Heavenly Restriction User of the Gojo Clan: I Refuse to Be Cut in Half

Through the system's explanation, Satoshi finally understood the current state of Sode no Shirayuki.

So, this is an Asauchi… It seems that every Zanpakutō I forge will start in this form. Only by learning its true name can I achieve Shikai, and by subduing its spirit, I can attain Bankai.

Fortunately, I already understand how the Shinigami system works and know the names of each Zanpakutō. Otherwise, if I had to figure out the name now, it would be too late.

Satoshi let out a quiet breath of relief.

"Sode no Shirayuki, from now on, we will face this world together."

He whispered the name of his Zanpakutō and slowly unwrapped the cloth covering its blade.

His actions made Takuya anxious, caused Shunichi to sneer, and left Satoru, watching from outside, feeling tense.

"Satoru, are you nervous?"

The old man beside him noticed Satoru's emotions and smiled.

It was the first time he had ever seen Satoru, usually carefree and eccentric showing signs of nervousness.

So, Satoru can get nervous… just not for himself.

The old man shook his head, then reached out to ruffle Satoru's hair before speaking in a calm yet firm voice:

"Satoshi is speaking to his cursed tool. Relax, I can sense something different about that weapon."

"Satoru, have faith in Satoshi. If nothing unexpected happens, the cursed tool in his hands should be even more powerful than we imagined..."

Satoru nodded slightly, though his gaze remained locked onto Satoshi.

Regardless of the old man's words, his decision had already been made.

If anything unexpected happened, then he would become the "unexpected" factor in this bet.

---

"Sode no Shirayuki… That's a beautiful name."

Takuya, who had witnessed the entire forging process, found the name fitting. It was elegant, pure, and perfectly matched the blade that had taken shape in Satoshi's hands.

"Sode no Shirayuki? No matter how nice the name is, it's still just an ordinary weapon."

Gojo Shunichi scoffed in disdain.

To him, cursed tools were just tools. Naming them was pointless.

Whether it was Gojo Satoshi's Sode no Shirayuki or his own Cicada Cry, these names were nothing more than labels.

"Enough talk. Let's get started!"

"Uncle Shunichi, you should draw your cursed tool now."

Satoshi held the Asauchi firmly, its size making it look out of place in the hands of a six-year-old.

"This is my cursed tool—Cicada Cry!"

Shunichi unsheathed his katana and assumed a defensive stance.

"Young master Satoshi, you attack first, and I'll defend. I'll show you the true power of a cursed tool!"

---

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound of swords clashing filled the forge.

Satoshi pressed forward, striking with his Asauchi again and again.

Shunichi, wielding Cicada Cry, easily parried each blow.

The difference in experience between the two was vast.

Although both wielded swords, Satoshi had zero kendo training, while Shunichi was a recognized master of the art, one of the strongest swordsmen in the entire Gojo Clan.

It was precisely because of this skill that Shunichi was so confident.

Even so, he didn't use his full strength.

After all, his opponent was just a six-year-old child.

As much as he despised Satoshi, his pride as a swordsman prevented him from outright crushing the boy.

Still…

This sword…

Even as he casually deflected Satoshi's strikes, a thought nagged at the back of Shunichi's mind.

Why hasn't my blade cut through his yet? Shouldn't it have bent or broken by now?

By all logic, an ordinary weapon should have already sustained damage.

Yet Sode no Shirayuki remained completely intact.

Could this really be a cursed tool?

Shunichi frowned.

He couldn't sense any cursed energy from it, something that went against the very nature of cursed tools.

Meanwhile, Satoshi had a completely different reaction.

[The host is receiving instruction from a sword master. Kendo experience +10.]

[The host is receiving instruction from a sword master. Kendo experience +10.]

[The host is receiving instruction from a sword master. Kendo experience +10.]

With every attack, his system rewarded him with kendo experience.

Wait… Is this guy actually giving me free training?

The realization made Satoshi's eyes light up.

Originally, his plan had been simple: activate Shikai as quickly as possible and let Shunichi witness the true power of Sode no Shirayuki.

But now?

Now he had found an opportunity to farm experience.

There was no way he would pass up on this.

With that thought in mind, Satoshi not only continued attacking but also began provoking Shunichi.

"Uncle Shunichi, is this really your cursed tool?"

"If you keep blocking like this, won't my Sode no Shirayuki get bent first?"

"So… You still don't believe it's a cursed tool?"

His childish voice carried an innocent tone, but the words were deliberate, forcing Shunichi to keep defending.

"A cursed tool? At most, the material is just a little stronger. That doesn't prove anything."

"Let's see if you can even swing that sword a hundred times before talking big."

Shunichi sneered.

He still refused to acknowledge Sode no Shirayuki as a true cursed tool.

Besides, no matter how strong the sword was, it wouldn't matter.

Satoshi was just a kid, his stamina wouldn't last long.

And he was right.

By the time Satoshi had swung thirty times, his strength was already starting to fade.

Forging Sode no Shirayuki earlier had already drained him, and now swinging a full-sized katana repeatedly was taking its toll.

Even with the benefits of his Heavenly Restriction, he was still only six years old.

"Thirty-one... thirty-two... thirty-three..."

His arms burned with exhaustion, but each system notification kept his motivation high.

He knew this was a rare opportunity.

If he won this bet, Shunichi would never let him spar like this again.

"Forty... forty-one..."

By the time he reached forty-three strikes, his arms felt like lead.

But in exchange, his system had rewarded him 430 points of kendo experience.

For the first time, his kendo proficiency on the system panel moved—0% to 1%.

This is too slow...

Once his swordsmanship experience reached the threshold, he could unlock Hakuda (hand-to-hand combat techniques).

Among the four basic Soul Reaper combat styles—Zanjutsu (swordsmanship), Hakuda (hand-to-hand combat), Hohō (mobility), and Kidō (demon arts)—Hakuda was the one that best suited his body at the moment.

After all, Heavenly Restriction made his physical abilities far superior to normal.

Without a cursed tool in hand, his body itself would become his strongest weapon.

I need to grind more kendo experience and master Hakuda as soon as possible!

And the fastest way to do that…

Was to keep forcing Shunichi to fight him.