Maru and Cross’ OP Cursed Technique SLAMS Tsurugi! Maru’s Third Eye Speaks? Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo Chapter 16 Spoilers!
Maru’s Third Eye speaks out and his Cursed Technique is fully revealed. Can Tsurugi fully awaken his Heavenly Restriction like his grandmother or will Maru win this duel with overwhelming cosmic power?
In the previous Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo chapter, Yuka summons Mahoraga for the first time in 68 years and for the first time ever, Mahoraga would adapt to an alien technique.
Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo Chapter 16 is titled, “Light of Murderous Intent”
This chapter has 19 pages.
Editor’s Note: “The Zenin Clan’s Treasure!”
The chapter title comes from Dabura Karaba’s Cursed Technique.
The narration explains the Ten Shadows Technique, which uses shadows as a means to summon ten different Shikigami and apparently it has been deemed a forbidden technique by the Gojo clan.
Only Yuka is permitted to use select Shikigami without summoning them.
It seems that even the only other person besides the Zen’in Clan leader, Megumi Fushiguro, to use the technique, Yuka, can only be limited to a few Shikigami without summoning them.
As established, the summoning ritual for Mahoraga is the same as Megumi’s in the original series, in that the Mahoraga being summoned needs to be tamed again.
That is because Mahoraga is in practice an untamable beast and no Sorcerer in history has ever succeeded, except for Ryomen Sukuna, who exorcised Mahoraga during the Shibuya Incident 68 years ago and was able to summon it upon possessing Megumi’s body.
In practice, the Mahoraga summoning ritual can only be used in combat by dragging one’s opponents into an exorcism ritual intended to kill all involved, including the user.
The participants in this ritual are Okkotsu Yuka and Dabura Karaba.
However, Yuka is already in a state of suspended death by being in the shadows.
It is not that Megumi could not do this or that he chose to be killed off by Mahoraga during the ritual in Shibuya but rather, that submerging in the shadows in the middle of a ritual renders one dead already, albeit that death is suspended.
Now the ritual will only end when either Dabura is killed or Mahoraga is destroyed.
Either way, Yuka will die.
We see Dabura standing over Mahoraga in a net of light created by his Cursed Technique, “Light of Malicious Intent”, which releases a malice that has physical mass, with a name that is unspeakable to Earthlings, hence the “shattered black box” effect similar to Sukuna’s Divine Flame censor in Shibuya but more connected in nature to Bleach, where the Squad 0 leader Ichibe Hyosube blotted out the name of Old Man Zangetsu, the Quincy half of protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki.
We are now seeing a mirror to the battle between Sukuna and Mahoraga, almost close to the anime version.
Yet another example of Gege Akutami taking inspiration from the Jujutsu Kaisen anime adaptation, especially Season 2 under Shota Goshozono’s direction.
We see Mahoraga adapt to Dabura’s light blasts and even throwing a building at the alien king.
Dabura remarks that the summoning of familiars is unique to Earth and he stands next to Mahoraga on the ground.
Considering how massive Mahoraga is, Dabura being twice as short as Mahoraga but still twice as tall as a human is quite a sight.
Dabura realizes that Mahoraga’s main power is Adaptation and notes that the wheel on its back spinning signifies the activation of its technique.
Maru vs Tsurugi Begins!
The duel of brothers begins!
Tsurugi is surprised Maru even has a sword, with Maru revealing it belonged to Cross.
After striking behind Tsurugi and being countered, Maru now witnesses firsthand the Physical Heavenly Restriction, where a person loses most of their Cursed Energy from birth in exchange for greater physical strength.
Unlike normal sorcerers, Tsurugi’s movements cannot be read through cursed energy flow, making every attack feel like a surprise.
Maru further realizes that Tsurugi uses cursed tools not as a replacement for cursed energy, but as a medium to perform techniques—tools that effectively do not run out of cursed energy, depending on their grade.
This makes Tsurugi’s approach to Jujutsu combat fundamentally different from other sorcerers.
Tsurugi has been able to cut Maru, a sign of Tsurugi’s improved skills as he was not like this against the barrier user in Chapter 1 or the old Shikigami User.
The chapter closes with grim strategic discussions. Tsurugi suggests that if Dabura alone leaves the planet, the ritual would be nullified and Yuka saved.
However, Maru explains this is impossible due to Dabura being bound by his sister’s curse.
With limited options and no time to use tools like the Black Rope, Tsurugi proposes a final rule:
If Tsurugi wins his duel, Maru must leave the planet.
As Tsurugi activates his Simple Domain, Maru remarks that he now understands Dabura’s pain and that he did not fight with his all as he is about to lose his brother and his friends.
Suddenly, Maru’s third eye speaks up, talking about the shame Maru has as a Warrior.
And so he awakens to his Cursed Technique, causing himself and Tsurugi to flip sideways in mid-air
Chaos and Harmony is the full name of Maru and Cross’ Cursed Technique, fitting the same theme with Dabura’s Bloodlust and Light, the theme of duality, of the Modulo.
As Weekly Shonen Jump will be on holiday, there will be a BREAK NEXT WEEK.
This is the very first time that Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo will ever be on break.
Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo Chapter 17 will be released on January 5, 2026.
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