In the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, the moment a person is born, the presence of an innate technique engraved upon their brain determines their potential as a sorcerer.
Nagasawa felt fortunate to possess such talent. Even if being a sorcerer meant walking hand-in-hand with death, she had chosen this path without hesitation—all to follow the person she admired.
Both Mei Mei and Utahime had once remarked that Nagasawa wasn't particularly bright; she often seemed a bit "daft" regarding the world around her.
But how does one truly define intelligence?
Is it through unique talents that set one apart from the masses? Is it the ability to build an empire from nothing and become a mogul or a high-ranking official? Is it being a top scholar or a renowned scientist?
In Nagasawa's eyes, once a person establishes their own worldview, a "smart" person is simply someone who finds their goal and holds the reins of their life firmly in their own hands.
When she joined Jujutsu High and learned that Hasegumo was an active sorcerer, Nagasawa found her purpose: to become strong enough to stand by his side.
Nagasawa had witnessed Satoru Gojo in battle. His superior technique performance and massive cursed energy reserves were heights she could never hope to reach. After all, innate techniques are a matter of birth, and one's total cursed energy is difficult to increase without a significant life-altering event.
Furthermore, as a woman often perceived as naturally physically weaker, how could she hope to participate in battles of that caliber?
During Hasegumo's ten years of martial arts training, Nagasawa found her own path to power. After extensive study, she realized her talent for Barrier Techniques wasn't particularly outstanding. Combined with her modest cursed energy reserves, she likely wouldn't be able to construct a full Domain Expansion in her lifetime. Thus, she decided to master the secrets of the New Shadow Style—the "Simple Domain."
To her surprise, the Simple Domain felt as if it were tailor-made for her. Not only could she use it with ease, but she also developed various applications that only she could execute.
By combining her Simple Domain with her innate technique, she created a combat style unique to her—the "Style of the Weak."
Back at the scene, Nagasawa watched her opponent transform. She immediately dropped into the classic stance of Shingen-ryu.
As Hasegumo's number one fan and disciple, learning martial arts was a mandatory step in her journey. During Hasegumo's ten-year seclusion, she hadn't just researched her innate technique and Simple Domain; she had also taken Gen Ijichi as her master, spending years studying Shingen-ryu.
While martial arts don't guarantee strength just through effort, they certainly won't yield results without it. Even now, her raw physical prowess was roughly on par with Hasegumo's when he first started training.
Meanwhile, Maki and Panda had retreated to a safe distance to observe. Although Nagasawa's official evaluation was Grade 2, she knew exactly what kind of opponents she could handle. If a target showed up as "Red" on her HUD, it was either a bad elemental match for her style or an incredibly powerful Special Grade. If Maki and Panda tried to fight this thing, they'd likely be killed in seconds. While she could have extended her technique to protect them, doing so would leak her own data—and she needed to rely on information asymmetry to win.
In the air, Dagon stood still like a dazed fool. His expression was blank, but his mind was racing with urgency.
He felt it. Jogo's presence had suddenly become incredibly faint. This meant that an unexpectedly powerful sorcerer was likely at the center of the Curtain.
"Is she trying to bait me into attacking first?" Nagasawa thought. "Fine, a test run won't hurt."
Relying on the fact that her body was already "Data-fied" by her technique, she didn't fear being killed in one hit. Despite the oversized backpack she wore, her movements were as agile as a dragon's. In a blur of motion, she bridged the gap in three steps, lunged forward, and leapt high, driving a punch toward Dagon's back.
"So fast!" Maki exclaimed from the distance. To her eyes, Nagasawa was a mere flash before Dagon was slammed into the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
Maki, burdened by an incomplete Heavenly Restriction, possessed physical stats far beyond the average sorcerer. For her to call someone "fast" was a testament to the benefits of Nagasawa's Data-fication.
Her technique functioned differently when applied to herself versus others. On herself, it boosted physical stats and granted a near-broken "CC Immunity." Techniques that hit the soul directly, like Mahito's, posed no threat to her. By setting herself as the sole "Technique Object," she could completely ignore the effects of Idle Transfiguration. This was why Mahito appeared as "Green" (No Threat) on her data panel.
Splooosh!
The sound of rushing water erupted. From where Dagon had been hammered into the earth, a towering tidal wave surged forth. Panda and Maki stared in shock. To put it in Naruto terms: using Water Style of this level in a place with no water? Was this guy the second coming of the Second Hokage?
But there was no contract involved. Dagon was the manifestation of the ocean itself. Summoning waves that covered dozens of meters was as natural to him as breathing.
After terraforming the environment, Dagon glanced back. Nagasawa hadn't jumped into the trees like the others. She stood her ground, allowing the wave—now taller than her head—to crash over her. She remained as immovable as a mountain.
With an unintelligible cry, Dagon surged through the water toward her. The two began a brutal exchange beneath the surface.
"Why is Nagasawa-sensei fighting him in the water?" Panda asked, perched precariously on a thin branch. His massive frame made the wood creak ominously.
"You're asking me? I can't even see them anymore," Maki said, waving a hand dismissively. "We'd be useless if we jumped in. If Nagasawa-sensei gets hurt, grab her and run immediately. I'll stall the enemy."
"Why am I the one running?"
"Shut up. Preserving our core strength is priority one."
Despite their bickering, both were sweating for Nagasawa. Fighting an enemy in their ideal environment was a recipe for disaster. Humans can't breathe underwater, and intense physical exertion causes rapid oxygen depletion. Without surfacing for air, a person would quickly succumb to dizziness and loss of motor control.
It was a basic principle, and Nagasawa understood it better than anyone. However, her technique allowed her to ignore environmental hazards. In her Data-fied state, breathing wasn't a necessity. If she wished, she could hold her breath for ten hours without a problem.
The surface of the water churned violently, spray flying into the air and crashing back down.
Soon, the flood began to recede, revealing the muddy ground and the two combatants standing several paces apart.
"Nagasawa-sensei doesn't look hurt... but neither does the curse."
"I have eyes, Panda."
"But the HP bar over sensei's head is almost empty."
"I said, I have eyes!"
When people transition from extreme tension to sudden relief, they often feel a compulsive need to talk. Maki and Panda were no different. They were on an emotional rollercoaster—relieved to see her standing, only to be plunged back into dread by the state of her health bar.
Nagasawa's body showed no physical wounds, but her HP bar was down to its final fifth.
"This guy takes off 5% of my HP with every casual hit, and his CQC is better than mine," Nagasawa noted, checking her panel to confirm her current HP. Despite the disadvantage, she had the answer she needed: the enemy had no "Hard CC" (crowd control) abilities that could bypass her logic. She could safely expand her technique to include Dagon.
Nagasawa crossed her index fingers, forming a specific hand seal.
"Technique Extension: Game World."
On the other side, Dagon flexed his body, feeling no ill effects. He saw the bar over the woman's head and correctly surmised it represented her life force—and that she likely wouldn't take physical damage until that bar was depleted.
Hearing her declare the expansion of her technique, Dagon looked up, trying to see what she had done to him. But the air above his head was empty. He saw nothing.
"Aside from my HUD, the HP bars can only be seen by others. Since he has no allies here, no one will tell him," Nagasawa smiled.
Until the technique was deactivated, the opponent couldn't see their own health. Because of the Data-fication, no wounds would appear on Dagon's body. He wouldn't realize he needed to heal. All she had to do now was chip away at him with low-risk ranged attacks.
As her expression shifted, the bar above Nagasawa's head began to slowly tick upward—a feature of applying the technique to herself: "Out-of-Combat Health Regeneration."
"What are you smiling at?" Dagon spat.
He was desperate to leave, unaware that heading toward the center of the Curtain would be even more suicidal. He was also unaware that the woman before him already considered the match won.
Dagon was still trying to conserve energy. With his cursed energy levels, opening a Domain would leave him unable to sustain a high-intensity follow-up fight.
"This is absurd... What?" Seeing her shamelessly regenerate health, Dagon prepared to hurl a few threats and then finish her off before she could recover.
But in that moment, a wave of profound sorrow washed over him. He sensed the death of his companions. At the center of the Curtain, Hasegumo had finished his "chat" and deleted Jogo and Hanami with a single strike.
Dagon's mouth hung open. He tried to scream, but all that came out was a weak, choked sob. "..."
"Now's my chance!"
Nagasawa didn't hesitate. Seeing him falter, she scrapped the plan for a war of attrition and reached into her oversized backpack for a "Divine Artifact."
The item was a custom piece by the "Gun Saint" of Japan, Tetsuya Yamagami. It was a product of the Second Industrial Revolution fused with Cursed Energy—a special Cursed Tool capable of converting CE into bullets.
Six matte-black barrels began to spin, spitting out a tongue of blue-violet flame that instantly swallowed the Special Grade curse.
As the old poem goes:
Namo Gatling Bodhisattva,Six barrels of pure Cursed Energy rounds,Three thousand six hundred spins per breath,Saving the world with infinite merit.