Chapter 91: Witness It With Your Own Eyes, Cursed Spirit!
What happened? Has time been paused?
Regardless, this was the thought that was overwhelmingly surging and amplifying in Jogo's mind at this very moment.
It saw nothing, not a moment had passed, yet the world before it had completely transformed into a state it could not comprehend.
One second ago, this was its domain of earth-shattering, everything-evaporating lava, and the next, it had turned into a desolate... an endlessly desolate snowfield.
The feeling was as if its body and consciousness had been suddenly halted by something, and the external world had then passed through millions of ages.
In this immense time, the Domain had shattered, the lava cooled, the forests withered, the mountains collapsed—and finally, even the world had turned completely silent, entering the absurdly still Ice Age it saw now.
If it were to ask what remained unchanged throughout all this, it would probably only be the shimmering, faint crescent moon in the sky.
Snowflakes fell on Jogo's face. The real, cold sensation yanked its dazed consciousness back to reality.
When multiple Domains are expanded simultaneously, the more refined Domain controls the battlefield.
This meant that the more refined Domain would overwrite the weaker one, rendering the weaker Domain completely ineffective.
Yet, in this cold, desolate snowfield, Jogo could still feel its own Domain.
This should have been a very happy thing for it, as the Domain's presence suggested that this was still its home field, merely overlaid with an icy special effect.
But, but, but...
The Domain was still there, yet it could no longer feel the "world's" support!
A Domain Expansion is nothing more than a specialized Barrier Technique. It certainly possesses spatial properties, causing the space inside the Barrier to become disconnected from the outside, most simply demonstrated by the internal space expanding infinitely according to the amount of Cursed Energy.
But no matter what, a Barrier Technique is still a Barrier Technique.
Almost no one can physically breach a Domain from the inside, not even Satoru Gojo can necessarily do it. The cost of this internal fortitude is that the Domain has almost no resistance to intrusions from the outside.
Even if Emiya's Domain overlaid its own, the outside of the Barrier was still the volcano, still its home field, and it should still receive the world's support.
But for the Domain to remain and yet lose the 'world'—what kind of situation was this? Jogo simply could not understand!
It had to figure it out, it absolutely had to figure it out!
A Cursed Spirit's body shouldn't have superfluous organs like sweat glands, but a drop of water still ran down Jogo's forehead.
Of course, this could also have been melting snow.
"What exactly is this thing, Emiya Shirou!
Why... why can I no longer feel the presence of the world! What did you do!!!"
The unknown is the ultimate fear exclusive to humanity, and now, Jogo, who proclaimed itself a new human, was experiencing it too.
"The greatest sorcery—Reality Marble.
It materializes one's inner mental landscape, replacing one's self with the world while maintaining the boundary.
At this point, the size of oneself and the world are reversed. The world is completely contained within a tiny vessel. Sorcerers call this tiny world the 'World Egg'.
In other words, this is a world of swords, unique to me, capable of containing the infinite."
Emiya didn't mind revealing his information to the opponent. Because in this situation, a difference in information could no longer alter any situation or advantage.
Moreover, he discovered that the effect of a Binding Vow (like revealing one's hand) was just as effective within a Reality Marble, and he could even use it to extend the duration of Unlimited Blade Works' existence.
Reality Marble and Domain Expansion sounded quite similar in effect, but it wasn't until the moment he truly activated them simultaneously that Emiya realized they were two completely different, yet deceptively similar, things.
"Replacing the world, creating a world... Impossible! How could anyone do such a thing!!
Even Ryomen Sukuna couldn't do that!"
Jogo was just a Cursed Spirit, not an idiot.
It believed its own Cursed Energy was already immensely vast, but to create an 'infinite' world?
Perhaps all the curses in the world combined could achieve that level?
"Stop spouting nonsense! Watch as I expose your illusion right now!!!"
Indeed, compared to Emiya's words, Jogo was more willing to believe that everything it saw was merely a hallucination.
It fiercely waved its hand, summoning a sea of lava that rose dozens of meters beside it, surging in waves toward Emiya.
But even though the distance was less than a hundred meters, it was as if this scorching lava was separated by an infinite distance, never truly managing to arrive.
By the time they successfully surged in front of Emiya, the originally monstrous flames had become like a flickering candle in the wind, leaving only a scattering of sparks that swept past Emiya's body.
Whoosh—
A cold wind scattered them, also ruffling Emiya's hair and clothes, and then there was nothing more.
The Domain was indeed still active, and the absolute hit technique was still in effect... But didn't the remaining scattered sparks hitting Emiya also count as achieving the absolute hit effect?
Another person's Domain might not be so miserable within Emiya's Reality Marble, but why should it be Jogo standing there?
The compatibility was simply too poor.
Fire could not change the environment of this world; it could only be changed by this world.
"Wha... what is this?!"
The truth was right in front of Jogo. Did it have any reason left not to believe all this?
Emiya's Reality Marble had indeed been deployed simultaneously with its Domain, but the concepts of the two did not overwrite each other. Instead, the Reality Marble had completely encompassed its Domain.
It was like, even though its original Domain had a barrier-like manifestation in the outside world, it could not become an independently existing space.
"My Unlimited Blade Works can copy and Project every weapon I have ever seen, storing them here.
How do you view them, Jogo?
In my eyes, they are nothing more than tombstones."
After all, these armaments mostly came from the Heroic Spirit Emiya, and without exception, their owners either became Heroic Spirits or were completely dead. Furthermore, that world
itself was heading toward its end, or rather, the people of that world were heading toward their end.
"Copy all... swords?"
Jogo, whose every expression had been occupied by fear and astonishment, finally had the presence of mind to look around.
It saw nothing but blades upon blades, inserted into the snowfield at an extremely high density, extending all the way to the limits of visible distance—
As a collector who passionately loved Cursed Tools and treasures, Jogo could, of course, tell at a glance that every blade here was extraordinary. If they appeared before it in the outside world, it would definitely find a way to take them into its collection.
But right now, all of this only served to fuel its terror.
It simply could not understand, could not possibly understand such a phenomenon!
"My apologies. Even if you can't use your Cursed Technique normally inside this Unlimited Blade Works, ordinary attacks probably can't completely incapacitate you, right?
"o, I have no choice but to use this move."
Standing atop a snow hill, Emiya raised his hand high.
"Trace On."
"Roll Cancel."
The Magic Circuits once again began to flash with the unbearable electric arcs of a short-circuit, but Emiya seemed completely oblivious, unfazed by it.
In the direction Emiya was pointing his palm, a gigantic blade slowly began to take shape under the weaving of blue patterns.
Its sword body, dozens of meters wide, was composed of lava-like peaks and flames, hovering eerily in mid-air. Simultaneously, it slowly parted the mist that enveloped the entire snowfield.
Like the Sword of Damocles, it hung directly above Jogo's head.
"So... so big?! What kind of blade is that to take on such a form!"
Jogo no longer knew what expression to wear when facing these things.
That appearance, surely it should belong exclusively to it?
In other words, this guy intended to brutally humiliate it again, didn't he?
"That is one of the twin swords of the war god Zababa, who appears in Mesopotamian mythology.
Sul-sagana: The Horizon of Dawn that Purifies the Seas.
The concept of the 'horizon' runs through it. A divine construct capable of scorching and exorcising even the Ten Thousand Seas.
This is the extreme of the end of the sky and the sea, the 'melting, mingling domain'. When given the directionality of the dawn, it signifies the furnace that melts all things, and the ceaseless pulsation is the purifying flame that scorches, exorcises, and turns everything into one.
"n front of this crimson sword-flash, good and evil, sky and sea, enemy and opposition will all equally melt away and vanish in the light of dawn.
However, even in my current state, I can only Project the body with a slight fraction of its abilities. It is still leagues away from the true Sea-Slaying Sword."
Emiya kindly explained the origin of the blade to Jogo. And with each word, the power of the Sea-Slaying Sword expanded and strengthened, continuously moving closer to its original source.
In the end, although the scene hadn't changed, the temperature of the entire snowfield had risen back to the point where Jogo's Domain could still fully manifest, even becoming hotter than that.
Jogo, who was naturally compatible with fire and high temperatures, should have been happy about this, but its face showed no hint of a smile at the moment. Its bloodshot, wide eyes did not dare to relax in the slightest.
Ultimately, what, what could it do to withstand the descent of that terrifying blade?
Or was it that no matter how hard it tried, it couldn't change reality or the outcome, that everything was already fated?
Jogo desperately wanted to scream and protest, but its body was more honest; moving a single finger already took all its strength.
Even though fear was an undeniable negative emotion that should likewise cause its Cursed Energy to grow infinitely, it simply couldn't muster any spirit of resistance.
"Witness it with your own eyes, Cursed Spirit.
You incessantly claim that you are superior to humans, that you can wantonly decide and extinguish their lives."
"De..."
"In front of this crystalline miracle, condensed from the will of humanity, you cannot even muster the courage to resist.
The human species is one that will never lose its courage, no matter the circumstances. One that will rise to meet any despair or difficulty!
This is, Sul-Sagana!!!"
Following Emiya's final words, the colossal blade finally began its rapid descent under the pull of gravity, sweeping down toward Jogo, who was directly beneath it.
The Cursed Spirit born from fire and earth was about to be obliterated by the pure fire that scorches the Ten Thousand Seas.
"I, I..."
The black teeth in its mouth were chattering wildly. Jogo was frantically rallying all its strength and will, trying to regain its composure under the shadow's cover.
Finally, at the moment its mouth was shattered and purple blood continuously overflowed from its lips, Jogo regained control of its body.
"I won't be defeated by such an insult, you little brat!!!!!"
It clamped its hands tightly together, not even noticing that its palms were gushing blood from the immense force.
Driven by this will, the earth and lava finally returned to its command.
Massive mountains suddenly grew from beneath the snowfield's ground, continuously growing and spewing fire, reaching high into the sky to collide with the descending blade.
Unfortunately, it was all in vain.
BOOM
It was a light and sound like the very beginning of the universe, an ultimate collision between two objects of the same concept.
This Divine Construct was ultimately only a counterfeited body; its blade was continuously being worn down and shattered, but the mountains below were undeniably burning faster.
Just as the blade was about to be exhausted, there was no longer any obstruction in front of Jogo—
CRASH!!!!!
After the earth-shattering impact, Unlimited Blade Works dissipated, and Jogo finally felt the support of the 'world' again.
But all of this returned too late.
Thud, thud—thud
Its remaining head rolled down the steep slope until it stopped in a crevice.
'Is this the end?'
No, it should still be saved!
If it could just struggle out of the crevice, its head could roll down the mountain, and it could seize the chance to escape and hide!
Staring at the rock wall right beside its cheek, Jogo desperately opened its mouth, full of shattered teeth, trying to stick out its tongue for a tiny boost.
But it was no use. Its curse didn't come from a chameleon, an anteater, or a frog—animals that have flexible tongues.
It was impossible.
Clang—!
A sharp blade suddenly sliced down through the volcano opening on top of its head.
"Tell me all the information you have on your remaining comrades, now."
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