"Whew... not bad."
After Itadori ate Eleven Fingers, Sukuna successfully took control of his body.
He slicked his hair back, savoring his freedom.
"Now then, what can I do for fun?"
The Underground Station.
"This is the special grade cursed spirit I encountered last time." Kento Nanami adjusted his glasses and sternly warned Naobito Zenin and Maki beside him, "If his hands touch you, your soul will be altered."
Maki gripped her cursed tool. The commotion earlier had been far too intense. She had no idea whether Fushiguro could survive after staying behind alone to cover their retreat.
"Understood." Naobito Zenin stroked his upturned mustache. "In other words, as long as he doesn't touch me, he poses no threat whatsoever, correct?"
Naobito Zenin looked at Mahito confidently.
No matter how powerful a weapon with limitless destructive potential was, it was useless if it couldn't hit its target.
Mahito looked at the three fools before him and smiled as he spat Transfigured Human Kind out of his mouth.
"What's going on? Where are Jogo and Dagon? How did you three make it down here without a scratch?"
"Projection Sorcery."
Naobito Zenin wasted no more words. He preset his movements and rushed behind Mahito in an instant.
"So fast!"
It was Mahito's first time witnessing such astonishing speed, too. Before he could react, Naobito Zenin touched his waist.
Crack!
Mahito immediately turned into a photograph.
Any enemy unable to follow the twenty-four-frames-per-second movements of Naobito Zenin's Projection Sorcery would be trapped in a photograph for one second, helpless against his attacks.
"Hah!!"
Naobito Zenin punched straight through Mahito.
By the time Mahito regained awareness, he was already coughing up a mouthful of blood and flying toward Kento Nanami.
"Ratio Technique."
Kento Nanami's technique was brutally straightforward. He could divide an enemy into ten equal sections. Whether the target was a living being or an object, striking the point at a seven-to-three ratio allowed him to inflict tremendous damage.
In other words, he could forcibly create a weak point on his enemy.
Squelch-!
Mahito barely managed to reinforce his body with Idle Transfiguration, but Nanami's blade had already sunk almost halfway into him.
"Maki! You handle the transfigured humans!"
Maki swung her cursed tool. This level was filled with humans Mahito had transfigured.
In the original timeline.
After being gravely injured, Nanami had forced himself to clear out these transfigured humans, only to be killed by Mahito in the end.
But this time, with three against one, the outcome was still uncertain!
"You again...!"
Mahito tried to speak, but Nanami drove his blade in harder.
Riiip-!
Mahito transformed again, this time into an iron ball covered in long spikes, leaving Nanami nowhere to strike.
"Turning into a ball? Interesting!" Naobito Zenin activated Projection Sorcery again and touched Mahito.
Sure enough, Mahito became a photograph once more.
"Leave him to me for now! Go clear out the transfigured humans!" Naobito Zenin shouted to Nanami.
With his speed, Mahito posed no threat to him.
Nanami nodded. As long as all three of them launched a fierce assault together, Mahito would have no chance to turn things around.
Another palm strike landed.
After emerging from the photograph, Mahito stared intently at Naobito Zenin's palm.
Too fast! This old man's technique is bizarre!
After taking two consecutive attacks, he was deeply concerned by how swiftly Naobito Zenin could move.
But...
Something seemed a little disjointed?
Mahito smiled.
"Idle Transfiguration."
"Multiple Souls: Body Repel"!!
Mahito stopped holding back and immediately produced a gigantic, swelling transfigured human.
Since Naobito Zenin was as fast as lightning, he would force him into a straight line with an attack that left no blind spots!
Watching a wall of flesh steadily close in, Naobito Zenin smiled faintly. "This cursed spirit is rather clever. Trying to trap me, are you?"
Thud-thud-thud-thud!!!
As Naobito Zenin rapidly struck the wall of flesh, Mahito finally seized an opening.
The next instant.
"Projection Sorcery."
Naobito Zenin dodged Mahito's touch with an incredibly strange maneuver, then flipped behind him.
Crack!
Mahito became a photograph again!
Even when approached from his blind spot, Naobito Zenin could still counterattack with ease!
This was the mighty sorcerer known as a semi-special grade in the current era, the current head of the Zenin Clan-Naobito Zenin!!!
"Pwah...!"
Mahito wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Useless, useless, useless!"
"As long as my soul remains unharmed, you can't kill me!"
Naobito Zenin sneered. "There's nothing in this world that can't be killed."
"Idle Transfiguration."
"Multi-Soul Aberrant Body"!!
Naobito Zenin watched the newly appeared transfigured human warily. As the wall of flesh drew closer, he had less and less room to move.
Bang!!
Looking at the Multi-Soul Aberrant Body behind him, Naobito Zenin couldn't help remarking, "What tremendous power!"
But a moment later, he laughed again, his footwork growing even faster.
"Unfortunately, no amount of power matters if you can't hit your target!"
Mahito snorted, holding ten of Transfigured Human Kind between his ten fingers.
With so many of Transfigured Human Kind attacking, Naobito Zenin's footwork grew a little rushed. Still, Projection Sorcery was simply too fast. At most, these transfigured humans could cause him a little trouble.
I see it!
Mahito's eyes widened. His opponent's speed was absurd, but when confronting the swelling transfigured humans, he hadn't chosen the optimal route.
The difference was tiny.
But he had spotted it!
This guy's movements seem rigid. If I can predict what he'll do, I might be able to touch him!
"Multiple Souls: Body Repel."
Naobito Zenin's steps faltered as he looked ahead.
To his left was the Multi-Soul Aberrant Body with its powerful attacks. To his right were the swelling Transfigured Human Kind.
The corners of his mouth rose. Clearly, approaching Mahito from the left was the right choice.
The way the transfigured humans swelled was strange and difficult to predict.
"Projection Sorcery"!
Naobito Zenin entered his frame-divided state again, forming a perfect sequence of movements within one second. But the moment he saw Mahito, he was startled.
Why does he have his eyes closed?
No!
Once my Projection Sorcery is set, I can't change it!
If I deviate, I'll be frozen for one second myself!
"What?!"
Just as Naobito Zenin was about to touch Mahito, Mahito blocked the spot he intended to touch with his hand.
"Idle Transfiguration."
"Guessed it!" Mahito grinned.
Bang!
Nanami came charging in from the front and sent Mahito flying.
"How many humans have you transfigured, you bastard?" Maki wiped the blood from her face and picked up her cursed tool.
Even with his plan interrupted, Mahito wasn't angry. He smiled at the three of them and said, "Do you remember how many little buns you've eaten?"
He had already seen through Naobito Zenin's technique. Although he could only rely on guesses, Mahito had plenty of room for error. These three, however, could afford only a single mistake!
"The fight has only just begun!"
Before you continue