Chap 182: Gojo clan
Gojo and Takumi stood at the clan gate. Her quietness was more worrisome than when she was loud and obnoxious.
"What are we doing here ?"
"I'm going to have a talk with mom."
"That doesn't explain why I'm here though."
The welcoming was, loud, hollow if he had to put it into words. There were fireworks, cheering from the normal members. The food was plenty expensive, exquisite, but that's about it.
None of the elders were present, the clan head didn't show up when her daughter came back home. But eyes of many still spy upon him and Gojo, curse energy directed at him. .
The vibe here was completely different from when he was at the Zennin where he was considered a piece of jewelry or accessory.
He felt the eyes carry a sense of hostility with them, does that mean they saw him as an enemy ?
Only when the party's over, when the servant came to clean up, Gojo and Takumi were allowed to see the clan head.
"Take a seat." Inside her room, Gojo's mother sat, the woman had white hair, the family trademark. She is much older than Takumi expected, carrying a prestigious air of nobility to her.
"Sensei, here." The girl acts politely, pulling out a cushion for him to sit on.
The clan head eyed Takumi with disgust, she didn't hold it for long, returning to her tea.
"Mom?"
"Call me by my status when in the presence of an outside guest, Satori." She said sternly.
"Always, a traditional role model."
"And you, always to ignore it."
They both scoffed at each other.
The air was already tense, each word they spoke only added more weight to the room. At the very least, the two seem to share similar sense in ragebaiting the other.
"I think I should leave."
"Yes." "No."
Two distinct waves of curse energy clash in the room, mats and paintings flung through the air, wall cracks, dust and small objects levitate.
Between the two Gojos, their curse energy grinds against each other. Making crackling noises of two drills crashing and blowing up at the same time.
"I'm trying so hard to raise you to be our clan leader, while all these times, you were gallivanting with some whore." She slammed the table, destroying it and sending splinters everywhere.
"....." In this moment, Takumi thought Gojo would've exploded in anger.
"You know what ? I think you are correct, lord." Gojo's face was emotionless.
"Finally, then-"
"I think it's time for me to take it now." She stood up. "I challenge you for the spot of the clan head."
Her mother shot a questioning glance, then let out a disgusting laugh. "Hahahahahahah, very funny, Gojo. Sat down."
"No."
"You don't know what you're saying, that cocker had filled your head with poison. He-"
*Bang*
Gojo sent her a wave of blue light, had her mother not reinforced her body, she would've been flung to the courtyard.
"You will not mock my future husband anymore." She said calmly, her tone was flat but her emotion was anything but.
"You spoiled brat!" She yelled, "How dare you raise your fist against your own mother, your own leader!!"
She was mad now, "I thought sending you to that school would've taught you some manners, I was wrong."
"I learn plenty, wanna see 'em?"
They both stood, doors flown off their hinges. The room soon got swarmed by black robe wearing sorceress.
"Lord!" The guards exclaimed.
"It's fine," she waved them off, "My daughter, she's just being rebellious. As always." Her lips curl upward.
So what if Gojo wanted to challenge her throne, she has no political pulls, nor does she have any allies outside the clan.
'So long as I refrain from acting rashly, no one would help that unruly child.'
"Lord!"
"What is it?" There seems to be another reason for why her guards came, "A message? From whom?"
The guards only dare to whisper in her ear, handing her a paper note. Opening the letter, she saw family seals, and then some backhanded congratulatory messages.
Whatever the content inside was, it made the old woman want to say indescribable profanity. Her hand shakes in anger.
"You!" She pointed right at Gojo. "What did you do?" Stomping angrily towards them.
"Who ? Me ? Nothing, really." Gojo just shrugged, "But if I had to guess, I would just inform them about our clan's new leader. Imagine their reaction when they found out that wasn't true."
"All of them are under my rule, who dares-" she glances at Takumi, "YOU!!!" she growled.
Some damn letters she sent made them question her ? Question her authority ? Before she can make a move, Gojo steps in.
Silence followed, the daughter's eyes matched her mother's in determination.
"You always wanted me to take your position right? So now I'm doing just that. By force, by blackmail, by coercion, by bargain." Gojo said.
"Or are you just hoping I fall in line as your puppet ?"
"Grrrr." The gnashing of teeth was audible from Takumi's spot. "Fine, you want to challenge me so bad. I accept."
"Fantastic, when-"
"Now!" Gojo's body is bent over, twisting on herself by her mother [limitless].
"I expect nothing less from you, Mom." She said with an easy-going attitude. Blue energy coats her body, Gojo rose up unaffected.
Both woman raise their arm, curse energy nullifying their own techniques. Making neither of them able to use limitless. Obviously, the result is infinity cancels out infinity.
""Polarize, Pillar of light, zwei."" Chanting at the same time. With wind blowing through the blonde's hair.
Two huge balls of light similar in size mash in the sky, exploding in brilliant light and sparks.
The ground where their curse energy meets creates a backlash, so sonic booms echo through the compound.
Patches of earth were unrooted, buildings, roads and anything smaller around them were taken to the clouds. The two fly to the skies to continue their brawl. Curse technique no longer provides them an advantage, so they move in for close combat.
Gojo threw a straight punch, her mom did the same. Their fists halted mid air, instead of connecting, they repel each other like magnets of the same polarity pushing away.
""Argghhg!!!"" Increasing the output, their first glow brighter until the air itself can't handle them and explodes.
*Whoosh*
Gojo leans away from a flying kick, back arch, she shot a kick of her own. Her mom caught her leg and pushed her pass, she picked her heel up, spinning for another faster kick.
*Whooom*
Like a whip to her head, the old white-haired lady almost stumbled, her hand dropped, and deliver a gut punch into Gojo.
The two Gojos charged.
Motioning her arm, Gojo slice the air, shooting out an arc of blue curse energy. Her mom swats at the floating ground and kicks it at the slash.
A fist came through the dust wall, coated [lapse blue], the elder woman had no time to dodge so she crossed her arm and raised as much curse energy to reinforce it against the attack.
*BANG*
Gojo is relatively fine, while her mother came out a bit scraped, her face is a frown.
*Crash*
They blitz on the air, hoping on the debris throwing punches and kicks. Imbuing their techniques into the first, rather than just using them.
The world slowed down for them, moving in a flash, leaving only fragments of motion for everyone else to see. Not just attacking and dodging, the two also manipulating the ground floating by. Pulling them closer to get a surprise hit, pushing away so they can avoid one.
Takumi watched in awe, Gojo and her mom, left after images for each clash.
Gojo's feet stomp on the ground, dealing an uppercut, her mom hooks an arm around it.
"What's the point, child, you and me are on a complete equal grounds, neither of us can kill the other." She explained, her voice harsh. "Why don't we call this off, i'll let you go and we could lead the clan together."
Gojo's kick, it was caught by a palm. Twisted, Gojo have to follow the inertial force or her legs will break. She landed a field away.
"That's such a weak train of thought, you sure you are my mom ?" Gojo smirked, "Your curse pool is running out soon, am I right?"
Her words struck the older Gojo in her heart, her face neutral. "So what, you think that minor difference is a big factor ? You are still too green if you think like that."
"True, but, here's the thing." Gojo's demeanor shifted instantly, gone was the playful child's look.
"I had just found about this, be glad, Mom, you are the first person I show this to." Hooking both hands together, she made a hand sign.
Both hands were brought before her chest, palm upside down, her two index fingers crossing, touching the other hand's thumb, creating an infinity symbol.
"Domain expansion." Her words invoke fears, curse energy flares out in a storms that dwaft what her mom could manage in her entire life.
Takumi sees with his own eyes, for the first time, Gojo step closer to her true potential. The silence permeated the entire area, spreading throughout the city.
Gojo and her mother were enveloped in a completely dark globe of Gojo's domain barrier.
No one was able to understand what was happening, not those who were there, not the clan head of the Gojo whose mind is being overwhelmed by the information that is destroying her brain each second she is in the domain.
When the barrier fell, Takumi saw Gojo again.
She stood over the bloody body, which was her own mother. She's alive, he can tell from her shallow breathing, her wide-eyed expression and shrilly mumbling something incomprehensible. Gojo was unfazed, hand still soaked in red, she only looked toward Takumi with a chilling smile.
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Gojo two handed domain sign.