Domain Expansion

Up in the sky, Suguru Geto had taken Shoko out of range to avoid being caught by the cursed energy threads Sakurada Niji fired, moving nearly a hundred meters away.

"Niji actually figured out Domain Expansion?!" Suguru Geto stared in disbelief at the unclosed domain nearby.

After all, Sakurada Niji had spent the past year figuring things out on his own. He had barely gone on any missions with Geto, and had never mentioned researching Domain Expansion.

"It's an incomplete domain. Niji used Cursed Technique Extension to surround the area with spatial threads. When he expands his domain, he doesn't need to do it perfectly. As long as the cursed energy released during the expansion touches the 'threads' he laid down beforehand, it affects the surrounding space. The cursed energy spreads along those 'threads,' connecting them and filling the gaps between them until the domain is complete," Shoko explained beside him.

"To be more specific, he laid out the framework for his Domain Expansion in advance. Normal people don't open domains like that," Shoko concluded.

"True. It takes a long time to prepare, burns through a ton of cursed energy, and requires that level of control. Apart from that egomaniac Satoru, anyone else would get trapped by the 'framework' before he even expanded his domain." Suguru Geto looked exasperated. He suddenly realized how redundant Sakurada Niji's Domain Expansion was.

"So Niji was baiting Satoru with all those taunts earlier..." Everything suddenly clicked for Suguru Geto.

"Well~ We need to get this on camera~ Niji told me beforehand~" Shoko waved the camera in her hand.

"What's he going to do~ Draw a turtle on Satoru's face?" Suguru Geto asked.

Inside the domain, dust and fallen leaves hung frozen in midair. Even the Red Satoru Gojo had unleashed at the last moment had stopped right in front of him. Within that motionless space, only Sakurada Niji could still move.

"Heh heh heh~" Sakurada Niji let out a sinister chuckle and drew the Inverted Spear of Heaven he had kept hidden behind his waist. In exchange for it, Sakurada Niji had taken on the responsibility of caring for Megumi Fushiguro and

Tsumiki Fushiguro.

Sakurada Niji walked up to the frozen Satoru Gojo and looked into his wide eyes. Those azure irises seemed to reflect the sky, but now they held a hint of disbelief, forever caught in that instant.

Sakurada Niji twirled the Inverted Spear of Heaven in his hand and muttered to himself, "What kind of mark should I leave~?"

"Drip-"

Sakurada Niji suddenly felt warm liquid trickling from his nose. He quickly tilted his head back and touched his nose, only to find his hand smeared with crimson. Dizziness suddenly washed over him.

Have I run out of cursed energy?!...

Then he lost control of his body and collapsed in front of Satoru Gojo.

The domain ended as Sakurada Niji lost consciousness. Able to move again, Satoru Gojo stared blankly at Sakurada Niji, who lay facedown before him.

"Sakura-chan?" The instant the domain expanded, he had seen cursed energy erupt from Sakurada Niji and rush through the "threads" laid out earlier. The "threads" had connected, and then Sakurada Niji had collapsed in front of him.

In the distance, Suguru Geto and Shoko also realized something was wrong and quickly rode the Rainbow Dragon to the Training Ground.

Shoko jumped off the Rainbow Dragon and ran over to Sakurada Niji, whom Satoru Gojo had propped up, then used her cursed technique to examine his body.

"Ah~ He just ran out of cursed energy. His body couldn't take it, so he passed out. A few days of rest and he'll be fine." Shoko sighed in relief.

"Huh? So who won?" Satoru Gojo scratched the back of his head.

"You both lost, but you both won, too," Shoko concluded.

"So~ Both of you have to grant my wish!" Shoko began spouting nonsense, trying to fool Satoru Gojo.

"Huh? Why should I?! Trick Niji all you want, but leave me out of it!" Satoru Gojo bristled. He had never seen anyone so shameless.

"Tch~ I thought your brain was still fried and you couldn't think straight..." Shoko muttered.

"Geto, what happened just now?" Satoru Gojo asked Suguru Geto.

"Satoru, you really did lose. Niji's domain trapped you outright. You were frozen in place for about ten seconds," Suguru Geto recalled.

"So you should each grant the other a wish!~" Shoko concluded.

"Domain Expansion... I did hear Niji say 'Domain Expansion,' but the next thing I remember is him suddenly lying facedown in front of me." Satoru Gojo thought back over the fight.

Suddenly, Satoru Gojo seemed to touch something as he held Sakurada Niji up.

"Hm? Heh~ This brat actually got his hands on the Inverted Spear of Heaven... So he'd been planning to ambush me all along..." Cold sweat streamed down Satoru Gojo's face.

Ever since Toji had stabbed him with the Inverted Spear of Heaven, Satoru Gojo had held a deep grudge against that cursed tool. Before Toji left, Satoru Gojo had tried to buy it for a hefty sum, but Toji had refused. He had never expected Sakurada Niji to get his hands on it.

"So that's why the brat's been looking after that guy Toji's family every day." Satoru Gojo remembered how Sakurada Niji picked up and dropped off Megumi daily.

Shoko whistled off to the side and quietly slipped behind the others, pretending she knew nothing and had noticed nothing.

"Ha ha..." Suguru Geto said nothing, merely letting out an awkward laugh.

Both of them knew Sakurada Niji had acquired the Inverted Spear of Heaven.

Satoru Gojo suddenly scooped Sakurada Niji up and headed inside. Suguru Geto and Shoko did not dare stop him and could only watch him leave.

A few days later~

After remaining unconscious all this time, Sakurada Niji gradually came to and slowly opened his eyes.

"Aaah!!-"

The moment Sakurada Niji opened his eyes, he saw a featureless face practically pressed against his own.

Sakurada Niji felt his heart stop. His body instinctively jerked backward, and his head slammed straight into the wall behind him. He quickly clutched his head in pain.

Meanwhile, the masked Satoru Gojo stepped away from the bedside, thoroughly satisfied. He had watched him for a full hour just to pull off this prank.

"Shoko~ Did you get that~?" Satoru Gojo asked.

"Every bit of it. Satoru, you're so childish, but Niji's reaction was hilarious~" Shoko peeked out from behind her camera.

Still shaken, Sakurada Niji suddenly realized he was wearing Riko's old outfit. Since he had worn it himself, he had been too embarrassed to return it to her. Before Riko left, Sakurada Niji had bought her a new outfit instead.

"...Who changed my clothes?!" Sakurada Niji's rage meter maxed out.

"Shoko did~" Satoru Gojo said happily.

Sakurada Niji turned toward Shoko behind Satoru Gojo. She held up her camera, revealing only the faint curve of her smiling lips as she kept snapping away. Sakurada Niji lost all will to live. He wanted nothing more than to die together with the two people before him. He formed a sign with his right hand and slowly began, "...Domain Expan-"

Before Sakurada Niji could finish, Satoru Gojo reacted swiftly, restraining him with Limitless and hoisting him up.

Then the two vanished from the room and appeared outside. Suguru Geto, who was drinking tea in the courtyard, looked at the suddenly appearing Satoru Gojo and the "Riko Amanai" in his hand.

"Riko-chan? No, wait... Pfft..." Realizing something, Suguru Geto nearly choked on his tea.

"Ha... Ahaha... Nice prank. Very childish," Suguru Geto commented.

"Where's my Inverted Spear of Heaven, Satoru Gojo?" Sakurada Niji asked coldly as he dangled from his grip.

"I hid it~"

Sakurada Niji said nothing. He simply began creating the "framework" for his Domain Expansion around them.

"Don't~ I gave it to Mr. Yaga for safekeeping. Such a dangerous weapon... And Sakura-chan secretly hid it away to use against me..." Satoru Gojo set Sakurada Niji down and switched into "heartbroken" mode.

"Fine. At least you know what's good for you. Once I get it back, we're having another match. This time, I'm definitely breaking one of your arms or legs." Sakurada Niji delivered his threat and turned to leave.

"I have feelings too, you know! You recorded me making a fool of myself and showed everyone. I lost all my dignity! What's wrong with getting a little revenge?" Satoru Gojo said, pretending to be "angry."

"???" Sakurada Niji had no idea how to respond.

But after thinking it over, he realized that actually made some sense.

Right, Satoru Gojo's human too. Of course he'd be angry if someone recorded him embarrassing himself. I started it...

Am I being a sore loser?! Sakurada Niji suddenly snapped to his senses.

I've never been a sore loser! Sakurada Niji forgave Satoru Gojo.

"I won our last match, right? After expanding my domain, I didn't directly manipulate you inside it. I only wanted to walk over and leave a mark on you. I was already going easy on you!"

I'd better get something out of this while I still have the advantage in domains.

Sakurada Niji's Domain Expansion, Stillness of All Things, meant that without movement, there was only stillness.

Once the domain expanded, every target inside it except him would stop moving and become completely motionless. Within the domain, Sakurada Niji could control the state of motion of everything.

Simply put, he could instantly accelerate anything inside the domain from zero, and the resulting acceleration could tear a human body apart in an instant.