Infinite Void

"Wh-what is the Reaper doing here?" Jogo sputtered.

The feeling he was getting from the boy was completely different from what he had been expecting. It was as if he was looking at a dormant catastrophe just before it awakened. Instinctively, Jogo knew that if this being in front of him was to ever wake up, the world would shudder and fear in its wake. That soft-spoken and drowsy look did very little to relieve the innate fear surging upwards from the very depths of his soul.

Someone told him about me? No one should know what I look like. They should be all dead.

I stepped on top of the water, beating my wings periodically. "So you know my name?"

"What are you doing here? What do you want from me?" Jogo did his very best to hide his fear, but I could sense it as clear as day. I see that my reputation precedes me.

"Who told you about me? How do they know who I am?" I asked.

"Enough questions!" Jogo cried, magma boiling at his fingertips. "If you want answers, you'll have to fight me!"

"Fight you?" I repeated with a mocking tone. "You're not strong enough to fight me."

Many have underestimated me recently. I'll take this chance to show him our difference in strength.

I stepped forward slowly, releasing my aura. Stifled by the immense pressure, Jogo's face was racked with fear. He froze stiffly as I stopped in front of him, and I gave the curse a small smile.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not like the King of Curses. I don't like violence," I whispered. "But you're getting close to stepping over my bottom line, curse."

"Why is the Reaper of Curses helping humans?" Jogo asked cautiously.

I looked at him carefully, and Jogo's eye widened. His entire body started to shake as I pressed my aura onto him. Before his knees could buckle, I patted the curse lightly on the shoulder and withdrew my aura. "I don't think I have to answer to you, right, Jogo-san?"

The curse nodded meekly, submitting to the instinctive urge to obey.

"Now then, onto the topic at hand," I stepped back and crossed my arms over my chest, "you will die if you try to kill Gojo Satoru.

Despite the fear clear on his face, the curse reflexively growled at my words.

"That has yet to be seen, Reaper," Jogo sneered. "I haven't gone all out."

"With your strength?" I mocked. "Don't make me laugh. You can't even land a blow on him."

"If I can't hit him, I'll just drag him into my Domain," Jogo growled. He looked around. "Where did he go?"

"Give him a couple seconds," I said. "He'll be right back."

Right after I said those words, I felt Gojo's presence beside me.

"Sorry about the delay." Gojo reappeared next to me with Yuuji under his arm. "Thanks for keeping him occupied."

"Of course," I answered as I stepped away and released my wings.

"The heck?! Hey, where are we?!" Yuuji shouted.

"That's... Sukuna's vessel?!" Jogo realized in shock.

——

And what is the third condition you mentioned?"

"As I was saying, the third is to get Ryomen Sukuna and Itadori Yuuji on your side," Geto elaborated.

"Hold on." Jogo blinked. "He died, didn't he? That Itadori Yuuji brat, I mean."

"Did he, though?" Geto's gaze grew unfocused. "I wouldn't be too sure, especially when that person is around."

——

Jogo finally put the pieces into place, and he glanced quickly at me before snapping back to Yuuji.

"This is Itadori Yuuji, and he's here to watch," Gojo introduced.

"Mount Fuji! His head looks like Mount Fuji!" Yuuji pointed at Jogo's head. Gojo chuckled and then dropped Yuuji to the water.

"Eh? Why aren't we sinking?! Weren't we at the school just ten seconds ago?" Yuuji was utterly confused. "What's going on here?"

"Oh, we warped here," Gojo answered casually. Yuuji's face was still full of disbelief.

I don't think Yuuji believed you, Gojo.

Jogo's mind was racing as he watched their conversation. Sukuna's vessel is alive after all. We need Itadori alive for our plan. Did he bring him here knowing that we need him?

"What's the kid for? He a shield?" Jogo questioned.

"A shield? Oh god, no," Gojo denied. "I told you already, he's just here to watch. I'm in the middle of teaching this boy lots of things. Don't worry about him. You do your thing."

"Bringing in someone who will just slow you down?" Jogo criticized. "What an idiot."

"It'll be fine. After all," Gojo had an arrogant smile on his face, "you're weak."

Gojo's provocation enraged the curse. Fire exploded out of Jogo's head and ears as his aura skyrocketed. "Don't underestimate me, you punk-ass! I'll wreck you and that smug face of yours!"

"This guy is weak?" Yuuji whispered. "He's way more stronger than any monster I've seen before!"

Intense horror radiated off of Yuuji, a natural instinct that came from the strong over the weak. Taking note of Yuuji's predicament, I gently enveloped my aura around him and eased the pressure on him.

"Don't worry. Just stay close to me," Gojo reassured the boy.

"Besides," Gojo gestured at me, "Rey-kun will keep you safe."

"I can do that," I agreed.

"Ryōiki Tenkai!" Jogo shouted, bringing his hands together to open the Domain. The water beneath us turned into large chunks of obsidian, and molten lava spewed out around us. The dark sky was replaced with the insides of a volcano. The temperature rose exponentially.

"Wh-What is this?!" Yuuji cried.

I moved up next to Yuuji and put a hand on his back. "Don't panic. This is normal."

"Coffin of the Iron Mountain!" Jogo brought us into his Domain. I could feel wrath bubbling up inside of him.

"This is Domain Expansion. An Innate Domain constructed with cursed energy and enforced with cursed technique," Gojo explained.

"Ow, hot!" Yuuji cried out as sparks of lava danced around us. "Hot, hot, hot!"

"The Domain you guys experienced earlier was an unfinished one that wasn't imbued with a cursed technique. You guys would've been dead if it was a proper Domain. Megumi probably knew that. Spreading out a Domain consumes a ton of energy, but its merits are worth the cost," Gojo lectured.

"First off, you get a boost in stats due to the environment." Gojo gestured at the lava-filled surroundings.

"Oh! Like buffs in video games!" Yuuji exclaimed.

Aside from the Reaper… Jogo's gaze landed on me. Most sorcerers would have burned to ash the moment they entered my Domain!

"Additionally, the techniques deployed in the Domain will always hit," Gojo added.

"Always?" Yuuji repeated.

"Alllways!" Gojo confirmed. "But no worries. There are several ways to deal with it." A huge piece of magma rock slammed into Gojo, but Gojo slapped it away with his palm as casually as if he was slapping a mosquito.

"You can hit it with a cursed technique, like I did. Or you can run away, outside the Domain. I don't really recommend this one, it's pretty much impossible," Gojo said. "You can also-"

"If I neutralize that Infinity of yours with my Domain, my techniques will reach you, right?" Jogo interrupted, a triumphant look in his eye.

"Yep, they'll hit," Gojo confirmed.

Yuuji looked at the two. "Huh? Infinity? What's that?"

"It's the name of one of Gojo-sensei's cursed techniques," I answered quietly. I was focusing on making sure Yuuji stayed safe just in case Jogo decided to throw an attack at the boy. Defending someone was much more exhausting than attacking.

I sense a familiar feeling coming from him, Warden. It makes me feel alive!

I feel it too, Pride. Someone didn't take my warning seriously.

Jogo took his position for his final attack. I came here half in jest. I thought I wouldn't care if I couldn't kill him. Magma spewed out of his head. But having this difference between us thrust in my face... On my pride as a cursed spirit, as the new humanity, this is absolutely unacceptable!

"As I was saying, the most effective way to counter a Domain is to expand your own," Gojo continued unfazed.

I looked around us. The magma was starting to boil and simmer. Here it comes.

"When two Domains are expanded at the same time, the more refined one will dominate that space. Though, compatibility and cursed energy are factors, too."

Gojo reached upwards and hooked his blindfold with a finger.

"There won't even be ashes left of you, Gojo Satoru!" Jogo lunged forward with his strongest attack.

"Ryōiki Tenkai."

Gojo pulled down his blindfold, and his Six Eyes shone like stars in the sky. He held up his right hand.

"Infinite Void."

With his words, Jogo's Domain vanished. Darkness engulfed us as red, blue, and purple lights swept past us inside an infinite cosmos. Then, with a blinding flash, we were transported into an empty void of space where one lone gray eye silently loomed overhead and judged everything below it.

Beautiful. Gojo's domain is stunning. So refined as well. I felt a bubbling happiness well up inside of me. It completely overwhelmed Jogo's Domain in an instant.

My palm of my right hand burned as our Master and Servant Contract activated. My connection with Gojo kept me safe from Limitless.

"I can't see anything. I can't feel anything." Jogo struggled to understand what was happening. "No... I can see everything! I can feel everything! The information has no end! And that is why, I can't do anything!"

Gojo appeared behind Jogo with Yuuji tucked under his arm, his stunning blue eyes sparkling. "This is the inner world of Limitless. Perception. Communication. The actions you take in life are forced upon you infinitely."

"It's ironic, isn't it?" Gojo grabbed the curse's head. "When granted everything, you can't do anything. Just dying slowly."

Jogo was reaching his limit. The information coursing into his brain was too much. I frowned. "Gojo-sensei..."

"I know." Gojo's grip tightened. "I've got some questions for you, so I'm letting you off the hook with this." With a flourish, Gojo ripped off Jogo's head and closed his Domain.

Jogo's head bounced onto the ground and rolled to a stop. Gojo put his foot on the curse and put his blindfold back on. "Now, who sent you here?"

"He really is the strongest jujutsu sorcerer!" Yuuji stood there in utter amazement from Gojo's display of power. "He's just built different, even on the most basic level."

Sigh, Gojo got himself another fan. I squatted down next to Jogo and looked him in the eye. "You don't seem like the type to act on orders. Is something nice waiting for you if you killed him?" I poked him in the cheek. "Regardless, I want to know. Who was it?"

"Come on, just tell me already." Gojo rolled Jogo's head around as if it was a soccer ball.

Jogo gritted his teeth and glared at me. "Even though I know your identity, I'm not going to tell you!"

"Hurry up and tell me, or I'll kill you myself," I warned.

"Wait a minute, curses are capable of holding conversations?" Yuuji asked. "It seemed so normal, I overlooked it."

Well, you've technically been talking to a curse since day one, so I wo-

"Below us!" I exclaimed.

The ground beneath me erupted, and a floral spear shot out of the crack. I leapt backwards, and suddenly, a field of flowers spawned around us.

"Wow!"

"Flowers!"

"Pretty!"

An illusion that strips away the will to fight? Another curse? But there's no killing intent?

"Wahhhhh!" Gojo and I looked up to see Yuuji flung into the air by a tree branch wrapped around his foot. "Gojo-sensei, I'll be fine! Go after him!"

The tree curse opened its fanged mouth and pulled Yuuji towards it. "Wait! Kidding! Help!"

Gojo set the curse on fire and exorcised it. I caught a flash go past us, and I looked down at our feet. Jogo's head was gone. I turned to watch the second curse sprint away into the forest. If only I wasn't wearing this collar, fighting that curse would have been simple.

"Wow! He got away." Gojo ruffled my hair. "He's good at hiding his presence. He's way creepier than Volcano Head, right, Rey-kun?"

"A curse attuned to the earth," I figured out. "That's why it was able to escape."

"So the high-level curses are forming a faction now?" Gojo grinned. "This is getting interesting."

"We'll need to be more careful, Gojo-sensei," I said.

Gojo nodded in agreement.

Looking the man up and down, I pulled on Gojo's sleeve. "You're okay? You didn't get hurt right?"

"Not a scratch!" Gojo replied and poked me in the forehead. "Rey-kun, you don't seem to really believe in my abilities, do you?"

I shrugged. "It doesn't hurt to make sure."

Gojo smiled and pinched my cheek gently before turning his attention back to Yuuji.

"Yuuji, I want you—or more like, everyone—to become strong enough to beat that," Gojo announced.

"Beat that!?" Yuuji asked in half disbelief.

"Don't you think it's better to set a concrete goal?" Gojo asked.

"It's a good thing you brought Yuuji-san here," I said. "He should learn a lot from the fight."

"I had no idea what was going on though. Are these two for real?" Yuuji muttered.

"Once you set a goal, all you have to do is work hard to get there," Gojo continued. "We'll speed up the schedule a bit. For the next month, you'll be watching movies and fighting me."

"Fighting you!?" Yuuji shouted. "Will I still be alive a month from now?"

"Or you could fight Rey-kun, that works too," Gojo offered. "But don't think he's going to be easier than me. I'll tell Rey-kun to be extra tough on you."

"Don't throw your job to me, Gojo-sensei." I glared at the man. "He's your responsibility."

"Oh? I thought you were a nice guy who took care of his students," Gojo teased. "Are you trying to slack off, Rey-kun?"

"Just learning from the best, Gojo-sensei," I retorted.

"Don't give me any excuses, Rey-kun. I know what you said," Gojo declared. "Anyways, after that, it's practical combat. I'll have you take on some tough missions. You'll learn the basics and how to apply them. Then you'll show them off at the exchange event."

Yuuji's hand shot up. "Question, sensei!"

"Yes, Yuuji-kun?" Gojo answered.

"What's the exchange event?" Yuuji asked innocently.

"Eh? I didn't tell you?" Gojo said.

I facepalmed. Typical Gojo. He never remembers to tell us the important things.