Chapter 37. The Point of "Death" (Part 6)

In that moment, my mind was exceptionally clear. All fears and doubts disappeared, leaving only determination and cold clarity.

"At least one of you, yes," Sukuna said, looking down at me with evident delight.

I met the gaze of the two-faced demon and saw in his eyes extraordinary pleasure and desire. This guy finally got to me… didn't he? Last time, he couldn't show all his abilities because he had already activated his Domain Expansion before our encounter, which caused his technique to malfunction until the end. Moreover, he only possessed the power of two of his fingers back then.

Now, however, the situation was completely different. Sukuna's strength had grown, and his cursed energy reached a new level. But most importantly, this time, the Domain Expansion was used against me. This was one of the worst outcomes I had prepared for. Though "prepared" is a bit of an overstatement because, based on everything I know about the two-faced demon, I came to one conclusion: I will definitely lose a Domain Battle. That meant I needed to find a workaround. On the other hand, I was no stranger to fighting with cunning and deceit—I started with that, after all. So, I had one plan, a damn dangerous and reckless one, but if it worked, I would beat Sukuna twice and stay alive. The only catch was that I couldn't use my own Domain Expansion until I destroyed Sukuna's Domain at least once… A task even Satoru Gojo wouldn't handle easily, and here I was talking about it so lightly and casually…

However, I was confident that I could do it because, firstly, Sukuna only possessed the strength of eleven fingers, and secondly, Yuji was still his vessel. This meant no Mahoraga and other adaptation nonsense. Moreover, it meant that his cursed energy was only at Yuta's level, as insane as that might sound.

Back to the matter at hand… Considering the two-faced demon's skill, I could roughly estimate how many times he could create a Domain Expansion and compare that with my own limit in this aspect. By my calculations, Sukuna could use Domain Expansion about five times, maybe six. Given that I could expand my own domain only three times, this put me in an awkward position. However, I understood perfectly that I shouldn't fight this monster in an area where I would undoubtedly lose. Domain Expansion was just a way to distract him from the truth.

Sukuna's voice, low and mocking, pulled me out of my thoughts:

"Why don't you use your domain?"

His words were full of hidden challenge and sarcasm, as if he was playing with me, testing my resolve. I looked him in the eyes, feeling his ominous aura pressing down on me. His four eyes gleamed with a sinister fire, and in each of them, I saw malice and madness.

"There's no need for that yet," I smirked back at him, feeling no fear or uncertainty.

This seemed to amuse him even more. Sukuna burst into a booming laugh that echoed through the tomb. His laughter was loud and piercing, filling the entire space around us and making the bone walls vibrate with the sound pressure.

"In all my existence, no Sorcerer has ever said that to me," his eyes suddenly flashed with a malevolent light, and I felt his killing intent directed straight at me. "However, the number of Sorcerers who have died at my feet is countless."

His words were full of cruelty and confidence in his undeniable power. Sukuna savored this moment, relishing every word like a predator playing with its prey before the fatal strike. His presence filled the surroundings, and even the air seemed dense and heavy with his malevolent energy.

Immediately after, the two-faced demon lunged at me. A sharp thrust shattered the ground where he landed, raising a cloud of dust and debris. This was followed by a sweeping blow, from which I smoothly dodged. Although Sukuna overwhelmed me with his cursed technique and sorcery skills, physically, I was still stronger than him. I swiftly moved under his "left hook." My hands ignited with orange flames.

All this time, my Simple Domain still surrounded me. In the next moment, one of my fists landed on Sukuna's ribs, causing him to wince slightly but not stop. Another strike followed from him, which I calmly dodged and then counterattacked.

Every movement was precise and calculated. Sukuna tried to hit me, but his blows only pierced the air, while my counterattacks found their mark. I felt adrenaline and warmth filling my body, muscles tensing and relaxing to the rhythm of the fight. My strikes were quick and powerful, each accompanied by bursts of fire.

At that moment, as if entranced, I used my Simple Domain in a way I had never used it before. After everything I had been through, my understanding and control over this technique reached a new level. A Simple Domain in its traditional form creates a circle with a diameter of two meters and twenty-one centimeters around the user from a set point chosen and established by their feet. It dissipates if both feet leave the point where the area was deployed. However, now things were "slightly" different.

Just as the conditions of a Domain Expansion can be altered, I had managed to configure my Simple Domain, something no one had done before me.

A Simple Domain has two weaknesses: first, you need to stand firmly on the ground and not move, and second, it has a small burst, making this technique inherently weak against a "real domain." So how could this be overcome? The correct answer is through speed!

Firstly, I reduced the size—my Simple Domain was now twice as small, covering a radius of just over half a meter. Secondly, I made a binding vow that this Simple Domain would protect exclusively against Sukuna's slashing attacks.

Thanks to these changes in the conditions for creating a Simple Domain, the speed at which I could deploy it decreased to one-hundredth of a second. This allowed me to ensure that as long as my feet were on the ground, the Simple Domain would activate faster than Sukuna's slashing attacks could reach me. Coupled with my physical strength, this meant my Simple Domain was almost always activated, with gaps only when I took a "step." However, thanks to my speed, these gaps were minimized to the point where Sukuna simply didn't have time to send a slashing attack my way.

Drawbacks? There were two: if I had nowhere to stand, then all these conditions would be useless, and if attacked preemptively, there would be a chance to catch me in the moment of recreating the Simple Domain. The second drawback could be easily resolved with reverse cursed technique, but the first was a real Achilles' heel. And Sukuna figured this out rather quickly.

"No matter the era, you Sorcerers never change," growled Sukuna, his voice full of mockery and contempt. "Do you really think you can defeat me with such tricks?"

I didn't respond to his provocations, focusing on my actions. While this bastard toyed with me, I needed to inflict as much damage on him as possible. So, regardless of what the two-faced demon said, my movements remained as fast and precise as ever, and each step was calculated to the smallest detail. The Simple Domain flared around me with each attack, protecting me from his slashing blows.

When Sukuna tried to strike me from the flank, I used my physical advantage to instantly move behind him, dodging the attack. At that moment, my Simple Domain activated, deflecting another wave of his slashing attacks. Immediately after, all the fire that enveloped my right hand began to gather in my palm.

First big move: Palm Strike.

My palm ignited with a blinding white light, heating up so intensely that its contours became indistinguishable. Following this was a strike, leaving behind a bright white line. The edge of my hand sliced through the upper part of Sukuna's trapezius and continued through his body, severing his left arm.

However, before I could follow up, Sukuna suddenly widened the distance between us, enveloping everything around him in a storm of slashes. Thanks to my [Danger Sense] and the fact that this attack was area-based, I managed to escape just in time. Even so, I had to use reverse cursed technique several times to heal the wounds I received.

"You're fast," Sukuna acknowledged, his eyes gleaming malevolently. "But that's not enough."

In the next moment, Sukuna's left arm fully regenerated. The speed at which his reverse cursed technique worked was astonishing. However, upon closer inspection, I noticed that the restored left arm was slightly lighter than the untouched right one. It seemed that even the legendary "King of Curses" was affected by the spiritual component of my fire.

"Impressive," Sukuna smirked, his eyes burning with interest as he too noticed the difference between his limbs. "If I were in my true form, I wouldn't have been able to regenerate the arm… You're full of surprises, Sukehiro."

I had suspected as much. My flames originate from spiritual energy and are then fueled and enhanced by cursed energy. That's why they are so effective against curses but relatively weak against humans. The only reason Sukuna still felt the effects of the "spiritual fire" was due to the concentration of the flames in the "First Big Move: Palm Strike." After all, the fire had even changed color to white, a clear indicator of its increased potency.

"But the games end here," Sukuna declared, holding his hands out in front of him and interlacing his fingers into a strange sign.

My [Spirituality] and [Danger Sense] screamed like sirens, warning of incredible danger. The air around us thickened, filling with ominous energy, and I knew Sukuna was preparing something devastating.

"I guess it's time to get a bit more serious," I replied with a calm smile on my face, trying not to show my anxiety.

Before Sukuna could speak, a deafening explosion resounded around us...