Because Mahito had suppressed his Cursed Energy, Nanami couldn't gauge the true extent of his strength. Out of caution, he subconsciously raised his hand to check the time, confirming when his overtime would begin.
But Mahito noticed this small gesture. Pointing at Nanami's watch, he said,"You're checking how long until overtime so you can fight me at full strength, right?"
The moment Nanami heard those words, his body froze, and a chill rose from the depths of his soul… How could he possibly know?
But that moment of fear lasted only a second. As a seasoned Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer, Nanami quickly regained control over his emotions.
Simultaneously, he drew his Cleaver, preparing for combat. To be thorough, he decided to explain the principle of his Cursed Technique to Mahito before the fight fully began, hoping to enhance his power through a Technique Reveal. He started,"My Cursed Technique can apply to—"
But at that instant, Mahito's mouth contorted, stretching his lips into a fleshy megaphone. Using this grotesque form, he amplified his voice, easily drowning out Nanami in the quiet of the sewer channel.
"Your Cursed Technique forcibly creates weak points on any target's body, in a seven-to-three ratio. This divides the target into segments, with the weak point at the partition line. Hit that spot, and the damage is immense under your technique.
"What else… Oh yes, even if your opponent is stronger than you, you can still deal considerable damage. And if their Cursed Energy is weaker than yours, this dull blade can sever them in a single strike. I haven't misspoken, have I? So, your Technique Reveal… has failed, hasn't it?"
Nanami's mind went blank, consumed by a single thought: Escape!
It was no longer a matter of victory or defeat. Mahito knew everything about him, while he knew nothing about this Cursed Spirit. This was a trap set specifically for him. There was no time to consider how Mahito had acquired this knowledge. This must be the Cursed Spirit Satoru Gojo had been hunting.
He had to notify Gojo immediately. With that thought, Nanami turned to run and reached for his phone.
But in that instant, a surge of Cursed Energy erupted behind him.
"Idle Transfiguration: Complete Manifestation."
As the energy exploded, Nanami turned to see Mahito, now in Complete Manifestation, sweeping past him with terrifying speed. He didn't even have time to form a proper horizontal guard—his left palm was severed instantly, blood gushing from the wound.
Mahito appeared in front of him, toying with Nanami's phone.
"How annoying. I don't want outsiders interrupting our little reunion. Let's enjoy our time together, since soon we'll be the same kind~"
With that, he crushed the phone in his hand.
Nanami's head was drenched in sweat. The sharp pain radiating from his wrist made him realize the truth: this was not an opponent he could handle.
It had probably been years—since his last mission with Yu Haibara—that Nanami had felt such a raw, soul-deep fear, one he would never forget. He was likely going to die.
The gap in strength was so vast that any thought of resistance felt futile. If one had to describe it, it would be like asking Kusakabe to fight Sukuna.
Nanami couldn't understand why Mahito, possessing such immense power, had gone to such lengths to trap him. Surely, in the theater, simply empowering those two Transfigured Humans would have been enough to kill or severely injure him. But why go through all this?
Just as despair began to overwhelm him, the figure of Yu Haibara appeared in his mind—resolute, blocking a Cursed Spirit to allow an escape.
In that instant, Nanami understood: he could not give up. Abandoning this hard-won life would betray not only himself but also the sacrifices of others.
His severed left hand caused his wristwatch to fall. Nanami channeled a surge of Cursed Energy and stomped, shattering the watch.
I am going to survive—no matter what.
"I will never be the same kind as you!" Nanami steeled himself, forcing his body to endure the stabbing pain of his wrist and the loss of control from his missing hand.
"Oh? I thought you'd given up. You've gotten motivated quickly, haven't you?" Mahito sneered, clearly underestimating the Cursed Energy-boosted Nanami.
Rapidly, Nanami calculated an escape. He eyed the mottled brick walls of the sewer and formed a plan: using the Ten Shadows Technique, Wara Wara, he would target the wall structure to collapse debris above, restricting the Cursed Spirit's movement. Then he could escape to the surface, where the city's surveillance would alert the "Window" personnel. News would reach Satoru Gojo quickly. If he could just survive until Gojo arrived, all would be resolved.
Gathering his strength, Nanami hurled his Cleaver at Mahito and, in that split second, dashed toward the wall, preparing to execute the crucial Wara Wara.
But just as his fist neared the wall, a dark shadow flashed. Nanami's fist did hit, but the structural collapse never occurred. Instead, his right forearm was severed, blood splattering the wall like crimson spider lilies.
In despair, he saw Mahito, who had deactivated Complete Manifestation, retracting only the part that had maintained the technique—his own right forearm—like it were made of rubber.
Attached to Mahito's Idle Transfiguration elbow was the black blade that had severed Nanami's arm.
"If you're in such a hurry to leave, I guess I'll speed things up a bit," Mahito said, smiling.