Black clover: Chains of Transfiguration

After twenty minutes of intense conversation, Mahito finally finished explaining his story with an almost childlike enthusiasm. Lincon, still processing the information, crossed his arms and took a deep breath.

— "So, you're saying that after being killed, you turned into a demon and got trapped inside this grimoire?" — Lincon asked, frowning.

Mahito smiled, his eyes gleaming with restrained mischief.

— "Exactly! But it wasn't that simple. When my physical form was destroyed, my essence—my soul—was dragged into this strange world. And for some reason, I was sealed inside this special grimoire."

Lincon nodded slowly, connecting the dots.

— "And you were trapped for so long because the grimoire follows its own rules… It can only choose the most suitable as its bearer."

Mahito shrugged, amused.

— "Exactly. Six whole months locked in here, watching pathetic candidates get even more pathetic grimoires. None of them had the potential or mentality to withstand my power. Then you showed up."

Lincon clenched his fists.

— "And now that I'm the bearer, what does that mean? Are we connected forever?"

Mahito laughed.

— "Something like that. But don't worry, I can't control you. I'm bound to the grimoire and, by extension, to you. My power is yours to use… as long as you can master it. Think of me as an annoying 'roommate' rather than a jailer. And trust me, I'm a better roommate than that grumpy Sukuna."

Lincon sighed, running a hand through his hair.

— "Unbelievable…"

He knew this changed everything. Having a demon like Mahito by his side could be both an advantage and a constant danger. But for now, he had more questions than answers.

Lincon reflected for a moment, comparing his situation to Asta and Liebe's. Then, a troubling thought arose: "If Mahito became a demon after death, does that mean all the destroyed curses in Jujutsu followed the same fate?"

He frowned, pondering the possibilities. "Could the underworld of this world be linked to the Jujutsu world? Or, worse, did some entity pull Mahito, turn him into a demon, and finally trap him in this grimoire?"

Despite not fully trusting Mahito, he couldn't deny that this connection offered an extra path to power. Demon assimilation was incredibly strong, and if used correctly, it could elevate him to an entirely new level.

— "Alright, Mahito. If we're in this together, I need to understand exactly what you're capable of in this new state."

Mahito grinned even wider, crossing his arms.

— "Ah, Lincon… you have no idea of the possibilities. But for now, I can't do much besides creating spells with my ability. Unlike your chain grimoire, this grimoire I'm bound to doesn't generate spells on its own. Every spell here was created by me."

Lincon raised an eyebrow.

— "So, you're saying your power depends on your own development within the grimoire?"

Mahito nodded, his smile teasing.

— "Exactly. If you want to explore my full potential, we'll need to work together to create new forms of magic. And believe me, I'm quite creative."

He then tilted his head, as if something had just occurred to him.

— "Oh, speaking of which, I liked your idea of using inert transfiguration energy to sense souls. But its potential is pretty low as it stands. So, I just created a new spell for your grimoire: Soul Sense."

Lincon's eyes widened as new pages emerged in the grimoire, detailed with inscriptions of the new magic.

— "You… just created a new spell? Just like that?"

— "Of course! That's the advantage of having someone like me around. With Soul Sense, you'll be able to detect presences more precisely and even distinguish the strength of their souls. Did you really think I'd let you struggle with such a crude method?" — Mahito laughed, clearly satisfied with his creation.

Mahito then glanced around, as if noticing something important, and warned:

— "By the way, you should head back. The special soul space I created has a peculiarity: only the first thirty minutes here are static compared to the outside world. After that, time starts flowing normally again."

Lincon's eyes widened, alarmed by the revelation.

— "So I could've stayed here and lost crucial time on the mission?"

Mahito shrugged, smiling.

— "Exactly. Now go. The mission awaits."

Before Lincon could respond, everything around him began to dissolve like smoke, and he felt his body being pulled back. In an instant, he was back in the physical space of the dungeon. To his surprise, not a single second had passed.

— "Time… didn't move here?" — Lincon murmured, looking around.

— "Lincon! Hurry up, let's get inside!" — Leopold shouted ahead, waving impatiently at the dungeon entrance.

Lincon took a deep breath and followed his companion. Questions about Mahito would have to wait. The mission came first.