"Hayashi, thanks for the snacks you sent me! By the way, how did you know I wasn't dead? How've you been lately? I really miss your cooking," Yuji Itadori asked a flurry of questions the moment he landed on the water's surface.
Hayashi merely flashed his teeth in a smile at Yuji. This wasn't the time to chat, and it would be better to catch up later.
"Yuji, I know you two are close, but save that for later," Gojo Satoru lightly tapped Yuji's head. Yuji, holding his head with both hands, understood and fell silent.
"Sensei, how did we get here? It felt like a dream," Yuji asked, still puzzled about how they arrived so quickly.
"Oh, we flew here," Gojo responded casually, clearly not interested in explaining further.
"That brat... is he really your student?" Jogo, the cursed spirit, blinked its large eyes in mild surprise.
"Him? Yes, he's my student," Gojo said as he patted Yuji's shoulder.
"Fuji... his head looks like Mt. Fuji!" Yuji exclaimed as he finally noticed Jogo, whose appearance was bizarre, much like the iconic Japanese mountain.
"Who said I was talking about him? I'm talking about the other one," Jogo muttered, grinding its teeth in frustration.
Jogo clearly remembered Hayashi. How dare that kid mock them back then? It had initially intended to play around with Hayashi but grew more and more frustrated after the encounter, regretting that it hadn't torn him apart. Today, it was determined to settle the score.
"Yeah?" Gojo glanced at Hayashi and introduced him to Jogo. "That's right, he's my student too. You guys should have met before, right?"
Yuji was confused. How could Hayashi possibly know this volcano-headed curse?
"Met? That little brat was outrageously arrogant when we last crossed paths. I was just going to toy with him, but after I left, I grew more furious. I couldn't rip him apart then, but today, I'll make sure he dies!" Jogo's volcanic head began spewing sparks, and each word was accompanied by small eruptions, with the temperature rising as molten lava bubbled from the top of its head.
"No, no, no. Whatever grievances you have, today they're here to learn, not fight. You can't kill them," Gojo said calmly, with a mocking tone as he looked at Jogo. "Your opponent is me. Go ahead and fight."
"Fool! You may be able to protect yourself, but can you protect both of them at the same time?" Jogo spat out, but it knew that Hayashi's power was mysterious, though not fully refined. Even so, it would require great courage to act as fearlessly as Hayashi had when facing four special-grade curses alone.
"Hahaha, don't worry," Gojo chuckled dismissively, not caring about Jogo's threats. He even added mockingly, "Because you're weak~~~"
Jogo froze for a moment. Then, suddenly, the plugs in its ears shot out with bursts of molten lava, and the volcano atop its head erupted violently, casting the entire night into a fiery red glow.
"Don't underestimate me, brat!" Jogo roared, its voice strained with rage. "I'll swallow that smug smile right off your face!"
With the eruption of intense heat, the lake water around them began to boil, sending waves crashing outward.
Yuji stood stunned, watching the scene unfold with waves of scorching heat washing over him. "Did Gojo-sensei say this thing was weak? It's more monstrous than anything I've ever seen."
"Don't worry. Just stay close to me," Gojo said nonchalantly, satisfied that he had thoroughly enraged Jogo.
Hayashi, standing to the side, remained calm. Though Jogo was far stronger than the Ice Bearer he had fought before, Hayashi now had the ability to unfold his own domain. While he wasn't sure if his domain could entirely overpower Jogo's, it wouldn't be too far behind.
Besides, with Gojo nearby, there was nothing to fear.
However, Hayashi was puzzled. Since he had previously fought Jogo, the curse should have been more cautious of Gojo, so why would it still dare to provoke him? Perhaps Jogo truly believed it could defeat Gojo this time?
After unleashing its full power, Jogo glared at the three of them with burning eyes. It clasped its hands together, and with a guttural voice, muttered, "Domain Expansion!"
As soon as the words were uttered, an endless darkness surged from behind Jogo, enveloping everything and trapping all within.
Inside the pitch-black domain, the ground trembled as rocks with lava bubbling between them emerged. Volcanic rocks began to close in from all directions, with molten lava seeping through the cracks, creating a hellish landscape.
Hayashi was startled by the stark contrast between Jogo's domain and the ones he had previously encountered. Yet, there was something strangely familiar about it as well.
The purple curse's domain had been a "Steel Jungle," filled with the smell of rust and the stench of death. The Ice Bearer's domain, "Frostbound Mountain" was larger and more visually striking, with an icy environment that directly affected sorcerers.
Jogo's domain, however, seemed even more dangerous. The molten lava beneath their feet wasn't just for show—it could burn through flesh, leaving a jujutsu sorcerer severely injured if they weren't careful.
Just like when Hayashi had worked at that restaurant before, Jogo had nonchalantly snapped its fingers, instantly burning all the people inside. The difference between an ordinary person and a curse like Jogo was that vast.
"Coffin of the Iron Mountain!" Jogo grinned, showing a row of black teeth. Now it could fight with confidence. In its domain, no one could escape—not even Gojo Satoru.
"What is this place?" Yuji asked, looking around at the unfamiliar, oppressive surroundings. Everything felt unsettling.
Gojo glanced at his two students. Hayashi remained far more composed than Yuji. Gojo wasn't sure if Hayashi was truly confident or just relying on his presence, but either way, his calm demeanor was commendable. Yuji, on the other hand, seemed like a wide-eyed child who had never seen the world.
"This is 'Domain Expansion.' Using cursed energy to construct an environment imbued with their technique," Gojo explained, taking the opportunity to teach before Jogo made its move. "What you experienced in the juvenile detention center was an incomplete domain without techniques. If it had been a complete domain, all the first-years would have been wiped out. Megumi probably knew that."
"Expanding a domain requires an enormous amount of cursed energy, but it comes with benefits. First, the environment enhances their abilities."
"Oh, like a 'buff' in a video game?" Yuji guessed.
Gojo didn't answer Yuji. Instead, he nonchalantly shattered a massive rock that came hurtling toward them and continued, "Second, any technique unleashed within a domain will always hit its target."
"Always?"
"Always."
"But don't worry. There are ways to counter it. One way is to use your own cursed techniques to fight back. Another method, which I don't recommend, is to escape the domain, though that's nearly impossible. And there's one more..."
"A regular sorcerer would have been reduced to ashes the moment they entered my domain," Jogo sneered. It was impressed that Gojo could withstand the heat. "By using a more concentrated domain, I can neutralize your 'Infinity,' which means my technique will hit you now, right?"
Gojo casually responded, "Yep, it'll hit."
Hearing Gojo's calm reply, Jogo's original plan—half of which had been to mess around—was starting to crumble in the face of the overwhelming difference in their power levels.
"As a curse spirit, as the superior species, I cannot accept this humiliation!" Jogo's expression twisted in fury.
But at that moment, Gojo raised a hand and reached for the blindfold covering his eyes. "The best way to counter a domain is to use your own. When two domains are deployed at the same time, the more refined one will take control. Of course, that depends on the cursed energy and compatibility as well."