"There won't be a next time!" Satoru Gojo declared excitedly. "My Infinite Void is already useless against Mahito, while his Dharmadhatu Transmigration: Nirvana Realm can still threaten me. I could feel my soul almost getting truly touched by him. Seriously, it was that close!"
Beside him, Utahime Iori shrieked in disbelief. "That is NOT something to be happy about! How the hell are you smiling?!"
They were currently sitting in an official Jujutsu High vehicle. The driver was none other than Ijichi, who hadn't fled back to base after all. Heeding Gojo's warning, he had waited exactly five kilometers away for the battle to end, and was now tasked with driving everyone back to Tokyo Jujutsu High.
However, thanks to Tengen's barrier techniques, the vehicle's interior had been drastically altered. From the outside, it looked like a standard sedan. Inside, the back seat had been elongated and expanded into something resembling a high-end lounge. World-class liquors lined a polished cabinet. Tengen stood behind a bar counter, dressed in a bartender's uniform, quietly polishing a glass with a clean cloth.
Tengen spoke with clinical detachment. "Satoru Gojo, you can no longer afford to stagnate. If you do not push yourself, the Lord of Cursed Spirits will definitively kill you next time. You must ignite the competitive drive you've never had to use. You must adopt the mindset of an apprentice and relearn jujutsu theory from the ground up. And this time, I will teach you personally."
Gojo sat at the bar. He was still wearing his black short-sleeved undershirt. Despite his best efforts to protect his clothing during the catastrophic battle, a massive tear ripped across his midriff—the exact spot where he had been bisected.
His right pant leg was completely shredded as well. During the climax of the fight, he was forced to use a Binding Vow to save his own life, resulting in his right leg being completely pulverized.
A glass of wine sat on the bar. Gojo picked it up, gently sniffing the aroma of the red wine.
"Perfect. I was worried you'd refuse. This fight made me realize just how few people in this world can keep up with me. It'll take Kinji and Yuta another ten years to reach where I am now. If Yuji can fully adapt to twenty fingers of Sukuna, he might be faster... maybe five years? Megumi is a wild card. He'll only grow if he can conquer his own heart; otherwise, he'll be stuck running in place."
"Right now, Tengen, only you can barely keep pace with me."
Utahime couldn't take it anymore. She shot to her feet and screamed at him.
"Can you take this seriously?! I saw it all! You were cut in half! You lost limbs! Your head was nearly smashed in by the Lord of Curses, and your soul was almost entirely overwritten! Satoru! This isn't a joke! The King of Curses is too dangerous. He's way too dangerous. You could actually die. You could really die!"
Gojo froze. He could actually hear the choked, tearful crack in Utahime's voice. Was she... crying?
Tengen sighed. "Everyone assumes you are invincible beneath the heavens. Utahime firmly believed that no matter who you faced, defeat was impossible. But this battle violently woke her up. She saw you on the back foot, dancing with death multiple times. Hell, any normal sorcerer would have died ten times over... She feels guilty because she thinks she dragged you into that desperate situation. And she is worried about you."
"Hahahaha! Her? Utahime? Worried about me?! You've got to be kidding me! She's a bona fide Demon Shrine Maiden!" Gojo completely ignored the tears in Utahime's voice and laughed uproariously.
Utahime sat back down, lowering her head, utterly silent.
Gojo's laughter awkwardly faded out. He stared in disbelief at the silent woman. "Hey, hey... are you serious? I'm Satoru Gojo. How could I possibly die?"
Utahime kept her head down, saying nothing. Gojo felt a spike of genuine panic.
Tengen said flatly, "We aren't blind. In that battle, you were the one constantly falling into traps, and you brushed against death more than once. Let's be blunt: if you weren't brilliant on your feet and constantly on high alert, you would have died at least three times."
Tengen continued polishing the glass, fixing Gojo with her four pure-white eyes. "Satoru Gojo, as of today, you are no longer invincible. You need to accept that fact."
*I never thought I was invincible to begin with.* Gojo desperately wanted to argue that. Under normal circumstances, he absolutely would have. But looking at the silent, trembling Utahime, the flippant words caught in his throat.
He suddenly thought of his past. Truthfully, there wasn't much to say about it. What is there to say about a life that was invincible from birth? His only real setback was during high school, and he had personally crushed that setback in less than a day.
It was almost impossible for anyone in this world to just casually banter with him anymore. In high school, at least Principal Yaga and his best friend Suguru dared to scold him or throw punches. But after the Riko Amanai incident, Suguru never joked with him again, and Yaga stopped physically reprimanding him.
Gojo understood why. He was invincible. As a weakling, constantly provoking the absolute strongest was basically a death wish. In the Jujutsu world, if you died doing that, no one would pity you. They'd just point at your grave and tell young sorcerers, 'That's what happens when you provoke the strong.'
His students still joked around with him, but that was because they were completely ignorant of the old Jujutsu ecosystem. Look at how the older generation treated Satoru Gojo.
After Suguru Geto committed to his betrayal, Gojo met with him one last time. Due to his own hesitation, he let Geto walk away. Gojo had been sitting on the steps, consumed by depression, when Yaga found him. Yaga was still his teacher then, and he had harshly demanded to know why Gojo let Geto go.
Gojo, annoyed, had snapped back: *[Do you really need me to spell it out?!]*
Given their usual dynamic, Yaga absolutely should have kept pressing. It was a matter of extreme gravity; the damage Geto could inflict was immeasurable. But Yaga hadn't pressed him.
Why? Out of consideration for his beloved student's feelings?
No! As their teacher, Yaga knew exactly what Geto's actions meant. As a Jujutsu High instructor, it was his responsibility to drill the severity of the situation into Gojo's head and make him realize his mistake.
But he didn't. Because Yaga knew that Satoru Gojo was the strongest. And right then, he was the world's strongest sorcerer in a profoundly foul mood. In the face of absolute power, the weak must not provoke.
Gojo had made a mistake, but so what? Even if he was wrong, who dared question him? Not even Yaga! Banter was fine, but in the presence of true power, the weak had to instinctively maintain a humble distance, otherwise they'd be mocked even in death.
Only this Demon Shrine Maiden... even now, if Gojo said something out of line, she'd smash a teacup over his head without hesitation.
If it had been Utahime who found him instead of Yaga back then, she would have pointed directly at his nose and cursed him out. Gojo would have screamed right back, but he never would have hit her. That was their dynamic.
Yaga had personally severed their closest bond, but Utahime never had.
That was why, when faced with an espionage mission that almost guaranteed death, Utahime accepted it without a second thought. Because even though she couldn't stand him, she believed in him more than anyone else. She believed he could handle anything.
Gojo's voice had never been so soft. He looked at Utahime and said quietly, "I'm not going to die. I promise."
Utahime turned her face away. "Don't be melodramatic. Who cares if you die? Just do it somewhere I don't have to watch."
Gojo was truly terrible at this. Or rather, he had no idea how to comfort people. If he did, Suguru Geto might not have gone down that dark path. He just wasn't built for this! He felt goosebumps erupting all over his arms. He would rather fight Mahito for another three hundred rounds than deal with Utahime's genuine affection.
*Damn it all! Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be the one getting coddled!* Gojo screamed internally. He stiffly changed the subject. "Tengen, do you know any top-tier Construction sorcerers?"
Tengen had been thoroughly enjoying the drama. Hearing Gojo pivot to business, she radiated disappointment. Gojo glared at her deadpan, forcing her to follow his lead.
"Why are you looking for a powerful Construction sorcerer?"
"There's a high wall between fighting bare-handed and fighting armed," Gojo said gravely.
"You shouldn't be the one saying that," Tengen sneered. "You are the most traditional sorcerer alive. Even if you never say it out loud, deep down you believe using weapons is a crutch. Anyone blessed with an innate technique shouldn't need a weapon."
"I was wrong," Gojo admitted quickly. "That sword—the one that severs Gods and Buddhas—was an absolute nightmare! My Limitless was completely useless against that Tsukumogami. I was totally crippled! I need a cursed tool that can rival it. It's the only reason I don't know Tool Manipulation. If I did, I'd forge my own Tsukumogami just like Mahito did!"
Gojo had never admitted fault so easily. Historically, even when he was wrong, his overwhelming strength allowed him to brute-force reality until he was right. Every problematic sorcerer he shielded operated on that principle. Even his mentor Yaga was under his protection. There were no exceptions.
For him to admit defeat so readily meant only one thing:
He felt threatened, but he was not broken. He wanted to win!
Tengen set down the glass and cloth, resting her hands on the bar with an amused expression. "I expected you to say the Limitless technique is omnipotent and can handle anything."
"Before today, I thought the Limitless was omnipotent too. I thought I had an answer for every scenario." Beneath Gojo's calm demeanor, a fanatical battle lust was boiling. "But this fight exposed the limits of the Limitless. Against weaker opponents, I can do whatever I want. But against an opponent equal to me—or maybe even slightly above me—the only real advantage the Limitless offers is mobility."
The Limitless technique granted Gojo virtually omnipotent physical specs.
His attack power was unparalleled; his ability to expand and compress space allowed him to effortlessly launch reality-breaking strikes. Even Yuta Okkotsu and Kinji Hakari felt a lingering dread after getting hit just once.
His defense, kept active 24/7, blocked almost any attack and could filter out poisons. He achieved this back in high school, and it was only after securing that permanent defense that he was crowned the modern era's strongest.
Yet, none of that compared to the mobility the Limitless provided.
By freely manipulating the expansion and contraction of space, distance became meaningless. As long as a target was within his cursed energy sensory range, it was only a single step away. Even pure teleportation or spatial displacement couldn't match the utility of the Limitless.
Offense, defense, mobility—he excelled at them all. Single-target piercing or wide-area destruction, it didn't matter. He boasted flawless resistance, backed by the Six Eyes' microscopic manipulation of cursed energy. That was the entirety of the man known as Satoru Gojo.
He was the absolute pinnacle of mechanism, and the absolute pinnacle of stats!
But today, he witnessed the boundaries of the Limitless. And it hurt.
Against Idle Transfiguration, the Limitless's offensive power was rendered null. Until the very end, Gojo couldn't even deduce the mechanics behind Mahito's invincible defense (Inverse). Ranged attacks like Blue and Red were completely ineffective. He could only rely on his ultimate technique, Hollow Purple, to break the stalemate. But Purple's long casting time gave Mahito ample room to counter. Not only did it miss, but Mahito weaponized it against him, nearly killing him.
On the defensive end, he was entirely hard-countered by Mirokuji Kirigiri. He didn't even dare to touch the blade of the ancient Tsukumogami for more than a second, terrified his hand would be auto-severed. This forced him to constantly dodge the blade, and since Kirigiri was a two-meter-long nodachi wielded like a spear, closing the distance was nearly impossible. His hand-to-hand combat effectiveness was gutted.
Only his mobility had given him a slight edge, but even that vanished against the Dragon God form.
For the first time since he was born, his Limitless had been genuinely dismantled. He was comprehensively suppressed across the board.
"I need a more practical method of application," Gojo mused aloud. "My overall combat style is already set in stone. Changing it now is impossible. I have to refine the details."
"First, cursed tools. If I can get my hands on something equivalent to Mirokuji Kirigiri, I won't be at a disadvantage offensively. I need something that can shatter his invincible defense and withstand Kirigiri's slashes. Approaching Mahito bare-handed is just too hard; I need a weapon to extend my reach so I can land a Black Flash."
"My physical specs need an upgrade, too. Mahito's Hollow Technique: Soul Creation Dragon Spirit Body is exactly what I need to study. I've already analyzed how he operates it. I might be able to replicate the concept."
"Once I have a cursed tool, I have to master it. I might have to relearn weapon combat from scratch. Like you said, with the mindset of an apprentice."
"And my Domain Expansion... I need to modify it."
"The information redundancy of Infinite Void isn't enough to beat Mahito. It needs true lethal force. I'll have to figure that out myself, but I already have a few ideas."
"Finally, Tengen... I need to study you."
"Study me?"
"You are currently sliding toward becoming a 'God'. I need to study 'Gods'." Gojo stared at Tengen, his Six Eyes swirling with crystalline clarity that pierced through all deception.
"You've never shown the slightest interest in Gods before."
"I still don't care about Gods," Gojo said flatly. "But Mahito is already a step ahead of me. I guarantee his Dragon Spirit Body possesses the processing power of a true God; otherwise, he never could have adapted to Infinite Void. To beat him, I need to know exactly what a God is capable of, and what its limitations are."
Tengen praised him. "A brilliant summation."
"Everything the King of Curses displayed in this battle was tailor-made for you. His weapon, his application of Idle Transfiguration, his Domain Expansion—all of it. If you don't change the combat style you rely on, you will undeniably lose the next time he hunts you."
"You need new tools to fill your arsenal."
"Using a weapon is a fantastic paradigm shift. Perhaps you'll find a superior path through it."
"I thought you'd accuse me of 'losing myself in playthings' and dulling my sorcerer's edge," Gojo teased.
"In the past, I would have," Tengen admitted frankly. "I am a traditional sorcerer too. Deep down, I looked down on weapon users. I believed they diluted the purity of their technique. A sorcerer who trusts a tool over their own innate technique is destined to plateau. History has proven this countless times."
"But now...?"
"The Lord of Cursed Spirits changed my mind." Tengen sighed in admiration. "His cursed energy harmonized with Mirokuji Kirigiri without a single hitch, to the point of unleashing a Fusion Black Flash—something completely unprecedented in Jujutsu history. It utterly shattered my preconceived notions and showed me how narrow-minded I was."
"In a way, Ashiya Sadatsuna's dream has been realized."
"From this day forward, no one will ever look down on a swordsman again, nor will there be sorcerers who despise blades. If a sorcerer slacks on their technique because of swordplay, it will be recognized as a personal failure of the sorcerer, not a flaw of the sword. They simply weren't talented enough to balance both."
Gojo nodded, validating the sentiment.
"As for Gods..." Tengen pondered. "A so-called God isn't omnipotent in the way you imagine. A God's greatest asset is omniscience—or, as you termed it, information processing power. A God's capacity to process data vastly exceeds human comprehension. Right now, I need auxiliary personnel to maintain the Great Barrier. But if I evolve into a God, I could manipulate the entire Japanese Barrier flawlessly on my own."
"A God is a higher form of life than a human. Its processing speed is unimaginable."
"Your Infinite Void isn't just ineffective against a God—it actually accelerates their evolution. A God can infinitely absorb and refine any data."
"If you truly sensed that Mahito's Dragon Spirit Body possesses divine cognitive specs, then you absolutely cannot use Infinite Void against him again."
"A God will only grow stronger from your Infinite Void. It will never be harmed by it."
This was the first time Gojo had ever heard Tengen discuss the concept of Gods. Gods were so far removed from humanity, and Tengen had repeatedly refused to ascend to godhood, that the topic was practically non-existent in the Jujutsu world.
Gojo frowned. "I heard my family's Six Eyes were created by you? Because every time you needed a Star Plasma Vessel, a Six Eyes user would conveniently be born into the Gojo clan. Without fail."
The connection between Tengen and the Six Eyes had always been ambiguous. Gojo knew the rumors but never cared. But hearing Tengen's explanation of godhood, suspicion began to gnaw at him. Especially the revelation that Infinite Void was useless against Gods and actually served as nourishment—that triggered some very dark associations.
It felt almost as if the Limitless was specifically designed to accelerate the birth of a God. Coupled with the secret tether between the Six Eyes and Tengen...
*Damn, she's treating the Gojo clan like livestock!*
Tengen didn't hide it. She answered candidly, "The Six Eyes represent the divine aspect I discarded. Through a Binding Vow, I ensured the lineage of the Six Eyes would never break. You are the current iteration."
"Satoru Gojo. The Six Eyes are the Eyes of God. You are, quite literally, the Arahitogami—a Living God of this era."
The 'Six' in Six Eyes carried the weight of divine and Buddhist principles. It signified the 'Six Mindfulnesses,' 'Six Dusts,' and 'Six Consciousnesses.' The modern mantra 'Purification of the Six Roots' stemmed directly from it.
It wasn't a collection of six abilities; it was divine Buddhist law.
The Six Eyes were the Eyes of God and Buddha. They were the Eyes of a God!
Gojo touched his own eyes, mocking himself. "No wonder they're so special. And no wonder they're literally called 'Six Eyes'."
He had always thought 'Six Eyes' was just a poetic moniker. He never imagined it was frighteningly literal! No wonder the gap between a Six Eyes user and everyone else was so insurmountable. To hold the Six Eyes was to be a bona fide demigod!
"You actually threw away the Eyes of God and handed them over to mortals?" Gojo's voice pitched strangely.
"I cannot become a God," Tengen said quietly. "To me, the Six Eyes are poison, not power. Besides, aren't you doing a wonderful job protecting me right now? I feel very secure."
"Hasn't there ever been a Gojo with ulterior motives?"
"It is precisely because of those ulterior motives that they absolutely cannot allow me to become a God," Tengen said cryptically.
It made terrifying sense! The Limitless was definitely engineered! If any rogue Six Eyes user wanted to upend the heavens and rebel, the very first thing they had to do was stop Tengen from ascending! Because the very first thing a newly-born God Tengen would do is devour the wielder of the Six Eyes and the Limitless!
Therefore, whether a Six Eyes user was a paragon of justice or a treacherous snake, they would sincerely and violently protect Tengen and prevent her ascension at all costs.
This was true master-class fate manipulation. Foresight and prophecy couldn't hold a candle to it.
No wonder Tengen completely ignored the existence of the Star Religious Group. She didn't need to care! If it hadn't been for the anomaly of the Sorcerer Killer, Toji Fushiguro, that cursed cycle would probably have continued until the end of the world.
Gojo looked utterly appalled. "You... your 'noble sacrifices' have really rotted your brain, haven't they?"
Tengen cast him a disdainful sideways glance.
"Alright, you win. Truly worthy of being humanity's millennia-old guardian. I yield," Gojo said, giving her a sarcastic thumbs-up.
Suddenly, the still-sulking Utahime interrupted, steering the conversation back to reality. "If they are the Eyes of God, could you wield a Tsukumogami? One of my students uses Tool Manipulation. I can bring her to you. Maybe she can give you some insight into Tsukumogami."
Gojo secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Good, they were past the awkward emotional stuff.
He smoothly picked up the thread. "But I don't know Tool Manipulation. I can't synchronize my mind with a Tsukumogami. I'll probably never be able to fire off a Fusion Black Flash. That might forever remain the exclusive domain of sorcerers who mix Tool Manipulation with Idle Transfiguration."
"Not necessarily." Utahime looked at him seriously. "A Tsukumogami is a unique form of life. If nurtured long enough, it has the potential to become a Cursed Spirit. The reason sorcerers haven't achieved a Fusion Black Flash in a thousand years is probably due to a lack of spiritual sentience in the Tsukumogami. Theoretically, any creature with cursed energy should be capable of a Black Flash, yet no one has ever seen a Curse perform one."
"Sorry, excluding highly intelligent Cursed Spirits, of course."
"But the existence of intelligent Cursed Spirits proves my point. Regular Curses don't fail to use Black Flash because they're physically incapable, but because they lack the spiritual depth. Sentience is the key."
"If a Tsukumogami possessed the sentience of an intelligent Curse, it could use it!"
"That's probably the secret to how the King of Curses pulled off a Fusion Black Flash."
Tengen looked thoughtful. "Utahime's theory is sound. It truly comes down to spirituality. The Lord of Cursed Spirits cultivated his Tsukumogami into a genuinely 'living' entity. It's his cursed tool, but also his partner. That's why he can execute a Fusion Black Flash. Conversely, if someone else cultivated an identical Tsukumogami, it shouldn't be impossible for them."
Utahime nodded, addressing Tengen respectfully. "As expected of Master Tengen. That was exactly my thought."
"If you could actually nurture a Tsukumogami capable of autonomously triggering a Black Flash, then with the Six Eyes' microscopic cursed energy manipulation, you could easily sense the Tsukumogami's emotional state. It wouldn't be as seamless as Tool Manipulation, but you could bond and synchronize with it on a far more granular level. Ultimately, a Fusion Black Flash might not be impossible for you."
Gojo thought it over. He couldn't find a single flaw in the logic. The main bottleneck was the Tsukumogami itself, not whether the wielder possessed Tool Manipulation. In other words, if he could acquire a fully sentient, telepathic Tsukumogami, Gojo might actually pull off a Fusion Black Flash!
He broke into a wide grin. "It's just like a Bankai from Bleach! Alright, I'm fired up!"
Utahime looked completely lost. "What's a Bleach? What's a Bankai?"
Gojo looked at her with utter contempt. "As expected of a Shrine Maiden. What a boomer. You're only a year older than me, but you reek of old age. You'll never amount to anything."
"Show some respect, I am your senior!" Utahime shrieked in rage, grabbing the nearest wine glass and hurling it straight at Gojo's head. *Smash!* The red wine splashed wildly, but thanks to the Limitless, not a single drop touched his hair.
Gojo laughed uproariously. *This is it! This is exactly what I needed!* This was the Demon Shrine Maiden he knew. That crying, delicate Utahime from five minutes ago had to be a fake! This violent woman was the real deal.
Watching the fiery, re-energized Gojo, Tengen nodded in deep satisfaction. Observing this battle had made her fully realize her own limits. She had a strong premonition that even if she accelerated her ascension and became a God, she would still be no match for Gojo or the Lord of Cursed Spirits.
Ascending to godhood was merely a shift in the state of existence. But combat power was anchored in the foundation built *before* ascension.
Humans were undeniably the apex species on Earth. Compared to other animals, they were undeniably a higher lifeform. But throw a city dweller into the jungle to bare-knuckle brawl a wild boar? Even if you gave the city dweller a hunting rifle, it wouldn't be a sure thing.
Hell, even experienced hunters had been gored to death by charging boars in the past.
Humans needed tools and knowledge to conquer nature. Sorcerers needed innate techniques to conquer powerful foes. Gods were no different. Unfortunately, as a candidate for godhood, Tengen had dedicated her entire existence to maintaining the Japanese Barrier. Her vast knowledge had never been geared toward frontline combat, nor did she need it to be—she had an army of protectors for that.
As the immovable shield standing in front of Tengen, the stronger Satoru Gojo was, the better. But Tengen spoke with a hint of regret.
"Unfortunately, the most powerful Construction sorcerer in the world is currently working for the enemy. We likely cannot forge a custom-made cursed tool to cultivate into a Tsukumogami. We can only search history for existing divine artifacts."
"Who?" Gojo asked casually.
"The ancient sorcerer, Yorozu," Tengen said flatly. "Currently reincarnated into the soul of Tsumiki Fushiguro."
"WHO—?!" Gojo's voice spiked violently. He instantly demanded, "Is Megumi okay?!"
Megumi Fushiguro was Tsumiki's younger brother. Though not blood-related, both Tsumiki and Megumi fiercely acknowledged the bond. They had relied only on each other until Tsumiki fell into a curse-induced coma.
Megumi's frantic dedication to Jujutsu High missions was entirely for Tsumiki's sake. Even though Gojo himself couldn't figure out the exact nature of her curse, that didn't stop him from securing the best medical facility to house her. That cost a fortune, and Jujutsu High paid handsomely for dangerous missions.
Even if she remained a vegetable for the rest of her life, Megumi was fully prepared to care for her.
"He's fine. Good to see you still care about your students and haven't entirely dedicated your heart to the Lord of Cursed Spirits," Tengen reassured him. "Don't worry, the siblings actually have a decent relationship. Tsumiki Fushiguro—or rather, Yorozu—just beat Megumi up a little. After that, she stopped attacking. She even gave your students a lecture. She's a far better teacher than Kinji Hakari."
Gojo's mind raced, and realization dawned on him. "Wait. Mahito's subordinates attacked Tokyo High while he was keeping me busy?! But their main target shouldn't have been the students... Their target was the Tombs of the Star!"
A malicious, gloating grin spread across his face. "Looks like they walked into a trap! Hahaha, I bet no one expected you to actually leave the Tombs. My boy Yuta must have beaten the absolute hell out of them. Who was leading the strike team?"
Tengen stared deeply into his eyes and delivered the final blow.
"Suguru Geto."
Gojo's smug grin shattered. He let out the most horrified, ear-piercing scream of his entire life:
"THAT BASTARD MAHITO ACTUALLY RESURRECTED SUGURU?! JUST TO SPITE ME?!"