Six Years Later
Inside the grand, private martial arts dojo reserved exclusively for the Head of the Zenin Clan.
A strikingly handsome young boy with raven-black hair and deep, obsidian eyes sat cross-legged on the polished wooden floor. He was staring intently at an impossibly advanced piece of technology that was entirely anachronistic to the current era.
It was a sleek, full-screen smartphone forged entirely from white gold, intricately engraved with mysterious, complex circuitry patterns in purple, yellow, and red gold.
The boy was Mirai.
Just yesterday, on his sixth birthday, he had officially taken the reins of the clan from his adoptive father, Naobito, making him the youngest—and undoubtedly the most terrifying—Clan Head in Zenin history.
The "smartphone" resting in his palm was actually the Shura Armor Summoner. Originally, the device was supposed to look like an outdated flip phone. However, the first time Mirai summoned it from its dormant state, he had casually muttered, "A flip phone is way too low-end," and the sentient device had instantly transformed into its current, modern configuration.
I must say, you're quite adaptable, Mirai thought.
Looking at the tiny [3%] battery icon flashing in the upper right corner of the screen, Mirai let out a heavy, exasperated sigh.
"Seriously... Shura-san, I've been passively charging you with my cursed energy for six entire years. How are you still only at three bars of power?"
Right on cue, a mechanical, utterly emotionless female voice echoed directly within his mind:
[The Shura Armor requires the strongest energy in the universe to exert its true power.] [Those with impure minds or insufficient absolute strength are entirely incapable of equipping the Shura Armor. Any forced attempt will result in automatic uninstallation.] [The same absolute standard applies to replenishing its energy reserves.]
Mirai stroked his chin, his young face adopting an expression of profound seriousness. "Does the ultimate, most unbridled lecherous energy count as the strongest energy?"
[...]
The system was rendered entirely speechless.
If I wasn't already permanently bound to your soul, I would uninstall myself right now, the armor practically radiated.
Seeing that the Shura Armor was giving him the silent treatment, Mirai smirked in amusement and stood up.
Not far away, a voluptuous figure in a stunning kimono stood silently at the edge of the dojo, waiting as dutifully as a devoted statue. Without a trace of makeup, her mature, breathtaking face radiated a quiet, deeply affectionate intensity. Her eyes were moist with adoration, her gaze fixated entirely on the young clan head.
Seeing that Mirai had finished his daily "meditation," Takayanagi Mieko's soft, perfectly pink lips curled into a mesmerizing smile.
She glided gracefully to his side. With practiced gentleness, she straightened his collar and dabbed the nonexistent sweat from his forehead with a silk handkerchief.
"Mirai-sama, the annual exchange banquet hosted by the Three Great Families is approaching in a few days," she murmured smoothly. "The former head..."
Remembering that Mirai was officially the patriarch as of yesterday, Mieko quickly corrected herself. "...Naobito-sama has requested your presence this year. I have also heard rumors that the Gojo clan's 'Six Eyes Divine Child' will be making his debut at this event."
"Oh? Satoru is finally leaving the compound?"
Mirai rested a hand on his chin, letting out a dark, distinctly adult chuckle. "Fascinating. It seems those decaying old fossils in the Gojo clan can't resist the urge to flex their authority over the younger generation."
If they don't parade their precious prodigy in front of the Zenin and Kamo clans now, they might drop dead of old age before they get the chance to brag, Mirai sneered inwardly, recalling the bruised, hypocritical faces of the Gojo elders.
"My, my~"
Seeing Mirai's blatant lack of respect, Mieko frowned slightly, tapping a delicate jade finger against his forehead in a rare display of chiding. "Young Master, you really should show a little more respect to your elders~ Ever since the truth of your mother giving birth to twins was settled, those men have harbored a great deal of guilt toward you. They genuinely want to make amends..."
"Okay, okay!" Mirai rolled his eyes, waving his small hands helplessly. "I've heard you say this a thousand times, Auntie Mieko. I'll behave. I promise."
Humming in soft satisfaction, Mieko folded her hands elegantly over her stomach, bowed respectfully, and slowly backed out of the dojo to prepare his evening bath and dinner.
Because Mirai was utterly indifferent—and downright hostile—to almost everyone in the Zenin compound aside from Naobito, Ogi, and herself, Mieko had taken it upon herself to coddle him. She adored him so fiercely she would personally brush every strand of his hair if she could. From dressing and washing to eating and sleeping, she managed his entire existence.
If he wasn't careful, he was going to be completely spoiled rotten by her.
Mirai shook his head, clearing his mind of distractions.
Since Satoru is attending... as his older brother, it is my sacred duty to prepare an unforgettable surprise for him!
As his competitive drive flared, the pitch-black shadow beneath his feet began to bubble and writhe like boiling tar.
"Are you guys getting impatient down there?" Mirai whispered to the darkness. "Don't worry. The world will soon know who the true, uncrowned king of jujutsu society is."
The Ten Shadows Technique. The prized inheritance of the Zenin clan, granting the user absolute dominion over ten specific, powerful shikigami.
In Mirai's eyes, it was easily the most versatile, comprehensive, and high-ceiling innate technique in the entire Jujutsu Kaisen universe. Upon awakening the technique, the user is immediately granted two starting shikigami: the Divine Dogs (Black and White).
The remaining nine must be conquered and tamed in an exorcism ritual before they can be summoned in combat: Nue, Great Serpent, Toad, Round Deer, Piercing Ox, Max Elephant, Escape Rabbit, Mourning Tiger, and finally, the divine general itself, Mahoraga.
With offense, absolute defense, healing, and overwhelming utility, a fully tamed Ten Shadows arsenal makes the user a flawless, hexagonal warrior. And while the technique's singular weakness is the vulnerability of the summoner themselves, Mirai's Stand, Lexus, completely nullified that flaw, acting as an invincible personal bodyguard.
It was the ultimate Best Match!
Currently, Mirai was only six years old. Yet, relying on the overwhelming, rule-breaking power of Lexus, he had already successfully subjugated nine of the ten shikigami. Mahoraga was the only one left.
Even with just nine shikigami and his Stand, Mirai was confident he could utterly decimate any Grade 1 sorcerer alive. Even if he ran into a pseudo-Special Grade curse without a Domain Expansion, he could effortlessly tear it apart.
However... he didn't dare initiate the taming ritual for Mahoraga just yet.
Like every previous Ten Shadows user in history, Mirai faced the exact same insurmountable hurdle: a lack of absolute, one-shot burst firepower. Mahoraga's ability to adapt to any and all phenomena meant that a battle of attrition was a death sentence. Even if Lexus could brawl with Mahoraga until the end of time, it wouldn't matter. If you can't obliterate the Divine General in a single, overwhelming strike, you cannot kill it. It was completely unreasonable.
Mirai currently had two paths to victory.
The first was the Shura Armor. Even though he had only charged enough energy to sustain the armor for exactly three seconds, three seconds of a fully realized Tokusatsu ultimate attack would easily vaporize Mahoraga before its wheel even clicked once. But to withstand the physical toll of equipping the armor, Mirai would have to wait until his body fully matured at age eighteen.
But Mirai refused to rely solely on an external franchise's power to conquer a Jujutsu problem.
I refuse to believe the Ten Shadows Technique itself doesn't possess the inherent firepower to slay Mahoraga, he thought.
In the original timeline, Ryomen Sukuna had utilized the rule of Totality—permanently fusing destroyed shikigami—to create the Chimera Beast Agito (a fusion of Nue, Great Serpent, Mourning Tiger, and Round Deer). Agito possessed enough raw power and regeneration to fight on par with Special Grades.
This provided Mirai with a deeply practical, terrifying idea.
What if I intentionally initiated the rule of Totality on a massive scale? If he permanently fused all nine of his currently tamed shikigami into one singular, ultimate entity... how monstrous would the resulting Chimera be? Would its raw cursed energy output rival a Special Grade sorcerer? Would it possess a unified ultimate attack capable of vaporizing Mahoraga in one shot?
With the unparalleled cursed energy manipulation granted to him by the Six Eyes, Mirai was incredibly eager to find out.
System Log: Classified Asset
[Equipment:] Shura Armor Summoner
[Lore Introduction:] Forged for absolute combat. Capable of infinite evolution. Transcends gods and demons to judge all creation.
[Current Disguise:] Full-screen smartphone
[Attribute:] Law / Reality Warping
[Elemental Affinities:] Wind, Fire, Thunder, Darkness, Time, Space.
[Operational Constraints:] Only when the wielder possesses the "Strongest Energy in the Universe" can the Shura Armor reach 100% capacity. Once fully charged, the fusion time limit is permanently removed, unlocking the true form of the Purgatory Shura.
Until the wielder achieves that absolute peak, the battery percentage [Currently: 3%] strictly dictates the maximum time limit the armor can be materialized—measured in seconds.
A/N: For this week, every 100 Powerstones will get ya'll an extra chapter! Thank you!