Kai turned to face Kitsune with his overwhelming aura , then in an instant he blurred and appeared in front of him swinging the odachi down. The pressure generated from his sudden acceleration alone shattered the already cracked laboratory floor beneath his feet, while spiralling streams of crimson curse energy twisted around his body like living serpents. The air screamed apart from the sheer force of movement, and even the domain itself seemed to ripple as if reacting to the presence of the ancient blade.
Shrrrick..
Shing..
The blade cut through Kitsune arm easily ,as a kick followed on his chest blasting her into the distance .. for Kai to stop for a second to gaze at his legs and arm . The sensation flowing through his body felt foreign and familiar at the same time, as though every muscle fibre had been sharpened beyond human limits. His skin vibrated with power and his senses expanded outward, allowing him to perceive every fluctuation of curse energy inside the domain. Even the floating DNA strands suspended in the sky seemed frozen from his perspective.
Boom the area exploded with dust and debris.
The impact carved a massive trench through the domain landscape, sending chunks of earth and flesh-like structures flying into the air. Cracks spread for hundreds of meters through the surface while shockwaves blasted apart nearby growths formed by the domain's biological environment.
Kai:" this level of speed and power is beyond just a normal special grade ."
His eyes lingered on his own hands as curse energy flowed through them with unnatural density, causing the odachi to hum quietly as if pleased with its wielder.
???:" special grade 4 huh , as how you mortals would scale it .. the equivalent of 8 sukuna fingers."
The mysterious voice echoed through Kai's mind once more, carrying an ancient amusement that made his skin crawl despite the overwhelming power currently flowing through him.
Kai moves at blinding speed appearing behind the curse spirit.
The ground beneath him detonated into fragments as he vanished, leaving behind only a crimson afterimage. A moment later the pressure wave generated by his movement finally caught up, tearing apart sections of the battlefield.
Kai:" damn I'm at the level of Jogo huh."
A wave of curse energy exploded as the figure of Kitsune stood up.
The curse spirit's body reformed from shredded flesh and fractured bone, with new tissue rapidly weaving itself together. Veins pulsed beneath her skin while jagged armour plates shifted and grew across her body.
Kitsune:" you brat how the hell are you this strong, no normal curse tool can enhance you this much .. unless ."
Confusion and caution mixed together within her voice as she stared at the odachi, clearly beginning to understand that the blade itself was far more dangerous than she had originally assumed.
But with a grab Kai throw the curse spirit high up then leaped into the air , throwing a fist and followed with a kick spiking the curse spirit on the ground.
His fingers wrapped around her ankle before she could react, and the force behind the throw generated a sonic boom. He followed instantly, appearing above her before driving a fist into her stomach that folded her body around the strike. Before she could recover he rotated his hips and delivered a devastating axe kick that launched her downward like a meteor.
Boom..
The impact generated a crater several hundred meters wide. The entire domain shook violently as debris erupted skyward in a massive pillar while biological structures throughout the environment collapsed inward.
The special grade curse spirit Kitsune walked over to a generator in the broken apart lab, and with a touch it vanished into curse energy and entered her body.
The metal machinery twisted and dissolved into streams of curse energy that flowed into her flesh. Circuits, steel and electrical components all melted together into a glowing mass before disappearing completely.
Out from the crater it made in the ground.
Geto:" I thought you said his curse technique ,can only work living beings and not objects."
Suguru's eyes narrowed as he watched the phenomenon unfold. Even after years of studying cursed spirits, this level of adaptation was absurd.
With more speed he moved and stopped while swinging the odachi down, transferring all the force into a pure curse energy slash that blasted the curse spirit.
The blade released a massive crescent wave of curse energy that stretched across the battlefield. The slash ripped through the air itself, splitting apart everything in its path and carving a canyon through the domain.
Boom..
The explosion illuminated the entire barrier from within, while a hurricane of debris and curse energy spread outward.
Kai:" it must be due to his domain conditions."
Kitsune:" yes within my domain, all objects, at my level or lower can be devoured by my curse technique upon contact."
There was pride in her voice despite the damage she had taken. Her domain continuously adapted to support her curse technique, making every second inside it more dangerous.
Kai:" I never took you for the type ,to use a petty binding vow to boost your curse technique."
He blitzed right next the curse spirit and continues his slashes ,punches and kicks.
Every strike generated shockwaves that flattened the surrounding terrain. His blade cut through layers of armour while his fists shattered bones and his kicks launched Kitsune through chunks of floating debris. The battle had become a blur of movement impossible for ordinary sorcerers to follow.
Kitsune:" well a curse girl has got to do what she can right, it's not easy to get by in the world of jujitsu."
While coming out from dust and debris with her body healing back together.
Broken flesh stitched itself together. Missing organs regenerated. Fractured bones snapped back into place with disturbing sounds.
Kai:" yea it's honestly depressing I can't even catch a break, and when you have everything going well it just always ends bad."
His tone remained oddly casual despite actively attempting to tear apart a special grade curse spirit.
Geto knew that Kai was trying to drop the output, and stability of the domain by constantly attacking Kitsune.
Every injury forced Kitsune to divert more curse energy toward healing and maintenance, slowly placing strain upon the barrier itself.
Kitsune:" I know right, so annoying why can't we just have peace you know,"
Geto:" are you seriously trying to relate with the curse spirit."
Kai:" yes she's actually not all that bad ."
Kitsune:" thank you, your pretty cute yourself kid."
Geto simply stared at the two of them in disbelief.
Geto:" I genuinely cannot believe this conversation is happening in the middle of a domain battle."
A pulse of continuing curse energy covered Kitsune in waves.
The surrounding environment responded immediately as streams of energy surged toward her body. The DNA strands floating overhead glowed brighter while mutations spread across the landscape.
Kai:" so what enhancement did you get from that ."
Kitsune:" oh the generator , it allows my recovery for curse energy to be faster and output faster in exchange for healing slower with curse energy."
Kai:" damn the potential of your curse technique is actually broken, like could you modify my brain to make it handle my heavy strain ..for advanced barrier techniques and curse technique usage."
Kitsune:" I have already done that with myself so now I can do this ."
Her forehead split open slightly before sealing itself again, revealing glimpses of additional neural structures woven throughout her brain.
Geto:" what the .. the amount of energy."
The curse energy pressure filling the domain skyrocketed. Even Suguru felt his breathing become heavier as the atmosphere grew denser.
Maximum technique: soul reconstruction
The domain trembled violently.
Kitsune's body expanded outward before compressing again. Countless layers of flesh, bone, nerves and organs were reconstructed at an absurd speed. Her curse energy signature multiplied several times over as her very existence evolved.
Kitsune:" now I can use the new devoured technique."
Supreme art: energy over drive
Supreme art: glacier shower
A large amount of curse energy converged into the sky, as thousands of large rocks of ice fell with a lot of destructive power.
The heavens of the domain darkened instantly. Massive glaciers condensed high above, each one comparable in size to a building. Their surfaces crackled with curse energy while temperatures plummeted throughout the battlefield. Frost spread across the ground and frozen mist filled the air.
Kai did not wait any longer as he covered his blade with curse energy reinforcement and moved at high speed , he sliced through the first ice meteor and it exploded with frost and cold winds.. that froze his muscles but his violent curse energy allowed him to break free, but now he moved slowly the more and more he moved.
The freezing effect was not ordinary ice but curse energy infused cold designed to suppress movement itself. Every swing of his sword shattered another glacier, yet each explosion coated his body in more frost. Ice spread across his arms and legs, creeping further with every passing second.
Boom..
Boom..
Boom..
One frozen meteor after another exploded apart beneath the odachi, covering the battlefield in blizzards and fragments of cursed ice.
Kai:" this is getting annoying."
His movements slowed further as layers of frost accumulated around his joints.
Kitsune:" that's the point genius, every meteor you destroy releases more freezing curse energy. The more powerful you are, the faster your own movements betray you."
Kai could now feel the freezing effect attempting to lock down his muscles, nerves and curse energy pathways simultaneously.
Geto:" Kai move!"
Several glaciers suddenly altered direction and converged from multiple blind spots.
Kai turned and unleashed another massive slash, splitting apart three at once, but the resulting explosion engulfed him completely in a storm of ice and freezing winds.
For the first time since drawing the odachi, his body was pushed backward across the battlefield.
Kitsune smiled.
Kitsune:" there you are, now you're finally slowing down enough for me to hit."
He began to close his eyes and look inwards, thinking about all the things he knew about this world, then with a bitter smile he remembered ..one of the first binding vows he made to permanently give up the usage of Black Flashes. Back then it had seemed like a worthwhile exchange, a sacrifice made for certainty and growth in other areas, but now while standing inside the Domain Expansion of a Special Grade Curse Spirit, his body riddled with wounds and his life hanging by a thread, he finally understood why so many sorcerers refused to gamble away possibilities. Every technique, every pathway, every chance at growth could one day become the difference between life and death.
The endless landscape of the Domain continued to tremble around him as giant glaciers crashed into the earth and shattered entire sections of the laboratory environment that had been assimilated into the barrier. Ice storms raged through the artificial sky while chunks of frozen debris and twisted metal floated through the air before being consumed by the curse energy saturating the Domain. The temperature continued dropping lower and lower with every passing second, and even Kai's enhanced body could feel the effects as frost spread across his skin and blood slowly froze around many of his wounds.
Kai's thoughts:
"Before even thinking about the peak of jujutsu, before even thinking about Special Grade, before even thinking about standing beside people like Mizuki, Yuki, or even the future version of Satoru... I need to survive today."
Kai's thoughts:
"If I die here then none of it matters."
Kitsune watched him carefully from the distance while gripping the Odachi in both hands. Her body was still regenerating from the immense damage he had inflicted earlier, but now the advantage had shifted back into her favor. Strange veins pulsed beneath her skin while the curse energy of the blade continuously fought against her attempts to consume it. Even so, the process was progressing.
Kitsune:"You know kid, I've been wondering something this entire fight."
Her voice echoed throughout the Domain while a playful smile appeared on her face, though her eyes remained cold and predatory.
Kitsune:"Why are you trying so hard."
Kitsune:"You know you're weaker than me right now."
Kitsune:"You know your body is breaking apart."
Kitsune:"You know your friend can't help you."
Kitsune:"And yet every time I think you're about to give up, you somehow stand back up again."
Kai slowly opened his eyes.
Kai:"That's because giving up has never solved a single problem in my life."
A faint laugh escaped Kitsune.
Kitsune:"Honestly, that's a pretty good answer."
Kitsune:"Unfortunately for you, determination doesn't stop blood loss."
The dragon-like body she had created earlier suddenly shifted and compressed. Scales folded inward, bones cracked and reformed, muscles twisted and condensed. Her body rapidly returned to a humanoid shape, though she now stood much taller than before with crystalline armor covering portions of her body and jagged ice protrusions extending from her shoulders, elbows and back.
Kitsune:"And unlike you, I evolve every second this fight continues."
A pulse of curse energy erupted from her body.
Boom..
The Domain shook violently.
Geto, who was still searching for a weakness in the barrier from the distance, immediately turned toward the source and frowned.
Geto:"Her output increased again."
Several curse spirits floated around him protectively, but even he could tell the situation was becoming worse. The amount of curse energy leaking from Kitsune was approaching absurd levels.
Geto:"If this keeps going she might actually become a disaster on the level of the strongest Special Grades."
Kai stared at her silently.
Kai:"She's right."
Kai's thoughts:
"Every minute this battle continues she grows stronger."
Kai's thoughts:
"While I'm getting weaker."
The mysterious voice spoke once again, though this time it sounded more serious than before.
???:"Mortal, your ancestor did not become a legend because he possessed overwhelming curse energy."
???:"He became a legend because he understood something that most sorcerers never comprehend."
Kai:"And what is that."
???:"The body, the mind, the soul and curse energy are not separate things."
???:"They are one."
Kai narrowly dodged another barrage of ice spears while listening.
The projectiles ripped through the air like artillery shells. Several struck the ground behind him, creating explosions of frost that instantly froze entire sections of the battlefield. Others grazed his body, tearing away flesh and leaving behind deep wounds that struggled to close.
Kai:"If you're trying to teach me philosophy right now, then your timing is terrible."
???:"Yet you are still listening."
Kai clicked his tongue.
Kai:"Unfortunately."
The voice almost sounded amused.
???:"You continue searching for a pathway to your brain."
???:"But you are asking the wrong question."
Kai's eyes narrowed.
???:"Do not ask where the pathway is."
???:"Ask why the pathway is blocked."
The words struck him harder than any attack.
For a brief moment he stopped moving.
Not physically.
Mentally.
The thought process he had been repeating over and over again suddenly paused.
Why was it blocked?
The sensation he kept feeling wasn't disappearing because it didn't exist.
By his own binding vow.
Kai:"The spatial phenomenon..."
Kai's thoughts:
"It's trying to manifest."
Kai's thoughts:
"But every time it reaches my curse energy network it gets rejected.
Another realization followed immediately after.
.Then maybe forcing it through my curse energy isn't the answer,Maybe I need to bypass it completely."
Before he could think further, Kitsune suddenly appeared directly in front of him.
Boom!!
Her fist crashed into his guard with enough force to create a shockwave that shattered the frozen landscape around them.
Kai was launched backward.
Several ribs snapped instantly.
Blood sprayed from his mouth.
Yet before he could recover, Kitsune followed with another strike, then another, then another.
Each punch carried enough force to crater the ground beneath him.
Each kick shattered layers of reinforced curse energy.
Each impact sent vibrations through his organs.
Kitsune:"Stay focused kid."
Kitsune:"It would be embarrassing if you died while daydreaming."
Kai gritted his teeth and countered with a kick of his own, only for Kitsune to catch his leg and slam him into the ground.
Boom!!
A crater hundreds of meters wide exploded outward.
The Domain trembled.
Large sections of the artificial sky fractured from the shockwaves.
Kai coughed blood.
Kitsune smiled.
Kitsune:"There it is."
Kitsune:"That expression."
Kitsune:"The one people make when they finally realize they're going to die."
Kai slowly lifted his head.
Despite the blood covering his face.
Despite the countless wounds.
Despite the overwhelming disadvantage.
A grin appeared.
Kai:"Actually..."
Kai:"I think I'm finally starting to understand something."
For the first time since the battle began, uncertainty appeared in Kitsune's eyes.
Because the curse energy around Kai had not increased.
His output had not risen.
His reserves had not recovered.
Yet something felt different.
As if a piece of a puzzle that had been missing his entire life had finally begun to slide into place.
And somewhere deep within the Odachi that Kitsune was still trying to devour, the dormant soul residing within the blade stirred slightly, reacting to a familiar presence that had not been felt for generations. The curse energy surrounding the sword trembled violently, and for the briefest moment, even the Domain itself seemed to become unstable as though it recognized that something ancient was beginning to awaken.
Kai:" is this fate coming back to punish me for my actions."
Kai's voice was weak, yet strangely calm as blood continued to drip from countless wounds across his body. The freezing winds of the Domain Expansion swept around him while fragments of ice and shattered stone drifted through the endless artificial sky. His breathing had become uneven, and every inhale felt like shards of glass were being forced into his lungs. Even so, there was no fear in his eyes anymore, only acceptance as he stood amidst the destruction with one arm gone, his body pierced through in dozens of places, and his curse energy reserves nearly exhausted.
Kai:" I always criticised Sukuna for taking unnecessary risks in my previous life , but ultimately I took the same risks."
The bitter irony of the situation was not lost on him. In his previous life he had been an observer, someone who could judge the decisions of monsters and legends from the comfort of safety. Yet now, standing on the boundary between life and death, he realized that many of those impossible decisions only appeared foolish until a person was forced into the same position. Sometimes there was no perfect choice. Sometimes survival itself demanded gambling everything.
Kai:" but I have no regrets, despite only living eight years in this world .. I had a good mother, I made a friend, I gained a good martial arts teacher .. and got to piss off and make fun of Satoru Gojo , so all in all .. it was a good life."
A faint smile appeared on his face despite the blood running down his chin. His vision continued to blur as memories flashed before his eyes one after another. He remembered training with Emi, arguing with Satoru, learning under Toji, spending time with his mother, and countless small moments that suddenly felt more precious than any amount of power. Yet all of those memories eventually stopped on a single image.
The day of his death.
The ancient sword hanging in the attic.
The blade hidden within its sheath.
The weapon that had ended one life and somehow begun another.
Suddenly the image became brighter.
The sword glowed.
Ancient runic symbols that had never existed within his memory before began appearing throughout his mind. Countless characters, diagrams, principles, and concepts flooded his consciousness as though they had been waiting for this exact moment. At the same time a warm light spread through his body, driving away the cold sensation of death that had been creeping closer with every passing second.
Meanwhile Kitsune slowly walked toward him.
For the first time since the battle began there was no mockery in her expression.
Only respect.
She looked at the boy who should have collapsed long ago yet continued standing through sheer willpower alone.
Kitsune moved her hand toward his chest.
She intended to finish it.
To end the battle before anything unexpected could happen.
Yet as her hand approached, she saw something move.
The fist of a dying child.
And yet she did not stop it.
Because she respected it.
Even now, at the edge of death, his instincts remained razor sharp.
With his left hand Kai held onto the hilt of the Odachi to keep himself standing while his right fist moved forward. Every remaining drop of curse energy within his body surged upward toward his brain. Veins bulged beneath his skin as the energy flowed in a direction it had never traveled before.
Kitsune:" wait what , a spatial distortion ."
The air trembled.
Space distorted.
Yet instead of shattering like before, something entirely different occurred.
The distortion began harmonizing.
A brilliant white light emerged around Kai's fist.
The distorted space itself seemed to resonate with his curse energy instead of fighting against it.
The result was beautiful.
Terrifying.
Divine.
The white light expanded outward while blue lightning crackled around it in rhythmic pulses. The atmosphere of the Domain changed instantly. The endless negative energy that saturated every corner of the barrier began retreating. The frozen landscape trembled violently. Cracks spread across glaciers and mountains alike. The very soul of Kitsune reacted instinctively.
Pure fear.
For the first time since her birth she felt terror.
But from the nature of what stood before her.
Space itself seemed unwilling to allow her retreat.
The closer she came to the fist, the brighter the light became.
And deep within her soul she felt an impossible certainty.
Something miraculous was about to happen.
Meanwhile from Geto's perspective, he had continued searching for an exit. He understood that Domain Expansions were never truly infinite. No matter how impossible they appeared, every barrier possessed a weakness somewhere. With Kai constantly damaging Kitsune, the Domain had become increasingly unstable, allowing him to gradually sense potential flaws within the structure.
Yet suddenly everything changed.
The trembling stopped.
The instability vanished.
The Domain became perfectly still.
Geto immediately turned around in confusion.
Then he saw it.
A holy white radiance spreading throughout the Domain.
Negative curse energy was being purified on contact.
Blue lightning danced around Kai's body.
And for a brief moment it felt as though the world itself had paused to witness the phenomenon.
The same phenomenon once achieved by only a single legendary swordsman.
White Flash.
Boom..
Arrraahhhhhhh!!
The scream that escaped Kitsune shook the entire Domain.
The impact created a shockwave of positive energy that tore through the barrier. Entire sections of the landscape dissolved instantly. Mountains of ice evaporated. Oceans of curse energy were purified. The Domain itself began groaning under the strain.
Yet Kai barely noticed.
His mind existed somewhere else.
A state of enlightenment unlike anything he had ever experienced.
Kai's thoughts:
"This state of enlightenment is not overwhelming, it's actually bringing all the pieces together for me to understand.. firstly before I understand barrier techniques now , Kitsune used Partial Simple Domain and Falling Blossom Emotion .. then imbued it on her own soul to achieve Domain Amplification, and with that logic then the key to Domain Expansion is—"
Information flooded through his mind at impossible speeds.
The relationship between barriers.
The interaction between the soul and curse techniques.
The principles behind sure-hit effects.
The nature of innate domains.
The role of the soul as the bridge connecting all aspects of jujutsu.
Concepts that should have taken years to understand were becoming clear within moments.
Meanwhile the positive energy released by White Flash continued reducing Kitsune's output.
Her body began smoking.
Sections of her flesh dissolved.
Her regeneration slowed dramatically.
Kai:" hahahahahahahaha, I see it now so clear it's the soul, the link to everything and now all I need to do is emulate the feeling of this overwhelming positive energy.. to further understand Reverse Curse Technique."
His laughter echoed throughout the collapsing Domain.
Kitsune looked at him as though staring at a monster.
Kitsune:" kid I was wrong to take your weapon, you can have it back just spare my life."
Kai barely seemed to hear her.
Kai:" how far can I go with this ."
The moment those words left his mouth he vanished.
Not as fast as before.
Not with the enhancement of the Odachi.
Yet still far faster than his normal self.
The enlightenment state continued refining every movement.
Every thought.
Every flow of curse energy.
He appeared before Kitsune and struck.
His body shifted between reinforcement and Falling Blossom Emotion seamlessly.
Each movement became smoother than the last.
Then the white light returned.
Blue lightning exploded around him.
White Flash.
Boom..
The impact shattered another section of the Domain.
The positive energy spread outward like a tidal wave.
Kitsune's body folded inward from the force.
The damage multiplier combined with the overwhelming positive energy devastated her existence.
Her output dropped further.
Her Domain trembled violently.
And for the first time genuine panic entered her voice.
Kitsune:" no way that's , Domain Amplification!!."
The enlightenment continued.
Knowledge flowed endlessly through Kai's mind while he relentlessly attacked.
Punches.
Kicks..
Dismantles..
Cleave..
Every action flowed together into a single continuous sequence.
The Domain itself seemed unable to keep up.
Countless slashes shredded incoming projectiles while Kai moved through the battlefield like a storm.
Then finally he reached her.
With a devastating strike he drove his hand into her chest and reclaimed the Odachi.
Atomised Slash..
The chant echoed through the collapsing Domain.
Kai:" Amplification , charge , extinguish."
Perfectly synchronized Dismantles merged with Cleave.
A harmonic counterforce formed.
The resulting slash exploded through Kitsune's body.
Grid-like cuts expanded across her torso.
Entire sections of her form disintegrated.
Kitsune:" Ahhhh!, monster no way you're just 8 years old, what kind of era is this .. no way it can't be a second golden era ."
Kai pulled the half-corrupted Odachi free from her chest.
The blade hummed violently.
His own curse energy flooded into it.
Domain Amplification coated the weapon.
The corruption was forcibly suppressed.
Kai:" I might spare your life if you're useful."
At the same time the cracks across the Domain barrier became fully visible.
Geto immediately unleashed multiple powerful curse spirits.
Their attacks struck the weakened structure repeatedly.
The barrier groaned.
Kitsune, now desperate, immediately began speaking.
Kitsune:" okay kid I can give you all the information I know okay, there is another lab not far from here in the countryside .. and in a town covered by a barrier that is where the doctor is ."
White Flash.
Boom..
The final impact landed.
Shatter..
The Domain Expansion exploded apart into countless fragments of light.
The artificial world vanished.
The laboratory returned.
Kitsune collapsed onto the ground covered in blue lightning and purified wounds. Her curse technique had entered burnout. The countless enhancements she had accumulated disappeared. Devoured objects returned. Absorbed curse spirits were released.
Kai remained standing with the Odachi in hand.
His eyes remained closed.
A peaceful smile rested upon his face.
The enlightenment had not fully faded.
Geto slowly approached.
He stared at the battlefield.
The destroyed laboratory.
The purified curse energy.
The unconscious Special Grade.
Then he looked at Kai.
For a moment he genuinely wondered whether the boy standing before him was still the same person he had arrived with.
Without hesitation Geto raised his hand toward Kitsune.
Curse Spirit Manipulation.
The technique activated.
The Special Grade Curse Spirit compressed into a shifting multicolored orb.
The sphere pulsed with immense power.
Geto walked forward and placed it into Kai's hand.
Yet Kai remained completely still.
His eyes closed.
His smile unchanged.
And deep within his mind, the final remnants of White Flash continued revealing secrets of jujutsu that most sorcerers would spend entire lifetimes pursuing.
Kai's thoughts:
"Now I see it, my soul, and there is another being here as well. I'm guessing it's that guy that speaks to me in my mind.. but there is this thing that is connected to the both of us, and it's moving towards my eyes. I wonder what it is, but I feel now that I will unlock Fuga not long from now actually.. and the closer that strange presence moves, the more my eyes begin to feel different, almost as if they are waking up from a long sleep. But from this enlightenment state I want to milk it for all its benefits, with barrier knowledge, and curse technique extensions, and I already have some ideas.. and even ways to use Domain Amplification and a way to evolve it. If this opportunity passes me by then I might never reach this level of understanding again, so I need to take everything I can from it while I still have access to this state."
The view of Kai shifted as he entered his own soul, and now within his Innate Domain he could see countless stars stretching endlessly into the distance like a cosmic ocean with no shore, while endless rivers of blood flowed beneath them in twisting currents that reflected the crimson light of those stars. The entire place felt alive, as if the domain itself was breathing alongside him. Then finally in the centre stood a structure of energy that was constantly shifting form, changing between a shrine, a tower, a gate and countless other shapes before settling into none of them at all. He could feel that space was the most distorted here, folding and twisting around itself in impossible angles, and it kept this very weird looking environment together through a force he could not fully comprehend. Every time he looked directly at it, it seemed farther away, yet whenever he looked elsewhere it somehow felt closer.
Kai:"So this is my Innate Domain, I should try training my curse technique and barrier techniques here and my curse energy control. If this place is truly connected to my soul then every improvement I make here should carry over to reality as well."
???:"You're smarter than most mortals. Training in your soul will boost your potential by one hundred and twenty percent constantly for every action that you do, but it comes at a cost that you will be very fatigued mentally and physically from training here. The soul is the origin of all things related to jujutsu, and forcing it to grow is never a comfortable process. Most people would break under the strain before they achieved anything meaningful."
Kai:"I'm not even going to question how you got access to my soul, but I will be training here and this will work perfectly with my plans.. for the future, but I will need that curse spirit that Geto will get."
???:"Oh, what is this plan. I am curious now, and very few things related to mortals ever manage to hold my interest."
Kai:"Well I wanted to create a hyperbolic time chamber, a space separate from space with a different time flow allowing myself to train longer.. with less time on the outside world passing by. If I can manipulate space, barriers and souls together then it should theoretically be possible. Difficult beyond reason, but possible."
The shifting structure in the distance seemed to pulse once, as though reacting to his words.
???:"If only other mortals thought like you, that could actually end up being slightly interesting as a species.. but then again you are mortals so high levels of intelligence, are not achievable through such primitive folk. Still, I suppose that idea is not completely foolish."
Kai:"Okay can you chill with the insults, can you help me now with the main issue at hand.. so how will we use this curse spirit to help Sora."
???:"Don't worry, I shall give you instructions on what to do and the chants. Your friend's condition is unfortunate, but not beyond saving. Her soul is the problem, not merely her body."
Kai then returned to the expression of Geto's concerned face, the strange cosmic landscape fading away as reality slowly returned around him.
Kai:"I figured a way how to use my soul after fighting that curse spirit, please don't tell anyone and for doing so I will owe you a big favour. This isn't something I want the higher-ups finding out about."
Geto:"Yeah sure, I can do that but for now we should head back to Osaka. You look like you just experienced ten years worth of revelations in ten seconds."
Kai only smiled while gripping the special grade curse spirit orb tighter.
After a few minutes of travelling on Geto's curse spirit they returned to the estate of Sora, then Kai began to prepare the ritual. The atmosphere around the room became heavier with every barrier he placed down, layers of cursed energy intertwining together until the entire area seemed isolated from the outside world.
Kai:"Sora, there is a way that I can save you from this fate but you will have to trust me. This is going to sound insane, but I need you to listen carefully."
Sora:"Okay, I have always trusted Kai but what is this method. At this point I don't really have many options left anyway."
Kai:"You will need a new vessel since your current body is beyond saving, and don't worry if you do everything that I say you will be fine. The process will be painful and strange, but it should save your life."
Inside the soul of Kai the voice began to chant, as it helped Kai use cursed energy to make several barriers.
???:"These barriers will help in the stability of the soul, sealing of external phenomena and to strengthen the ritual. A mistake during soul transference would be catastrophic, so precision is essential."
Intricate patterns spread across the floor beneath Sora, glowing with layers of cursed energy as symbols formed one after another.
First Kai gave Sora the orb of the curse spirit, then she dropped her blood on it and made a vow.
Sora:"Two natures, one innate soul, bind the passage between curse and cursed."
Her cursed energy flared as the orb glowed as well with both Innate Domains having a strong connection, but then a large amount of cursed energy began to move into her body as she felt that she had an ocean of cursed energy pouring through her veins. The pressure alone caused cracks to spread through the surrounding floor.
Kai:"Now swallow the orb and I will tell you the next vows."
Sora opened her mouth and swallowed the disgusting curse spirit orb, and when she did she felt as if she was complete and no longer empty. For the first time in years the constant pain that had followed her existence seemed to weaken. Then he began to move all her cursed energy towards that connection point.
Sora:"Domain within flesh barriers, transcend the natural law, spirit and flesh to become cursed flesh."
With that she unknowingly put all her cursed energy and soul within the orb as it began to glow and devour the husk of a body that remained. Her old body began breaking apart into particles of light and cursed energy.
Kai:"Hey you never said that would happen, why is her life fading, you bastard did you kill my friend."
???:"You're very loud brat. Your friend is being reborn into a new vessel.. one that is both humanity and curse spirit as one. If I wanted her dead then there would have been no reason for any of this."
Kai:"Will she mutate and look like a curse spirit creature."
???:"She will take on the form her soul desires the most. The soul always shapes the body in the end."
After five hours of waiting with Geto on the outside of the barrier not knowing what happened within, the enormous cocoon of cursed flesh continued to pulse like a living heart. Every beat sent waves of energy through the estate, making even experienced sorcerers uneasy.
The large curse womb finally broke apart as the naked body of Sora came out with her light blue hair, with violet highlighted strands reaching her hips and her violet eyes as well while they shone with vitality. Her cursed energy crackled through the air with arcs of lightning and the large amount of her cursed energy began to put the whole estate in a soul-numbing feeling on everyone. Even Kai felt it a bit, but using his own cursed energy on his own soul could suppress the feeling. Then finally her body was no longer skinny enough to see bone but full, with healthy weight and muscle, and her healthy hue returned to her face as well, no longer suffering the pain of her Heavenly Restriction.
The very air trembled around her existence.
Sora:"I feel extremely tired but my body, no longer hurts anymore.. thank you Kai. For the first time in years I can breathe without feeling like my body is tearing itself apart."
Tears flowed from her eyes as she smiled.
Kai:"Don't worry you should rest now, and you will be in a coma for about a week.. to allow your soul to adapt to your new body. Right now everything is still stabilising."
???:"After her body and soul align, she will be able to use her curse technique to its full potential. Her future strength may exceed even your expectations."
Kai then removed the barriers and looked at Geto who was staring at Kai with a pale face.
Kai:"Don't ask, that was all Sora not me but she will be fine after a week of long sleep."
Geto:"Great then our task is complete now, you can help me with restoring my supply of curse spirits. I swear every mission involving you somehow becomes a world-changing event."
Kai:"Yeah yeah, I can help you but we should also check out the location of the curse user making all these experiments. If he created Kitsune then he is too dangerous to leave alone."
Far off in an underground lab a man smiled as he looked at a large figure in black with a four handled wheel above its head, with only teeth and no eyes. The sheer presence of the creature caused the surrounding cursed spirits to cower.
Curse Doctor:"Now I can replicate the crown jewel of the zenin Clan.. their Divine General, and soon I will be able to make shikigami curse spirit hybrid versions for all the Big Three Clans' curse techniques. The age of natural talent is coming to an end."
Around him countless notes and diagrams covered entire walls.
Curse Doctor:"The brat has also been able to take in the implanted heart curse object successfully, but it seems like the ancient sorcerer within has not awakened despite that."
But deep within the mind of Yujiro Koshira a different scene happened.
Kimora:"Boy what era is this."
Yujiro:"Who are you."
Kimora:"I see that rudeness is a part of this era. I'm not sure if my records have stood the test of time but my last battle was in the Keichō Era, against the Clan Head of the Zenin Clan that possessed the Ten Shadows Technique.. and in the end he was defeated by their Divine General Mahoraga."
Yujiro:"That is over four hundred years ago, no way you could be."
Kimora:"My name is Gojo Kimora, youngest Clan Head of my era, a scholar of jujutsu and the one blessed with both the Six Eyes and Limitless Curse Technique. In time your body and soul will be engraved with my curse technique and the Six Eyes. The process has already begun."
Yujiro:"If that's the case then I can finally destroy all those who ruined my life and massacred my clan. Every single one of them."
A light blue hue flickered within the eyes of Yujiro Koshira as his face remained lowered, hidden beneath his hair while a savage grin slowly appeared.
Yujiro:"This world.. shall know pain, and when I am done with it, nobody will ever forget the name Koshira again."