"In that case..." Sukuna's face lost all trace of anger, becoming deathly calm. "You'll have to give me everything you've got!"
At that moment, as if in slow motion, I saw Sukuna cross his fingers again. His eyes filled with such an intense intent to kill me that they blazed with a hellish red light. Damn it! This time he activated his technique faster than I anticipated! We hadn't managed to get to where there were enough "fire bombs"...
"Domain Expansion: Malevolent Shrine!"
But before I could react, another voice rang out from beside us:
"Domain Expansion: Coffin of the Iron Mountain!"
Jogo, still alive, stood a little ways off. His single eye glowed as fiercely as all four of Sukuna's eyes. He looked like the true embodiment of a special-grade cursed spirit, his body covered in burns and scars, but he stood firm as a rock. His presence was like an unexpected eclipse suddenly obscuring the sun… like a volcano awakening from a thousand-year slumber.
I couldn't help but sigh at the complexity of the situation.
"As I said, a hunter doesn't follow the prey. But now, the beast has cornered me, hasn't it?" I smirked, accepting the challenge in this deadly game. Forming hand signs, I declared, "Domain Expansion: Calamity of Destruction — City of Calamity!"
In the next moment, the world around us turned gray.
The speed at which the environment changed was truly breathtaking. All colors vanished, giving way to a monochromatic gray landscape. Tall skyscrapers, wide streets, cars, bare trees—all created from my spiritual and cursed energy. My "City of Calamity" swallowed reality, turning it into a lifeless urban nightmare.
Before my eyes unfolded an incredible scene—three domains battling each other for supremacy, forming a complex, multi-layered structure. The top layer was Jogo's domain, "Coffin of the Iron Mountain," functioning as a barrier separating us from the outside world. This barrier of volcanic walls and lava flows protected us from external interference, creating a closed space for our battle. The next layer was my domain, "City of Calamity," transforming the surroundings into a modern city filled with destruction and chaos. At the very center of this nightmare loomed Sukuna's domain, "Malevolent Shrine" — a ghastly sanctuary of bones and skulls, ominously towering over everything as a monument to his authority.
The three layers of domains were nested within each other, each influencing the others, creating a complex dynamic. Jogo's outer barrier created isolation conditions, my "City of Calamity" altered the nature of the space, while Sukuna's "Malevolent Shrine" reigned at the center, its power felt everywhere. Despite this structure, the strengths of the domains were directly opposed. Sukuna's "Malevolent Shrine" was the strongest, its ominous aura and cursed energy pressing on everything around. My "City of Calamity" came second, its urban might and chaotic energy fighting for every moment. Lastly, Jogo's "Coffin of the Iron Mountain" served as a barrier, but its power was limited, and its influence was minimal within our domains.
Thanks to "Spiritual Vision" and the senses granted by [Spirituality], I grasped the situation in just a few short seconds. I saw the boundaries of my domain cracking under the pressure exerted by Sukuna's domain. However, Sukuna's territory, striving for absolute dominance, was also contending with Jogo's territory, creating a fragile balance where each of our domains could exist, forming an unstable but effective battleground.
Looking at all this, I was convinced that using domain expansion against Sukuna was a doomed endeavor. If I were fighting him one-on-one, my domain wouldn't last ten seconds. I had anticipated this, as ten days ago, Kenjaku had already "defeated" me in a domain battle. Now, I confirmed it through experience. However, I was reassured by the fact that my domain, when "working together" with Jogo's domain, was still holding its ground. This meant I had time to inflict as much damage on Sukuna as possible.
Standing at the center of his shrine, Sukuna wore a mad smile, the expression of a cat that had just devoured a canary. His eyes blazed with fire and hunger. The Two-Faced undoubtedly understood that my domain and Jogo's domain had unintentionally formed an "alliance," preventing him from achieving full control, but his overconfidence knew no bounds.
"Your domain… I've never seen anything like it. It's somewhat similar to mine, but it feels like… Yes, you didn't achieve this through your own skill," his voice dripped with mockery and disdain. "Rather, some innate feature."
I knew he was right to some extent. Unlike Sukuna's and Kenjaku's domains, mine wasn't as "oppressive."
As I had mentioned, my domain expansion essentially had a barrier, but it was created through spiritual energy and imposed on the real world. If Sukuna's domain was like a painting where cursed energy was the paint on the canvas, which is the world, then my domain was a construct, a spiritual construct I summoned from the spiritual world into the physical one.
It was precisely because of my weak "Spirituality," no matter how foolish it sounded, that Sukuna's domain could still suppress mine. The strength of his cursed energy and his skill gave him an advantage over my connection to the true and complete "City of Calamity." Yes, let's not forget that what I summoned was something not of this world… However, by "passing through" me, the intermediary, it transformed into my domain expansion.
In this regard, based on my calculations, the situation should change once I advance to the next sequence. My connection with this "unknown" would strengthen, allowing me to summon a greater portion of the true power of the "City of Calamity." However, hoping for a miraculous "breakthrough" during the fight was foolish, naive, and irresponsible. I knew I needed to rely on my current strength and abilities, not on possible future changes. All my concentration had to be focused on using everything I had to defeat Sukuna here and now.
"Interesting assumption," I replied, locking eyes with the bastard. "Someone else already told me that... However, that bastard ran away with his tail between his legs."
Jogo, standing aside, glanced between Sukuna and me. I hoped the Cursed Spirit understood the situation we were in. Even though it was unacceptable for him to cooperate with a human, and it was repulsive for me to rely on a curse, I still hoped he realized that we were in the same boat.
At this moment, Jogo's domain, although weaker, was still influencing the space around us. Despite all his hatred for me and cruelty towards humanity, Jogo was smart and greedy... Yes, I saw greed in him above all. This curse was ready to risk everything to defeat both Sukuna and me. And seeing that I was "losing" to the Two-Faced, he seemed willing to play along.
"Bold words for someone relying on outside help, Sorce... rer," Jogo growled the last word fiercely, his eyes gleaming with anger.
"I noticed you have a very interesting fire. Something about it makes my soul shrink... And I really don't like being restrained!" Sukuna smirked, ignoring the curse and focusing on me. "Divine Flame! Open."
Arrogant bastard... He decided to confront me with fire just to prove something to himself?
In the next moment, fire blazed in Sukuna's hands. This fire was not ordinary—it was bright red, almost crimson, and seemed to emit not only heat but also a sinister energy. The flame in Sukuna's hands was extraordinarily lively, moving like a snake, writhing and spreading across his fingers as if it were a part of him. The light from the fire reflected in his four eyes, giving him the appearance of an ancient demon awakened from a centuries-old slumber.
"Is that... fire?" Jogo stared in astonishment, his single eye widening in surprise.
"I thought you knew about this... But I suppose too little information about me has survived to your era... Well, I'll fix that," Sukuna sneered, his voice dripping with smugness and disdain.
At that moment, I couldn't hold back a laugh that echoed through the area. Sukuna and Jogo both glared at me. Sukuna looked at me with interest, his eyes sparkling with curiosity and challenge, while Jogo stared at me as if I were a madman, his gaze full of bewilderment and fury.
"A battle of true firepower... I'm all fired up!" I said, locking eyes with Sukuna, unable to contain my excitement as my blood boiled with anticipation. "Just don't make excuses later for not using Dismantle and Cleave."
"Don't worry, I won't," Sukuna smirked, his smile full of defiance and confidence. "A battle of true firepower... I like the sound of that!"
In the next moment, Sukuna clasped his hands together, and a fire began to blaze wildly between his palms. The flames erupted with the fury of a volcano, their color shifting to a deep crimson shade, filling the space around us with a vivid glow. The fire was so intense it seemed ready to incinerate the very air, turning it to ash.
At the same time, Jogo glanced up at the sky, his face contorted with tension and resolve. He brought his hands behind his back, his movements slow and deliberate, like a predator preparing to pounce. His body began to emit a strange glow, and I realized he was about to unleash all his power to create something devastating.
I was no longer going to hold back in my desire to obliterate everything here. In the next moment, a massive surge of cursed energy burst forth from me, surrounding me and creating a storm in the eyes of Sukuna and Jogo. My consciousness was flooded with spiritual energy. Every cell in my body was filled with power and warmth. At the same moment, a white fire ignited on my palms, the strongest flame I could muster. This flame was pure and dazzling, its light so bright it was blinding, and it seemed ready to cleanse everything in its path.
At that moment, as the three of us prepared for the ultimate clash, the fate of our battle hung in the balance. This was a fight not just for survival or pride, but for the very essence of our beings. The air was thick with tension and power, and as we each unleashed our respective might, the world around us trembled, poised to witness the convergence of unparalleled forces.