The second cursed technique

Mahito had altered the transfigured humans' souls with Idle Transfiguration.

The soul shaped the flesh. When the soul changed, the body mutated along with it.

Their strength, speed, and endurance all exceeded human limits.

Even though the transfigured humans before him retained human features, Rihito would never let his guard down because of that, much less entertain the absurd thought that they were "still alive."

Whoosh!

A fist whistled toward him from the left.

Rihito twisted sharply to the side. The fist grazed his ear and slammed into the wall behind him.

Bang! Stone fragments flew, and a crater the size of a washbasin instantly appeared in the solid wall.

Before he could regain his balance, the female transfigured human lunged at him, all ten fingers clamping onto his forearm like iron hooks.

Her nails dug into his skin, and an icy sensation spread up his arm.

"Rihito, please take this seriously, or you'll die." Mahito waved his arms a short distance away, his tone casual, as though watching a match that wasn't quite entertaining enough.

Cursed energy wrapped around Rihito's fists like flames.

After wrenching himself free of the female transfigured human, he drove a fist forward.

The punch landed squarely on the transfigured human's shoulder.

With a crack, frost rapidly coated her right arm, and it dropped limply to her side.

The other transfigured human's remaining human half-face was filled with terror, but she had no control over her body and soon lunged at him again.

Bang! Bang! Rihito punched again, swiftly and cleanly disabling her.

Neither could resist any longer, but Rihito had no intention of stopping.

Mahito was still watching.

I came here to kill people, to satisfy his interests.

There's no saving them. There hasn't been since the moment they were transformed. Ending their suffering is the only thing I can do.

At that thought, the last trace of hesitation in Rihito's eyes vanished.

He walked up to them. Two sharp cracks rang out as he snapped their necks.

The fight was over.

Mahito jogged over from the side. "Rihito, you didn't even blink when you broke their necks."

He circled behind Rihito, his voice excited. "Rihito, do you know what I like most about you? The way you're scared to death, yet your hands don't shake at all. It's absolutely wonderful!"

Anger burned in Rihito's heart, but he kept it firmly in check, betraying nothing.

He even forced a smile.

Though it lingered only at the corners of his mouth and never reached his eyes.

"By the way, I still don't know your name."

"Oh? My name?" Mahito scratched his head. "They all call me Mahito, so I suppose that's my name."

Rihito nodded. "Then I'll call you Mr. Mahito from now on."

By the time he emerged from the sewer, the sky had darkened. The streetlights had just come on, casting pools of dim yellow light in the dusk.

Sunlight fell across Rihito's face once more. Warm though it was, it could not dispel the chill in his eyes.

"Mahito... you really deserve to die."

In his previous life, Mahito's evil had been confined to the pages of a manga.

But now, that pure malice had completely redefined Rihito's understanding of evil.

Whether to protect others or ensure his own safety, there was no reason to spare this cursed spirit born from human malice.

*Mahito **must die!***

At some point, Rihito had pressed his hand against a stone wall.

The next second, cursed energy surged. Beneath his palm, the wall decayed at a visible rate, crumbling into stone dust that sifted to the ground.

Looking at it again, the once-solid, rough stone wall seemed to have endured decades, even centuries of erosion. Fine cracks covered its surface, and the slightest touch reduced it to powder.

Rihito looked down at the stone dust in his palm. At last, the coldness in his eyes had found an outlet.

The cursed technique Zero Coffin works by "stealing" temperature. Its potential is enormous, but it only affects the physical body. If I want to kill Mahito someday, this technique alone can't do it.

With that thought, he withdrew his right hand, unable to suppress the delight in his eyes any longer.

Maybe because I'm a transmigrator and my soul has experienced two worlds, Mahito's alteration of my soul awakened two cursed techniques at once.

Innate cursed technique-Withering.

Through contact or the projection of cursed energy, it created a "reverse entropy flow" within its target, compressing a natural process of decay that would normally take decades into mere seconds.

Metal rusted, bones crumbled, cursed energy structures collapsed, and even souls dissolved.

This was Rihito's greatest weapon against Mahito.

As long as he had time to grow strong enough to face Mahito, this technique would let him eradicate Mahito completely.

Reining in his thoughts, Rihito returned his attention to the present.

Right now, I've become Mahito's toy. If I do nothing, Junpei's fate in the original story will be my own.

There's only one way to survive Mahito.

Rihito abruptly raised his head, a figure flashing through his mind-Yuji Itadori.

A first-year at Jujutsu High, and Satoru Gojo's student.

Although Itadori had yet to grow strong, and staying with him wouldn't necessarily be safe, he was a Jujutsu High student. Through him, Rihito could reach Satoru Gojo.

In Satoru Gojo's presence, Mahito would be nothing more than some roadside pest.

The best outcome would still be joining Jujutsu High.

Although he had become a jujutsu sorcerer, he knew absolutely nothing about using cursed energy or the various techniques involved.

With a teacher to guide him, he would surely grow faster. With two cursed techniques at his disposal, he would have a little more confidence when the Shibuya Incident came around.

"Ugh, I've only been here a day, and already so much has happened. When will I finally get some rest?"

Rihito rubbed his temples.

Keeping up his frantic performance in front of Mahito had drained much of his energy. Now that he had relaxed, a faint, sharp pain throbbed in his head.

He leaned against a roadside wall and closed his eyes for a while. Only after feeling the evening breeze brush his face did his thoughts gradually begin to clear.

"I should head back first. Even jujutsu sorcerers need rest."

With that thought, Rihito turned and headed toward his high school.

Beep, beep, beep-

The phone in his pocket vibrated again.

"Junpei again? Is he already inviting me to a movie?"

Sure enough, when Rihito opened his phone, Junpei's avatar in the message list

was flashing incessantly.

[Rihito, are you free today? There's a really good movie playing today. Let me treat you!]

[It's in Kichijoji. Not far.]

The corners of Rihito's mouth lifted slightly as he read Junpei's messages.

But when his gaze fell on the location in the second line, his smile froze.

This was where Junpei and Mahito first met.

If I don't interfere, will Mahito still set his sights on Junpei and awaken his cursed technique?

The more deeply Rihito considered the question, the tighter his brow furrowed.

If my presence causes a butterfly effect that changes the entire original plot, then the Jujutsu Kaisen I know will no longer be a reliable reference.

No. I have to find out.

As for his safety...

In the original story, after Mahito killed those three students, he ignored Junpei nearby. As long as Rihito didn't attract his attention, he would be safe.

With that thought, Rihito picked up his phone and sent Junpei a reply.

[Sure.]

After sending the message, he stared at the green bubble on the screen for a few seconds.

Junpei's avatar was still lit up, showing him as "online."

Rihito slipped his phone back into his pocket, took a deep breath, and headed home.

Tomorrow night, everything would become clear.