"Currently in the lead is Number Nine! It started with just a slight advantage, but now it's far ahead!"
Racetracks usually prohibit loud noise inside to prevent startling the horses, but the streamer on the live broadcast platform, separated by a screen, had no such reservations and commentated with great enthusiasm.
"Far ahead, folks!"
Kenmyo held his phone, playing the live stream footage. The streamer's face was flushed red, clearly very excited.
"It was far ahead of the others on the first lap, and oh my god, it continued to be far ahead on the second lap."
It wasn't just the streamer; the bullet comments in the live room were all spamming "far ahead," completely flooding the screen.
"Number Nine, far ahead of the others, rushed past the finish line."
Kenmyo seemed to have expected this result and showed no surprise.
The broccoli-haired kid who was forced to bet with Kenmyo also watched the Number Nine horse, which had reached the finish line, in disbelief.
The figure of the Number Nine horse appeared on the oversized LCD screen.
"How is that possible?"
Hakari Kinji stepped onto the railing, practically leaning halfway out, unable to believe what he was seeing. How could this happen?
"The one far ahead, how could it be Number Nine?"
The broccoli-haired kid's worldview collapsed. For the first time, he doubted his own judgment.
Initially, Hakari Kinji favored Number Four, Number Five, and Number Six. He had ranked the winners accordingly, believing Number Four would be the champion due to its pure bloodline.
That horse's father and grandfather were both champions on the international racing circuit.
Proving to be superior to its predecessors, the Number Four horse had already claimed first place several times in other countries. Yet, such a horse was eliminated by an injured horse that was far ahead—it was truly upsetting.
"What Cursed Technique did you use?"
"Or was it magic?"
Hakari Kinji's eyes were wide, but he couldn't detect anything. In fact, staring intently at the center of the track had made him feel mentally exhausted. Honestly, he hadn't focused this hard even when watching opponents' hands at a card table.
Because he was being coerced by two creepy uncles, he felt especially unsafe.
Therefore, even though he was forced into this gamble, Hakari Kinji had to ensure the fairness of the bet.
At the very least, if he lost, Hakari Kinji could maintain some composure.
But watching intently, Hakari Kinji still couldn't find anything wrong with the racetrack.
It looked like a completely normal competition; it seemed no tricks were played. Number Nine had simply been far ahead the entire time, from the start of the race to the finish.
Although clearly injured, it had gone on a rampage as if a god had descended.
"As you can see, we are just two perfectly ordinary middle-aged men."
Facing the kid's skepticism, Kenmyo spread his hands in a gesture of innocence.
"We just happen to have an interest in horse betting."
"Liar."
Hakari Kinji naturally didn't believe his nonsense. There was a 99.9% chance that the current situation on the track was caused by this creepy-smiling uncle.
What good person bumps into someone, causing the pedestrian to drop their wallet and money, yet the person who was bumped into starts apologizing, and then the original perpetrator grabs the bespectacled kid nearby and flees?
Speaking of which, the uncle who was just wearing a blue suit, had slicked-back hair and a small mustache, was truly miserable. His wallet contained only 2,000 Yen, which looked like secret savings he had painstakingly put aside, and it had been knocked out of his hand. Truly pathetic.
"Number Nine won, according to the agreement."
Kenmyo said unhurriedly.
"Admit defeat, kid."
"Fine, whatever."
Hakari Kinji 'tsk'ed in annoyance, then sat cross-legged on the ground.
"Uncle, do whatever you want with me."
The opponent's strength far exceeded his; this guy actually had no means of resisting at all.
"It's nothing that will trouble you."
Kenmyo shook his head.
"The junior high school you are currently attending is meant for ordinary people. It is not suitable for someone with the aptitude of a Jujutsu Sorcerer."
"So, my 'expectation' for you is to change schools when you graduate from junior high, and that school will be designated by me."
Kenmyo planned to grab this little gambling addict and send him to Tokyo Jujutsu High for further training.
"After graduating from there, you will come and work for me."
"Relax, working for me is something countless people desperately try to achieve."
"That's it?"
Hakari Kinji widened his eyes.
"Yes, that's it."
Kenmyo patted the kid's head, which made Hakari Kinji uncomfortable.
"We only just met. Did you think I would suddenly decide to do something bad to you?"
"Don't overestimate yourself, kid."
"Also, the 'Contract' is now in effect."
The new trick of "Contract Master" Kenmyo, the [Disaster Tongue], is certainly something no one wants to try a second time.
"Remember, you absolutely must not violate or deviate from the path I have laid out for you."
Kenmyo suddenly saw Fushiguro Toji returning with a suitcase containing the prize money won from betting on Number Nine.
"Otherwise, the consequences will be severe."
Hakari Kinji swallowed hard. The poor kid looked completely stunned by Kenmyo, his body shaking like a sieve.
Clearly, Kenmyo's frightening presence had been deeply imprinted on the kid's mind, leaving an indelible shadow.
Hakari Kinji said fearfully.
"Mm."
"Goodbye, kid. At your age, you should stay away from places like this."
After giving the warning, Kenmyo walked away decisively.
Given his personality, he was only suited for free-range development, not confinement.
Kenmyo walked up to Fushiguro Toji, and the two walked one behind the other.
"Any more activities?"
Kenmyo asked Fushiguro Toji.
"No."
"I just find it strange why you're so invested in that kid."
Fushiguro Toji felt that there must be a deeper meaning behind every action Kenmyo took.
"Investment, of course, investment."
Kenmyo mimicked the way Fushiguro Toji had lectured him earlier in the stands.
He waved a lottery ticket in his hand.
"When you see a promising seed, you naturally want to place a small bet on him."
"That kid's Cursed Energy talent is quite good?"
"He just looks like a little gambling addict."
"Indeed, I feel his talent surpasses at least 98% of current Jujutsu Sorcerer; he's much stronger than most of them."
Kenmyo did not deny it.
But what truly solidified Kenmyo's conviction was the fleeting reappearance of his [Clairvoyance].
He saw a man who was shirtless and covered in scars.
His appearance was clearly that of an adult Hakari Kinji, but his smile was exaggerated, his mouth stretched wide, and his entire body was twisting to a strange rhythm, performing a highly mesmerizing dance.
His hips were moving, his waist was gyrating, and two fingers were gesturing something.
Combined with the burst of green Cursed Energy, the sequence of different movements, lasting only a few seconds, felt incredibly addictive to Kenmyo.
Although the process was mesmerizing, Kenmyo recognized immediately that it was a Domain.
Being able to deploy a Domain was sufficient proof of Hakari Kinji's talent; his future achievements would be at least Special Grade Sorcerer level.
"Anyway, just remember this: I never make investments that yield no return."
"What do you think? If I say Number Nine wins, Number Nine wins."
Although Kenmyo hadn't placed a bet, he certainly enjoyed the process—the so-called power of being above all rules.
"See? Following me lets you earn money."
"Today, we should have made back everything you ever lost."
"Yes, Boss."
Fushiguro Toji smiled.
Today, Kenmyo had truly taught Fushiguro Toji a lesson on what power means.
The Boss didn't personally rig the race for Number Nine to win; he merely made a phone call.
Since Kenmyo hadn't avoided Fushiguro Toji while making the call, he had overheard the conversation.
"Hello, does the Kamo Family have shares in the Tokyo International Racecourse?"
"Oh, they do now, right?"
"Then I understand."
"By the way, I quite like the number nine today. What do you think?"
These four seemingly simple sentences completely changed the course of today's race and altered the fate of many people.
This move caused countless veteran gamblers to lose so much they were cursing their mothers.
This truly showed Fushiguro Toji, who only had a sword as his backing, a different set of rules for the game.
Seeing the big picture through the small details.
"The power of the Jujutsu World, when projected onto reality, can be used like this?"
Arbitrarily using the influence of the Jujutsu World.
"Is the Boss the only one who plays this way?"
"Or does everyone play this way?"
"This method is terrifying."
Fushiguro Toji was the most unwelcome person in the Zenin Family; others wouldn't include him in their games.
The Boss's single phone call not only offset all the previous losses of Fushiguro Toji, the old gambling addict—whether at the racetrack, the boat race track, or other venues—but also resulted in profit.
But if Kenmyo were to explain it himself, he wouldn't admit anything; he would simply claim he was curious about the composition of the Kamo Family's assets and merely made a quick call to inquire, with absolutely no ulterior motives.
The efficiency was quite high. As soon as Kenmyo showed interest in the racecourse, the Kamo Family barely made him wait and immediately acquired ownership of the entire venue.
Whether it's horse racing, ball games, or any other form of gambling, there are usually shady dealings behind the scenes, and the maneuvering room is vast. It's just that normally, they wouldn't be so blatant. Cutting meat with a dull knife hurts, but it's not instantly fatal.
A single sentence could make subordinates willingly offer up the family's golden goose. This was the level of dominance the Kamo Family, one of the three great Jujutsu families that have controlled Japan's Jujutsu World for a millennium, held over the financial sector.
While the other two families remained aloof, unwilling to touch the stench of worldly money, the Kamo Family was the first to reform, modernizing and entering the banking industry.
This progressive development led to what Fushiguro Toji witnessed today.
All it took was one phone call for events to unfold exactly as Kenmyo wished.
Fushiguro Toji suddenly felt that gambling was meaningless to him.
"I was originally planning to bet on horses in the morning, boat races in the afternoon, and the casino at night, earning three times my pay in one day."
"But Boss, you've brought me to feast on the meat. Now, the little bit of money I 'earned' before doesn't even count as soup; it's just noise."
Deprived of his hobby, Fushiguro Toji suddenly didn't know what to do, nor what other ways he had to relax.
"That's fine. The money I give you isn't meant to be wasted in places like this."
Kenmyo paid little attention to the old gambling addict's temporary words of repentance.
He was merely exposing industry secrets to Fushiguro Toji and broadening his horizons. A man that old was getting fleeced every day without realizing it.
If word got out, people would laugh. The dignified Heavenly Restraints Tyrant loses every bet. Who knows how many people have laughed their heads off over that.
Furthermore, Kenmyo scoffed at this guy's appearance of having completely reformed and claiming he definitely wouldn't come back.
If the urge to gamble were that easy to quit, there wouldn't be so many tragedies of families breaking apart and wives and children being scattered.
In a few days, he might see this old man loitering around some boat race track or racecourse again.
"Since you don't have anywhere you want to go..."
Kenmyo figured it was still early, and since they were out, they might as well explore a bit more.
Besides, running into someone like Hakari Kinji on an outing had given Kenmyo some ideas.
Human potential is limitless, but while his blood slaves appeared to have their strength elevated, their upper limits were already constrained by an invisible framework.
If they couldn't deploy a Domain upon awakening, they likely wouldn't succeed later. Kids like this were much more worth cultivating.
"Then I'll take you somewhere else."
"Where?"
The two arrived at the parking lot. Kenmyo got into the driver's seat, while Fushiguro Toji sat in the passenger seat.
The reason for this arrangement was simply that the scumbag uncle couldn't drive and didn't have a license.
Thus, the Boss had to drive for him instead.
Kenmyo was driving a pure black BB Edition Cullinan. He used to think such things were unattainable. Now, it seemed just average, and he even found the suicide door design somewhat counter-intuitive.
He fastened his seatbelt and smiled mysteriously at Fushiguro Toji.
"Your home."
"My home?"
Fushiguro Toji pointed at himself in shock, his face full of surprise.
He thought he must have misheard, but the Boss's words were clear.
"Yes."
Kenmyo nodded, repeating the statement.
"The home you haven't been back to since who knows when."
Kenmyo clearly remembered the words this guy had specifically said just before he was about to be killed.
He had said that Kenmyo could deal with his kid however he liked, and if his kid was sent to the Zenin Family, he would naturally become the next head of the family.
Everyone knows what happened later: The severely wounded and dying Fushiguro Toji was saved by Kenmyo.
From then on, he was permanently bound to Kenmyo, becoming his subordinate, unable to betray him, right up until today.
"You gambling addict, you really live by the philosophy of 'one person eats their fill, the whole family starves,' huh?"
Behind Fushiguro Toji's worthless demeanor was the deadbeat father of two children.
Kenmyo had checked. Originally, he only had one son, but Fushiguro Toji had also adopted a daughter, so he technically had both a son and a daughter.
However, this guy had never fulfilled any paternal responsibility. Even after being saved by Kenmyo, he never showed any repentance or any desire to make up for not seeing his children properly before he died.
He left the two children to fend for themselves. Their mother, Fushiguro Toji's second wife, had left some spending money for the siblings.
So they wouldn't starve due to their parents' disappearance, but that money was probably running out.
Speaking of Fushiguro Toji's second wife, did she die?
Why had Fushiguro Toji never looked for her, instead constantly seeking out those female confidantes who shared fleeting romances with him?
It seemed Fushiguro Toji had never mentioned her, and Kenmyo wasn't the type of Boss who liked prying into his subordinates' privacy.
In any case, according to Fushiguro Toji's description, both his children had very high Cursed Energy aptitude and possessed outstanding talents.
Kenmyo was curious to see what kind of children could receive such high praise from Fushiguro Toji.
"Now, I will personally take you home for a visit."
"Apologies, Boss."
Was it simple fear of trouble, or was he averse to his own kids? Fushiguro Toji's reaction was clearly one of strong resistance.
It felt like he would rather choose to fight Kenmyo again than go back to his old home and see his children.
Sweat appeared on Fushiguro Toji's face as he offered excuses.
"I suddenly feel a bit unwell."
To this utterly irredeemable scumbag of a father, Kenmyo's reply was simple—just two words.
"Bear with it."