In truth, Jogo had wanted to do this for a long time.
But the memory of losing a domain clash against Satoru still lingered vividly, and the one standing before him now was also a special grade sorcerer with overwhelming cursed energy.
Once he expanded his domain, everything would be decided here. There would be no other way.
Moreover, this was his first time facing an open domain, and there were too many unknowns. Since an open domain still gave him a chance to escape, he had held back from clashing domains until now.
But now, if he didn't act, there would be no chance left. Even if it failed, he would give everything here.
"Domain Expansion: Coffin of the Iron Mountain!"
Jogo stopped hesitating. His hands came together, forming the Daikokuten Mudra, and a surge of cursed energy erupted as endless darkness spread out behind him and swallowed Suguru, who stood not far away.
The battlefield changed.
Jogo's domain became a hell of molten rock and endless flames, completely engulfing the two of them.
"As expected, it didn't get overwritten instantly."
A long-lost smile appeared on the curse's face. As long as one domain didn't crush the other right away, both would enter a neutral state, and in that state, neither side would have a guaranteed-hit.
And for Jogo, that was an advantage.
At the very least, the fight returned to a direct contest. With his powerful technique, strong body, and wide attack range, he still had a chance.
"Not bad. Another special grade curse that can use Domain Expansion."
Suguru showed no panic. Instead, he looked as if he had been expecting this.
"Take this, brat!"
Jogo stretched out his hand. A small flame formed in his palm, yet it carried terrifying power.
With no guaranteed hits, the fight came down to fundamentals.
"Honestly, you've already wasted quite a few of my curses. Wouldn't it be better to just give up?"
Suguru moved casually, as if warming up.
"Shut—"
Before he could finish, Suguru's fist slammed into Jogo's face, scattering the fire in his palm instantly.
'What?!'
The curse was sent flying, rolling across the ground. Just as he tried to stand, a whip-like kick struck his stomach, kicking him around like a ball.
Bang!
Finally catching a brief opening, Jogo slammed both hands on the ground and launched himself into the air. By now, nearly half of his front teeth were gone.
'Isn't his technique Cursed Spirit Manipulation...?' Jogo's eyes were filled with disbelief.
People often assumed that sorcerers who used shikigami or control-type techniques were weaker in close combat.
But Suguru was different.
As the closest friend of Mukuro, a Heavenly Restriction user, and a true prodigy, he knew exactly where his weaknesses lay. So he never neglected training his cursed energy control or his physical combat.
Aside from Mukuro, there were very few in the world who could surpass him in pure hand-to-hand combat.
"That makes sense. Being able to fly does give you an advantage. I'd do the same."
Suguru praised the move lightly while raising a finger. The ground beneath him suddenly shattered.
Standing atop Rainbow Dragon, he charged directly at his opponent.
"Maximum—"
"Not happening!"
Just as Jogo tried to gather flames, Suguru pointed like a gun and fired. Several small curses, strengthened by energy, shot out and struck his palm, interrupting the technique.
"How about we take this down there?"
Before Jogo could react, the dragon was already in front of him. A fist wrapped in cursed energy smashed into his head, sending him falling from the sky and driving him deep into the rocky ground.
Above, Suguru rode Rainbow Dragon straight down in pursuit.
Boom!
The ground collapsed.
Jogo shattered the rock and forced his way out. Raising both hands, he unleashed his technique, and a sea of flames surged upward to engulf the entire dragon.
"You brat! Now you see my power!"
He poured in even more cursed energy, trying to burn both of them to ash.
But…
"Right here."
A hand gently rested on his shoulder from behind.
Jogo turned around and saw Suguru's familiar narrowed eyes.
"How...?"
At the same moment, when he tried to fight back, Rainbow Dragon's claw pressed down from within the flames, slamming his entire body into the ground.
"Rainbow Dragon has the highest durability among curses," Suguru smiled as he explained.
With its natural toughness, combined with his cursed energy reinforcement, the dragon's defense had reached another level.
That was why it could move freely within those flames. Even after being burned for several seconds, it was only charred and on the verge of collapse. And for curses under Cursed Spirit Manipulation, as long as they were not completely destroyed, they would fully recover given time.
"I'll—"
Boom!
As Jogo tried to resist, his domain, Coffin of the Iron Mountain, abruptly collapsed, and the flames around his body vanished as well.
"Domains usually focus on the inner barrier. Unfortunately for you, your outer barrier was inside mine."
Suguru's open domain had been eroding Jogo's domain from the outside all along.
Now, the result was decided.
Once someone lost a domain clash, turning things around was almost impossible.
At this moment, Suguru's guaranteed-hit effect returned.
"Maximum: Uzumaki."
In the next instant, several small spirals formed around Jogo and exploded.
When the smoke cleared, only his volcano-like head remained. That single eye flickered with something unknown.
* * *
In a pure white world, Hanami and Dagon stood ahead, waiting for Jogo.
"Sorry... Hanami, Dagon."
Jogo no longer looked as proud as before. Only deep loneliness remained.
He had carried the hopes of all "true humans," yet achieved nothing. He hadn't even witnessed Sukuna's return.
"It's okay. You did well." Hanami spoke gently.
Dagon, still in his cursed womb form, moved his mouth. Though the words couldn't be understood, the feelings were clear.
None of them mentioned Mahito.
Because of his unique nature, he wouldn't return like them. He wouldn't walk the same path.
"In a hundred years, we'll be reborn as curses again. Maybe we won't be the same, but I still truly look forward to meeting you all again. We are the true humans."
Jogo smiled.
Curses are born from negative emotions, and that process is painful, so they hate the humans who created them. To him, beings that live true to their nature without hiding anything were the real humans.
"Humans... If we weren't enemies, I think we might have become friends."
A voice came from behind.
Suguru had heard everything. He understood the loneliness, the acceptance, and the bond between them. That feeling… was no different from what he had with Mukuro and Satoru.
Once, he had almost become another "Jogo" in the jujutsu world.
"Humans... friends?"
Jogo looked at Suguru, then suddenly felt something cold on his face.
"What is this…?"
He raised his hand and a clear tear fell into his palm.
"That's proof that you existed as something human. Stand proud. You are strong."
Compared to certain humans, Suguru found Jogo strangely pure. He meant it sincerely.
"I see..."
A faint smile appeared on Jogo's face.
...
And just like that, the Disaster Curses had all fallen.
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