"Since there's still time, why not play with you a bit?"
Sukuna stood with his hands in his pockets, looking completely unconcerned. There was still some time before Yuji woke up, and he had no intention of doing anything pointless.
Originally, he wanted the brat to personally experience what it felt like to slaughter people using his own body. But with Mukuro here, and the surrounding civilians already cleared out at some unknown time, he couldn't be bothered to go elsewhere.
The brat wasn't worth the effort.
Instead, this was a good chance to figure out the rules of Mukuro's domain.
As someone with the ultimate Heavenly Restriction body, that man actually possessed an innate domain…
Even if an innate domain was a manifestation of the mind, the fact that he could still use techniques was absurd.
A body without cursed energy was already rare enough. But without cursed energy, how could one even perceive their own inner world, let alone develop a technique?
To put it bluntly, overwhelming physical strength should suppress the nature of the soul.
Even if he truly had an innate domain, and could now use cursed energy due to some special condition, it should be harder for him to deploy it compared to normal prodigies.
And on top of that, a hell-like domain combined with ice… no matter how one looked at it, something felt off.
"Open."
But in the next moment, something happened that made Sukuna's pupils shrink sharply.
Mukuro spoke softly, and a flame appeared in his hand. Exactly like before.
That was… something similar to his own Divine Flame?!
First ice, now fire… was the technique granted to Mukuro's domain imitation? Replication?
In that instant, countless possibilities flashed through Sukuna's mind.
"Just a reminder. This one is guaranteed to hit."
Before launching the flames, Mukuro kindly warned him. Malevolent Shrine had completely collapsed. This was now entirely his domain.
"Who's waiting for you?"
Sukuna pulled his hands out and quickly retreated toward the edge.
This open domain was roughly the same size as his own. He was only about a hundred meters from the boundary. At his speed, he could escape in an instant.
He wasn't at full strength, and he was also dealing with technique burnout. He had no intention of foolishly facing the enemy's domain head-on like Mukuro.
Strength didn't mean always clashing directly. A true strong person knew what to do at the right time. Use every available resource wisely. Play to your strengths. Avoid your weaknesses.
In the end, the world only listens to the victor.
But then, Sukuna stopped.
Just as his feet were about to cross the boundary, powerful skeletal arms erupted from the ground and grabbed his legs.
'What is this?!'
In that brief moment of hesitation, endless frost climbed up his body, freezing him in place.
"Don't die."
At the same time, the flame in Mukuro's hand shot out like a mark. In midair, it transformed into a roaring fire dragon and rushed straight toward him.
Boom!
The ice shattered.
Sukuna broke free, his body still steaming with cold mist.
But the boundary that had been just within reach had now been completely sealed by thick walls of cursed-energy-infused ice.
And the fire dragon was already right in front of him.
"Brat…"
His Hollow Wicker Basket was meant to neutralize guaranteed-hit effects. But against something like this, a targeted sure-hit attack, it was nearly useless.
He gathered cursed energy into both hands. Like Falling Blossom Emotion, he used cursed energy to block cursed energy, forcibly taking the attack head-on.
BOOM!
After a thunderous explosion, the ice melted and thick smoke filled the air.
When it cleared, Sukuna's upper body was completely burned away.
Burn marks covered him, and blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. Yet his gaze remained sharp, as if he wasn't the one injured.
"I have to ask, the guaranteed-hit effect in your domain… could it be an illusion?"
At the very moment he took the fire dragon head-on, Sukuna suddenly realized it. Based on everything Mukuro had shown so far, this was the most likely answer.
But… was that even possible?
"Too bad. No reward for getting it right."
Mukuro did not hide it. He admitted it directly.
As a Heavenly Restriction user, Sukuna's guess was correct. He could not possess an innate technique. If he used the Human Path with his real body, the cursed energy would only wrap around him externally as reinforcement. His body simply could not contain cursed energy.
Because of that, it was extremely difficult for him to manifest his inner world like this. Or rather, there was no need to.
But now, he was inside Megumi's body. Using this vessel that could contain cursed energy, along with hand seals and the name of the domain as a foundation, he forcefully constructed an innate domain through cursed energy and illusion.
In other words, Mukuro deceived the world itself.
Using the highest level of illusion, he made the world acknowledge that he possessed an innate domain.
As for the innate technique, it was also formed through illusion.
Since the domain expansion had already been recognized by the world, as long as the opponent did not counter with their own domain or something like a Simple Domain, they would be affected by the guaranteed-hit effect.
And that guaranteed-hit effect came from the Naraka Path's illusion.
Once caught in it, the techniques Mukuro created within the domain through illusion would become real.
Turning illusion into reality. Meaning, a guaranteed-hit technique.
Even if Sukuna understood it, it didn't matter. Domains were not something one could simply break apart.
"You're just as annoying as that guy outside." Sukuna let out a mocking laugh.
Time was up.
A moment later, his eyes flickered and Yuji returned.
'It hurts…'
The boy regained control of his body, and the intense pain flooded in.
"Round Deer."
Mukuro dispelled the domain and formed a hand sign. A deer with the ability to use RCT emerged from the shadows and moved to heal Yuji.
(Mukuro did not deploy Megumi's domain, so the Ten Shadows Technique did not enter burnout.)
ROAR!
With the domain gone, Mahoraga, which had been held back outside, charged again with a roar.
'This thing is really…'
Mukuro had forgotten about it for a moment.
Illusions alone could not deal fatal damage to something like that. Without overwhelming destructive power, it could not be killed instantly.
But if he used such power without a domain's binding, the damage would spread uncontrollably. Even though several kilometers had already been evacuated, there was no guarantee it wouldn't reach over ten kilometers.
Suddenly, a bright flash erupted from the direction of the others. A familiar cursed energy followed.
'Perfect timing…'
Mahoraga and that direction were aligned in a straight line.
Mukuro raised his hand toward the charging figure. Dense cursed energy gathered at his fingertips. Since the energy gathered by the Human Path mostly surrounded his body, he compressed it all into a single point.
"That brat… he wouldn't?!"
A kilometer away, Toji seemed to realize something.
He and Suguru vanished at once.
Nanami and Haibara had already picked up the students and started running at full speed.
"Void Pressure."
The compressed cursed energy shot out like a bullet. Space itself twisted. Everything in its path collapsed, carving a deep scar into the earth.
Before that attack, Mahoraga looked insignificant, and was swallowed instantly.
"That heterochromatic bastard really loves causing trouble…"
A white-haired figure appeared. His fingers came together slightly as he began to chant:
"Nine Ropes, Polarized Light, Crow and Declaration, Between Front and Back…"
In the next instant, he flicked his fingers toward the incoming surge of cursed energy.
"Hollow Purple!"
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Vote with Power Stones for Bonus Chapters!
Your support means a lot, thank you!