Tengen had created a special training method designed to deepen a sorcerer's understanding of their own Innate Technique. In that era, the method did not remain confined to the temple alone—it eventually spread throughout all of Japan. Whether through infiltrated spies, stolen manuscripts, prying ears, or even through Tengen's own decision to share the knowledge, the method became widely known. Its name was simple, yet it carried immense weight within Jujutsu Society.
Enlightenment.
"Hm… he's already been in there for fifteen days," Tengen remarked casually as she observed the white barrier in front of her, one she had created herself.
Despite her calm tone, her eyes were sharp. Extremely sharp.
The training required, above all else, a proper environment for the beginning of what was called External Isolation. The location had to be calm, natural, and completely free of interference—no people, no human constructions, no artificial artifacts, no curses, and no chaotic flows of cursed energy. Any external factor could distort the process and compromise the result.
There were, of course, ways to circumvent this requirement.
Akoto was one of the few who realized this almost immediately. By using Tengen's Empty Barrier—an artificially neutral space, devoid of external stimuli and completely isolated from the world—he already fulfilled all the requirements for External Isolation.
With External Isolation complete, the real training began.
Deep meditation initiated what was known as the Internal Search. Unlike other learning methods, an Innate Technique was not something to be "discovered" externally. It already existed. It was engraved in the user's body, imprinted on the soul, within the internal circuits of cursed energy, in the deepest instincts of one's being. The process demanded that the user dive inward, uncover this latent information, and interpret it correctly.
It was not a fast process.
For most sorcerers, this stage took months—one to four months on average. Some never managed to complete the process fully. Others went mad trying to force an understanding they were not ready to attain.
Crack!
"Hm?"
Tengen frowned slightly.
That sound should not have existed.
However, the estimated time was based on common patterns—on ordinary sorcerers.
Not on Akoto Kisaragi.
Crack!
Tengen's Empty Barrier began to fracture. Invisible panels shattered like thin glass, slowly revealing the figure seated at the center of the space. Akoto remained in a meditative posture, firm and stable, as if he had never moved since the training began.
The progress of the Internal Training induced by Tengen was far too clear to ignore.
Akoto slowly opened his eyes.
At that very instant, an overwhelming energy spread across the mountain. It was not an uncontrolled explosion, but a dense, profound expansion that made the air tremble, the ground shudder slightly, and nature itself react in silence. The cursed energy was defined and conscious—and beyond all that, absolute.
"Incredible…" Tengen murmured, unable to hide her admiration.
She felt it immediately. There was no doubt, no need for further confirmation.
The process had been completed.
What would take others months, Akoto had achieved in fifteen days.
A complete success.
Akoto Kisaragi had comprehended his Innate Technique.
Akoto let out a long, controlled breath as he rose calmly to his feet. The energy that had moments before pressed upon the mountain like an absolute presence dissipated almost instantly, as if it had never existed. The air returned to normal, the ground ceased any lingering vibrations, and even the natural sounds resumed their usual rhythm.
Tengen watched attentively.
Not only Akoto himself, but the external flow of his cursed energy as well.
'Incredible…' she thought, sensing every nuance of that invisible flow. 'It's even calmer than before. This isn't just control… he's reached a level different from other sorcerers.'
There was no waste. No turbulence. The energy flowed naturally, almost organically, as if the world itself accepted his presence without resistance. It was a state that few reached even after decades of practice—and Akoto had arrived there immediately after comprehending his Innate Technique.
A calm smile appeared on Tengen's face, accompanied by a quiet feeling growing in her chest. It wasn't just pride. It was the certainty that something extraordinary was taking shape before her eyes.
Akoto raised his hand toward a nearby tree, his fingers relaxed, without any visible tension. There was no chant, no elaborate gesture—only intent.
Crack!
The tree was torn from the ground with frightening ease. Its roots snapped like fragile threads, the earth breaking apart in chunks before even falling. It remained suspended in the air for a brief instant, motionless, as if it were being observed.
Then Akoto closed his hand.
Zoom!
In less than a second, the tree simply evaporated. There was no explosion, no fragments. It ceased to exist, reduced to nothing in the blink of an eye, as if its very essence had been denied.
Akoto stared at the empty space where it had been, his eyes sharp, analyzing the result.
"I see…" he murmured, more to himself than to anyone else. "There are many applications for my Technique. Countless ways to see things… to interact with them."
He ran a hand through his brown hair, thoughtful, his gaze distant for a brief moment.
"I think I can name it based on that. Let's see…" There was a short pause, followed by a slight nod, as if he had reached an inevitable conclusion. "Manifestation of the Soul. Yes… that's a good name."
Tengen approached silently, stopping beside him.
"And so?"
Akoto turned his face toward her. A faint smile appeared on his lips—subtle, but genuine, something rare.
"It was a success, Master Tengen."
Tengen slid her arms into her kimono with a slow, relaxed motion, letting out a long sigh heavy with accumulated fatigue. The tension that had held her posture until then finally dissipated.
"Thank Buddha…" she commented in an almost dramatic tone. "It was already getting tiring to maintain that barrier."
Akoto shot her a sideways look, his expression stiff, clearly irritated by the remark.
"Huh? Are you lazy or what?" he asked bluntly, without any filter.
In response, Tengen made an exaggeratedly childish face, puffing her cheeks slightly in provocation.
"Shut up."
"Hehehe."
The heavy atmosphere from before quickly dissolved. The two of them remained in that childish exchange for a while longer, sharp remarks and quiet giggles blending with the sound of the mountain wind, until they finally decided to begin the journey back to Tengen's Buddhist temple.
The trail was long, and the comfortable silence between them was broken only when Tengen seemed to suddenly remember something important along the way.
"Ah… I just remembered," she commented out of the blue, as if it were an insignificant detail. "There's a meeting with the influential Jujutsu families in about five days."
Akoto stopped for a brief moment, slowly turning his face toward her.
"Huh?"
Tengen kept her serene, almost absent-minded expression.
The estimated travel time back to the temple was four days.
The silence that followed was dense enough to be palpable.
Akoto stared at her with a completely deadpan look, devoid of any emotion.
"You're really slow, Master Tengen."
...
Five days later.
On an arid road, the rhythmic sound of hooves echoed against the dry ground as a carriage advanced slowly, pulled by sturdy horses. In front of it and behind it, several mounted men rode in formation, alert to their surroundings, maintaining a rigid and vigilant posture. Their formal attire, talismans fastened to light armor, and the constant presence of Cursed Energy made their identities clear: high-ranking sorcerers.
Inside the carriage, the air was silent and heavy.
"Lord Zenin, we are approaching the Imperial Palace," a servant reported as he bowed respectfully toward the interior, his voice low and restrained.
The Meeting of the Five Imperial Jujutsu Clans was a rare and solemn event, held only once every five years. During it, the leaders of the Zenin, Kamo, Gojo, Fujiwara, and Abe clans gathered to discuss the balance of the jujutsu world, political decisions, alliances, conflicts, and the future of Jujutsu Society itself. The meeting was presided over by Tengen, as the spiritual and technical pillar of Jujutsu, and directly overseen by Emperor Kanmu, whose presence guaranteed the legitimacy and enforcement of the decisions made.
From inside the carriage, a voice rang out—calm, yet laced with impatience.
"Great," said Naoto, the head of the Zenin Clan. "I hate being the last to arrive."
At the same time, farther ahead on another road, a carriage moved forward at an unhurried pace, bearing on its sides the unmistakable symbol of Tengen. Unlike the others, its escort was minimal, almost symbolic—not due to carelessness, but because of absolute confidence in the presence traveling within it.
Inside the carriage, seated on cushions lined up behind Master Tengen, were Akoto and Ashiya. Akoto maintained a relaxed posture, his gaze distant, as if everything around him were merely an irrelevant detail of the journey. Ashiya, on the other hand, remained rigid and alert, clearly tense about what was to come. Just behind them, in a respectful position, Ijicho followed in absolute silence.
Each principal participant of that meeting had a clear obligation: to bring with them two heirs and one Grade 1 sorcerer as a guard. This rule existed not only as protection, but as an explicit form of exposure. It was a way for the clans to evaluate one another's future—to measure strength, talent, and potential—while simultaneously forging bonds or rivalries that could define the course of Jujutsu Society for decades.
As Tengen's carriage advanced, the delegations of the Gojo, Kamo, and Abe Clans were also approaching along different roads, slowly converging on the same destination.
Later that day, they all finally arrived at the Imperial Palace.
The meeting hall was spacious, supported by carved wooden pillars and lit by a soft natural light that filtered in from the sides. The air inside was thick, heavy with expectation and restrained tension.
Tengen entered first, walking with calm steps toward the main seat at the front, where she settled naturally. Right behind her, Akoto sat down beside Ashiya, maintaining a neutral, almost bored expression. Ijicho remained outside the hall, as protocol required.
"Very well," Tengen said, lightly folding her hands. "We'll wait."
Time began to pass.
Five minutes slipped by in absolute silence.
Ten minutes…
Twenty…
Zoom!
An abrupt sensation sliced through the room like an invisible blade. Two cursed energies erupted almost simultaneously, violent enough to make the entire Imperial Palace tremble. The walls creaked, the air vibrated, and the floor seemed to groan under the weight of that crushing pressure.
Boom!
In an instant, Akoto vanished from the room.
The space where he had been was torn apart by a shockwave, walls being destroyed as he surged through the palace corridors at an absurd speed, tearing through internal passages as if they didn't exist. In seconds, he reached the point where the corridors from the South and North entrances converged.
"You motherfucker!"
"Look in the mirror!"
Naoto Zenin and Satsugi Gojo, the heads of their respective clans, charged at each other, fists clenched, cursed energies colliding and warping the air around them. The impact seemed inevitable.
Boom!
A figure appeared between the two at the exact instant before the collision.
Steady hands caught both fists in midair, stopping the attack as if it were something trivial.
Brown hair fell in a soft, slightly disheveled curtain style. Brown eyes were cold and alert. He wore a sleeveless white kimono tied with a black sash, white trousers, and black sandals, all covered by a black haori that fluttered lightly in the wake of the released energy.
Akoto Kisaragi.
"Please, calm yourselves," he said in a controlled voice, as purple Cursed Energy condensed around his hands, pulsing menacingly. Then he tilted his head slightly, his gaze heavy with disdain. "You old pieces of shit."