A few days later, Sōjun Minamoto gradually expanded his range of activities, seamlessly assuming the identity of Noriyuki Zenin.
The young girl and the girl had truly stayed inside the entire time, never stepping foot outside. Eventually, he simply had the white Divine Dog appear to accompany them, while the black one remained hidden in the shadows.
He was ready to act.
He hadn't expected that integrating into the Zenin Clan would be easier than infiltrating Jujutsu High. These past few days, he hadn't just idled—he frequently accessed the clan's secret vaults. With Noriyuki Zenin's authority, he was able to enter most places freely, aside from a few restricted areas.
By now, he had gathered nearly all the intelligence he needed. The legacy of the Ten Shadows Technique had also been easy to find.
Surprisingly, the Zenin Clan didn't guard the Mahoraga Taming Ritual too strictly. In fact, they imposed even tighter control over the other shikigami.
Sōjun Minamoto closed the dossier in his hands and memorized the specific details of the ritual.
There wasn't much difference from previous hand signs and incantations. The key was maintaining a specific belief during the process, connecting with an unknown presence beyond, and coordinating these elements to complete the ritual.
What exactly was this "presence in the unknown"?
Sōjun Minamoto pondered. The dossier offered no clear explanation, only stating that one must meditate on a majestic existence and the connection would form naturally.
He let the thought go and returned home. After mentally signaling the Divine Dogs to keep watch over the two girls, he went to his room. There, he plucked five fingers from his hand, placing them in a fixed arrangement to serve as cursed objects. Then, using Cursed Energy, he linked them together—forming a transparent barrier in no time.
Entering the barrier, he triggered a burst of swirling black energy. The next moment, he vanished from the room and reappeared beneath the Bone Tree at Jujutsu High.
No one outside noticed—the barrier completely masked fluctuations in Cursed Energy.
Beneath the bone-white tree, Sōjun Minamoto decided to conduct the Mahoraga Taming Ritual within the Shrine Domain.
This place was silent. As the core of Jujutsu High's barrier system, very few ever came here. His sudden appearance and disappearance wouldn't raise any suspicion.
Even fewer knew about the Shrine Domain, making it ideal for secretive actions.
Stepping into the domain, he was greeted by a vast, imposing hall. It offered ample space to maneuver, and under the starlight shining through the dome above, the place exuded a strange sense of calm.
Sōjun Minamoto made a few simple preparations.
Standing at the center of a golden carpet, he extended both arms forward, fists facing each other, and quietly chanted:
"With this treasure, I summon...Mahoraga."
His thoughts reached outward in search, and soon he felt a faint connection. A tall, humanoid white cocoon formed in the void. Countless threads cut through space, tethering one end to the cocoon and the other to an unknown realm beyond.
A massive surge of Cursed Energy burst from the cocoon, snapping the threads one after another. The cocoon split open at what would be the mouth, revealing two rows of jagged white teeth. The gums were fully exposed, with no lips—like a grotesque smile.
The cocoon shell shattered, and a towering shikigami emerged.
It had no eyes. Each side of its head extended into four wing-like structures, with a tail protruding from the back of its skull. A wheel, like a ship's rudder, was attached toward the rear of its head, and its right forearm was wrapped in bandages. A long honor ribbon hung from its collarbone.
It wore a battle skirt. Muscles rippled across its frame, and gray metal rings encircled both wrists and ankles.
Sōjun Minamoto looked up at the divine general. The image from his memory suddenly became vivid, and the information he'd read came flooding back:
The Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga embodies the power to adapt to and harmonize with all phenomena in existence.
Each rotation of the wheel marked the completion of analysis and adaptation. When it endured the same attack repeatedly, its adaptation rate would accelerate.
And with every completed adaptation, it would shift perspective, adapting again from a new angle. In doing so, it would gain resistance, even develop optimized countermeasures—nullifying techniques and phenomena entirely, and striking back with effective force.
Despite lacking eyes, Mahoraga clearly possessed some form of unique perception. It turned its head directly toward Sōjun Minamoto and began striding over with an overwhelming presence.
A grin tugged at Sōjun Minamoto's lips. He was excited.
He could sense the "gaze" of Mahoraga analyzing him as the wheel atop its head trembled faintly.
He made no move—choosing instead to stand still, eager to see for himself what this famed shikigami was truly capable of.
Surely it wasn't one of those things that only stirs restlessly because it's unattainable?
After all, the Zenin Clan's legacy texts nearly worshipped it—claiming it could clash head-on with the Six Eyes and Limitless user from a thousand years ago and force a mutual defeat.
If you put it that way, it was roughly on par with Satoru Gojo—at his peak, and with a completely new setup.
Who wouldn't be tempted?
Yet, despite the prolonged trembling of Mahoraga's wheel, nothing else happened. Instead, it simply clenched its right fist and swung it straight at his head.
So this was its analysis—falling back to good old-fashioned hand-to-hand combat.
Sōjun Minamoto had initially wanted to see if Mahoraga could come up with any effective countermeasures against him—but clearly, it couldn't. All it could do was rely on brute strength to try and overwhelm him.
He twisted his body to evade, and no matter how many punches flew his way or how fast they came, he danced around Mahoraga like a drifting leaf, pivoting on his toes or heels.
Mahoraga could analyze enemy attacks and develop resistance, meaning it would grow stronger the longer it fought.
Sōjun Minamoto hadn't attacked yet. He wanted to gauge the raw strength of Mahoraga in its initial state.
Dodging effortlessly, he concluded that at this stage, Mahoraga fell short in speed, power, and Taijutsu.
He suddenly leapt back a few steps. It was clear—this early version of Mahoraga wasn't impressive. Still, he wasn't disappointed...
Boom—
His upraised right palm casually blocked an incoming punch.
Click—click—
The wheel on Mahoraga's head emitted a mechanical sound and rotated halfway.
He raised his left hand to catch another strike. Feeling a noticeable increase in speed and force, he understood—this counted as a proper attack.
It had started adapting.
Another punch, heavier than the last, came barreling toward him. Mahoraga's lipless mouth curled ever so slightly.
Sōjun Minamoto raised an eyebrow. So, it had some level of intelligence after all.
He took a step back to widen the distance and stopped beside a stone pillar, gazing up at the Shikigami.
He didn't like this angle of view at all.
In the next instant, his body shot upward, growing taller than Mahoraga by a full head. It wasn't childish pride—he simply preferred fighting from above, using his height and reach to dominate.
He refrained from using techniques. The neutral force of Unlimited was a power of control. If he couldn't end the battle in one strike, he'd only help Mahoraga develop resistance to it.
Once adapted to a technique, it would become nearly useless.
So first, he needed to figure out its endurance limit—then finish things in one go using assimilation.
And there was no rush. As always, he wanted to see what Mahoraga was truly made of... to see if it was even worth assimilating.
Sōjun Minamoto stomped down and rocketed upward, soaring all the way to the dome's summit. The stars lay beneath his feet, still casting a soft glow across his body.
The Shrine Domain was vast and awe-inspiring—symbols like broken swords, thorns, and thrones carried weight. But the true essence of the domain lay beyond the stars above.
Mahoraga leapt from pillar to pillar, using them as footholds to close in on him.
Sōjun Minamoto looked down at it, a familiar sensation welling up inside. He bounced in place twice. He had been holding back until now, letting Mahoraga strike to test it out. That wasn't his style. The test was over.
Now it was his turn.
He spread his arms and stretched his body as if to embrace the starlit sky.
Mahoraga's fist came flying again. Sōjun Minamoto blocked it with an upright palm, seized the arm, yanked it back, and drove his knee up—sending the Shikigami airborne.
To him, its Taijutsu was still far too weak. He needed to feed it, bit by bit.
This time, he didn't wait. His fists, kicks, elbows, and knees rained down on Mahoraga in rapid succession.
The Shikigami couldn't defend itself at all.
With the sound of aged wood grinding under strain, the friction gradually smoothed out—until it turned into a slick, sibilant hiss: sssssssss...
Mahoraga began to strike back. Its speed and power were rising, and its Taijutsu was clearly improving.
Sōjun Minamoto's combat style was always fluid, never fixed. Each move came as an intuitive, optimal response to his opponent's actions—he couldn't predict his next step even if he tried.
But in this barrage, he'd deliberately mixed in various martial forms, giving Mahoraga opportunities to adapt and optimize its counters.
Under the glint of the Star Eyes, Mahoraga was now fully fed—ready to be used.
Perfect as his whetstone.
Now it was a contest of who could analyze faster. Mahoraga adapted—but so did Sōjun Minamoto, refining his counters in real time.
Their figures shot toward each other, clashing in the center. Fists and feet collided, unleashing shockwaves that rippled out into the starlit expanse. The flowing starlight shimmered faintly under the force.
The glow between Sōjun Minamoto's eyes flared brighter. His movement traced trails of light, swaying like ribbon, only to be torn apart by the force of their strikes—scattering into fluorescent motes that danced around him.
Sōjun Minamoto grabbed both of Mahoraga's fists, locking into a contest of strength. His muscles trembled briefly before hardening with a metallic sheen. With a twist of his wrists, a spiral of force spread up Mahoraga's arms. He gave a sharp yank—ripping both arms off at the shoulders—then followed up with a powerful kick, sending it flying.
Watching Mahoraga stumble back a few steps, Sōjun Minamoto's eyes flickered.
Almost there. The starlight was already starting to flicker—signs that the Domain was nearing collapse.
Suddenly, the starlight surrounding Mahoraga intensified.
The Dream Rewriting Technique activated. Mahoraga's movements slowed, then came to a complete halt.
With the Domain bolstering the effect, Sōjun Minamoto steadily fine-tuned the "rewrite" power. The wheel above spun slowly, one turn at a time, always keeping the suppression slightly stronger—just enough to keep Mahoraga immobilized.
He opened his right hand, releasing a surge of Cursed Energy. A deep crimson orb hovered above his palm, glowing brighter and thicker—viscous like blood.
Approaching Mahoraga, he held the orb toward its gaping maw. Before he could even touch it, the red energy floated forward on its own and slipped into its mouth.
Mahoraga's adaptation always began from the same baseline—whether it was against Taijutsu or Cursed Techniques. As long as the attack was something entirely new, it had to start adapting from scratch.
Sōjun Minamoto had already accounted for that. This [Origin] wasn't his limit—but it was Mahoraga's.
Just as expected, the crimson light quickly took hold.
It was strong—but now it was his.
Mahoraga might seem overwhelming, but it was ultimately a system-based being. Once you understood that system, it could be subdued.
The key lay in unleashing a strike that exceeded its adaptation threshold—so fast and overwhelming it had no time to adjust. That alone was enough to tame it.
Of course, such a strike would probably need to be on the level of a full-power blow from someone wielding both the Six Eyes and Limitless—and it had to be the very first hit. Otherwise, Mahoraga would adapt.
This mechanism wasn't mentioned anywhere in the Zenin Clan's records. Maybe to keep it secret, maybe lost through generations, or maybe for some other reason.
In the end, it didn't matter to Sōjun Minamoto. He had intel from beyond the fourth wall.
He hadn't been trying to tame Mahoraga at all—his plan had been to assimilate it from the start.
For him, the Ten Shadows Technique was just a method to summon Mahoraga.
Sōjun Minamoto's focus shifted.
sss~ sss~ sss~
The wheel turned with a smooth, whispering spin.
Though Mahoraga still glowed with starlight, it slowly raised its right hand. From the bandaged wrist, a short sword extended outward.
This was the Sword of Extermination—wrapped in positive Cursed Energy, like that used in a Reverse Cursed Technique. As the name implied, any cursed spirit struck by it would either be repelled or collapse entirely.
It was a rare ability—and just as valuable to Sōjun Minamoto.
He could also coat his hands in positive Cursed Energy to produce a similar effect. But up until now, his positive energy had never been this refined.
Going forward, though? That would change.
He reached out and plucked the spinning wheel from Mahoraga's head, hanging it behind his own. He quietly attuned himself to it—it was the symbol of reconciliation and adaptation, something even his Unlimited struggled to match.
But with the addition of his evolving authority, it would soon be perfect...
Mahoraga looked at its hands, swinging the sword a few times. It had become Sōjun Minamoto's clone.
Sōjun gave the Shikigami a once-over, somewhat dissatisfied with its appearance.
How could it not have eyes?
He retrieved ten eyeballs. Mahoraga's brow split open as the flesh parted, and Sōjun pressed each eye into place one by one, arranging them into a circular pattern.
Now, Mahoraga had an extra vertical eye at the center of its forehead.
Much more pleasing.
The eyes didn't just function as cores—they also boosted Mahoraga's analytical abilities.
And they weren't just any eyes. They were ten Star Eyes.
Sōjun Minamoto then removed the wheel from behind his head and returned it to Mahoraga's. Aside from the eyes, he didn't make major changes to its appearance. He left the Sword of Extermination and the Dharma Wheel untouched.
Instead, he stepped forward and removed the plain iron rings from Mahoraga's wrists and ankles, placing them on his own.
He planned to study the principles of the Dharma Wheel and forge four Mahoraga Rings with the same function.
As for Mahoraga, he planned to send it back to its original plane of existence—waiting for the next summoner to call it forth and receive a little "surprise."
He was also deeply intrigued by that mysterious realm—curious whether it was the Shikigami's waiting zone, the so-called non-physical world.
He wanted to explore it—and Mahoraga's clone was the perfect vessel to do so.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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