The bet had been finalized.
Shinsuke and Satoshi arrived at the Zenin Clan's dojo.
At this moment, Satoshi was in an excellent mood and even shot a smug glance at Toji.
Earlier, he had asked about the cost of failure because he had noticed that the Zenin Clan wanted this battle far more than he did.
They had no idea that Sode no Shirayuki also desired this fight, so they assumed he could still refuse.
Everything he had done beforehand was to make Zenin Shinsuke and Zenin Ogi mistakenly believe that he was reluctant to fight, successfully increasing his bargaining position.
After all, he already knew that after this battle, his chances of entering the Zenin Clan's treasury again were slim to none.
So, he planned to take full advantage of this opportunity and destroy Zenin Shinsuke's confidence in one fell swoop.
After this, he would refuse to set foot in this decaying place again, no matter how many times they invited him.
After some discussion, Naobito had agreed to the request for two Cursed Tools.
Three, if I count the one Toji already secured from them. I'm basically getting three Cursed Tools from the Zenin Clan for free. Plus, I get to beat down Zenin Shinsuke again. Now, that's satisfying.
This old, rotting family… Heh. Let their precious Cursed Tools gather dust in their treasury.
Satoshi and Shinsuke locked eyes in the dojo. They were the only two who mattered in this match.
All around them, Naobito, Ogi, Jinichi, and Toji watched in silence, awaiting the battle.
Satoshi gripped Sode no Shirayuki, sensing the battle lust emanating from her. She, too, wanted to teach Shinsuke a lesson.
His previous battle with Shinsuke had given him a clear understanding of his opponent's abilities.
Even though Shinsuke was regarded as the strongest sorcerer of the Zenin Clan's younger generation, that title meant nothing to Satoshi.
After all, the true strongest member of the Zenin Clan was standing right beside him, Toji, the one without Cursed Energy, whom the clan had cast aside.
To Satoshi, the idea that Shinsuke could turn the tables on him after just a month of training was laughable.
However, he remained cautious.
When he saw Shinsuke holding a weapon wrapped in white cloth, his eyes narrowed slightly.
The true form of the weapon was hidden, but from its outline beneath the cloth, it was clear that it wasn't a standard Japanese katana.
So this is where his confidence comes from?
Satoshi frowned but didn't change his strategy.
He would simply replicate his previous approach—end the fight as quickly as possible using Sode no Shirayuki's technique.
So, the moment the battle began.
Satoshi uttered a single command:
"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki."
His blade transformed into its Shikai form, turning pure white. Instantly, the temperature in the dojo plummeted.
It felt as if all the cold air from outside had been pulled into the room.
The spectators' gazes locked onto the pure white blade.
Toji had already seen Sode no Shirayuki twice, yet each time, he still found himself marveling at its beauty.
The purity of Sode no Shirayuki represented absolute silence, and the ribbon fluttering at its hilt gave it a sense of ethereal grace.
A pure white Zanpakutō. Every time I see it, it feels like this blade was made for Gojo Satoru and Gojo Satoshi.
Though it isn't as visually striking as Senbonzakura, Sode no Shirayuki suits Satoshi's composed nature far better.
A sigh escaped Toji's lips. His desire to wield a Zanpakutō of his own only grew stronger.
Unlike Toji, the others were seeing Sode no Shirayuki's Shikai for the first time or had never observed it in detail before.
This was their first chance to truly examine its form.
Naobito's heart skipped a beat as he took in the sight.
Even just from its appearance, he could tell—this was no ordinary Cursed Tool.
It was nothing like the cheap trick Ogi had accused it of being.
That blade's sheer presence, the chill it emitted—this was an extraordinary weapon.
He could only imagine how powerful the other two Zanpakutō, Suzumushi and Senbonzakura, must be.
He already knew that Senbonzakura had become Gojo Satoru's exclusive Zanpakutō. On the day of its completion, the Gojo Clan had witnessed a breathtaking spectacle, a sea of cherry blossoms engulfing their entire estate.
Satoshi wouldn't forge something useless for his brother. That meant Senbonzakura's power likely surpassed even Sode no Shirayuki's.
We'll have to see Sode no Shirayuki's technique in action. The same technique that instantly defeated Shinsuke before.
Is Shinsuke truly confident that he has found a way to counter it?
Naobito's thoughts mirrored those of Jinichi.
Meanwhile, Ogi, standing beside him, exuded confidence.
His focus wasn't on Sode no Shirayuki at all, it was entirely on the wrapped weapon in Shinsuke's hands.
He knew Shinsuke would win.
And when he did, that Gojo brat would be forced to kneel and apologize.
---
The moment Sode no Shirayuki activated, Satoshi unleashed Tsukishiro (First Dance, Moon White).
As he swung his Zanpakutō, an invisible circle formed beneath Shinsuke's feet.
If he stayed there for two more seconds, he would fall into the same fate as last time.
However—
The moment Satoshi released Tsukishiro, he noticed something odd.
Shinsuke was smiling.
"You didn't actually think you could use the same trick on me twice, did you?"
Shinsuke's body flickered as he dodged backward, putting more than ten meters between himself and his previous position.
As he moved, he spoke confidently.
"Why do you think I've been training all this time?"
"It was all to analyze your sword movements."
"Tsukishiro takes time to activate. As long as I react fast enough, it will never hit me."
The moment he finished speaking, a large white circle appeared where he had just been standing.
A massive column of frost shot up, instantly freezing everything within its radius.
But it had only frozen empty air.
Seeing this, Shinsuke smirked.
It was proof that his month of sword training had not been in vain.
As long as Tsukishiro couldn't touch him.
Sode no Shirayuki's first technique was useless.
(To be continued.)
***
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