[Just a quick clarification: although I mostly write from a villain's perspective, I don't treat other characters as disposable tools. They are alive and will act according to the situation, even if those actions aren't explicitly written.][Furthermore, this isn't written for profit; it's aimed at readers who already have some understanding of the original work. Therefore, I won't deliberately explain non-protagonist events in great detail, but all necessary clues are provided. The original work plus this content is enough to deduce outcomes.][I'm not claiming my writing is high quality; this is internet trash. However, most questions can be answered with a little reasoning. Unless there's a special circumstance, I won't provide many supplementary answers going forward.][I can't list or analyze every difference between Itadori's experiences here versus the original. He hasn't encountered Jogo's Domain nor felt Satoru Gojo's true power. Because he witnessed Nanami's strength as an adult rather than his combat ability, and was then brutally attacked by a killer wearing Nanami's face, his survival instinct subconsciously drew on the crisis-management experience from the Juvenile Detention Center. Combined with the various forms of despair he endured in a short time, his fifteen-year-old self triggered an instinctual desire to escape. Yuji Itadori is not the protagonist of this story; since he isn't, he won't receive as much characterization.][Character motivations are complex, but as long as you follow the final outcome, it doesn't affect the story's readability.]
This was likely the first time in Sukuna's long existence that he had encountered a situation like this. Even when facing Satoru Gojo back then, it hadn't felt like this at all.
Satoru Gojo's strength lay in his ability to handle Sukuna, using the Six Eyes to perceive a vast amount of intelligence and information, allowing him to respond effortlessly. But now, facing Mahito, Sukuna genuinely felt an information gap between them, leaving his advantages with no room to maneuver.
This didn't make Sukuna despair. Instead, he thought quickly about what he needed to do in the remaining dozen or so seconds to ensure both Itadori's body and his own survival.
Finally, Sukuna made a choice that Mahito hadn't anticipated.
Sukuna released Dismantle upward to clear a path and leapt back onto the ground above.
The mere commotion of Sukuna bursting through the ground drew the attention of numerous bystanders.
"Was that an earthquake?""Quick, look! What's that?""Did someone just burst out of the ground?""Can a person jump that high? Is he flying?!"
Upon landing, Sukuna immediately began an incantation:
"Emerge from darkness, blacker than black. Purify that which is impure."
Using a binding vow where he himself could not leave the Veil, while allowing all humans and Cursed Spirits to freely enter and exit, and greatly compressing the Veil's size, he manifested a Veil—or rather, a barrier—that specifically excluded only Mahito.
The noisy crowd became Sukuna's human wall. He didn't need them to actually block Mahito; he only needed to attract attention quickly.
Even if Nanami, the Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer on the mission, was dead, the assistant officer and the "Window" in this area would immediately notice the anomaly. As long as he held out until they contacted Gojo, he would win.
Although Sukuna hated Gojo, he still acknowledged Gojo's strength.
Finally, before time ran out, Sukuna used Cursed Energy to protect his brain. As long as the brain remained intact, even if his body was mutilated, he was confident he could heal using Reverse Cursed Technique—after all, he had done it once before at the Juvenile Detention Center.
When Mahito's one-minute countdown ended, he controlled all his clones to recombine. However, without Nanami's clothes, Mahito was currently stark naked.
Mahito stood there, gazing from afar at the crowd gathered around Itadori. It was fortunate he was a Cursed Spirit and couldn't be perceived by most Monkeys; otherwise, he might have become another center of attention.
Mahito stroked his chin and muttered, "Is that a Veil? At that size and level, with Monkeys able to enter and exit freely… there must be some kind of binding vow, right?"
From Mahito's perspective, he couldn't see through the Veil. He could only feel Sukuna's Cursed Energy radiating from within and see Monkeys nearby poking their bodies inside.
Seeing this, Mahito gave up. He didn't know what Sukuna had done, but with such a huge commotion, Satoru Gojo might arrive in the time it took to test it.
The result was quite favorable. He confirmed that the expansion of his Idle Transfiguration technique could harm Sukuna's soul. He also confirmed that Sukuna in this state didn't have the strength to easily deal with him. The Co-op he had saved was consumed, and he even managed to trick a finger out of Kenjaku.
Furthermore, the fact that Itadori was alive had been exposed early, and revealing superhuman abilities in public was, to some extent, a violation of Jujutsu Sorcerer protocol.
Mahito didn't think he'd be secretly executed, especially since The Higher-Ups were still under Kenjaku's control. That wouldn't happen.
However, friction with Jujutsu High was inevitable. Itadori would likely face house arrest or confinement, making it impossible for him to gain strength through fingers in the short term, which bought time for the Cursed Spirits' plan.
And so, Mahito swaggered away, humming with his bare backside exposed.
Before leaving the city, he used Idle Transfiguration to transform Yoshino Junpei into a Jujutsu Sorcerer to fulfill their deal. After that, he physically fulfilled Yoshino Junpei's request a second time.
Becoming a Jujutsu Sorcerer grants one a Cursed Technique, and a Jujutsu Sorcerer killed by non-cursed means will still possess that power after becoming a Cursed Spirit. Two positives make a positive; Mahito had fulfilled his original promise quite well.
After the Co-op ended, Sukuna continued to warily observe his surroundings. Fortunately, Mahito did not reappear before Satoru Gojo arrived.
Satoru Gojo pushed through the crowd, frowning as he looked at the tiny Veil.