A few days later, in the mountains outside the Tokyo metropolitan area.
"You're too slow."
The speaker was burly, with a lazy yet somewhat arrogant expression.
"I rushed over as soon as school ended, Toji."
Toji—no, he had already changed his name to Toji Fushiguro.
Two years ago, Toji, who had rebelled against the Zenin Clan, was taken in by a handsome Young Miss named Fushiguro.
Worried that Toji's personality wouldn't allow him to survive on his own, the kind and handsome Young Miss took care of Toji for a while, eventually getting herself involved.
On one hand, Toji wasn't famous at this time. He had spared Naobito Zenin some Face, so Toji didn't wipe out the Zenin Clan. In fact, if the Old Man hadn't died, Maki wouldn't have chosen to exterminate the Zenin Clan.
On the other hand, this Young Miss was unaware of the existence of the Jujutsu World and Cursed Spirits.
Later, when they got married, Toji changed his name to Toji Fushiguro.
"I married into her family, so now I am Toji Fushiguro."
At the time, the Young Miss was both touched and helpless. After all, in the customs of the island nation during that period, it was already good if the husband didn't demand his wife change her surname after marriage; Toji actually offered to marry into her family.
Unfortunately, the Young Miss died in an accident not long after Megumi Fushiguro was born.
"Phew~, alright, let's begin. My time is very valuable."
Exhaling a smoke ring, Toji Fushiguro stomped out his cigarette and stood up, leading Eichi to an open area.
"Hey, let's start."
Toji Fushiguro clenched his fists, an unruly smile appearing on his Face.
Eichi, hearing this, didn't dally. He slightly bent his knees, Cursed Energy surging.
"Max Elephant."
The shadow behind him began to extend in the opposite direction, defying common sense, and a large pink Asian elephant appeared before the two of them.
"Oh? That's a good punching bag."
After Megumi was born, Toji Fushiguro once visited the Zenin Clan, not to return to his roots, but to break into the family's library and thoroughly examine all the books related to the Ten Shadows Technique.
The reason for this was simple: when Eichi was celebrating Megumi Fushiguro's birthday, he said, "This child, like me, also has the Ten Shadows Technique."
At that time, Toji Fushiguro immediately said, "This child is in your care."
"You expect me, a branch family bastard who ran away from the Zenin Clan at 7, to understand the Ten Shadows Technique?"
Under Eichi's scornful gaze, Toji Fushiguro left with a warning: "If you dare to lie to me, I'll kill you."
Eichi, who had read the script: "..."
Then Toji Fushiguro headed straight for the Zenin Clan.
After venting his frustrations at the Zenin Clan, Toji Fushiguro's grief over his beloved wife's passing eased somewhat.
However, because he hadn't attended school, when Toji recited the records of the Ten Shadows Technique to Eichi, he often missed a sentence here or swapped a word there.
You ask why Toji didn't take pictures?
Allowing you to look was already a concession; taking pictures would be too much. Are you planning to sell all the information about the Ten Shadows Technique?
Naobito Zenin, the Old Man of the Zenin Clan, knew of Toji Fushiguro's extraordinary nature but couldn't change the Zenin Clan's millennia-old traditions. So, he allowed Toji Fushiguro and Maki to leave, while maintaining some contact with them to save Face, ensuring they wouldn't go too far.
This was also the reason why Toji Fushiguro was willing to send Megumi Fushiguro back to the Zenin Clan if he awakened his Technique.
This was the only way Toji Fushiguro, who had never experienced familial affection since childhood, knew how to express paternal love.
This was also why, after Toji Fushiguro was reincarnated and learned that Megumi's surname was Fushiguro and not Zen'in, he would say, "That's great."
Toji Fushiguro knew the Zenin Clan was a den of demons, but he also knew he couldn't take good care of Megumi Fushiguro.
If his child awakened a Technique, then only in that den of demons could Megumi receive the best upbringing.
Although partially incomplete, the Ten Shadows Technique Materials Toji Fushiguro brought back still greatly helped Eichi. After all, before the System left, it only provided information on the external Technique, the Holy Grail, not the Ten Shadows Technique.
Bang, bang, bang!
The sound of fists meeting flesh rang out. Toji Fushiguro, like a boxing champion in a ring, launched a storm-like assault on Max Elephant, this slow-moving, large punching bag.
Every time Max Elephant tried to spray water to force Toji Fushiguro back, he would be punched in the bridge of the nose, causing him to choke badly.
Head, nose, front legs, hind legs, back, butt.
When he hit the butt, which felt good to him, Toji Fushiguro even playfully changed his fist to a palm and patted it a few times.
Fists rained down like raindrops, and Max Elephant's angry roars gradually turned into pathetic wails.
Max Elephant didn't understand what was happening.
Toji Fushiguro, completely devoid of Cursed Energy, was like a roadside stone during Max Elephant's and the Ten Shadows Technique's subjugation ritual.
Toji Fushiguro's existence was even more inconspicuous than plants and trees.
Yet, this "stone" was strangely powerful. Before Max Elephant could even test the mettle of this generation's Ten Shadows Technique user, this "stone" it couldn't identify rushed over and beat it to a pulp.
After more than ten minutes, the Max Elephant, whose brain had crashed, was beaten unconscious.
Although the Ten Shadows Technique's subjugation ritual had never seen such a situation, according to the rules, with no outsiders (Cursed Energy from someone other than the Ten Shadows Technique user) intervening, Max Elephant lost its fighting capability while Eichi still had the strength to fight again, so Eichi was judged to have successfully subjugated it.
Eichi: Subjugating a Shikigami has never been this satisfying.
It was just a bit expensive; most of the money he had saved went to this commission.
"That was exhilarating! Next one."
Toji Fushiguro rotated his shoulders with satisfaction, then directly tore his shirt, revealing a muscular physique that even men couldn't tear their eyes away from.
Eichi didn't dally either, raising his hand to summon the next Shikigami.
"Tiger Burial."
Tiger Burial, a Shikigami capable of wielding strong winds, is one of the strongest attacking Shikigami in the Ten Shadows Technique.
The strongest attacking Shikigami in the Ten Shadows Technique is Piercing Ox. Theoretically, if this thing ran around the Earth once, it could smash even Sukuna. The problem is it's too cumbersome; it can only run in a straight line and requires a long charge-up time. Eichi can kill enemies without it, and those Eichi can't kill, it can't hit.
Piercing Ox is like something that's tasteless to eat but a shame to discard. It's better to keep it for Fusion Materials.
Max Elephant is the strongest for area-of-effect attacks. With enough Cursed Energy, Max Elephant can even unleash a flood to submerge Tokyo.
Tiger Burial is the strongest for single-target attacks.
Clouds follow the Dragon, and wind follows the Tiger.
Tiger Burial possesses the agility of a feline and can harness strong winds to increase its speed.
Its sharp claws can tear Cursed Spirits at close range and unleash wind blades from afar. Its biting force surpasses Jade Hounds and is not inferior to Hun Dog.
Such a Tiger Burial has almost no weaknesses in a one-on-one fight.
"Roar!"
A black and white tiger, even larger than Piercing Ox, appeared before the two.
The terrifying killing intent made even Eichi tremble slightly.
"Do you need my help?"
"No, go cool off somewhere."
After Tiger Burial appeared, Eichi noticed that Toji Fushiguro was smiling even more happily.
Whoosh.
Strong winds surged, and Tiger Burial's form was light, yet its speed was too fast for the naked eye to catch.
Boom.
Toji Fushiguro stomped hard on the ground with both feet, launching himself like a cannonball towards Tiger Burial.
Claws, fangs, whip-like tail.
Iron fists, elbow strikes, whip kicks.
Unlike Max Elephant, which was too cumbersome and could only serve as a punching bag, the agile and highly aggressive Tiger Burial was barely considered an opponent for Toji Fushiguro.
A true battle began.