[12] : Domain Expansion? Shut It!

With a mere flick of his finger, Bokue Keikain batted Sukuna aside. Then he turned to the swordswoman beside him, who was just snapping out of her shock.

"Guess I'll handle this overpowered jerk. As for that bald freak—he's all yours, Busujima-senpai."

"Got it."

Without hesitation, Saeko Busujima unleashed the brimming Cursed Energy befitting a Grade 1 sorcerer. The power stretched across her blade in a visible arc.

Though they'd met less than an hour ago, she entrusted her back to this boy a year younger than herself with complete confidence.

It was strange, really.

Saeko couldn't help poking fun at herself in her thoughts. She gripped the hilt with both hands and leapt down from the rubble, slicing through a wave of cursed energy that had previously sent Yuji Itadori flying like a ragdoll.

Meanwhile, after dividing their targets, Bokue walked unhurriedly toward Sukuna, who had skidded several yards away.

"So—you're Ryomen Sukuna. Perfect timing. I've got some questions for you. I'm hoping you haven't lost your memories thanks to your split soul."

He didn't bother checking whether Sukuna was willing; he just spoke.

"If you're a cursed sorcerer from a thousand years ago, you should know something about Abe no Seimei—the Onmyōji from back then—"

"SHUT UP!!"

As if Bokue had triggered a hairline trap, Sukuna roared. His Cursed Energy burst outward in a slicing shockwave, shredding the ground in every direction.

Yet the cracks stopped just short of Bokue's feet, halted by an invisible barrier.

"See? You're all worked up again."

Bokue shrugged.

"But your reaction only confirms my hunch. Your attitude when I mentioned Abe no Seimei speaks volumes. The Shogunate took you into Heian-kyō as a 'Patron' to fight that ex-Onmyōji who turned into the King of Monsters. And from the look on your face… you lost that fight, huh?"

Sukuna: "...."

"Could it be you got trounced straight-up?"

Bokue couldn't hold back a laugh.

Sometimes, the loudest silence is the clearest answer.

After a brief pause, Sukuna inhaled slowly and exhaled a long breath.

"How unpleasant… After all these centuries, Onmyōji are still insufferable, and this new generation's even ruder, apparently…"

"Oh, excuse me, Mr. Thug Sorcerer. You really got the right to be offended?"

Sukuna didn't reply. His hands, however, formed a string of signs, and a surge of cold, murderous intent erupted—like a wave about to break.

He was opening with his strongest move.

"Domain Expansion — Malevolent Shrine."

Like a drop of water hitting a calm lake, sinister energy rippled out to form the innate domain. The shabby indoor-pool setting warped, transforming into a vast, pitch-black waterscape where the murky darkness swallowed even the sun's rays overhead.

At the far edge of this inky lake, an enormous red shrine—its maw lined with human teeth—jutted from the surface like a nightmare given form.

"Mmm. Not bad."

Bokue raised an eyebrow, pointing around.

"I mean, I've got a pretty low opinion of most Jujutsu Sorcerers, but at the end of the day, the Cursed Energy they use is basically the same stuff we Onmyōji call Spiritual power—or Demonic Power, or whatever. I think the formal term is 'Ether'? A miraculous substance formed from your physical stamina and mental focus.

"And this Domain of yours, I see… The principle is flooding the entire space with your cursed energy so you can trigger your technique at will, right? But an 'open domain' approach sure must demand a massive supply of energy. Like running the AC with all the windows wide open in the middle of summer."

He glanced around, almost as if teaching a lesson.

"Sure, I could crank up my spiritual pressure to wrest control of your domain—like covering the board in Go by placing all my stones. But there's a simpler, more eco-friendly way. Namely… locking the Domain user inside!"

At that, Bokue snapped his fingers.

"Kidō Number 90: Black Coffin (Kurohitsugi)."

The moment he spoke, a towering black casket sprang from the depths of that nightmare shrine, slamming shut around Sukuna. With a rumbling crash, the domain's caster was sealed away inside.

No light—no sound—no signals.

Those six solid walls cut off his cursed energy. Because the entire domain had been built from Sukuna's own power, losing direct control meant it rapidly broke apart. The shrine behind the coffin disintegrated, crumbling into thin air.

In less than a second, the so-called pinnacle Jujutsu Skill—Domain Expansion—had vanished like a popped soap bubble. It was as easy as covering a flightless bug with a paper cup.

As the domain dissolved, the warped sense of space snapped back to normal.

Bokue rapped a knuckle on the coffin's exterior, not caring whether Sukuna could hear.

"Cool off in there for a bit, yeah?"

He turned toward the other half of the battlefield: the far western end of the drained pool, where Saeko Busujima was locked in combat with that four-eyed Special-Grade.

CLANG!

A metallic crash rang through the open space as the cursed womb hammered its fist into Saeko's blade, forcing her to stagger several meters back.

"Hah… hah…"

She steadied her stance, short breaths escaping her lips. Cold sweat trickled down her face.

Though she was a Grade 1 sorcerer—strong enough not to get torn apart like Yuji or Fushiguro—she was by no means breezing through. Battles between humans and Curses tend to end only when one side is dead. Saeko knew perfectly well she wasn't anywhere near the outlandish level of Satoru Gojo. Fighting a freshly awakened Special-Grade meant staking her life on the line.

And if she truly staked her life, she'd have to push her cursed energy even further.

But if she did that, then she would—

She clenched the hilt and bit her lip, mind racing.

"Hey, Senpai, you done yet? Let's hurry this up."

Her inner struggle had barely begun when Bokue's carefree voice cut through. Hands in his pockets, he sauntered over to stand beside her, blatantly ignoring the monstrous Curse still brimming with power.

"By the way, Senpai, how're you getting home? If you don't have a ride, I can drop you off again."

"Ah—no, no need. I'll be heading back to Jujutsu High to report, so they'll send a car to pick me up…"

Her reflexive response spilled out.

But a Curse has its pride. Realizing these two were casually chatting instead of paying it any mind, the monstrous womb's grotesque features twisted from confusion to unbridled fury.

"Raaaaugh—!"

It let out a piercing, inhuman shriek, lunging at them with a claw strike powerful enough to rip them to shreds.

Alas, Its fate was already sealed...

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

A thunderous impact shook the floor.

In the blink of an eye, the cursed womb—once charging at full speed—was rocketed backward even faster, a massive hole blown clean through its chest. Blackish-purple blood splattered like crushed petals in the air.

Bokue's left fist remained outstretched, as if frozen in a post-strike pose. Something new rested in his grip.

It was another Sukuna's Finger, torn from the cursed womb's chest—the "Heart" that gave it life.

Saeko's jaw dropped slightly.

No trace of cursed energy—Spiritual power, from an Onmyōji's viewpoint—had flared when Bokue struck. Pure Physical force alone had one-shotted a Special-Grade Curse?!

Before she could find words, Bokue tossed the finger her way.

"All right, that's that. Let your driver know they can come pick you up."

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Update Schedule: 21 Chapter/week.

Every 100 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter