Souma Gojo listened as Kenjaku's narrative unfolded, genuinely taken aback by Sukuna's true lineage. The original manga hadn't ventured this far into the past, yet here it was—a twisted tale of twins and divinity.
However, Souma's surprise quickly hardened into a sharp, focused frown.
"And why go to these lengths?" Souma's voice was stern, cutting through the settling ash of Shinjuku. "Why usurp Sukuna? What is your endgame? Don't give me that 'fun' or 'curiosity' line. I'm tired of hearing lies from a thousand-year-old brain."
In the stories Souma knew, Kenjaku's motive was always "fun." Only once, in the depths of a technique that forced a soul-to-soul conversation, had he whispered a different answer: Loneliness. But that answer was too vague, too romantic for a man who had orchestrated centuries of slaughter.
Kenjaku—now the elegant, long-haired master of Sukuna's form—paused. "Ah... that..."
"I'm curious about your goal too," a voice cut in, "but before that, why don't you finish digging up the past properly?"
Four figures blurred into the battlefield. The Special Grades had arrived.
Satoru Gojo pulled off his headset. Through the recording devices on his brother's person, he had heard everything regarding Sukuna. Now, he stared at the being before him with a look of profound complexity.
"We know about Sukuna," Satoru said, his Six Eyes glowing with an intense, icy light. "But what about you, Kenjaku? Or should I say... Ashiya Doman?"
The name hung in the air like a sudden drop in temperature. Even Souma's eyes widened. Ashiya Doman? The legendary rival of the Heian period's greatest sorcerer?
The man possessing Sukuna's body froze for a heartbeat, then a nostalgic, weary smile touched his lips.
"Ashiya Doman... ah... it truly has been a long time since anyone called me that. I suppose Sugawara no Michizane told you, Satoru Gojo?"
Satoru remained silent, his gaze unwavering.
The man—the legend—scratched his head. "Well, since we're this far in, do you want to hear the rest of the story?"
Souma gestured dismissively. "Suit yourself."
"Very well."
Ashiya Doman began to speak, and a scroll of secrets a millennium old began to unfurl.
"In the Heian era, the world was a chaotic mess. Famine and plague were the norm, giving birth to terrifying manifestations of malice known then as Vengeful Spirits. And amidst that darkness, a human was born. He mastered the stars, the calendar, and the affairs of men. He could exorcise spirits and command gods as his familiars. His name was Abe no Seimei."
As he spoke the name, a rare spark of genuine light flickered in Doman's eyes.
"Back then, 'Jujutsu Sorcerer' was a crude term. We were Onmyoji—Masters of Yin and Yang. And Abe no Seimei was the zenith of our craft." Doman let out a short, sharp scoff. "The one you call Lord Tengen? He was merely a pageboy who followed Seimei around. He couldn't stand me back then."
The revelation of Tengen's humble origins rippled through the group. Doman continued:
"Abe no Seimei was strong. Truly, terrifyingly strong. Even I, hailed as a prodigy since birth, could not best him. But in that era, I was the only one capable of even trading blows with him. Thus, history remembers me as 'Seimei's Only Rival.'"
"I was his enemy. We fought every time we met. There were no peaceful days. But I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it more than anything. Except for one thing... our view on humanity."
Doman's face darkened. "I never conceded that point. I believed he was wrong. To him, humans were the spirits of all things. Their negative emotions creating Vengeful Spirits was merely a natural law of balance—and the Onmyoji were the keepers of that balance. But to me? Humans were nothing but parasites, the root of all disaster. The Vengeful Spirits were tragic, but their existence depended on the filth of humanity. My goal was to eliminate both and create a perfect species, devoid of human flaws. A perfect world."
"We argued for decades. Even when he lay on his deathbed, we hadn't settled the score." Doman's voice softened. "After he died, the arguments stopped. But my heart felt hollow. Life became a stagnant pool of boredom. I took the tonsure, became a monk, and took the name Kenjaku."
"Tengen carried on Seimei's will. He created the Three Great Families, the Jujutsu High schools, the entire system. He buried the old ways. I thought my life was over... until I saw Doten—the Fallen One."
Doman looked directly at Souma. "You asked why I do this? I suppose it is loneliness. After Seimei died, a piece of me went with him. Loneliness is a void that demands to be filled. So I began this plan—to answer the question we left unfinished. I will prove to him that humans should not exist. I will create the perfect world he said was impossible."
"Only by doing this can I feel that he isn't truly gone. It's as if he's still standing beside me, arguing over an answer that doesn't exist."
Doman took a deep breath, looking up at the ash-choked sky. "Only like this... am I not alone."
He stood up abruptly and drew a small, dark cube from his robes.
"Inside this is the Cursed Spirit of the Great Tree where Tengen resides. It was planted by Abe no Seimei himself... the Ama-no-Mihashira, the Heavenly Pillar!"
He hurled the cube into the cracked earth. Instantly, a gargantuan tree erupted from the ground, its trunk miles wide, its canopy of dark, shimmering leaves spreading until it swallowed the Tokyo skyline.
Doman's body began to float, his cursed energy resonating with the Great Tree in a violent, humming harmony.
"My body, through 'Life-Wax' and 'Brain-Swapping,' has already transcended. I am a new species. With the power of Idle Transfiguration, I can convert all life. And with Sukuna's body providing the energy, the Heavenly Pillar will act as my transmitter to broadcast my technique to the entire world!"
"The conditions are met! The evolution begins!"
Behind Doman's back, hands began to sprout—dozens of them, twenty pairs in total. They moved in a blurred, rhythmic dance, forming ancient mudras.
The Mudra of Mahabrahma. The Mudra of Shakra. The Mudras of the Four Heavenly Kings.
The Twenty Devas of the Esoteric path were manifested all at once. Doman's voice boomed, carrying a divine, terrifying weight.
"Domain Expansion: Sukhavati—The Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss!"