The pressure inside the overlapping domains was suffocating.
I could feel both of them grinding against each other like two storms colliding.
The oceanic weight of Dagon's domain pressed down from all directions, waves of cursed energy trying to drown everything inside it.
Both domains were actually equally strong, holding equally to their ground. To be honest, I stood there with my domain hand sign steady because that was the only thing I could do.
I was no fighter, fending off those hundred or so curses was only because I could fight them one by one inside my domain, under a buff from the Domain and the previous Black Flash.
I can't fight a special grade curse like this red guy here.
My head throbbed as I forced more cursed energy into the barrier.
The domain barely moved, more cursed energy wasn't making any difference. More wasn't the solution here. What is this refinement exactly?
In front of me, I heard Maki's voice. "Focus on the domain. We'll handle the curse."
I know! Because if you guys can't then I'm done for. It was precisely because I knew that I can't fight that curse spirit myself that I wished to figure out a way to win this domain clash.
My only advantage was my domain-based technique; if I can't even win at domain clashes, then I'm as good as dead.
No matter the case, I have to figure out how to make my domain more refined. Currently there wasn't anything besides that which I was good for.
Ahead of us, Dagon hovered above the water that leaked through the cracks of his collapsing sea. The curse shrieked in anger as its perfect domain was being restrained.
Two figures rushed it before it could fully react.
Naobito moved first.
He blurred forward so fast my eyes almost lost him. One moment he stood beside Nanami, the next he had already reached Dagon.
A palm strike landed against the curse's side with a thunderous crack.
Dagon's body twisted violently from the impact.
But it wasn't alone for even a second.
Nanami followed immediately behind.
His cleaver swung downward with precise brutality.
The blade struck exactly where it needed to, his Ratio Technique doing critical damage.
A violent tear split across Dagon's body as cursed energy exploded from the strike.
The curse screamed, tentacles lashing wildly through the distorted domain.
One of them shot toward me.
Maki stepped in front of me instantly. The blade in her hand flashed once. The tentacle hit the ground in two pieces.
"Keep the barrier up," she said sharply.
As if it were that easy.
Sweat dripped down my face. Not out of the domain strain of forcing my newborn domain to clash against Dagon's, the mental load was there but not that bad. The real load came from trying to figure out how this refinement worked.
In the distance, Naobito was already moving again.
His movements became a stuttering blur, frames of motion skipping through space as he struck Dagon again and again.
Nanami didn't waste the openings.
Every time the curse staggered, his blade cut deep into another weak point.
They fought like they had done this a hundred times.
I for a while just observed their battle, not getting how this refinement shit worked, until my mind couldn't conjure any more memory fragments about domains. Everything about domains I knew from Jujutsu Kaisen I saw in the last few seconds, and now everything was just repeating.
So, it's either I don't remember what refinement is or the anime never talked about it. Either way, I knew that I'm not getting anything from the busted up memories of mine.
I didn't give up though, if the answer wasn't inside then I'll look outside. My life and death depended on it.
I simply defaulted to observing my domain itself, trying to figure out what more I can do to make it more refined.
What was there to refine in this?
I took it one by one.
First the barrier itself. It was in clash against Dagon's.
Second, the cursed energy usage. I was needing a steady CE output to maintain it. However, Dagon didn't have to stand around for that, he was doing that while fighting.
Third, the sure-hit effect of the domain, his had to be those shikigami. Mine was the forced trade.
What more?
My eyes frantically roamed around. The barrier was harder to figure out when being clashed into another.
However, only at times like this one can see its structural stability.
'Stability...'
My eyes snapped at those words. I observed more keenly. And sure enough, the stability wasn't on point. My domain seemed to waver, unlike Dagon's.
Why?
Why would it waver?
I pondered, the stress of what was going on with Naobito and Nanami killing my focus. I had to force myself to calm down and think again.
What would cause my domain to waver unlike Dagon's? Could it be CE output, like a bad electrical connection or internet stability?
Those were my only points of reference at what could be going on here, so I tried.
Closing my eyes, suppressing my panic, I reached out to the energy inside me. After hitting that Black Flash I felt like it was completely under my control, but I never actually tried control it, didn't have the time to.
Earlier it was all instinctive.
'So, all I need is a stable connection, a stable CE output.' I reached deep inside the core of my cursed energy and told it to flow steadily. No need to rush, no need to overflow nor hold back.
Flow like how it's supposed to flow.
And instantly I felt my CE much calmer. And when I opened my eyes, I saw the strain on my mind to constantly hold up the domain was gone.
Looking back at the edges of my domain, I saw it was stable, no wavering anymore.
'It worked!'
"So that's what it means by refinement."
Dagon fighting both Naobito and Nanami also seemed to feel this when the mental load of his own domain increased a bit as my domain stabilised.
"He is figuring out the domain mid-domain clash..." Dagon growled and put in more effort to get by both Nanami and Naobito.
Naobito and Nanami didn't get the sudden urgency from the special grade spirit; however, they weren't letting it go beyond them.
They too pushed past their limits.
Back where Maki and I were, I could practically see Maki trembling to go and join the battle, the distaste apparent on her face to hold back while others fought.
I couldn't get her eagerness and I didn't wish to know about it either, I just shook my head and once again went back to my own domain.
What more?
The barrier itself. Its durability and consistency.
I just observed it, trying to find anything I can improve on demand. I couldn't do anything about the durability. It was just like any other domain, at least it was very similar to Dagon's.
But consistency. That was definitely better on Dagon's side.
I could see certain parts of my domain barrier were weaker while certain sides stronger. The power and structural stability wasn't balanced. Resulting in certain parts overpowering Dagon's domain, pushing it back even further than halfway while the rest were dragged back by his domain.
This resulted in an uneven push by my domain when it clashed with his.
So I did my best to fix that. First intentionally reducing the power of the barrier push where it could one-sidedly extend, single-handedly pushing Dagon's domain back until the entire domain was in a circular structure on one line.
That required me to almost pull back my domain by one third.
"Oi... what are you doing. Focus the domain, you brat, or else we're cooked." Maki shouted immediately seeing my domain was getting pushed back, her knuckles turning white by how strongly she gripped her naginata.
Even Naobito and Nanami gritted their teeth, thinking that I was reaching my limit and pushed themselves against Dagon even further.
Dagon was arguably the only one who didn't think I was losing. He could feel it, I intentionally pulled back the barrier of the domain.
"But why?" was his question.
Until he understood why.
Once my domain barrier was once again back into a complete circular structure at the outline of the domain clash, I equally pushed back the domain once again against Dagon's domain with its entire cirfumference getting equal power output and equal push from my side.
The blackish sky of my domain slowly and steadily pushed back the sunny domain of Dagon, easily covering the lost ground and then steadily pushing it even further back.
For the first time, Dagon's eyes widened as he hurriedly backed off from both Nanami and Naobito, forced to stand with both of his hands forming his own domain sign to stop his domain from being pushed back.
Nanami and Naobito didn't get it, but they could see it, the black sky was taking over the sunny one, which was a good thing.
"Don't know what that brat's doing but he better keep doing that." Naobito chuckled, panting and exhausted blocking a special grade for this long.
Nanami was in an even worse state, his earlier wounds had worsened and he too panted with clothes soaked in blood.
"Come on, this is our chance." Nanami saw the curse spirit had pulled back after whatever the boy did. This might be their only chance to kill the curse spirit.
And indeed Dagon had to pull back, because now both domains were reaching a similar degree of refinement. And I was actively holding my domain in its hand sign.
He might lose more ground in the domain clash if he didn't hold back his own domain sign and focus on the clash.
"Damn you." He roared, pouring more CE to push back my domain.
I could only grin, it was only thanks to observing my domain and then comparing it to his that I improved this much.
Now since both sides were on their back foot, Naobito and Nanami would have the advantage. They rushed at Dagon simultaneously, ready to end the spirit or waver his focus until his domain collapsed.
However, this was the exact same time both domains wavered like someone threw a pebble into a calm lake's surface.
The violent rippling of the domain indicated a sufficient shift which I wasn't ready for, and if Dagon's unmoving state was any indication, he wasn't responsible for this either.
It was actually something else entirely.
From the water further away, from Dagon's side, a fountain of black water erupted and from inside emerged a boy wearing quite similar clothes as Maki.
"A third domain." My eyes bugged with incredulity.
Why now?