Shikigami

Afterward.

Naobito Zenin came to ask Kaneki how he had tamed Mahoraga.

It was clear.

He wanted to find a way forward for Megumi Fushiguro.

"To be honest..." Kaneki told him plainly, "I don't think Mahoraga can be tamed with the [Ten Shadows Technique] alone."

He couldn't offer a way to tame Mahoraga using only the [Ten Shadows Technique].

After all.

The [Ten Shadows Technique] lacked a move that could kill Mahoraga in a single hit.

Hearing this, Naobito Zenin fell silent.

Kaneki thought for a moment. "Though that's not an absolute."

"Unless."

"The sorcerer who awakens the [Ten Shadows Technique] has as much cursed energy as Sukuna."

"And uses that sheer volume of cursed energy to boost the shikigami's strength."

"In that case, taming it might be possible."

As he spoke.

He also compared the shikigami summoned by Sukuna with those summoned by Fushiguro.

The gap was enormous.

They hardly seemed like the same species.

Neither their size nor the power of their cursed techniques was anything Megumi Fushiguro could match.

Clearly.

When it came to taming Mahoraga.

Megumi Fushiguro probably couldn't pull it off.

Naobito Zenin looked somewhat disappointed.

Seeing this, Kaneki looked at him and said, "As for Megumi Fushiguro..."

"After taming the other nine shikigami, he could try fusing several of them together, or having one inherit the cursed techniques of several others."

"Even if he can't tame Mahoraga, he'd still be a formidable fighter."

"In the future."

Kaneki said, "Sukuna had Nue inherit the cursed techniques of Great Serpent, Tiger Funeral, and Round Deer, creating a new shikigami named Chimera Beast-Agito!"

"That shikigami had some pretty good abilities."

"It couldn't adapt, but with Round Deer's regeneration, ordinary sorcerers would struggle to kill it. It wasn't on Gojo's or Sukuna's level, but it wasn't something an ordinary sorcerer could hope to challenge, either."

"I don't know the mechanics of the [Ten Shadows Technique] very well."

Kaneki said, "But if he insists on trying..."

"He could try fusing different shikigami together. That might be a way to succeed."

Naobito Zenin listened intently.

And he wasn't the only one.

The others were all listening closely, too.

"Besides that."

Kaneki continued, "Sukuna and Oyu Okkotsu both used their shikigami's abilities without manifesting the shikigami themselves."

That move.

Was also part of Kaneki's plan for developing the [Ten Shadows Technique].

Not powerful, but cool!

At the mention of Oyu, Okkotsu and Maki both looked a little embarrassed and uncomfortable.

Right now.

There wasn't even the beginning of anything between them yet.

From Naobito Zenin's expression, it was clear he already knew all this. The only thing he might not have known was how Chimera Beast-Agito was created.

In the original story.

Megumi Fushiguro had also fused two shikigami together.

He had also used shikigami abilities without manifesting them inside his domain.

"Without manifesting the shikigami," Kaneki added, "those abilities can be powerful if used properly."

"Most importantly, they're versatile enough."

"Whether it's close-, mid-, or long-range combat, healing, or even dealing damage, the [Ten Shadows Technique] can do it all."

For damage, there was [Nue]'s lightning; for healing, [Round Deer]'s regeneration; for ranged attacks, [Max Elephant]'s water; and for close combat, the claws of the [Divine Dogs].

It really was versatile.

But the fact that no one in the Zenin Clan had tamed Mahoraga in a thousand years suggested something.

His guess might well have been right.

With the [Ten Shadows Technique] alone, successfully taming it was very likely impossible!

Over the next two days.

Kenjaku didn't come.

Kaneki learned barrier techniques a little beyond the basics from Tengen, but he couldn't deploy a domain.

He had grasped all the essentials, yet he still couldn't deploy one.

He still needed a breakthrough!

He had only managed to learn barrier techniques in a few days thanks to his naturally good memory and willingness to put in the work!

Okkotsu and the others failed to learn Soul Strike.

They couldn't even perceive souls, let alone their outlines.

Seeing this.

Kaneki stopped them from stubbornly pursuing it and had them learn Hollow Wicker Basket and Falling Blossom Emotion instead.

They learned Hollow Wicker Basket from Tengen.

And Falling Blossom Emotion from Naobito Zenin.

Naobito Zenin truly lived up to his reputation as the most open-minded head in the Zenin Clan's history.

He held nothing back.

Instead, he directly taught everyone the Three Great Families' secret art for countering domains.

His only condition was that they could not teach [Falling Blossom Emotion] to anyone outside their group without his permission.

As for Kaneki.

He also asked Kirara Hoshi to set up his cursed technique.

That way, even if Kenjaku tried to approach Itadori and Megumi Fushiguro, Kirara's cursed technique would repel him. He could only reach the two of them by following the sequence Kirara had set.

As for Kirara Hoshi's cursed technique.

Kenjaku surely knew about it.

This measure could only buy time and wouldn't accomplish much, but that was enough.

During those two days.

Kaneki hadn't just learned barrier techniques.

He had also learned how to use the [Star Rage] cursed technique to manifest a shikigami in the form of a cursed tool.

Even with the same cursed technique.

The shikigami they manifested were completely different.

Because.

They could shape this shikigami however they liked.

The two of them had different needs, so naturally, the shikigami they created differed as well.

It was a product derived from the cursed technique.

Not an independent entity.

So even if this cursed-tool shikigami was destroyed, as long as he had enough cursed energy, he could simply make another.

However.

To Yuki Tsukumo's surprise, Ken Kaneki actually created a string of prayer beads.

They were slightly larger than marbles.

Every bead was pitch-black and unfathomably deep.

There were eighteen in total, symbolizing the eighteen levels of hell!

"This is all you made?" After saying that, Yuki Tsukumo realized something and asked, "Were you running out of time?"

Naturally, she meant the time he had available to use the [Star Rage] cursed technique.

"No."

Kaneki shook his head.

He really didn't have much time left, but that wasn't why he had made this thing.

Then.

He pulled off one [Hell] bead.

And flicked it with his finger.

The black marble shot out and hovered in the air a short distance away. "What do you think..."

As he spoke.

Kaneki looked at Yuki Tsukumo. "What if I imbue it with [Star Rage] and have it use [Black Hole]?"

At his words.

Yuki Tsukumo froze!

Once she recovered, she was about to say it was impossible, only to realize that it wasn't impossible-she simply couldn't do it herself.

That didn't mean Ken Kaneki couldn't.

The so-called [Black Hole] involved stacking virtual mass to its limit, creating a black hole effect through excessively high mass density.

She couldn't do it.

Because her cursed energy control wasn't precise enough.

But Kaneki.

Had cursed energy control comparable to the Six Eyes, along with ample reserves of cursed energy. He really could pull it off.

The concern was that the vessel's structure might be too fragile.

As the mass accumulated, it might shatter prematurely, unable to withstand the [mass].

So.

When creating the shikigami, Kaneki's first consideration had been durability.

And his second had been quantity.

As long as he became proficient enough at controlling them.

These things would be roughly as powerful as Satoru Gojo's [Blue] and [Red].

Only a handful of top-tier fighters could block them.

Few ordinary sorcerers could withstand a hit.

Then.

Kaneki held out his hand.

The black bead he had flicked away seemed to sense his call and swiftly flew back. He put it back in place, turning the beads into a bracelet.

That was the true value of cursed energy control comparable to the Six Eyes.

The very same cursed technique.

Could be put to an entirely different use.