Mirai's "six eyes" keenly caught the gazes that lingered on him.
He kept dancing, twirling to face the crowd.
"What is it?"
"Interested too?"
He listened to the silence.
Everyone shook their heads, their faces full of refusal!
But Mirai acted oblivious, squinting as he smiled sweetly and gently. "No need to shake your heads. I know you're all curious! Come on, let's dance together!"
An invisible pressure suddenly rolled out from him!
Everyone looked at each other, hesitant.
In the end, they caved under the pressure of the strongest shikigami.
With forced smiles, they dropped their pride and joined the children in their bizarre dance.
Suddenly, the Three Great Families' summit turned into a festival.
Men, women, young, and old—all dancing with awkward but enthusiastic moves.
Even Miwako Takayanagi and Yukino Fuyu got swept up in this strange ball.
Off to the side, the genius child Satoru Gojo rolled his eyes and muttered, "God, please bless me with a pair of eyes that never saw this nonsense."
"Satou, what did you say?"
Mirai's voice boomed through the loudspeaker, making Yukino tilt her head and invite cheerfully, "Come on, join us~ Dancing makes Mom feel alive again!"
It was as if her bloodline had been awakened.
Back in her day, during the depths of winter, she had mastered the art of public square dancing.
Eventually, even Satoru Gojo was overwhelmed by his mother's fierce encouragement.
With reluctant righteousness, he joined Mirai's improvisational dance class.
Click! Click! Click!
At the hall's entrance, through a crack in the heavy doors...
Naoto Zenin wore a perverted grin as he looked at his camera and the still-warm film he had just developed. Proudly, he whispered:
"Heh heh~ Finally caught you old geezers red-handed. If I don't blackmail you for ten or even eighty billion, I'm not Zenin Naoto!"
Out in the field, after the dance...
Mirai invited Ieiri Glass to join the fun once more.
"The Zenin family has the worst reputation among the Big Three. No way I'm joining them! Blah!" Ieiri Shoko rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue.
Mirai wasn't offended. Instead, he smiled as he turned.
"Okay, but... joining the Gojo family is basically the same. Except they're the most respected of the three~"
"What do you say? Sounds pretty good, huh?"
Ieiri Naoko hesitated, lightly pressing her finger to her lips.
When Mirai first made the offer, the woman behind her had already lit up with excitement.
But with the Zenin clan's intimidating background, she hadn't dared act rashly.
However—
When the heir of the Zenin clan failed to extend an invitation, and instead Mirai offered on behalf of the Gojo family—
That generosity moved her.
Quietly stepping forward, she nudged her daughter and whispered, "Say yes. Hurry, say yes!"
Ieiri Naoko looked back at her mother, confused. "Can I think about it first?"
"Apologies, Mirai. She misspoke. What she meant was—we've already thought it over. We accept."
The woman bowed deeply to Mirai, then quickly led her daughter away.
With sensitivity far beyond the average person's, one could still faintly hear her scolding Glass for her hesitation:
"Glass, didn't I teach you this? If these bigshots make reasonable requests, just agree..."
"Ah-choo!"
Elsewhere in the hall, packed with people—
Satoru Gojo rubbed his slightly reddened nose.
Confused, he muttered, "Huh? Is someone talking about me behind my back?"
In the Gojo family's private lounge—
An old man in his eighties stood facing the floor-to-ceiling window, cane in hand, eyes closed, deep in thought.
"Didn't you say you wanted to apologize to the kid? What are you still standing here for?" asked the second elder, stretching after returning from the main hall.
The Gojo family head opened his eyes slightly. "I'm afraid that kid will unleash a shikigami on me. This old body can't take that kind of beating."
"I want to live a few more years, you know," the elder added sincerely.
Remembering Mirai's fierce aura and his mood swings during the event, the second elder nodded in agreement.
He suddenly recalled something.
"The juniors have a sparring match later. We adults can just watch from the side. Is Mirai not showing up? What's the point of us old bones then?"
The elder who had personally cast Mirai out began to spiral in regret. The reality was far worse than expected.
Mirai, though only six years old, had already inherited the headship of the Zenin clan from the drunkard Naoto.
But he seemed disinterested in the Gojo family, let alone returning to them.
Most importantly—
The child was growing fast!
Even if you ignored his innate "Invisible Hand," now that he'd somehow subdued the mighty Mokuro...
He was fully beyond both Gojo and Zenin control!
Otherwise—
Considering Naoto Zenin was in his prime and practically a top-tier Grade 1 sorcerer—he could have remained clan head for another 20 years!
"Do you think that kid will obediently show up for this formality?"
"He's only six. He's supposed to be carefree and playful at that age."
The second elder's tone was helpless.
The elder let out a deep sigh. "Sigh..."
"It's time. Let's go," said the second elder after checking the clock.
But the elder stood frozen like a statue and muttered:
"Numb."
"Numb?"
"I feel numb."
"Where?"
"I've been standing too long. My whole body's numb! Help me!"
"O-oh! Right away!"
...
In the Three Clans Exchange Hall—
A large area at the center had been cleared out.
Staff members had cast spells to stabilize and reinforce the area.
It could easily withstand attacks from any sorcerer under Grade 2.
For a group of five- or six-year-olds, it was a massive, indestructible playground.
So long as a certain little monster didn't act out...
"This is so boring!"
In the reserved seats for the clan heads, Miwako Takayanagi sat with Mirai on her lap.
They watched the mock battles on the arena floor, which looked more like child's play than a proper duel.
Mirai was listless with boredom. His eyelids drooped.
To his left was the Gojo family's assigned seat—but it was taken by an elder.
That's because the former Gojo family head had seemingly passed away shortly after Yukino became pregnant, as if his purpose had been fulfilled.
To Mirai's right sat the current head of the Kamo family—Kenji Kamo.
The old man leaned closer.
"Young Master Mirai, I'm Kenji Kamo, current head of the Kamo family. It's an honor to witness the might of the strongest shikigami in the jujutsu world."
"What's so honorable about it?" Mirai asked bluntly.
"Uhh..."
Kenji hadn't expected such a reply.
It was as if a whole new world had just opened before him.
"Mokuro is so famous, so of course—"
"Alright, alright, I get it already =="
Mirai interrupted, clearly annoyed.
Kenji Kamo had an unpleasant face and an even worse voice. If he spoke again, Mirai might lose it.
A trace of sinister emotion flickered across Kenji's face.
Seeing Mirai's daring attitude, he stopped trying to please him.
He just snorted and fell silent.
Elsewhere—
The Gojo head kept a calm facade, eyes down, breathing in sync with his thoughts.
Beside him stood a towering shikigami.
He felt like he was sitting on needles, his back prickling with tension.
"Mirai's temper is worse than all three clans combined... seriously..."
Just then, Mirai glanced toward the elder.
The man shivered like a gnarled tree in a storm. Quickly, he said:
"Miss Miwako really taught him well~"
Whether or not Mirai could hear his inner voice, the elder believed one must always maintain the right mindset.
How pitiful.
The world's strongest Grade 1 sorcerers...
Today, they felt true fear—
Of Mirai.