Ch.93 Correct Way to Use Red Blood Manipulation

Akira always kept his word.

The lesson started immediately.

"Maki, throw me a bottle of water."

Without a word, Maki leveraged her immense strength, throwing the bottle across dozens of meters with almost pinpoint accuracy.

Akira caught it effortlessly and downed most of it in one gulp. The remaining part was encased in his cursed energy, forcibly condensing into a water sphere.

"Since I can't use Red Blood Manipulation, I'll use water as a substitute. Watch closely, 'Mineral Water Manipulation' - Supernova!"

With a biu sound, Akira threw the water sphere, which exploded above Kamo Noritoshi's head, scattering droplets and soaking the boy's face.

It was literal confusion.

Both physically and mentally.

What was the point of this joke-like move? If Red Blood Manipulation were this easy to learn, it wouldn't be the Kamo Clan's signature technique, would it?

Is he messing with me?

Wait, why am I even listening to him? We're still in the middle of a fight!

While Kamo was in a daze, Akira was getting frustrated.

"Could you use your brain for once? Does anyone else understand what I mean?"

"Ding dong."

Todo Aoi spoke up, providing his own sound effects.

Since accepting a younger sister, it seemed as if this muscular man's entire demeanor had become a little more... cute. Though, of course, his self-proclaimed IQ of 530,000 was still fully operational.

"Splash damage, a scattershot attack!"

"Exactly," Panda added. His multi-core processing capabilities made him react quickly. "Simply relying on cursed energy can't give enough force to water. Red Blood Manipulation can. It makes it much harder to deal with than just focusing on 'Piercing Blood.'"

"True." Maki thought back to their battle yesterday. This approach hadn't even crossed her mind. "If he had used this 'Supernova,' I wouldn't have won that easily."

"Do you understand now?" Akira smiled faintly at the response.

"Techniques have their strengths and weaknesses, just like the sorcerers who use them. No matter how powerful a technique is, if someone doesn't know how to use it, it's pointless. Especially a technique like Red Blood Manipulation, which requires the user to think creatively."

The three major inherited techniques of the Big Three Families were "Limitless," "Ten Shadows Technique," and "Red Blood Manipulation."

The ranking of these techniques was clear.

The further up you go, the stronger the technique becomes. There was even a rumor that Red Blood Manipulation wasn't worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as the other two.

"Limitless," in the hands of Satoru Gojo, had become the pinnacle of jujutsu sorcery.

"Ten Shadows Technique" allowed the strongest sorcerer from a thousand years ago, Ryomen Sukuna, to single-handedly dominate his opponents, even forcing Gojo to use his ultimate move when faced with its trump card shikigami.

In comparison, Red Blood Manipulation seemed lackluster. It had no real highlights, nor did it boast any particularly profound concepts.

Akira once thought Red Blood Manipulation was the weakest of the three.

But after spending time in the Kamo Clan and researching the intricacies of the technique, he realized he was wrong.

"Limitless" and "Ten Shadows Technique" were powerful in the open, each excelling in a certain area. Red Blood Manipulation, however, took a different path—it was balanced.

Healing, offense, support, physical, chemical, mystic—it could touch on almost every field, and its cultivation was far easier than the other two major techniques.

"Limitless" required the user to possess the "Six Eyes" to reach its full potential; otherwise, they could only use "Blue" and "Red," with difficulty maintaining precision.

"Ten Shadows Technique" was slightly better in that regard, but even it had Mahoraga—a final trump card that no one in the Zen'in Clan had ever successfully tamed, only using it for mutually assured destruction.

Red Blood Manipulation didn't have such extreme requirements. It was like basic education—broad but not as difficult as advanced specialized studies.

Naturally, the heights it could reach were also incomparable.

In a direct comparison, it would be completely outmatched—just like yesterday when Maki defeated Kamo Noritoshi, and today when Akira faced him.

But these comparisons were made within the same field.

Once you stepped out of that specific field, Red Blood Manipulation had its advantages. Its greatest quality was its versatility.

Like blood—seemingly unnoticed most of the time but vital to every aspect of the body.

However, fully utilizing its versatility wasn't easy.

Other techniques had their strengths and weaknesses, so it was easy to maximize one's strengths and avoid weaknesses.

Red Blood Manipulation had no glaring weaknesses but also lacked an obvious specialty. It was like a bucket—how effective it was depended on how one used it against an opponent's strengths or weaknesses.

Such an all-rounder, a jack-of-all-trades, was often the hardest to master.

Poorly used, it was "good at nothing, first to fail."

Skillfully used, it became a perfectly balanced warrior.

Unfortunately, Kamo Noritoshi fell into the former category, while Akira belonged to the latter.

"What's the greatest property of blood? Its adaptability—taking any form to fit its purpose. Arteries, veins, capillaries, organs—it can adapt and serve irreplaceable roles. But you? All you think about is blood pouches, stimulants, and straight shots."

"I could understand it in the past—science wasn't as advanced, and ignorance was excusable. But today? What's the point of having eyes if you don't observe the world? What's the point of having a brain if you don't think—if it's just there for decoration?"

"Bows and arrows were powerful weapons in ancient wars. But what about now? They've been outdated for ages. Why don't you use guns? There's no reason Mai Zen'in can get a gun, and you can't."

"Because blood on bullets affects shooting accuracy. Bullets are too fast to control properly."

Kamo answered. He had indeed thought about it.

"And then you just gave up. Why didn't you think more about it? If blood on the surface doesn't work, why not think about the inside? Put blood inside the bullet—and don't tell me it's impossible. Ordinary sorcerers may not have the resources, but the Kamo Clan definitely does."

The influence of the Big Three Families had long penetrated various fields. Akira knew that better than anyone.

"Control the bullet to change direction or explode—isn't that much more effective than a slow and obvious arrow? As for the speed, that's not a problem. Just aim better. You tell me, is it easier to aim with modern firearms or ancient bows and arrows?"

In the stands, the sound of people sucking in cold breaths could be heard. If Akira's idea could be realized, Kamo Noritoshi's combat power would increase significantly, making it much harder to deal with.

"..." Kamo was speechless.

"Even if you didn't know, why not ask your juniors, like Mai or Mechamaru? You have examples of combining sorcery and technology right next to you, yet you cling to outdated methods. You've turned a good hand into a mess. What exactly are you thinking?"

"I was too shortsighted. Thank you for the guidance."

With such a logically sound, relentless critique, even Kamo had to admit that Akira was right. That promise of "guidance" from before the match wasn't just empty words.

But it still wasn't what Akira wanted to hear. He walked up to him again, whispering so only the two of them could hear:

"The reason you think shallowly is because your subconscious, your way of thinking, has been trapped by the conservative mindset. If you can't break free from this cycle, you'll never unleash the true potential of Red Blood Manipulation."