Due to Jogo's severe injuries, the Four Calamities did not take any overtly aggressive actions during this period.
On the other hand, Mahito was actually testing Gojo Satoru's reactions by targeting those close to him, deliberately using this month to observe. Anger, after all, would work in his favor; it always clouds judgment and could, conversely, force Gojo Satoru to reveal more openings.
However, at the same time, Gojo Satoru might also resort to even more extreme measures.
Aside from anger, there was another possibility: Gojo Satoru could respond with cold restraint. That would be even more troublesome, as Mahito would find it difficult to gauge the changes brought about by such behavior.
As for why Mahito was carrying out these provocations against Gojo Satoru, it was because, in his mind, the Shibuya Incident could have multiple outcomes. It wasn't that the only choice was to cooperate with Kenjaku to use the Prison Realm; they could also redirect Gojo Satoru's spearhead toward Kenjaku, letting the two clash in an all-out battle while they played the role of the mantis stalking the cicada, eventually taking care of both.
Jogo, who had shrunk due to his injuries, sat to the side. Perhaps because his power had not fully recovered, his overall aggressiveness had diminished somewhat, faintly giving off a sense of calm.
In a rare, peaceful tone, Jogo asked Mahito, "You said that besides killing Jujutsu Sorcerers without using Cursed Energy, there's another way to potentially improve a Cursed Spirit's strength. Is it also about increasing the overall power of Cursed Spirits?"
Beside him, Mahito continued practicing to refine his proficiency with Idle Transfiguration while answering Jogo.
"Are you talking about that? That method isn't for that, no. It's for enhancing individual strength."
"Is there any other way besides growing with time and devouring humans?" Jogo asked, curiosity flickering in his tone.
"You should remember, right? We are born from the negative emotions generated by humans. As long as the specific negative emotion that serves as our source doesn't disappear, even if we die, we can still be reborn as a brand-new existence after a certain period of time."
Mahito did not give a direct answer but instead guided Jogo to follow his line of thought.
Listening to Mahito's explanation, Jogo began to faintly grasp Mahito's meaning, though his understanding was still somewhat vague. Seeking confirmation, he asked hesitantly, "Are you saying the key lies in the source of our birth?"
Having repeatedly performed Idle Transfiguration, Mahito also felt exhausted from the high consumption of Cursed Energy in such a short period. He deactivated the technique, walked over to sit beside Jogo, and continued speaking.
"Exactly. The so-called Cursed Energy that grows over time, and the fact that we can be reborn after a period following death, both seem to occur because time passes. But perhaps, in essence, it's not because of the passage of time, but because of the accumulation of the source negative emotions within humans."
"Accumulation?" Jogo repeated. Although he was highly intelligent among Cursed Spirits, he rarely considered problems from this perspective.
"Yes, accumulation. Essentially, it's not about waiting for time to pass, but about waiting for the source curse to grow as time passes. In other words, as long as we can increase people's fear and other negative emotions directed at our source, we can shorten the required waiting time and potentially gain a terrifying boost in a short period." Mahito fully disclosed the conclusion of his thoughts to Jogo.
"..."
After a brief pause, Jogo spoke, his voice carrying shock—absolute shock.
Following Mahito's logic, Jogo realized this possibility was extremely high.
Mahito continued, speaking more to himself than to Jogo: "Actually, I have the manga information to thank for this realization. That fellow Geto has a Special Grade Cursed Spirit called Kurourushi, which can reproduce so that its offspring inherit the cursed power after being exorcised, achieving near-instant rebirth."
[Small Tip: This part is an extension of the setting. There is no official confirmation. It is a headcanon applicable only to this book.]
"Rebirth without an interval… is that even possible?" Jogo found it hard to believe that a Special Grade Cursed Spirit could be reborn so quickly after death.
"If it were you or me, we probably couldn't do it. That fellow's strength isn't at our level, which may be why he can be reborn so quickly. Another factor is reproduction itself; leaving behind another specific individual who can carry the cursed power acts as an anchor. For us, we likely can't imitate that, so the focus should be on enhancement rather than rebirth."
Mahito explained carefully, analyzing the situation for Jogo. Jogo remained silent, seriously absorbing Mahito's insights.
Mahito continued, outlining his plans for the future.
"Although a method exists, the difficulty of implementation varies greatly among the four of us. Among us, only you are the most suitable, which is why I haven't rushed to begin during this time."
Jogo pointed at himself in surprise. "Me?"
"Hanami is the forest; just thinking about spreading that terror to humans is a headache. Dagon is the ocean; we can't offer much help beyond himself, and he isn't mature enough yet. As for me, I am the hatred and fear between humans; I have a suitable plan, but now is not the time. But your source is their fear of the Earth. I think as long as we detonate Mount Fuji, it should be enough."
As Mahito spoke, he used the index fingers and thumbs of both hands to form a frame, aiming at the distant Mount Fuji.
This bold idea left even Jogo stunned. "Detonate Mount Fuji…?"
"Yes. If we do that, that fear will surely boil over in the hearts of humans!" Mahito said, revealing a cruel yet innocent smile.