The scenery changed.
Uro's domain had already been on the verge of collapse after Yuji used the slashing technique and Sukuna briefly revealed himself earlier. Under such circumstances, her domain no longer had the power to compete against the domain expanded by Yuji, who had entered a peak state of understanding through Black Flash.
The world that had once resembled a lake floating beneath blue skies and white clouds transformed into a cityscape. Not the Tokyo they had been fighting in before, but something more like an underground station somewhere deep below the city.
'What exactly is wrong with this guy?'
From awakening his cursed technique to expanding a domain, only a few minutes had passed.
This was the vessel chosen by the King of Curses.
"As expected of my brother..."
The smoke not far ahead slowly dispersed. Todo had actually managed to endure the full force of Uro's Thin Ice Breaker by strengthening his body with cursed energy while also using Simple Domain to shield Yuji from the guaranteed-hit effect.
Inside a domain, Thin Ice Breaker had become far more powerful. Even someone with Todo's monstrous physique did not believe he could survive a second hit. His entire body was bright red, as though boiling water had been poured over him, and blood seeped from between his tightly clenched teeth.
Yet the only thing he cared about was the transformation his best friend had undergone once again.
"Thanks, Todo. Leave the rest to me."
Yuji gently placed a hand on Todo's shoulder before walking past him and stopping ahead, facing the frowning Uro.
Thankfully, Jujutsu High had many capable teachers. Even though Yuji had only been there for a short time, he had still learned the basics of barrier techniques from Nanami and the others. Even he had not expected his first proper use of it would be to construct a domain.
"I'm counting on you then."
Todo finally relaxed and dropped onto one of the station benches.
"What are you trying to do?"
Uneasiness rose in Uro's heart. She tried to tear through space to counterattack, but halfway through, the distorted space suddenly scattered apart. It was like a thin piece of cloth being ripped into pieces the moment she pulled on it.
Technique burnout.
Their domains had not reached a balanced clash. The instant her domain was overtaken, her cursed technique entered burnout.
Still, she had never seen a domain like this before. It looked no different from a real city.
"What if you gave me a little time and walked with me for a while?"
Instead of attacking during her burnout, Yuji scratched his head with a smile, acting as though they had never been enemies in the first place.
"Fine."
Though still wary, Uro nodded in agreement.
Expanding a domain consumed enormous amounts of cursed energy, and combined with her technique burnout, if they really fought now, she would only be able to rely on Hollow Wicker Basket to resist the guaranteed-hit effect of his domain.
The problem was that even without the guaranteed-hit effect, the slashing technique itself was still troublesome enough. Not to mention Hollow Wicker Basket required hand signs.
After coming to an agreement, Uro and Yuji walked side by side while Todo followed behind them. The three rode the escalator together and reached the surface.
"When sorcerers fight intensely, sometimes their hearts can connect. I think that's a natural result of cursed energy clashing. But what exactly is your domain?"
Uro looked around as she spoke.
Simply put, cursed energy came from emotions, so she could believe that fierce collisions of cursed energy might allow people to sense each other's hearts. But this was a domain, a manifestation of the soul itself.
She had never heard of a sorcerer awakening Domain Expansion for the first time in battle only for it to look like this.
So... ordinary.
Yet because it was so ordinary, it strangely drew even more attention.
Behind them, Todo quietly listened as well. He was equally curious about this unique domain.
"Well... I don't really know either. I was just fighting you seriously."
Yuji scratched his head awkwardly before suddenly pointing toward a roadside decoration with bright eyes.
"Look! That's Onikenbai!"
He excitedly introduced it to the other two as they climbed stairs and passed through tunnels, constantly sharing stories about the place. Stories about himself and his grandfather.
At that moment, Todo finally realized the truth.
Yuji's domain was a recreation of Sendai City. It was the place where his childhood existed.
To some extent, an innate domain reflected a person's inner world. If Yuji's domain was Sendai, then it meant he had always remained that kind-hearted boy who struggled forward step by step.
"So that's it... this place..."
But Uro's expression was completely different from theirs. She muttered softly while continuously looking around after confirming something through the memories of "Takako Uro."
This was the Date Domain from a thousand years later.
Her former hometown.
And according to the agreement, this should have been the place where Kenjaku allowed her to reincarnate.
"Look! Morning glories!"
Yuji seemed completely unaware of the change in her mood as he happily called the two of them over to look at the flowers near a patch of greenery.
"These are hydrangeas."
For once, Uro seemed to let down her guard. She walked beside him and gently touched the flower.
"I know that already. That was just a slip of the tongue. You're surprisingly knowledgeable about flowers."
Yuji naturally denied not knowing flowers and asked her back with a grin, but she did not answer.
Actually, she knew nothing about flowers. It was simply that the identity known as "Takako Uro" seemed to love them.
Someone born in war and raised to serve war would never have had time to appreciate things like this.
The three continued wandering through the city.
"I remember this place. The ice cream from this shop was amazing. One time when I was little, I spent all my allowance buying some, then ate too much too fast and ended up throwing up."
Standing in front of an ice cream shop, Yuji laughed at himself.
"No wonder. So you've been brainless since you were a kid?"
A small mouth suddenly appeared on his face as Sukuna openly mocked him without restraint.
Insulting Yuji, humiliating him, making him suffer and despair. That was probably Sukuna's only source of entertainment whenever he could not come out himself.
Especially now, expanding a domain in the middle of battle only to drag the enemy around reminiscing looked unbelievably stupid to him.
"Shut up. I wasn't talking to you."
Yuji frowned with equal disgust.
"So what exactly are you trying to tell me?"
By now, Uro had lost interest in listening to him ramble and decided to ask directly.
"Even before entering the Culling Game, I thought my mission in life was to die together with this guy."
Yuji pointed toward the side of his face where Sukuna's mouth had appeared earlier.
"But now I've changed my mind. A person's purpose isn't decided from birth, and it doesn't stay the same forever."
Gojo-sensei and Fushiguro-san were both strong enough to kill him together with Sukuna now that more than ten fingers were inside his body. But they never chose to do that.
Even Okkotsu-senpai had rejected his request without hesitation.
Because to them, he was not a tool. He was a living person.
The value of his life was not found in dying together with Sukuna. It was in continuing forward freely alongside Megumi, Nobara, Nanami, and everyone else.
Everyone was desperately trying to save him, so how could he alone give up on living?
The new life he had been given meant he had to live for the people who saved him.
He wanted to live for others.
"If you've been given a second life through reincarnation, why can't you calmly accept it and try living for others?"
In Yuji's eyes, Uro was not evil. She had simply chosen the wrong path because of her past, and there was still time for her to turn back.
Uro frowned and was about to argue back, but suddenly felt ripples spread through her heart.
Yuji's domain possessed more than just a guaranteed-hit cursed technique. Because of its unique nature, it had gained the ability to directly speak to the soul itself.
This was a guaranteed-hit effect that struck straight into the heart.
Uro carried hatred within her, but hidden beneath that hatred was the fact that she had once lived wholeheartedly for others.
Her anger and obsession with making a name for herself existed because she had been betrayed in her previous life and forced beneath others while carrying all the blame.
But if she truly had the chance… could she really live proudly under the name "Takako Uro"?
"I won't live for others. But your first suggestion... I'll think about it."
Uro lost her will to fight.
"That's great!"
The domain shattered, and their fierce battle ended peacefully.
Yuji narrowed his eyes with a bright smile shining across his face.
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