The kendo match should have already started. I wonder who's strohe kendo master of the Yagyū family or the kendo master of the Gojo family?

  I hope the fight sts longer so I reap more bes.

  Satoshi felt the system notifications flooding in, and the joy of gaining something for nothing filled his heart. He quickly switched his perspective to Suzumushi's, and the image of the Gojo family dojo appeared clearly before his eyes.

  However, what surprised him was the plete silenside the dojo.

  Standing right in front of him, a sturdy middle-aged man in a kimono was staring at "him" in shock, his eyes filled with disbelief.

  At the man's feet, a katana y broken in two, looking utterly pitiful.

  "What... what just happened? Your sword—"

  Yagyū Saemon poi the Suzumushi in Shunichi's hand, his voice faltering.

  The katana he wielded wasn't an ordinary on, it was a cursed tool. Yet after just ten exges, it had been cut ly in half by the bde in Shunichi's hand.

  This was the first time Saemon had ever entered such a thing.

  Looking at the shattered remains of his on, a trace of pain flickered in Saemon's eyes. To a kendo master, their sword was more than just a tool, it was a trusted panion.

  No true swordsman would willingly part with their on.

  Ahe sword he had relied on for so long renowned for its durability had been severed so effortlessly by Gojo Shunichi. Even more unbelievable was that Suzumushi showed no signs of damage, not even a single dent or bend in the bde.

  This was pletely beyond his expectations.

  Nearby, Kumaen and Yagyū Yusuke, who had been watg the match, were just as shocked.

  They had expected a fierd evenly matched duel between two top-tier swordsmen. Instead, the fight had barely begun when Saemon's on was already destroyed.

  As the duel momentarily paused, the Yagyū family's disciples hurried to offer rept ons to Saemon.

  During this brief respite, Shunichi found himself deeply shaken by Suzumushi's power.

  So this is the true strength of a Zanpakutō...?

  Thinking back to his previous bet with Satoshi, where he had cshed dozens of times against Satoshi's Sode no Shirayuki with his Cicada's Cry, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

  If Satoshi's strength had been on par with mine back then, wouldn't my Cicada's Cry have been pletely destroyed by Sode no Shirayuki?

  As Saemon struggled to wield an unfamiliar on, a hint of sympathy fshed through Shunichi's eyes.

  At the same time, for the first time in this kendo duel, where he had initially felt uain, he began to feel a spark of fidence.

  Even though he hadn't made any special preparations, the ued power of Suzumushi had essentially made him uable.

  …

  Five mier.

  With all the Yagyū family's ons broken by Suzumushi, a hint of awkwardness appeared on Shunichi's face.

  At this moment, not only was Saemon fuming in frustration, but even Yusuke, who had been the duel, had an expression as dark as coal.

  This is ridiculous.

  What the hell is going on? Samurai swords are expensive, damn it! Is this still a kendo match, or is it just a test of on durability? What material is Gojo Shunichi's sword even made of? Why is it so absurdly strong?

  Yusuke shot a g Gojo Kumaen, suspi flickering in his eyes.

  If the Yagyū family hadn't been the oo initiate this match, he would have seriously suspected that this was some eborate trap set up by that ing old fox, Gojo Kumaen.

  Yet, even as Yusuke started questioning things, Kumaen himself was equally surprised.

  As the leader of the Twin Curse Fa, he rivy to all the important information about the people in his fa.

  He knew for a fact that the on Shunichi was wielding wasn't his usual bde, Cicada's Cry, but airely new one—far superior to Cicada's Cry.

  Thinking back to how Shunichi had spent nearly a month locked away in the fe, Kumaen couldn't help but eain a wild thought.

  Could this be… a Zanpakutō?

  Kumaen furrowed his brows, but he quickly shook his head, forcefully suppressing the idea.

  Impossible! Satoshi spent an enormous amount of time and resources trying te a cursed tool like this, yet he never succeeded. There's no way he could have randomly fed one now.

  Besides, even if he did mae a Zanpakutō, why would Satoshi give such a valuable on to Shunichi? If something this powerful was unveiled, it would attra enormous amount of resources. It would make far more seo keep it for himself rather than handing it over to someone like Shunichi.

  Is Satoshi really that generous? Does he not realize that Shunichi is part of the Twin Curse Fa? That's impossible. They've had flicts before.

  Putting himself in Satoshi's shoes, Kumaen found it unthinkable that he would willingly hand over such a on.

  Even though Shunichi's staoward the fa had wavered i times, he had once been a staunch oppo of Satoshi.

  Uhose circumstances, ah on sense would still hold some level of distrust.

  If it were him, Kumaen would never do something so reckless.

  Which meant… perhaps Cicada's Cry had beeroyed by Satoshi, and Takuya, out of guilt, had refed a neon for Shunichi?

  People believe what they want to believe.

  Even when faced with reality, their biases often blind them to the truth.

  …

  This level of power…

  Toji smirked.

  Gojo Satoshi, huh? When I return to the Zenin , I should really help him find some cursed tools that match his needs.

  Since he's capable of setting such precise f requirements, it seems like he's already discovered the exact method for crafting Zanpakutō.

  Toji's lips curled slightly. He was eager to see what kind of Zanpakutō Satoshi would be able te once he obtaihe necessary materials.

  Just Suzumushi alone was enough to allow a swordsman to pletely domihers in terms of on quality and that was without even fact in Suzumushi's special abilities.

  If Gojo Shunichi could truly master Suzumushi's power, he might evehrough from a Grade 2 sorcerer to a Grade 1.

  That would certainly shake up the power dynamics within the Gojo family.

  Toji g Kumaen beside him and shook his head slightly.

  Your thinking is outdated. You don't uand the significe of a Zanpakutō.

  With ons like these, who would still dare to call Satoshi useless?

  These arrogant old men will eventually pay the price for uimating him.

  A gleam of anticipation fshed in Toji's eyes as he imagihe future.

  He was looking forward to the day Satoshi took trol of the Gojo family, just to see the looks on the faces of these so-called elders when that day finally arrived.

  And when that moment came…

  Toji's smile widened.

  He couldn't wait.