Chapter 161 – The Defeat of the Soul

"How does it feel?" 

"It feels incredible, unlike anything before." 

In just two short sentences, Ebinara Jinji's appearance had completely transformed. 

His messy black hair, sharp facial features, and strong jawline radiated an overwhelming presence. A noticeable scar stretched across the right corner of his mouth. 

"Is this some kind of transformation using spirit summoning? I can't believe it can boost a sorcerer's strength this much." Nanami Kento's expression was grim. "I've heard of the name Zenin Toji before." 

"Is he strong?" Itadori Yuji asked curiously. 

"When Gojo was still a student, he was killed once by Zenin Toji," Nanami said in a low voice. 

"What!?" 

Both Itadori and Fushiguro were stunned, their faces full of shock. 

The so-called "strongest" Gojo-sensei had not only lost to that mysterious Hayashizaki guy recently, but back in his student days, he had actually been killed once by the very sorcerer summoned in front of them now. 

"Wait a minute, isn't Gojo-sensei still alive and well?" Itadori Yuji suddenly realized. 

"Yes, because at the moment of his death, he grasped the Reverse Cursed Technique. The title of 'the strongest' was only given to him after that." 

Recalling Gojo Satoru boasting drunkenly at a past gathering, Nanami Kento explained. 

"Zenin Toji isn't even considered a sorcerer. Due to Heavenly Restriction, he has absolutely no cursed energy, making him a very unique existence," the blond man explained to the two. "But in exchange, he gained an extremely powerful physique. His speed, strength, and physical endurance are all beyond normal limits." 

"Itadori, your physical abilities are already impressive, but this man is far above you." 

After hearing Nanami Kento's explanation, Fushiguro Megumi's eyes widened in disbelief. "Even ordinary people have some cursed energy in them… Heavenly Restriction… This man might be Maki-senpai's fully realized form." 

"Close combat puts us at a disadvantage. Fall back for now. Fushiguro, use your shikigami to interfere with him," Nanami quickly ordered. "Summoning techniques always have a time limit. As long as we wait it out or exhaust the cursed energy of the vessel, we win." 

I'd like to take out that old woman first, but given the current situation, finding an opening while Zenin Toji is around would be nearly impossible. 

Nanami glanced discreetly at the old woman standing on the rooftop before ultimately choosing the safest course of action. 

The three retreated at high speed. While commanding his Divine Dog to attack, Fushiguro Megumi also summoned the owl shikigami, Nue, sending it to strike the old woman on the rooftop. 

The massive owl-like shikigami swooped past the building's facade and spread its wings before the white-haired elderly woman. Violent purple electricity crackled between its feathers, transforming into bolts of lightning that shot toward her. 

She quickly rolled to the side to dodge. Though her movements seemed clumsy, it was clear that she wasn't as frail as she appeared—she didn't actually need a cane to walk. 

On the contrary, her agility far surpassed that of most people her age. 

You can't judge a sorcerer by common sense. Underestimating someone based on their age is a sure way to suffer—or even die. 

Failing to take her out in one blow didn't surprise Fushiguro Megumi. He never expected Nue alone to finish the job—it was just a test. 

Their biggest threat was still the man standing before them—Ougi Noritoshi, possessed by Zenin Toji. 

Divine Dog lunged fiercely, but it bit nothing but air. 

In the blink of an eye, the man stepped forward and vanished from their sight. When he reappeared, he was already in front of them. 

It happened in an instant. The three of them couldn't even track his movements. Every attack they launched was either blocked, parried, or dodged—and then came the counterattack, a relentless barrage like a raging storm. 

Even without Nanami's technique that forces weak points to appear, the sheer force of Zenin Toji's strikes was devastating. His dull blade, wrapped in bandages, still inflicted serious injuries. 

And that was despite all three of them using cursed energy to defend at full power. 

Facing Zenin Toji in close combat was hopeless. Even Itadori Yuji, whose physical abilities and reaction speed were outstanding, and Nanami Kento, who had years of battle experience, crumbled under his attacks. As for Fushiguro Megumi, who was weaker than both in every aspect… he didn't stand a chance. 

The three of them were sent flying. 

Itadori Yuji crashed hard into a streetlight, bending the metal pole on impact. 

Nanami Kento slammed into a concrete wall and slid down limply like a pile of rubble. 

Fushiguro Megumi bounced across the pavement like a ragdoll before landing flat on his back. 

The fight was over. 

"Well done, grandson." The old woman's voice echoed from the rooftop. "Kill them." 

"Okay… okay, okay, okay… got it, Granny… ugh!" 

Ebinami Niji, who had Zenin Toji's appearance, had just taken a step forward when his movements suddenly froze, and his body started twitching uncontrollably. 

His head drooped weakly, but after a moment, he jerked it up and turned to look at the white-haired old woman on the rooftop. A flash of irritation and violence flickered in his eyes. 

"Who do you think you're ordering around, old hag!?" 

"What!?" 

A crushing sense of pressure swept through like a violent storm. Tails God Granny instinctively stepped back, her eyes filled with shock. 

"Zenin Toji!? But I only summoned the physical information!" 

The transformation technique of spirit descent allowed one to use the target's physical and soul information temporarily by obtaining their body cells or DNA as a medium. This granted the user the target's abilities. 

But this technique came with an obvious risk—there was always the possibility of being completely taken over, just like what was happening with Zenin Toji now. 

To minimize this risk, Tails God Granny usually only summoned the physical aspect. But even so, her grandson still ended up getting taken over. 

How did this happen!? 

"Oh, you mean this?" Zenin Toji suddenly understood, smiling as he explained. "My body is pretty special. Looks like your grandson's soul lost to my body, and that's why I managed to crawl back from hell for a bit." 

"A soul… losing to a body!? That's impossible!" 

Granny Ogami's face froze in horror. For a moment, she saw a vision—her own body, but headless. 

Ah… so this isn't an illusion? 

A dull blade hacked through her spine, and Zenin Toji grabbed her head with his bare hands, ripping it off from her neck. 

He casually tossed the severed head behind him and shifted his gaze to the spiky-haired boy lying motionless on the street below. 

… 

(End of Chapter) 

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