The instant the ink-wash starry sky enveloped the sea of blood, Satoru Gojo sensed that something was wrong.
The sure-hit effects should have canceled each other out and triggered a clash... yet both were taking effect on their opponents at the same time!
Had Kamo Xu's domain actually abandoned canceling out the opposing sure-hit effect, forcing its own domain's sure-hit effect onto his opponent at the cost of enduring the enemy's sure-hit Cursed Technique with his body?
The attack came. Satoru Gojo's domain effect forcibly poured vast amounts of information into his opponent's mind at maximum speed. The sheer volume instantly overwhelmed the brain, crashing it and preventing it from processing anything else, leaving the enemy unable to move.
In short, [Hard Control].
Kamo Xu's domain was slightly inferior. His incomplete Domain Expansion, [Desire-Sloth Truth-Seeking Vortex], used blood he had replicated in vast quantities through Reverse Cursed Technique as its foundation, imbuing it with the domain's properties. Any contact with the blood would inevitably trigger the domain's effect.
Moreover, his domain's rules only allowed it to inflict maximum damage on nonhumans. Satoru Gojo clearly did not meet that condition, so the domain classified him as human and applied the [Strangulation] effect.
It transformed the blood attacks into a sure-hit Cursed Technique that would forcibly strike the opponent.
At first glance, Kamo Xu seemed to have suffered a crushing loss by taking Satoru Gojo's full attack head-on. But Satoru Gojo had made one disastrous move...
His [Unlimited Void]... was a closed domain!
The sea of blood, dozens of times greater in volume than Satoru Gojo's domain could contain, was trapped inside it, forcibly filling most of the domain.
And the surge of blood unleashed when the domain expanded slammed into Satoru Gojo with maximum force as the sure-hit effect took hold!
Kamo Xu had also pulled a little trick when expanding his domain, solidifying and hardening some of the blood beforehand, hiding it in the sea of blood like tiny blades.
Countless blades lurked within every wave...
Satoru Gojo took the full damage of Kamo Xu's domain as well!
Kamo Xu won the first domain clash by a narrow margin.
But how would Kamo Xu deal with Satoru Gojo next?
His opponent also possessed Reverse Cursed Technique. More importantly, with his domain intact, he could still use his Cursed Technique!
The advantage gained from that small gap in information vanished in an instant, while countless pieces of useless information were already pouring endlessly into Kamo Xu's brain.
Most of it was data Satoru Gojo's Six Eyes had gathered while scanning Cursed Spirits during battle, along with information acquired when facing curses.
One could move and had already recovered from his injuries.
The other was immobilized, able only to stand there helplessly.
Anyone with half a brain could see that Kamo Xu's life was like a candle in the wind, ready to be snuffed out at any moment by the gale that was Satoru Gojo...
But...
A smile still lingered at the corners of Kamo Xu's mouth.
Satoru Gojo did not understand why he was smiling, but he knew one thing: Kamo Xu had already gone mad.
Before he loses himself completely, I have to...
With my own hands... kill him...
His fist clenched, his fingertips digging into his palm again, just as they had ten years ago.
Why do my friends always leave me? Why must they take such extreme actions for the sake of their beliefs?
Are the things they believe in... really that important?!
Is there no room for compromise at all?!
Blood trickled out, mingling little by little with the sea of blood in Kamo Xu's domain...
In the end, Satoru Gojo raised his hand, gathering Cursed Energy as he aimed at the defenseless Kamo Xu.
Cursed Technique Reversal: Red...
Pure energy gathered in his hand, and a red light that repelled everything bloomed at his fingertips.
Satoru Gojo stared at the Cursed Technique forming in his hand, gritted his teeth, and took one last look at Kamo Xu...
Boom!
Satoru Gojo finally flicked his finger, releasing Red in an instant with boundless power.
It tore through the sea of blood in its path, drawing ever closer to Kamo Xu.
The sea of blood churned, repeatedly surging into the attack's path as though it had a will of its own. But it was utterly futile!
How could blood possibly block Satoru Gojo's Cursed Energy?!
Vast quantities of blood were torn apart and scattered, reduced to a pitiful mist that filled the air, accomplishing nothing despite all its efforts.
Was it truly accomplishing nothing?
Satoru Gojo's attack ripped through the blood, but he suddenly realized that something was wrong!
It was a bone-deep cold, a chill steadily eating into him through his skin!
He raised his arm for a closer look and found it already covered in crimson frost!
Kamo Xu's sure-hit Cursed Technique effect?!
But why? Kamo Xu clearly hasn't activated his Cursed Technique, so how did an attack suddenly hit me?
What's wrong? What suddenly changed?
Suddenly, a flash of insight streaked through his mind.
Realization struck Satoru Gojo, and he instantly turned his gaze toward the Red he had just fired!
That attack was still tearing through the sea of blood, [splitting] the liquid in its path, and even causing [Vaporization]!
It drained heat from its surroundings, but Kamo Xu's domain's sure-hit effect forcibly applied that temperature drop to him!
Had Satoru Gojo's own attack inflicted damage on him?!
And...
Satoru Gojo scanned his surroundings. Not all of the attack was being applied to him. Frost covered his domain as well.
At this rate...
Boom!
The attack struck Kamo Xu, blasting half his body apart on the spot, sending blood and internal organs spraying!
Meanwhile, half of Satoru Gojo's body was completely frozen. This was not a condition Reverse Cursed Technique could cure. He could only thaw it slowly, then heal the damage with Reverse Cursed Technique.
If he broke free by force, his body would shatter on the spot!
But...
Under the extreme cold, Satoru Gojo's domain... [shattered].
Its pitch-black shell dissolved into flecks of starlight. Once again, the moon hanging high in the night sky shone alone upon Kamo Xu, whose body was shattered but who still stood unwavering.
In this domain clash, Satoru Gojo had suffered...
A total defeat.
With the domain shattered, nothing restrained the sea of blood. Gravity immediately pulled it outward.
Fortunately, their battlefield was beside the crater Kamo Xu had blasted open. Most of the sea of blood flowed into that hundred-meter pit, leaving only a small portion pooled where they stood, still unable to reach Okkotsu and the others in the distance.
"They're out! Wait... why was it Gojo-sensei's domain that shattered?"
Panda trembled in fright at the sight.
Two figures stood in the distance, and the moonlight revealed the enemy's true face.
"Mr. Kamo?!"
Yuta Okkotsu had good eyesight. Even at this late hour and from so far away, he could clearly make out Kamo Xu's face. But he was not happy.
He saw that half of Kamo Xu's body had been blown away. It took little thought to realize that Gojo-sensei must have done it.
In other words, the enemy really was Kamo Xu!
Okkotsu clenched his fist and was about to rush forward to help Gojo-sensei when Maki Zenin grabbed him.
"Are you blind?! Look at the state that white-haired guy's in!"
Only after hearing her rebuke did Okkotsu belatedly examine Satoru Gojo.
He had not noticed before, but one look gave him a fright!
Crimson frost covered Satoru Gojo's entire body-the blood had frozen onto him. On closer inspection, half of Satoru Gojo's body was also frozen solid, visibly giving off a sinister chill!
Satoru Gojo had actually been locked in place by Hard Control as well, unable to move!
And the presence of Kamo Xu's domain still lingered, which meant...
Kamo Xu had won this domain battle!
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