Might is truth

When the banquet finally began, the Gojo Clan simply rented out an upscale hotel deep in the mountains.

For one thing, jujutsu sorcerers could never reveal their special identities in front of monkeys, especially at a noncombat gathering like this.

For another, with the Gojo Clan, Zenin Clan, and Kamo Clan-the Three Great Families-all assembled, it was no exaggeration to say that half of Japan's Jujutsu Society had gathered there.

They certainly could not allow monkeys to wander in, so even the chefs and service staff that day were drawn from personnel supplied by the Three Great Families.

In the past, the Three Great Families might not have handled the staffing themselves.

But today's banquet was a trap with a clear purpose. Even if the Gojo Clan and Kamo Clan mainly wanted to humiliate the Zenin Clan, this was still an internal affair of the Three Great Families.

Even if someone was going to laugh at the Zenin Clan, it had to be the Gojo Clan and Kamo Clan.

As for sorcerers outside the Three Great Families, one of the Zenin Clan's famous sayings neatly summed up the Three Great Families' attitude toward them.

Those who were not Zenin were not sorcerers; those who were not sorcerers were not human.

That sense of superiority rooted in one's birth was an essential part of what made the Three Great Families what they were.

On this rare occasion, Tan Man rode to the hotel in the same car as Naobito Zenin and Naoya.

For the banquet, Tan Man had even put on specially tailored clothes so that, as the clan head's son, he would not lose out in etiquette or appearances.

The three of them sat together in the back seat, and the atmosphere was undeniably awkward.

Tan Man sat by the window on the right, silently gazing outside.

Naoya sat by the window on the left, likewise staring outside in silence.

Naobito Zenin sat between them, utterly ignoring the awkward atmosphere in the silent car. He unscrewed the stainless steel flask he carried with him and used the little time remaining before the banquet for one last "warm-up." Even if the Zenin Clan could not gain an advantage in tonight's contest between the younger generation, he would still drink those two old bastards under the table.

When Naobito Zenin arrived at the main venue with Naoya and Tan Man, they ran into the Head of the Kamo Clan, who had long been waiting there.

The Head of the Kamo Clan was clearly much older than Naobito Zenin, but perhaps because he possessed Blood Manipulation, his aged face was unusually ruddy, like that of a middle-aged man.

[Note to head off nitpicking: this character does not exist in canon; the portrayal in this book takes precedence.]

The Head of the Kamo Clan spotted Tan Man at once. His rare golden eyes caught the man's attention, and he smiled as he spoke to Naobito Zenin.

"Oh? It hasn't been that many years since we last met, and you've already produced another remarkable child?"

Their last meeting had been at the banquet the Gojo Clan held to show off the Six Eyes. Not even two years had passed since then, but no matter how one looked at Tan Man, he could not possibly be two years old. However great a child's talent for cursed energy, a cursed technique could only awaken at four years old at the earliest.

The Head of the Kamo Clan was plainly taking a deliberate jab at Naobito Zenin. How could Naobito Zenin miss the implication? He merely replied with a smile that never reached his eyes.

"I'm so much younger than you, after all. If you're still working hard at your age, how could I fall behind? Don't tell me you also have a child who's inherited Blood Manipulation, and you're planning to introduce them to us at this banquet?"

As Naobito Zenin spoke, he glanced around as though he really were searching for that nonexistent child.

Just as Naobito Zenin had said, the Head of the Kamo Clan was still trying to produce offspring at his advanced age. It was not out of any interest in sex, but simply because the Kamo Clan currently had no child capable of awakening its hereditary technique, Blood Manipulation. And it was not just his own children—no one in the entire Kamo Clan could awaken Blood Manipulation.

That was the Kamo Clan's current predicament. There was no one to carry on Blood Manipulation, the clan head was already old, and the younger generation had produced no new cursed technique capable of matching their hereditary one.

That was precisely why the Kamo Clan remained under the thumb of the Gojo Clan and Zenin Clan. Its own lack of strength forced it to join forces with the Gojo Clan to suppress the Zenin Clan, lest it fall too far behind.

Besides, the Kamo Clan had been in this situation for more than a year or two, so he was already accustomed to such mockery. He waved a hand with an equally hollow smile.

"Soon, soon. Once it awakens next year, the Kamo Clan will host the banquet."

Then the Head of the Kamo Clan abruptly changed the subject.

"Although the Kamo Clan is temporarily behind in its younger generation, I'm still quite eager to see how long your child can hold out against the Six Eyes."

Naobito Zenin knew that the Head of the Kamo Clan's words were not entirely mockery.

From the moment Satoru Gojo, bearer of the Six Eyes, was born, he had been a towering peak that both the Zenin Clan and Kamo Clan could scarcely hope to surmount.

In the past, the Zenin Clan had only barely managed to achieve mutual destruction by using its hereditary Ten Shadows Technique. Now that even the line of succession for the Ten Shadows Technique had been broken, opposing the Six Eyes would only be harder.

Naobito Zenin simply said coolly.

"We'll know the result soon enough. Don't act as though bringing out some brat with Blood Manipulation right now would let you beat the Six Eyes. Get your priorities straight about who's the bigger problem."

"..."

The Head of the Kamo Clan fell silent as well. The truth was exactly as Naobito Zenin had said. Although he was currently joining the Gojo Clan in targeting the Zenin Clan, the Kamo Clan was not, after all, a vassal of the Gojo Clan. It, too, would have to live under the shadow of the Gojo Clan's Six Eyes.

Contrary to today's arrangement, from the standpoint of his clan's interests, currying favor with the Gojo Clan was nothing more than a reluctant necessity.

If joining forces with the Zenin Clan would allow the Kamo Clan to counterbalance the Gojo Clan, he would switch sides without the slightest hesitation.

Naobito Zenin swept his gaze over those present. The senior members of the Zenin Clan and Kamo Clan had all arrived, but only a scattered few from the Gojo Clan were there, mostly those responsible for running the banquet. He clicked his tongue in irritation.

"Tch."

Naobito Zenin could see that the Gojo Clan was relying on its current overwhelming advantage to play these games and emphasize its status.

After all, the Three Great Families had been evenly matched for far too long. Naturally, now that it possessed the Six Eyes, the Gojo Clan wanted to savor having the absolute final say.

Naobito Zenin instinctively looked toward Tan Man. Unlike Naoya, Tan Man still harbored secrets that even he could not see through.

Even if the hope was slim, Naobito Zenin still wanted to try believing-believing that the witch bloodline that woman had spoken of could ultimately work a miracle and defeat the Six Eyes.

That was also why, after discovering over the course of that week what Toji and Tan Man had done that night, Naobito Zenin had still chosen to let Tan Man do as he pleased.

Might was truth.