Burning Brow Entanglement

"Yo, little Maki. I was wondering who it was."

Naoya lay in his room with his legs crossed, watching Maki walk straight past him.

"What a terrifying face. Looks like it can't be fixed anymore, huh? What are you going to do now, Maki-chan~?"

With a clap, Naoya half rose, looking at Maki as she braced herself against the wall.

"So you can tell men and women apart by their faces."

As Maki walked on, Naoya was just about to say something else—

"Who's that guy?"

Xuan stepped into the narrow corridor—Naoya, whose feet were swinging over the piano, felt an overwhelming pressure.

Just like that woman—that guy called Yuta Okkotsu.

No, that wasn't right. He was stronger, more terrifying than that...

"My cousin, Naoya Zenin. He's a spoiled brat."

No, no, no, no... It wasn't just the terrifying pressure—this guy in front of him.

Before heading out, Xuan had been dragged by Tsukumo to buy a set of clothes.

After readjusting Tiger Funeral, Xuan's muscles had bulged again. His 1.88-meter frame made the narrow corridor feel cramped, and combined with Tsukumo's taste in clothing—in Naoya's eyes, he looked almost exactly like...

Toji.

"Oh, his expression looks a little off. Are you close? He seems worried about you."

"...He's probably trying to kick me while I'm down. If he tries to act like some good guy now, I'm going to throw up."

"Was he that bad to you?"

"Yeah."

Their footsteps quickly faded away, while Naoya remained sitting there, staring blankly into space.

"I've done that thing you and Fushiguro asked me to do."

"Old man Naobito? When did you do it?"

"While you were on the train."

"...How is he?"

"He's probably drinking at some izakaya. Of course, he might also be on his way back."

The members of the Zenin Clan all showed confusion and incomprehension when they saw Maki and Xuan behind her.

"Jinichi, that man's cursed energy—"

"...I can see it without you telling me."

A few days ago, Zenin Ogi had come to his house—they had looked over Naobito's will in advance. They had plenty to say about the decision to hand all the assets over to Megumi Fushiguro unconditionally, though naturally, they had not let Naoya see it.

Before Naoya left, Zenin Ogi proposed a nearly deranged plan: kill Megumi Fushiguro, Maki, and Mai by using the rules handed down from above.

At the time, Zenin Jinichi had not agreed outright. He had merely said, "I need to think about it," and left it at that.

This morning, Naobito's death had been confirmed—of course, that so-called will had been drafted by Naobito Zenin in advance. Thus, only a few of the Zenin Clan's higher-ups knew that no one had tried to save Naobito.

Injuries of that severity would only have wasted money even if treated. The faction led by Zenin Ogi had abandoned Naobito.

Zenin Jinichi watched Maki walk past, followed by that guy behind her—someone who overlapped somewhat with Toji, yet was clearly far stronger than Toji in ways he could not even fathom.

"Yo, old man."

Just as Zenin Jinichi stared at the empty space behind Maki, Xuan had already appeared behind the two of them.

"If you were voting for someone from your clan to become the head, who would you two vote for?"

"I'd vote for Jinichi!"

"...Old man, your name is Zenin Jinichi?"

Jinichi wished Ranta would shut up already, but he could only press his lips together. He was the one who had detected the cursed energy, and he was the one who had brought Ranta over to look. He would have to endure it.

"Yeah."

"Ah, I'm actually not very good at remembering names, but I'll remember your scent."

What the hell was this guy talking about?

Jinichi watched Xuan vanish from behind him and reappear in front of him, watched Maki enter the Cursed Repository—then suddenly felt that Zenin Ogi was probably doomed today.

"Then, the same question."

"Of course, this time there's a restriction, kid—choose one of Megumi Fushiguro, Maki Zenin, and Naoya Zenin to become the new clan head. Which one would you choose?"

Ranta, who had been asked the question, lowered his head slightly before raising his face again.

"Then I'd choose Megumi Fushiguro."

"And you, old man?"

"Megumi Fushiguro."

"Looks like Megumi was pretty popular after all."

Xuan turned around and watched Maki enter the Cursed Repository—then continued speaking to the two men before him.

"As for me, I'm Megumi Fushiguro's teacher—you could say that. I heard from Maki that some of you had been saying unpleasant things about him. You know that, right?"

Jinichi's brow twitched. What kind of luck did Megumi Fushiguro have? One Satoru Gojo, and now this powerful sorcerer whose name he didn't even know, both competing to be his teacher?

"Oh, the only one who spoke ill of him was Zenin Ogi. Do you know where he is?"

"...No."

Jinichi shook his head. He had not seen Zenin Ogi at all these past few days, but he already had a faint guess in his heart.

"How about this? Make a form, then distribute it. Write what I just said on it and send it to everyone in the Zenin Clan—"

"May I ask who you are...?"

"My name is Xuan. As for who I am, you'll understand sooner or later. You might even understand in a little while."

Xuan sat down on the tatami. Before Jinichi and Ranta could make sense of anything, they had both already sat down as well.

"I just sensed a little flame inside the Cursed Repository—who do you think that might be?"

Jinichi did not answer, but Ranta beside him spoke up—

"It should be Lord Zenin Ogi. These past few days, he's been busy clearing out the cursed tools in the Cursed Repository."

"Not bad, kid. You catch on quick."

While Xuan completely pinned Jinichi down, Maki finally arrived before the doors of the Cursed Repository.

As the doors opened, light spilled into the dim storeroom, and Maki saw the scene within—

Zenin Ogi stood there with a drawn longsword, its tip aimed at her as she entered.

"There are no cursed tools left here, Maki."

"I anticipated your move and cleared them out beforehand."

Maki silently pulled out the handle Xuan had handed her—when they had officially entered the Zenin Clan, Xuan had given her this cursed tool.

The special-grade cursed tool, Merchant God's Scepter, also known as the caduceus, had been forged by Xuan through a series of processes: tempering metal with his cursed energy, then repeatedly using the Ten Shadows' cursed energy through the handle to shape the blade. It could transform back and forth between various melee weapons according to its user's will, making it a weapon with formidable close-combat capabilities.

At the same time, because it had been tempered with cursed energy, it naturally possessed the ability to intercept cursed energy.

As for Dragon Bone, it was currently lying inside Xuan's shadow.

"...I have the clan head's permission."

Maki made one last attempt to struggle—at the very least, to give her brainless father one chance.

"You, Megumi Fushiguro, and Mai intended to unseal Satoru Gojo. You have already been judged traitors equal to Satoru Gojo. Killing you would merely be cleansing the clan."

Though he despised Maki before him from the bottom of his heart, Ogi immediately unleashed his technique when he struck—

"Technique Release, Burning Brow Entanglement!!!"

The next moment, Maki dodged his attack, swung her black hammer, and closed in before him.

Clang!

The automatic counterattack of Falling Blossom Emotion sent Ogi's blade smashing aside Maki's shadow hammer—he had clearly never revealed his technique to Maki, yet she seemed to know it as though she had predicted it. Ogi's mind automatically traced it back to one person.

"You three mother and daughters really are three filthy dogs!!! Once I kill you, I'll go kill that bitch who leaked my technique too!!!"