"Domain Expansion — Malevolent Shrine."
A divine technique that blooms without a root, paints without a canvas.
An open domain, unbound by any outer shell.
A phantom construct born from imagination—
a grotesque shrine piled with bones—
violently manifests into reality.
Standing atop the shrine, Sukuna appears in the middle of the street.
"Boom!"
With a single step, the ground caves into a deep crater.
Mahoraga closes in at blinding speed, as if teleporting.
Silently gauging the distance to a certain presence, Sukuna adjusts his technique's range to a radius of one hundred meters—
limited strictly to ground level.
"Boom!!!"
Countless invisible blades erupt outward from Sukuna in every direction.
Within the domain's range—
whether sorcerers imbued with cursed energy or ordinary humans—
even inanimate objects devoid of cursed energy, such as buildings, phones, entire city blocks—
Under the domain's guaranteed-hit effect,
everything—living or not—
is subjected to an endless barrage of slashes.
In an instant, all are reduced to fragments too fine for the naked eye to distinguish.
A faint breeze passes through, scattering what remains of dismembered bodies into dust.
And yet—
Having adapted to the slashing attacks, Mahoraga continues to advance through the storm of blades.
Though the damage is nullified, its movement slows.
A terrifying shikigami that has already severed Sukuna's arm three times.
Sukuna has already deduced how to deal with it.
He must not allow Mahoraga time to adapt further—
he must kill it in a single strike using a technique it has never encountered.
A prolonged battle would only allow it to evolve, second by second.
Muttering an incomprehensible incantation, flames like blooming flowers spread from Sukuna's fingers, engulfing his entire body.
"Open."
The power of sixteen fingers reaches its peak at this moment.
An immense surge of cursed energy erupts, blooming into a dazzling inferno at the center of Shibuya.
"Damn it!"
Sukuna's expression suddenly darkens.
At the very instant the flames surge—
That monstrous shikigami is abruptly enveloped in a thick layer of black shadow.
Only half its body is incinerated before Mahoraga vanishes from sight.
"BOOM!!!"
The delayed explosion roars skyward.
A quarter of Shibuya, sealed within the barrier, trembles as if struck by an earthquake.
It becomes a horrifying hellscape.
The land is left barren—
as if everything had been erased by an eraser.
No trace remains of buildings, or even human existence.
Within the hundred-meter radius, the scorched ground glows faintly with embers.
At the center stands only Sukuna, his face twisted, staring intently in a certain direction.
From within Yuji's body, Sukuna has witnessed the "future" overpowering Jogo.
He has also seen Megumi demonstrate the Ten Shadows Technique.
The moment Mahoraga was wrapped in shadow, Sukuna realized—
…he had been set up.
"Heh… quite the clever scheme."
Sukuna's voice is cold, his expression like ice.
"Just taking the dog out for a walk,"
The "future," who had appeared before him at some unknown moment, speaks calmly.
"Guess I forgot the leash."
He raises an eyebrow at Sukuna.
"What's wrong?"
"The mighty King of Curses—
don't tell me a mere dog scared you?"
The tone is light, mocking.
That indifferent gaze that looks down on everything—
Sukuna knows it well.
It is the gaze of absolute confidence—
of one who believes themselves invincible, far above their opponent.
"Brat… I'm really starting to look forward to your screams before you die."
Sukuna responds with unrestrained malice.
Without relying on his domain's amplification,
he estimates Mahoraga's strength to be roughly equivalent to eighteen fingers.
The technique would likely require three adaptations to fully overcome.
One has already been completed—
leaving only two chances to eliminate it.
Comparable to Satoru Gojo—
That is Sukuna's unilateral assessment of Zen'in Mirai.
If he could return to his full power…
The advantage would be his.
Sensing Yuji's consciousness beginning to resurface, Sukuna lets out a cold laugh and looks at Mirai.
"I suppose you've woven me, this brat Yuji, and that bastard Kenjaku into your plans."
Though phrased as a question, his tone is certain.
Within Yuji, Sukuna has witnessed everything Yuji has experienced.
He has already grasped parts of Mirai's scheme.
And he has no need to worry that Mirai would destroy Yuji's body now.
The Culling Game—
Sukuna has already entered into a binding vow with Kenjaku to participate.
"Wait for it."
Sukuna's voice is arrogant.
"To me, you're just another dish—
no different from Satoru Gojo."
Like an adult indulging a child's tantrum,
Mirai merely nods, unconcerned.
Without saying a word—
The faint smile at the corner of his lips looks unmistakably like mockery.
"Soon. We'll meet again very soon."
With that final remark, Sukuna's consciousness sinks back into the depths.
"Thud!"
Regaining control of his body, Yuji collapses to his knees.
Ignoring the scorched ground burning his skin,
ignoring the man before him—the one responsible for sealing Gojo—
Yuji falls forward, curling into himself like a shrimp.
Memories flood his mind—
A "gift" from the embodiment of evil.
Death. Death. Death.
Scenes of countless people at the moment of their deaths surge into him like a tidal wave.
He cannot reject them.
He cannot forget them.
"—Ugh…!!"
As if trying to vomit out his very organs,
Yuji pounds the cracked earth, tears streaming down his face.
Though Sukuna restored his body to peak condition,
his mind teeters on the brink of collapse.
He recalls his grandfather's final words:
"Help people. Make sure you die surrounded by others."
Now, those words only sound unbearably harsh.
Why wasn't it him—Yuji Itadori—who died?
And… why did he ever join Jujutsu High?
Mirai stands nearby, silent—like a spectator.
His right eye shifts into the Rinnegan, calmly observing Yuji's breakdown.
Though he holds detailed intelligence from Kenjaku,
some things still require confirmation.
In that world of shinobi…
The Rinnegan is known as the eye that governs life and death.
Techniques like resurrection or soul extraction—
he has yet to master them.
But—
Simply observing the soul through the body…
That much, he can now do.
"…Just as I thought."
Mirai murmurs softly, then vanishes.
No comfort. No conversation.
To him—
Yuji Itadori, the "protagonist" who barely qualifies as one in Jujutsu Kaisen…
is merely another stepping stone on the path to godhood.
At best—
one of the closest bricks to that divine throne.
The strongest of the modern age, Satoru Gojo?
The strongest curse in a thousand years?
As Sukuna would put it—
To Mirai,
they are nothing more than appetizers before the main course.
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