Ch.72 Zen'in Maki VS Kamo Noritoshi

As Akira, Panda, and Inumaki Toge successively defeated their opponents, the last remaining member of the four-person team that had attacked Okkotsu Yuta, Kamo Noritoshi, was intercepted by another.

The one standing in his path was Tokyo Jujutsu High's pride, the warrior-like Zen'in Maki.

With her battle blade slung over her shoulder, she stood on a tree branch, looking down at her upperclassman from a higher vantage point.

"Yo, Noritoshi, long time no see."

"Zen'in... Maki."

Kamo Noritoshi came to a halt, narrowing his already squinted eyes until they were mere slits.

As two of the three prestigious jujutsu families, the Kamo and Zen'in families naturally had a lot of interactions.

This wasn't their first time meeting.

However, in the past, their meetings had always been between the young master of the Kamo family and the servant girl of the Zen'in family.

Although Noritoshi wasn't someone who looked down on others, and Maki herself didn't particularly dislike this Kamo heir, the vast differences in status and treatment still placed them on uneven ground.

Today, that difference had flipped.

The young master who once wore traditional garments with grace and was treated as an honored guest had lost his composure due to Yuta's assault.

That innate sense of pride was shaken, replaced now with a defiant stubbornness.

"Are you here to take me down?" he asked.

"What's wrong? Is the young master of the Kamo family allowed to gang up on my ally, but I'm not allowed to fight you?"

In contrast, Zen'in Maki had a small smile on her lips. While she wasn't overly graceful, she exuded a powerful and energetic presence.

Since leaving the Zen'in family, Maki had found her purpose, like-minded companions, and a new place to belong, which filled her with confidence and drive.

"That's not what I meant," Noritoshi shook his head. "That cursed spirit is too dangerous, you should understand. As a successor of the Three Great Families, I must—"

"Understand? I left my family, remember?" Maki interrupted before he could finish. "I just want to know, after seeing Yuta like that, do you still think that way?"

"This..." Noritoshi hesitated, his lips moving but unable to find the words.

Seeing this, Maki clicked her tongue impatiently:

"I can't stand people like you, who think too much but refuse to speak their mind. Whether you accept it or not, Yuta won't change, and he doesn't need your approval.

And I wasn't planning to come after you, but since you're the heir of the Kamo family, defeating you would bring me closer to my goal!"

With both hands gripping her battle blade, Maki leapt down from the tree. The combined weight of the weapon and gravity made the blade scream through the air.

Noritoshi didn't dare to block it directly and immediately retreated, putting distance between them.

Maki pressed her attack. This was a classic tactic for polearms like the spear—keep pushing, using the weapon's reach to maintain the advantage.

Strength comes with reach, and once the advantage is built up, it can secure victory in a single strike.

To counter such an assault, one has to break the rhythm, close the distance, and deny the polearm its reach advantage.

Noritoshi understood this well.

Although he specialized in archery, he wasn't weak in close combat. The Kamo family's training always emphasized versatility, both long-range and close-range combat, with no weaknesses.

Using his family's traditional footwork, Noritoshi retreated while weaving through the dense trees, hoping to disrupt Maki's relentless attack.

But Maki, who had trained in martial arts since childhood and possessed great natural talent, controlled her spear with precision. Wherever Noritoshi went, her spear followed, unyielding in its assault.

Noritoshi had no choice but to retreat behind a large tree, using it as cover to catch his breath.

But Maki wasn't about to let him rest. Her blade flashed as she continued to pursue him without pause.

At that moment, a flash of red light appeared.

A figure darted out from the other side at astonishing speed, taking advantage of the moment when Maki's blade was on the left side of the tree, unable to swing across. It was the perfect opportunity to close the distance.

Noritoshi curved his fingers and aimed a strike at Maki's abdomen. His hand moved with such force that it cut through the air, nearly matching the power of Maki's blade.

This was a bare-handed strike.

Noritoshi had planned this carefully. From the start, he never intended to give up.

His character, the responsibilities he bore, wouldn't allow him to surrender.

But despite his determination, Maki's expression showed no surprise or panic—only calm, with a hint of pity.

She released her right hand naturally, bent her elbow, and blocked Noritoshi's strike at just the right angle.

She then extended her arm in a chopping motion, targeting Noritoshi's neck, forcing him to block with his other hand.

Following up with a series of kicks, she finally delivered a powerful blow to his chest, sending him staggering back with a feeling of deep discomfort in his chest.

Maki casually retrieved her weapon, taking a moment to catch her breath as she studied Noritoshi's right eye.

His usually narrowed eyes were now wide open, his eyelids straining as if they might tear, revealing a web of red veins bulging beneath the surface—an indication of abnormal blood flow.

"So, this is the famous Blood Manipulation technique—using blood control to forcibly enhance your body's functions, like a stimulant."

"Correct. Blood Manipulation doesn't just control the blood itself—it can manipulate red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and more, all without side effects—Crimson Pulse!"

Noritoshi charged again, his movements even more aggressive under the enhancement of his technique.

This was the confidence that allowed Noritoshi, an archer, to face Maki head-on in close combat.

Just like how Okkotsu Yuta could hold his own in a four-on-one fight by using his immense cursed energy despite lacking a strong foundation. For those trained in martial arts, physical strength was key; it could overpower skill. And to ensure optimal blood flow, the Kamo family never neglected physical conditioning.

In battles relying solely on physical prowess, without the use of cursed energy, the Kamo family stood unmatched.

However, Noritoshi's expectations were met with another harsh reality check.

Maki casually embedded her powerful blade into the ground, then, using only her hands, skillfully countered all of Noritoshi's attacks. Not only that, she exploited a moment when he paused to catch his breath, sending him flying backward with another kick.

"Sure, the Kamo family's Blood Manipulation is impressive, but—Crimson Pulse is just one application of Blood Manipulation. Meanwhile, hand-to-hand combat is everything to me. You can't beat me."

This was the difference between a specialist and a generalist.

To be fair, Noritoshi's hand-to-hand skills weren't weak at all. With the added boost from Crimson Pulse, he could outmatch most jujutsu sorcerers.

But he wasn't focused on close combat alone—his training had to be spread across various areas. Maki was different. All her talent, all her effort was dedicated to mastering close combat.

Unless it was someone like Okkotsu Yuta with an overwhelming advantage, no one could claim victory against Maki in her specialty.

Even Akira, in truth, had to focus heavily on close combat to match Maki's skill.

"I understand that, but—"

Noritoshi wasn't naive. He could clearly sense the gap between them, but he still refused to give up.

A flash of red gathered at his fingertips, forming a crimson bullet that shot toward Maki's shoulder.

She effortlessly dodged it.

"Too slow."

As her ponytail whipped through the air, Maki's eyes filled with even more pity, her thoughts drifting to another black-haired, black-eyed boy who liked to squint.

Noritoshi's current predicament was all within that person's calculations.