In the original work, only four Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerers appeared on the surface.
In the perception of the Jujutsu world, a Special Grade Sorcerer is far stronger than a Grade 1 Sorcerer, but just how vast is that difference?
There is actually a clear definition for a Special Grade Sorcerer, stated by Kenjaku in the original work.
All Special Grade Sorcerers possess the ability to single-handedly overthrow a nation—and that nation includes the United States.
Meanwhile, a Grade 1 Sorcerer only needs to be able to guarantee a win against a Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
It is, quite literally, the difference between heaven and earth.
In the original work, the four Special Grade Sorcerers on the surface were:
Yuta Okkotsu: Possesses the highest level of Cursed Energy in the entire Jujutsu world, with reserves even exceeding Satoru Gojo's.
His Innate Technique is Copy; as long as he meets the conditions, he can use any Innate Technique.
He is evaluated as having inexhaustible Cursed Energy and unconditional copying capabilities.
Suguru Geto: His Innate Technique is Cursed Spirit Manipulation, allowing him to control any Cursed Spirit without limit, including, but not limited to, Special Grade spirits or entities similar to Cursed Spirits.
Furthermore, there is no limit to the number of Cursed Spirits he can control.
One man is an army.
Kenjaku, using Suguru Geto's body, claimed he could conquer the United States and didn't even care about conventional weapons or nuclear warheads.
Yuki Tsukumo: Her Innate Technique, 'Star Rage,' allows her to grant herself imaginary mass.
She can freely increase her own density, making the power of her punches equivalent to a meteorite strike, yet she can move while ignoring the effects of that mass.
She is the ultimate physical juggernaut.
Before her death, she released her limits and created a black hole, hoping to take Kenjaku down with her.
If it weren't for Tengen's barrier and her own will, that black hole could have destroyed the entire world.
Finally, there is Satoru Gojo.
A Sorcerer who simultaneously possesses the 'Six Eyes' and the 'Limitless' Cursed Technique.
Needless to say, he is the 'Strongest of the Modern Era'.
Can you really say they are human?
Are such monsters considered human?
Mahito didn't think for a second that his current self could fight any of the four listed above.
Never mind his current self; even at the peak of Mahito's power in the original work, if he faced any of those four Special Grade combatants, he would be instantly killed.
Kinji Hakari's judgment was correct.
If things followed a normal path, Mahito should have developed until he could contend with a Special Grade Sorcerer before coming out to stir up trouble.
Appearing now, while still in the embryonic stage, was purely reckless.
He was just waiting for a Special Grade Sorcerer to come and exterminate him—speaking from a general theoretical standpoint.
The entire Jujutsu Kaisen original work is nearly 300 chapters long, which seems long.
But if you look closely at the timeline, you'll be shocked to find that the story spans only half a year.
Half! A! Year!
The time the story begins is given in the manga as June 2018, and the time the story ends is also very clearly given—
December 24, 2018.
Just thinking about this time span made Mahito feel like ants were crawling all over him.
How could he not work hard to improve himself?
How could he dare to stop?
Never mind stopping; he was afraid he wouldn't level up fast enough and wouldn't even count as a minion half a year later!
Now Mahito's research had hit a bottleneck, and he didn't have time to accumulate techniques.
He needed to grow at the fastest possible speed.
Since normal accumulation and growth couldn't keep up, he would use a wicked path.
A Special Grade template!
Grade 1 no longer had value to him, and the Disaster Curses—including himself—had already been thoroughly researched.
Now he was looking forward to a Special Grade Sorcerer—
Kinji Hakari was his target.
Just as a fifth member often appears among the 'Four Heavenly Kings,' since four Special Grade Sorcerers were said to exist on the surface, there was bound to be a hidden one.
Kinji Hakari was that extra one, the uncrowned Special Grade Sorcerer.
Just how strong was he?
Two Special Grade Sorcerers had given him evaluations:
Satoru Gojo: "Hakari and Yuta are Sorcerers who can stand beside me in the future."
Yuta Okkotsu: "As for Hakari-senpai, when he's on a roll, he's stronger than me."
What do you think he relied on to manage this Underground Fighting Arena?
This wasn't some legitimate business; Curse Users frequently came here, including Curse Users like Jiro Awasaka, who could rival or even slightly surpass a Grade 1 Sorcerer.
Did he rely on simple management skills?
No, he relied on his fists!
Mahito wanted him so badly.
Compared to Jogo, Hanami, and Dagon, his abilities were far superior.
While Intelligent Special Grade Cursed Spirits were loyal and had no ulterior motives, their minds were too rigid.
They could be generals charging into battle, but not marshals.
To develop, one could not lack a marshal.
Kinji Hakari, this uncrowned Special Grade Sorcerer, was the marshal he had chosen.
As for Kenjaku?
He'd kill him sooner or later.
Most importantly—
He was the only Special Grade that Mahito currently felt confident in defeating!
It wasn't that he wasn't strong; on the contrary, his Cursed Technique combined with Domain Expansion made him almost invincible.
Even the original Mahito at his peak would have been beaten to death by him.
But the current Mahito was not the original Mahito—now he was confident he could easily handle Kinji Hakari.
This was an attribute counter!
That was why he was sitting here.
Suppression through force fueled the ambition to recruit him.
Mahito was full of confidence, determined to win over Kinji Hakari!
Kinji Hakari slammed the table.
"Are you looking down on me, Cursed Spirit?!"
Well, as expected.
Jogo couldn't take it anymore.
He stood behind Mahito acting as a bodyguard, and now he suddenly stepped forward.
"Watch your tone, human!" Jogo spoke arrogantly.
"In front of you is a Candidate for the Throne of God who can bring evolution to both humans and spirits!"
"If you don't want to be abandoned in the new world, you'd better..."
Mahito raised a palm, and Jogo swallowed the rest of his words.
His expression was contorted, but he ultimately shut his mouth.
Kinji Hakari didn't give Jogo so much as a glance, only glaring fiercely at Mahito.
His voice sounded like the roar of a tiger on the hunt:
"I indeed find the current jujutsu world to be an eyesore, but I haven't fallen so low as to oppose my mentor."
"Do you think just because many Curse Users frequent my place, I'm a Curse User too?"
"Don't look down on me!"
"Even though I was suspended from Jujutsu High, opened an Underground Fighting Arena, took in Curse Users to make money, and ignored the rules of the jujutsu world by openly telling guests about the existence of Sorcerers—even being put on a wanted list..."
He paused between words.
"I am still a legitimate Jujutsu Sorcerer."
"A Cursed Spirit actually wants to talk to me about cooperating to subvert the jujutsu world?"
"How ridiculous!"
He called it ridiculous, yet he had no smile.
His gaze glared fixedly at Mahito, his Cursed Energy boiling as if he would erupt and kill in the next instant.
That's right.
Although the Sorcerer Kinji Hakari was indeed wanted and had committed many acts violating the prohibitions of the Jujutsu world, he really wasn't a Curse User.
His wanted status was merely a summons for solitary confinement.
He felt he wasn't wrong, so he didn't obey the order—the so-called 'wanted poster' was actually just that, not the same as a traditional execution order.
He really was a legitimate Jujutsu Sorcerer!