The present moment was frozen in time—right after Itadori Yuji swallowed Sukuna's Finger and was brought back to Jujutsu High by Gojo Satoru. Now, let's shift perspective to the side of the Cursed Spirits.
With their vastly different and prolonged lifespans, Cursed Spirits spent most of their existence fighting off daily boredom.
If they had lived in an era before Gojo Satoru's emergence, hunting humans might have been their primary pastime—much like Dagon, who could increase his Cursed Energy by devouring people.
But with Gojo's arrival, such activities gradually dwindled.
It wasn't that they suddenly became enlightened or kind-hearted. Anyone would grow weary of repeating the same things over and over during a long life.
Part of it was also because they were intelligent Cursed Spirits with self-awareness. Lower-grade Cursed Spirits, Grade 2 or below, would simply follow their instincts to kill, naturally free from such contemplations.
Those low-level Cursed Spirits were like mindless beasts, recklessly charging into bloodshed and chaos.
With all that time on their hands, higher-level Cursed Spirits began pondering the meaning of their existence and the relationships between Cursed Spirits, humans, and Jujutsu Sorcerers.
But most of the time, even powerful beings like the Four Great Calamities simply zoned out, each in their own way.
Hanami liked to stand atop a mountain peak, far from the city's noise, breathing in fresh air while gazing at the surrounding forests. In such an environment, Hanami seemed perfectly at home; a few birds would often gather around unintentionally.
Dagon, by contrast, loved swimming in streams or the sea, or simply floating on the water's surface, doing nothing and savoring the comfort.
Jogo was currently fiddling, bored, with the Cursed Tools he had collected as trophies—one of his few hobbies.
[Note: All hobby information comes from the official fanbook.]
Nearby, Mahito noticed a human backpack under a tree.
Curious, he approached and opened it, discovering it was filled with books.
Mahito pulled one out and examined it, softly reading the title aloud.
"Ju...jutsu... Kai...sen?"
The cover displayed the number "15," probably indicating volume fifteen. Below it were the words Shibuya Incident – Metamorphosis – and the author's name, Gege Akutami.
None of that mattered to Mahito. What caught his attention was the character on the cover.
The familiar stitching on the character's arms, body, and face… wasn't that him?
Someone had drawn him on the cover.
Excitement sparked inside Mahito. He pulled out another volume, this one manga volume six, which also featured him on the cover.
Unlike the somewhat abstract volume fifteen cover, volume six depicted Mahito in a frontal pose with no exaggerated expressions. He now had absolute confirmation: it was him.
"Hahaha, can you believe this?" Mahito exclaimed, holding the two manga volumes.
Jogo, nearby, heard the noise. He gave Mahito a strange look, detected nothing unusual, then took a puff from his pipe and returned to his Cursed Tools.
Mahito opened volume fifteen. The story detailed the Shibuya Incident: after Mahito killed Nobara Kugisaki, her life flashed before her eyes. It included his battle against Itadori Yuji and Todo Aoi, and finally Mahito's defeat and escape from Itadori—only to be controlled by Kenjaku through Cursed Spirit Manipulation.
At this point, Mahito didn't know who Itadori Yuji, Nobara Kugisaki, Fushiguro Megumi, or Todo Aoi were. But there was one familiar name: Geto Suguru (Kenjaku). Mahito hadn't met him yet, but they had already communicated and agreed to meet in Shibuya to discuss cooperation.
Mahito didn't immediately associate the manga's plot with predicting the future, but it planted a seed of suspicion toward Kenjaku.
Another detail piqued Mahito's curiosity. In volume fifteen, he saw himself using skills he hadn't yet mastered: Black Flash, Multiple Soul: Heterogeneous Bodies, Idle Transfiguration, and, most surprisingly, the Domain Expansion Self-Embodiment of Perfection.
These were abilities Mahito would eventually master. Seeing them now gave him a sudden insight.
"Domain Expansion… 'Self-Embodiment of Perfection'…"
Mahito murmured, and for the first time, he truly activated a Domain—driven by knowledge rather than combat.
A small space formed, its boundaries woven from countless arms. Though incomplete and weaker than a standard activation, Mahito had indeed succeeded.
He gazed at the Domain, excitement lighting his face. It matched perfectly what he had seen in the manga.
Jogo, observing, found it odd that Mahito had comprehended a Domain outside of combat. But that was the extent of his reaction.
Being Special Grade Cursed Spirits, unleashing a Domain was almost instinctual. They didn't share a Jujutsu Sorcerer's sense of awe at awakening one.
After deactivating the Domain Expansion, Mahito eagerly searched the backpack, found the first volume of Jujutsu Kaisen, and began flipping through it.
He read the first two volumes straight through. The story stopped just as Todo Aoi arrived at Tokyo Jujutsu High before the Exchange Event.
Whether it was Sukuna, Sukuna's interest in Fushiguro Megumi, or the Jujutsu Sorcerer Itadori, none of it mattered to Mahito.
The key point: Mahito saw Jogo, confident in his strength, provoke Gojo Satoru. Even with Gojo holding back, Jogo was defeated until only his head remained, needing Hanami's rescue.
"Jogo, you're so weak! You got beaten by Gojo Satoru until only your head was left, and you needed Hanami to save you! Hahaha!"
Mahito doubled over laughing, pointing at the second volume, mocking Jogo.
"Huh?"
Jogo's face was a mask of confusion: What the hell are you talking about?