Mahito truly hadn't expected Satoru Gojo to contact him.
Of course, they had extensively debated the stratagem of using foreign military pressure to force Tengen out of the Tombs of the Star. They had modeled the Jujutsu world's potential reactions, even factoring in the slim possibility that Tengen might choose death over compliance. Kenjaku had vehemently insisted Tengen wouldn't remain a bystander, but since the possibility existed, they had planned contingencies.
The ultimate contingency, naturally, was inciting the United States to declare war.
The year was still 2018. The United States possessed absolute, supreme confidence in its military supremacy. If Japan dared to hoard the secret to Immortality, everyone—Mahito included—fully believed the US would instantly launch a full-scale invasion.
In this era, if the US wanted to wage war, they waged war. To the American military complex, war wasn't some solemn undertaking requiring deep ethical debate. It was no different from holding up a vial of laundry detergent at the UN as an excuse to invade a country. For the United States, being at war was the status quo; peace was the anomaly.
But no matter how Mahito modeled the scenarios, he never predicted a direct phone call from Satoru Gojo.
Whether the call was intended to deliver a warning or unleash a furious rant, it wildly contradicted Gojo's canonical personality. In the original story, when Gojo was unsealed from the Prison Realm by his students, he didn't even bother greeting them. He teleported straight to Kenjaku and Ryomen Sukuna, fully intending to eradicate the threats immediately.
But when he arrived and saw Sukuna inhabiting Megumi Fushiguro's body, his urgency vanished.
At that exact moment, Sukuna only had 19 fingers. If Gojo had attacked instantly, his victory was a statistical certainty. So why the sudden lack of urgency?
Because he wanted to find a way to save his student! He wanted a flawless, perfect victory with zero sacrifices!
It proved just how unimaginably arrogant Satoru Gojo was. Even when facing the literal Strongest Sorcerer in History, the thought of losing never crossed his mind. He still demanded a flawless rescue operation, absolutely convinced that, because he was Satoru Gojo, he could deliver a perfect ending.
A man like Gojo didn't negotiate when faced with obstacles. It went against everything he stood for up until his death! To use internet parlance, making this phone call meant his character was acting entirely OOC.
Mahito realized this wasn't a case of 'Missing Information' caused by the manga's limited panel time. This was a genuine, systemic butterfly effect. His actions had fundamentally altered a key character's psychological profile, creating a truly 'Unknown' timeline.
With a strange mix of anticipation and curiosity, Mahito took the phone from Hakari and answered.
"This is the manifestation of humanity's curse upon humanity, the King of Cursed Spirits, Mahito speaking," Mahito drawled, his tone teasing. "Could it be the great and powerful modern-day strongest, Satoru Gojo-sama, calling me himself?"
Silence hung on the line for two or three seconds before Gojo's voice finally came through.
"I can tell from your voice that you're completely relaxed. I knew it... the plan to incite the US into forcing Tengen overseas to build their barrier was your faction's doing. Haha, I have to admit, you hit me right where it hurts. You've got us all sweating bullets over here, Mahito."
Mahito feigned shock. "Who is this? The legendary modern strongest shouldn't sound this meek. For a second, I thought I was talking to a pouting bride who just realized she was scammed!"
Gojo finally snapped, annoyed. "Cut the crap and talk to me normally!"
Mahito let out a booming laugh.
By all logic, they were fated arch-nemeses who had drawn their swords. They were samurai destined to hack each other to pieces at midnight. Yet, conversing now, there wasn't a shred of hostility. Even while discussing world-ending conspiracies, they sounded like old friends bumping into each other on a deserted road—filled with nostalgia, surprise, and an unspoken, profound mutual understanding.
It made sense. During their catastrophic battle to the death, amid the chaotic clash of raw Cursed Energy, both Mahito and Gojo had perfectly outlined the contours of each other's souls. From that foundation, they had climbed together to the absolute, freezing summit of the world's power hierarchy. In this entire world, only these two men truly understood one another. And only these two men could casually converse while fully intending to murder each other.
Everyone else had been left in the dust. Perhaps only a resurrected Ryomen Sukuna possessed the qualifications to stand beside them.
On the other end, Gojo's tone shifted, becoming grave.
"Mahito, I know you're struggling to deal with Tengen's defenses, which is why you're so desperate to force her out of the country. But I don't think you realize just how critical Tengen is to the Japanese Grand Barrier. Losing Tengen is equivalent to exposing the entirety of Japan to Cursed Spirits. It's an unimaginably dangerous move."
Mahito knew Gojo was entirely sincere. The original manga explicitly showcased the apocalyptic fallout of a Japan without Tengen, a disaster further amplified by the Culling Game. Tengen truly was a load-bearing pillar of the nation. Gojo wasn't lying.
"Then let us manage it," Mahito replied dismissively. "We can do a far better job than Tengen."
"Don't screw around!" Gojo's voice turned heavy. "You have no idea how difficult it is to sustain the Grand Barrier! I'm not exaggerating—even if I took control of it, I couldn't match Tengen! She is too vital to the barrier framework. Her importance is beyond your comprehension!"
"So I should just sit back and let Tengen support your side?" Mahito challenged.
"I can form a Binding Vow right now to entirely reject Tengen's assistance from this moment forward," Gojo offered without a second of hesitation. "If you trust me, you can come to the Tombs of the Star right now. I swear on my life, I will guarantee your safety. You can place whatever Binding Vows you want on Tengen, and I promise she will not resist. You can treat Tengen as nothing more than background infrastructure maintaining the world's balance. She will absolutely not interfere in our duel, and she will absolutely not impede your future rule over the Jujutsu world."
The weight of that offer forced Mahito to sit up straight.
Tengen's assistance was an astronomically massive advantage for Gojo. It wasn't just about her controlling the barrier; it was the accumulated knowledge and insight of a Sorcerer who had lived over a millennium. A Sorcerer's ceiling was determined by the development of their Cursed Technique, and technique development required extreme imagination. Tengen's boundless experience provided a monumental boost to technique refinement.
By offering this, Gojo was practically backing himself into a corner. It was a concession so massive it bordered on a silent surrender.
Mahito glanced around the room. Every one of his subordinates wore subtle expressions of intense excitement. As top-tier Sorcerers, they all fully comprehended exactly how heavily Gojo was stacking the deck against himself.
"If my guess is right, your strength has grown exponentially over the past month under Tengen's direct tutelage, all to prepare for me," Mahito probed.
Gojo didn't miss a beat. "I am willing to use an erasure Vow to permanently seal away every shred of insight I've gained from Tengen over this past month!"
Mahito couldn't hold back anymore. "Are you insane?! Are you intentionally trying to hand me your severed head?!"
The current Mahito wielded the fusion of the Six Eyes and the Limitless! Just the Six Eyes and Limitless alone birthed the invincible Satoru Gojo. But a Six Eyes perfectly integrated with *other* techniques was something the world had never seen. Mahito now possessed the literal conceptual apex of Cursed Techniques. With a single thought, he could execute any technique with zero friction, perfectly calibrated by the Six Eyes. In just one month, Mahito's combat specs had multiplied by at least three!
And that wasn't three times the strength of a Grade 1, or three times a Special Grade—it was three times the absolute mathematical ceiling of the world's power system!
The current Mahito, going all out, was undisputedly the strongest being in existence. Only Gojo could even step onto the same battlefield, and Gojo would definitively be fighting a losing battle. During their last clash, Gojo had already deduced that Mahito's raw physical specs eclipsed a 20-finger Sukuna. Gojo absolutely knew how terrifying Mahito had become.
If Gojo fought him using his power level from a month ago, Mahito would tear his head clean off. It wasn't hyperbole, and Mahito knew that Gojo—who had lived with the Six Eyes for 28 years—understood this terror far better than anyone.
Why?
"Because Tengen is just that important, Mahito," Gojo sighed heavily. "Let's be completely honest. Our battle will only dictate the political trajectory of humanity. For normal people living their mundane lives, untouchable gods like us don't actually exist. Whether I win or you win, for the average citizen, it's just a matter of changing social policies."
"But Tengen is entirely different. Her existence dictates the stability of the Grand Barrier, which directly prevents Cursed Spirits from annihilating humanity. Anyone who genuinely intends to rule the Jujutsu world would never touch Tengen. And Tengen herself has never played favorites; she couldn't care less who sits on the throne."
"All she cares about is the equilibrium of the Jujutsu world. She cares about stopping the massacre of civilians. She cares about the greater good of the nation. The survival of humanity."
"To protect her, Mahito, I am willing to fight you using the exact same power level I had a month ago. I swear it."
Mahito sat in silence for a long moment before speaking with profound respect. "Satoru, I never fully understood the weight of your convictions until now."
In the early and middle arcs of the original story, Gojo projected an air of caring about humanity's greater good. But when the time came to fight Ryomen Sukuna, his actions directly contradicted his previous ideals. Faced with the fate of humanity versus the fate of his student, Megumi Fushiguro, he prioritized Megumi. From a reader's perspective, prioritizing his loved ones made emotional sense. But from the perspective of the 'Greater Good', his hesitation and sentimentality cast a massive, bloody shadow over humanity's future.
When he had the absolute best opportunity to execute Ryomen Sukuna, he chose to schedule a duel for later instead of instantly going for the kill!
In Gojo's post-mortem afterlife scene in canon, he even dropped the infamous line: *'I couldn't make Sukuna go all out. I'm sorry he didn't get to enjoy himself.'* That line instantly incinerated his early characterization. Sure, having exchanged Cursed Energy with him, Mahito could somewhat justify it as the inherent arrogance of the strongest.
But in the very end, he died without mentioning his students even once. That was the most jarring character break of all.
Looking at that canon ending, Gojo's so-called 'Greater Good' seemed like superficial posturing. It was almost impossible to parse what he genuinely cared about in his dying moments. Despite raising students and declaring war on the corrupt Jujutsu hierarchy, he never brought it up in the afterlife, acting as if his lifelong struggle was entirely meaningless.
But right now, in this moment, Mahito finally grasped what Satoru Gojo truly cared about.
"The balance of the Jujutsu world," Mahito sighed. "I never imagined a man who stands utterly invincible beneath the heavens would care so deeply about something so structural."
Hearing Mahito's shift in tone, Gojo chuckled, relieved. "You should care too. No matter how strong we are, even if I could wipe out humanity in a few hours if I wanted to... we still want to eat good food. We want to play fun games. We want the people around us to be kind and sincere. We want someone to understand us, and we want companions to walk alongside us."
"Normal people aren't obsolete to us. It's precisely because normal people exist that Jujutsu Sorcerers are born. The sheer scale of the mundane population is what allows us to enjoy our lives. Because of that, we have to protect them. The strong cannot simply trample everything on a whim."
"The barrier between the Jujutsu world and mundane society cannot shatter! Mahito, I know you understand this logic."
Mahito suddenly remembered Utahime Iori violently cursing him out when Sha captured her. No wonder Utahime, despite being incredibly weak, trusted Satoru Gojo implicitly. She never once feared that Gojo would unleash his apocalyptic violence upon the world.
Because Utahime and Gojo were fundamentally the same kind of person. Despite the planetary gap in their strength and their clashing personalities, they were true comrades. They walked the exact same path.
"Of course I understand," Mahito smiled.
"So, when are you coming to the Tombs of the Star?" Gojo asked cheerfully, lacking any trace of anxiety over his own impending doom.
Mahito felt Gojo's absolute resolve down to his core, and he felt a surge of genuine admiration.
And so, he replied, "Satoru, you're pretty great, but you can be really dense sometimes."
On the other end of the line, Gojo froze.
"By the end of October or early November, Tengen must leave Japan, or the United States will declare war. That is an unavoidable reality," Mahito stated flatly. "Immediately after, I will initiate a colossal ascension ritual. I will convert the Japanese Grand Barrier into the foundational matrix for my godhood. As long as Tengen is removed from Japan, I have the capability to pull it off."
"You're insane!" Gojo's voice was suddenly drenched in murderous intent. "I thought you inherited the spirit of the Sword Saint Ashiya! I thought you at least held some goodwill toward normal humans! But you're telling me you're perfectly willing to sacrifice the lives of every ordinary citizen in Japan just to rule the world with the absolute tyranny of a Curse?!"
Under normal circumstances, Gojo's deduction would be flawless. As he himself just admitted, not even he could truly replace Tengen as the anchor for the Grand Barrier.
In fact, the original manga's epilogue starkly showcased a future without the Grand Barrier. Yuji's trio—essentially the absolute apex Sorcerers of the new era—were constantly dispatched to handle trivial, low-level Curse incidents. Sometimes they weren't even Curses, just mundane violence. Why?
Because without a qualified anchor, the Grand Barrier had completely collapsed!
The Japan of the canonical epilogue was destined to become a chaotic melting pot of Curses, Sorcerers, and civilians. Anyone could be butchered by a Curse at any moment. Newly awakened Sorcerers appeared endlessly, and ambitious, bloodthirsty Curse Users no longer felt the need to hide. Japanese society had descended into unprecedented anarchy.
Even though the final chapter framed it as a heartwarming conclusion, examining the actual events and the people handling them revealed a horrifyingly dangerous future. That danger would persist until the localized barrier entirely degraded, the Cursed Energy cycle shattered, and humanity's leaked energy dissipated into the atmosphere. Only then—hundreds or thousands of years later—would Jujutsu Sorcerers truly fade into myth.
Before that point, Japan was condemned to suffer endless, agonizing devastation caused by Cursed Energy.
That was why Gojo called him insane. That was why Gojo accused him of aiming for a tyrannical, cursed reign. Because this apocalyptic future was incredibly easy to foresee. Gojo didn't even need the Six Eyes to process the data; his basic reasoning led straight to that nightmare!
"Do I really look like a madman to you?" Mahito asked, a smile in his voice.
After a heartbeat of silence, Gojo's voice turned incredibly complex. "I thought you were cold, calculating... but possessing the aura of a benevolent ruler who has no equal. If you weren't a Cursed Spirit, I genuinely think we could have been close friends who talked about everything. The biological divide between our species is the only reason we have to kill each other. You aren't the type to slaughter the innocent. You were supposed to be a righteous, merciful king. Even if you conquered the world, I believed you would make it better."
Mahito could tell Gojo meant every single word. This was an unshakeable character assessment. Even Mahito's closest allies had never offered him such soaring praise. If he didn't know Gojo's personality so intimately, he would have assumed Gojo was kissing up to him.
"That is an incredibly high appraisal."
"You earned it," Gojo said gravely. "You shouldn't be a madman."
Mahito looked around the room. Every single person was staring at him with eyes full of absolute, unwavering trust. Mahito felt a sudden, heavy pressure settle on his shoulders. The pressure of responsibility.
Satoru Gojo carried the future of Japan on his back. Wasn't Mahito currently carrying the absolute trust of everyone in this room?
Jogo, Hanami, Dagon, and the Death Painting trio all wanted to walk proudly under the sun in a new world. Kinji Hakari wanted to purge the rot from the system. Sadatsuna Ashiya wanted a world where swordsmanship was never looked down upon again. Tsumiki Fushiguro wanted closure with Ryomen Sukuna. Toji Fushiguro never said it out loud, but Mahito could see his quiet anticipation for a new reality; he clearly never wanted to deal with the Zen'in clan's filth ever again. The five second-generation Curses all wanted to find their place in the world.
Even the maniac Kenjaku was eagerly anticipating a glorious golden age of Jujutsu.
Something shifted in Mahito's heart, and he made his decision.
"Let us form a Binding Vow, Satoru," Mahito spoke with grave solemnity. "In our upcoming battle, regardless of who wins or loses, the victor will accept the loser's subordinates and friends into their protection, treating them as their own power. By doing this, no matter what happens, the current Jujutsu establishment will be overthrown."
Mahito knew perfectly well that Gojo would agree. Because Mahito wasn't just surrounded by Curses and Curse Users—he had Kinji Hakari and Tsumiki Fushiguro! Both were deeply connected to Gojo. Even without a Vow, Gojo would never abandon them.
This condition heavily favored Gojo!
Furthermore, Mahito knew Gojo had probably run post-battle simulations in his head. Even knowing Mahito wasn't a senseless butcher, Gojo likely worried that if Mahito won, Gojo's students and friends would resent Mahito, eventually forcing Mahito to massacre them to maintain control.
Without a Binding Vow, Gojo might have just accepted the risk. But with this Vow on the table, Gojo would absolutely seize the guarantee.
Exactly as Mahito predicted, Gojo didn't hesitate for a microsecond.
"I accept. Including the intelligent Cursed Spirits by your side, as long as I draw breath, I will never allow anyone to execute them in the name of some twisted 'justice'! And since you have my student Hakari, and Megumi's sister Tsumiki with you... even if you hadn't offered, I would have protected them."
It was done!
"Then I, too, promise: even if you kill me, I will ensure your friends and students are protected. Including your mentors, your comrades, your students, and your clansmen." Mahito didn't pause. "In the timeline where I win, I will hold no prejudice against your inner circle. I will grant them mercy, kindness, and absolute trust. No matter what path they choose, I will not stand in their way."
In that exact moment, both Mahito and Gojo felt a profound flash of clarity.
The words spoken, the absolute resolve forged, had been witnessed by the heavens.
The Binding Vow was established.
Simultaneously, across the room, Kenjaku's face contorted in utter horror.
Gojo could clearly be heard letting out a long sigh of relief over the phone. He laughed softly. "With this, you can put your mind at ease, right? So, care to tell me why you're acting like a madman?"
"Ah, and now I don't have to worry about triggering any restrictive Vows either," Mahito replied, a wide grin spreading across his face. "I suppose I can finally tell you why I'm doing this. Actually, if you calm down and think about it, you can figure it out yourself."
"What?"
"Do you really think I'm insane?" This was the second time Mahito asked the question. But while the first time was solemn and probing, this time it was laced with amusement, like a friend teasing another over a prank.
Gojo frowned deeply. "I already answered that. Obviously, you're not."
"So, what are you still doubting?" Mahito asked softly. "Why do you refuse to believe that I can flawlessly manage the Japanese Grand Barrier without Tengen?"
Gojo's mind raced at lightspeed. Suddenly, horrifying realization dawned on him. "You have a barrier grandmaster on your side who rivals Tengen! Someone who can guarantee the Grand Barrier remains perfectly stable! Who is it?!"
Kenjaku's face was utterly black. He didn't say a single word.
"The overthrow of the Jujutsu world is practically a reality now," Mahito said, his voice laced with a lethal, joyful edge. "You personally helped me lift the Binding Vow chaining me. Prepare yourself, Satoru. Because of you, I have severed my final restraint. My ascension ritual will burn hotter and reach further than you can possibly imagine... Satoru, your Binding Vow has allowed the sleeping dragon to take flight!"