Mahoraga was dying. Holes were being opened all over its body, skin and bones disintegrating as the divine general seemed helpless under Jogo's fire.
The creature was thrashing wildly, lava reaching up to its knees, though strangely, Mahoraga's silhouette under the fire seemed to be growing rapidly.
"TRY AS YOU MAY, SHIKIGAMI! THERE'S NO ESCAPING NOW!"
Though, despite not being able to communicate, the divine general was no fool. Out of all shikigami known to Jujutsu society, in the category of battle IQ, Mahoraga was second to none.
Although it may not be able to harm Jogo directly, harming those whom Jogo cared for? That's something else entirely.
All it needed was an opening.
Jogo looked to his left, seeing Megumi and his group up on the volcanic rock platform. Megumi and the blonde man were both already unconscious, the smoke and heat having knocked them out, while the green-haired girl was still barely holding on, with blisters and second-degree burns manifesting all over their bodies.
Of course, they didn't matter to Jogo. But looking at them made a thought cross his mind.
If they're like this, then how is Dagon?!
His head turned right, and he saw him. It was Dagon. He seemed to be barely hanging on, his once wet and smooth skin completely dry and cracking, his hands over his mouth as he desperately attempted to find any humidity in the air.
As a curse with a water-based curse technique, Jogo's domain was a completely foreign environment.
If he stayed here for much longer, Dagon could die.
The possibilities poured into Jogo's brain, his fire faltering momentarily.
If I don't shatter my domain, Dagon could die!
Though he remembered what Sukuna had told him in his dream.
"You should have just burned everything down.
Burned everything down to a cinder without giving it a thought.
Casting aside race, future, everything, until you reached Satoru Gojo.
That hunger to seize your ideals, that is what you are truly lacking."
As much as he hated to admit it, Sukuna was right. As much as he cared about his fellow curses, if Jogo wished to reach the heights of the strongest, he couldn't let such things get in his way.
And if he turned off his domain expansion, he and Dagon would likely be dead anyway.
So Jogo decided to keep attacking.
Though by the time Jogo's flames stabilised again, it was too late.
Mahoraga used the few seconds it had without being attacked to use reverse cursed technique.
With its arms now fully healed, the divine general, now being the size of a 3-story building, and was tall enough to take up most of the domain.
Using its colossal size, Mahoraga easily punched through the volcanic rock pillar holding Dagon up. The curse was now free-falling toward the lava.
He'd be dead on impact.
Jogo's mind once again was filled with ideas.
If I turn off my domain, then the lava would vanish, and Dagon would live! Though that would ensure I couldn't harm Mahoraga as much, and that thing may end up adapting!
Then, a better option appeared.
The ember insects!
Jogo had 12 ember insects when he first entered the domain, though 7 had already been lost to his fire. 5 was barely enough to even lift himself up, let alone him and Dagon!
Though the lava was made by Jogo's cursed energy.
He'd never tried touching it, though if the cursed energy was his, then the lava couldn't harm him... right?
He had to risk it.
The ember insects let go of him, catching Dagon just as he was about to make contact with the lava.
Then, Jogo felt a strange presence directly below him.
It wasn't Mahoraga's cursed energy.
Instead, it was Mahoraga's sword, imbued with reverse cursed energy.
RCE was deadly to curses like Jogo.
As he rapidly approached the blade, Jogo saw his whole life flash before his eyes.
"Reverse Cursed Energy, huh?"
Then, a memory hit him.
A memory of him, Kenjaku, Mahito, and Hanami in Dagon's domain, sitting in the sand, watching as Dagon floated on the water.
--<>--
"Kenjaku. We curses can heal lost limbs or deep wounds with cursed energy. What do humans like you use?" Asked Jogo curiously.
"Well, Jogo, we use 'Reverse Cursed Technique', an ability gained by multiplying cursed energy against itself to create a positive energy, 'Reverse Cursed Energy.' It harms curses, so you likely cannot learn it. Truly a shame."
"If it does the same thing we curses do with cursed energy, then why is it a shame we can't use it?" Asked Mahito curiously.
"Good question. Well, RCE can also be used for a 'Cursed Technique Reversal.'"
"And what would that be?" Asked Mahito, still intrigued.
Kenjaku turned to Jogo.
"Jogo, when you fought Satoru Gojo, didn't you say he used two techniques, the 'blue' that sucked things in, and the 'red' that pushed things out?"
Jogo nodded.
"That is what a cursed technique reversal is. Using your technique with cursed energy can cause it to have the opposite effect."
"Then would my cursed technique reversal be something like ice?" Said Jogo.
"I doubt it, but it may allow you to rapidly cool things instead of rapidly heating them, which could allow you to turn your magma into volcanic rock, the same super-resistant volcanic rock that composes the inside of your domain."
"Hm. I see..."
--<>--
A cursed technique reversal! If I can use it, I may be able to create volcanic rock armour, allowing me to survive Mahoraga's sword.
Is it even really possible for a curse like me to learn reverse cursed technique, especially on such a small time frame?
Though he had no other option. He had to bet everything on this. It was ALL OR NOTHING!
Multiply cursed energy against itself!
Jogo was now hovering directly above Mahoraga's sword as he felt the burning heat of his own lava encase most of his body.
Then, he felt a stinging pain around his skin.
With a fraction of a second to waste, Jogo's lava finally hardened into volcanic rock as he felt Mahoraga's sword touch his armour's chestplate.
Jogo was thrown up into his domain's ceiling, though what mattered was that he was alive.
From above, he saw something terrifying: the wheel was very soon going to complete a full rotation.
There was no time to let up.
"YOU CAN SEE IT, MAHORAGA! YOU CAN SEE MY REVERSE CURSED TECHNIQUE!"
Jogo then made a wave motion with his hands, manipulating the lava pool below to fully encase Mahoraga's body.
He once again applied his Cursed Technique Reversal to the lava, rapidly cooling it, basically trapping the divine general.
"DISASTER FLAMES REVERSAL: TECTONIC!"
As the temperature dropped, Dagon and the sorcerers began to finally awaken, all gasping in relief as the heat and smoke finally died down.
"TECTONIC DRIFT!"
The stone structure trapping Mahoraga was then cut apart, but so was the Divine general. The volcanic rock was turned back to stone, causing Mahoraga to be completely submerged, helplessly burned by it.
Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga had finally been exorcised, the golden wheel flowing peacefully on the surface of the lava.