Vengeful

Sukuna expanded his domain. His brain damage having now recovered allowed him to do so. And with two [Black Flashes], his output increased compared to when he transformed.

Still, that was not enough for Sukuna to completely recover his domain's output.

That was evident in the formation of the domain. Although it kept the barrierless aspect and range, the shrine was now more of an amalgamation of cursed spirits conjoined into one another.

Sukuna's domain was incomplete.

The domain would only last for 99 seconds.

This made Sukuna not lose any moment and attack Kenjaku... but-

[Domain Expansion: All Envelopping Garbhadhatu!]

Kenjaku wasted no time and activated his domain expansion.

Expanding this domain created a totem-esque tower of grotesque, cursed spirit-like faces that are all merged together. 

Sukuna glared at Kenjaku who smiled softly at him. He looked dazed as if he was melancholic seeing him. His eyes, this eery feeling that he felt, gave off something that made him on guard.

It wasn't to the point of fear, but there was something. 

Something that he didn't like feeling.

The eyes of someone who has everything under his thumb. As if everything was going as he intended, it annoyed Sukuna, but he didn't let that get to him. This was Kenjaku, he always had that expression.

The two domains tugged and pulled fighting for dominance. The two domains fought, unlike most domains. The two barrierless domains were attacked, but none of them broke.

Though signs were showing.

Kenjaku's domain slowly began being disassembled. The statues of cursed spirits were being rewritten and parts of them were being erased.

Sukuna's domain was winning.

But for how long?

Time was passing by fast and Sukuna's domain had a time limit. A limit that Kenjaku's domain did not have. This meant that Kenjaku's winning condition was to endure for 99 seconds while Sukuna was to destroy Kenjaku's barrier within 99 seconds.

This battle was a war of attrition.

"Before my time is over, I'll kill you." Sukuna said to Kenjaku.

Sukuna attacked him. His four arms quickly proved to be superior to Kenjaku's two arms. Not only that, but even when Sukuna had only two arms, his skill, and strength would still be greater than Kenjaku's. With Kenjaku's domain being suppressed, he was slowly pushed back against a wall.

Sukuna punched Kenjaku in the gut, and his domain wavered again. If this kept up, Sukuna would win, but the time was slowly running out.

Time was running.

Kenjaku threw a punch, but his arm was caught in between two of Sukuna's. Pulling his body, Sukuna kneed his stomach making him cough out blood. Sukuna's eyes shook as he felt the Kenjaku's domain flicker. Not only was the domain being dismantled, but it was also slowly losing its output. 

The sure-hit effect was now gone.

Kenjaku's domain was on the verge of being destroyed.

Sukuna seized this chance and grabbed it before slamming his fist to his side.

[Black Flash!]

Once more, Sukuna caused a [Black Flash] to occur. This strike made Kenjaku's concentration falter. Sukuna could tell, this was the moment that would determine his victory.

[Furnace: Open!]

Sukuna opened the last move he could and made his signature fire arrow appear between his hands. His aim was directed at Kenjaku to burn him alive with flames capable of reducing entire city blocks to ash in a pillar of fire.

But Kenjaku recovered in time, just fast enough to change the rules of his domain.

*Cough! Cough!*

Kenjaku coughed up blood from all of the damage he received.

Kenjaku wiped the blood from his lips. "Damn asura." 

His eyes flickered with light before dimming down. His eyes closed as he focused on his next move. Making his hand sign, Kenjaku's domain

"Heh, alright then." Kenjaku said as he made his hand sign. The domain twisted and became malformed. The cursed spirits forming the center of the domain conjoined becoming an amalgamation.

The domain was no longer barrierless. Instead, a two-layered barrier was made forming the domain. Ridding himself of the sure-hit effect and barrierless aspect, Kenjaku focused on the effectiveness of the barriers as he switched internal and external conditions of the barrier.

Kenjaku had created a new move.

Sukuna and Gojo were not the only ones who could innovate in the middle of a fight.

Just in time, the flame arrow hit the barrier straight on creating a massive explosion. A fire pillar was all people outside the city could see. It even passed through the sky. The temperature was so hot that it rivaled that of a star. As the flames settled, Sukuna's view, a city moment ago, had now turned into a barren wasteland. Not a single speck of infrastructure or life was here. 

Sukuna wiped the dust cloud with his arms and looked before him. As the dust cleared, a barrier could be seen. No longer was Kenjaku's domain visible as it collapsed due to the power of Sukuna's arrow.

The barrier dissolved revealing Kenjaku kneeling. His face and body were a bit cut because he no longer sustained the sure-hit effect of his domain letting the slashes cut him.

'Why isn't he doing anything?' Sukuna pondered on seeing Kenjaku doing nothing. He just stood still looking at him with a dazed expression. Unbothered by the threat before him.

Sukuna felt uneasy. 

This entire fight felt off. It felt... forced.

Kenjaku tried to act normal, but fighting Sukuna? He wouldn't do that.

Not in a million years even if he was weakened.

He would be too focused on his plan to think of it. Besides, although they didn't like one another, they were allies in this war.

His behavior hadn't changed, but the use of cursed spirits had. They felt too little compared to the real arsenal that Kenjaku had.

One might say that Kenjaku held that arsenal for the attack force, but Kenjaku wouldn't think of that. He would know he was going to die against him without leaving him time to use it.

What did that mean?

It meant that something unexpected was going to happen.

Something that he would have never imagined.

And his theory was affirmed by what he witnessed at that moment.

A hand crawled out of Kenjaku's ear and grabbed hold of his head making Sukuna freeze in his tracks. Then, a second arm, the legs, the body, and finally the head emerged. His blue hair shined bright in Sukuna's dark domain and his green eyes glowed like a light bulb. 

"Haaahh!" The man sighed in relief as he grabbed his face from both sides. 

"True... real." The man seemed to spout incomprehensible nonsense before he locked eyes with Sukuna who flinched when seeing him.

The man smiled so widely that his face deformed.

Kenjaku's eyes regained focus and he looked at Sukuna. "I told you, Sukuna, 'I' am not the one holding the personal grudge." He said this before losing focus once more.

"Revenge... is so so sweet." Slow-moving steps closed the distance between them.

A man he thought was dead had emerged from out of nowhere. A man that he had killed with his own hands. He had cut him to pieces, dust was the only thing that was supposed to remain.

And yet...

"Isn't that right, Sukuna."

This man denied that. He rejected that reasoning. 

The man who defied death.

The man who schemed more than the likes of Kenjaku.

The man who aimed to kill the strongest.

He who desired revenge above all else.

The one that went against fate.

The man who wielded the cursed technique known as [The Contractor].

That was him.

That is Isao Arai.

In his glorious true self and body.

"It was a good idea to use Kenjaku." Arai mumbled.

How is he alive? How did he survive his domain?

Why is he teaming up with Kenjaku?

Was he hallucinating?

Sukuna glared at Arai, not understanding the man before him. He had a chance—the chance to take out Sukuna with Kenjaku's help yet he didn't.

No, it doesn't matter.

Now was not the time for questions.

What matters is that he finishes Kenjaku.

That is what's important.

[Domain Expansion: Absolute Authority.]

Instantly, Arai's domain was activated.