Toji Fushiguro raised his hand, repeatedly clenching and unclenching his fist. He lifted his foot and stomped the ground. Even a man who habitually maintained an aura of supreme indifference couldn't help but feel a profound sense of disbelief. He stretched his arms, rotating them in massive, windmill-like arcs, marveling at the sensation.
"I'll be damned. I actually came back from the dead."
Right now, he was following Mahito down a wooden corridor. The reception room had been utterly demolished, rendering it useless for further discussion. Hane-kaede had taken Granny Ogami away—the old crone still needed to make preparations before undergoing reincarnation—and she had also taken the liberty of tying up Utahime Iori.
From this moment onward, Utahime had officially lost her status as a 'guest' and was formally designated a kidnapped hostage.
Sha trailed exactly three paces behind Toji, her piercing eyes locked onto his back. Her hand rested on the hilt of her katana, perpetually hovering in a state ready to execute a blindingly fast draw-cut.
Toji tilted his head. "Hey, hey, little girl. Your bloodlust is practically overflowing. Are you really holding that much of a grudge just because I pinched your blade?"
Sha remained dead silent.
Walking ahead, Mahito chuckled. "Sha is exceptionally outstanding. She was my very first creation, the eldest sister of all the second-generation intelligent Cursed Spirits. Her combat strength has progressed at a terrifying rate. She was born less than a month ago, yet she already possesses the combat capabilities of a Special Grade Cursed Spirit."
"And her upward trajectory hasn't plateaued yet. Reaching the level of a Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer is entirely within her grasp." Mahito continued, "That explosive growth, combined with the constant praise of everyone around her, forged a profound sense of pride within her."
"You are the very first person to violently shatter that pride. She is deeply hyper-fixated on you."
Toji let out a low whistle. "Special Grade Cursed Spirit strength in less than a month? When I was a month old, I couldn't even figure out how to crawl properly. She has every right to be proud."
Sha spoke slowly, "I will continue to hone my cultivation. Mr. Fushiguro, in the near future, I will challenge you again."
"Heh, still refuse to admit defeat, huh?" The corner of Toji's mouth curled up. "You probably haven't heard my reputation—"
"I will prepare the money," Sha stated sharply, without a shred of hesitation.
Toji froze. He jerked his thumb back toward the Cursed Spirit girl and stared at Mahito. "Is this some kind of 'friendship fee'? Exactly how are you raising your kids?"
Mahito laughed merrily. "Isn't she adorable?"
"Is this really a matter of being adorable?" Toji experienced a sudden, bizarre hallucination that this 'father' was incredibly unreliable. *Wait, wasn't I exactly like this back in the day?* He had always assumed he was the absolute pinnacle of human garbage, but it seemed the King of Curses wasn't too far behind.
Mahito said plainly, "As long as it doesn't violate core ethical or moral boundaries, the more avenues one has to increase their strength, the better. You are an exceptional whetstone. I am incredibly fortunate that Sha can simply pay you to act as her sparring partner. Unless, of course, you don't care about money?"
Toji let out a helpless sigh. "Oh, I care immensely! I literally just resurrected; my pockets are completely empty. You're right. A man of my caliber acting as a sparring partner is an absolute steal. I never imagined the day would come where I'd be reduced to a training dummy."
"Hey, little girl. I don't come cheap, you know."
Sha nodded heavily, stating with absolute solemnity, "I will have the funds prepared."
"Fifty million yen per challenge."
"...Huh?!"
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Toji couldn't hold back his laughter. "You're right. She's hilarious."
Mahito stopped in front of a door. A wind chime hung above it. As he approached, the chime let out a crisp, melodic ring. The door was opened from the inside, and the head of a little girl peeked out timidly through the crack.
Upon seeing Mahito, a massive, radiant smile bloomed on the little girl's face. "Master Papa!"
Toji's mouth twitched violently. "'Master Papa'? What kind of twisted fetish is that?"
"I salvaged them from the ignorant, mindless state of Imaginary Vengeful Spirits. They view me as both their master and their father," Mahito gently patted the little girl's head. "Cursed Spirits with high self-esteem address me as Master. Those who have yet to fully develop a distinct ego address me as Father. I accept both with equanimity."
Mahito turned to Sha, smiling teasingly. "Sha is more than welcome to call me Papa too, you know. I really wouldn't mind."
"I would mind immensely!" Sha's face flushed bright red.
Toji watched the blushing Cursed Spirit girl, then shifted his gaze back to the little girl holding the door. The moment the little girl noticed Toji looking at her, she froze, her face instantly contorting in sheer terror.
He thought back to the black-winged beauty, Hane-kaede, and the twin girls he had seen swinging swords with agonizing expressions in the courtyard. Every single one of these so-called second-generation intelligent Cursed Spirits were exquisitely beautiful females—ranging from mature women to teenagers to little girls. He had seen the entire spectrum.
This absolutely wasn't a coincidence. The Lord of Cursed Spirits had done this deliberately.
He couldn't help but chuckle. "I see. You're weaponizing humanity's innate instinct to harbor compassion for beautiful women. You've really put a terrifying amount of thought into seamlessly integrating intelligent Cursed Spirits into human society."
"Ah? What did you say?"
"I'm talking about your deliberate strategy of exclusively remodeling Imaginary Vengeful Spirits into attractive females," Toji clarified, looking confused. "You didn't do that on purpose?"
"Of course I did it on purpose," Mahito stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Compared to a sweaty, muscle-bound middle-aged man, a delicate, beautiful young girl is obviously far more pleasing to the eye!"
"You did it just for eye candy?!"
"Isn't that obvious?" Mahito retorted with righteous indignation. "Who gives a damn about seamlessly integrating into human society? I'm already the most invincible entity in the world! Can't I at least indulge my personal hobbies and enjoy the view? If I can't even do that, being invincible would be incredibly depressing!"
Toji stared at him, utterly numb.
The little girl pushed the door fully open, and Mahito stepped through. Toji followed right behind him.
Sha watched them enter, then took up a guard position beside the door. Toji's steps faltered slightly, and he glanced back over his shoulder.
The door was standing completely isolated in the middle of a sandy beach. Just a second ago, when he looked through the doorway, he had clearly seen the interior of a room. Yet the moment he stepped across the threshold, he was instantly transported to a beach. The door frame was literally freestanding on the sand, and looking back through it, he only saw more beach.
The little girl carefully pulled the door shut, and it vanished into thin air.
Toji murmured, "What a terrifying spatial transfer ability. If my guess is correct, as long as a Cursed Energy residual is left behind, she can use the door as a medium to teleport across any distance, right? I see. This is exactly how you managed to operate right under Satoru Gojo's nose."
"Her name is Yayoi Suzu," Mahito said, his tone laced with pride. "She was remodeled from the Imaginary Vengeful Spirit of a Zashiki-warashi. Originally, as a mindless Cursed Spirit, she could only harm people by softly knocking on their doors. But after I granted her a new life, she gained the ability to freely travel between any door she marks with her Cursed Energy using her wind chime. She personally controls the opening and closing of every portal."
"She must be a massive strategic asset for your forces, right? Is it really wise to just casually flaunt her existence to everyone?" Toji asked.
"Did you forget how you were just resurrected?" Mahito smiled. "As long as I draw breath, my subordinates can be resurrected an infinite number of times. They are eternally immortal."
Toji let out a heavy sigh. "That is... genuinely terrifying."
Now, Toji genuinely believed Mahito was capable of overturning the entire Jujutsu world. Before this, although he had accepted the commission to assassinate Gojo, he had merely treated it as a test run. He didn't harbor any desperate attachment to his new life; living was fine, but marching to his death didn't bother him either.
But now, he felt it viscerally. This was a completely different breed of terror compared to the raw, visceral power Satoru Gojo projected.
Mahito possessed true immortality, and he could extend that immortality to his entire army. This meant that any operation he commanded operated with a virtually infinite margin for error. Because true death was completely off the table, they naturally operated with absolute, unshakable fearlessness.
Satoru Gojo could theoretically be killed. But they could not.
Even if Gojo held an overwhelming tactical advantage right now, at the end of the day, he was fighting an army of unkillable monsters. Who was going to win that war of attrition?
Toji would put his money on Mahito.
"Ah," Toji suddenly remembered. "If I fail to assassinate Satoru Gojo and get myself killed again, will you still resurrect me?"
"Of course I will," Mahito replied with profound, heavy meaning. "As long as you stand behind me, no matter how many times you fall, I will reach into the river of souls and fish you back out. You will be eternally immortal."
*Conversely, if I betray you halfway through, no matter how great of a life I live, even if I die peacefully of old age, my soul will inevitably fall right back into your hands to suffer for billions of years. Right?* Toji flawlessly deciphered the terrifying subtext hidden beneath the promise.
"That is... genuinely terrifying," Toji repeated for the second time.
Following the shoreline for a short distance, a table abruptly appeared on the sand. A large patio umbrella shaded it, and four figures were seated around it. As Toji followed Mahito closer, he realized it was a mahjong table. They were literally playing mahjong on the beach.
"Oh, Mahito, you're here," Kenjaku glanced up, a pleasant smile on his face. "And you brought a friend. How did the reincarnation experiment go?"
"It hasn't started yet. Granny Ogami needs time to make preparations," Mahito replied.
"Which means she doesn't trust you," Kenjaku noted. "Makes sense. She's a veteran Curse User; doubting everything is practically in her DNA. Even though your reputation in the underworld is spotless, she still has to prepare for a double-cross."
Toji stared intensely at Kenjaku, asking hesitantly, "Don't tell me... you're Suguru Geto?"
Kenjaku raised a hand in a casual wave. "It's been a long time, Mr. Fushiguro."
"You actually betrayed Satoru Gojo?"
"I have my own ideals to pursue, you know," Kenjaku smiled brightly. "I deeply respect Satoru, but I cannot abandon my ideals for his sake."
Toji suddenly burst out laughing. "I see. The real 'you' is the monster currently squatting inside Suguru Geto's skull. A Cursed Technique that lets you swap bodies by swapping brains? Now I've really seen everything."
Kenjaku clicked his tongue violently in annoyance. "This is exactly why I absolutely loathe people with exceptional perception."
Once Kenjaku's Brain-Hopping Technique was complete, it perfectly replicated the host's Cursed Energy residuals. Naturally, he gained full access to the host's Innate Technique. Furthermore, depending on the host's innate capacity, he could even perform surgical modifications on the brain, allowing him to carry three to four additional techniques simultaneously.
Not even the Six Eyes could pierce the veil of Kenjaku's brain-swapping technique.
But that flawless disguise only applied to the realm of Cursed Energy. Toji Fushiguro didn't rely on Cursed Energy to perceive the world. To him, the 'flawless' disguise of a Jujutsu Sorcerer was riddled with glaring physical inconsistencies. Foremost among them was the Binding Vow that mandated Kenjaku leave the surgical stitches on his forehead visible. Other sorcerers might dismiss it as a mere cosmetic quirk, but to Toji's eyes, it was an incredibly glaring anomaly.
With Toji's monstrous visual acuity, he could practically see straight through the stitches and observe the brain beneath.
"I am Kenjaku," Kenjaku introduced himself with a smile. "A Curse User who has lived for a thousand years. I am currently collaborating with Mahito to completely overturn the Jujutsu world. I look forward to working with you, Mr. Fushiguro."
"You're kidding, right?"
"Not at all," Kenjaku said proudly. "Tengen and I are actually very close friends. Have been for a millennium."
*A Curse User... who has lived for a thousand years.* Toji muttered the phrase, digesting the sheer weight of its implications.
"You've recruited another incredible comrade, Mahito." The female sorcerer sitting next to Kenjaku spoke softly. She casually discarded a tile, then turned to look at Toji, a serene smile on her face. "It's been a long time... Father."
Toji's pupils shrank to pinpricks. "...I thought I had completely forgotten you, Tsumiki."
"But I have never forgotten you, Father," Tsumiki Fushiguro said flatly. "You abandoned Megumi and me and ran away. In my memories, your silhouette is always hazy and indistinct. Yet, that hazy silhouette has always haunted my heart. A voice inside me constantly reminds me that you are my father, my ultimate anchor to this world."
Toji stood completely frozen, overwhelmed by an agonizing awkwardness, completely at a loss for words.
"Your daughter happens to be the reincarnated vessel for the soul of the ancient sorcerer, Yorozu. I awakened her," Mahito introduced smoothly. "Personally authenticated by the thousand-year-old Curse User, Kenjaku, she is unequivocally the most powerful Construction sorcerer in the entire world. She operates on a completely different dimensional tier than anyone else. Whatever Cursed Tool you require, she can forge it for you—including, of course, the Inverted Spear of Heaven capable of bypassing Satoru Gojo's Limitless."
"Resurrecting an ancient soul." Toji couldn't help but ask, "Is that even possible?"
"If I can orchestrate literal reincarnation, why wouldn't I be able to awaken past-life memories?" Mahito smiled. "Naturally, her personality will shift to closely mirror her past life due to the influx of memories, but I guarantee you, the Ms. Tsumiki Fushiguro standing before you is still her. She is still your daughter."
"Stepdaughter," Tsumiki corrected coldly. "He and I share absolutely no direct blood relation."
Toji clicked his tongue.
Mahito continued the introductions, "And these two are..."
"Like me, they weren't remodeled by you. They are genuine, naturally born intelligent Cursed Spirits, right?" Toji observed. "The moment I looked at them, my instincts screamed at me. Compared to the beautiful female Cursed Spirits you specifically redesigned, they perfectly fit my understanding of what an intelligent Cursed Spirit should look like—grotesque, terrifying, and radiating an utterly boundless aura of malice."
"Watch your tone, brat," Jogo snarled arrogantly. "I am an exalted First-Generation. I am the physical manifestation of humanity's curse upon the earth. Do you want to be burned to ash?"
The volcano on Jogo's head erupted with a wave of blistering heat.
*[Please pay no mind to Jogo's tone.]* The final player at the table was, naturally, Hanami. She rubbed her forehead, letting out a heavy sigh. *[He has not yet accustomed himself to conversing with others, so he tends to be exceedingly brash.]*
Hanami gave Toji a polite nod. *[I am Hanami, the manifestation of humanity's curse upon the forests. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Fushiguro.]*
Toji stared at Hanami in sheer amazement. "I clearly can't understand a single word you're saying, yet the exact meaning of your words is perfectly projecting directly into my brain. Is this your Cursed Technique? What a bizarre ability."
"Hanami's abilities are incredibly formidable, you know," Mahito added casually. He took two steps forward, standing right at the edge of the mahjong table, and threw his arms wide as if to embrace the world. "There are three others. One is currently swimming in the ocean: the manifestation of humanity's curse upon the sea, Dagon."
"The old man you saw in the courtyard is the second. His name is Ashiya Sadatsuna, the founder of the New Shadow Style. I assume you've heard his name. He permanently resides in the training grounds to help instruct the second-generation Cursed Spirits."
"And finally, there's Kinji Hakari, who is currently out and hasn't returned yet."
"These are my partners. My Inner Circle."
"Who the hell is Kinji Hakari?" Toji asked.
"Infinite Cursed Energy," Mahito smiled. "A human possessing an infinite reservoir of Cursed Energy."
Tengen's eternal nemesis, the thousand-year-old Curse User: Kenjaku.
The awakened ancient soul, the world's absolute strongest Construction sorcerer: Tsumiki Fushiguro (Yorozu).
The manifestation of humanity's curse upon the earth: Jogo.
The manifestation of humanity's curse upon the forests: Hanami.
The manifestation of humanity's curse upon the sea: Dagon.
The founder of the New Shadow Style, the legendary swordmaster: Ashiya Sadatsuna.
The human possessing infinite Cursed Energy: Kinji Hakari.
Toji Fushiguro subconsciously lifted his foot and scratched his calf, a profound, bone-deep chill violently racing up from his tailbone straight into his skull within his newly resurrected body. A wild grin split his face:
"This is... genuinely terrifying."
It was the third time he had repeated the phrase, but only this third time did his voice ring with absolute, unadulterated sincerity.
"And now, we must add you to the roster," Mahito said slowly. "Welcome to my Inner Circle. The Heavenly Tyrant returned from the abyss of the underworld, Mr. Toji Fushiguro."
"Well then... it's a profound honor," Toji murmured.
Kenjaku clapped his hands together. "Alright, let us finalize our next course of action."
"Jumping straight into the deep end, are we?" Toji let out a low, predatory chuckle.
Kenjaku raised a single finger:
"Objective One: We must test the upper limits of Satoru Gojo's current power. This task naturally falls to Mr. Fushiguro. We will provide you with maximum logistical support. Simultaneously, Mahito will personally lead all the First-Generation Cursed Spirits to accompany you. Your only job is to remain absolutely concealed and wait for the battle between Mahito and Gojo to escalate. Wait for the perfect opening to launch an ambush."
Mahito smiled. "Do not worry about my safety. Even if I am killed during the engagement, it does not matter; I will simply return from the underworld. Therefore, prioritize seizing the absolute best tactical opportunity without hesitation."
"Of course, if you assess that the entire battle—including the moment of my death—fails to present a viable opening, I authorize you to retreat silently."
"As the name implies, this is purely an exploratory probing attack. It is not an all-out final assault."
Toji nodded.
Kenjaku raised a second finger, continuing:
"Team Two will be led by me. Mahito will deploy a clone to accompany us. I will lead Ms. Fushiguro and Mr. Ashiya to infiltrate Tengen's sanctuary, the Tombs of the Star, and attempt a direct decapitation strike against Tengen. Naturally, I harbor no delusions about actually successfully killing Tengen on the first try, but if we can plunder one or two Special Grade Cursed Objects from the Tombs, the operation will be a resounding success."
"Mr. Hakari is currently embedded within Tokyo Jujutsu High and hasn't left yet. We might be able to secure his assistance. However, considering his deep emotional attachment to Tokyo High, it is highly likely he will choose to remain strictly neutral. Therefore, I have completely excluded him from my tactical calculations."
Tsumiki Fushiguro spoke with absolute calm, "I am only going to see Megumi. Leave him entirely to me. If he happens to not be there, I will not engage in combat."
"So Megumi was taken to Tokyo High by Satoru Gojo after all, huh?" Toji mused. "Well then... is this going to be a family reunion?"
"I imagine you are the only one Megumi has absolutely zero interest in seeing," Tsumiki stated as a hard, objective fact, lacking any intentional mockery.
"Yeah, figured as much. Heh."
Toji licked his lips, asking, "What's the timeline?"
"One week." Mahito smiled. "One week from now... let's go violently crash against the absolute strongest combatant and the most heavily fortified sanctuary in the Jujutsu world."