The barrier Mahito referred to was the location of the first colony Kenjaku would establish in Tokyo if he initiated the Culling Game.
The reason Mahito was searching for the site of Tokyo's first colony was simple. He intended to eliminate any possibility of Satoru Gojo being released after he was sealed with the Prison Realm.
Since Hana Kurusu, the vessel of Angel, would become active within Tokyo's first colony, the most logical course of action was to locate her now, before the Culling Game officially began.
At this point in time, Miguel's Black Rope had already been completely destroyed during his battle with Satoru Gojo. Even if production resumed, it would take many years before it posed any threat.
As for the other Special Grade Cursed Tool, the Inverted Spear of Heaven, it had also been destroyed by Gojo years ago.
If Angel's existence could be erased and the Cursed Technique "Jacob's Ladder" prevented from ever appearing, then once Gojo was sealed with the Prison Realm, the game would effectively reach its conclusion.
Of course, since he had chosen Tokyo's first colony as his target area, Mahito was not only searching for Hana Kurusu. He was also looking for Hiromi Higuruma, the sorcerer with the talent to manifest the Domain Expansion "Deadly Sentencing."
He was described as talented because Higuruma's technique was not inherited but awakened later in life, triggered through Idle Transfiguration.
The defining feature of "Deadly Sentencing" was its compulsory effect upon activation. Once the Domain was established, a guilty verdict would be guaranteed against Mahito himself. This would activate the confiscation penalty, stripping him of his Cursed Technique "Idle Transfiguration," before proceeding to the Executioner's Sword phase, where a single strike meant certain death. There was no margin for error. It would be extremely troublesome.
However, if Higuruma were a Cursed Spirit and aligned with their side, the situation would be entirely different.
Beyond Higuruma, there was another individual Mahito was particularly wary of. Fumihiko Takaba.
In the original storyline, Takaba had played a decisive role in Kenjaku's defeat.
Takaba's Cursed Technique could materialize anything he personally found amusing. It was described as having the potential to rival Satoru Gojo. He already had a record of assisting in killing Kenjaku. That made him exceedingly dangerous.
The most direct and thorough solution would be to retrieve the back gate of the Prison Realm from Tengen.
However, that was not an appropriate action at this stage.
First, attempting to seize the back gate would be far too conspicuous. Second, during the Exchange Event there simply had not been enough time.
The back gate of the Prison Realm was safeguarded by Tengen and was not stored together with Sukuna's Fingers.
Furthermore, reaching Tengen required descending from the Storage and passing through a labyrinth constructed from countless minor barriers set by Tengen himself. Navigating that maze would consume significant time. That was why Mahito had not acted earlier.
After confirming the area encompassed by Tokyo's first colony, Mahito still did not move personally.
He had just orchestrated mass casualties during the Exchange Event and forced Gojo to confront a Cursed Spirit version of Nanami. At a time like this, Gojo was undoubtedly intent on killing him.
Instead, Mahito divided himself into multiple miniature clones and sent them into Tokyo through different modes of transportation to conduct reconnaissance on several primary targets.
However, before long, many of the clones were deliberately eliminated.
Although they were low grade clones, Mahito was certain that ordinary sorcerers would not be capable of detecting them. Identifying and destroying them required at least Grade 1 level perception and ability.
This meant that after Nanami's death and the Exchange Event incident, a considerable number of Grade 1 sorcerers were active throughout Tokyo. That genuinely surprised Mahito.
He quickly concluded that these were unlikely to be sorcerers affiliated directly with Jujutsu High.
From what he remembered in the original story, only a limited number of Grade 1 sorcerers were associated with the school.
The most plausible explanation was that the Big Three Families had deployed their Special Grade 1 sorcerers, those who were not formally counted among Jujutsu High's staff.
These individuals were not subordinates Gojo could casually command. Under normal circumstances, they only acted during official missions. With Tokyo currently infested mostly by low level Cursed Spirits, they would not usually be mobilized. Their compensation structure differed significantly from someone like Gojo, who received a fixed salary.
At this point, Mahito realized that Gojo was acting with unusual urgency. He was desperate.
For the time being, Mahito abandoned the search for those specific individuals within Tokyo.
Kenjaku, who controlled the Higher Ups, understood Gojo's drastic measures more clearly than Mahito.
The return of Hakari and Yuta Okkotsu, combined with Naobito Zenin's presence alongside Megumi Fushiguro, Yuji Itadori, and Nobara Kugisaki, had fundamentally elevated the overall strength of Jujutsu High.
As a result, Kenjaku temporarily abandoned the plan to recover Sukuna's Finger at Yasohachi Bridge. The risk was simply too high.
After completing the incarnation of the three Death Painting Womb brothers, Kenjaku and Mahito reached a shared conclusion.
They would first resolve the matter concerning their deal with Kokichi Muta.
After all, it was an agreement bound by a Binding Vow. It could not be casually violated.
Several days later, Kenjaku contacted Mahito. Together, they headed to Kokichi Muta's hidden base in Kyoto.
They entered through the reservoir as before. The interior was as bleak and oppressive as ever.
Before either of them spoke, Kokichi Muta's voice rang out.
"You bastards. I knew I should never have trusted you. I told you not to harm anyone from Kyoto Jujutsu High, and you ignored it completely. You violated the terms of our Binding Vow. Cough. Cough cough."
Mahito raised a finger.
"Careful with your accusations. The ones who formed the Binding Vow with you were us. The one who killed Aoi Todo was Hanami. As for me, I merely destroyed some scrap metal that happened to appear on the battlefield. How does that count as violating the vow?"
At the mention of violating a Binding Vow, Mahito studied Kokichi Muta more closely.
Although Muta still maintained a defiant expression, his condition was noticeably worse than before. In Mahito's memory, Kokichi Muta had not been this frail the last time they met.
Mahito quickly reviewed everything he remembered about Kokichi Muta from the original storyline. The relevant plot was limited, so it did not take long. He found no mention of such deterioration.
Kokichi Muta's Cursed Technique allowed him to control puppets remotely. Damage inflicted upon the puppets did not transfer back to his real body.
That meant his current physical decline was entirely abnormal.
Mahito lowered his voice and asked Kenjaku, "Geto, tell me. What happens when someone violates a Binding Vow?"
Kenjaku was briefly taken aback. He had not expected the question at this moment. However, he quickly grasped Mahito's implication. He, too, had noticed that Kokichi Muta's condition seemed wrong, though he had not yet analyzed it.
Kenjaku replied quietly, "The consequences of violating a Binding Vow vary. Especially vows made with others. The punishment carries a degree of unpredictability. One might lose power. One might lose the potential to grow stronger. Or the penalty may manifest in another form entirely."
"In other words," Mahito continued calmly, "if someone violates a Binding Vow, the backlash could weaken the body itself, since the body is the source of power. Correct?"
"For each individual, the definition of power differs," Kenjaku answered, observing Kokichi Muta carefully. "But in his case, the body is undeniably crucial. That possibility cannot be ruled out."
Mahito studied Kenjaku's expression and judged that he was likely telling the truth. It aligned with the information he remembered from the original storyline.
Seeing them whispering, Kokichi Muta shouted impatiently.
"What are you talking about? Fulfill your side of the agreement. Now. Cough."
And in the stagnant air of the underground base, the tension tightened.
T/N- How's the new cover guys, let me know. Also please leave a review. TT
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