A few days later.
"Excuse me, are you Mr. Toji Zenin?"
As Toji and Mukuro were walking down the street, a black car pulled up beside them.
The window rolled down and a faint trail of smoke drifted out. Sitting inside was Shiu Kong.
"Who are you?"
Just three simple words, yet Shiu shivered. Toji's cold gaze cut into him like a blade, as if it could strip him bare.
"My name is Shiu Kong. You can call me a broker of sorts." He took a slow drag of his cigarette before continuing. "But this is not the place to talk. Why don't we discuss it in the car? If your younger brother doesn't mind, I can even drop him home first."
Unlocking the doors, he gestured toward the back seat, his eyes flicking between the two brothers.
"Let's see what game he's playing," Mukuro muttered, already knowing who the man was. He then opened the door and slid inside. Toji followed right after him.
Once they were seated, the car started moving.
"Say it directly. Why are you looking for me? Don't worry about this brat." Toji wasted no time and went straight to the point.
"A few days ago, at the boat race venue… that cursed spirit. You were the one who exorcised it, weren't you?" Shiu didn't bother hiding his words. Toji's lack of concern for Mukuro's presence made it clear he didn't need to hold back.
He had already done his homework before coming here. Both brothers were members of the Zenin clan, one of the Big Three Families of the jujutsu world, known for valuing cursed energy and techniques above all. Yet these two were born without cursed energy, bound by Heavenly Restriction.
"It was me. So what?"
"You seem to be short on money. Have you ever considered becoming a professional sorcerer? To put it simply… an assassin." Having gotten confirmation, Shiu revealed his true purpose.
The brothers exchanged glances. His suggestion was the very same idea they had discussed not long ago.
"What's the pay like?"
Before Toji could speak, Mukuro beat him to it.
"It depends on the difficulty of the job," Shiu replied, raising his left hand with five fingers spread. "But if you take contracts through me, your commission won't be less than this."
"At least five million? That's not bad." Mukuro rubbed his chin in thought. Money had always been one of their biggest problems.
"Besides, someone like you is rare. No cursed energy, yet so strong. That could be extremely effective against certain sorcerers. For jobs like that, the reward could be even higher."
The brothers' interest was showing. Shiu pressed further, piling on the temptation.
"You hypocrite. Weren't you the one who told me not to become a killer? And now you're the first one getting swayed by money." Toji tapped his younger brother's head lightly. His words teased, but he didn't rush to answer Shiu.
"Even if we take assassination jobs, who we kill and what we accept will be our decision. I'd call us cleaners rather than assassins."
"No, heroes," Mukuro corrected him seriously.
Toji snorted. "Where'd you pick that one up from? Another anime?"
Then he looked back at Shiu. "Anyway, you heard him. The brat speaks for me too. But let's make one thing clear; don't think you can control us."
Arms spread lazily across the seat, Toji watched the broker through the rearview mirror.
"Relax," Shiu said smoothly. "This isn't some organization with rules. I just earn my cut as the middleman."
Toji's agreement didn't surprise him. His eyes, however, couldn't help wandering toward Mukuro. The boy gave off a strange air, one that felt too heavy for someone his age. Was this also the result of the Heavenly Restriction?
But he didn't dwell on it. If Toji considered him an equal partner, then that alone spoke volumes. Strength couldn't be measured by age.
"In fact, If you don't mind, I can offer you your first job right now. What do you say?"
He reached for a folder on the passenger seat and handed it back.
Mukuro snatched it first, pulling out the documents. Both brothers leaned in to read carefully.
The assignment was the assassination of a sorcerer in Tokyo. He belonged to a somewhat well-known jujutsu family. Though only a semi-grade 2 sorcerer, his technique was troublesome, and as the heir of his household, he was often escorted by bodyguards. Taking him down would be no less difficult than eliminating a semi-grade 1.
"Don't ask me the reason." Shiu spoke up as they finished reading. "I don't know either. For the client's safety, this kind of information is usually kept secret."
"We're not going to take every job or kill just anyone." Mukuro frowned.
A new problem had surfaced. If they didn't know why the target needed to die, they couldn't judge what kind of person he was. If they killed indiscriminately, how would they be any different from cursed spirits or curse users?
He couldn't allow his brother to walk down that path. If he was here, he had to make sure of it.
"You can rest easy," Shiu answered calmly. "That guy is a scumbag. His whole family is. Bastards, every last one of them."
"And the reward?" Mukuro had flipped to the end of the documents but found nothing about payment.
"You'll know once you meet the client. Since you're the first ones willing to take this job, he insisted on seeing you in person."
Tossing his cigarette out the window, Shiu pressed harder on the accelerator.
* * *
An hour later, the car rolled to a stop before a large villa in Kyoto.
"Hello, it's Shiu Kong."
He stepped out, walked to the gate and spoke into the intercom.
"Please, come in. If you don't mind, we'll have someone park the car for you," came a polite voice.
The gates opened shortly after. Two suited servants stood ready to welcome them. Ahead, a middle-aged man waited to lead them inside.
"I'll trouble you then," Shiu said, handing over the keys.
The three then followed their guide deeper into the estate.
"These people really are loaded…" Mukuro's eyes wandered, spotting objects he had only ever seen on the TV.
"We should start thinking about leaving that dump once we earn enough," Toji murmured, looking around. Buying a house like this... how much money would it take?
At last, the guide stopped before a door. "The master is waiting inside."
He opened it, bowing respectfully as he invited them in. After they entered, he quietly shut the door.
"Welcome. It's our first time meeting. I am the one who hired you."
Sitting at the far end of the room was an elderly man with white hair and beard. His face was deeply wrinkled, but his very presence exuded authority.
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