By the time Tan Man learned about the Three Great Families' banquet a week from now, night had already fallen. He had just finished his cursed energy training with Akari when he and Naoya were summoned to Naobito Zenin's room and told the news.
Naoya and Tan Man reacted differently. There was not a trace of fighting spirit on Naoya's face. He had been told since childhood what the Gojo Clan's Six Eyes meant, and no one had ever demanded that he defeat the Six Eyes.
Tan Man, meanwhile, frowned in thought. He had not expected to encounter Satoru Gojo so soon. Although Evil Eye would most likely work on Satoru Gojo, he did not think the three hells-Equal Lives, Black Rope, and Sanghata Hell-could break through Limitless.
Naobito Zenin looked at Naoya and said, "When you fight the Six Eyes, I have only one requirement: don't lose too badly."
After Naoya's two consecutive defeats at Tan Man's hands, rumors had inevitably spread through the Zenin Clan, so he understood exactly what Naobito Zenin meant.
It was not Naoya's recent performance that made Naobito Zenin hold out little hope for him. It was his thorough understanding of the Six Eyes and Limitless.
Even if Naobito Zenin fought personally, using the same Projection Sorcery as Naoya, he would have no way to break through Limitless.
Naobito Zenin turned to Tan Man, his gaze becoming noticeably more complicated.
Reason told Naobito Zenin that, special as this child might be, he could not possibly be a match for the Six Eyes. Even so, he could not deny that deep down, he still hoped for a miracle.
"The same goes for you." That was all Naobito Zenin said.
"Mm." Tan Man's response was equally brief.
His relationship with Naobito Zenin was rather delicate at the moment. Tan Man deliberately kept his distance, and Naobito Zenin was clearly not the type to take the initiative to mend their relationship.
Besides, if he grew too close to Tan Man, it would not only affect Naoya. Others could easily interpret it as a signal, shifting the atmosphere throughout the Zenin Clan.
After all, plenty of people were interested in becoming clan head. For now, Naobito Zenin had no desire to see the entire Zenin Clan thrown into chaos over the right of succession.
So, for the time being, Naobito Zenin simply arranged Tan Man's daily training as usual, without showing him any additional concern.
In the mornings, Tan Man trained with Kukuri to build up his physical foundations. Defeating Naoya did not change the fact that his body was still frail.
In the afternoons, he attended cursed energy training with Akari to improve his ability to use it.
Just as with his physical fitness, his victories did not mean his command of cursed energy was up to standard.
The main reason he had been placed in Akari rather than the elite Hei was that Naoya was in Hei. Given the awkward relationship between the two, this arrangement had been made out of consideration for them.
Besides, even Akari's introductory training was more than sufficient for Tan Man.
"If there's nothing else, I'll head back and rest, Clan Head." Tan Man bowed slightly to Naobito Zenin and excused himself.
Naobito Zenin and Naoya silently watched Tan Man leave. In truth, Naobito Zenin was not the only one whose relationship with Tan Man was complicated. After suffering two defeats at Tan Man's hands, even Naoya had gradually reined in his arrogance.
Ultimately, it might simply have been Naoya's ingrained admiration for strength at work. He could dismiss the first defeat as a fluke, but when he lost again despite using the "strategy guide" his father Naobito Zenin had given him, Tan Man's image as a "demon" became all the more firmly rooted in his mind.
In reality, Tan Man's life did not consist solely of mornings with Kukuri and afternoons with Akari. Even his nights were packed.
After eating and washing up in the detached residence, Tan Man changed back into his old clothes. They were a little shabby, but he had not had time to buy new ones. For his nighttime activities, they made more sense than going out in Zenin Clan attire.
Toji had also taken off his usual clothes and changed into an all-black casual outfit.
Bracing one hand against the doorway, Toji watched Tan Man change and remarked,
"Those clothes are practically falling apart. Didn't that old man get you anything?"
Of course, Tan Man knew that the old man Toji meant was his father, Naobito Zenin. He calmly straightened his clothes as he answered,
"He did. Do you want me wearing Zenin Clan clothes while I help you do something shady?"
So the kid had thought of that too. What a freak.
Toji marveled inwardly. Setting his age aside, Tan Man might make a decent partner, considering what Evil Eye could do.
Once he finished changing, Tan Man turned and asked Toji,
"Did you take care of that maid and Hiroya too?"
"You mean your two lackeys? I knocked them out," Toji said calmly.
Tan Man sighed softly. He knew there was no way to keep his outings with Toji completely unnoticed, but he had not expected Toji to resort to such physical measures.
Suddenly, he felt a little grateful that Naobito Zenin had assigned him only two attendants. If there had been any more, would Toji's actions have been taken as outright rebellion against the Zenin Clan?
While Tan Man was considering this, Toji had already grabbed him with one hand, slung him over his shoulder, and begun racing across the rooftops of the Zenin Clan's buildings toward his parked car.
On the way, Tan Man asked, "So what kind of job did you pick today? Gambling or killing?"
Toji wanted to test Tan Man's abilities, but many ways of making quick money were only available during the day, when Tan Man's schedule was now completely full. So this time, Toji had found a nighttime opportunity.
Toji answered irritably, "With an ability as convenient as yours, why bother with something as troublesome as killing people? We're betting on underground fights, except all the fighters are jujutsu sorcerers. You get it?"
Tan Man immediately asked, "So you want me to use illusions to influence the matches while you make a fortune betting on them, right?"
"Oh, you know quite a bit. Yeah, that's pretty much it. But tonight is the season final. A dark horse is up against the defending champion, so the odds on an upset are pretty high!" Toji said excitedly.
When Tan Man heard the words "dark horse," "upset," and "odds" in the same sentence, two words sprang to mind: fixed match.
But seeing Toji's excited expression, Tan Man thought for a moment and decided to keep his opinion to himself. Even if the match was fixed, Evil Eye's illusions should theoretically still give them a chance.
Toji set Tan Man down in the passenger seat and continued speaking as he started the car.
"Your illusions clearly aren't caused by cursed energy. I watched their reactions during that fight. That means you won't leave any cursed residue at the venue, either. If we win, the payout is a full 2.7 times our stake!"
This was the first time Tan Man had heard Toji mention that. He had not expected Toji to have observed him in such detail.
Then he noticed the bag beneath the passenger seat, packed with bundles of ten-thousand-yen notes. This was 1997, after the property bubble had already burst. That was unquestionably an enormous sum of money.
Even if they left no traces, with a bet that large, wouldn't any trouble be enough to make people suspect Toji without needing any other reason?
Tan Man could already sense that tonight was destined to be anything but peaceful.
[Why is it that when I write, everyone reads without saying a word? The lack of comments is making me anxious.]
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