Drip... drip...
The black spherical barrier stood tall amidst the curtain of rain, radiating a crushing sense of despair.
Yuji Itadori knelt in the puddles, blood steadily dripping from his severed wrist, staining the water beneath him a deep crimson.
His previous attack had done nothing but make the wound even more gruesome.
At this moment, only that demonic whisper echoed in his mind.
"Do you want to save him?"
"Give me your body..."
Yuji gripped the ground tightly, his nails cracking. His body trembled violently from a mixture of extreme rage and helplessness.
He couldn't hear the sounds from inside, but he could imagine them.
That guy who always smiled gently and carried a strange black blade... what kind of hell was he facing alone right now?
That was a Special Grade.
A monster that had just instantly defeated the three of them!
"Fushiguro! Is there any other way? You must have a way, right!"
Yuji whipped his head back, his eyes bloodshot.
Megumi Fushiguro sat slumped on the ground, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. Beside him, his Divine Dog had already dissipated due to its severe injuries.
He stared fixedly at the barrier, his nails digging deep into his palms.
"...There is no way."
His voice was hoarse, laden with deep despair.
"That's an Innate Domain... Once it's closed from the outside, unless the person inside breaks the barrier or the Cursed Spirit releases it voluntarily..."
"There's simply no getting in. And besides..."
Megumi's voice trembled slightly.
"Inside a guaranteed-hit Domain, Yoru probably won't last a minute."
One minute.
In this world where death was only a step away, a minute felt as long as a century.
...
Inside the Domain.
It wasn't the one-sided slaughter Megumi had imagined, but a most brutal struggle to the death.
"Cough!"
Yoru suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with bits of internal organs, his figure staggering.
It was too heavy.
Inside this Domain, the density of the air felt a hundred times greater. Every swing of his blade consumed ten times the usual stamina.
Moreover, those omnipresent, guaranteed-hit slashes were cutting his body at every moment.
If it weren't for Total Concentration: Constant strengthening his physical body, combined with the recently realized Thunder Breathing greatly enhancing his speed and reactions, he would have been sliced into pieces long ago.
"ROOAAAAR!!!"
The Special Grade Cursed Spirit let out a violent roar.
It didn't understand.
This human was clearly on the verge of death. There wasn't a single piece of healthy flesh left on him.
Why could that red blade still strike it over and over again?
"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash."
"Eightfold!"
Yoru let out a roar as a burst of dazzling golden lightning exploded beneath his feet.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Within the cramped Domain, eight folding streaks of golden lightning instantly erupted!
Relying on his god-like explosive power, he forcibly changed directions eight times before the guaranteed-hit slashes could land, simultaneously severing all incoming tentacles.
"I'm not done! Sun Breathing, Third Form: Burning Sun!"
The moment the Eightfold ended, the golden lightning transformed into deep crimson flames.
A flash of red light.
A deep crimson arc slash precisely severed the Cursed Spirit's defense.
Sizzle!
Foul-smelling black smoke immediately rose from the cut. The wound was carbonized by the high temperature, rendering it unable to regenerate!
"What's the matter? Does it hurt?"
Yoru panted heavily, his vision already starting to blur.
Excessive blood loss was causing his brain to lack oxygen, and his ears were filled with a buzzing ring.
But he couldn't fall.
Because he knew that as soon as he fell, this barrier would dissolve.
When that happened, Yuji and the others outside would surely die.
"Come at me again! You piece of trash!"
A flash of resolve crossed Yoru's eyes. The muscles in his legs tightened to the absolute limit, nearly snapping.
This move would put a massive burden on his legs, but he couldn't afford to worry about that now.
"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash."
"Godspeed!"
Boom!
The air was violently shoved aside as Yoru's figure completely vanished.
Only a gold-and-red afterimage remained, instantly piercing through the Cursed Spirit's defense.
Splat!
Half of the Cursed Spirit's shoulder was sheared off!
"RAAAAAAH!!!"
The Special Grade Cursed Spirit went completely insane. It sensed a threat.
A threat of death!
This dying human really could kill it!
Buzz!
The cursed energy within the Domain suddenly surged violently.
The surrounding fleshy walls began to writhe as countless grotesque mouths emerged from the surface, gathering high-density cursed energy.
It was going to unleash its maximum output technique to completely obliterate this human into dust!
...
Outside the Domain.
Although they couldn't hear any sound, the terrifying aura leaking out made their very souls tremble.
"Yoru..."
Yuji knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed hard against the cold pavement.
Now, he could only watch like a useless waste as his comrade died inside.
"Do you want power?"
That voice echoed in his mind once more.
It was full of mockery, temptation, and a high-and-mighty arrogance.
"That brat is about to die, you know."
"It'll only take a second."
"Just hand your body over to me, and I'll tear that trash Cursed Spirit to shreds."
Yuji's body stiffened. He knew exactly who this was.
Ryomen Sukuna.
The King of Curses.
A demon ten thousand times more dangerous than a Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
"'...Will you kill Fushiguro and Nobara?'"
Yuji asked in his heart, his voice terrifyingly calm.
"Ha?"
Sukuna sounded as if he had heard a hilarious joke.
"Depends on my mood."
"However, I can guarantee you this..."
"That brat with the sword, if no one saves him, he'll be dead in an instant."
"..."
Yuji closed his eyes.
In his mind, the image of Yoru pushing them out with all his might before the Domain closed surfaced.
That tragic smile. That look of absolute resolve.
"It's a deal."
Yuji's eyes snapped open. Deep within his pupils, a streak of crimson blood-color instantly spread.
"Only this once."
"Save him."
"Heh heh heh..."
Wild laughter erupted deep in his soul.
"You chose this yourself, brat!"
BOOM!!!
An indescribable, terrifying cursed energy exploded outward with Yuji at the center!
Megumi Fushiguro looked up in horror.
The aura radiating from Yuji had changed. It was no longer the presence of a human.
It was pure, ancient malice!
"Itadori?!"
Megumi called out instinctively.
"Itadori?"
"That brat is already asleep."
The man who had taken over Yuji's body slowly raised his head.
His face was covered in black markings, and two pairs of eyes gleamed with cruel red light.
He casually ripped the hoodie off his body, revealing his lean, muscled torso.
Then, he looked toward the indestructible black barrier, his mouth curling into a grin that revealed a set of sharp, white teeth.
"Let's see."
"What kind of garbage..."
"Managed to push that brat into a corner."
Ryomen Sukuna had arrived.
The King of Curses stood atop the ruins and slowly raised a finger.
Could a Special Grade Cursed Spirit's Domain withstand a blow from a god?