Shion's abrupt comment instantly silenced both Naobito and Takanobu.
The Great Elder quickly covered Shion's mouth and gave an apologetic smile to the two family heads.
"The junior is still young and doesn't know better. Please forgive him, please forgive him."
The two clan leaders each snorted coldly, flicked their sleeves, and walked away.
Seeing them retreat, the Great Elder exhaled in relief.
"Young Master Shion, those two are the heads of the Big Three Families. Even you must be careful with your words."
Shion shrugged casually. "I'm too lazy for pleasantries."
It wasn't arrogance. With his current strength, he was at least equal to those two in power, perhaps even superior.
Besides, he had absolutely no interest in the hypocritical politicking of the Big Three. Their formal conversation held no value to him.
Naobito and Takanobu clearly sensed Shion's attitude and stopped trying to force a pointless interaction.
As for the younger members of the Zenin and Kamo families, they viewed Shion and Satoru the same way everyone else did: like the neighbor's perfect child — impressive, untouchable, and entirely unapproachable.
That sense of respectful distance discouraged anyone from trying to get close to the twins.
Shion and Satoru didn't mind; they found the lack of disturbance refreshing.
Curious glances came and went, but the two treated them as if they were invisible while searching the banquet tables for food that suited their tastes.
"Ugh, why is this dessert salty?" Gojo Satoru said, setting down a salt‑and‑pepper pastry with a scrunched‑up face.
"My foolish little brother," Gojo Shion shook his head with a grin as he reached for a cherry pie.
Perhaps it was because their cursed techniques demanded a lot of energy, but both Shion and Satoru had developed a sweet tooth.
Just as Shion's hand was about to touch the cherry pie, a small, fair hand reached out beside his and brushed against his.
Shion paused and turned to see a little brown‑haired girl looking at him with a blank expression.
"Ieiri Shoko?"
Shion spoke first.
"You know my name?" Shoko tilted her head.
The Six Eyes twins were famous throughout the jujutsu world, so Shoko had certainly heard of them.
But she hadn't expected the older of the twins to actually know her name.
Shion nodded. "I've heard a bit. A natural user of the Reverse Cursed Technique."
Indeed, Shoko Ieiri was known across the jujutsu world for her ability to heal others by converting cursed energy into positive energy, a rare talent that made her extremely valuable.
Shoko understood what he meant. She may have felt overshadowed by the twins' fame, but her own skill was significant.
While she rarely fought, her ability to heal others made her essential in battles where survival was at stake.
Thinking this, Shoko watched as Shion already took the cherry pie in his hand.
"Uh…" Shoko frowned.
Shion glanced at her, then split the cherry pie in half.
Shoko's big eyes lit up and she reached toward him.
"Satoru, this one is sweet," Shion said as he handed half of the pie to Satoru.
"Eh?" Shoko's outstretched hands froze, her eyes turning into tiny dots.
Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Shion held the remaining half of the pie out to her.
Shoko carefully took the pastry. "Tha… thank you! But what about you?"
"Me? Anything is fine for me," Shion said cheerfully as he reached back and grabbed an even larger cherry pie from the table.
"Eh???"
That warm feeling Shoko had just started to feel vanished instantly.
In less than ten seconds, Shion had shocked her three times.
"What a… guy who doesn't play by the rules," Shoko thought as she took a big bite of her pastry.
But after a few chews, her face turned slightly disappointed.
"As I thought, this sweet is just too cloying."
And so, at the grand social gathering of the jujutsu world organized by the Big Three Families, three small figures wandered around searching for snacks as if no one else was present.
The current head of the Ieiri Family, Ieiri Inamitsu, was somewhat surprised to see his daughter talking with the Six Eyes twins.
"Geniuses really are attracted to one another," he muttered to himself as he watched them from a distance.
Soon, the banquet entered its second phase, where families showcased their next generation of sorcerers.
To accommodate this, the Big Three had set up a spacious dojo on the top floor of the hotel.
Though both Shion and Satoru had no interest in such house‑style matches, as the guests of honor, they were still ushered onto the stage to spar with younger members of the Zenin and Kamo houses.
The result was inevitable.
Even without using Limitless or Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue, Shion and Satoru easily dominated their opponents relying on martial arts skill and Six Eyes perception.
Many of their rivals were younger children, so the matches ended quickly and decisively.
Naobito and Takanobu watched with gloom while the Gojo elders beamed with pride.
At last, the segment Shion looked forward to arrived: the auction.
The crowd bypassed all glittering trinkets until they reached the special grade cursed tool up for bid: Playful Cloud, a vermilion three‑section staff with black patterns on each segment and no imbued technique of its own, relying purely on the physical power of whoever wielded it.
"Five hundred million yen!" someone yelled, placing the first bid well above the other offers.
Shion's pupils narrowed as he stared at the bidder.
"Fushiguro… though now he'd be called Zenin Toji."
Satoru saw the broad, powerful back of the man and felt an instant, instinctive pressure, a chilling reminder that this opponent was dangerous even without cursed energy.
"This person… is strong!" Satoru muttered.
Shion smiled. "I told you, there are many heroes in the world; don't think you're invincible."
Satoru smirked in return.
Even though the man was strong, he didn't think he could lose.
Shion didn't hesitate.
"Six hundred million yen!"
"Seven hundred million yen!"
"Nine hundred million yen!"
"One billion yen!"
Toji's calm veneer began to crack.
He looked at the prized weapon on the stage and then at the small fortune he had painstakingly saved.
How could he, a man looked down upon by certain clans and seen as a "wild monkey," possibly outbid the pampered son of the Gojo Family?
In the end, the staff was sold to Shion for an astronomical one billion yen.
As the auction concluded, the banquet neared its end.
"Shion, Satoru, until we meet again!" Shoko waved at her two new friends.
Shion and Satoru waved back before boarding a black sedan.
Not far away, Zenin Toji watched them leave, a curious feeling stirring in his chest.
Outskirts of the Gojo Family estate, the sedan stopped, and the twins' mother, wearing traditional attire, came out to greet them, leading them home by the hand.
In the softly falling snow, the three silhouettes in elegant clothing formed a beautiful picture.
Zenin Toji appeared not far off, arms crossed, gazing at the scene.
At that moment, Shion and Satoru simultaneously turned their heads, their blue eyes meeting Toji's gaze.
"This is the first time anyone has detected my presence from behind," Toji thought.
"And it's… two people."
He watched them walk away, feeling that this winter was unusually cold.
___
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