Hearing just this first question, Mahito immediately understood why the Kokichi Muta of the original story knew so much. He even knew exactly how Kenjaku's group planned to handle the invincible Satoru Gojo, and left behind countermeasures to plague them even after his death.
During their original partnership, an exchange similar to this Q&A must have occurred. Contrary to his explosive debut in the original story, Kokichi was actually incredibly intelligent and possessed a highly comprehensive tactical mind. His only real flaw was his impulsivity; if he had simply bided his time in the original timeline, he could have played a far more monumental role.
Even now, his questions were razor-sharp, cutting straight to the core.
The true answer was: *Survival.*
Mahito didn't feel safe in the slightest. Satoru Gojo was a distant threat, but Kenjaku was sitting right next to him, and he hadn't shown the slightest intention of letting Mahito off the hook. There had been several instances where Mahito could practically feel the malice seething within Kenjaku. It wasn't that Kenjaku genuinely wanted to kill Mahito; Kenjaku simply had the passing thought of *'I wonder what would happen if I tried.'*
Just based on that passing curiosity, Kenjaku would be itching to test the waters, looking for any opening to probe him.
Mahito would bet his life that if it weren't for their Binding Vow, Kenjaku absolutely would have attacked him. Even now, the moment their Vow concluded, Kenjaku would undoubtedly strike.
It had nothing to do with who was stronger. It was purely because Kenjaku *wanted* to.
With an 'ally' like that breathing down his neck, how could Mahito ever dare to stop moving? He couldn't. He didn't dare. He had to run with everything he had, running until he coughed up blood, until he achieved true 'peace.'
"Peace of mind," Mahito said, steepling his fingers, his voice slow but resonant.
He continued, "In *JoJo's Bizarre Adventure*, Dio once said: 'Survival is all about finding peace of mind.'
"'Whether men fight for wealth, fame, or power, it is all to achieve peace of mind. To marry and build a family is for peace of mind. Even those who strive for world peace are merely seeking an excuse for their own peace of mind.'
"It's a somewhat cynical view, but it perfectly captures the psychology of almost all living things.
"Every lifeform in existence operates on this principle—
"Whether it be flowers, birds, fish, or beasts; whether it be humans or Cursed Spirits. Peace of mind is the most fundamental pursuit of all biological entities.
"What I seek now is eternal peace of mind.
"Whether it's raw power, building a faction, or ascending to godhood...
"Everything I do, I do for peace of mind."
The wooden face rotated slightly, taking in the assembled roster. Kokichi asked, "Right now, under your command, I can see six Special Grade combatants. While Kirara Hoshi might not possess pure Special Grade firepower, his unique technique ensures he won't easily lose in a frontal clash against one, and his utility as a support far exceeds Special Grade parameters. With a lineup like this... are you still not at peace?"
Mahito casually deflected the question with another: "If Satoru Gojo ambushed us here right now, how many seconds do you think we'd survive?"
Not *how long* they would survive, but *how many seconds.* That sentence alone proved exactly how intimately Mahito understood Gojo's strength.
Kokichi sighed. "Less than one second... I see your point. As long as Satoru Gojo is alive, you can never have peace of mind. That is why you allied with Curse Users and built this faction."
Jogo couldn't hold back. "I know Satoru Gojo is strong, but are you seriously saying all of us combined couldn't hold him off for a single second? Mahito, aren't you being a bit too modest?"
Kokichi's wooden face turned toward Jogo, questioning, "Are you implying you have a counter to Satoru Gojo's Domain Expansion? Are you that confident?"
Jogo demanded, "What is his Domain Expansion? Why would we be killed in less than a second just because he expands it?"
Kokichi was rendered speechless.
Even Mahito felt second-hand embarrassment. He pulled off his sunglasses and handed them to Jogo. "Jogo, hold my sunglasses."
The implication was clear: *Shut up.* Jogo understood the hint. He struggled to bite back his retort, but ultimately relented, snatching the sunglasses and sulking in his chair without another word.
Hanami offered him a few comforting words.
"My turn to ask." Mahito sat up straight in his plastic chair, locking eyes with the metal disc. "Kokichi, why did you go out of your way to research Ryomen Sukuna?"
Kokichi didn't dodge the question. He answered, "Because of you, King of Curses."
"Me?" Mahito asked.
"'A Cursed Spirit capable of cooperating with Curse Users.' That was the label attached to you. Suguru Geto approached me before news of your existence had spread. By the time rumors of you reached me, I was certain Geto's mysterious partner had to be you. Following that logic, I began analyzing what your ultimate goal must be."
The wooden puppet's mouth clicked and clacked open and shut, seemingly in self-deprecation.
He explained, "It didn't take much thought. I immediately realized that an alliance between Curses and Curse Users could only have one conceivable goal: overturning the current Jujutsu world. What other reason could there be?
"But to overturn the current Jujutsu world, there is one man you absolutely cannot bypass.
"Satoru Gojo.
"You must eliminate Satoru Gojo, otherwise, toppling the Jujutsu world is fundamentally impossible.
"Operating on that premise, my attention was drawn to Ryomen Sukuna."
The wooden eyes rotated, locking back onto Mahito.
He stated gravely, "Ryomen Sukuna is a genuine historical figure, and he left behind the Special Grade Cursed Objects known as Sukuna's Fingers.
"A thousand years ago, he was hailed as the strongest sorcerer in history. Even a millennium later, following Satoru Gojo's birth, Sukuna's absolute power is still universally recognized by the Jujutsu world. There are even many Jujutsu scholars who believe that even Satoru Gojo wouldn't be a match for Ryomen Sukuna.
"Ryomen Sukuna is the undeniable 'Strongest Sorcerer in History.'
"To defeat Satoru Gojo, you would need to find a way to resurrect Ryomen Sukuna. That was my deduction."
*Incredible.* Mahito was genuinely impressed.
Kokichi's explanation actually slightly shifted Mahito's opinion of the crusty conservatives in the original story.
Regardless of the higher-ups' initial motives, the moment they discovered Yuji Itadori could act as a vessel for Ryomen Sukuna, their immediate reaction was to execute him—even if he had only ingested a single fragment of Sukuna's power. Suddenly, this draconian measure seemed rooted in terrifyingly sharp foresight.
It was entirely to prevent the second coming of Ryomen Sukuna at his absolute peak. Because even the microscopic possibility of the Strongest in History resurrecting was an unacceptable threat to the Modern Strongest, Satoru Gojo.
This also contextualized why Gojo, despite having zero combat data on Sukuna, confidently declared, "I'd win."
Gojo possessed a comprehensive understanding of Ryomen Sukuna's historical might. Based on that knowledge and his own internal power scaling, he was absolutely confident he could defeat him. That was why he said he'd win.
Unfortunately, Sukuna pulled a fast one with his space-cleaving dismantle, bisecting Gojo and turning all his prior confidence into the ultimate clown show.
Next, Kokichi asked, "My turn. How do you intend to defeat Satoru Gojo?"
Mahito held up three fingers. "We have three methods. We intend to execute all three simultaneously."
"Three methods? Executed simultaneously?" Kokichi's voice was noticeably distorted, sounding like he wanted to laugh but couldn't, wanting to take it seriously but finding it utterly absurd.
Mahito lowered two fingers. "Method one: Sealing.
"We have a way to seal Satoru Gojo for at least a century, provided we engage him at a specific time and a specific place. The seal isn't absolute, but a hundred years buys us enough time to accomplish whatever we want without the threat of Satoru Gojo looming over us."
"The Prison Realm! You intend to seal Satoru Gojo using the Prison Realm!" Kokichi blurted out.
Mahito blinked twice. "You managed to guess that too?"
"When it comes to neutralizing Satoru Gojo, the options are incredibly limited. The Prison Realm is the most obvious candidate, so it's not surprising I know of it. But there's a glaring issue: the activation conditions for the Prison Realm are absurdly stringent. The moment I read the data on it, I discarded it as a tactical impossibility. How do you plan to force Satoru Gojo to fulfill the sealing conditions?" Kokichi asked.
Mahito remained silent.
Realizing he hadn't yet earned the requisite trust, Kokichi quickly backed down. "Apologies. It's not my turn to ask. Please, continue."
Mahito raised his second finger. "Method two is exactly what you deduced: Ryomen Sukuna. We have a reliable method to resurrect him and restore him to his peak strength. Naturally, given his personality, Sukuna will never take orders from us. But his mere resurrection guarantees a chaotic bloodbath between him and Gojo. Neither Satoru Gojo nor Ryomen Sukuna will allow the other to coexist. That alone serves our purpose."
Kokichi manipulated the metal disc to bob slightly, simulating a nod of agreement.
He had guessed as much; otherwise, he wouldn't have dug into Ryomen Sukuna's archives.
Mahito raised his third finger and smiled. "The third method is me."
"You?" Kokichi asked.
Mahito lowered his finger, maintaining his smile. "Muta-san, care to guess how old I am?"
*What a confident way to phrase it,* Kokichi thought to himself. And he began to calculate.
The timeline of Mahito's first recorded appearance was very recent, no more than a month ago. However, Mahito must have spent a significant amount of time immersed in human society prior to that. Because the moment his existence was registered, he already possessed an intricate, comprehensive grasp of Jujutsu mechanics. Someone must have been tutoring him for a very long time.
No... considering his processing speed and intellect, that 'very long time' might actually be shorter than expected.
Therefore, he would lean toward the shorter end of the spectrum.
Kokichi answered cautiously, "Five years. I estimate you were born five years ago."
Mahito was slightly taken aback. "What a conservative estimate. Given my proficiency and knowledge base, I assumed you'd guess at least ten years."
"For a human, ten years would be more than enough," Kokichi explained. "Even Satoru Gojo at age 10 likely hadn't reached your current level of mastery, let alone Satoru Gojo at age 5. If you were human, you would undoubtedly be a once-in-a-century genius, someone even Gojo could barely stand shoulder-to-shoulder with... But, you are not human."
Kokichi spoke with absolute gravity: "You are a Cursed Spirit.
"The growth trajectory of a Cursed Spirit fundamentally differs from a human's. A Curse's grade is practically hard-coded at birth.
"A Grade 1 Curse is a Grade 1 Curse. A Special Grade Curse is a Special Grade Curse. It's not that Curses cannot grow stronger—quite the contrary, massive pools of negative energy constantly draw them in, and Curses that cannibalize others can mutate into stronger variants. It's not uncommon.
"But the critical issue is: Curses lack the cognitive capacity for intentional growth.
"Even if they can mimic human speech, their actual intellect is lower than a stray dog's. They possess rudimentary combat instincts, but their tactical adaptability is inferior to a pack of wolves.
"You completely break that mold.
"You are a Curse, yet you possess high-level human intellect.
"You know how to learn. You know how to train. You even harbor your own philosophical ideologies.
"Ideals, goals, emotions, a faction—you lack none of them. And you are growing at an exponential rate...
"...Five years. I estimate that within five years, you have already acquired power surpassing an average Special Grade Sorcerer. And you are still continuously evolving. In the future, you will undoubtedly grow stronger, shattering the ceiling of normal Special Grades and ascending to the realm occupied by Satoru Gojo."
The 'average Special Grade Sorcerer', Kinji Hakari, violently clicked his tongue.
*Motherfucker! Since when did Special Grade Sorcerers get divided into 'average' and 'above average'?! I can't believe I'm being used as a fucking background measuring stick!*
Mahito applauded in genuine admiration. "Incredible. Your deductive reasoning is stellar. It makes me want to recruit you as my subordinate even more."
Kokichi replied flatly, "It seems my deduction was correct."
Although the voice transmitted through the metal disc was calm, Kokichi was internally reeling. To achieve the power of a Special Grade Sorcerer in just five years—that information alone was earth-shattering. Are you kidding me?! That's a Special Grade Sorcerer! The undisputed definition of a one-man army!
He had nonchalantly used the term 'average Special Grade Sorcerer,' but in reality, anyone who reached Special Grade was a freak of nature. Calling them 'average' was an oxymoron; every single one of them was an inhuman monster!
*The strongest Cursed Spirit in the world might literally be sitting right in front of me.* Kokichi took a silent breath.
But he had braced himself too soon.
The corners of Mahito's mouth crept up into a faint smile.
"One and a half months," he said. "Counting from the absolute beginning of my gestation to today, I have only been alive for one and a half months. 45 days. In human terms, I'm barely an infant out of my first trimester."
"You're bullshitting me."
Kokichi almost thought he had spoken the words out loud, but quickly realized the voice hadn't come from his puppet. It was Hakari.
The 'average Special Grade Sorcerer,' Kinji Hakari, looked utterly paralyzed with disbelief.
He roared with the exact same energy as Mikoto Misaka screaming at Toma Kamijo: "You're telling me... that in one and a half months—including your hazy incubation period—you grew strong enough to beat the absolute shit out of me without even playing your trump cards?! You motherfucker! You're lying!"
Clearly, the 'average' Special Grade Sorcerer had completely broken down.
It was exactly like a failing student asking the valedictorian why they seemed upset about their test score. The failing student feels smug when the valedictorian says they 'did poorly'—only to find out the test was out of 100, the valedictorian scored 109 because of 10 points of extra credit, and they were upset because they missed *one* point on the bonus question.
Put anyone in that position, and they'd break down too!
Kokichi acutely picked up on the horrifying implication in Hakari's outburst. His metallic voice warped in horror.
"'Without even playing your trump cards'? What does that mean? The Lord of Curses didn't even use his full strength against you?!"
"He was holding back," Hakari grumbled, finally calming down. He rubbed his temples in misery. "I really can't complain about losing. I thought I just had a bad matchup... Now I find out I was getting boxed up by a literal 'infant'. Man, I don't even have the face to show myself in public anymore."
Kokichi's mind and soul violently shuddered. He was rendered utterly speechless.
"It seems you finally understand where my confidence comes from," Mahito said with a smile. "As time passes, my talents will only continue to bloom. I don't know if I'll eventually become invincible in this era like Satoru Gojo, but at the very least, I am confident I will become a threat capable of keeping him in check. Therefore, we don't necessarily need to seal him or unleash Ryomen Sukuna. Simply waiting for my continuous growth is a viable path to realizing our plan."
*What an overwhelmingly persuasive three-pronged strategy,* Kokichi marveled internally. *Truly worthy of a faction ambitious enough to overthrow the Jujutsu world. Their maturity and foresight in every aspect are terrifying.*
"In that case, you have absolutely no reason to rush into a confrontation with Satoru Gojo now. All you need to do is lay low and wait for the King of Curses' talents to fully ripen. Why are you in such a desperate hurry to topple the Jujutsu world?" Kokichi asked.
"If you agree to become my subordinate, I'll tell you the answer," Mahito offered.
Kokichi sighed. "I overstepped. It's your turn to ask."
Mahito leaned forward, his eyes bright with interest. "What do you think of Cursed Spirits?"
Kokichi wasn't surprised by the question. Mahito had already stated he wanted Kokichi to join his ranks—not as a partner, but as a subordinate.
Kokichi was highly confident in his own abilities. While reaching Gojo's level might be virtually impossible, he was certain he could eventually grow into a standard Special Grade Sorcerer. This confidence wasn't unfounded. During Kokichi's deathmatch in the original timeline, Kenjaku himself explicitly confirmed it:
*Though temporary, in terms of raw damage output, Kokichi Muta has reached the minimum threshold of a Special Grade.*
And at that time, he was merely a Kyoto High student.
It was no exaggeration to say that, even without undergoing a life-or-death crucible, normal growth alone would have eventually landed Kokichi a seat among the Special Grades.
"No offense intended," Kokichi began, trying his best to phrase it delicately. "To me, Cursed Spirits are the parasites of this world. Entities utterly incapable of interacting with society, existing solely to destroy. I cannot comprehend any meaning to your existence."
Forget Jogo; even the usually even-tempered Hanami twisted in violent fury, looking ready to commit murder the very next second. Kenjaku couldn't help but chuckle. "You've got some nerve saying that out loud."
"Huh? I thought I phrased that quite politely," Kokichi replied earnestly.
"You bastard—!" Jogo erupted, about to unleash hell, but a hand suddenly appeared in his face. Mahito raised his palm, instantly silencing the Disaster Curse. Jogo took several deep, ragged breaths before throwing himself back into his chair, sulking in silent, dark fury.
Kokichi noted this thoughtfully. *The Lord of Curses has absolute control over his subordinates. This proves these Curses have developed societal structures and will not defy their sovereign's absolute orders.*
Mahito's expression didn't change. He acted as if nothing had happened. "It's your turn to ask."
Kokichi was genuinely bewildered. "Are you not angry?"
"Because you spoke the truth," Mahito said plainly. "To humanity, Cursed Spirits truly have no reason to exist... Forget humanity; even to the world itself, discounting unique anomalies like Hanami, Curses have zero purpose. Even parasites have their ecological niche in this world, but Cursed Spirits do not. Curses only exist to kill. They only exist to harm. Beyond that, they are capable of nothing."
With an unchanged expression, Mahito delivered his final verdict:
"Cursed Spirits... are worse than parasites. We are literal trash. And worse yet, we are the most obnoxious kind of incombustible trash."
Kokichi was absolutely stunned.