Jujutsu Kaisen: Yearning to Become an Immortal God

This time, Mahito did not choose to block. He extended both hands forward.

But Jiro Awasaka suddenly vanished from before Mahito's eyes. A fierce gust from a fist came at him from the side—Spinning Step! Among fighting techniques from around the world, this was an extremely difficult footwork technique. An explosive burst from the ankle allowed the body to rotate in an instant; from the opponent's perspective, it was as though the user had suddenly disappeared, only to strike from the side through an opening.

He dodged it! No, he had "calmed down."

Mahito's outstretched hands, prepared to use Idle Transfiguration, had been rendered useless. Though Awasaka was more fervent than ever, his mind had become increasingly calm. He maintained his composure amid the frenzy, allowing him to exert abilities beyond his usual limits. He had completely surpassed his usual self. Right now, he was more perfect, more powerful.

Awasaka had already stepped onto the peak of his own glory, all for this exhilarating battle!

Mahito drifted aside like a weightless phantom. Storm-like fists immediately followed. Awasaka roared as he threw punch after punch, sticking to him like a shadow, like enormous surging waves. His fists never strayed more than half a foot from Mahito. To the spectators, their movements produced deafening howls. Even the audience on the second floor could feel the killing intent crashing toward them.

Everyone raised both hands and howled wildly.

Mahito suddenly lifted his leg—a knee strike! Awasaka reacted at once, raising his own leg at the same time and blocking Mahito's knee. During their first exchange, Awasaka had paid too much attention to Mahito's hands. He had needed to ensure that Mahito's hands could not touch him, so his attention had been fixed on them. But this was the second time. He would not make that mistake again. He blocked the sudden knee strike.

The next instant, Mahito's fist came whistling in!

Awasaka did not originally need to dodge. His Strength-Weakness Reversal could turn such a powerful blow into a gentle breeze across his face. Yet he still dodged. He clearly remembered Mahito's ability—"As long as he touches someone, he can alter a human soul." Even with an almost invincible Cursed Technique like Strength-Weakness Reversal, it would not work if the opponent attacked indirectly rather than directly.

Even so, I still have the advantage! Awasaka roared inwardly. Because combat experience is my true weapon.

That was right. Awasaka had already seen through Mahito. Though Mahito's physical abilities were exceptionally powerful, he seemed to be fighting someone for the first time. His attacks were straightforward. Although he sometimes had flashes of inspiration, most of the time he simply punched his opponent in the face. Once Awasaka noticed that, someone with more combat experience like him could not possibly lose.

Next, all he had to do was gradually increase the pressure and defeat his opponent with his abundant experience.

Victory is mine!

Awasaka's lips curled into a bloodthirsty smile. He could not wait to see this lofty King of Curses lying on the ground. That would surely be a moment worth remembering for the rest of his life.

A left hook suddenly came at him. Awasaka focused and dodged, preparing to counterattack.

Then came an uppercut. Then a heavy right punch. A roaming left jab. A knee strike.

A rapid barrage of punches.

Finally—a roundhouse kick!

"Ugh—!" Awasaka retreated. Fortunately, the final blow had been a kick. He used Strength-Weakness Reversal to block it in time. The impact did not distort his movements, but it sent Mahito flying backward as well with the recoil. Then Mahito leaped up, throwing punches like a gale, swaying left and right as though raging waves were crashing down. Awasaka could only retreat, defend, and dodge.

Wh-what was going on? What was happening?

Awasaka dodged repeatedly. Just moments ago, he had been attacking without pause, but ever since he avoided Mahito's sudden knee strike, it was as though he could no longer strike back?

And he had a familiar feeling, as though—

"Ah, I understand." Mahito suddenly spoke amid the punches. He did not seem constrained by the rhythm of breathing during combat and spoke with leisurely ease.

"So this is martial arts."

Awasaka was engulfed in immense fear. No wonder the fists in front of him felt so familiar. Wasn't this exactly the style he had used to attack Mahito just now? A storm of continuous strikes mixed with sudden heavy blows. The only difference was that Awasaka rarely used his legs, because kicking left too many openings. But Mahito was different. He used both hands and feet, unleashing wide, heavy attacks without the slightest hesitation.

Of course Mahito did not need to hesitate. His body was already superior to Awasaka's. Even if he used wide, heavy attacks, he did not need to worry about counterattacks, because his neural reflexes were fast enough to compensate for the openings. Awasaka was the exact opposite. The moment he dared to use a heavy blow, Mahito would inevitably seize the opening and decide the battle with a single Idle Transfiguration!

Mahito and Awasaka had fought for less than five minutes, yet within those five minutes, Mahito had completely learned Awasaka's physical techniques. He had even altered them according to his own qualities, making them better suited to himself and utterly flawless.

What terrifying learning ability!

"Ugh!" Awasaka focused on preventing Mahito's hands from touching him. He tried to use his body to absorb the kicks. Although Mahito's kicks were powerful, under the protection of Strength-Weakness Reversal, kicks were the least important source of damage.

Mahito attacked to his heart's content. The roar of the audience grew louder and louder, as though giant waves were approaching.

Amid the cheers, Mahito's combinations grew faster, and his punching style became increasingly familiar. Then Mahito suddenly vanished from Awasaka's sight. Spinning Step!

Awasaka took a punch to the side of the face. Just one punch.

Awasaka's vision abruptly went black. He was blind. Idle Transfiguration!

There had been a detail in the original work. When Mahito fought Kento Nanami for the first time, his hand had clearly touched Nanami, yet Nanami had not instantly been transformed. That was because even if Jujutsu Sorcerers did not know how to protect their souls, they would subconsciously defend themselves the instant another's Cursed Energy touched their souls. This prevented Mahito from altering Nanami's soul on the first touch.

According to the original explanation, two or three such contacts would be enough to break through.

But in a brief exchange, where would two or three opportunities come from? If Black Flash struck once, a single hit could determine victory or defeat. Two or three times was too long—long enough to decide life and death!

Mahito had reflected on the matter and changed how he used Idle Transfiguration.

Rather than directly making major changes to the soul, he isolated the barrier between soul and body. This was not altering the soul. On the contrary, the isolated soul became harder to injure. For the soul, it was a protective layer.

Mahito accomplished it, though it was more difficult than he had imagined. It was like a virus entering the body but not destroying it, instead disguising itself as an immune cell and working alongside the other immune cells, isolating categorized cells during the process.

For the soul, this was protection. Since it was protection, it would not trigger Cursed Energy defenses. Thus, he succeeded.

Awasaka did not know exactly what had happened, but he guessed that touching Mahito's hands had caused his soul to be altered. He did not know whether the blindness was permanent or temporary, but to him, there was no difference.

Because that brief moment of hesitation had already decided the battle.

"First, vision," Mahito said.

"Hearing. Smell. Taste. Touch."

By the fifth punch, Awasaka had fallen entirely into darkness. His five senses had been completely sealed. He was trapped in vast darkness, unable even to feel his limbs, as though he had sunk into the world's deepest trench, floating through boundless blackness. A trace of despair expanded through his mind at a horrifying speed before finally exploding.

He wanted to beg for mercy, but he did not even know how to speak. He wanted to surrender, but he could not even raise his hand.

He had lost the five senses that humans should possess. Only the abyss remained with him. He could not escape it. He could only sink, endlessly sink!

In the audience's eyes, after taking that first punch, Awasaka had become like a wooden post as Mahito struck him again and again. The first few punches had clearly done no damage to Awasaka—of course, the spectators did not know that Strength-Weakness Reversal was at work—but the later punches landed solidly, beating Awasaka until foam spilled from his mouth.

Mahito finally used Rising Dragon Punch. Awasaka's feet nearly left the ground. His head tilted back, his eyes rolled white. This was not because the blow to his brain had knocked him unconscious. He simply could no longer feel anything outside. In that darkness, he could not even feel a concussion, because even his sense of touch had vanished.

The instant Awasaka rose, Mahito stomped down hard.

He twisted his body, spinning once on the spot like a ballet dancer. His leg lifted before the rotation, then lashed out fiercely after he completed the turn. This was the most beautiful kick in all martial arts—

"Finally, consciousness," he said.

—Roundhouse kick! Boom.

Mahito's foot drove deeply into Awasaka's abdomen. Awasaka, completely senseless, was struck by the roundhouse kick and sent flying backward through the air like a cannonball until he slammed into the wall of the Boxing Arena. This time, all the force was concentrated. Awasaka's body took the full damage, embedding him in the wall as if he had been hung there. Spiderweb cracks spread across the surface. Only after a full three seconds did he fall to the ground with his eyes rolled back.

Eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, consciousness. The six senses, purified!

"Who said I can't use my Cursed Technique with my feet?" Mahito slowly withdrew his kicking leg and landed steadily. Bang.

Awasaka fell from the wall and hit the ground with a tremendous crash.

"The victor is—" The host came back to his senses and screamed himself hoarse. "The frenzied one, the pure white evil, the man whose ambition is to ascend the divine throne—

"Ma-hi-to!"

The audience erupted in tsunami-like cheers, as though they would overturn the entire Boxing Arena.

Follow Me!

"That was amazing, Mr. Mahito! You were incredible!" A staff member eagerly picked up the white shirt Mahito had thrown to the side of the arena and handed it to him, like an old eunuch serving an emperor.

Jogo nodded in satisfaction. "A fine opening, Mahito. Now your name will spread, won't it?" Hanami calmly voiced her agreement.

Mahito casually put on the white shirt handed to him by the staff member. There was not a single wound on his body. In that fierce boxing match, he had not been effectively struck even once. Now that he had put the white shirt back on, he once again looked like an utterly ordinary college student.

"Not yet. I need an even greater reputation," he said.

Jogo asked, "Are the Curse Users Kenjaku brought in not enough?"

Mahito said blandly, "Kenjaku is a rat in the gutter. He lacks the courage to see the sun. But I want to become the sun. That means facing countless challenges. That is what a king should face—whether praise, humility, or blessings; whether hostility, killing intent, or schemes. A king should shine brightly and welcome all of it, rather than hide like a rat in the sewers, drinking filthy water and feeling proud of himself."

"Are you going to part ways with him?" Jogo asked coldly.

"No. A Binding Vow is absolute. Before overturning the current Jujutsu Society, neither of us can betray the other," Mahito said. "He has his own plans. I promised to help him with everything once—and only once. As for you... now that there are other options, naturally you do not need to obey his orders."

"What about Guan Yuan and Satoru Gojo?" Jogo asked.

"That depends on Kenjaku." Mahito shrugged. "If someone knows the enemy is strong and still insists on rushing over to get beaten up, I cannot do that. Since Kenjaku has a way, he can figure it out himself. Whether we cooperate or not, the decision is in our hands."

Jogo nodded thoughtfully. "Tengen, who is walking the path toward godhood, can be set aside for now... Or perhaps we can bring Satoru Gojo into our camp?"

Hanami voiced her agreement.

"Are you joking?" Even Mahito's voice distorted slightly.

Jogo said as though it were only natural, "Mahito, your ability can allow Sorcerers to go further and evolve. That is an unquestionable blessing. Who could refuse such a blessing? No one. No one would refuse it, and Satoru Gojo would be no exception."

Mahito abruptly turned to look at Jogo and Hanami. These two intelligent Cursed Spirits were completely excited. In their minds, there was not even an option for Satoru Gojo to refuse, was there? Mahito's power could allow Jujutsu Sorcerers to evolve, and no Jujutsu Sorcerer could reject such a good thing. Therefore, they believed Satoru Gojo would not refuse either, and recruiting him would be easy.

...Well, it only matched Mahito's stereotype of Jogo and Hanami's intelligence.

Mahito said with difficulty, "No matter what, you are not allowed to approach Satoru Gojo without my order. Even if Kenjaku talks until flowers bloom from his mouth, no. Do you understand?"

Jogo wanted to say something more, but swallowed it and shook his head regretfully.

"Looks like Satoru Gojo does not have the fortune to enjoy evolution," he said. Hanami also shook her head and sighed in regret.

Mahito remained expressionless, feeling exhausted. Why did they think Satoru Gojo would so naturally become their companion? Just because I can allow him to evolve? Others may not know what evolution really means, but how could I not know?

So-called evolution was actually adjusting the soul so that a Sorcerer's body acquired what traditionally qualified as genius-level traits. In the end, the bodily structure of geniuses could be traced.

Physical coordination, muscular compatibility with the circulation of Cursed Energy, the speed of extracting Cursed Energy from negative emotions, control over one's own emotions, neural reflex speed, the brain's understanding of the Cursed Energy core, or the body's capacity to store Cursed Energy—things like that.

As long as one could perfectly replicate a genius's body and make personal adjustments to the soul, one could naturally become a genius in the broad sense. But such mass-produced geniuses could at most reach the limits of a Grade 1 Sorcerer. Beyond that, they would have to rely on their own ability and effort.

Because Mahito did not have a soul template for a Special Grade Sorcerer. He had no idea how to adjust someone into becoming a Special Grade Sorcerer! If Kenjaku were willing to open his soul and let Mahito examine it as he pleased, perhaps he truly could mass-produce Special Grade Sorcerers. But obviously, that was impossible.

The reason he could mass-produce Grade 1 Sorcerers was that, when he first formed a Binding Vow with Kenjaku, he had slightly touched Kenjaku's soul. Only then had he gained an idea of the direction in which Jujutsu Sorcerers advanced. But that small bit of insight had already been exhausted over this period. He needed further templates.

As for why, despite only being able to raise a Sorcerer's talent to the level of a Grade 1 Sorcerer, he could so easily spread the false claim of evolution, and why even Jogo, Hanami, and Kenjaku himself had no doubts—

Don't underestimate Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerers! Do you think Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerers grow like cabbages? On the contrary, aside from the extraordinarily gifted Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerers, Grade 1 Sorcerers were the ceiling leading the Jujutsu Society forward. As for Special Grade Sorcerers... every Special Grade Sorcerer was a fucking mutant. Whether they even counted as human was questionable.

But Mahito was not satisfied with that. He wanted to continue advancing. He wanted a template for a Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer.

Since Kenjaku could not give him one, he would naturally have to find someone else.

The owner of the underground Boxing Arena where he currently stood was a very suitable candidate. This was also one of the goals of his trip.

"Mr. Mahito, the boss wishes to see you." The accompanying staff member shifted naturally to the next topic, as if he had not heard the conversation between Mahito and Jogo at all.

No, not as if. He truly could not hear it.

Because the moment Mahito took the white shirt he had handed over, Mahito had obscured his hearing. Now, he could only hear what Mahito wanted him to hear. Mahito had grown to the point where he could naturally adjust other people's souls. If his target lacked sufficient Jujutsu Sorcerer talent, they could not even notice their soul had been altered.

Mahito curled his lips. "I'm looking forward to it." Jogo and Hanami naturally followed.

Mahito asked casually, "How is Jiro Awasaka?"

Jogo asked with interest, "Jiro Awasaka was your opponent in the Boxing Arena just now, right? Is his Cursed Technique that special? It actually made you concerned about him."

It truly was special. Mahito was extremely interested in such a special Cursed Technique—super interested.

The staff member had not heard Jogo's question. Looking troubled, he said, "His condition... is hard to describe. His external injuries are easy to treat, but for some reason, he just cannot wake up. He is breathing, his heartbeat is fine, and even his brain waves are normal, but he simply cannot wake up. Our physician suspects that he is trapped in a nightmare he cannot awaken from. Is this Mr. Mahito's Cursed Technique?"

As an employee who had worked here for a long time, he might lack the talent of a Jujutsu Sorcerer, but he understood quite a lot. He was well informed about matters involving the Innate Techniques of Jujutsu Sorcerers.

Mahito said blandly, "I will give him two days. If he does not wake up within two days, I will go and cancel my Cursed Technique. Do not blame me for being cruel. This is a blessing. If Jiro Awasaka still cannot wake up after two days, I can only regretfully take back that blessing."

He was not lying. This truly was a blessing, because he had not used Idle Transfiguration to alter Awasaka's soul. He had only isolated it. This isolation had an enormous benefit: it allowed a Sorcerer to clearly see the outline of their own soul. Once a Sorcerer gained awareness of their soul's outline, their understanding of their own Cursed Energy core would inevitably deepen.

For a Sorcerer, there was no better blessing. It would certainly make Jiro Awasaka stronger, deepen his understanding of his own Innate Technique, and might even allow him to comprehend Domain Expansion.

Of course, when Mahito removed that isolation, Jiro Awasaka's Innate Technique and the secrets of his soul would return to Mahito's grasp as well. As the price of becoming stronger, Mahito thought, Jiro Awasaka should thank me.

They walked down a corridor, took the elevator upward, and finally arrived at the top floor, stopping outside a door. The accompanying staff member politely knocked. A voice from behind the door said, "Come in."

Jogo snorted in dissatisfaction. "What an arrogant old human. Shouldn't he personally open the door when facing us?"

You are the arrogant one, Jogo. Mahito kept his face straight and did not say it. Hanami comforted Jogo a little, and then the door opened.

It was an unexpectedly small room. One wall displayed the surveillance feeds for the underground Boxing Arena, showing the movements throughout the entire venue. There was a wine cabinet in one corner, along with a sofa and a low table.

The owner of the Boxing Arena sat on the sofa. Beside him was a scantily dressed woman(?). Kinji Hakari and Kirara Hoshi.

Kinji Hakari was the owner of this underground Boxing Arena and the person Mahito wanted to meet. He had dyed his hair gold and slicked it back with pomade, exposing his smooth forehead. His eyes were narrow, and his carefully groomed brows looked as sharp as blades. Rather than a Jujutsu Sorcerer, he looked more like a fledgling yakuza.

He wore a black fur coat and reclined on the sofa. Seeing Mahito enter, he casually waved a hand, looking somewhat amazed. "The legendary King of Curses... you live up to your reputation. Everyone in the arena was cheering for you. Did you hear them? Your frenzy has already ignited the world. It feels as if everyone will crown you in the very next moment."

There was amusement in his voice. A sharp gleam flashed through his eyes as though he were savoring the lingering aftertaste of that frenzy, intoxicated like a drunkard.

He was a strange man, utterly out of place in the current Jujutsu Society.

"I thought my name only circulated among Curse Users. I did not expect you to know it as well," Mahito said as he entered the room. Jogo and Hanami fell silent instead, completely yielding the right to speak to Mahito. They followed him inside and consciously closed the door.

"I shelter all kinds of Sorcerers who cannot remain in the Jujutsu Society. Unfortunately, proper Sorcerers are not very willing to come here. Only Curse Users whose evil natures have been suppressed are very willing to come here to make money. After making contact with many of those Curse Users, I obtained information that only Curse Users know—and you are one of the key subjects, King of Curses." Kinji Hakari glanced at Jogo and Hanami but did not pay them any mind.

Kirara Hoshi rose from the sofa beside him, took out liquor and glasses from the wine cabinet, and set them on the low table. Kirara looked nervous, and his voice trembled slightly as he asked:

"They say you can let ordinary people evolve into Sorcerers, and let Sorcerers evolve even further. You can freely alter human bodies, allowing them to better adapt to their evolved forms. Is that true?"

Mahito sat before Kinji Hakari and carefully observed Kirara Hoshi. He had a feminine appearance, even dressing like a woman. A loose chest wrap covered his chest, where distinct curves could even be seen. His throat had no Adam's apple. He wore black leather pants below, and his skin was tender and pale as jade.