Domain Expansion, because its use causes Cursed Technique Burnout, is normally a decisive move in jujutsu battles and is only deployed at critical moments.
At this moment, Takako, who had completely fallen into a disadvantage, wanted to reverse the situation by using Domain Expansion.
Eichi had not used Domain Expansion, a move capable of turning the tide of battle, even when he had been ambushed by several people earlier and was left in an extremely miserable state.
Because of this, Takako judged that Eichi would most likely not use a Domain.
Unfortunately, her judgment was wrong.
As a proper shikigami user with some martial arts foundation, Eichi would never use Domain Expansion unless he was in an absolutely winning situation.
After all, the feeling of being unable to summon shikigami due to Cursed Technique Burnout was truly terrible.
And frankly speaking, for an ordinary person, it was already extremely rare to train either a Cursed Technique or martial arts to the highest level.
It was only because Eichi's talent had been pushed to its peak by the System before it left.
Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him, at such a young age, to master Domain Expansion and Maximum Technique while also cultivating first-rate martial arts.
If not for the fact that hand-to-hand combat was often unavoidable in this world's battles, Eichi truly would not have wanted to invest so much effort into martial arts.
Fortunately, his talent was sufficient.
"Domain Expansion: Sky Net of the Void."
Takako crossed her arms and unleashed her Domain.
A pure white space enveloped Eichi, then gradually turned blue.
Takako's Domain manifested as a clear, flawless blue sky.
Finally freed from Eichi's relentless assault, Takako seized the moment to heal her broken bones with Reverse Cursed Technique.
In the next instant, her eyes widened involuntarily.
"Damn it!"
Takako's newly healed right arm reached out toward Eichi.
For a moment, the entire sky twisted toward the point where Takako stood.
But it was already too late.
"Domain Expansion: Abyssal Dark Shadow Garden."
A pitch-black abyss began to invade the pure sky.
The Domain's sure-hit effect failed, and Takako could no longer remotely grasp Eichi through her Domain.
Left with no other choice, Takako began struggling with Eichi for control of the Domain.
For a brief moment, the pure sky and the pitch-black abyss stood in opposition.
Takako floated in the air, her expression grim.
The instant Eichi used his Domain, Takako knew she had lost.
In a clash of Domains, she was at an absolute disadvantage.
However, Takako was someone who had fought her way up through sheer strength, she would not give up simply because her opponent was stronger.
Space distorted across a wide area as both the sky and the abyss converged toward Takako's hand.
"So that's it. Your Domain enhances the lethality of your technique, while the increased range is just a side effect."
Eichi saw through the nature of Takako's Domain and understood her plan.
She intended to use a powerful, indiscriminate attack to destroy both Domains at the same time.
Eichi could also guess her reasoning.
The abyss was steadily eroding the sky.
If she insisted on continuing the Domain struggle, Takako would not be able to hold out much longer.
So she chose to destroy the Domain entirely. Both sides would suffer Cursed Technique Burnout, then begin a third round of battle from scratch.
There were still many Cursed Spirits outside that Tamamo-no-Mae had entrusted to her command. Even with Cursed Technique Burnout, she was not completely helpless.
"You won't succeed."
Eichi summoned a shikigami toward Takako.
This time, instead of a powerful one, he summoned the weakest, Rabbit Escape.
As the abyss continued to be absorbed into Takako's hand, it began to expand, and countless Rabbit Escape were summoned and split apart.
Takako felt the space within her grasp becoming increasingly unstable.
"You probably think you're flying high enough, still within your own Domain, and that no matter how I attack, you can react in time. Unfortunately, you shouldn't have grabbed my shadow."
Did Takako want to grab Eichi's shadow?
In truth, she did not, but their Domains had already fused, making it impossible not to seize his shadow.
She was fully engaged in the Domain clash, and it was already difficult to maintain precise Cursed Energy control while sustaining output.
In the next moment, the continuously expanding shadow and the ever-increasing number of Rabbit Escape finally shattered the distorted space.
Takako's charge failed.
"Damn it!"
One after another, Rabbit Escape kicked Takako with their inherited leg techniques.
Attacks came from all directions, forcing Takako to defend with everything she had.
Several Rabbit Escape overlapped, casting a shadow over those below.
"Great Serpent."
The Great Serpent burst out from the shadow, bit into Takako, and dragged her into the abyss.
With that, the Domain clash came to an end, and the pure sky was completely devoured by the pitch-black abyss.
"Get out of my way!"
Takako twisted her body sideways and thrust both hands forward, unleashing Ugyo Rodan.
The Great Serpent was blown apart by the attack.
Takako managed to break free from its jaws.
However, there was no joy in her heart.
Only despair and unwillingness.
Before her eyes, the azure sky had completely vanished, and her body was overwhelmed by the exhaustion and emptiness of Cursed Energy brought on by Cursed Technique Burnout after losing the Domain battle.
At that moment, Eichi silently appeared behind her.
"Now it's punishment time."
In the next instant, countless attacks rained down on Takako.
Soon, she lost consciousness amid the relentless onslaught.
Shadows tightly bound her body.
Eichi continued summoning shikigami using the effects of his Domain.
Hidden beneath the abyss was the shikigami nest.
Countless shikigami were fully summoned through the Domain.
The summoning speed was even faster than that of the Maximum Technique.
However, the consumption was also far greater than the Maximum Technique.
Crack.
Cracks appeared within Eichi's Domain.
These were caused by the Cursed Spirits outside, still obeying Takako's orders, constantly attacking the Domain's exterior.
It was the command Takako had issued to the Cursed Spirits after falling into a disadvantage.
Unfortunately, she had not expected to be defeated in the Domain battle in just a few seconds.
Crack. Crack.
More fractures appeared on the outer shell of the Domain.
Eichi stopped summoning.
"That's why I hate deploying a Domain in complicated battles…"
He muttered.
It had been the same during that earlier reconnaissance battle. If he had been willing to expand his Domain, he could have defeated Ryu very quickly.
But if, while he was defeating Ryu, someone outside shattered his Domain, the situation would have instantly reversed.
Unless all enemies were dragged into the Domain under conditions of absolute victory, this problem could not be avoided.
Crack.
"Release."
As Eichi spoke, the pitch-black abyss disappeared.
It was better to dispel the Domain himself than to let it be destroyed by external Cursed Spirits.
As the Domain vanished, shikigami such as Max Elephant, Rabbit Escape, Great Serpent, Toad, and Round Deer immediately confronted the Cursed Spirits attacking the former Domain's outer shell.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)