Domain Expansion-?

At Gojo's question, Sukuna manifested a mouth and replied.

"Let's give it a try. I'm not sure it'll work either."

Gojo nodded and soon brought him to the same grassland as last time.

"Oh, right, don't make your domain too big. Ideally, keep it within ten meters. Last time, I sensed that your domain extended fifty meters. If it's too big, the traces will be hard to erase."

Gojo looked at Sukuna, who had taken over the body, and reminded him.

With that, he retreated to a safe distance. Until Sukuna figured out what his domain did, Gojo had no intention of getting caught inside it.

He removed his blindfold, his azure blue eyes fixed on Sukuna, his Six Eyes ready to relay information at any moment.

Sukuna: "..."

An impromptu increase in difficulty. That would put his skills to the test.

Ten meters, huh? Fine. I'll do my best.

With one attempt already under his belt, he got into the right state much faster this time.

Forming a hand sign, he murmured:

"Domain Expansion-"

Then he silently recited:

[Malevolent Shrine], ten-meter radius.

The same cursed energy reaction as last time erupted inside him. Vast amounts of cursed energy rapidly gathered and spread outward.

In an instant, the sea of blood from his innate domain appeared beneath his feet like a mirror image. A mound of skulls emerged behind him, topped by a temple-like structure with a spectral blue roof and scarlet pillars. Between the bright red pillars, four enormous mouths gaped in four directions, while several massive, winding ribs extended from the blue roof.

Sukuna stood atop Bone Pile with his back to the structure, an imposing, breathtaking sight.

But the very next second-

He felt-

His entire body, along with the Bone Pile beneath his feet, began sinking little by little, as though the ground beneath him were gradually disappearing...

Like sinking into quicksand in a desert-

Sukuna: "...?"

With practiced ease, he slowly conjured a question mark in his mind.

...No, wait. What the hell is wrong with my domain? Does it come with a built-in sinking feature?

Keeping his hands locked in their sign, he watched helplessly as Gojo, far beyond the domain-who had originally been more or less at eye level-rose little by little, while he himself descended bit by bit, until Gojo vanished entirely from his sight.

Throughout the process, he stared at Gojo in utter bewilderment, while Gojo stared back with equally wide, puzzled eyes.

He continued sinking slowly like that until he had descended ten meters, when he finally stopped.

Standing at the bottom of an enormous hemispherical pit, Sukuna tipped his head back, completely baffled.

Soon, he sensed Gojo appearing at the edge of his domain, poking his head out from a safe spot to sneak a look down at him.

Then-

Gojo burst into the wildest fit of laughter Sukuna had ever heard from him-

"Hahahahahahaha!! Sukuna! Did you create this domain as a joke? Did it fail last time so I wouldn't die laughing? Ahahahahahahahaha-!!!"

Gojo clutched his stomach with one hand and slapped the ground with the other, laughing until tears streamed down his face.

Sukuna: "..."

He took a deep breath, then another.

...This damned domain! If it wasn't the name, it was the effect!

He was utterly out of patience!

Sukuna silently dismissed his domain.

He jumped up from the bottom of the huge pit, walked over to Gojo, and waited expressionlessly for the white-haired bastard to finish laughing.

Goddammit...

...I'm never opening my domain again!

Starting today, it's getting banished to the cold palace. I'm so pissed!!-

The white-haired bastard finally finished laughing.

Gojo wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and put his blindfold back on.

He never could have imagined it. Never.

At first, he had only been puzzled by why Sukuna's domain wasn't enclosed, but the sight of Sukuna sinking little by little with that utterly bewildered expression had truly hit his funny bone.

It had been ages since he had laughed like that...

Oh, Sukuna, why are you so entertaining?

"All right, let's talk about your domain~"

Gojo looked at Sukuna, who was staring at him expressionlessly, and desperately suppressed his laughter. The corners of his mouth wavered between rising and falling, tracing a wavy line.

"By the way, what's your domain called?"

Sukuna: "..."

...So I still can't get past the name hurdle?

This domain and Gojo must have teamed up to torment me, right?

But Gojo had asked so naturally that he could hardly refuse to answer.

The domain's name, huh...

Malevolent Shrine?

Forget it. I definitely can't say that. If I do, Gojo might not live to see tomorrow's sunrise-he'll become the first Special Grade Sorcerer I've ever killed with laughter.

So now I have to make up a name on the spot...?

It has to include Dismantle, include fire, and fit the domain's appearance just now...

...And it can't sound funny!

That's seriously asking a lot...

Sukuna's mind raced. He had to come up with an answer for Gojo within one second, or the other man would definitely notice something was off!

Countless bizarre names flashed through his mind, only to be rejected one after another.

Time's up!-

In the final 0.01 seconds, he opened his mouth and finally uttered a name he thought was barely passable.

"Demon-Subduing Hell Yama Heaven."

His face was perfectly calm, as though he hadn't just invented the name. Only the patch of cold sweat soaking his back betrayed the heart-stopping ordeal he had just endured.

"'Demon-Subduing Hell Yama Heaven'..."

Gojo rubbed his chin. Was it something like Yama's court or hell? No wonder it had Dismantle and flames. The domain itself had looked suitably ghostly and sinister, too.

He nodded, then continued:

"So, have you remembered your innate cursed technique? You've got your domain now, so you should have remembered your cursed technique too, right~?"

Sukuna: "..."

Again?!

Of course I... remembered my cursed technique's name...

-Malevolent Shrine.

But could I say it? Absolutely not!!

This is killing me. I have to make up another one...

...I'm running out of brain cells!

"...Yama Hell."

Sukuna spoke with his brain throbbing.

I really can't come up with anything else... Whatever. I'll just cobble something together from the domain's name and use that.

...What did I ever do to deserve a domain and cursed technique like these?

And so, the innate cursed technique (fake) and domain (fake) of the King of Curses from a thousand years ago, now Ryomen Sukuna, became known to a modern Jujutsu Sorcerer for the first time, simultaneously carving their place into the milestones of history.

Sukuna: ...

I feel like my reputation's been ruined... No, saved?

"'Yama Hell,' huh... Sounds pretty cool."

Gojo smiled and patted Sukuna on the shoulder.

"Congratulations, congratulations! You've remembered everything!~"

"...Thanks."

Sukuna clutched his chest and replied weakly.

Although he had remembered everything, he didn't feel happy...

After all, he truly didn't want anything that burned through this many brain cells.