"Let me be clear, I won't refund the commission fee."
In a red car, the two individuals whose injuries had been healed by Round Deer were chatting idly.
"I know, the commission didn't specify the number of Shikigami to tame, so this isn't a failed commission."
Eichi had no objections to this and was already thinking about how to tame Mahoraga next time.
If he could tame Mahoraga before entering high school, then at least until his third year, he would be stronger than Satoru and Suguru.
As he thought about it, a scene appeared in his mind.
A four-panel comic where Gojo, who couldn't yet use Cursed Technique Reversal: Red or Hollow Technique: Purple, was defeated by Mahoraga, his expressions shifting from confusion to shock to tears.
"Pfft."
Eichi couldn't help but laugh out loud, a childlike innocence appearing on his face.
"You, of all people, make an expression like that?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Eichi looked at Toji with a puzzled expression.
"No, it's nothing."
When he first met this kid, he exuded a maturity that didn't match his age.
When Toji had first left the Zen'in Family, everyone was afraid to approach him because of his fierce expression. But this kid had inexplicably come over and said, "We're both the same, so let's help each other out. If anyone bullies me in the future, remember to help me fight back."
What a strange kid.
Later, after meeting his beloved, she often asked Toji, "Which of you two is the adult, and which is the child?"
Perhaps tired, Eichi quickly leaned back in his seat and fell into a deep sleep.
"Only at times like this does he seem like a kid."
Looking at the young face in the passenger seat, Toji quietly slowed down the car.
He remembered his beloved saying that one should be gentle when a child is asleep, as loud noises could wake them up.
In the quiet atmosphere, time passed into the next day.
"An unfamiliar ceiling. I must have fallen asleep in Toji's car last night."
Rolling out of bed, Eichi surveyed his surroundings.
"It doesn't look like a hotel, so it must be Toji's house."
Thud.
"Wah!"
The sound of an object colliding and a cry of pain came from the next room. Eichi hesitated for a moment, then decided to check it out.
Opening the door, he saw two small figures.
Are these Megumi and Tsumiki?
Megumi was sitting on the floor, holding his head with both hands, clearly in pain after bumping into something. Tsumiki was crouching beside him, gently patting his head and murmuring, "It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt."
"Finally awake, huh? The sun's already high in the sky."
Toji's voice came from behind him.
"Is this your house? Aren't you watching your two kids?" Eichi turned and asked.
"No need, their mom will take care of them."
After saying that, Toji opened a bottle of beer from the fridge and started watching TV.
Eichi's mouth twitched as he suppressed the urge to complain.
He thought that if Toji were to raise him, Megumi wouldn't even survive until Gojo found him.
As expected of the most tragic, tool-like male lead ever written by Gege.
Why call him a tool? Because if you look at the entire plot, the purpose of Megumi's existence so far has been to serve Sukuna.
This can be seen by comparing Gege's character designs. The characters he truly values are all designed to be "perfect."
For example, Suguru, despite being a summoner-type sorcerer, possesses top-tier martial arts, capable of subduing a Curse User equally skilled in close combat with just two moves.
Moreover, his Cursed Energy reserves are enormous. During the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, he released thousands of Cursed Spirits to attack two cities simultaneously.
His technique activation doesn't even require hand seals, and in the entire story, he has never run out of Cursed Energy.
That means his Cursed Energy output efficiency is extremely high.
In contrast, Fushiguro Megumi, the Potential Man, whom Gege Cat labeled a "genius."
The Ten Shadows Technique's Shikigami summoning requires hand seals and has a noticeable delay. Increasing the number of summoned Shikigami is difficult. Forget releasing thousands like Geto, even summoning three or five leaves him drained.
His martial arts are average, and in battle, he often runs low on Cursed Energy after summoning a few Shikigami.
Most importantly, Mahoraga. Gege made Mahoraga the strongest Shikigami of the Ten Shadows Technique, and it lives up to that title.
But this Shikigami was prepared for Sukuna.
Why?
Because Gege left no means within the Ten Shadows Technique to actually subdue Mahoraga.
For example, when introducing Mai Zen'in's Construction Technique, he stated that Construction is one of the least efficient Techniques in terms of Cursed Energy conversion.
In other words, while others deal 10 damage with 10 Cursed Energy, Construction can only deal 1 damage with 10 Cursed Energy.
Among the Ten Shadows Technique, Piercing Ox is nearly the strongest Shikigami in terms of attack power when it lands.
Under that premise, Sukuna, whose Cursed Energy far surpasses Yorozu's, summoned Piercing Ox, and its hit on Yorozu's insect armor only shattered part of it, not even severely injuring her.
If Piercing Ox's attack is like that, how much stronger could the other Shikigami of similar rank—Max Elephant, Tiger Funeral, Divine Dogs, Great Serpent, or Nue—possibly be?
But according to the plot's development, if Sukuna is the one to subdue Mahoraga, everything makes sense.
Gege didn't care whether Megumi, the so-called "male lead," could tame Mahoraga, because Mahoraga was originally prepared for Sukuna, the King of Curses, who possessed a powerful second Technique.
And the reason?
Naturally, Gojo Satoru.
As mentioned earlier, Gege loves creating "perfect" characters.
Gojo Satoru is perfection itself, both in stats and in mechanics.
So perfect that even the equally perfect Sukuna had to give his all to defeat him.
But that wouldn't do.
Gojo isn't the protagonist.
The great Devil King Sukuna must be defeated by the protagonist.
However, Sukuna couldn't reveal his trump card so early in his battle with Gojo, or else the later victory of the protagonist would feel meaningless, with all glory belonging to Gojo.
Troubled, Gege thought: Sukuna can possess others, right? I'll give the male lead a Shikigami capable of defeating Gojo, then let Sukuna take it. Wouldn't that solve everything?
That way, Gojo's defeat would be justified, and the protagonist's side would still be strengthened later. Two birds with one stone.
Thus, Mahoraga was born. The strongest Shikigami, often mentioned alongside the Six Eyes, whose greatest purpose before Sukuna's arrival was to die together with its summoner.
Gege didn't care whether the Ten Shadows Technique's Shikigami were balanced or progressively stronger.
Because Sukuna would handle it. That's why the Ten Shadows Technique's design became so arbitrary. Tiger Funeral only ever appeared as a tattoo on a crocodile's chest.
At the same time, Megumi was exploited to the extreme by Sukuna—or rather, by Gege.
His physical body provided Sukuna with Mahoraga, a Shikigami capable of defeating Gojo. His soul helped Sukuna withstand the massive informational assault of Unlimited Void.
He even prevented Gojo from landing a fatal blow at a crucial moment.
That's right, Gojo held back.
After crashing Sukuna's brain with Unlimited Void, Gojo could have destroyed his brain and killed him outright. But to save Megumi, Gojo chose to strike Sukuna's chest instead.
At that time, Gojo said, "It's not over yet. At least I need to destroy his heart, liver, and lungs. I need to bring him closer to death than Yuji was in the juvenile detention center."
Note the word "closer."
Gojo's goal was to bring Sukuna to the brink of physical and mental collapse simultaneously, allowing Megumi's consciousness to surface.
Even though the opponent was the strongest in history, Gojo still restrained himself for Megumi's sake, fighting under uneven odds.
But unfortunately, as Gojo said, he could only save those who were ready to be saved.
When Sukuna used Megumi's body to kill Tsumiki, Megumi's soul had already collapsed.
And with that, Gojo Satoru's defeat was sealed.
(To be continued.)
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