What a Huge, Huge Loan I Took Out... [Domain Expansion: Refrain of the Life Wedge]!
Sendai Colony.
Just as the rule [Players may freely enter and leave each colony] was added.
Yuta Okkotsu heard Kogane's announcement and immediately picked up on something amiss.
He turned to Shiratori Gotsu, who was working on his sixth Cursed Energy storage coin. "Shiratori, did you notice that rule they just added?"
"Something feels wrong. We need to leave here and regroup with everyone right away."
Shiratori Gotsu knew exactly what the addition of that rule meant.
Yorozu, who had taken over Tsumiki Fushiguro's body, revealed her identity of her own accord. Then Sukuna took over Megumi Fushiguro's body.
Normally, he should have gone with Okkotsu to meet the original story's main cast.
But...
When he thought about how Sukuna would soon come to the Sendai Colony to hunt down Yorozu.
A certain cow-pat-haired cannon, nearly choked to death by artificial sweetener, suddenly popped into Shiratori Gotsu's head.
A bold idea came to him.
"You go on ahead. I still have some things to take care of here. Let's meet again in the Tokyo No. 1 Colony. I'll get there as soon as I can."
That was what Shiratori Gotsu said.
Okkotsu gave Shiratori Gotsu a long look before finally nodding. "All right. Take care, Shiratori."
"Don't worry." A confident smile appeared on Shiratori Gotsu's face. "I will!"
They waved goodbye, and Yuta Okkotsu turned and left. Shiratori Gotsu lowered his head and continued putting the finishing touches on the sixth Cursed Energy storage coin.
Meanwhile, in the Zenin Clan's Cursed Warehouse.
The "Bath" was a plan Uraume had long since prepared to restore Sukuna's physical body.
Freed from Yuji Itadori's confinement, Sukuna was now submerged in it with Megumi Fushiguro's body.
Sukuna and Uraume were not the only ones at the Zenin Clan estate. Kenjaku had also returned after capturing Tengen.
Kenjaku had already begun working on his plan to end the Culling Game.
"Why?" Uraume couldn't understand Kenjaku's way of thinking at all. "If you needed the Culling Game to end at some point from the beginning, why did you make it 'perpetual' in the first place?"
"That is why the Culling Game was able to begin successfully."
Kenjaku explained with a smug look, "To start a large-scale game with unreasonable rules like the Culling Game by myself, I had to take on certain Binding Vows."
"My ultimate goal is to initiate the super-merger between humanity and Tengen, so I need the Culling Game to end at some point."
"So I made Binding Vows to add perpetuity as a fundamental rule and to never become the Culling Game's administrator."
"In exchange, I was able to start the Culling Game."
He spread his hands.
"That is also one of the reasons I needed to obtain Tengen."
"Because the Culling Game's actual administrator is Tengen. As long as I have Tengen, I have a way to end the Culling Game."
Uraume curled their lip. "Then why don't you hurry up and do what you planned? Stop getting in my sight."
"Hey, aren't you even going to ask how I'm going to end it?" Kenjaku's face fell. "Not that it matters whether you ask or not."
"Besides, I came back here because I'm very interested in the 'Bath.'"
The "Bath" Kenjaku knew of was a ritual used to transform family heirlooms, secretly treasured valuables, and the like into Cursed Tools to ward off enemies.
The process began with carefully selecting suitable creatures from among various poisonous creatures used in gu rituals, then crushing and straining them to obtain a solution of Cursed Energy.
The valuables were then immersed in the solution. The entire ritual took a full ten months and ten days to complete.
What Kenjaku hadn't expected was for Uraume to recreate the ritual using the blood of Cursed Spirits.
"I'd really like to know what Sukuna hopes to accomplish by soaking in that solution," Kenjaku asked with great interest.
"It's to bring himself closer to being a 'demon,'" Uraume explained in an even tone.
"Immersion in it can sink Megumi Fushiguro's soul deeper, allowing Lord Sukuna to gain better control over this body."
"I see." Kenjaku smiled in understanding.
The next moment, Sukuna emerged from the Bath.
Uraume hurriedly handed him the robe they had prepared.
Kenjaku rubbed his chin and examined Sukuna. "Nothing's changed. Is that enough?"
"For now, it's enough." Sukuna put on the robe, a smug sneer on his face. "This face will be more convenient when fighting those Jujutsu Sorcerers."
"Kogane, where is Tsumiki Fushiguro now?"
"Player Tsumiki Fushiguro, current colony: Sendai."
Kenjaku chuckled. "I'll give you a ride. Afterward, you can transfer your points to me as the fare."
"Fine."
More than ten minutes later, in the Sendai Colony.
Ryu Ishigori and Takako Uro both sensed a powerful, oppressive presence.
"Hey..." Ryu Ishigori stood on the rooftop of a guesthouse, his smile frozen on his lips and his face covered in cold sweat.
"This is... a little too sweet, isn't it..."
Takako Uro curled up inside the space folded and distorted by her Cursed Technique, her heart filled with fear.
There was no mistaking it, that terrifying feeling she had experienced a thousand years ago...
That was the King of Curses!
Shiratori Gotsu, naturally, sensed it too.
That feeling, like a boulder pressing down on his chest, making it hard to breathe and bringing him out in a cold sweat...
And when he thought about what he was about to do...
His hands trembled slightly.
"This is... so exciting!"
Then he grabbed all six Cursed Energy storage coins and a bag of bread, pushed open the door of his temporary base, and set off in the direction the oppressive presence was coming from.
Meanwhile, Sukuna and Ryu Ishigori had already met on the street.
Though his body instinctively felt fear and wanted to turn away, something he longed for deep in his soul drove him to stand before Sukuna.
Sukuna looked at Ishigori, who stood half a head taller than Megumi Fushiguro's body, his face full of contempt.
"Get lost, or I'll make you."
The next moment, Ryu Ishigori attacked first.
But before his fist could reach Sukuna, a slash appeared across his body, stretching from his right shoulder to his lower left abdomen.
Blood sprayed, and the force of the slash sent Ryu Ishigori staggering several meters back.
Seeing this, Sukuna grew interested.
"You're pretty good! I meant to cut you into three pieces, but I didn't expect you to be so strong."
"Sorry for underestimating you. Now, I'll get a little more serious."
As Sukuna finished his taunt, Ryu Ishigori's gaze sharpened and he instantly pulled back, retreating rapidly. He wanted to open up some distance and strike first with a ranged attack.
"[Granite Blast...]"
But Sukuna was far faster.
In an instant, Sukuna's palm covered Ryu Ishigori's face, and he unleashed the slash [Dismantle] at point-blank range.
HP-10000.
"Hm?"
Sukuna confidently stepped past Ryu Ishigori, but instinctively felt that something was wrong with the way the attack had landed. He couldn't help looking back.
There, above Ryu Ishigori's head, sat a green horizontal bar framed in black-one-fifth of it had already turned gray.
"Huh?" Even Sukuna couldn't help looking stunned. "What's that?"
Ryu Ishigori touched his completely unharmed face. Seeing Sukuna staring above his head like he'd seen a ghost, he couldn't help looking up too.
One look was all it took. He was all too familiar with that thing.
Shiratori Gotsu. Ryu Ishigori might never forget that name as long as he lived.
After all, that piece of shit had inexplicably shown up while he was eating, flipped his table, and fed him a mouthful of shit for good measure!
"Ahem!"
At the sudden cough, Sukuna and Ryu Ishigori both turned.
The familiar Shiratori Gotsu, with a familiar green bar above his head, made his grand entrance from the mouth of a dark alley!
Ryu Ishigori's face immediately fell. "Hey! What did you do to me, you piece of shit?"
"Aw..." Shiratori Gotsu immediately put on an exaggerated, aggrieved expression. "I just saved your life. How can you talk to me like that?"
"That's disgusting!" The look of revulsion on Ryu Ishigori's face was unmistakable.
And Sukuna...
Did I overlook him when he approached because his Cursed Energy was so low...?
He curled his lip, but the situation was unclear, so Sukuna decided to observe and talk first. It wouldn't take much time anyway.
"Hey, brat," Sukuna said with a playful look. "What roadside stray are you supposed to be?"
"Hmph. Since you asked so sincerely, I'll be merciful and tell you!"
"My name is Shiratori Gotsu. I suppose you could call me a Grade 2 Jujutsu Sorcerer."
He brushed the breadcrumbs from his hands, then stuck them in his pockets and strolled casually over to Ryu Ishigori's side, patting him on the shoulder.
"I'm taking this cow-pat head out of here. It makes no difference to you whether you kill him or not, right? How about letting him go for my sake?"
A huge question mark seemed to appear on Sukuna's face.
"For your sake? Am I supposed to know some stray dog that came out of nowhere?"
As he spoke, he raised a hand and smoothed his hair.
"You're holding your head too high, brat."
A slash swept across both Shiratori Gotsu's and Ryu Ishigori's necks.
HP-5700
HP-10000
As the two numbers popped up, a large portion of each of their "health bars" turned gray.
"Hm? Interesting." Only then did Sukuna take a proper look at the green bars before him. "Some kind of Cursed Technique that transfers damage?"
"Correct!" Shiratori Gotsu raised his hand and pointed his thumb at the "health bar" above his head.
"This is my Cursed Technique, [Fate Track Binding Curse]. Its effect is..."
As Shiratori Gotsu stood there babbling for several minutes, revealing the effects of his Cursed Technique, Sukuna's expression grew increasingly interested.
"Ah... I see, I see. Thanks for the explanation."
He raised his hands and applauded Shiratori Gotsu. "The maximum damage from a single hit is 10,000, and the total is 50,000. In other words..."
His lips curved into a teasing grin. "I only need to behead you five times in quick succession. As for cow-pat head, he'll probably take seven or eight, but that's no problem."
Shiratori Gotsu gave him a confident smile. "I told you, I'm taking this cow-pat head out of here."
Sukuna's smile faded, his face full of impatience at being repeatedly provoked by someone weaker.
"That depends on whether you're capable of it. The moment you turn around, I'll attack, break through your Cursed Technique as quickly as possible, and kill you."
"Heh..."
The teasing curve that had been on Sukuna's lips moments ago now appeared on Shiratori Gotsu's.
"Revealing my Cursed Technique just now wasn't for nothing, King of Curses!"
He pulled a Cursed Energy storage pendant made of six strung-together Cursed Energy storage coins from his chest.
"I used a Binding Vow to reveal my Cursed Technique and increase my chance of success!"
"Then another Binding Vow to increase my chance of success, requiring me to recite the full chant every time I expand my domain from now on!"
"And another Binding Vow to increase my chance of success by weakening this domain's barrier by fifty percent!"
"Add to that the barrier construction techniques I systematically studied with Yuta Okkotsu over the past two days..."
"And finally, add every coin on this Cursed Energy storage pendant, each containing five times as much Cursed Energy as I have myself..."
"I made a Binding Vow that they would all shatter beyond repair after this use, increasing my chance of success!"
The immense Cursed Energy stored in the pendant surged into Shiratori Gotsu's body.
"Finally, with this surging Cursed Energy, ascend!"
"Interesting. You made a whole pile of Binding Vows just to successfully expand a domain... I'd like to see how far you can get."
Sukuna propped his face on one hand, his tone still teasing.
"Then watch closely!"
Shiratori Gotsu raised his right hand to his chest, palm outward, and formed the familiar hand sign for his domain—the [Abhaya Mudra].
Then he recited the full chant.
"[All phenomena], [celestial light], [bodhicitta]-"
What a huge, huge loan I took out... Shiratori Gotsu thought. Thank you... my Credit System...
"[Domain Expansion: Refrain of the Life Wedge]!"