The Crimson Lotus Demon God froze for a moment, suddenly remembering a sentence the author specifically mentioned after the original work's conclusion:
[Sukuna's final Dismantle would have been impossible to work against Gojo Satoru if he had maintained a state of vigilance. ]
During the fight with Ryomen Sukuna, Gojo Satoru did indeed let his guard down when he killed Mahoraga. This was because he believed that once Mahoraga—who could potentially adapt to his Limitless—was killed, Ryomen Sukuna would have no other powerful means to land a one-hit kill.
So, would Gojo Satoru let his guard down against the Crimson Lotus Demon God?
Gojo Satoru let his guard down against Ryomen Sukuna because he had actually killed Mahoraga, but now, that mirokuji kirigiri in the Crimson Lotus Demon God's hand was still held firmly!
To any Jujutsu Sorcerer, withholding a technique that was almost already released should be impossible. But for Gojo Satoru, who possessed the Six Eyes with its extreme Cursed Energy manipulation capabilities, it was actually quite simple.
And as long as even a tiny bit was withheld, for the Six Eyes—which could use 1 unit of Cursed Energy to achieve what 10,000 units could—healing a bisection was more than enough!
Never mind Gojo Satoru himself; didn't Yuta Okkotsu, who imitated Kenjaku's Brain Exchange Technique to use Gojo Satoru's body, immediately use the Reverse Cursed Technique to heal the stitched-up bisection wound?
The Crimson Lotus Demon God glanced at the kirigiri in his hand and couldn't help but laugh.
"So that's how it is. I made an empiricist mistake. You must have already prepared for your cursed energy core to be destroyed by me... No, it should be even further; you must have even prepared for the Innate Technique in your brain to be destroyed by me."
Gojo Satoru pointed to his forehead, the location of the Innate Technique.
He laughed loudly:
"Excellent, Mahito. I feel more and more that we share the same interests. That's right. Whether your iaijutsu slash cut my cursed energy core or my Innate Technique, or even destroyed both parts simultaneously, I was prepared to revive."
Mahito thought of a scene from the original work:
Back when Gojo Satoru was a high school student and hadn't even learned the Reverse Cursed Technique, Toji Fushiguro destroyed his brain and torso in a surprise attack. At that time, Gojo Satoru's Innate Technique and cursed energy core were completely destroyed.
Thus, Toji Fushiguro thought Gojo Satoru was already a corpse.
But he wasn't.
Gojo Satoru grasped the Reverse Cursed Technique at that very moment. Before that, he had set up an automated Reverse Cursed Technique healing program. Even with his brain and core destroyed, he continued to heal after Toji Fushiguro left, eventually achieving a perfect resurrection.
Why?
The high school-aged Gojo Satoru smiled and replied:
[ "Your mistake was not cutting off my head, and not using that Cursed Tool when you stabbed." ]
Conversely, as long as one did not cut off Gojo Satoru's head, or directly pierce his Innate Technique with a Cursed Tool that has the Cursed Technique Burnout effect, even the high school-aged Gojo Satoru could not be killed.
Bisecting at the waist simply could not kill this man!
Not just the waist; even during his high school years, he could revive after his brain and abdomen were simultaneously destroyed.
By the time of the final battle, Gojo Satoru used Reverse Cursed Technique even under the premise of Cursed Technique Burnout, even directly healing the Cursed Technique Burnout itself. The observing Jujutsu Sorcerers at the time said with disbelief that this was impossible, because even Reverse Cursed Technique relies on the Innate Technique to activate. Theoretically, it should be impossible to activate Reverse Cursed Technique while under Cursed Technique Burnout.
This was indeed the case. When Choso and Kenjaku were fighting each other, to prevent Choso from using Reverse Cursed Technique, Kenjaku sealed Choso's neck, preventing the Reverse Cursed Technique from flowing down from the neck into his body. Kenjaku bluntly stated at the time:
[ "This way, you cannot use Reverse Cursed Technique to heal your body." ]
Reverse Cursed Technique must operate through the Innate Technique's circulation—this is the common sense of the Jujutsu World!
The man, Gojo Satoru, transcended all such common sense.
This is also why, in the original manga, after Gojo Satoru was bisected by Dismantle and died, readers reacted so strongly, calling Gojo Satoru a clown. Because before this, he could already heal a shattered abdomen during his high school years. The current him should be even stronger! How could he have regressed?
So why did he die from a bisection in the original work?
After this battle, Mahito could give a definitive answer:
He was unprepared!
This is an extremely important matter. A prepared Jujutsu Sorcerer and an unprepared one are completely different beings. Just as, when prepared during his high school years, he could perfectly revive even when his Innate Technique and cursed energy core were simultaneously destroyed. But when unprepared and suddenly bisected by Dismantle, he could only helplessly die.
That Gojo Satoru must have, like now, released every last bit of his Cursed Energy without reserve. Before his cursed energy core could extract new Cursed Energy, his cursed energy core was already destroyed by Ryomen Sukuna's Dismantle. But the difference from now is that now he was fully prepared, whereas at that blank instant after killing Mahoraga, he was bisected before he could prepare!
No wonder Gojo Satoru said in the afterlife space something character-breaking like "I couldn't let Sukuna enjoy himself to the fullest." It turns out that death was entirely due to his own problem. The original intent behind his words was an apology to Sukuna for failing to perceive Sukuna's Dismantle, feeling sorry for a Sukuna who could unleash such an excellent strike.
In other words, this "apology" was actually a form of arrogance—an arrogant conviction that he originally could have dodged or reborn, but lost the chance due to carelessness.
Gojo Satoru was too arrogant. Arrogant to the point that he believed he should have dodged Ryomen Sukuna's carefully prepared ambush. Failing to dodge meant he felt sorry for a Sukuna who went all out, considering it a discourtesy on his own part.
Mahito suspected this wasn't Ryomen Sukuna's problem at all. If anyone could kill Gojo Satoru in a sneak attack, Gojo Satoru would lament in the afterlife space about not letting the other party enjoy themselves to the fullest. Because in Gojo Satoru's consciousness, if he died not from a frontal assault but from a sneak attack, he would internally feel sorry for the other party.
In his consciousness, if he died because he failed to see through the opponent's sneak attack method, then he was letting the opponent down! What arrogance!
Yet this Gojo Satoru, so arrogant even in the face of Ryomen Sukuna, was now confronting Mahito with a perfect state of mind.
Mahito realized it. The Gojo Satoru of this moment was a being stronger than the Gojo Satoru during the original work's finale. Because he hadn't let his guard down against Mahito at all. He faced all of Mahito's attacks in perfect condition and dismantled them one by one.
The true worth of "The Strongest in the World"—Mahito understood it concretely.
The Crimson Lotus Demon God gripped his sword again. He raised kirigiri level with his shoulder, its tip pointed directly at his opponent. This was the standard "Hira Seigan" stance, also the most powerful stance for launching a thrust.
Gojo Satoru performed a set of waist-twisting warm-up exercises right in front of Mahito. His movements were fluid without the slightest hitch. Mahito could see the Cursed Energy flowing around Gojo Satoru was so smooth and beautiful, like a naturally circulating cycle. This man had just been bisected at the waist, yet now, within a few breaths, he had recovered perfectly.
"It's truly incredible. We've only just met, and our fight hasn't lasted more than a quarter of an hour, yet I can clearly sense your heart, and you can instantly see through my thoughts."
Mahito whispered softly:
"Perhaps... this is what it means to be fated rivals."
"Heh heh, fated rivals? Very well—"
Gojo Satoru broke into a smile, issuing a challenge with a grin brimming with chilling killing intent:
"—Then let me see if you are worthy!"
"Ah, here I come, Satoru!" roared the Crimson Lotus Demon God.
—Reverse Cursed Technique, Soul Creation, Yuki Tsukumo.
—Technique Release:
—Star Rage!
Gojo Satoru's Six Eyes detected a massive increase in imaginary mass. For the first time, his pupils shook with shock, involuntarily shattering his own arrogant, boastful persona as he exclaimed:
"How is this possible?! You should be under Cursed Technique Burnout—!"
In the next instant, Fang Thrust was unleashed!
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