If one were to rank the Special Grade Sorcerers, Gojo Satoru is the undisputed number one. So who is number two? It's Yuta Okkotsu.
Yuki Tsukumo is the weakest of the three existing Special Grade Sorcerers.
It's not because she isn't strong, but because those ranked above her are too powerful. Gojo Satoru's Six Eyes combined with Limitless is invincible under heaven. Yuta Okkotsu's unconditional copying of others' Innate Techniques is also so strong it leaves people speechless. In comparison, even Yuki Tsukumo, who theoretically has the power to sink Japan with a single punch, seems ordinary.
If he retreated now when facing Yuki Tsukumo, what would he do when facing Yuta Okkotsu in the future? What about facing Gojo Satoru? Would he still retreat? Where else could he retreat to?
Mahito was certainly not mindlessly going to see Yuki Tsukumo; he would only do so if he had a certain chance of winning.
Don't forget, Mahito also had a "Special Grade Sorcerer" template: Kinji Hakari. He had already perfectly assimilated this Special Grade template.
The first time he used "Simple Domain: Descent," a single breath could only create a crater dozens of meters wide. But during the battle at the Zen'in clan, when he transformed into a dragon, a single breath could create an abyss two kilometers in diameter, with an impact range reaching ten kilometers.
He had truly become stronger, and at an exponential rate.
If not for the threat of Domain Expansion, Mahito was one hundred percent certain that Yuki Tsukumo would be no match for him at all. Even if she could sink Japan with one punch, she was still fragile.
That's right, she was fragile. Although she could use her Cursed Technique to deliver a punch equivalent to a falling star, these techniques didn't actually change her own physical density. Her body was still a human body. To recover, she also needed to use the Reverse Cursed Technique for regeneration. She was no different from any other fragile human; she was a glass cannon.
It was just that this cannon's power was a bit too excessive. And another thing—she couldn't fly.
She couldn't fly and was also fragile; Mahito had plenty of ways to deal with her.
Unless Yuki Tsukumo went crazy and performed a massive self-detonation to compress the Earth into a 2 cm glass ball, she simply couldn't do anything to Mahito.
Of course, that was a duel of their respective Cursed Techniques. But besides her simple Innate Technique, Yuki Tsukumo also had a finishing move—Domain Expansion. Dealing with Yuki Tsukumo alone wasn't really stressful for Mahito, but dealing with a Yuki Tsukumo who possessed Domain Expansion… that was extremely stressful.
So, when Ashiya Magon made viewing the mirokuji kirigiri a condition for teaching Mahito the Simple Domain with all his heart, he couldn't refuse—and he shouldn't refuse. This was a swordsmanship master's love for a peerless sword, and he humbly only asked to see it. How could he refuse?
Mahito had once told Ashiya Magon that he wasn't interested in the Simple Domain, but clearly, the plan had changed. He now needed the Simple Domain very much—extremely so.
As for the multi-fused souls Kenjaku mentioned, Mahito never intended to use them on Yuki Tsukumo from the start. In this regard, his thoughts aligned with Kenjaku's: unless facing Gojo Satoru, he would never use it.
Mahito brought out the mirokuji kirigiri that Ashiya Magon had been longing for. Ashiya Magon gently stroked the kirigiri's scabbard and sighed, "Truly a fine sword."
Kenjaku glanced at him. "Old friend, you haven't even drawn the blade from the scabbard."
"Why is there a need to draw it?" Ashiya Magon's tone was sorrowful. "I can feel the sword's emotions. She is feeling ashamed and sad for not keeping up with her master's footsteps. She is riddled with scars but full of defiance. She hopes to stay by her master's side forever."
Kinji Hakari was fiddling with his phone, wondering how to call Yuki Tsukumo back. Just then, he heard Ashiya Magon's words and looked completely bewildered. He craned his neck to peek at the undrawn straight-bladed greatsword. "Is it really that mystical? I thought you were reciting poetry."
Mahito smiled and placed the kirigiri horizontally in front of him, then bit by bit drew her from the scabbard. In an instant, it was as if a silver moon had emerged from the sheath, cold and proud. A soft metallic ring sounded, and a flash of light struck everyone's eyes. For a moment, everyone closed their eyes, as if a sharp blade had approached their eyeballs and pierced into their brains.
Ashiya Magon praised loudly, "Good! Good! Good! Truly an unparalleled sword under heaven!"
"I see the cracks on the blade, but there isn't a trace of cowardice. It's like a heavily wounded warrior scanning all of creation with hawk-like eyes! This is definitely not an illusion. This sword can surely strike a blow that transcends time. She can pierce through the mortal world, she can fly past Three Thousand Crows, she can dictate life and death! Truly a god-slaying sword!"
Kinji Hakari said to Kenjaku next to him, "This old man has gone crazy."
Kenjaku nodded in deep agreement. "He's endured for a thousand years; he's finally snapped."
Well, although mirokuji kirigiri was a base material Kenjaku gave to Mahito to cultivate into a Tsukumogami, he didn't think it would be…
…of much use. His view was the same as Kinji Hakari's: mirokuji kirigiri was indeed a good weapon, but it was limited to being just a weapon—a transitional tool that would eventually be phased out.
Otherwise, Kenjaku wouldn't have told Mahito to just replace it without any psychological burden after mirokuji kirigiri was heavily damaged.
Ashiya Magon glanced sideways at Kinji Hakari and Kenjaku, not bothering to pay them any mind. "Mahito, I already understand what you mean. You want to completely integrate swordsmanship into your combat system?"
Mahito slowly returned the kirigiri to its sheath. The moon-like blade disappeared from Ashiya Magon's sight. He looked full of regret but knew this was the best way to handle the heavily damaged blade. Until they found a swordsmith who could repair kirigiri, it was best to keep the sword in its current state, sheathed.
"Exactly. You are the strongest swordsmanship Jujutsu Sorcerer in this world. I believe if it's you, you can definitely provide me with the answer," Mahito said.
Ashiya Magon became self-satisfied. "You've really asked the right person!"
Then, with his hands behind his back and a face full of loneliness, he looked up at the sky and sighed:
"Mahito, you have more comprehension ability than me. You understood the principle that 'a man is like a sword, and looking at a sword is like looking at a person' earlier than I did. You are not like other Jujutsu Sorcerers; as Kenjaku said, if they had any other choice, who would want to enter my sect? But none of them understand that the New Shadow Style is a thing that embraces all rivers. Any Cursed Technique can be merged into the New Shadow Style without any hesitation."
Kenjaku said happily, "I'm still here, old friend."
"Even if Tengen were here, I would say the same," Ashiya Magon said proudly.
"What about Ryomen Sukuna?" Kenjaku asked curiously.
"Ryomen Sukuna…" Ashiya Magon's tone was complex. "Although Ryomen Sukuna ruined my life, trampled my pride under his feet and crushed it repeatedly—he wouldn't even spare me a glance and treated me with the utmost contempt—I must admit, it is precisely because of his existence that I am certain swordsmanship can reign supreme over the jujutsu world. He is my guiding post."
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