How exactly could he elevate his own strength as quickly as possible?
Ever since Mahito had been taken away by Kenjaku and Jogo, this question had been running on a nonstop loop in his mind. In truth, from the very moment he realized he had been reincarnated as 'Mahito,' this problem had been relentlessly tormenting him.
The first solution Mahito set his sights on was copying. For no other reason than the fact that in the established plot of *Jujutsu Kaisen*, there were tangible examples. It was easy to plagiarize. Within this world's power system, there were exactly three and a half instances of individuals capable of copying the Innate Techniques of others. They were:
Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer Yuta Okkotsu: His Innate Technique was fundamentally 'Copy.' As long as Rika consumed a portion of an opposing Jujutsu Sorcerer, he could acquire their Innate Technique. It was a terrifyingly potent ability, described by Kenjaku as "unconditional technique copying and a boundless well of Cursed Energy."
The Millennium Curse User, Kenjaku: He utilized a brain-hopping technique. Typically, employing such a forbidden art would exact a lethal toll even on the user, but his Innate Technique seemed perfectly adapted for it. Coupled with a Binding Vow that mandated a permanent suture scar across the forehead of any host he possessed, he flawlessly commanded this physical hijacking. Through this technique, he continuously swapped vessels, wielding the Innate Techniques of whatever flesh he wore.
The Protagonist of Jujutsu Kaisen, Yuji Itadori: This was an extreme anomaly. Because Yuji's body functioned as a flesh-and-blood prison for Ryomen Sukuna over a prolonged period, Yuji—who originally possessed no Innate Technique—eventually had Sukuna's Innate Technique etched into his very being due to the proximity of the King of Curses' soul.
Setting aside the first two—both Yuta Okkotsu and Kenjaku were able to copy techniques solely because the specific nature of their own Innate Techniques allowed for it. They were two unique cases in a thousand years of history. It was an absolute rarity, a complete 'black box' of Jujutsu mechanics that defied reverse-engineering.
Yuji Itadori's situation was equally peculiar. The official explanation was:
*Because of Sukuna's presence, when another soul temporarily overwrites Yuji's body, their Cursed Technique is etched into Yuji's flesh, granting him the ability to wield it.*
At first glance, this was an issue pertaining to the domain of the soul. And when it came to the soul, Mahito was the undisputed expert. *I know the answer to this one. Let's copy it!*
Yet, there was still a black box within this theory. Yuji Itadori was, in fact, the descendant of a Sorcerer. The reason his body could act as a cage for Ryomen Sukuna was because Yuji possessed the blood of Ryomen Sukuna himself. In other words, Sukuna's repeated possession of Yuji's body merely awakened his own dormant Innate Technique—an Innate Technique identical to Sukuna's.
It was a dual compatibility of both body and soul that triggered the awakening. At its core, it was still a closed-loop system.
It could be copied, but only halfway.
At this point, theoretically, Mahito had reached a dead end. *Theoretically.*
Remember that remaining "half"?
During the Shinjuku Showdown, a certain Curse User had opened up an entirely new avenue of thought for Mahito. The Seance Technique!
Using one's own body or another's flesh as a vessel, this technique summoned the soul and physical information of the deceased into a new container. This technique flawlessly replicated everything about the deceased while they were alive, including the perfect utilization of their physical prowess.
Here was the crux of the matter—
The Seance Technique perfectly manifested the deceased's physical abilities.
When the Curse User Granny Ogami used her own grandson as a seance vessel to summon the body of the Sorcerer Killer, Toji Fushiguro, her grandson entirely inherited Toji's physical form. The physical replication was so utterly flawless that it even perfectly inherited his Heavenly Restriction.
If a Heavenly Restriction could be perfectly inherited, then an Innate Technique absolutely could be, too! And Mahito... Mahito was a god in the domain of the soul!
All it took was a single touch for his 'Idle Transfiguration' to take effect. The Seance Technique itself wasn't what warranted Mahito's attention; what mattered was the revelation that an Innate Technique etched into the soul could be inherited and utilized by the flesh.
Right here, right now, the theory was complete. All that remained was to see how far Mahito could push it in practice. And wonderfully enough, experimental lab rats could be sourced from Kenjaku at any time.
So... whether he could outgrow Kenjaku's control within a year hinged entirely on this!
"Oh... ohhh..." Haruta Shigemo let out a shuddering sigh of pleasure.
It was, of course, a hallucination. Idle Transfiguration was a tyrannical, domineering ability that rewrote the soul with zero remorse. Without proper defense, a soul would be kneaded and molded like putty at Mahito's whim. Consequently, almost all Jujutsu Sorcerers, when faced with this overwhelming violation, subconsciously deployed Cursed Energy to protect their souls—even if they had no idea how to actually do so.
Low-grade Sorcerers aside, high-level Sorcerers—even without understanding the mechanics—would instinctively mount a defense the moment Idle Transfiguration activated, reacting to the superficial distortion it caused. This was evident in the original narrative during Mahito's clash with Nanami. Nanami had no clue how to guard his soul, but the moment Idle Transfiguration made contact, his Cursed Energy defended against it without his conscious input.
Top-tier Jujutsu Sorcerers, however, could actively use their abilities to armor their souls. The absolute pinnacle of this was the ceiling of Jujutsu combat himself: Ryomen Sukuna. Sukuna was the sole entity who harbored no fear of Idle Transfiguration. He could counterattack the instant Mahito attempted to use it—to the point of nearly killing Mahito outright.
But that guy was an anomaly, universally recognized as the King of Curses.
Haruta Shigemo was not Ryomen Sukuna. He couldn't even be considered a high-level Jujutsu Sorcerer. His Innate Technique was pathetic, and his Cursed Energy reserves were downright pitiful.
Therefore, when Mahito applied Idle Transfiguration, he effortlessly shattered Haruta's subconscious Cursed Energy defenses, forcefully etching his own Cursed Energy into the man's soul.
What was Mahito trying to achieve? Put simply...
He was going to completely dissect and analyze Haruta Shigemo's soul!
This was an incredibly arduous task; frankly, without Idle Transfiguration, Mahito would never have entertained the thought.
If one thought about it critically, it was an absurd endeavor. In his past life, there was a saying: medical science is thirty percent theory and seventy percent empirical experience. To a large degree, the human body was a black box. The deeper medical experts delved, the more profound their reverence for the human form became.
The logic was simple. In his past life, the early development of science was, ironically, driven by the desire to prove the existence of God. This is why many famous scientists turned to religion in their twilight years.
But now, Mahito was going to crack this black box wide open—relying entirely on the power of Idle Transfiguration. Could he do it?
Mahito didn't know. But because his very life depended on it, he *had* to. He must do it, he would do it, and he would make it look easy!
Haruta Shigemo's face suddenly flushed a deep, unnatural crimson, involuntary whimpers spilling from his lips.
Sensing the critical juncture had arrived, Mahito barked an order. "Haruta Shigemo, I am about to elevate your Cursed Energy grade. Drop your Cursed Energy defenses and bare your soul to me, completely and without reservation!"
Kenjaku stepped in, his voice a gentle, venomous purr directed at Haruta. "Shigemo-san, it's painful being looked down upon, isn't it? But right now, an opportunity lies before you. You might die... but then again, you might survive. And if you do, you will become an existence that terrifies the masses. If it were you, what would you choose?"
Those words seemed to shatter the final remnants of Haruta's mental barriers. The veins on his forehead bulged dangerously, his eyes wide and bloodshot, bulging like a bull's. He appeared to fly into a rage, but it wasn't true anger—it was pure, unfiltered release.
He was violently purging the sheer terror of having his soul toyed with by Mahito. He relinquished every last drop of his soul's defense.
He roared at the top of his lungs, "I... I will become their terror! I will slaughter them all! Anyone who stands in my way will die! All of them! DIIIIEEEEE!"
In that split second, Idle Transfiguration slid smoothly over the entirety of Haruta Shigemo's soul. But Mahito didn't alter its shape. Instead, he flowed through the man's spiritual core like a gentle stream. Every single drop of Mahito's Cursed Energy seeped deeply into the framework, missing absolutely nothing.
Roughly thirty seconds later, Mahito released his grip on Haruta's head.
Haruta's eyes rolled back. He collapsed heavily to his knees, gasping for air. He was drenched in cold sweat, looking as though he had just been dragged from the depths of the ocean. And to him, that was likely exactly how it felt; his soul had just been entirely submerged in Idle Transfiguration. Mahito had completely parsed his soul. Right now, Mahito understood Haruta Shigemo better than Haruta understood himself.
Kenjaku narrowed his eyes, asking, "Well, Mahito? Did you get what you were looking for?"
Mahito let out a deeply satisfied sigh. "The harvest... was far greater than I anticipated."
"Oh?" Kenjaku began to pry, but was abruptly cut off.
"I did it—! I actually did it—!" Haruta Shigemo suddenly shrieked. He scrambled to his feet and wildly swung his arm. A massive surge of Cursed Energy coiled around his fist, whipping up a violent gale with the sheer force of the motion. He roared, his Cursed Energy erupting outward. If viewed through the eyes of a Jujutsu Sorcerer, a tempest of Cursed Energy was spiraling into the sky, with Haruta Shigemo standing dead center.
"Th-This isn't just doubled! This is way more than doubled!" Haruta babbled, giddy to the point of incoherence. He flexed his limbs with reckless abandon, as if discovering his own body for the first time. "I'm so strong... I'm incredible! I'm the strongest now! I'm at least ten times stronger than before! Ten times!"
He threw his arms toward the sky, his face twisted in a grotesque sneer. For a fleeting moment, this bizarre, cowardly man actually exuded a sliver of terrifying presence. He howled at the heavens, "From this day forward, I am invincible!"
Swallowing his unasked questions, Kenjaku turned to offer his praise. "Congratulations, Shigemo-san."
"Ah. It's Suguru Geto. Why are you still here?" Haruta cast a disdainful, sideways glance at Kenjaku, his tone dripping with newfound arrogance.
Kenjaku paused for a fraction of a second.
Mahito had to bite his tongue to suppress a laugh. Just moments ago, Haruta had been groveling, calling him 'Lord Suguru Geto.' Now, riding the high of his bloated Cursed Energy, he couldn't even be bothered to use the honorific.
Kenjaku simply shrugged. "Can't be helped. I still need to escort you back, Shigemo-san. By the way... since you've obtained such overwhelming power, why not find someone to test it on?"
Haruta's interest was piqued. "A test drive? Hmm, hmm, hmm... excellent. I'm very interested. Where are you taking me?"
"How about Tokyo, where Satoru Gojo is? Or perhaps we could just launch a direct assault on Tokyo Jujutsu High?" Kenjaku suggested mildly.
Haruta's triumphant grin instantly froze. It took him a long, agonizing moment to force the smile back onto his face.
"Lord Suguru Geto... you really know how to make a joke."
*Ah,* Mahito thought. *Back to 'Lord' Geto, I see.*
It seemed Haruta hadn't been entirely blinded by his surging power. He still had enough self-awareness to realize that even if he was ten times stronger, he was still nothing more than a speck of dust that Satoru Gojo could obliterate in a heartbeat.
As Mahito had noted many times before, this Curse User really knew how to read the room.
Kenjaku maintained his pleasant, unbothered smile.
"I wasn't joking, you know... Lord Haruta Shigemo?" He dragged out the syllables of the honorific, letting the threat hang heavy in the air.
Haruta's face cycled through an incredible spectrum of emotion in less than five seconds: from manic glee, to domineering arrogance, to untouchable hubris, to a harsh reality check, to utter confusion, and finally, to abject terror.
Now, Haruta looked as though he were about to cry.
"Lord Suguru Geto... please, please have mercy on me!"