The Domain, fully expanded.
And its diameter, astonishingly, reached...
A thousand meters!
It not only completely enveloped Satoru's Domain but also swallowed a larger area of the Shibuya ruins, along with some distant, not yet completely collapsed buildings.
Satoru's modified Domain hissed the moment it touched Malevolent Shrine.
The endless torrent of information was forcibly repelled, torn, and negated by the higher-level, purer rules of "cutting" and "domination" that filled Malevolent Shrine.
Where the blue data streams met the black kitchen knife phantoms, annihilation and regeneration constantly occurred, but it was clear that Satoru's Domain was being suppressed and encroached upon.
"What?!" Satoru's pupils constricted.
His Six Eyes operated frantically at an unprecedented speed, analyzing this perception-shattering sight.
It wasn't just a simple difference in range, it was a qualitative crushing.
Sukuna's Malevolent Shrine.
The sheer quality and vastness of this Domain, overturned Satoru's understanding of Domains.
Sukuna's inhuman Cursed Energy quantity allowed his Domain range to reach an unprecedented level, unmatched by anyone before or after him.
"From the very beginning, your Domain, before mine, was destined to be..."
Sukuna's four eyes simultaneously locked onto Satoru, who was at the center of the Domain, desperately trying to prevent his Domain from being completely crushed and encroached upon.
"Worthless."
The sure-hit effects of both their Domains were constantly neutralized, but Satoru's Domain range was far smaller than Sukuna's. Once he left his Domain range, Satoru would be cut into pieces by Sukuna's Domain.
Crack!
A crisp, heart-shuddering sound of shattering exploded deep within Satoru's soul.
His domain fell into a disadvantage before Sukuna's even more powerful and complete domain. It was an absolute crushing in terms of scale, structure, and status.
"Pfft..."
The violent backlash from his domain being forcibly shattered made Satoru's throat sweeten, and he suddenly spat out a large mouthful of blood.
He knelt on one knee, barely supporting his body with trembling arms. His face instantly turned pale as paper, and the light in his Six Eyes dimmed for a moment.
Reverse Cursed Technique activated.
The gap... was too large.
It wasn't just the amount of Cursed Energy, but the form and rule level of the domain itself.
Sukuna's domain's power was displayed to its fullest at this moment.
"Hahahaha!"
Sukuna stood before the phantom of the shrine at the center of the domain, his four crimson eyes looking down at Satoru kneeling and spitting blood below, letting out a hearty laugh.
"Do you see it, Six Eyes brat? This is a true somain. That trash can-like thing of yours is vulnerable before my shrine."
Following his words, the countless slashes floating within the domain hummed in unison, locking onto Satoru.
The domain's "Sure-Hit" rule was no longer obstructed, about to fall upon Satoru, cutting him into a thousand pieces and turning him into minced meat in this "kitchen".
Death was close at hand.
Satoru knelt on the ground, his blood-stained face lowered, his expression unreadable. His Six Eyes, still operating frantically and even more clear, reflected the dark and damp "Cutting Board" ground beneath his feet.
"The domain... was crushed..." He whispered to himself, his voice hoarse but not despairing.
"Then... I can only use that."
At the critical moment when Malevolent Shrine's terrifying "Sure-Hit" slashes were about to strike, Satoru suddenly raised his head, those blue eyes sharp as ever on his blood-stained face.
Ignoring his injuries, his hands quickly formed a hand seal in front of him, completely different from Unlimited Void.
A surge of Cursed Energy, distinct from the infinite concept of "Limitless," suddenly spread out from the center of his body. This layer of Cursed Energy did not form a spherical barrier but instead turned into a twilight-colored halo that clung to his body, constantly flowing and subtly annihilating the domain's slash rules at its edges.
New Shadow Style: Simple Domain!
This wasn't countering a domain with another domain, but a more delicate and economical way of constructing a miniature barrier around himself specifically designed to neutralize the enemy domain's Sure-Hit effect.
Swish—
The invisible, Sure-Hit slashes in Sukuna's domain were effectively interfered with, deflected, and weakened the moment they touched this twilight-colored halo.
Combined with the defense of Infinity, most of the lethal attacks were neutralized, with only some impact and aftershocks penetrating through, adding new wounds to Satoru's already scarred body. But at least, he avoided the fate of being instantly sliced to death.
"Oh?"
Sukuna's wild laughter subsided slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his four crimson eyes.
"Simple Domain? That trick left over by those trash? You've certainly learned a variety of things. However, using a weakling's technique to oppose my domain? How many seconds can you last?"
Just as Sukuna said, although a Simple Domain could temporarily neutralize the Sure-Hit effect, it consumed a massive amount of Cursed Energy and couldn't completely block all the domain's power, let alone break the domain itself. It was merely a fragile temporary shield, meant to buy time.
"A few seconds... is enough." Satoru growled through gritted teeth.
Under the protection of the Simple Domain, he forced himself to stand straight, ignoring the fresh, bleeding wounds on his body. He surged his remaining Cursed Energy once more, preparing for a final struggle or... searching for that slim chance of escape.
However, Sukuna had lost his patience.
"I'm tired of seeing an ant's deathbed struggle." Sukuna said coldly.
He kicked off, his figure vanishing from before the shrine like a phantom and appearing right in front of Satoru. He was so fast that even the twilight-colored halo of the Simple Domain flickered slightly.
He no longer relied on the domain's long-range slashes, opting instead for the most direct and violent close-quarters crushing.
Four muscular arms covered in markings struck out from four different, extremely tricky angles, carrying terrifying power and speed that tore through space, booming toward Satoru, who was enveloped by the Simple Domain.
He intended to personally smash this fragile shield, along with the "strongest" behind it, into pieces.
Facing this unavoidable close-quarters killing blow, Satoru's pupils constricted. He pushed the intensity of his Simple Domain to its limit while trying to mobilize his last bit of strength to parry or dodge, though he knew it would likely be in vain.
"Die!"
Sukuna's four arms, carrying destructive power, slammed heavily into the Simple Domain halo on the surface of Satoru's body.
Bang!!!
A dull explosion, far heavier than any previous collision, erupted.
The Simple Domain's halo vibrated violently, flickering as if it would shatter in the next second. The massive impact caused the ground beneath Satoru to cave in. He spat out another mouthful of blood, feeling every bone in his body wailing.
However—
The expected scene of the Simple Domain completely shattering and his body being torn apart by the four arms did not occur.
The moment Sukuna's four arms struck the Simple Domain, besides feeling a massive counter-force, they also triggered another extremely subtle and exquisite Cursed Energy reaction, like a precision clockwork spring.
It wasn't the passive neutralization of the Simple Domain, but an active, instantaneous, high-multiplier Cursed Energy counterattack.
In the tiny gap where the power of Sukuna's attacks penetrated the Simple Domain and was about to act on Satoru's flesh, countless lights, fine as cherry blossom petals and resembling precision circuit runes, suddenly lit up on the inner side of the twilight-colored halo on Satoru's body.
These lights were not static, they flowed and converged instantly along a mysterious trajectory. At the point of impact, they captured Sukuna's invading Cursed Energy and power, and instantaneously "bounced" it back with several times the intensity in a more condensed form.
Falling Blossom Emotion!
"Hmm?"
A hint of genuine surprise flashed in all four of Sukuna's crimson eyes.
He clearly felt part of the power he had thrown out being captured, analyzed, reversed, and then returned double by a power so exquisite it seemed like a pre-set program.
Although this counterattack's power was still weak compared to him and couldn't cause substantial damage, the feeling of being outsmarted and played by a defensive mechanism, along with the ingenuity and creativity of the mechanism itself, surprised him.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Four light sounds followed as Sukuna's four striking arms were each bounced back by the impact—a mixture of his own power and Satoru's special Cursed Energy—causing his offensive to pause for an extremely brief moment of stagnation.
Taking advantage of the rebound force and the last support of the Simple Domain, Satoru retreated rapidly, putting several meters of distance between him and Sukuna. Though he was staggering and disheveled, with blood gushing from his mouth, he ultimately did not die instantly under that certain-kill blow.
Sukuna did not pursue immediately. He slowly withdrew his four arms and looked down at his knuckles and palms that had just come into contact with "Falling Blossom Emotion." Not even the skin was broken, but his four crimson eyes stared fixedly at Satoru, the surprise in them quickly replaced by a more intense ecstasy, as if he had discovered a rare treasure.