Naobito Zenin found it utterly absurd to receive a call from Masamichi Yaga late at night, informing him that he had an illegitimate son-and that the boy had awakened a Cursed Technique and was responsible for the massive fire currently raging through Kabukicho.
Although he had not dealt with Masamichi Yaga all that often, Naobito did not think he was the sort to make such a pointless joke in the middle of the night.
[At present, no members of the Zenin Clan attended Jujutsu High, so their interactions were limited to occasions when high-level missions arose in Tokyo.]
[Whether it was Naobito or Hei, which belonged to the Zenin Clan, completing assignments as Special Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerers earned them considerable remuneration. That was, of course, excluding the dirty jobs Toji took on.]
Though he still thought it sounded ridiculous, Naobito ultimately decided to make the trip. If nothing else, he wanted to see just what sort of Cursed Technique had awakened to cause such an enormous commotion.
Although the official media had deliberately downplayed the incident under orders from the government and Jujutsu Headquarters, Naobito, as the head of one of the Three Great Families, had received detailed, firsthand intelligence almost immediately.
The father and son's first meeting did not take place in a police interrogation room.
Partly because of Tan Man's relationship with Naobito, and partly because the matter involved an entity like the Three Great Families, Masamichi Yaga arranged for Tan Man to be taken temporarily to an abandoned chemical plant serving as their meeting place.
When Naobito first saw Tan Man and carefully studied his features, he had to admit that the boy bore some resemblance to him. Those golden eyes lent him an even more mysterious air.
Had the resemblance not been apparent at a glance, Naobito would probably have turned around and left right then. As lies went, it would have been far too halfhearted.
At least, as things stood, he was willing to acknowledge that this little "con artist" had made some preparations. He could hear what the boy had to say next.
But from Tan Man's perspective, the arrogance and disdain in Naobito's expression were almost undisguised. The way he looked at him was nothing like a man looking at a child who might be his own flesh and blood. It was more like an inspection of some object to determine whether it met his standards.
A sentence surfaced unbidden in Tan Man's mind-the Zenin Clan's most famous saying.
[Those who are not Zenin are not sorcerers. Those who are not sorcerers are not human.]
After all, in the Zenin Clan's eyes, anyone who had not inherited a powerful Cursed Technique would be considered a failure and left to squander their life, even if they were a direct descendant.
For the three families, both "name" and "power" were essential. Inheriting the bloodline that carried the "name" was not enough; more important was inheriting the Cursed Technique that carried the "power."
Tan Man knew that his Cursed Technique, the Eight Hot Hells, did not fall into that category. Still, he needed to demonstrate his value and give his father, Naobito, a reason to acknowledge him.
Tan Man was quite familiar with the original story. He remembered that when Toji discussed Megumi Fushiguro's price with Naobito, the price was one billion if the boy possessed an inherited Cursed Technique, and seven hundred million even if he did not.
Tan Man felt that if he wanted Naobito to willingly settle this mess for him, he would at least have to show that he was worth more than that billion.
Otherwise, putting himself in Naobito's position, Tan Man could think of countless reasons to refuse. Naobito could even use this incident to eliminate a stain on the Zenin Clan without dirtying his own hands.
The corner of Tan Man's mouth twitched slightly. He admitted that, before meeting Naobito, he had spent one fleeting second hoping to see an excited, nervous father-even though he knew the original story and understood that Naobito could never be that sort of man...
The last trace of Tan Man's innocence was finally buried in that moment.
Naobito glanced at Masamichi Yaga and asked, "Is this the brat? He claims to be my child? I'm curious-where is his mother?"
In his view, contacting him to smooth things over was not a solution a six-year-old could have come up with on his own, unless an adult had instructed him.
Just as Yaga was about to explain that Tan Man's mother had died in the fire, Tan Man spoke up himself.
"My mother is already dead. She died at the hands of the Cursed Technique I awakened."
"Oh?"
Hearing Tan Man's unruffled words, Naobito had to reassess the boy, who could remain so calm even after killing his own mother.
Naobito's pupils contracted slightly, and he began to study Tan Man in a different light. He had to admit that the boy's indifference did have something of the Zenin Clan about it.
After all, women held an extremely low status in the Zenin Clan. Women without a talent for jujutsu were regarded as little more than servants.
Even if Tan Man was Naobito's son, given his lowly origins, his mother's death was destined to attract little attention in the Zenin Clan.
And Tan Man had reacted exactly as a typical man of the Zenin Clan would.
Although Naobito found this brat somewhat interesting, he still felt that something about him was odd.
For the moment, however, Naobito could not pinpoint the source of that incongruity.
Tan Man then addressed Yaga respectfully. "Could you please leave us for a moment, Mr. Yaga? There are some things I'd like to discuss with my father alone."
Yaga shot Naobito a questioning look. He had no desire to become too deeply involved in the Zenin Clan's private affairs, much less listen to their gossip.
Naobito gave Yaga a slight nod. He had no inclination to put his past romantic exploits on display, either.
Only after Yaga had left and locked the door did Naobito resume his questioning.
"All right. Let's hear the story your mother prepared for you."
Unshaken by Naobito's attitude or words, Tan Man calmly recounted everything he knew, down to the smallest detail.
Naobito's expression gradually changed as the face of that German woman slowly resurfaced in his memory.
He also remembered her telling him that she possessed a witch's bloodline and hoped to bear him a child.
In truth, by this point, Naobito was already fifty percent convinced of Tan Man's identity.
When he met Tan Man's mother, Naobito had still been worrying about an heir. Although Naoya had already shown talent, he had yet to awaken a Cursed Technique, so nothing was certain.
[Naoya Zenin was one year older than Tan Man. His talent had been tested using a low-level Cursed Spirit when he was one.]
Only at the end did Tan Man state his request: he wanted Naobito Zenin, as his father, to settle the current situation for him.
It was then that Naobito finally identified the incongruity he had sensed in Tan Man.
Talking to Tan Man made him unconsciously forget that the boy was six years old. It felt as though he was speaking to a teenager, at the very least. Both his reasoning and his behavior were far too mature.
Naobito considered it for a moment and decided that, with Tan Man, speaking plainly might work.
"Do you know how much trouble you've caused? Do you expect me to settle all this for you simply because you're my illegitimate son?"
Tan Man replied with a resolute expression.
"I'll prove that I'm worth it."
Before you continue