NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: Gorlock
"Naoya this, Naoya that... Naoya, NAOYA!"
Gorlock Zenin slammed his fist against the tatami floor, his face twisted in frustration.
"Everyone keeps talking about him like he's some kind of prodigy!" he spat, his chins wobbling from the force of his movements.
Gorlock Zenin—the eldest son of Naobito and Naoya's older brother—was not a handsome man. At sixteen, he was overweight, thick-jawed, and had the kind of face that made people instinctively look away. But in his mind, he was the real heir of the Zenin Clan, not some smug little brat who got lucky with talent.
"I need to put him in his place," Gorlock growled, gripping the folds of his third chin. "Make him understand what real jujutsu is."
His beady eyes scanned the room before landing on one of his servants. With a thick, stubby finger, he pointed straight at the trembling man.
"Hey, you! Give me an idea—how do I teach that brat a lesson?"
The servant stiffened, feeling his heartbeat spike.
Shit.
He needed to come up with something fast.
Gorlock wasn't known for his patience. If he hesitated too long, he might get ordered to do something unpleasant. Or worse—get killed for no reason, as had happened to plenty of others before him.
"That's why I hate working in this damn clan..." he cursed internally, forcing his brain to work at full speed.
The servant swallowed hard before speaking. "You could simply ask for a duel," he blurted out. "Say you just want to test him and help point out some of his mistakes."
Gorlock narrowed his eyes, considering the idea.
"Everyone knows how arrogant that brat is," the servant continued, trying to sound confident. "I'm pretty sure he won't refuse."
For a moment, there was silence. Then, a wide, greasy grin spread across Gorlock's face.
"Hah! Not bad." He chuckled, his stomach jiggling with the movement. "That little bastard's ego won't let him back down."
He leaned back, already imagining the moment he would humiliate Naoya in front of the clan.
"Fine. Set it up."
"he think he is strong just because he inherited a good technique"
….
Naoya leaned back against the tree, the shade casting a cool contrast against the warm afternoon air. He tapped his fingers against his knee, amusement flickering in his sharp eyes.
"A sixteen-year-old challenging a seven-year-old," he mused, his smirk widening. "Does the Zenin clan have no shame?"
The servant swallowed, hesitant. "He said he only wants to tutor you and help you out, but if you don't want to participate, Master Naoya, I will—"
Naoya cut him off with a sharp glance. "What's the grade of my so-called brother?"
"Semi-Grade 2," the servant answered quickly. "But that's just on paper. He can handle a Grade 2 curse without much trouble."
Naoya's smirk deepened. A Semi-Grade 2 at sixteen? How laughable for so called one of the 3 major clan in jujutsu.
"That will be interesting," he murmured.
The servant hesitated. "So… shall I inform them that you accept?"
Naoya let out a small chuckle. "Of course. It would be rude to keep my dear older brother waiting."
Standing up, he stretched his arms before heading back inside. If he was going to entertain his older brother's challenge, he might as well put on a good show.
.......................................…..
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…
The training grounds of the Zenin estate were packed with spectators. Elders, younger clan members, and even some servants had gathered, all curious about how this duel would unfold. After all, it wasn't every day that a sixteen-year-old Semi-Grade 2 challenged a seven-year-old.
Gorlock was already in the field, arms crossed over his massive chest, his bloated figure exuding overconfidence. His smirk widened as he watched Naoya approach, his beady eyes gleaming with a mix of hatred and disdain. The air around him seemed to grow heavier, charged with the intensity of his emotions.
"Took you long enough," Gorlock sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "I was starting to think you'd run away." His tone was sharp, each word laced with venom, as if he'd been waiting for this moment to unleash his pent-up frustration.
Naoya merely tilted his head, amusement flickering in his sharp gaze. He took his time, his steps deliberate and unhurried, as if he were strolling through a garden rather than walking into a duel. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm, almost bored.
"Run? From this?" He gestured lazily at Gorlock, his hand sweeping up and down as if to emphasize the older boy's unimpressive physique. Then, with a dramatic shake of his head, he added, "I can't believe we share the same blood. Are you sure we're related? I fail to understand how an inferior creature like you could possibly be connected to me. Could you be adopted?"
The crowd of onlookers—clan members, elders, and even a few servants—let out a collective gasp. Some stifled laughter, while others exchanged uneasy glances. Gorlock's face turned red, his fists clenching so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The hatred in his eyes burned brighter, but Naoya didn't flinch. If anything, his smirk only deepened.
A vein bulged on Gorlock's forehead as his face contorted in rage. "I will make you regret every word you sa—"
"Jumping over you might be faster than going around," Naoya interrupted, his tone completely casual.
"You little—"
"Cristiano MacDonaldo," Naoya muttered.
Gorlock blinked. "What did you just say?"
"Lionel Pepsi."
Confusion replaced anger on Gorlock's face. "What the hell are you talking about!?"
Naoya sighed dramatically, shaking his head. "Ah, I was just testing if your brain was as slow as your movements. Turns out, I was right."
Laughter rippled through the audience, some struggling to hold back their chuckles while others openly smirked.
Gorlock's cursed energy flared violently. "You little—! I'm going to break every bone in your body!"
Naoya merely smirked. "That's assuming you can touch me."
One of the Zenin elders raised his hand. "Enough. The duel begins now!"
The moment the signal was given, Gorlock lunged forward, his massive frame moving with surprising speed. His fist, cloaked in cursed energy, tore through the air, aimed directly at Naoya's head.
But Naoya was already gone.
With effortless grace, he sidestepped, his body barely shifting as Gorlock's punch struck nothing but empty space. Before his older brother could even register what had happened, Naoya's fingers brushed against his arm—his technique activating in an instant.
Gorlock's entire body froze.
For a single second, he was trapped inside an animated frame, his form stiff and motionless like a paused film reel. And then—
CRACK!
Naoya's cursed energy-coated fist slammed into the frozen frame, shattering it like fragile glass. The force sent Gorlock hurtling backward, his body twisting midair before he crashed into the ground, coughing violently.
Naoya exhaled, shaking his hand slightly. "Tch. I barely even tried."
A heavy silence fell over the field.
Then, hushed murmurs broke out among the spectators.
"Was that… the Projection Sorcery technique?" one voice whispered in awe.
"It looks insanely strong…" another muttered.
"So the rumors were true—Naoya's hype wasn't for nothing."
As Naoya turned to leave, he heard Gorlock's voice—strained, furious, and filled with desperation.
"I'm not done yet!"
Naoya paused, glancing over his shoulder. Gorlock was struggling to his feet, his body trembling from the impact, but his eyes burned with frustration and wounded pride.
A smirk tugged at the corner of Naoya's lips. "Oh? Still breathing? I must've gone too easy on you."
"I guess your body type comes with advantages too," Naoya mused, taking slow, deliberate steps toward him.
Gorlock wiped the blood from his mouth and sneered. "I underestimated you… but you will die here."
Cursed energy flared violently around him as he activated his innate technique. The ground cracked beneath his feet, waves of energy distorting the air around him.
Gorlock's body began to shift unnaturally, his bloated flesh rippling as cursed energy surged through him. Veins pulsed beneath his skin, swelling grotesquely.
Naoya raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Some kind of enhancement technique?"
"My technique allows me to boost my strength, speed, and durability up to five times for one minute," Gorlock said, his tone brimming with confidence.
Naoya narrowed his eyes slightly. Revealing One's Hand, huh? A commonly used binding vow among jujutsu practitioners—by divulging how their cursed technique works, they can increase its effectiveness or even mislead their opponent.
"I was just going to humiliate you," Gorlock continued, grinning viciously, "but now you've forced me to kill you. You can only blame your idiocy."
In an instant, he disappeared.
Naoya's eyes slightly widened as he felt Gorlock's presence behind him.
Gorlock had gotten a lot faster for sure. But guess who else was fast?
Naoya smirked. Predictable.
Just as Gorlock's massive fist came crashing down, Naoya twisted his body with perfect timing, effortlessly dodging the attack. The ground where he had stood shattered under the force, sending debris flying.
Gorlock's grin widened. "You can't dodge forever, brat!"
With his enhanced speed, he launched a relentless barrage of attacks, each one powerful enough to break bones. But Naoya moved like a ghost, weaving through the strikes with fluid precision.
He's fast—at least, for someone of his… shape, Naoya mused, dodging yet another punch. But he's relying too much on brute force. No refinement, no control. Just a fat fool swinging wildly.
Gorlock roared in frustration, his patience wearing thin. "Stop dodging and FIGHT!"
Naoya's smirk deepened. If you insist.
The moment Gorlock threw his next punch, Naoya sidestepped and tapped his shoulder—activating Projection Sorcery.
In an instant, Gorlock was frozen within an animated frame.
Naoya took a step forward, gazing at his helpless opponent with a look of sheer superiority.
"You still don't understand the gap between us, do you?" he said, his tone laced with amusement.
Without hesitation, Naoya clenched his fist, cursed energy crackling around it like static. With a single, devastating punch, he shattered the frozen frame, sending Gorlock's body hurtling across the field like a ragdoll. The impact echoed through the training grounds, leaving a stunned silence in its wake. Naoya didn't spare his brother another glance. Without a word, he turned and walked away, his expression unreadable but his mind already racing with calculations and plans.