Mirai felt a subtle shift in the air. With the Six Eyes, he perceived far more than just cursed energy.
He suddenly turned around and looked at Takayanagi Mieko. She stood with her hands folded over her chest, her red lips slightly pursed, and her delicate brows knit together tightly. She looked so gentle, so devastatingly melancholic, that it evoked a fierce, protective instinct within him.
"Auntie Mieko, what's wrong?" he asked.
Mieko shook her head, forcing her expression to calm. "It's nothing. I was simply moved seeing you and Mafuyu-sama meet..."
"Auntie Mieko thinks Auntie Mafuyu is very nice too, right?" Mirai asked with an innocent smile.
"Yes." Mieko didn't elaborate. She just offered a polite smile.
"But—"
Mirai paused. He walked quietly over to Mieko. He tried to look up at her face, but his line of sight was completely blocked by her… ahem, generous assets.
Changing tactics, he simply wrapped his small arms around her thighs in a tight hug, burying his face against her and speaking with complete honesty.
"But I feel like Auntie Mieko treats me the absolute best. Hehe."
Hearing those words, the tension drained from Mieko's shoulders. A genuine, relieved smile blossomed across her face.
Shortly after, Mieko took a seat at a banquet table, and Mirai took his rightful seat upon her lap. The little guy, whose appetite was entirely disproportionate to his body size, began eating with incredible relish.
But his seat wasn't even warm before Naobito dragged him away by the collar, wearing an expression of absolute agony.
Inside the Zenin clan's exclusive VIP reception room.
"Ugh... my little ancestor..." Naobito groaned, rubbing his bruised temples. "Don't you know the concept of hiding your trump cards?! Why did you have to make such a massive scene? Even if you had used Jedora, it would have been better than summoning Mahoraga!"
"Hmph. You don't get it, old man," Mirai scoffed. He spread his arms wide, adopting the famously arrogant, questioning posture of a certain anime god. "I'm already invincible! Why should I hide my competence? Are you asking me to hide your incompetence?!"
He crossed his arms, huffing indignantly. "Besides, how could I possibly bother the elegant Miss Jedora with something as vulgar and uncivilized as beating up a Kamo elder?"
Naobito's cheek—the exact spot where Jedora had backhanded him just hours ago—gave a phantom throb.
The corners of the former Clan Head's mouth twitched violently. He desperately wanted to argue, but terrified of invoking another slap, he kept his complaints strictly internal.
So I'm not considered human, right? I guess beating me up was a perfectly civilized activity for her!
"Alas..." Naobito sighed, his shoulders slumping. "If you refuse to listen to the advice of your elders, you'll suffer the consequences later."
"Wrong!" Mirai wagged a finger. "Don't listen to the advice of old people, and the food tastes even sweeter!"
Naobito slapped a hand over his own face. He was completely helpless against this kid's arrogance and disobedience. He couldn't out-argue him, and he certainly couldn't physically fight him.
Forget it, Naobito thought. If the world burns down because of him, let it burn.
Back in the main banquet hall.
Mafuyu had finally managed to coax Gojo Satoru out of his tantrum, and the two had returned to receiving the endless line of guests.
Between the "Twin Stars," the crowd seemed to subtly gravitate toward Satoru's side. While Mirai's sheer power display was terrifying, Mafuyu was infinitely more approachable than the menacing Mahoraga. Furthermore, many still believed that the legendary "Six Eyes + Limitless" combination was mathematically superior to the "Ten Shadows"—ignoring the fact that Mirai possessed both the Six Eyes and the Shadows.
As long as the crowd focused on Satoru, Mirai was perfectly content.
After eating and drinking his fill, he wandered around the venue with Mahoraga shadowing him like a mob boss inspecting his territory.
It wasn't long before he intercepted a wild, extremely valuable Lolita and initiated a trapping operation.
"So, how about it? Want to join the Zenin clan?" Mirai pitched smoothly. "The benefits are incredible. Full medical, dental, and vision, plus a housing fund. Room and board are completely covered. If you sign the contract right now, you can move your luggage straight into a luxury villa tonight."
He nodded approvingly. "Ah~ I really do love excellent, highly functional tool-like talents such as yourself. The 'Reverse Cursed Technique' is an incredibly rare skill. Keep up the good work, kiddo."
The little girl with short brown hair stared at him deadpan.
"You literally just called me a tool to my face, didn't you?"
Ieiri Shoko squinted her dark eyes, completely unimpressed. "I don't like frivolous, arrogant boys. And that giant Shikigami following you around is super creepy."
"What?" Mirai feigned offense, glancing back at Mahoraga, who was currently flashing its terrifying, pristine white teeth in what could generously be called a "healthy smile."
"Mr. Mahoraga is very considerate and highly cultured! Come on, Mahoraga, let's show her the Subject Three dance!"
"Subject Three?" Shoko blinked, utterly confused. "Isn't that the ridiculously hard driving test my mom always complains about failing?"
Mirai completely ignored her confusion. Reaching into the absolute, four-dimensional void of his shadow, he pulled out a massive, heavy-duty Bluetooth speaker that was taller than he was.
Snap!
He snapped his fingers. Too lazy to find an electrical outlet, he looked down at the shadow beneath his feet.
"Miss Jedora, be a dear and give me a gentle jolt of electricity, please."
[Mm.]
A sweet, echoing response came from the void. Suddenly, a tiny, perfectly controlled spark of orange-yellow lightning arched out of the shadow.
Zzzzt!
Under Jedora's flawless cursed energy manipulation, the speaker was instantly powered up to maximum volume.
"Music, start!" Mirai commanded.
An absurdly loud, hyper-energetic techno-remix of a classic martial arts anthem blasted through the elegant, five-star banquet hall.
(Cue the viral Subject Three dance music!)
In perfect, terrifying synchronization, Mirai and Mahoraga—the Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General, the absolute apex of the Ten Shadows—crossed their arms, twisted their hips, and began performing the viral, devilish "Subject Three" dance routine!
"What...??" Shoko stared, utterly bewildered. "Does this... count as dancing?"
Her eyes darted frantically between Mirai's smooth footwork and Mahoraga's massive, muscular frame twisting to the beat.
Her pupils shrank. Her little head began to nod along involuntarily.
Shoko suddenly understood the sheer, chaotic brilliance of the moment. After all, what she was witnessing was the youngest Clan Head in history and the single most terrifying Shikigami in the jujutsu world, performing an absurd internet dance with absolute, deadpan seriousness.
How do I put this? Shoko thought, her cheeks flushing. I kind of want to join in... but it's way too embarrassing! She cupped her blushing face in her hands, her shoulders twitching as she fought the urge to dance.
On the other side of the venue...
The elite leadership of the Three Great Families—who had been entirely unaware of the context—froze as the blaring techno music hijacked the serene atmosphere.
Every single head turned toward the source of the noise.
Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! The collective sound of hundreds of jaws dropping and shattering against the floor echoed through the hall.
Everyone's worldview was completely, utterly pulverized.
That is Mahoraga! The unkillable god of destruction! The Wall of Sighs! Zenin Patriarch... what the hell are you making it do?!
A/N: For this week, every 100 Powerstones will get ya'll an extra chapter! Thank you!