Electrocuting Two Fish in a Row; Woke Up Too Early and Ran Into Kenjaku!

My name is Higashigaki Taro. I joined the Zenin Clan as a guest retainer from another family, and I'm a Grade 2 Jujutsu Sorcerer fighting on its behalf...

My opponent this time...

Higashigaki Taro swallowed nervously, cold sweat pouring down his body...

"Hey, quit spacing out! Are we fighting or not? I'll let you make the first move!"

Hajime Kashimo held his lightning staff under one arm and dug in his ear with his other hand.

It's the Thunder God, Hajime Kashimo!

Higashigaki's eyes shook.

Trembling, he drew his Cursed Tool, a large sword, only to shakily slide it back into its scabbard a second later.

"You've got to be kidding me! I'll die! Why is Hajime Kashimo fighting so early?!"

The spectators in the stands burst into laughter at the sight.

The will to dominate in their bones began to blaze.

"Oi, are you any good or not? If you're too scared to fight, get off the stage like a good boy!"

"You useless thing, are you so scared you can't even hold your sword steady? What right do you have to fight for the Zenin Clan?"

"Get the hell off yourself! Bakayaro!"

The jeers and curses echoed endlessly in his head.

Higashigaki clutched his head with both hands, feeling a certain spot grow a little wet...

Is that sweat...?

He looked down at his crotch...

No, it's piss!

"Hahahaha...!"

He suddenly threw his head back and howled, "I knew it! How could it possibly be sweat? How could a mere Hajime Kashimo make me break out in a sweat?!"

The next moment, his gaze sharpened, Cursed Energy surged around him, and he whipped his sword from its scabbard:

"I'm betting everything I have as a Jujutsu Sorcerer, even if I can never use Cursed Energy again! Take this, Hajime Kashimo!"

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't get my hopes up too much!"

Seeing this, Hajime Kashimo laughed and charged straight at him:

"Let me see just how much everything you've bet is worth!"

Under the immense pressure, Higashigaki Taro had unwittingly formed a Binding Vow that could only be called a death sentence, and he had also acquired the will to win by betting everything...

This strike...

Clang!

"?! A mere !?" Shiratori Gotsu in the stands couldn't help making that assessment.

"Huh?"

Fragments of the broken blade flew past his eyes as if in slow motion. Higashigaki saw Hajime Kashimo purse his lips, then punch him in the stomach.

The next moment, everything went black.

"All that noise, and I thought he'd be tougher."

Hajime Kashimo shook out his hand and looked down at Higashigaki Taro, who lay unconscious on the ground like a big maggot, and couldn't help rolling his eyes.

Perhaps influenced by Shiratori Gotsu, he, who would usually have gone for the kill, had actually held back this time and merely knocked his opponent unconscious.

The next moment, the referee on the raised platform announced loudly, "Fourth match, Gojo versus Zenin, the Gojo Clan wins!"

Hajime Kashimo showed no particular expression, nor did he intend to leave the stage. He called out:

"Hey, anyone will do. Come drag him off! I'm fighting the next match too!"

By now, the Jujutsu Sorcerers fighting for the Kamo Clan were drenched in sweat.

"Hmph, a bunch of cowards!"

A bald man pushed his way out of the crowd.

"That guy is... Katagiri Geto?"

Someone recognized him.

"That Replication Sorcerer, Katagiri Geto?"

Another person replied:

"He's actually brave enough to challenge Hajime Kashimo?"

Under everyone's gaze, Katagiri Geto strode onto the stage and gave Hajime Kashimo a radiant smile:

"I've long heard of the Thunder God. My name is Katagiri Geto, and my Cursed Technique is called Replication Jujutsu."

With everyone watching, he openly revealed his Cursed Technique:

"My Cursed Technique lets me unconditionally replicate and use once every move my opponent uses through their own Cursed Technique!"

"For every move you use, I can unconditionally replicate and unleash an identical one! The only limitation is that its power is just eighty percent of the original."

"However, by revealing my Cursed Technique just now, I've increased the power of my replications to ninety-five percent!"

"Just wait until you're burned to a crisp by that lightning technique you're so proud of!"

The spectators in the stands had mixed reactions to his bold pre-battle declaration.

As for Shiratori Gotsu... he could barely keep it together.

Never mind that Hajime Kashimo fought purely with lightning-aspected Cursed Energy, not a Cursed Technique.

This so-called Replication Sorcerer clearly hadn't even done his homework.

After all, according to his explanation of his own Cursed Technique, there was clearly no way he could replicate Hajime Kashimo's moves.

Even putting that aside, if he really could replicate Hajime Kashimo's Mythical Beast Amber, then... wouldn't using it be no different from blowing himself up?

Was he going to turn himself into a giant snap pop and explode just so the audience could hear a bang?

And since Hajime Kashimo was resistant to lightning, he might not even be hurt much afterward.

"Hmm... Jujutsu Sorcerers really do have talented people emerging one after another, with powerhouses gathered everywhere!"

Shiratori Gotsu couldn't help sighing in admiration.

And clearly, he wasn't the only one struggling to keep it together.

Hajime Kashimo himself was standing onstage, barely holding it together too.

What the hell was all this?

Couldn't he just have a proper, satisfying fight?

"Enough talk. Just come at me!"

One minute later...

"Fifth match, Gojo versus Kamo, the Gojo Clan wins!"

Sure enough, Katagiri Geto's Cursed Technique could only replicate moves his opponent used through a Cursed Technique. It couldn't replicate Hajime Kashimo's lightning-aspected Cursed Energy at all.

Smoking and twitching from the shock, his final words before losing consciousness were:

"You bastard... you didn't even use a Cursed Technique... how shameless!"

"You electrocuted two fish in under three minutes. Not bad efficiency!"

Shiratori Gotsu greeted Hajime Kashimo with a broad smile as he returned to the stands.

"It's your turn again next. Don't drag me down!"

Hajime Kashimo licked his lips, making no effort to hide the excitement on his face:

"That Katagiri Geto was noticeably stronger than the last one. Looks like, barring any surprises, we'll be fighting real powerhouses soon."

Shiratori Gotsu smiled ruefully. "Of course. Just wait and see what I can do!"

"Sixth match, Zenin versus Kamo, the Kamo Clan wins!"

It was Gojo versus Zenin again.

The moment the arena was cleared, Shiratori Gotsu immediately flashed forward and took the stage first.

And fighting for the Zenin Clan was...

A high ponytail, stitches across his forehead, and a pretty handsome face...

Shiratori Gotsu's eyes went wide.

Although he had never seen that face in the original manga, he knew those stitches well!

Holy crap, did I wake up too early? Am I facing Kenjaku?!

He couldn't help feeling a little excited:

Oh my god, I thought the Gojo and Zenin clan heads' explosions would be the feast this time, but there's an appetizer too!

Don't get my hopes up too much!