The current moment is frozen at the point when Yuji Itadori has just swallowed Sukuna's Finger and is being brought back to Jujutsu High by Gojo Satoru. At this time, the perspective shifts to the side of the Cursed Spirits.
Unlike humans, Cursed Spirits possess extremely long lifespans. Because of this, most of their time is spent struggling against endless boredom.
If this were an era before Gojo Satoru's birth, they might have treated hunting humans as their primary form of entertainment—just as Dagon increases his Cursed Energy by devouring humans. However, with Gojo Satoru's appearance, such behavior has gradually declined.
It is not because they suddenly became kind or enlightened. Rather, even for beings with long lives, repeating the same actions over and over inevitably becomes dull.
This is especially true for intelligent Cursed Spirits with self-awareness. In contrast, those below Grade 2 simply follow their instincts to kill, without any need to worry about such concerns. These low-level Cursed Spirits are like mindless beasts, capable only of rampaging through bloodshed and chaos.
Precisely because they have so much time, higher-level Cursed Spirits have begun to contemplate the meaning of their existence, as well as the relationship between Cursed Spirits, humans, and Jujutsu Sorcerers.
Even so, most of the time, even powerful beings like the four Disaster Spirits simply pass time in idleness—though each has their own preferences.
Hanami enjoys standing atop mountains far from the bustle of the city, breathing in fresh air while quietly observing the surrounding forests. In such an environment, Hanami does not appear out of place at all—in fact, birds often gather around them naturally.
Dagon, on the other hand, prefers swimming in rivers or the sea. Sometimes, he does nothing at all, simply floating on the water and enjoying the sensation.
Jogo is currently bored, fiddling with the Cursed Tools he has collected as trophies—one of his few hobbies.
(Note: The interests mentioned here are based on the official guidebook.)
At that moment, Mahito noticed a human backpack beneath a nearby tree.
Curious, he walked over and opened it, only to find it filled with books.
Driven by curiosity, Mahito picked one up and examined it, softly reading the title:
"Ju… jutsu… Kai… sen?"
On the cover, aside from the title, the number "Fifteen" was printed—likely indicating Volume 15. Below that were the words:
"Shibuya Incident – Transformation –"
The author's name, Gege Akutami, was also listed.
However, none of this was what truly caught Mahito's attention.
What fascinated him was the character illustrated on the cover.
Mahito was shocked to see the familiar stitch marks on the figure's arms, body, and face.
Wasn't that… him?
Could someone really have drawn him as a cover character?
This discovery instantly sparked his curiosity. He quickly pulled out another volume from the backpack—it happened to be Volume 6, which also featured him on the cover.
Compared to the more abstract design of Volume 15, the Mahito on Volume 6 was depicted from the front, without exaggerated expressions. This allowed Mahito to confirm with absolute certainty—it was indeed him.
"Hahaha… something like this actually exists?" Mahito laughed, holding the two volumes in his hands.
Not far away, Jogo naturally heard the noise. He glanced at Mahito with mild confusion, but seeing nothing unusual, he simply took a puff from his pipe and continued examining his Cursed Tools.
Mahito opened Volume 15 first.
It depicted the events of the Shibuya Incident: Nobara Kugisaki's flashback after being killed by Mahito, followed by his battle against Itadori and Todo Aoi, and finally his defeat—where he was beaten and forced to flee by Itadori, only to be captured by Kenjaku using Cursed Spirit Manipulation.
Although Mahito did not yet recognize names like Itadori, Nobara Kugisaki, Fushiguro Megumi, or Todo Aoi, there was one exception.
Even though he had not formally met Geto Suguru (Kenjaku), he had already communicated with him and planned to meet in Shibuya to discuss cooperation. Therefore, the name was familiar.
At first, Mahito did not interpret the manga as a prediction of the future.
However, a seed of doubt about Kenjaku was quietly planted in his mind.
Another thing piqued his curiosity.
Within Volume 15, during his battle with Itadori, he saw himself using techniques he had not yet mastered—such as Black Flash, Multiple Soul: Polymorphic Soul Isomer, Idle Transfiguration, and most shocking of all:
Domain Expansion — Self-Embodiment of Perfection.
These were abilities he would only acquire in the future. Yet seeing them depicted so clearly gave him a sudden sense of enlightenment.
"Domain Expansion… Self-Embodiment of Perfection…"
As Mahito murmured to himself, he instinctively attempted it—and for the first time, he successfully deployed a Domain.
A small space instantly formed, its boundaries woven from countless arms.
Although this Domain, created outside of battle, was incomplete and less stable than a proper one, it was undeniably real.
Mahito stared at the Domain before him, his face filled with excitement.
It was exactly the same as what he had seen in the manga.
Jogo, watching from the side, found it somewhat strange that Mahito had awakened a Domain outside of combat—but that was all.
After all, they were Special Grade Cursed Spirits. Using Domain Expansion was almost instinctual for them. Unlike Jujutsu Sorcerers, they did not feel particularly emotional about such an awakening.
Once Mahito dispelled the Domain, he eagerly searched through the backpack again and pulled out Volume 1 of Jujutsu Kaisen, immediately beginning to read.
He quickly finished the first two volumes in one sitting.
The story stopped just as Todo Aoi arrived at Tokyo Jujutsu High before the Goodwill Event.
Of course, things like Sukuna's existence, his interest in Fushiguro Megumi, or Itadori's abilities were not what caught Mahito's attention.
Instead, what stood out was something else entirely.
In the story, Jogo, confident in his own strength, challenged Gojo Satoru—only to be utterly defeated, reduced to nothing but a head, and ultimately saved by Hanami.
"Jogo, you're so weak! You actually got beaten by Gojo Satoru until only your head was left—and needed Hanami to save you! Hahaha!"
Mahito clutched his stomach, laughing wildly as he pointed at the scene in Volume 2.
"…Huh?"
Jogo looked completely confused, his expression clearly saying:
"What the hell are you talking about?"