The sharp cherry blossom blades floating in the air gathered around Satoru and reformed into Senbonzakura in his hand.
In the face of Sode no Shirayuki's Bankai, Senbonzakura seemed to stir unnaturally.
Satoru could feel its yearning—its desire for Bankai.
He stood motionless, staring at Satoshi, whose pale figure lay unconscious in Toji's arms. His heart was filled with conflicting emotions.
He was relieved that Satoshi had successfully awakened Bankai at the critical moment and resolved the crisis.
The power of Hakka no Togame just now could only be described as terrifying. Anyone touched by that cold would have been instantly frozen and shattered.
Even someone like him, who possessed the Six Eyes, was shocked by the sheer might of Bankai.
But at the same time, Satoru felt conflicted.
He had just completed his training and mastered Blue, a technique Satoshi himself had once admired.
He believed that with this technique, he had finally surpassed Satoshi. But in front of Hakka no Togame, he suddenly felt inferior.
At the very least, from Satoru's own perspective, even with Blue, he would have been powerless against the woman with the Domain. And he had no confidence in surviving Hakka no Togame's cold either.
Was this technique of his, Blue, really something Satoshi should envy?
Satoru had already grasped the fundamentals of the Gojo clan's Limitless Technique. With the addition of Blue, his strength now exceeded most sorcerers.
But he wasn't satisfied.
I'm still too weak.
I can't stay like this. I refuse to be left behind.
Because of Satoshi's existence, he had witnessed the pinnacle of the jujutsu world in the form of a six-year-old child.
He could no longer bear the arrogance of being the Six Eyes of the Gojo clan.
If the other families knew what he was thinking right now, if they heard that the one hailed as the Gojo family's genius believed himself mediocre, they would probably think he had lost his mind.
The Limitless Technique alone is not enough to protect Satoshi. None of this is enough.
That thought echoed clearly in Satoru's heart.
The Limitless Technique was powerful, but he had yet to master all of it.
Had Satoshi not been attacked, he might not have felt such urgency.
But after seeing the gap between himself and Kaori, between himself and Toji, Satoru's desire to become stronger burned hotter than ever.
And the only path forward that he could clearly see... was mastering Bankai with Senbonzakura.
Satoru was certain that Senbonzakura's Bankai would not be inferior to Sode no Shirayuki's Hakka no Togame.
If he could master Senbonzakura's Bankai, he should be able to go toe-to-toe with the woman who ambushed Satoshi.
I have to master Bankai.
At this moment, Satoru made his decision. Only by awakening Bankai could he keep up with Satoshi.
...
Toji looked down at the unconscious Satoshi lying in his arms. His thoughts were calm and steady.
He had memorized the face of the woman who had attacked. If she ever appeared again, he would eliminate her without hesitation.
His body, strengthened by Heavenly Restriction, was incredibly powerful. But against certain types of techniques, pure physical strength still wasn't enough.
Just like moments ago—if he had been stronger, if he had been able to break the barrier sooner, maybe Satoshi wouldn't have come so close to being cut down by Ryūjin Jakka.
Before this battle, Toji had full confidence in his body. Even high-level sorcerers were like fragile paper in front of him, not worth a second glance.
But now, after failing to break through a barrier in time, he had been forced to confront the reality that brute strength alone couldn't overcome carefully prepared techniques.
Katen Kyōkotsu's abilities after Shikai were more suited for one-on-one combat.
Now that he had Katen Kyōkotsu, he needed to diversify his fighting methods.
Toji began to reflect.
He had been relying too much on brute force. He hadn't even considered incorporating Katen Kyōkotsu's true nature into his combat style.
That technique was far too unique. To use it so plainly was a waste.
This time, Satoshi had relied on Sode no Shirayuki's Bankai, Hakka no Togame, to claw back a sliver of hope.
The power of Hakka no Togame was so overwhelming that it posed a threat to everyone present.
It was far from ordinary.
Toji believed that the Katen Kyōkotsu in his hand was no weaker than Sode no Shirayuki.
I need to master Bankai as soon as possible.
And I need to broaden my methods of attack.
...
As the Zanpakutō in the hands of Toji, Satoru, and the others reverted to their dormant forms, Yuki observed everything with fresh eyes.
It was her first time truly witnessing the wonder of Zanpakutō.
She finally understood why the jujutsu world said the emergence of Zanpakutō would change everything.
These weapons had transcended physical form and carried the power to completely rewrite the rules.
Transforming from a plain katana into a sea of cherry blossoms.
Transforming from a sealed blade into twin black broadswords.
Transforming from a regular sword into a sleek halberd.
Transforming into a transparent ice blade that even altered the user's appearance and attire.
Yuki struggled to understand what sort of rules governed the Zanpakutō Satoshi forged.
She finally understood why Tengen was so interested in him.
Satoshi was a complete anomaly in the world of jujutsu.
Even though she was confident in her own strength, Yuki knew that if she had faced Satoshi in the state of Hakka no Togame, she would have died.
The power of ice and frost had broken past natural limits, transcending even the concept of cold, seemingly grasping the very essence of the world's laws.
Using Bankai, Satoshi had defeated someone at the pinnacle of jujutsu, an opponent who had even mastered a Domain.
This was the power of Zanpakutō. And the power of Gojo Satoshi.
Yuki looked at Sode no Shirayuki, which had now returned to a simple katana in Satoshi's hand, then shifted her gaze to Ryūjin Jakka lying nearby. A thought stirred in her heart.
If Ryūjin Jakka also reached Bankai, just how terrifying would that power be?
A Zanpakutō that even someone like Kaori had gone to such lengths to obtain must possess unimaginable potential.
Maybe... it wouldn't be a bad idea to have Gojo Satoshi forge a Zanpakutō for me.
Yuki's curiosity toward the boy in front of her only deepened.
This young man who had attracted Tengen's attention. This boy who had stirred her heart.
He was someone worth investing her time and energy into.
At that moment, Yuki made a firm decision, she would get closer to Satoshi.
She wanted to understand him.
(To be continued.)
***
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