"Is there really such a strange Zanpakutō in this world? Aren't Zanpakutō meant for combat?"
Tengen's face was filled with curiosity.
Whether it was Sode no Shirayuki or Ryūjin Jakka…
Whether it was Senbonzakura or Katen Kyōkotsu… after these Zanpakutō appeared in this world, they made waves throughout the entire jujutsu world because of their overwhelming power.
And now, Satoshi was claiming that his Zanpakutō could help her avoid the crisis of assimilation? What did that mean? Could a Zanpakutō really have such a function?
Tengen's heart was filled with doubt and intrigue.
But she also understood—there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
She had no special connection to Satoshi in the past. Now that he offered to help her forge a Zanpakutō, there must be something he wanted in return.
Tengen looked at Satoshi with an amused expression, silently waiting for him to state his demands.
As the person with the longest lifespan in the jujutsu world, with the most experience, she believed that whatever Satoshi wanted, she likely had it.
Not to mention, the resources stored within the Tombs of the Star were extremely comprehensive—certainly worth using in a trade with Satoshi.
Tengen remained silent for a long time.
Satoshi also remained silent, simply watching her.
In that moment, Tengen realized that she might be the one at a disadvantage in this transaction.
After staring into Satoshi's Six Eyes for a moment, she shrugged and said,
"If you want something, just ask. I have no intention of ending up in that state."
"You can take anything you want from the Tombs of the Star. If you need assistance, I can arrange it as well."
"I want to see your Zanpakutō… what exactly is it capable of?"
Tengen was direct. After living so long, she knew that most things in life came down to fair exchange.
She also wanted to understand more about Satoshi's current status and his future plans through what he asked for.
But what surprised her was that after listening to her, Satoshi actually shook his head.
"I don't need anything for now. I'll forge the corresponding Zanpakutō for you. Of course, I do hope that if I encounter any difficulties in the future, Lord Tengen will be willing to assist me."
Tengen was genuinely surprised by Satoshi's response.
Even though he mentioned hoping for her help later, that still meant that this trade didn't require her to pay anything upfront.
She could sense that Satoshi was crafting a Zanpakutō for her without expecting any immediate benefit.
In her eyes, Satoshi only became more mysterious.
"Is that really the case?"
Tengen furrowed her brows slightly.
"You truly don't need anything? The materials in the Tombs of the Star are quite valuable. I'd think you'd need them to forge more Zanpakutō in the future."
As if reminded by her words, Satoshi nodded with sudden realization.
"Ah, that's right. I do need your help with one thing. You'll need to find a Cursed Tool that matches the specific nature of this Zanpakutō. Its functionality is unique, and I don't think anything suitable exists in the Treasury."
"So if you want me to forge this Zanpakutō, you'll need to acquire a Cursed Tool that fits my requirements."
Satoshi recalled how painful and difficult it had been to find the right Cursed Tool for Ryūjin Jakka, so this time he handed the task over to Tengen.
"Cursed Tool?"
Tengen wasn't very familiar with the process of forging a Zanpakutō, but after hearing that phrase, she had a rough idea.
So the foundation of this Zanpakutō comes from the Cursed Tools of this world.
"What kind of Cursed Tool do you need?"
Tengen was willing to give it a try. She wasn't sure whether Satoshi's method would work, but it was still a chance worth taking. Even if it only gave her a way out, it would be worth it.
"It's simple. The Cursed Tool must have the ability to integrate with other things. That's the essential trait."
Satoshi's tone was serious.
"The purpose of this Zanpakutō is to assist your assimilation. It essentially shifts the assimilation process away from your body and places it in the hands of the Zanpakutō."
"In other words, the more precisely the Cursed Tool fits this function, the better I can forge the Zanpakutō."
Tengen nodded thoughtfully.
"So you already have a clear image of this Zanpakutō in your mind, and you know what its function will be, right?"
Satoshi said nothing, but his expression confirmed her suspicion.
This reaction made Tengen realize that the designs for these Zanpakutō were already formed in his mind.
But where did these designs come from?
Tengen didn't know, but she could guess that they were deeply tied to Satoshi's true identity.
"If it's something related to fusion… then I know of a Cursed Tool that fits. But it's not in the Tombs of the Star. It's held by the Zenin family."
Satoshi was a bit surprised. He hadn't expected such a Cursed Tool to exist in the Zenin family's private vault.
"So it's with the Zenin?"
As expected of one of the Big Three Sorcerer Families. Their accumulation of Cursed Tools runs deep.
Now that I think about it, the only one among the three families that doesn't pay attention to Cursed Tool collection is probably the Gojo family.
"Yes. I looked into it before to see if any Cursed Tools could help me complete the assimilation, so I investigated their traits. The only one that had the right function belonged to the Zenin."
"They even tried giving it to me once. But after testing it, I felt it was useless, so I returned it."
Back then, Tengen never considered relying on external tools to aid with assimilation. If not for Satoshi forging so many powerful Zanpakutō recently and revealing his unique presence, she likely wouldn't believe it even now.
"Then I'll have to trouble you to retrieve this Cursed Tool, Lord Tengen. Only then can I begin forging your Zanpakutō."
Satoshi didn't think much of it. To him, this kind of thing should be a simple matter for Tengen. His own relationship with the Zenin family wasn't great, so if he personally stepped in, it could complicate things.
Tengen, of course, understood the delicate relationship between the Zenin and Gojo families all too well…
(To be continued.)
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