At that moment, Kamo Atsushi and his companions were stunned to see their Cursed Technique attacks easily neutralized by Shion Gojo and the others.
"How is this possible? My technique defeated a Grade 2 Cursed Spirit before," one of them blurted.
"The dogs vanished instantly. What kind of terrifying spirit was that?" another whimpered.
"They're so strong," the third said helplessly.
Shion, Satoru, and Geto couldn't help grinning at their reactions.
"Hey, those aren't true inherited techniques of the Zen'in and Kamo families, are they?" Shion said casually, his tone light.
Atsushi snapped. "What? Don't insult the Kamo Family's pride! Our Blood Manipulation is real, and it's our greatest legacy!"
In Jujutsu Kaisen, blood manipulation is indeed the signature inherited cursed technique of the Kamo Family, allowing users to control and shape their own blood with precision.
He thrust his hands forward and cried out his activation — his attack welled up like a spinning cluster of crimson energy.
Simultaneously, the two Zen'in Family members bristled. "Zen'in honor will not be besmirched," one declared as he activated his technique in an attempt to mimic the family's Ten Shadows Technique.
A barrage of flawed attacks surged toward Shion and his friends.
Satoru flinched. "What even is this? Family glory? Are you crazy?"
"Wait," Shion said, motioning for Satoru and Geto to hold up. "Look."
They watched as the supposed Blood Manipulation users from the Kamo Family visibly wilted, their cheeks hollow, eyes sunken, bodies shaking.
And the supposed Ten Shadows users from the Zen'in clan had dull, lifeless eyes, as though their minds were fading.
Thanks to the sharp observation granted by the Six Eyes and Geto's keen perception, the trio realized the horrifying truth.
These techniques were not true inherited forms at all. The Kamo boys' attacks were crude mimics that drained their life to produce blood constructs, far from an authentic, balanced Blood Manipulation user.
And the Zen'in imitators had summoned poor shamblings that barely resembled accurate shadow summons, leaving their minds exhausted from the backlash.
"This isn't an inherited technique," Shion stated bluntly. "This is basically a suicide move."
"Stop it," Satoru said, his voice firm. "You're hurting yourselves."
Geto raised his hand and called out a defensive move that swirled into being and knocked the four experimental casters away enough to interrupt their attempts.
Even held back, Geto's intervention sent them sprawling.
When they regained just enough breath to speak, Atsushi offered a wry, shaky smile. "I didn't think the rumors were exaggerations… you really are this strong."
Shion didn't bother with compliments. "Did you even realize that what you just used was effectively fatal? That wasn't proper Blood Manipulation, and what you did with shadows wasn't the Zen'in Ten Shadows Technique."
Before Shion could elaborate, the four struggled to stand again, weak and trembling, yet still glaring with fanatical eyes.
"You insult our family's techniques," one gasped. "This is glory!"
"You're insane," Satoru muttered under his breath.
Shion and his friends didn't even hesitate — a pair of solid strikes put the overzealous four out quickly, and they were removed from the event entirely.
As they walked onward, more members from the two great families appeared, charging with flawed versions of techniques.
"Blood Manipulation: Piercing Blood!"
"Ten Shadows Technique: Giant Serpent!"
Again and again, these amateur replications crashed forward, nearly fatally for their users.
Shion didn't even break stride, a simple wave of his hand dispersing attacks in a flash of controlled cursed energy.
At one point, Satoru mentioned the earlier throw‑away names "pseudo Blood Manipulation" and "shoddy Ten Shadows Technique."
The families reacted like scolded cats with their tails stepped on, shouting endlessly about "family glory."
"That's it," Satoru said with cold clarity. "The Zen'in and Kamo families have been forcing flawed versions of their inherited techniques on people for experiments."
Shion and Geto saw Satoru's expression darken as they realized how twisted the situation had become.
"Using human beings as test subjects," Geto said with a sigh.
"I guess they saw how the Gojo Clan produced Six Eyes users," Satoru added, "and thought they had to force something, anything, to compete."
They encountered another group about to unleash their faulty cursed techniques, but before the opponents could act, Satoru teleported forward, knocking them down instantly.
After pinning them with simple binds, he crouched down to explain why their actions were dangerous.
A Zen'in heir sneered, "We knew all this. We volunteered. When the research succeeds, our family can produce inheritors without waiting for a rare birth."
"We chose this," another said with fervent fanaticism. "It's all for the family's glory."
Satoru stared at them with growing frustration. These sorcerers didn't cherish their own lives.
Geto placed a hand on Satoru's shoulder. "It's not worth trying to explain."
"Yeah," Satoru said quietly, eyes hidden behind his shades, sharp and cold.
Geto looked upward, exhaling sharply. "This world is filthy."
Satoru suddenly stood. "Let's go."
"Where to?" Shion asked.
"To find that Grade 2 Cursed Spirit, end this competition, and go home," Satoru said with a shrug. "I'm not staying here another second."
Shion and Geto exchanged wry smiles and followed.
"Heh heh, looks like our Young Master Satoru is mad," Shion teased playfully.
"Shut up," Satoru replied in mock annoyance.
"Do The Big Three Families always do this sort of thing?" Shion asked as they walked.
"Don't drag the Gojo name into every argument," Satoru shot back.
"If you end up head of the Gojo Family one day, manage it well," Geto joked.
When someone said "You're the eldest son, right? You should be head of the family," both brothers exploded in denial.
"Stop it," Shion growled with a grin. "If you have guts, fight for it!"
Geto smirked, and most of the group was chased off with laughs and shouts.