Curse energy suddenly sparked inside me, like my lost reserves were filling, expanding.
One second I was dying from keeping the domain open forcefully and the next I had curse energy filling inside me.
And even more than that, I had knowledge of another curse technique that sprang up inside me.
And that when I realised. I slowly turned my head towards Yuki. She was lying right next to me while Maki was still holding me straight supporting me.
My eyes flickered at my own foot and finally figured it out. I was standing on Yuki's extended hand. Barely on top of her finger.
And I happened to be not wearing any shoes cause I dropped them when I fought Mahito.
A touch...
Barely, but touch nonetheless. And inside my own domain. As the rules of the domain state, the winner gets it all.
My eyes trembled figuring out what just happened.
'She's gone.'
I gulped, feeling terrible at how convenient this was. A storm seemed to ignite inside me.
However, now wasn't the time.
I was gifted with a miracle. I'll be an idiot if I don't use it.
And thus, I poured all the curse energy I got from her into the barrier once again.
I slowly wiped my bleeding nose and steadied my shaky hands, joining them again in my domain's sign.
Maki of course noticed that, while she couldn't sense any curse energy after her transformation, she could tell I was somehow doing better than before now.
Yet, she didn't leave me, her grip over me was like iron, not moving, making certain I was upright and awake.
"Don't worry, you just focus on the barrier, I got you here." She said with a bloodied grin which honestly might give me nightmares to come if I survive today.
-x-
[Outside the domain]
Sukuna had not expected that boy from earlier to show up when that woman's domain collapsed and open his own domain against his.
His amusement only increased when he saw the brat's domain didn't include him inside it. Instead the brat only closed himself with those two women.
"Talk about indecent." He smirked.
He wished to know what kind of domain the brat has, but since he was outside the barrier of his domain, there wasn't much he could do, just wait until his domain crashes.
Or at least that was Sukuna's first thought until he realised what the boy really did.
He narrowed his eyes, observing the domain which was smaller than usual, and recognition ignited inside him.
"Huh... to think that brat reversed the barrier parameters of his domain to counter the sure hit effect of Malevolent Shrine in its external barrier." Sukuna's lips curled up.
He couldn't see inside the domain due to the barrier, however, he could tell that the internal and the external parameters of the domain have been swapped.
Generally domains have weaker outer shells while most of a domain's barrier durability is concentrated inside to prevent the target from escaping.
That makes general domains weak against outside forces. Exactly the reason why Yuki Tsukumo's domain collapsed so fast. While it tried to capture him inside the domain, Malevolent Shrine's range was bigger than her domain's barrier and the sure hit effect of his domain collapsed her barrier from outside.
Of course her refinement wasn't up to par with his, that was another reason.
However, what the brat had done was arguably encasing himself and those women inside his own domain as a shield by making the outside of the barrier stronger while intentionally leaving the internal weak.
And then there was the size of the domain itself. To make the domain more concentrated and dense, that brat has reduced the size of his domain's barrier as small as a desk.
That's why this domain has lasted this long in front of his domain.
And to think that brat figured out all this by just watching my domain once...
"Interesting, Brat." Sukuna grinned.
To think there are still sorcerers like him who can use binding vows this freely to adapt to the fights.
He didn't do anything; no matter how much the brat tweaked his domain, there was still one big gap between their domains which stood like a chasm.
Refinement.
Sooner or later his domain would break.
At least that what Sukuna thought.
Yes, the boy's domain shook, even showed signs of breaking, his own refinement taking over his.
However, suddenly, the pressure Malevolent Shrine was putting on the opponent's domain seemed to lessen or outright nullify.
"What!"
For once, even Sukuna was left baffled at the sudden change.
His domain, which was a quivering mess, was somehow established until the constant assault of Malevolent Shrine.
And that wasn't the end, following that drastic shift, his domain barrier suddenly repaired itself mid-domain clash.
Sukuna just observed. Quite not sure what just took place.
He watched closely, his interest peaking as the domain slowly seemed to be changing its design and functions to better adapt to Malevolent Shrine.
"Is this that brat's doing?" Sukuna muttered to himself, eyes so piercing that he might have seen through what was going on inside the domain. Alas, he can't.
Sukuna waited more, waiting for his sure hit to break open the brat's barrier again, but after a while, another change took place inside the domain which baffled him.
The domain's barrier size was reduced even further. Slowly, from being a table-sized domain to a small marble. It shrank to the size of a mere insect.
Sukuna couldn't understand how the brat was changing this domain's parameters so effortlessly.
"What is he doing?"
A sorcerer can only shrink down his domain until his imagination can carry him and others who might be in his domain at that time. In simple terms, if he can't imagine fitting himself in that space, he can't shrink his domain down that much.
"And yet the brat did it." Sukuna no longer smirked or smiled.
The fact that now the domain's barrier has shrunk to such a small size that its density far outclasses his own cleave attack to break it open in time was clear to him.
His smile for the first time faltered.
"Maybe I have to resort to that after all."
-x-
[MC POV]
I had no idea what I was thinking, rushing in like that, trying to be the hero. However, I couldn't stop myself.
The moment I saw Sukuna's domain I knew my own would not stand up against his. It wasn't even a question; I knew it from the start, there was no need to even see his domain to clarify that statement any further.
Yet, I came stupidly, standing in front of both Maki and Yuki and opened my domain with whatever little curse energy I had in stock after taking all of Maki's reserves.
It was idiocy, but I didn't want either of them to die.
And yet here I was, only alive cause Yuki died inside my domain after suffering from Sukuna's cleave and passed on her curse energy and technique to me.
How ironic it was.
Watching his domain, I have at least figured out a few counters, which I don't know how, but I implemented at the nick of time. Alongside my binding vow with Mahoraga of course.
I didn't expect we would make it out alive, however, as I look over the domain, our chances were rising.
Mahoraga had finished adapting to Sukuna's sure hit effect and refined my domain for that, and was already working on the barrier.
We might just survive this, given the barrier doesn't break in between that.
And as if my very thinking of something positive had offended the universe. I felt an intense heat erupt from outside the domain.
"Now's what going on" Maki grumbled, she had enough of jujutsu voodoo for today.
My mouth went dry, and my heart beat faster as I wondered what it could be.
No... I already know what it was, just didn't wish to acknowledge that.
Faintly, very faintly, I heard those words, and my blood ran cold.
'FUGA....
Outside the domain, Sukuna had created his fire arrow, aiming directly at a marble-sized domain in front of him.
Partly cause he didn't had much time left to control over Yuji's body and partly he just wished to see how an ultra-small and dense domain will defend against his fire arrow.
Curiosity drove him more than bloodlust.
Inside, I panicked, a full-blown panic.
"What is it." Maki asked, completely reading my panic state like an open book.
"He's gonna attack us with something more powerful."
"Even more powerful?" Maki had one of those ridiculous faces people pull when they think the other person was full of shit.
I ignored it.
I was more worried about thinking how to survive that. It was so fast that nothing seemed to come to my mind, until I decided to give everything I had currently to save myself.
"Trade it all away."
That was my logic, just to survive.
And then, Sukuna finally did it.
The moment he released his flame, the world within his domain twisted into a blazing nightmare as the fire arrow tore forward with overwhelming force, igniting everything in its path before detonating into a violent eruption that consumed the entire fifty-meter radius.
Fire surged like a living entity, spiralling and expanding, swallowing everything within reach as the aftermath left nothing but scorched ruin and a suffocating wave of heat that radiated far beyond the domain's boundary.
From a distance, the watching sorcerers could only stare.
"What… the hell was that?" Kusakabe muttered, his usual composure slipping as he shielded his eyes from the sheer brightness of the blast.
"That was his domain, right?" Kasumi Miwa asked, her voice trembling slightly as she tried to make sense of what she had just witnessed. "How is that thing a domain, sensei?"
"Forget about that," Panda added, narrowing his eyes. "What about that person, who ran straight into Sukuna's domain. Kugisaki, who was that?"
"Why are you asking me?" Nobara cut in, frowning. "I thought he was from Kyoto school."
"I don't know," Noritoshi Kamo replied, shaking his head. "He's not from Kyoto, and I don't recall him from Tokyo either."
"Really? wait you mean I was fighting beside a complete stranger until now," Todo blinked, only now the fact he didn't even bother to ask the boy's name felt wrong to him.
"Are you gonna ignore that Maki suddenly became strong enough to fight Sukuna alongside Tsukumo." Momo added.
Mai just watched, the fire consuming everything, her heart breaking apart knowing her sister was there.
"That boy, he has a domain." Kusakabe finally added. That was a big deal. Even having a technique alone is special and that can grant you access to jujutsu tech without much issues.
Let alone having a domain.
"We have to go there." Panda added.
"Are you mad, we'll be burned to death." Nobara snapped.
Everyone could do nothing but wait until the fire died down.
And when it did die down, Sukuna was standing there, chuckling to himself as he saw the barely holding domain in front of him.
Then he laughed...
"Hahaha... I knew it, this one got potential."
And then he clicked his tongue as his tattoos started to fade away.
"Damn brat."
Next second, Yuji took over his body again, looking at the destruction around him with horrified eyes.
And in front of him, finally the marble ball-sized domain, barely holding on to its shape shattered.
The first thing Maki saw when the domain finally shattered was Yuji standing there with lifeless look on his face.
And there was destruction of course. Even she was barely holding onto her consciousness. Bloodied and injured as she was.
She slowly looked to her arms, the boy had completely passed out against her chest. And unknown to even her, she was still holding onto him for dear life.
Whose life? She haven't figured that out yet.
She closed her eyes, pressing him harder against her bosom, and felt nothing.
She quickly let go and brought her ear close to his chest, and listened closely.
Dum...
Dum...
The heartbeat, it was there. She finally sighed in relief, as if a weight was lifted from her chest.
Or perhaps that was cause she had him against her all this time?
Her eyes wandered over to Yuki, she was still there, lying lifelessly. Part of Maki wished to believe that the older woman had made it but she knew better.
Yuki's wounds were far worse than her own.
She saw from the corner of her eyes, others were running towards her. And that was the last thing she saw before finally passing out herself.
He was still in her hands... perhaps letting go of the fool was too much trouble for her.
xXx
A/N : And this bring us the end of Shibuya arc, yes I know there is still Kenjaku and what happened with Mahito but since MC is out, I'll call it an end here.
This also technically ends his suffering arc, from now he'll be getting stronger given enough time and opportunity.
Though I doubt he need that too much, he's already strong enough.
Would appreciate stones if you can spare any. Thank you.
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