security knowing I had been born to decent parents in this twisted world.
Just then, as if on cue, the sliding door opened and my father entered alone. He paused upon seeing Toji resting in the chair, eyes lingering on him for a moment, then looked down at my smiling face. He let out a booming laugh, stepped forward, and delivered a heavy, friendly slap to Toji's back.
"Hahaha! Toji, have you been keeping Touya company? I was worried our son would be bored lying here all by himself. You have my thanks."
"Tch. I'm only here because the Elders don't bother me in this room. It's not like I'm here to see the brat."
I crawled across the bedding toward my father. He scooped me up with practiced ease and patted my back.
"Oho, is that so? Did you miss your father? I missed you too. Hurry up and grow so you can call me 'Father.'"
He looked at me, then grinned as if remembering something important.
"You'll be able to see your mother soon. She's almost fully recovered. She said she wants to meet you and hold you as soon as possible."
"Ho. Has the brat really not seen his own mother yet?" Toji asked, leaning back.
"Ah. Her body became quite frail after giving birth to him. She required a long period of recuperation."
It was true. The massive surge of Cursed Energy I emitted upon birth had taken a devastating toll on her body, which was already weakened by labor. The thought of finally seeing the mother who gave birth to me made me feel like a genuine child; I was genuinely excited. While I had been well cared for, my father was the only one who had truly shown me affection. I hadn't even seen my half-brothers. I suspected they had been relegated to the Kukuru Unit due to a lack of talent.
I realized my father cherished me not just for my potential, but because I was the first child born from him and my mother. I had eavesdropped on the Elders while pretending to sleep; apparently, Naobito's marriage to his first wife had been a political arrangement. The four sons from that union had all lacked sufficient talent. After her death, he met my current mother and had me. It was only natural that he would be overjoyed that the child of a woman he truly loved possessed such immense potential.
As these thoughts swirled, drowsiness finally began to pull at me. I started nodding off in my father's arms. Noticing my struggle to stay awake, he laid me down gently and turned to leave.
"Toji. Let's head out. Let the boy sleep in peace."
"Yeah, yeah. I'm going."
Sensing Toji leaving, I finally drifted into a deep sleep.
***
Naobito stood alone in the quiet room for a moment, watching the sleeping Touya before turning toward the door. He whispered softly to the empty air.
"With this much talent, it must be either the Ten Shadows or Projection Sorcery. I truly look forward to the day you unleash your gifts upon the world."