"What brings you here? Or perhaps I should say, you aren't exactly trying to hide your presence, Uncle."
"So you were aware, Young Master."
Ogi Zenin spoke with a chilling calm, as if he had never intended to remain hidden in the first place.
"Well, there aren't many people in this cramped house who want me dead. Do you really crave the position of Clan Head that badly? To the point of murdering a nephew who has barely turned eight?"
"Watch your tongue, Young Master. I have no desire to hear such arrogance from someone who was lucky enough to be born as the Clan Head‘s son, with the succession handed to him on a silver platter."
'Hah... This man‘s moral compass is fundamentally warped.'
"Uncle, let‘s not do this here. Let us take this outside. My cute little sister is sleeping, and I have no intention of waking her up."
I glanced briefly at the sleeping Naoya before manifesting the Divine Dogs within the room's shadows. I couldn't rule out the possibility of another assassin creeping in the moment I left the room.
"As you wish. It would be poor form to swing a blade inside the main residence, anyway."
'So he really did come here with the full intent to kill me. How utterly foolish.'
Without a word, I led the way toward the training grounds. The silent footsteps following behind me suggested he had the same location in mind. We reached the center of the grounds and stood face-to-face.
"Uncle, regarding the first assassination attempt... you were the one who knocked out the entire Kukuru Unit from behind, weren't you?"
"How did you know?"
'Dropping the honorifics already? Finally showing your true colors.'
"Well... isn't it because you aren't strong enough to beat the Kukuru Unit in a direct confrontation?"
Veins bulged on Ogi‘s forehead. His hands trembled—my words had clearly struck a nerve.
"What did you say...? Are you suggesting that I, Zenin Ogi, would struggle against mere rabble like the Kukuru Unit?"
"You said it yourself. The Zenin are strong. Don't you agree? And whose fault do you think it is that the Kukuru Unit's security has become even more suffocatingly tight lately?"
Bristling with rage, Ogi let out a scoffing laugh.
"Hmph. You talk more than I expected. I won't waste any more words. Die—for the sake of a more righteous Zenin Clan."
The moment the words left his mouth, Ogi drew his sword and lunged. I immediately sank into the shadows.
"A brat who knows nothing but how to hide. As I thought, there is no way you are truly that strong. Ten Shadows Technique, Projection Sorcery... inheriting such things is no proof of strength at such a young age."
From within the depths of the shadow, I replied.
"That‘s quite the claim, considering I already defeated the future head of the Gojo Clan. Could you have done the same, Uncle?"
"Ha! A brat is still just a brat. Limitless, Six Eyes... such things can be countered eventually. That is likely why he lost to a fluke from someone like you."
I couldn't help but chuckle. In the original timeline, Satoru Gojo only ever tasted defeat twice: against Toji and Sukuna. And even then, he slaughtered Toji right after his awakening.
"Hahaha! What an amusing story, Uncle. I suppose you‘re entitled to your delusions. But what I've learned from listening to you... is that you have absolutely no eye for a person's strength."
Losing the last of his composure, Ogi roared.
"What?! Stop spewing nonsense and come out and face me! You're nothing but a coward who runs and hides!"
"I do have one question, though. What gave you the audacity to act so brazenly within the estate? Even if you managed to kill me, the commotion would be found out immediately. You‘d be executed by the Clan Head or exiled."
Ogi continued to vent his fury as he parried the Nue I had summoned and sent flying from the shadows.
"That 'Clan Head'... If my allies and I combine our strength, we can easily handle him. The current Zenin Clan has grown soft and weak. The strong take everything—that was the original law of the Zenin!"
"And that is exactly why the Zenin are the way they are now. My father is the Clan Head because he is strong. I sit as the Young Master because I was born strong. And you? You never became the Clan Head because you are weak. That is all there is to it. The law of 'might makes right' is still very much alive in this clan. You‘ve simply lost your grip on reality."
Having finished my piece, I rose from the shadows and stood before Ogi.
"Are you looking down on me? Stepping out of the shadows... you've grown quite the ego, boy."
"Well... it's because you're weak. You can't even properly cut down a single Nue. I figure I can handle you personally."
"Hmph. I was merely warming up. There is no way I cannot cut down a mere shikigami."
Just as Ogi prepared a serious strike to cleave Nue, I dispelled the summon. I spoke in a mocking tone.
"Oh dear. It seems you couldn't even manage to hit a single bird in the end."
"Shut up! You arrogant little shit!"
I easily evaded the blade he swung wildly in his blind rage.
"How do you expect to lead as the Clan Head when you're so easily ruled by your emotions? I'm genuinely curious. Do you think you'll suddenly gain anger management skills once you sit in that chair?"
"You... you...! You're a piece of trash that deserves to die a thousand deaths! Fine, I'll kill you right here!"
Ogi had finally reached his breaking point. He lunged at me, finally activating his Innate Technique. Blue flames erupted along the length of his katana, a sight reminiscent of an elemental weapon from some video game in my past life.
'So... that's his Cursed Technique? Coining a blade in fire? That‘s it? It's not like his swordsmanship is even that impressive... I have no idea how he thought he could act so big with just this.'
I leapt backward to open up the distance, then immediately formed a hand sign to summon Max Elephant. I dropped the massive shikigami directly onto Ogi‘s head. Ogi barely managed to avoid being crushed flat, but as he tried to parry the high-pressure water blast that followed, his katana shattered under the force, and he was sent flying backward.
"Wow. You really are nothing special. Your sword is broken, so you can't even fight anymore. Did you really come to kill me alone with such pathetic skills? What were you thinking? Sigh. Forget it. Killing someone like you feels like a waste. Just live the rest of your life in that misery."
I turned my back to him and began to walk away slowly. Predictably, I sensed him rushing toward me with a guttural cry of resentment. I feigned ignorance until he was close, then used my shadows to bind his entire body. When I turned back, Ogi was frozen mid-strike, having used his technique to form a blade of fire from the hilt of his broken sword.
"I have never seen someone so weak, so hideous, so cowardly... such a worm. Should I just kill you?"
A better idea came to mind—a way to ensure he lived in eternal agony rather than granting him the mercy of death.
I snatched the broken hilt from Ogi‘s hand and, with a swift motion, sliced down through the hands that were bound by my shadows.
"AAAAAAAGH!! It hurts... it hurts... Gaaah!"
Ten fingers tumbled onto the ground, landing in a neat pile. They lay there like a psychopath‘s collection, thin fingers signaling the absolute end of a man's life as a jujutsu sorcerer.
"Oh my. It seems death would have been a kinder fate, wouldn't it? That's what you get for trying to murder the clan's heir. It's poetic justice, so try to enjoy it."
My scathing words didn't seem to reach Ogi‘s ears. When I released the shadow binding, he collapsed to the floor, wailing like a wounded animal, unable to even look at the bloody stumps of his hands.
"Since you can't do things like this anymore, try to live a little more decently. Though it's probably too late for that. Be sure to show those fingers to your 'allies.' It should serve as a wonderful warning. You can leave the clan, or stay hidden in a room being fed by others... Personally, I hope you stay. I want your colleagues to see you and be too terrified to ever try anything again."
I left the sobbing Ogi behind and returned to my room. I crawled into bed, pulling Naoya into my arms, and closed my eyes.
'What can a man without fingers even do? I feel much better now.'
My mind was clear as I drifted into a peaceful sleep.