"Technique Release, Mythical Beast Amber!"
This was Hajime Kashimo's final trump card, the ultimate state of his Innate Technique.
In this form, his physical ability and cursed techniques were dramatically enhanced. His movements became faster, more fluid, and completely unrestrained.
However, the cost was severe.
Once this technique was activated, his life began a countdown.
When the technique ended, his body would completely collapse.
Originally, Kashimo had intended to reserve this move for Ryomen Sukuna. He wanted to perform this final battle of his life before the strongest sorcerer in history.
But the man standing before him, Suguru Geto, had already proven with his strength that he deserved such a battle.
"That's right! Come!"
Kashimo laughed loudly.
"Let's dance until the end!"
He rushed toward Suguru Geto. At the same moment, his mouth opened like the barrel of a cannon and fired a terrifying lightning blast.
The attack was so fast that it appeared in front of Geto almost instantly.
One of the Jogo puppets slammed into Geto and pushed him aside, barely allowing him to avoid the attack.
However, the puppet and several apartment buildings behind it were instantly pierced through.
Everything in the path of the blast turned crimson. Molten metal flowed across the ruins.
"This level of destruction is comparable to a single Hollow Purple."
Geto murmured in astonishment.
Before he could react further, his vision suddenly darkened.
Kashimo had already closed the distance.
With his greatly enhanced physical abilities, he appeared directly in front of Geto.
Another enormous mass of cursed energy gathered in his mouth, forming a lightning cannon.
It felt like a rocket launcher fired at point blank range.
The remaining two Jogo puppets rushed forward to block him, but they were instantly blown apart.
The lightning cannon continued forward, its power barely reduced, heading straight for Geto.
"Domain Expansion, All Things in Nature."
Dark shadows spread outward like black water, swallowing the surroundings.
In an instant, Kashimo found himself standing inside a strange and unfamiliar space.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
A throne slowly rose from the darkness.
Suguru Geto sat upon it calmly, like a monarch overlooking his domain.
"Your technique is impressive," Geto said calmly. "I do not have an attack with equal destructive power. So instead, I will win with quantity."
He snapped his fingers.
The black liquid beneath Kashimo's feet twisted and surged as if alive. Soon it transformed into countless powerful cursed spirits.
Kashimo snorted.
"Just this?"
His lightning cannon began firing repeatedly. The rapid bursts resembled a machine gun made of electricity.
Although each blast was weaker than the first cannon he fired at Geto, the speed and quantity were overwhelming.
Large numbers of cursed spirits exploded into fragments.
However, within a Domain Expansion, destroying them faster than their creator could summon them was nearly impossible.
No matter how many Kashimo destroyed, the number never decreased.
After a long barrage, Kashimo suddenly noticed something.
His body had begun to break down.
Suguru Geto watched him quietly.
Facing such a formidable opponent, Geto felt genuine respect. Because of that, he did not activate the domain's sure hit effect.
He wanted Kashimo to open his own domain.
Only then would their battle truly reach its peak.
However, one thing puzzled him.
Why had Kashimo still not used Domain Expansion?
Does he think I am not worthy of his full power?
Geto frowned.
"Hey. Your body is already collapsing, yet you still refuse to open your domain. Are you looking down on me?"
Kashimo froze.
"What?"
Was it that he refused to use it?
The truth was far simpler.
He did not know how to use Domain Expansion at all.
Modern domains pursued sure hit and sure kill effects. Ancient domains only guaranteed sure hit.
Kashimo's cursed technique already possessed a natural sure hit property.
Because of that, a domain had been meaningless in his era.
In simple terms, Kashimo was a monster in terms of raw ability.
But four hundred years later, the mechanics of jujutsu had changed.
His methods had become outdated.
"What? Still not opening your domain?" Geto continued. "Or are you stalling for time?"
"Stall my ass! I don't know how!"
Kashimo's angry reply left Geto stunned.
"You... cannot use Domain Expansion?"
"What nonsense! If I could use it, why would I hold it back? Save it for my funeral?"
Geto fell silent.
After a moment, he raised his hand.
A massive vortex of cursed energy formed above him.
"In that case, goodbye."
"To be honest, aside from not knowing Domain Expansion, you are quite strong."
"Maximum Technique, Vortex."
A blast of ultra dense cursed energy vanished from Geto's palm.
In the next moment, it appeared directly in front of Kashimo.
Boom!
The dark domain collapsed.
When the dust cleared, Geto stood before Kashimo.
The lower half of Kashimo's body had already disappeared. His arms and torso were slowly turning to ash.
Yet his face held a satisfied smile.
"So this... is what defeat feels like."
He looked at Suguru Geto standing beneath the sunlight. The shadow behind Geto stretched over him like a curtain.
"It's truly... beautiful."
With a quiet sigh, Kashimo's head turned to ash and scattered into the wind.
Suguru Geto sighed and stretched his fingers.
"Finally finished."
"Next, I should meet up with Shion."
He looked up toward the sky.
"The strongest sorcerer in history, Sukuna. I wonder what kind of monster he truly is."
"Suguru Geto! Help!"
The sudden shout made Geto turn immediately.
He saw Toji Fushiguro running desperately between the buildings. His clothes were torn and his body was covered in wounds.
Behind him, a monstrous shikigami was chasing him relentlessly.
Geto jumped forward and appeared behind Toji.
He threw a heavy punch toward the creature.
Bang!
"?"
Instead of stopping the monster, Geto himself was launched backward. He spun through the air several times before landing steadily.
"What is that thing?"
Toji answered quickly.
"That is Mahoraga, the strongest shikigami of the Ten Shadows Technique. It can adapt to anything."
"During our fight it adapted to my combat style. Now its physical strength is equal to mine."
Geto stared at him.
"You could have mentioned that earlier."
Toji shrugged.
"You didn't ask."
Geto rubbed his forehead.
Although people jokingly called him a melee mage, he was still primarily a sorcerer.
Charging head first into a physical fight with something equal to Toji was not exactly smart.
He summoned a powerful cursed spirit.
"Cursed Spirit Manipulation, Rainbow Dragon."
The enormous dragon roared and rushed forward.
Mahoraga raised the blade on its right arm.
The Sword of Extermination flashed once.
The Rainbow Dragon twisted violently, then instantly turned into ash.
Toji spoke again.
"Oh right, I forgot to mention something."
"The Sword of Extermination contains positive energy from Reverse Cursed Technique. Any cursed spirit it touches dies immediately."
Suguru Geto went silent.
This thing was a perfect counter to Cursed Spirit Manipulation.
He grabbed Toji by the collar.
"Any other information? Tell me everything at once."
Toji thought for a moment.
"Mahoraga has extreme regeneration and adaptation. You need an attack it has never encountered and finish it in a single strike."
Geto nodded.
"Understood."
He raised his hand again.
"Maximum Technique, Vortex."
A beam of destructive cursed energy fired forward.
Mahoraga was instantly blown apart.