Hikari Uchiha's words carried a bit of a bombshell.
Yoshinobu Gakuganji, who had been waiting to meet Mahito, was stunned for a moment before slowly processing it. "You're saying Mahito and the others are already… How's that possible? And Gojo Satoru… Why should I trust you?"
"Well…" Hikari tilted her chin up. "You know Gojo Satoru and Yuji Itadori's phone numbers, right? Give them a call to confirm. As for Mahito and 'Geto Suguru,' they're right here."
As she spoke…
Hikari pulled out two sealing scrolls, unsealing them on the spot to give Gakuganji a look.
In their sealed state, their bodies were rigid and unable to speak freely, but the jujutsu world had no concept of "transformation jutsu" or "genjutsu." So, just seeing their faces was enough to confirm their identities.
Meanwhile…
Gakuganji, still skeptical, dialed Yuji's number and exchanged a few words, finally accepting Hikari's claims. But his expression remained puzzled.
"Idle Transfiguration is supposed to be Mahito's unique technique. How can you use it?"
Hikari didn't elaborate. "I have my ways. No need to dig deeper."
"Before you decide whether to accept my offer, I should warn you about something. The fact that you leaked info about the 'Sister Exchange Event' to Mahito and his crew has already been noticed by Jujutsu High—especially by Gojo and Utahime. They're investigating, and it won't be long before they trace it back to you. What do you think the jujutsu higher-ups will do to you for that?
"But… if you accept my invitation, I can help smooth things over."
In the original story, Gojo was the first to suspect and confirm Mechamaru as the traitor, tasking Utahime with a discreet investigation. But when they went to apprehend Gakuganji, he was already gone.
That same night, Gakuganji died at Mahito's hands, leaving only a few "mini-Mechamarus" with his consciousness, which later took part in the Shibuya Incident.
Now, with Mahito and Kenjaku already sealed, one cause of Gakuganji's death was gone.
But his betrayal of Jujutsu High remained a fact.
Even if Gojo turned a blind eye, the jujutsu higher-ups wouldn't. They might lack the guts to take on Sukuna, but when it came to punishing their own, they were pros. They'd sentenced Gojo to death just for suspecting he was in league with a still-living "Geto Suguru." They executed Principal Yaga for "inciting students to cause the Shibuya Incident" because of Sukuna's rampage. For someone like Gakuganji…
Killing him or sparing him was just a matter of a word.
The solution, though, was simple.
If Gakuganji became "one of them," Hikari could pull some strings with the elusive higher-ups, asking them to let him off for her sake.
When it came to "persuading" people…
Hikari was quite experienced.
"So, what's your choice, Mechamaru?"
"…One more question. This research institute you mentioned—is it far from Tokyo or Kyoto?"
"Hmm… a little far."
Hikari thought for a moment. "But not too far. Don't worry, it's legit work. No restrictions on your freedom. Eight-hour workday, five days on, two days off, food and lodging included. You can leave the institute on weekends to come back here, just give me a heads-up."
To be precise…
The workplace Hikari had in mind for Gakuganji was in another world.
Far? Definitely—too far to measure by normal means.
Close? Also true…
Because traveling between worlds was just a matter of "shifting." One thought, and you're there, faster than a plane.
The only hitch was that Gakuganji wasn't a chat group member, so he couldn't shift on his own. Hikari would need to act as the middleman to bring him back.
Once or twice was no big deal.
But every weekend? That'd be a hassle.
(I wonder if the [chat group] could add a feature to actively pull people in, or maybe a "guest" system, letting non-members join temporarily or granting them shifting privileges?)
(Maybe limit the number of shifts per month or add an application process where non-members submit requests, and I, as group leader, approve them for targeted shifts… Shouldn't be an issue, right?)
Hikari mulled it over, planning to explore the idea later.
If she could make that feature work, she could bring Esdeath into the group.
That'd make traveling to other worlds with the Ice General much easier.
"Oh, Mechamaru," Hikari added, "the list of people I'm inviting to the institute includes one more—your classmate from Kyoto Jujutsu High, second-year Kasumi Miwa. If you join, you'll likely be colleagues."
—Kasumi Miwa, a second-year at Kyoto Jujutsu High, a mediocre Grade 3 sorcerer, one of the few "normal" people in the jujutsu world, and the object of Gakuganji's secret crush.
Compared to prodigies like Yuji Itadori or Megumi Fushiguro, Miwa became a sorcerer solely to support her younger siblings' education.
Hikari figured her wealth could come in handy. If she could recruit Miwa with a bit of cash, that'd be a nice bonus.
…
Maybe it was the mention of Miwa.
Gakuganji finally made up his mind, accepting Hikari's olive branch and signing the drafted "employment contract" as requested.
Afterward…
Under Gakuganji's slightly nervous gaze, Hikari stepped forward, placing a hand on his head and silently activating her technique: "…Idle Transfiguration."
Purple aura flowed gently.
Cursed energy, drawn from Mahito, streamed from Hikari's palm, seeping into Gakuganji's body and spreading through his limbs.
A transformation, from soul to flesh, began subtly.
Ten minutes later…
Hikari withdrew her hand.
"…The technique's done. Try standing and walking a bit to feel the effects."
"!"
The result was no surprise.
Hikari had rehearsed this before—during experiments on societal scum, she'd twisted their souls into a paralyzed state, then restored them with Idle Transfiguration. So, applying it to Gakuganji now was second nature, even smoother than she'd expected.
Gakuganji was thrilled.
After pacing a few circles and stretching his newly healthy body, Hikari spoke casually, "Stay here for a few days and don't wander off. I'll talk to Gojo about the leak. As for Miwa, I'll handle that soon, so don't worry about it."
"…Alright."
Gakuganji nodded, his excitement giving way to calm as he began pondering his future.
Then…
Hikari chose her words carefully before bringing up another topic. "I heard you once built a particularly massive 'Ultimate Mechamaru,' right? Can I see it?"
…
Near a dam by Tokyo Bay…
Hikari got her wish, laying eyes on Gakuganji's "Ultimate Mechamaru."
To be precise, it was called "Ultimate Mechamaru Absolute Form Armored Puppet Prototype 0." Its design leaned more toward EVA-01 than a Gundam, standing about thirty to forty meters tall—roughly the size of Susanoo's fourth form. Its sleek, silver-white body radiated a rugged, powerful aesthetic.
"…Not bad."
Hikari nodded slightly.
In terms of raw strength, "Ultimate Mechamaru" wasn't all that impressive. It could briefly elevate Gakuganji, a quasi-Grade 1 sorcerer, to special-grade levels, even overpowering Mahito at one point. But that strength came from seventeen years of Gakuganji's accumulated effort, essentially a one-time use.
Even at special-grade level, its combat power was just decent—not on par with a Gundam or EVA, or even *Akame ga Kill!*'s Supreme Teigu or Haunted by the Evil Spirit.
But…
Strength is temporary; style is forever.
In terms of aesthetics, "Ultimate Mechamaru" blew Dr. Gero's designs out of the water. With Gakuganji handling visual design, combined with Dragon Ball's cutting-edge tech, they could create mechs that were both cool and strong.
"Keep it up, kid. I've got high hopes for you."
After some encouragement, Hikari snapped a photo of "Ultimate Mechamaru" and shared it in the chat group.
[NoName: [Ultimate Mechamaru Absolute Form Armored Puppet Prototype 0.jpg]]
[NoName: What do you think?]
[GhostPrincess: Wow, is this the mech made by that 'Mechamaru' guy you mentioned, Miss Hikari? It looks so cool!]
[Bulma: The design kinda reminds me of the 'EVA-01' Eri posted last time, just a different color… But what's with this name? It's so weird.]
[EternalBro: Weird? I think it's a pretty badass name. Did you come up with it, Hikari?]
[NoName: …Nope, I don't have that kind of naming flair. It was thought up by a sorcerer from Yuji's world.]
In reality…
Hikari glanced at Minato Namikaze's message in the group, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
She'd figured Minato would approve of "Ultimate Mechamaru's" over-the-top name.
That long, chuunibyou-style naming was so Minato's vibe. If he ever visited the jujutsu world and met Gakuganji in person, they'd probably hit it off with plenty to talk about.
…
That evening…
Hikari left Gakuganji, using "Shangri-La" to return to Tokyo and meet Gojo. She gave him a rundown of recent events.
"I see…"
"So, the traitor who leaked the 'Sister Exchange Event' info was Mechamaru, huh?"
"Based on Jujutsu High's usual style, Mechamaru would face harsh punishment for this. But… since you see potential in his cursed corpse craftsmanship, I'll talk to the higher-ups about it."
Gojo made the promise.
Truthfully, he didn't care much about the leak.
It hadn't caused any real damage and even indirectly helped him out. Without this, who knows how long the higher-ups would've sat on those five Sukuna fingers?
Plus…
Gojo wasn't a fan of the higher-ups' conservative ways. If he could stir up their stagnant pool, he was more than happy to do it.
As for Sukuna…
"So, you've already gotten ten fingers from Mahito's group, along with leads on the remaining fingers and Sukuna's mummified body?"
"Yep."
Hikari nodded.
She'd scoured Kenjaku's memories.
As expected, Kenjaku knew the whereabouts of nearly all of Sukuna's fingers—or at least their general locations. Sukuna's "mummified Buddha" corpse was also stored in his secret warehouse.
With this intel, collecting all twenty fingers was just a matter of time.
But…
Hikari wasn't planning to do the legwork herself. She intended to let Gojo handle it, then face Sukuna to see what he was made of once everything was ready.
"Got it. Dealing with Sukuna was always the jujutsu world's responsibility. You and Esdeath have already helped more than enough, and I'm grateful. I'll take care of tracking down the rest of the fingers."
Gojo made another promise.
After a brief pause, he spoke softly. "One more thing… Could I see the body of Geto Suguru, the one Kenjaku was using?"
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