23 Mahoraga, Jujutsu Higherups

The moment Mahoraga was hit by thunder, it scattered dust and smoke into the air.

Meanwhile, Megumi noticed that Piercing Ox was already halfway across them. "Pops! Just a little more!" he shouted.

Toji heard this and took out the Soul Splitting Katana again. "Since it's an Ox, it should ram that Divine General. Better slice it up again lest it becomes immune to blunt force attacks," Toji thought.

As he sliced Mahoraga to pieces albeit with much more effort than before, Dragon dropped thunderbolts every once in a while.

*DONG* The wheel turned.

"The last attack that hit it was a thunderbolt... It's adapted to that, I think," Toji thought as he sliced Mahoraga again, with no changes. "I was right," he thought.

Mahoraga suddenly enlarged like a pufferfish as it exhaled a breath of air towards Toji, launching the Heavenly Restricted Assassin across the trees.

Qilin attacked, claws and biting occasionally blasting Mahoraga with high-pressurized water, cutting earth and soil. With Mahoraga stabbing and punching, it was a primal fight.

Mahoraga hit Qilin so hard that it flew and crashed against trees. Dragon swooped down and bit Mahoraga, then took to the skies even higher. As Mahoraga pried open Dragon's mouth, it fell towards the ground in free fall.

Megumi, who saw this, pointed his hand and charged up cursed energy. "Cero!" A beam of blue cursed energy made its way towards the free-falling Mahoraga.

Meanwhile, Toji stood up, patting himself off dust as he looked at the broken trees he had crashed through. "No broken bones... just bruises," Toji thought as he stood up.

As Mahoraga was hit by Megumi's Cero, it crashed towards a hill.

Toji looked at the speeding Ox in the distance and realized, "It's going faster than a bullet train." He retrieved the Chain of a Thousand Miles as he sprinted towards where Mahoraga lay.

As Toji ran, with each step, he moved further than the last. When seen by a non-sorcerer, Toji seemed to appear in one area only to reappear a few meters from the previous area, like teleportation. As he did, Toji found something interesting in his inventory.

"Explosives? Hoh! Grenades. I haven't used these before. Just pull the pin and throw... right. I've got a better idea," Toji thought as he took the bundle of grenades and stuck it to the Chain of a Thousand Miles. Mahoraga was already standing up as Toji arrived. "Not so fast, big guy," Toji said as his chain extended like a serpent, wrapping around Mahoraga and the chain with the bundle of grenades exploded. Mahoraga was torn to pieces from the explosions.

Because the ability of the Chain of a Thousand Miles is to keep extending infinitely as long as the other end is hidden, the chain will never run out. Thus, Toji kept the other end hidden in his inventory curse.

*DONG* The wheel turns. Mahoraga is now resistant to explosions.

Toji kept hitting Mahoraga with explosives, at one point throwing a stash of C4 at it.

*BOOM* A massive plume of white smoke erupted.

"Fireworks!" Toji thought.

*DONG* The wheel turns. Mahoraga is now immune to explosions.

Toji threw more explosives at Mahoraga, only for the Divine General to no-sell it.

"That was fun while it lasted," Toji thought as he distanced himself from the Divine General.

Megumi saw his father keeping Mahoraga busy while Dragon continued to spray lightning bolts down at the Divine General.

*DONG* The wheel turns.

Due to the sheer number of lightning strikes Dragon is dropping onto the Divine General, he is now immune to them.

This forced Dragon to descend and bite him once in a while.

Toji looked at Mahoraga and was then shocked as the Divine General took to the skies, jumping at Dragon and tearing the beast to shreds with its sword.

Megumi saw this and summoned Dragon again, but this time with more cursed energy, a bigger and tougher one.

"Good thing Totality Beasts can be resummoned as long as the parent Shikigami is alive. Although it might cost more cursed energy to summon Totality beasts, it is much more efficient than risking the parent Shikigami dying," Megumi thought.

As Dragon was resummoned, due to its bulkier size, it was able to survive the Divine General's hits and slashes.

To say the fight of Dragon and Qirin vs. Mahoraga is primal is an understatement. Each claw from both Totality Beasts can shred Grade 1 sorcerers to pieces and potentially injure Special Grade Cursed Spirits. The aftershocks of massive Shikigami breaking the earth and hills into debris, the lush forests were directly uprooted as massive bodies were brawling.

*DONG* The wheel turns. Mahoraga is much more resistant to bites.

While his Shikigami were fighting, Megumi rendezvoused with Toji. "Pops, are you okay?" he asked, as vibrations from the clash nearby were felt.

"I am fine," Toji said.

*DONG* The wheel turns. Mahoraga is much more resistant to sharp attacks in general.

As Qirin slashed Mahoraga, it did not even leave marks on the Divine General's skin.

*DONG* The wheel turns. Mahoraga has become stronger.

The moment the Dharma Wheel turned, Mahoraga definitely became stronger, as it is now able to heavily injure Qirin and Dragon with a few blows.

"It's adapting faster now," Megumi said. "It definitely is. I think it's because the more you hit it with the same attacks, the faster it adapts. And it adapts to the general attacks your Totality Beasts were brawling with, using claws and bites, thus making it immune to sharp attacks in general," Toji analyzed.

As Mahoraga sliced Qilin in half and crushed Dragon's head with his palm.

"Pops, it's time!" Megumi's voice cut through the tumult as he summoned "Toad: Totality-Merged Beast Toad King!" Pouring nearly a quarter of his total cursed energy into the summoning, Toad King emerged massive, towering over the nearby hills. Toad King's purpose was clear—to delay and constrict. Toad King launched its tongue, ensnaring Mahoraga in its thick, suffocating embrace.

Toji added his Chain of a Thousand Miles to the constricting mass, further immobilizing the Divine General. The tension on the battlefield was palpable as Piercing Ox drew near, its speed so immense it appeared as nothing more than a black blur, kicking up massive clouds of dust in its wake.

Mahoraga struggled against its bindings, one hand breaking free and desperately clawing at its constraints. But even as it adapted, it was clear that no amount of adaptation could prepare it for the sheer force that Piercing Ox would bring.

*DONG* The wheel turned, and Mahoraga's size increased, its strength magnified in a last-ditch effort to break free from its confines. But it was too late.

With a deafening crash, Piercing Ox collided with Mahoraga, unleashing a cataclysmic force that turned the massive Divine General into nothing but dust. 

Divine General Mahoraga had been tamed.

-------------

Back to the Present.

December 2015

Zenin Clan.

Hiroshi, Satoru, Suguru, and Megumi confronted the Zenin Clan, the Hei, and the Kukuru Unit, with Naobito Zenin, the clan's patriarch, waiting at the gates. Behind Megumi loomed the menacing figure of Mahoraga, bolstered by the presence of the three strongest sorcerers, which made the Zenin Clan question whether this was to be their last day on Earth. They knew they were at odds with both the Senju and the Gojo Clans. Moreover, Megumi, though still a child, had managed to achieve the impossible.

Hiroshi smirked at Naobito. "Old man, weren't you anxious about there being no Ten Shadows practitioner in the Zenin Clan? Well, here you go."

Naobito regarded Hiroshi warily. "Sneaky brat... He wants to gain control of the Zenin Clan through Toji's son."

However, Naobito was aware that the Ten Shadows was the penultimate cursed technique of the Zenin Clan, and he also recognized that Senju Hiroshi was an ambitious man, well-acquainted with the moves Hiroshi had been making.

Naobito weighed his options, then addressed Megumi directly.

"Megumi, do you plan to become the patriarch of the Zenin Clan?" he asked.

"Yes, that's why I'm here, to claim my birthright," Megumi replied. Growing up under the tutelage of the trio, he had always been aware that besides being powerful sorcerers, Hiroshi and Satoru each controlled two of the four biggest sorcerer clans, while Suguru also headed his own sorcerer family. Thus, Megumi was poised to follow in their footsteps.

Megumi, too, aimed to emulate them, and taking control of the Zenin Clan was his planned course of action.

Naobito then said, "You can be the heir on one condition."

"What?" Megumi asked. Naobito glanced at the trio standing behind Megumi, then continued, "On the condition that the Senju and Gojo clans, as well as Suguru Geto, stay out of the Zenin Clan's business. I want this agreement to be a binding vow."

Megumi looked at his mentors. Hiroshi smiled, giving a thumbs up, while Satoru nodded in approval, and Suguru flicked his head upward, signaling him to proceed.

"I pledge that the Senju and Gojo clans, as well as my mentor Suguru Geto, will not interfere in the affairs of the Zenin Clan," Megumi declared.

Hearing the binding vow, Naobito was about to declare Megumi as the heir; however, his son Naoya Zenin objected.

"Father, I refuse this. He is still a brat. He may have tamed the Divine General, but chances are he cannot use it properly," Naoya protested.

As he turned to Megumi, he sneered, "Brat, you are not your father, nor are you even a bona fide sorcerer yet. You just got lucky having the support of the three strongest sorcerers. Without them, you're just a brat."

Megumi simply replied, "And who are you? No, let's settle this once and for all, and I'll show you just how powerful the Ten Shadows technique is."

Hiroshi looked at Naoya. "Would you look at that? It's the Zenin brat from before. Megumi, this is your granduncle," he introduced.

Megumi studied Naoya, who appeared to be about 21 years old.

Naoya looked at his father. Naobito hesitated, knowing the risk of having Naoya fight a Ten Shadows practitioner who had tamed Mahoraga. If it were the Megumi from the original timeline, Naoya might stand a chance, but against the Megumi trained by the trio, he was likely to lose.

The Kukuru Unit and the Hei, as well as Naobito, stepped back, distancing themselves from the impending conflict.

Hiroshi's trio also retreated, leaving Megumi and Naoya alone on the field.

Mahoraga disappeared, leaving only a Dharma Wheel behind Megumi.

"Let's try this, since Naoya, like that old man, has the Projection Sorcery, according to Hiroshi Sensei. Projection Sorcery divides a second into 24 frames, and the speed can be stacked, making them the fastest sorcerers around."

Naoya vanished from sight. Megumi then summoned, "Orochi: Totality-Merged Beast Dragon!"

A massive dragon emerged behind Megumi, raining down lightning bolts on the area.

Megumi nodded, assessing the situation. "Everything's ready.

Since Naoya will dodge Mahoraga entirely, then I will bear the Dharma Wheel," he thought as he slowly lowered Dragon's flight. Seeing this, Naoya leaped into action, striking Megumi from all sides—left, right, up, and down.

*DONG* The Wheel Turns.

As Megumi was struck, the Zenin Clan members expressed their jubilation, believing Megumi to be helpless.

"That arrogant brat is helpless."

"He is going to lose."

Naobito remained skeptical, his attention fixed on the Dharma Wheel behind Megumi. Despite the barrage of attacks, Megumi's wounds healed with Dragon's assistance.

"You're going to have to hit harder than that, Uncle!" Megumi taunted.

*DONG* *DONG* *DONG*

Within just five minutes, the Dharma Wheel spun three times due to the sheer volume of attacks. Despite being struck repeatedly, Megumi's wounds continued to heal.

Hiroshi, Satoru, and Suguru remained silent, their confident smirks never faltering.

"What is this brat doing?" Naoya wondered.

*DONG* The Wheel Turned again, but this time, as Naoya struck Megumi, the Dharma Wheel disappeared. Suddenly, a massive hand emerged from the shadows below Naoya, and Mahoraga grabbed him.

Naoya attempted to trap Mahoraga in a frame using his technique, but all he heard was the shattering of glass. "Impossible! Why doesn't my technique work on it?" Naoya was shocked as Mahoraga's grip tightened.

Megumi locked eyes with his uncle. "You know, for a Zenin, you're pretty dull. You don't even know what Mahoraga does."

"Damn brat!" With a final struggle, Naoya managed to escape and attacked Megumi, only to be caught by Mahoraga once again.

To bystanders, it appeared as if Mahoraga moved faster than Naoya, seemingly teleporting to his position within the span of a second.

Mahoraga Began to squeeze tight.

Seeing his son about to die, Naobito intervened, "Stop! He is unconscious," gesturing to the battered and unconscious Naoya in Mahoraga's vice grip.

Megumi gestured for Mahoraga to release the bloodied Naoya, and the Divine General complied, tossing the broken Naoya Zenin onto the ground.

"Henceforth, Megumi Fushiguro will be the heir," Naobito declared before hurrying off to the clan's medical station to tend to Naoya's injuries.

Maki, who had previously declared to Naobito that she would become the clan head upon her return, was at a loss for words. However, her decision to leave the Zenin Clan remained unchanged.

The rest of the Zenin Clan members displayed a variety of expressions. Though they had heard about the power of the Ten Shadows, witnessing it in action only further awed them. Naoya Zenin, the heir apparent of the Hei and considered one of the strongest sorcerers besides Naobito and Ogi, had been defeated by a mere 13-year-old child.

However, before Megumi could celebrate his victory, Hiroshi knew that Naobito would continue to hold the position of clan head.

"Naobito, that old man, will continue to be the clan head for now. You, on the other hand, need further training to realize your ambition," Hiroshi said.

"We shall continue your training in hand-to-hand combat and with Shikigami," Suguru added.

"And we will teach you how to actually run a clan," Satoru said, placing his arm over Hiroshi's shoulder.

With this declaration, Megumi Fushiguro had become the clan heir and had proven himself to the Zenin Clan.

-----------------

November 11, 2016

Earlier that day, Yuta Okkotsu had been apprehended and placed in an isolation chamber after being found responsible for a series of bullying incidents involving stuffing his bullies in lockers.

As Hiroshi, Satoru, and Suguru walked towards the meeting room, the atmosphere among the trio was one of mild irritation mixed with a dash of curiosity.

"Right before I forget, I'll get you up to speed regarding the Jujutsu Higher-ups," Hiroshi began, his voice tinged with a hint of disdain. "Although understanding these individuals is necessary, take their views with a grain of salt."

Satoru, dismissive as ever, waved a hand nonchalantly. "Those old fogeys, bah, who cares?"

"Satoru, it is still important to know who these men are. I mean, this is the first time that they've called us for an audience," Suguru interjected, always the more pragmatic among them.

Hiroshi sighed, before he continued, "Well, let's start with Katsuragi Hisao. He oversees sorcerer training. Comes from a long line of traditionalists obsessed with their rigorous methods. While discipline is vital, Hisao tends to shun any modernization in training techniques, which stifles innovation."

"Then there's Fujibayashi Takeshi, guardian of artifacts. His family has hoarded Jujutsu artifacts for generations. He's more a curator than a sorcerer, obsessed with old relics without considering their practical applications in today's world."

"Morikawa Kenji acts as the diplomat to non-sorcerer affiliations. His role is crucial, yet his approach is too conciliatory, always tiptoeing around real issues to maintain an outdated status quo."

Hiroshi's tone grew sharper as he spoke of Takayama Jiro, "Jiro is our strategy and defense coordinator. Despite a strong military lineage, he's all about defensive postures. Reactive rather than proactive—typical of someone who can't think beyond the conventional."

"Finally, Shimizu Taichi, the keeper of records and lore. While knowledge is power, Taichi buries himself in books and neglects the evolving nature of our world. He teaches from scrolls when he should be innovating with the times."

Hiroshi paused, his expression a mix of frustration and resolve. "These men hold onto the past with such fervor, ignoring how the world, and our threats, are changing. Yes, tradition has its place, but without blending it with progress, we're just adhering to outdated practices that will eventually lead us to stagnation or worse."

"These 5 People are the Descendants of the Sorcerers who followed Master Tengen since the Nara Period" Hiroshi added.

Satoru nodded slowly, absorbing the insight, while Suguru mulled over the implications, knowing that the upcoming meeting would be as much about navigating old ideologies as it was about discussing the matters at hand.

As the trio entered the room, the Jujutsu Higher-ups stood behind wooden doors, the trio positioning themselves in the middle.

"Senju Hiroshi, Gojo Satoru, Suguru Geto, glad of you all to join us today," Katsuragi Hisao said with pride evident in his voice.

"Well, the feeling's not mutual. What do you want?" Hiroshi nonchalantly retorted, deliberately provoking the five old men.

"Presumptuous! Do you know who we are? Your title is meaningless in here! God of Sorcerers!" Takayama Jiro burst into anger at Hiroshi's nonchalance, his outburst stemming from both insecurity and a direct challenge to his authority.

Satoru and Suguru remained silent, mentally prepared to support Hiroshi if matters escalated to violence.

However, as Takayama Jiro spoke, the room was flooded with cursed energy, causing the Jujutsu Higher-ups to freeze and gasp for breath.

"I-I can't breathe..." echoed the unanimous thought of the Jujutsu Higher-ups.

Hiroshi maintained his smile. "I'll give you a chance to reconsider your tone, old man. When you speak to us, do so humbly and respond softly. You, who barely qualify as a Grade 2 Sorcerer, do not have the means or the ability to shout at us. And this goes for all of you. Without us, what will you fools do? Amongst the many Special Grade Curses, there are fifty capable of wiping out Jujutsu High and beyond. This number does not even include the Special Grades we have exorcised in the past years. You would do well to treat us with the respect we deserve," Hiroshi warned as he withdrew his cursed energy.

The Jujutsu Higher-ups finally regained their ability to breathe. Morikawa Kenji, the diplomat among the higher-ups, donned his signature smile, signaling to his fellow elders to maintain composure and let him handle the briefing.

"Truly powerful, God of Sorcerers," Morikawa said, his smile suggesting that the earlier death threat from Hiroshi was inconsequential.

"So, regarding Yuta Okkotsu," he continued. "What about him?" Suguru Geto asked.

"Mr. Geto, we have concluded that we will cover up and execute him secretly due to the immense levels of cursed energy and his powerful cursed spirit called Rika," Morikawa explained.

"That's ridiculous," Satoru interjected.

"The boy in question consented, though," Morikawa added. Suguru Geto then chimed in, "He's underage. Just a 16-year-old child."

"We also don't know how many he'd curse to death. He's already turned the tables on three grade-3 sorcerers and a grade 1 sorcerer," Morikawa said.

"That's why you've turned to us," Suguru said. "Okkotsu Yuta will be taken to Jujutsu High. We shall teach him how to control his powers," he added.

"But if he goes berserk, we trust that you will put him down?" Morikawa asked.

"With the three of us, even a hundred Okkotsu Yutas will be handled," Hiroshi calmly stated.

"Well then, we will let you guys handle it. That is it for now. Dismiss," Morikawa concluded.

The trio left the room.

"Senju Hiroshi has become uncontrollable, and the same goes for Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto. They all follow Senju Hiroshi's lead," Takayama Jiro seethed with anger.

"Well, provoking the strongest sorcerer today will definitely get you killed, Takayama," Katsuragi Hisao said. "But indeed, those three are becoming more and more of a threat."

"What can we do? What can we do? The Senju Clan already owns the world. All that's left is the Jujutsu Society. This is equivalent to being the ruler of the world, and the ruler is Senju Hiroshi. He controls the ebb and flow of money across the planet," Morikawa Kenji said. As the diplomat, he was well-versed in the art of economy, and the fact that the Senju Clan held so much power was concerning.

"The death of Senju Hiroshi, and by extent the Senju Clan, is of utmost importance," Shimizu Taichi said. "In the past, we were lucky. Senju Hashirama did not bother with mundane things and focused on exorcising cursed spirits—a complete dove. But Senju Hiroshi, this man is ambitious, and his actions show it. He has already begun depriving us slowly of power."

"And how do we kill him? How do you kill someone who can summon forests with the wave of his hand? Add to that the fact that Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto will help. Even if we do succeed, this will erupt into a civil war—a war that we will undoubtedly lose," Fujibayashi Takeshi said.

"You still have Ryomen Sukuna's cursed tools, right? What about those?" Takayama Jiro asked.

"I do, but did you forget who gave us those in the first place? It was Senju Hashirama, his ancestor. If Senju Hashirama could defeat and seal the King of Curses at the height of his power, who's to say Senju Hiroshi does not have the capability to do so? And remember, we are not the King of Curses. This makes us even less of a threat to him. Senju Hiroshi is basically Senju Hashirama but with his eyes on the world. Those cursed tools won't even make it past his defenses before being taken," Fujibayashi Takeshi explained.

"But if we do manage to eliminate the Senju Clan, we can take over their hold over the world," Morikawa Kenji suggested.

The Jujutsu Higher-ups continued their discussion throughout the day.

A/N: Yuji can use Sukuna's CT any Wuji Himtadori peeps here?

A/N: How do you like the World Building So Far? I tried to delve into topics Gege Seemed to ignore.