Satoshi's hammer slipped from his hand, and the sound of metal g finally snapped Gojo Takuya out of his shock.

  "Satoshi, be careful!"

  Takuya swiftly moved forward, catg Satoshi before he colpsed, then carefully pced him on a nearby bed.

  Seeing his young apprentice's pale face, Takuya felt a pang of heartache. At the same time, he silently made a decision, he couldn't let Satoshi overwork himself like this again.

  A six-year-old f a cursed tool was already unheard of. If wot out, it would shake the entire sorcery world. But Takuya didn't want Satoshi to gain fame like this.

  To him, Satoshi was still a child, a member of the Gojo family, someone who bore the Six Eyes. The path of a Cursed Tool Fer wasn't something he should be fog on.

  For some reason, ever since he first met Satoshi, Takuya had felt that this child would leave a mark on the world of sorcery.

  After ensuring Satoshi was settled, Takuya turned his attention back to the on he had fed.

  The moment he saw it, his eyes widened in shock.

  What is going on? Who ged the on? This wasn't how it looked before!

  When the on had just been pleted, it had been a pristine white. But now, it looked no different from an ordinary katana.

  Did I imagi? Was that white bde just an illusion?

  No, that was impossible. He haden anything straoday, and his eyesight had always been sharp. A spell tool fer relied on precise observation, it was impossible for him to make such a mistake.

  If he hadn't withe transformation with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed it.

  "So, what kind of power does this cursed tool have?"

  "Does it have the same frost attribute as Yoru?"

  Takuya carefully picked up the katana, his gaze trag over the bde, the tsuba, and the hilt.

  He eled what little cursed energy he had into it but nothing happened.

  The sword remained pletely still, as if it were nothing more than a mundane on.

  Did I see it wrong? Did Satoshi really not fe a cursed tool?

  But if it was just a normal on, why use Yoru as a material?

  Takuya had clearly sensed an immense power hidden within this bde during the f process.

  He frowned ihought.

  "If this truly is a cursed tool, then maybe... my cursed energy isn't enough to activate it."

  His grip tightened around the hilt.

  "It seems the secret behind this on will have to wait until Satoshi wakes up."

  Takuya was just about to carefully put Sode no Shirayuki away when, suddenly, the door to the fe ushed open.

  ...

  "Gojo Shunichi, what are you doing here?"

  Seeing the newer, Takuya's expression darkened, and his tone was less than weling. Everyone in the ew Shunichi's attitude toward Satoshi.

  His presence here could only mean trouble.

  "Oh? Why does it sound like Master Takuya isn't happy to see me?"

  Shunichi's voice carried a mog uone, and when he addressed Takuya as "Master," there was clear pt in his tone.

  As a Grade 2 sorcerer and a master swordsman, Shunichi's status in the Gojo family was far higher than that of a mere Cursed Tool Fer. He had never cared about Takuya's opinions.

  Casually stepping inside, Shunichi gnced around before spotting Satoshi asleep nearby. The sneer on his face deepened.

  "Does this fake Six Eyes really think he pete with the real deal?

  There are people who are more talehan him and work harder than him. What makes him think he deserves to stand on equal footing with Young master Satoru?"

  "Young master Satoru is the true heir of the Gojo family, the real Six Eyes. This worthless imitation only hinders his future."

  Shunichi didn't bother to hide his disdain.

  Though Satoshi and Satoru were identical in appearahe stark trast ireatment came down to ohing, cursed energy.

  "Hmph, Shunichi. What do you want?"

  Takuya's voice was firm, his expression serious. This was his fe.

  Even if sorcerers held higher status in the Gojo family, that didn't give Shunichi the right te in and act superior.

  Takuya was the only Cursed Tool Fer in the . His role was indispensable.

  Shunichi finally shifted his gaze from Satoshi and turo the sword in Takuya's hands.

  "I just finished interrogating the assassin. I heard he was carrying a first-grade cursed tool, which you fiscated."

  "I'm here to collect it."

  "That oo be pced in the Gojo family treasury. Master Takuya, hand it over."

  So that was his goal.

  Shunichi was after Yoru.

  A first-grade cursed tool was aremely rare asset, even in the world of sorcery.

  Before, Shunichi had been irritated by the assassin's attack. But when he learhe assassin had a first-grade cursed tool, his mood did a plete 180.

  An assassin? No, more like a gift-giver.

  If that's the case, then send more. Send more assassins with more cursed tools.

  "...A first-grade cursed tool?"

  Takuya's body tensed. Instinctively, he shifted Sode no Shirayuki behind him.

  Yoru does anymore.

  What am I supposed to hand over?

  Sode no Shirayuki was Satoshi's first-ever fed cursed toardless of its future grade, Takuya refused to let this on fall into Shunichi's hands.

  But as a trained sorcerer, Shunichi immediately noticed Takuya's rea.

  In a fsh, he appeared behind Takuya and snatched Sode no Shirayuki from his hands.

  "So this is it?"

  Shunichi ied the on, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

  "No wonder you were trying to hide it."

  "But... it's a bit underwhelming. I expected something more impressive from a first-grade cursed tool."

  There was disappoi in his tone.