Chapter Summaries

Tan Man grew up abused and neglected by his mother, who expected him to inherit a miraculous power from her family. At six, he awakened that power and accidentally unleashed black flames that consumed his mother and their room.

• Tan Man recalled his unhappy previous life, in which his family mistreated him and he died from exhaustion at work.
• In his new life, Tan Man's mother told him she had fled Germany because of a witch hunt and expected him to inherit a miraculous power.
• Tan Man endured his mother's growing abuse while hoping to earn her love and live a normal life.
• At six, Tan Man felt a change within him and went to tell his mother that he had sensed the power she wanted him to obtain.
• Tan Man recited “Eight Hot Hells: Reviving Hell,” and black flames engulfed the room, including his mother.

Six-year-old Tan Man awakened Eight Hot Hells and the Evil Eye, accidentally burning his mother while seeing her memories and her hopes of gaining a better life in the Zenin Clan. Trapped in the burning house, he was found by firefighters, but his eyes plunged two of them into the nightmare of Hellfire.

• Tan Man’s cursed technique awakened, summoning the dead from Reviving Hell as his mother burned in Hellfire.
• Tan Man involuntarily used Evil Eye on his mother and saw her memories, including Naobito Zenin’s promise that an exceptional child could secure her a comfortable life in the Zenin Clan.
• Tan Man’s mother died as the nightmare ended, while Hellfire spread through the buildings and left Tan Man trapped beside her corpse.
• Three firefighters entered the house and found Tan Man unharmed by the black flames, but the first firefighter who met his eyes cried out as if burning.
• A second firefighter looked into Tan Man’s eyes and screamed in terror, leaving the captain to fear that another man had gone mad.

After a devastating fire left Tan Man suspected of causing many deaths, Yaga questioned him and learned that Tan Man feared he would be killed. Tan Man pleaded to contact his father, Naobito Zenin, and Yaga called him, only for Naobito to deny the claim in disbelief.

• A firefighter lost two teammates when a crazed colleague charged the captain and both men fell onto a broken concrete pillar.
• Yaga met Tan Man at the police station, where Tan Man asked whether his mother and the people who died in the fire had died because of him and whether he would be killed.
• Yaga told Tan Man he would do everything he could to protect him, while privately recognizing that his authority was limited.
• Tan Man pleaded with Yaga to contact Naobito Zenin, whom his mother had named as his father.
• Yaga contacted Naobito Zenin, who responded that the claim that Tan Man was his child was nonsense.

Naobito Zenin met Tan Man after learning the boy might be his illegitimate son and had caused a deadly fire with his Cursed Technique. Convinced by Tan Man’s account but wary of his unnaturally mature manner, Naobito challenged him to prove he was worth the trouble, and Tan Man agreed.

• Masamichi Yaga arranged for Naobito Zenin and Tan Man to meet at an abandoned chemical plant after Tan Man’s Cursed Technique caused a fire in Kabukicho.
• Naobito inspected Tan Man and questioned whether he was truly his son, while Tan Man resolved to demonstrate his value to the Zenin Clan.
• Tan Man told Naobito that his mother had died from the Cursed Technique he awakened, then asked Yaga to leave them alone.
• Tan Man recounted his mother’s connection to Naobito, convincing Naobito that he was probably his son.
• Tan Man asked Naobito to settle the situation, and Naobito challenged him to prove he was worth the trouble; Tan Man promised he would.

Tan Man demonstrated his newly awakened Eight Hot Hells technique in a fight with Naobito Zenin, using summoned corpses, a spiked black-flame whip, and crushing boulders to injure him before collapsing. Naobito took Tan Man away and claimed the Zenin Clan would handle the disturbance, while reserving judgment on his future until their blood relationship was confirmed.

• Tan Man summoned three regenerating corpses with Equal Lives, and Naobito Zenin tested their durability and black flames while fighting them.
• Tan Man used Great Hell of Black Rope to drive Naobito into position, then trapped him between boulders with Great Hell of Crushing.
• Naobito escaped the boulders but suffered burns and damage, while Tan Man collapsed unconscious from the fight.
• Yaga entered the factory and questioned Naobito, who carried Tan Man away and said the Zenin Clan would handle the aftermath.
• Naobito considered Tan Man's potential but planned to confirm their relationship with a paternity test before deciding how to use him in the clan.

Naoya Zenin learned that Naobito had brought an illegitimate son to the estate and went to inspect his new rival. Tan Man woke inside the Zenin Clan estate, considered how to survive among its rivals, and was confronted by Naoya.

• Naoya saw servants preparing the annex and learned that Naobito had brought home an illegitimate son.
• Jealous of the possibility that the boy could rival him, Naoya headed to the annex to meet him.
• Tan Man woke as a doctor drew his blood and recalled collapsing after using Eight Hot Hells: Sanghata Hell against Naobito.
• Tan Man decided that competing for clan headship was impossible and considered Toji Zenin a potential ally.
• Naoya called Tan Man the stray their father had brought home.

Tan Man used his Evil Eye to trap Naoya in a terrifying vision of hell after Naoya attacked him. Naobito Zenin arrived as Naoya, shaken and humiliated, began to recover his composure.

• Naoya confronted Tan Man with contempt, then grabbed him by the collar and demanded to know why he was ignoring him.
• Tan Man unleashed his Evil Eye, making Naoya see himself falling into the great hell of Equal Lives and being attacked by blood and bladed wheels.
• Tan Man dispelled the illusion and asked Naoya whether he had had a nightmare, leaving Naoya screaming and scrambling away in terror.
• Naoya begged the Kukuru Unit member to kill Tan Man, but the man refused to act against the clan head's son.
• Naobito Zenin entered and ordered Naoya to stop making a spectacle of himself, and Naoya regained some composure when he saw his father.

Naobito Zenin sent Naoya away after Tan Man made him lose his composure, then decided to wait for the paternity test while allowing Tan Man to stay at the estate. He gave Tan Man the Zenin surname but postponed his training because the boy’s physical condition was too poor.

• Naobito Zenin ordered the Kukuru Unit member to take Naoya away and sent the doctor out, leaving himself alone with Tan Man.
• Naobito Zenin questioned Tan Man about what had frightened Naoya, and Tan Man confirmed he had done something without explaining further.
• Naobito Zenin told Tan Man to stay at the estate and formally named him Tan Man Zenin while awaiting the paternity test results.
• Naobito Zenin assigned a servant and a Kukuru Unit member to care for Tan Man and show him around the grounds.
• Naobito Zenin delayed Tan Man’s training after learning the boy was too physically weak to endure even the Kukuru Unit’s lightest exercises.

Tan Man toured the Zenin estate and secretly contacted Toji using an Evil Eye illusion. Toji was left asking Jinichi whether he knew Tan Man Zenin.

• Hiroya Zenin showed Tan Man around the estate while the clan kept his identity private pending paternity test results.
• Tan Man and Hiroya encountered Ogi Zenin, who learned that Tan Man might be Naobito Zenin’s son and let them pass.
• Hiroya explained the Kukuri, Hei, and Akari to Tan Man as they walked through the estate.
• Tan Man used an illusion to leave Hiroya behind and approached Toji by the pond.
• Tan Man summoned an undead husk from the pond to make Toji turn around, then used Evil Eye to secretly convey information to him.
• After the illusion ended and Tan Man left, Toji asked Jinichi whether he knew Tan Man Zenin, and Jinichi said he did not.

Naobito Zenin confirmed that Tan Man was his biological son and announced it to the Zenin Clan, setting up Tan Man’s formal introduction and a demonstration of his worth. The chapter ended as Naoya confronted Tan Man in the courtyard.

• The doctor delivered Tan Man’s paternity test results, and Naobito Zenin confirmed Tan Man carried his blood.
• Naobito Zenin told the Zenin Clan’s elders and senior members that Tan Man was his biological son, stirring speculation over the succession.
• Naobito Zenin summoned Naoya, hoping to give him a chance to repair the damage to his reputation.
• The next day, Hiroya brought Tan Man to the courtyard, where Naobito Zenin asked him to show his worth.
• Naoya entered the courtyard, faced Tan Man, and silently threatened him.

Tan Man fought Naoya in a clan trial, using his Corpses and Black Rope while suspecting Naobito Zenin had revealed his abilities to favor Naoya. After Naoya’s Projection Sorcery failed against Tan Man, Tan Man activated Evil Eye and unleashed Sanghata Hell.

• Naoya used Projection Sorcery to rush Tan Man, who summoned two Corpses to defend himself.
• Tan Man chanted Black Rope, forcing Naoya to retreat from the black flames and their spikes.
• Ogi and Jinichi speculated about Tan Man’s Cursed Technique while Naoya taunted him and waited for Black Rope to end.
• Tan Man suspected Naobito Zenin had told Naoya about his abilities to help Naoya win and protect his standing.
• Naoya struck Tan Man after the flames vanished, but Projection Sorcery failed and Tan Man’s body felt insubstantial.
• Tan Man’s Demon Horns appeared as he activated Evil Eye and chanted Sanghata Hell against Naoya.

Tan Man defeated Naoya in a clan match, and Toji saved Naoya from Sanghata Hell before the attack killed him. After Naobito acknowledged Tan Man’s value, Toji visited him at the annex to discuss a deal.

• Toji pulled Naoya from the colliding black-flame boulders and told Tan Man he owed him one for going too far.
• Naobito Zenin consulted the clan’s senior members, then told Tan Man that he had demonstrated enough value and could leave.
• Hiroya praised Tan Man on the way back to the annex, while Tan Man considered how to improve his fighting skills and obtain a weapon.
• Toji appeared at the annex and sent Hiroya outside so he could speak with Tan Man.
• Tan Man approached Toji, who reflected that the child’s unusual presence made him willing to discuss a deal with him.

Tan Man offered Toji a partnership, using his illusion ability to help him earn money in exchange for Toji’s strength. Toji tentatively agreed to consider working with him, leaving Tan Man more determined to gain enough power to control his own life.

• Toji deduced that Tan Man’s Golden Eyes created illusions and that Tan Man had used an illusion to approach him.
• Tan Man proposed helping Toji make money in exchange for Toji’s strength, explaining that he wanted to take possession of the Zenin Clan intact.
• Toji threatened Tan Man to test whether his ambition was genuine, and Tan Man resisted despite his fear.
• Toji withdrew his killing intent, said Tan Man had convinced him for now, and asked him to make money before they considered working together.
• After Toji left, Tan Man reflected on the limits of his Evil Eye and vowed to gain enough strength to keep the world from controlling his life.

The Gojo and Kamo Clans investigated Tan Man after learning that Naobito Zenin had taken responsibility for the Kabukicho disaster on his behalf. They arranged a Three Great Families banquet to test Tan Man against Satoru Gojo’s Six Eyes and publicly pressure the Zenin Clan.

• The Gojo and Kamo Clans learned about Tan Man’s background and his victory over Naoya, and suspected his Cursed Technique had persuaded Naobito to protect him.
• Senior members of the Gojo and Kamo Clans agreed to host a gathering for the Three Great Families to investigate Tan Man’s abilities.
• The Gojo Clan planned to pit Tan Man and Naoya against Satoru Gojo, while the Kamo Clan joined in to assess Tan Man’s strength.
• The Zenin Clan faced a choice between refusing the contest and losing face or competing and risking a public defeat by the Six Eyes.

Tan Man learned that he and Naoya would face Satoru Gojo at the Three Great Families' banquet, while continuing his daily training. That night, he joined Toji in a high-stakes bet on an underground jujutsu fight, where Toji planned to use Tan Man's illusions to sway the match.

• Naobito Zenin told Tan Man and Naoya about the upcoming banquet and warned them not to lose too badly against the Six Eyes.
• Tan Man continued his morning physical training with Kukuri and afternoon cursed energy training with Akari, while Naoya grew more wary of him after two defeats.
• Toji knocked out Tan Man's attendants, then carried him across the Zenin Clan rooftops to leave for a nighttime job.
• Toji told Tan Man they would bet on an underground jujutsu fight and use his illusions to influence the season final.
• Tan Man spotted the large bag of cash for their wager and worried that the bet's size would draw suspicion.

Tan Man followed Toji into an underground sorcerer fighting venue, where Toji wagered thirty million yen on Razor. The fighters entered the cage, and Toji told Tan Man that the outcome was now up to him.

• Tan Man and Toji arrived at a mountain villa, and Toji gained entry by showing the guards his bag of cash.
• Tan Man realized how money could change people's behavior and worried about the cost of the damage he had caused in Kabukicho.
• Tan Man and Toji descended into the basement, where a crowd had gathered for an underground fight between Immovable and Razor.
• Toji bet thirty million yen on Razor, drawing the organizer's excitement.
• Immovable and Razor entered the cage, and Toji told Tan Man that it was up to him.

Tan Man used Evil Eye to make Immovable attack Razor, turning a fixed fight into a bloody real contest. After Razor blinded Immovable and the round ended, the bookmaker blamed and assaulted Razor while Toji demanded his winnings.

• Tan Man watched Immovable dominate Razor and moved closer to the cage to catch Razor’s eye.
• Tan Man activated Evil Eye, making Immovable bite Razor’s neck as though trying to kill him.
• Razor fought back with full strength and stabbed Immovable in the eyes, prompting the crowd to erupt in cheers.
• The bell ended the round, and Tan Man ended Razor’s hallucination after confirming Immovable could no longer fight.
• The bookmaker accused Razor of ruining the operation and struck him, while Toji demanded his eighty-one million in winnings.

Tan Man embraced the power his accumulated sins gave his Cursed Technique and killed Bookmaker, exposing his sorcery to the gang. As Toji slaughtered the remaining gang members, Tan Man sealed the basement and felt another great hell begin to loosen.

• Tan Man heard a whisper urging him to deepen his sins through killing, while Razor told Bookmaker that Tan Man was a sorcerer.
• Bookmaker took Tan Man hostage and ordered his thugs to attack Toji while he questioned Toji about betting on Razor.
• Tan Man accepted the whisper’s claim that sin fueled his strength, grabbed Bookmaker’s wrist, and chanted Eight Hot Hells: Reviving Hell.
• Corpse severed Bookmaker’s head, and Black Flame ignited across the basement as Toji began killing the gang members in earnest.
• Tan Man sealed the basement exit with Sanghata Hell and felt his sins loosen the Great Wailing Hell.

Toji and Tan Man escaped the villa after Tan Man used a newly unlocked ability to destroy the guard’s car. As they discussed their plans for making money, Tan Man asked Toji to get him guns.

• A guard entered the villa after hearing prolonged wailing and tried to flee when he saw Toji emerge with Tan Man and the cash.
• Tan Man used Eight Hot Hells: Wailing to summon a monster that tore the guard’s car in half.
• Toji said Tan Man’s cursed techniques alone did not qualify him as a Grade 1 sorcerer because their effects were easy to read and dodge.
• Toji and Tan Man left with more than 180 million yen, and Toji proposed using Tan Man’s illusions to rig horse races.
• Tan Man asked Toji to get him weapons, then clarified that he wanted guns rather than cursed tools.

After Tan Man returned to the Zenin Clan, Naobito gave him room to act freely while he considered his future. Tan Man trained relentlessly ahead of the Three Great Families' banquet and attended his mother's burial, unsure how to understand his feelings about her.

• Naobito asked Tan Man whether he had killed someone, and Tan Man calmly said he had done it to get stronger.
• Naobito withdrew Tan Man's guard and maid, allowing him to look after himself while Naobito considered how to handle him.
• Tan Man sparred with Kukuri without Cursed Energy or the Evil Eye, repeatedly demanding that his opponents not go easy on him.
• Naoya kept his distance from Tan Man despite trying to reassure himself that he had nothing to fear.
• Naobito took Tan Man to collect his mother's ashes and watch her burial, leaving Tan Man uncertain about what he felt.