Kechizu and Eso arrived at an inconspicuous building on the edge of Tokyo. As Eso pushed open the door, the sunlit space inside greeted them.
"Here's the finger you asked for," Eso said, tossing the finger at Mahito.
"Good work," Mahito replied, catching the finger. Kechizu then looked at Eso, who nodded seriously.
"Yo, older brother," Kechizu greeted Choso.
Eso's serious demeanor prompted Choso to stand up and follow his younger brothers outside.
"I'll be back," Choso said to Mahito, leaving the table to follow Kechizu and Eso to their personal hiding spot.
"What's going on?" Choso asked, sensing the urgency in his brothers' demeanor.
"We met someone today," Eso began cautiously. "A man named Senju Hiroshi. He knew about us and you, older brother. He wants to talk to you."
At this point, Choso, unlike his younger brothers who were immediately sent on a mission by Mahito, had been briefed on who their enemies were. Thus, when his brothers mentioned they met a man named Senju Hiroshi, Choso felt a momentary heart attack but quickly calmed down. The fact that the God of Sorcerers did not eliminate his brothers and instead asked to speak with him made Choso recognize that perhaps the strongest sorcerer did not mean them harm or was trying to track down their location.
"What more did he say? Anything else?" Choso asked.
"He said he wants to talk to you about your place and our place in the world," Eso said.
Choso now found himself at a crossroads. Should he meet with Senju Hiroshi or stick to Yuta Okkotsu's plan?
"Do you trust me, Eso, Kechizu?" Choso asked.
"With our lives, older brother," Eso replied. "Yes, with our lives, older brother," Kechizu echoed.
Choso thought for a moment. Since his reincarnation into the modern era, he had come to realize that Yuta Okkotsu and the rest of the Disaster Curses were hiding from Senju Hiroshi. This either meant they did not have the capability to fight him head-on, or there was another objective they were trying to achieve. However, when Yuta gave him a basic understanding of the plan to seal Senju Hiroshi, it further solidified the fact that they were afraid of him. Now, the same opponent was asking for him personally for a dialogue.
Choso weighed his options carefully. He had to consider his brothers' safety and their future.
Back at the Disaster Curses' hideout, Mahito turned to Yuta with a curious look. "Where do you think they are going?"
Yuta shrugged. "Those brothers are probably out exploring the wide world. As long as they come back in time for the plan, it doesn't matter to me."
"They were acting somewhat weird, but if you say so, Yuta," Mahito replied nonchalantly.
Jogo was smoking, mulling over the fact that Hanami had been exorcised, while Dagon, still in its small form, floated along the water, getting swept by the waves.
A Few Hours Later, Kyoto
As the three brothers entered the city, they were immediately intercepted by a group of Senju sorcerers.
"The Patriarch is waiting for you. Please follow us," the squad leader said.
Choso nodded, followed closely by Eso and Kechizu.
Senju Palace, 11:00 PM
Hiroshi, who had been meditating, was awakened by one of his personal guards.
"Patriarch, the targets have entered the palace."
"Daichi, let's not label them as targets. Rather, they are guests. They are not my enemies for now," Hiroshi corrected him.
"My apologies, Patriarch. The guests have arrived," Daichi amended.
Hiroshi stood up, smoothing out his robes as he prepared to meet the brothers.
The three brothers were escorted to a balcony where Hiroshi was enjoying the nighttime breeze. The moment the door opened, Hiroshi invited them to sit. Choso and his brothers accepted the invitation. "Please have some snacks," Hiroshi said, pushing cups of tea and a tray of pastries toward them. The brothers looked at each other, then accepted the food.
A moment of silence passed as Choso looked intently at Hiroshi. "Explain to me what you mean by my brothers' and my place in the world," he asked seriously.
Hiroshi put down his cup of tea and looked Choso straight in the eyes. "Simply put, your place in the world. I can make this happen easily. You can live in any part of Japan, or anywhere in the world, just pick a place. That's my offer. Beyond that, I believe that people who simply want to live with their family in peace deserve a chance to do so. This is coming from me, the head of the Senju Clan. I care for every family member I have, and I believe you share the same sentiment, but with stronger bonds," Hiroshi said.
Choso thought for a moment as he looked at Eso and Kechizu. What Hiroshi said was true: he cared deeply for his younger brothers and would give his life for them. "And what is your condition?" Choso asked. He may have been trapped in a jar for 150 years, but he needed to know if Hiroshi's condition would endanger the lives of his brothers. If so, he would decline and fight his way out of the palace. Otherwise, he would accept.
"To further demonstrate my sincerity, we can establish a binding vow. You and your brothers will remain safe as long as you follow the same rules and regulations that any regular sorcerer follows that I guarantee as the God of Sorcerers ," Hiroshi said.
Choso considered this carefully and thought it was a good offer. "I want you to give me the rest of my brothers being kept by Jujutsu High," Choso added.
"Consider it done," Hiroshi replied with a smirk.
"Then, in exchange, let me divulge the plan of Yuta Okkotsu. They plan to seal you on October 31st. Four barriers will be erected, and they will bait you in," Choso said.
Hiroshi, who already knew about the plan, decided to receive the information as if it were new to him. "Thank you for your trust. My only condition is that you do not harm the non-sorcerer hostages and leave the barriers as soon as I enter them," Hiroshi said with a genuine smile, extending his hand forward.
Choso, baffled, asked, "What is this?"
"Shake my hand, and our pact will be sealed," Hiroshi explained.
Choso and Hiroshi shook hands, and at that moment, a binding vow was established.
The grading system for sorcerers represents their strength and capability within the Jujutsu world. Special Grade Sorcerers, once seen as an anomaly, now hold a position of significant influence thanks to the ascension of Senju Hiroshi. He has redefined the role of Special Grade Sorcerers, emphasizing their importance in leading society through money, power, and responsibility. Among the Special Grades, Yuki Tsukumo stands apart, showing little interest in her title. However, the 'Big 3'—Senju Hiroshi, Satoru Gojo of the Gojo Clan, and Suguru Geto of the Supernatural Bureau of Investigation (SBI)—have exemplified leadership, guiding society with their respective clans and organizations. Under the Special Grades are the Grade 1 Sorcerers, who, under Hiroshi's direction, uphold their status with the dignity it commands.
At first, I was in disbelief that Senju Hiroshi and the Senju Clan wielded such control over the world through sheer wealth. It became clear that money truly is supreme.
These thoughts ran through Mei Mei's mind as she and Aoi Todo stood before Principal Gakuganji.
"Maki Zenin, Panda," Mei Mei began.
"Nobara Kugisaki, and my brother, Itadori Yuji," Aoi Todo added simultaneously.
"On behalf of Mei Mei and Aoi Todo, and with the blessing of Senju Hiroshi, we recommend these four to be promoted to Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerers," they declared in unison.
Meanwhile, in a barren part of Kyoto, Mechamaru's hideout was strategically set up as a baiting area for his enemies.
Kokichi, submerged in a bathtub of medicinal liquids, glared at the figures before him. "You sure took your sweet time. I was beginning to think you guys forgot about me," Kokichi said.
"We wouldn't dare. You're already personally familiar with the terrifying nature of a binding vow, right?" Yuta replied, standing alongside Mahito.
"Yeesh! He always stinks of mold," Mahito commented, wrinkling his nose.
"We're enemies, too, so let's just kill him quick," Mahito suggested, moving closer.
"You can't do that yet, Mahito. He agreed to cooperate with us and provide information. In exchange, we promised to use your Idle Transfiguration to fix his body. That's the pact we all forged, remember? Killing him comes after fixing him," Yuta explained, his tone firm.
"I wanted him to do some work for us in Shibuya, too, so that's a shame," Mahito said, approaching Kokichi with a malevolent grin. "Hey, what if I turned you into a caterpillar?" he asked nonchalantly.
"Mahito, binding vows forged with others are very different from binding vows placed upon oneself," Yuta interrupted, his voice steady. "The first aspect of that is the uncertain nature of the penalty. When you break a pact with yourself, whatever you gained—the improvement to your own ability—is lost. But this time, you can't break it. If you break this pact, then we have no idea when or what kind of disaster will befall us."
Hearing Yuta blabbering, Mahito simply shrugged it off. "Yeah, yeah," he said, placing his hand on top of Kokichi's head. "You better be thankful, caterpillar."
IDLE TRANSFIGURATION
Kokichi's body was healed. He looked at his hands and felt his entire body, marveling at the newfound strength.
"Booorrrriiinnnng, how about showing some enthusiasm?" Mahito taunted.
"The only enthusiasm I'll be showing is when you're exorcised," Kokichi retorted. Suddenly, thousands of puppets emerged from around the building, lunging directly at Mahito and Yuta.
"Well then, let's begin!" Mahito exclaimed. Yuta distanced himself as Mahito began brawling with the puppets. Amidst the chaos, Kokichi disappeared.
After finishing off the last remaining puppet, Mahito realized Kokichi had vanished. "He ran away... it's not like he needs to kill us," Mahito mused, then blurted out, "Boooorrringgg." Just then, the ground beneath him started shaking uncontrollably.
Mahito bolted out of the area, exclaiming, "HELL YEAH, HAHAHA!" He laughed as he gazed at the massive mech in front of him.
"That's more like it! So you've been making something like this in secret? Guess you weren't a shut-in just for show," Mahito exclaimed, excitement evident in his voice.
"He's inside it, right? He wouldn't want me to touch him after all. The cockpit... the seat of his soul... is the head!" Mahito thought as he analyzed the massive mech.
The colossal machine towered over Mahito, its metallic surface gleaming in the dim light. Kokichi, now inside the mech, felt a surge of power and determination.
However, the sight of the mech paled in comparison to the dread Yuta and Mahito felt. The very person they had been hiding from was now sitting on the shoulder of Ultimate Mechamaru: Mode Absolute.
"Something tells me I was the last person you wanted to see," Hiroshi chuckled. Yuta, or rather Yujaku, had a troubled look on his face, while Mahito wore a nervous smile.
Mahito's usual nonchalance faltered as he exchanged a quick glance with Yuta. "This isn't part of the plan," Mahito muttered, the first signs of genuine concern creeping into his tone.
Yuta looked at Mechamaru and realized that Senju Hiroshi had played them like fools. Kokichi Muta wasn't a mole; he was a double agent.
"I'll take this defeat for now, Senju Hiroshi," Yuta muttered, moving towards the curtain he had set up. This was no longer a trap to keep Kokichi Muta from escaping; it had become a trap for both of them.
"Why don't you show me this mech's firepower," Hiroshi said, tapping the metal surface of Ultimate Mechamaru.
"Yes, Sensei!" Kokichi responded enthusiastically, as he watched Hiroshi descend and take a seat on the bridge.
The massive mech roared to life, its engines humming with raw power. Kokichi, now in control, felt a surge of confidence. With Hiroshi's presence, he was ready to unleash the full potential of his creation.
Mahito looked at Hiroshi warily, "Go on, fight. I won't interfere...yet," Hiroshi said, as Mechamaru charged forward.
"Ultra Cannon!" Kokichi shouted as a massive beam of energy fired from the mech's hand, striking Mahito directly. Despite the powerful attack, Mahito simply fixed himself up and ran around the massive mech.
"If I'm going to die, then I'm taking you with me. First, I'll take you out of that cockpit," Mahito declared as he jumped up and grew wings.
Hiroshi observed Ultimate Mechamaru Absolute's actions and gauged his power. "He's releasing cursed energy at the special grade. That's around 30% of Suguru's total combat power," he calculated.
Then, Hiroshi aimed at the direction where Yuta was running. "Cero," he murmured, firing a black energy beam that bore a hole in the Curtain.
"Ah, I overshot... Anyway, now that the Curtain is open, there's a signal," Hiroshi thought as he dialed his phone.
Meanwhile, Suguru Geto, who had just returned to Jujutsu High and was eating a burger in the cafeteria alongside Satoru Gojo, heard his phone ring.
"This is Geto," he answered.
"Suguru, I'm sending you my location. I'm about to capture another Disaster Spirit. Come over as fast as possible," Hiroshi's voice came through the phone.
Suguru stood up immediately. "I'll be back," he said.
"I'll teleport us there," Satoru offered.
"That's better," Suguru replied.
Satoru then began writing runes on the ground below Suguru Geto.
"See you in a bit," Satoru said as Suguru was teleported beside Hiroshi.
Meanwhile, Hiroshi, who was on the phone with Suguru, was surprised when Suguru appeared right beside him. "Woah!"
"Satoru?" Hiroshi asked Suguru.
"Satoru," Suguru confirmed, indicating that it was Satoru's technique that teleported him.
Satoru Gojo then teleported beside them. "Yo, Hiroshi!"
"Hi, Satoru. We're just about to capture that guy," Hiroshi said, gesturing to the flying Mahito, who was suddenly hit by Mechamaru's Simple Domain tube used as ammunition, causing him to burst into flesh and blood and crash.
Just as Mechamaru was about to finish Mahito off, Mahito suddenly used his Domain Expansion.
"Domain Expansion: Self-Embodiment of Perfection!"
Seeing the domain absorb Ultimate Mechamaru, Hiroshi decided it was time to end the fight.
Hiroshi punched open Mahito's domain outer shell and entered. But just as he entered, he realized that someone was touching his soul.
In Mahito's view, the moment he touched Hiroshi's soul, he was immediately taken in front of the God Tree, where Hiroshi was seated on a throne.
"I forgot that you could touch souls directly in your domain, but no matter," Hiroshi said, with a swipe of his fingers, causing massive tree roots to swipe at Mahito, injuring his soul greatly.
This resulted in Mahito's domain collapsing, leaving him frozen on the floor.
Suguru absorbed Mahito into the black orb and consumed the Disaster Curse.
Meanwhile, in the Cursed Realm, Hiroshi awaited Mahito's soul, which appeared confused.
"Yo!" Hiroshi greeted.
"What! This must be..." Mahito, with a good understanding of the soul, realized where he was.
"Correct, you died," Hiroshi confirmed.
"Dying is so anticlimactic. Tell me, Sorcerer God, before I pass, did I stand a chance?" Mahito inquired.
"No, you did not," Hiroshi replied.
"Was worth a shot," Mahito conceded. Then Hanami's soul appeared, which Mahito welcomed. "Let us wait for them, Mahito," Hanami said.
Hiroshi left the Cursed Spirit to their own volition as he opened his eyes once again.
"Right, Suguru, in order to use Mahito, you will need humans. I've got just the solution for that: death row inmates and criminals," Hiroshi explained.
Suguru nodded. "The monkeys."
"Here I was expecting a battle. That was boring," Satoru remarked nonchalantly, putting his arms behind his head.
Hiroshi then turned to Kokichi and Ultimate Mechamaru Absolute. "Kokichi, can you keep your toy now that it's safe? We still have to find another lab for you," he said.
"Don't worry, Sensei. I already have another location," Kokichi assured.
"Alright, just tell me where. The materials will be delivered to that new location," Hiroshi said.
"Thank you, Sensei!" Kokichi expressed his gratitude.
"Now that Mahito is out of the picture, I wonder how Kenjaku will throw the Shibuya Incident into chaos," Hiroshi pondered.
-----------------------
Meanwhile, in another location...
Kenjaku, who received feedback about his clone being eliminated, was annoyed but calmed down once again.
"Senju Hiroshi, you are becoming a nuisance, but this does not change the fact that my plans will happen. If you think exorcising Mahito would stop me, then you are mistaken," Yuta muttered.
-----------------------
Senju Palace...
Toji and Shui Kong arrived yesterday and are now meeting with Hiroshi.
The moment Hiroshi entered the room, the Anbu saluted him instantly.
"Senju Kid, who's the target now?" Toji asked.
"The Jujutsu Higher-ups," Hiroshi said, which startled Shui Kong. "The Higher-ups? Rebellion?"
"The correct term is revolution," Hiroshi smirked. "A billion for all 5 clans wiped out," he stated matter-of-factly.
"Mission accepted. But can you clear up Megumi's schedule? I'd like to visit his mother's grave with him," Toji requested.
"Not a problem. But you're back to being a dad, huh?" Hiroshi smiled.
"I was already one. I was just not in the right mindset at that time," Toji said.
"Go ahead. There's nothing stronger than family," Hiroshi said. But as he walked out, it made him chuckle.
A/N: Family