Of course, Anti-Gravity System had its limitations.
One major weakness was that while casting the spell, the caster couldn't move freely without experiencing the same gravitational effect themselves.
Of course, that rule only applied to ordinary sorcerers.
For Ryuji, such constraints meant nothing.
The food curse spirit was half-kneeling, straining under the immense pressure of fifty times gravity, its grotesque form quivering as it struggled. Watching it, Ryuji took a deliberate step forward. The gravity field washed over him, but his pace didn't falter for even a moment.
Due to the Soul-devouring technique, Ryuji's physical abilities were now beyond human limits, stronger than even the most fearsome warriors of the sea. Fifty times gravity couldn't touch him.
He stopped in front of the food curse spirit, raising one hand in a casual gesture, shaping his fingers into the form of a pistol aimed directly at its head.
"If that's all you've got, then this is where you die," Ryuji declared coolly.
What he didn't expect, however, was the sudden notification that appeared in his mind.
"Successfully contacted target: Food Curse Spirit! The golden entry has been triggered. Do you want to load it?"
A golden entry? This was unexpected. Ryuji hadn't anticipated obtaining such a valuable entry from this bizarre spirit. He felt a twinge of curiosity about what ability might come from it, but that could wait. If it turned out to be underwhelming, he could always decompose it later.
His eyes gleamed with amusement as he focused on the panic-stricken creature before him.
"…"
The food curse spirit's eyes, filled with dread, darted around wildly. It knew Ryuji wasn't bluffing, this human fully intended to kill it.
No! This couldn't be the end. The cursed spirit had only just come into existence; it hadn't yet had a chance to spread true fear, to make humanity tremble at the very sight of food. It refused to die now.
Driven by desperation, the food curse spirit forced its upper body off the ground, bringing its hands together with a resounding clap.
"Oh?"
Ryuji's interest was piqued. "Is that… a domain?"
Indeed, the gesture was one used exclusively to initiate a domain expansion. And given the spirit's nature, it wasn't surprising it possessed such an ability.
"Humans, prepare yourselves for despair!" the curse spirit roared.
Its newfound confidence sent a ripple of energy through the air.
"You hesitated, and that was your downfall!" it jeered. "Your arrogance will be your undoing!"
Its voice turned guttural and sinister as it shouted:
"Domain Expansion—Food Space!"
A wave of dark, sinister energy spread rapidly from the curse spirit, enveloping the entire academy. In an instant, everyone still within Totsuki's grounds was swept into the domain.
"An open domain?" Ryuji observed, eyes narrowing slightly.
Just like Sukuna's Malevolent Shrine, this domain was an open-type space, but the size of it was what surprised him the most.
"The entire Totsuki Academy?" Ryuji muttered. The scope of this domain was no joke; it was comparable to some of the largest he had encountered.
"Impressive," he admitted. Had this curse spirit not encountered him so early in its existence, it might have developed into a formidable threat.
"Where are we?"
Gasps and murmurs rose from the students and staff who found themselves inside the domain, their eyes wide with disbelief.
"Look at all this food!" someone shouted, eyes gleaming as they took in their surroundings.
The sky was now a canvas of cotton candy clouds, the buildings were formed from bread and pastries, and every tree was a giant piece of fruit or a popsicle. Everything was meticulously crafted to be as appealing and mouthwatering as possible.
"This place is amazing," murmured Alice, unable to hide her awe.
"Wait," Ryuji said, lifting a hand as a sudden realization struck him. "Something's off here."
He scanned the domain carefully. This setting was too inviting, too perfect. And with his willpower, he shouldn't have felt the urge to taste anything here.
"Bewitchment," he said, his voice firm. The domain wasn't just a visual trap, it carried an insidious charm to compel anyone within it to eat.
"Delicious! So much food!" came the voices of those around him, some already succumbing to the curse's effects.
"Don't eat it!" Ryuji shouted, his eyes darting to see Kaguya and Alice reaching for pieces of cake.
In a flash, the cursed pattern appeared at the corner of Ryuji's mouth.
"Release!"
"Recover!"
The commands cut through the mental fog, and both Kaguya and Alice dropped the food, looking around in confusion.
"Did we just…?" Kaguya said, her brows furrowing as she pieced together what had happened.
"Yes," Ryuji confirmed. "You were bewitched."
Senzaemon, observing the interaction, tightened his jaw. "A powerful trick, indeed. Thank you, Ryuji."
Ryuji nodded but didn't respond further, his attention drawn to a student in the distance who had already taken a bite of the food.
"Delicious! It's so good!" the student cried, shoveling handfuls of cake into his mouth. But as he ate, a horrifying transformation began.
His legs turned into strands of ramen, his torso warped into a loaf of bread layered with fillings, and in seconds, his entire body morphed into an assortment of foodstuffs before collapsing into a lifeless heap on the ground.
"Ah!"
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd, the reality of the domain sinking in. The terror in their eyes made it clear, they understood now. If not for Ryuji, they could have suffered the same grotesque fate.
"Hahaha!"
The booming laughter of the food curse spirit resonated throughout the domain, triumphant and taunting.
***
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