[Noritoshi, because you've been practicing talismanic spells, you're quite skilled in Barrier techniques, and your own Cursed Energy is just barely sufficient. Why do you think you can't manifest a Domain?]
"Sensei, I might not truly understand my own heart… I can't tell the difference between what I want and what comes from the outside… What my mother wants, what my family wants… I treat those as my own desires…"
[So you're aware of it… That makes things a bit troublesome… You're stuck at the stage of projecting your Innate Domain outward…]
...
[Once you've already recognized the issue, the 'awakening' step becomes much harder to trigger. We'll have to look for other methods first.]
"Alright."
[From a personality standpoint, it's because you lack a strong sense of self. Or put another way, you're not 'crazy' enough…]
"That sounds difficult to change…"
[Let's do this. There are only so many ways for a Jujutsu Sorcerer to grow stronger. Start by choosing a method you're most likely to use, and slowly search for that unwavering sense of self.]
…
"By setting a binding vow that requires the use of blood to inscribe the Barrier, I mix the Cursed Energy within my blood into the Barrier… and use that to observe my true self."
Noritoshi Kamo narrowed his eyes as he looked at Megumi Fushiguro.
"This is my domain: [Funeral Chamber of the Heart].
To prevent you from suffering irreversible damage, I won't perform a [Technique Disclosure]."
The entire Domain pulsed like a living heart. A deep, rumbling roar echoed all around, like a flood surging through, while the resilient ground beneath them rhythmically contracted and expanded with each beat.
Megumi Fushiguro suddenly felt a sharp, radiating pain just in front of his heart, behind his sternum. When his own heartbeat overlapped with the surrounding rhythm, the pain intensified.
More importantly—
his heartbeat was clearly beginning to sync with the Domain's pulse.
"With such an obvious sure-hit effect, there's no need to guess…"
[It forces the opponent's heartbeat to match the Domain's rhythm. Once they align, the heart explodes?]
Megumi Fushiguro kept the thought to himself. The reason his heartbeat hadn't fully synced yet was likely because Noritoshi Kamo hadn't performed [Technique Disclosure].
At this point, the best way to counter this type of sure-hit effect was either a Simple Domain or—
"Domain Expansion: [Chimera Shadow Garden]."
The shadow beneath Megumi Fushiguro's feet spread outward like liquid darkness, churning like a turbulent black current.
"Not bad…"
Ignoring Noritoshi Kamo's praise, Megumi Fushiguro felt the pain in his body vanish instantly the moment his Domain activated.
"So this is the Domain repulsion process Akira-sensei mentioned… Experiencing it firsthand is completely different from just watching it."
"Exactly. When two Domains cannot be overwritten by one side's superior Cursed Energy control or technique performance, their barriers interfere with each other. As a result, the sure-hit effects cancel out, and the guaranteed-hit techniques inside the Domains become ineffective."
Seeing Megumi Fushiguro stabilize, Noritoshi Kamo waved his hand. The entire Domain began to tremble even more violently than before. The roar of rushing water grew louder and closer.
"A Domain isn't just a vessel for sure-hit techniques. It also enhances environmental factors. This is especially apparent with the Blood Manipulation Technique…"
As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding barriers suddenly expanded outward. Megumi Fushiguro noticed the "opening" above his head widen abruptly, and a massive torrent of blood poured down like a waterfall.
"Blood Manipulation Technique: [Slicing Exorcism] Thousandfold Symphony."
Countless circular blades formed within the cascading blood and shot toward Megumi Fushiguro.
Recalling how Noritoshi Kamo had deliberately moved away from the river earlier, Megumi Fushiguro guessed that water might interfere with his control. He prepared to use Max Elephant's water to disrupt or weaken the blood manipulation.
But before he could act, the inner wall beneath his feet suddenly split open.
Below him lay a vast ocean of blood.
Although the torrent from above continued to flow downward through the opening, the sudden shift in terrain left him no time to defend. If not for his own Domain already being active, he would have fallen straight into the sea of blood below.
In the next instant, thousands of blood blades tore Megumi Fushiguro to pieces. But just before they struck, his entire body had already dissolved into a thick, murky black liquid. The liquid then gathered again from nearby shadows, reforming into a human shape.
"You've turned yourself into a tangible shadow… I figured you could do it.
Blood Manipulation Technique: [Convergence] Heavy Star!"
The inner walls of the surrounding "heart" expanded outward once again. As the opening above widened, a torrent of blood poured down. This time, instead of forming blades, the entire cascade condensed into a massive sphere, which was then compressed down to roughly three meters in diameter.
Noritoshi Kamo hurled the compressed blood sphere straight at Megumi Fushiguro. He quickly dodged, but the environment kept shifting unpredictably. The ground would suddenly split open, and blood would crash down from above without warning. Under constant pressure, Megumi Fushiguro found himself forced onto the defensive, relying on shadow techniques to avoid damage, unable to launch any real counterattack.
Even so, he didn't give up. While evading, he kept searching for patterns he could use.
[There's a consistent interval between attacks—]
Megumi Fushiguro suddenly recalled a physiology lecture Shoko had given at Jujutsu High. Since it wasn't a "combat medical" class but more of a general knowledge elective, most students hadn't paid much attention.
But Megumi Fushiguro had been one of the few who listened carefully.
[The human heart never stops working. It begins with the spontaneous activation of the sinoatrial node, generating electrical signals that drive the atria and ventricles, pumping blood to the lungs and the rest of the body.
At rest, the heart beats about 75 times per minute, with each cycle lasting roughly 0.8 seconds.
The first 0.1 seconds involve ventricular relaxation and atrial contraction, allowing blood to flow from the atria into the ventricles.
The next 0.3 seconds involve ventricular contraction and atrial relaxation, pushing blood from the ventricles into the arteries.
The final 0.4 seconds involve both the atria and ventricles relaxing, as blood flows from the veins into the atria...]
"If I'm right, this Domain is tied to Noritoshi Kamo's heartbeat. That means within each second, there's a 0.2-second window where he can't control this high-energy blood flow, and during the middle 0.3 seconds, the amount of blood he can manipulate is at its lowest!
Since we're in intense motion, the exact timing might shift, but the overall pattern should stay the same!"
"Then I just need to find those gaps… and adapt to them!"
…
Noritoshi Kamo suddenly realized that after the initial evasions, Megumi Fushiguro was gradually adapting to the changes within his Domain.
The opening above the Domain split open again, just as Noritoshi Kamo was about to use [Piercing Blood].
Two large birds with lightning wrapped around their wings seized the moment and shot upward, crossing past him in a flash. The intense current instantly locked Noritoshi Kamo's body in place.
At the same time, the inner wall beneath opened up, and a massive serpent formed from shadows emerged at his feet, baring its fangs. Megumi Fushiguro had begun actively exploiting the nature of Noritoshi Kamo's Domain, hiding the Great Serpent's shadow within the "ventricle" in advance, waiting for the right moment to strike.
"Blood Manipulation Technique: [Supernova]!"
However, within his Domain, Noritoshi Kamo had complete control over the blood in the ventricles. The sea of blood beneath the serpent suddenly gathered, then expanded outward in a violent explosion, blowing the Great Serpent apart.
But when the next cycle began, the flow of the battle had already shifted into Megumi Fushiguro's hands.
Shadows surged endlessly beneath his feet as countless Toads, Divine Dogs, Max Elephants, and Nue emerged.
The shadow-formed shikigami launched a coordinated assault. Toads clung to restrain, Divine Dogs tore into their target, and Max Elephants crushed down with brute force.
Some focused on offense, while others shielded Megumi Fushiguro from harm.
Some were sliced apart by [Convergence], only to recombine into entirely new hybrid shikigami. And when those hybrids were struck, they split apart again into different forms.
Breaking apart and reforming, attacking and evading at the same time, they pushed the versatility of shadows to its limit.
Finally, a hybrid shikigami with the body of Max Elephant, the wings of Nue, and the horns of Piercing Ox descended from above. Even as it took a direct hit from [Piercing Blood], it smashed straight through the inner wall of the heart…
Both Domains collapsed at the same time, and the two of them fell into a forest clearing where every tree had been wiped out during the battle.
Noritoshi Kamo looked at Megumi Fushiguro, who was bleeding from nearly every orifice. He then touched his own nose, where the bleeding wouldn't stop either. With [Blood Manipulation Technique] in a state of burnout, he couldn't use his technique to heal himself.
Completely drained, the two collapsed to the ground almost at the same time, trying to steady their breathing…
Megumi Fushiguro could tell that Noritoshi Kamo had never been fighting with the intent to win. From the very start, he hadn't used talismans for a surprise attack, instead offering repeated reminders. While the power of talismans increases after [Technique Disclosure], there are times when concealment matters more.
Even inside the Domain, he had performed [Technique Disclosure] multiple times without real necessity, guiding him on how to respond. It felt less like a battle and more like a full-scale practical lesson…
Noritoshi Kamo coughed a few times, spitting out the blood in his throat. He glanced at the slightly dried skin on his hands, then at the shadow beneath Megumi Fushiguro.
"Must be nice… Blood will eventually run out, but shadows won't disappear…"
Megumi Fushiguro forced himself to stay conscious and glanced at him, remaining silent for a while.
"I think I get what you're thinking…
Shadows are an excellent medium too, but I can't turn them into talismans. Who knows how Akira-sensei manages to do that… That's probably why he never taught me that part."
"I see…"
"I don't know why you think Akira-sensei taught you talismans out of pity. I've heard you're extremely good at studying. You're even aiming for a TOEIC score of 900 in English, which we barely even use?"
"I just… study it sometimes."
Worn out from the fight, Megumi Fushiguro found himself slightly amused by how casually that was said. He shifted his body, using the last of his strength to roll closer to Noritoshi Kamo. Lying on the barren forest ground, he reached out a hand toward him.
"Don't push yourself so hard. You're seriously strong… senpai."
Noritoshi Kamo's eyes snapped open. Then, with a relieved smile, he grasped the offered hand and shook it firmly a few times.
"Thanks…"
With no strength left, the two simply lay there. Around them, only the bravest birds flew past, their clear calls echoing softly.
…
Megumi Fushiguro fell asleep…
Noritoshi Kamo fell asleep…