"You don't seem surprised at all."
He'd been hoping to see some interesting shift in the girl's expression, but her face remained eerily unchanged.
Sukuna grinned.
"Or is it that you don't actually realize what's happening right now? That can't be, though. Even without understanding the concept of a domain, you should at least be able to feel... the peril you're in."
As his words faded, an invisible slash shot toward Amber. But before Sukuna's grin could widen, he saw the girl deflect the attack's trajectory with her scythe.
"Hm?"
Sukuna's brows furrowed.
He'd seen people counter his slashes with their own domains. He'd seen others tough it out with Reverse Cursed Technique. But he'd never seen anyone simply bat his slashes away.
It wasn't an impossibility, of course. In theory, even a domain's guaranteed-hit could be blocked by an attack of comparable force.
But his slashes were formless, and their speed surpassed human reaction time. While theoretically possible, still...
After a moment's thought, Sukuna dismissed his puzzlement. His current power was limited, after all. A mere fragment of his true strength. Being blocked wasn't entirely out of the question.
But that very fact made it all the more imperative that this girl not leave here alive.
He knew the strengths and weaknesses of his open-domain. He knew its effectiveness as an ambush tactic against the unprepared. Letting her walk out and potentially blab about his domain everywhere was not an option.
"Die!"
Sukuna's killing intent peaked. From every angle he considered it, this girl could not be allowed to live.
She possessed a technique suspected to be akin to teleportation; he couldn't give her a chance to use it and escape his domain.
Facing the overwhelming onslaught of slashes, Amber gritted her teeth.
To others, the attacks were invisible. But the Taixu Sword Qi she cultivated granted her exceptional perception of surrounding energies, allowing her to sense the slashes' form and scale.
Quantumization was unreliable within a domain. Techniques enhanced by a domain took precedence over those that weren't. Not just quantum evasion, but even limitless defense would be nullified inside an enemy's domain.
Fortunately, Amber now wielded the power of the Herrscher of Death, her capabilities far surpassing her previous self.
The massive scythe whirled before and around her. There was no particular finesse to it, but her enhanced physical attributes allowed her to react instinctively, weaving the great scythe into an impenetrable wall.
"Interesting," Sukuna's lips curled with amusement. "Let's see how you handle this."
The nature of the slashes shifted. The relentless barrage eased, though a few still came intermittently to harass. The majority, however, halted mid-air, positioning themselves for a simultaneous, all-encompassing assault.
After easily dispersing the initial probing attacks, Amber 'saw' the slashes from all directions converge on her at once.
"If coming at you one by one doesn't work," Sukuna mused aloud, a smile playing on his face, "how will you fare against more attacks than you can possibly block at the same time?"
He didn't think this would finish her, but it ought to draw blood, shouldn't it?
Amber's state of mind, however, was completely different from what he imagined.
'I hope I don't end up flashing anyone...'
Staring down the attack that left no angle uncovered, a very girlish panic rose in her heart.
'The guaranteed-hit effect of a domain is such a cheat. If I could just use Quantumization, dodging would be easy...'
While her current power far exceeded her old self, Sukuna's strength likewise dwarfed that of a regular Special Grade. It was no exaggeration to say each of his slashes could effortlessly shred a Special Grade curse.
Now, Amber found herself missing the Quantumization she'd previously scorned.
'We just need to pick a direction and cut our way through,' Dark Amber shrugged mentally. 'Simple.'
'Oh, right...'
Amber understood. But even after breaking through using Dark Amber's method, she frowned.
'But this doesn't solve the root problem. If Sukuna just increases the number of slashes next time or blocks the path in advance, we'll be right back in a tight spot.'
'Then let's just leave the domain.'
Dark Amber also furrowed her brow. 'Honestly, there's no need for us to fight him head-on inside his own territory, is there? Are you really willing to take this risk just because of that kid?'
'I wouldn't call it a risk... The quality of cursed energy is far inferior to imaginary energy, but with your seemingly endless reserves fueling me, and this body enhanced by the power channeled through our bond, Sukuna's current slashes probably can't do much to us. A few minor cuts at most.'
Amber didn't feel she was in any real danger. 'And Yuji is a good person. He's been kind to me. Wanting to help him is normal, isn't it?'
'...This is my body too, you know? And since it's mine, I forbid you to get hurt.'
Dark Amber's tone was sharp.
It was true. Having accepted the other's existence, Amber naturally acknowledged that this body didn't belong to her alone.
But this made things difficult. It was impossible to defend perfectly forever. She couldn't guarantee she'd emerge completely unscathed before Yuji regained consciousness.
While the best tactic might be to break through the encirclement and engage Sukuna in close combat, that would also create more openings.
'Should I use the Core of the Herrscher of Death, then?'
Amber hesitantly suggested.
If she transformed using the Herrscher of Rebirth's power, injuries wouldn't be a problem anymore. They could be healed instantly.
'You...!'
Dark Amber was furious. 'Do you think healing it means it never happened? No! I won't allow it!'
'Then... if I leave it to you, can you handle it?'
Amber asked.
'Huh?'
'While I can't manage it, if I leave it to the other me, it should be possible, right?'
Amber had full confidence in this. 'It's just like Seele. Nearly all this body's power comes from the Stigma—or rather, your cursed energy. The channel between us has widened because of our duality, but it's still limited. The power I can use is restricted, but yours isn't.'
'This is our body. If I can't protect it properly, then it falls to the other me to do so, doesn't it?'
Dark Amber was momentarily speechless.
She didn't actually care about the state of their body. What she wanted to say was for Amber to protect herself. She didn't want to see Amber getting hurt for the sake of others.
Humans held no value in her eyes. So, seeing someone she cared about injured for the sake of worthless beings put her in a foul mood.
But hearing Amber say so easily, and so sincerely, things like 'our body'... this straightforward acceptance made her happy.
Even if Amber didn't grasp her true meaning, it still brought her joy.
'You're always going on about that Phoenix Celestial, but you're not much different yourself.'
'Huh?'
Amber was taken aback. Why bring up her master all of a sudden?
'Forget it. The goal is to suppress Sukuna until that kid regains his senses, right?'
Dark Amber didn't plan to explain. 'While I'm guarding this body—guarding you—I might as well lend you a hand this once.'
Amber was surprised the other would offer to protect a human, but after a moment's thought, and considering Dark Amber's earlier words, she grasped the key point.
She smiled. "Then I'm counting on you, other me."
I'm nothing like my master, really. My emotional intelligence is much higher.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.