"Sigh! What a mess!"
I was in the exact same room where I ended up after completing my first mission.
Even though two months had passed, almost everything was the same.
The same smell, the same lighting, the same faint background noises.
It felt like this room was frozen in time.
Unfortunately, there was one notable and tragic difference.
In my place, it was Toji lying on the bed.
He had bandages wrapped all over his body, and he had nearly died several times during the two days following our arrival.
If Tsukumo Hyo didn't have some fairly advanced medical knowledge, there was a high chance he wouldn't have survived.
"Things really took an unpredictable turn."
None of this was supposed to happen.
Yes, Toji was meant to be mistreated by the clan to the point of developing psychological issues. But this level of cruelty was truly over my expectations.
If he had gone through this in the prime world, he would have more than just a scar on his cheek. After what happened here, he would likely end up with scars across his whole body.
"I really underestimated the Zen'in's malice."
At first, in my stupidity, I thought that two people meant half the suffering.
'Ha! What a joke!'
Two Heavenly Restriction users only doubled or even quadrupled the suffering.
And on top of that, I fueled their hatred.
I thought that showing a portion of my power would discourage the weak ones from touching us, and that the strong ones wouldn't care because of the Zen'in's arrogance.
I don't know if I underestimated or overestimated their malice, but the result was clear: a situation even worse than Toji prime.
(Here "prime" is used to refer to the original version. It felt strange to keep using "original" since he stopped thinking of this world as a manga long ago. So it will be world prime, Toji prime, Sukuna prime, Yuji prime, etc.)
In summary: everything was my fault. Toji might end up even more broken than in the prime world, and with the mess I caused, Haruto probably wouldn't let us leave so easily.
"What am I supposed to do?"
I had no answer. I saw no way to fix this desperate situation that, once again, had been caused by no one but myself.
But while I let myself sink into this negative spiral, things around me were already moving.
The door to the room opened, and I sensed Tsukumo Hyo entering through my Observation Haki.
My Haki covered the entire room, but my mental state wasn't optimal enough to extend it beyond that.
"Are you sure you don't want to take him to a hospital? He might have internal injuries."
I shook my head.
"The Zen'in clan has too much influence. In a public place like a hospital, they'd find us easily."I stood up and adjusted Toji's blanket.
"Especially here in Tokyo, where their influence is absolute, even among the Three Great Clans."
"You really got yourselves into a serious mess, kid."
I turned toward her and bowed slightly.
"I can't express how grateful I am that you took us in and treated my brother."
She looked at me with an annoyed expression and clicked her tongue.
"Tss. I told you four times already to stop bowing. Your injuries could reopen."
"Hahaha, sorry, I keep forgetting," I said sheepishly. "But don't worry, they've already started healing. With enough meat, I'll be fully recovered in three days."
"You're a real monster. I already had my doubts when I saw you take down that cursed spirit, but I got the confirmation when I saw your broken teeth grow back just from drinking milk."
I laughed and sat back down. No one spoke after that, and the atmosphere started to feel a bit awkward.
Unable to handle the silence anymore, I tried to start a new conversation.
"By the way, how's your daughter? We've been here for two days and I haven't seen her once."
Hyo's expression changed instantly.
"And why do you ask that? What do you want from my daughter? Did you fall for her and plan to steal her from me? I won't let any boy take her until she's 33!"
(LOL for those who get the reference.)
"Wait wait wait, that's not what I meant! Please calm down. I just found it strange not seeing her."
She narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing me. Her gaze was full of suspicion.
"Fine. I believe you."
I sighed in relief.
"For now!!! Don't think I'll let you sink your claws into her."
'Sigh. Too good to be true.'
"Don't worry, ma'am. I'm not interested in four-year-olds," I tried to reassure her.
It clearly didn't work.
"So you're saying my daughter isn't good enough for you? Who do you think you are?!"
'Oh come on!'
...…
Narrator
The escape of the Zen'in twins didn't go unnoticed.The clan was shaken by the event.
The fact that a single child dared to defy the clan, neutralize some of its members, and escape had drawn the attention of many people.
Of course, the incident in the underground cells had been concealed by Haruto and his subordinates, and the identities of Zoro and Toji were hidden to avoid disgracing the clan.
This led most people to believe it was just the reckless act of a clueless kid who did it simply because he could.
And the fact that he did it and escaped without issue brought shame upon the clan.
"Damn it, I should've killed that kid when I had the chance."
Not a day passed without that thought crossing Haruto's mind, the head of the Kukuru Zen'in.
And he wasn't the only one.
Zen'in Ogi felt the same, and even more so Zen'in Soya.
Since the children were his and he wasn't present to face the consequences, the blame fell on their parents.
Soya could feel the clan head position slipping further from his grasp.
At least, that's how it seemed — in reality, from the moment all the brothers' innate techniques were revealed, he had never stood a chance.
The fate of the twins' mother was even more tragic.
...…...…
Three men sat around a table in a traditional Japanese room.
Two of them had tea in front of them, while the one sitting farthest from the door had a can of beer.
He didn't hesitate and opened the can, pouring its contents straight into his mouth.
He took several gulps before stopping.
"Ahhhh. Nothing beats a good white wine in a can."
The patience of the other two started to crack — their constant teeth grinding, clenched fists, and bulging veins made it obvious.
Finally, one of them, the oldest-looking, couldn't take it anymore.
BAM
He slammed his fist onto the table, breaking it.
"When are we going to stop this farce? The situation is dire. The clan's legitimacy is at stake."
No one spoke for a moment, until the youngest-looking one did.
"You know, Naobito, it pains me to admit it, but he's right. This incident dealt a serious blow to the clan's public image. Others might think we've grown weak and try to challenge us."
Despite Ogi's words, Naobito seemed far more focused on his spilled can than anything else.
That didn't stop Soya from continuing.
"They already are. The Kamo clan is trying to undermine our credibility in Tokyo's upper circles."
Ogi agreed.
"They're likely trying to expand their influence beyond Kyoto. The Gojo clan doesn't oppose them at all; Kyoto is already unofficially theirs. And now they want the same with Tokyo."
Soya clenched his teeth.
"This is all your fault — yours and that idiot Haruto's. If you had taken care of those kids earlier, we wouldn't be in this mess."
Ogi held back from pointing out the hypocrisy, and Naobito didn't react.
"Actually, no — you're not the only ones responsible. But don't worry, I already took care of the third one."
A psychotic smile spread across Soya's face.
Naobito finally lifted his head and joined the conversation for real.
"Soya…"
A chill filled the room.
"What did you do to Chie?"
Soya's smile didn't fade — in fact, it grew even wider.
"A womb that can't give proper children doesn't deserve to be mine. I made sure she'll never bring shame to the clan again."
Author's note
I'm finally back. No double chapter after all, but don't be too mad at me, I've started a new webtoon, a real gem!
It's called Eternally Regressing Knight, for those who are interested.
Don't forget to spam the power stones