Visit my Patreon to read up to 144 chapters ahead and enjoy daily updates:
patreon.com/02Fanworks
This was an utterly terrifying phenomenon.
Matter subjected to Virtual Mass would be crushed alive!
The moment the Domain Expansion was activated, Mahito immediately deployed his Simple Domain.
This allowed him to neutralize the sure-hit effect of Yuki's Domain, giving him a chance to struggle, but the danger was far from over.
A Simple Domain could only neutralize the sure-hit effect of a Domain Expansion; it could not nullify the Cursed Technique itself.
And now, Yuki Tsukumo had casually applied Virtual Mass to the air in her palm, creating an air sphere capable of infinite compression.
She then threw this air sphere.
Its immense mass turned it into a gravitational source.
Just as the planets in a solar system orbit the sun in rings, this tiny air sphere now dictated the trajectories of all the meteors within the expanded Domain.
In Mahito's eyes, it seemed as if the entire world was collapsing towards that air sphere.
And this process of collapse—was now rushing towards him from behind.
Now, that air sphere was Mount Sumeru, the center of the universe.
The immense celestial phenomenon it formed was the Vajra Buddha's Wrath.
Its karmic retribution pressed down upon him with inescapable force.
What a terrifying sight.
Mahito's heart pounded violently, like a rock drummer fiercely striking the beat.
He saw it—
—the vision of an entire galaxy crashing down upon him.
"I see."
Mahito's voice held a note of realization.
"So this is Star Rage."
"This is... the Sumeru Vajra Karma Wheel!"
He didn't need to confirm it; he instantly knew that even Idle Transfiguration couldn't save him now.
Just as the strongest ant cannot face a rolling boulder, this scene of planetary impact made Mahito feel the genuine, unshakeable fear of death.
Since his transmigration into this world, Mahito had never been this close to death.
The body he created, his soul, his spirit—all screamed within the illusory space of his mind.
Colossal fear instantly swallowed him whole.
Trembling, Mahito laughed.
He recalled his battle with Naobito Zen'in.
Back then, Naobito had told him how a true Jujutsu Sorcerer should face anger and fear.
Transform anger and fear into tangible Cursed Energy.
That is a true Jujutsu Sorcerer.
Now, Mahito fully understood these words.
He was running, but not to escape.
Faced with an attack like a crashing celestial phenomenon, where could one possibly flee?
Like a tourist sunbathing on a beach chair, where could one hide from a sudden tsunami?
If you can't dodge it, then don't bother trying.
Transform this fear and terror of death into real, tangible Cursed Energy.
Under death's pursuit, forget the reality of death.
As a Jujutsu Sorcerer, pour everything into circulating Cursed Energy, and then—
—transcend everything.
Thud!
Just before the celestial phenomenon struck, Mahito pushed off the ground with all his might, leaping high.
Even in mid-air, he maintained his iaijutsu stance.
Suddenly, the world darkened.
Mahito didn't need to look up to know the celestial phenomenon had arrived before him.
A colossal gravitational force was pulling in everything around, including him!
His Simple Domain flickered like a candle about to be snuffed out.
The immense mass pressure was enough to crush all of creation.
Mahito imagined what would happen next:
He would be struck directly by the celestial phenomenon.
The vast disparity in mass would cause his body to begin disintegrating before it even made physical contact.
His Simple Domain would shatter instantly, as the overwhelming mass could crush even Cursed Energy.
Once his Simple Domain broke, the rate of his body's disintegration would multiply.
In the end, he would be completely pulverized.
His Idle Transfiguration could maintain the integrity of his soul, but his soul would be unable to escape the gravitational pull of the celestial phenomenon.
He would be trapped in an endless cycle of revival and death.
Having obtained Kinji Hakari's Special Grade Sorcerer template, Mahito now possessed nearly limitless Cursed Energy.
Theoretically, as long as there was no attack that could directly target his soul, he could revive indefinitely by continuously maintaining his soul's form.
However, the crushing force of this celestial phenomenon could reach the very shore of his soul.
This was because such immense mass would affect everything within that space.
His soul would be repeatedly ground down, like beans being ground into soy milk, the process delving deeper and deeper.
Before this colossal mass from which even light could not escape, he would face true—death—through this endless, deepening grind.
Suddenly, Mahito's Cursed Energy surged explosively!
Experiencing the possibility of death for the first time caused his negative emotions to run wild.
These rampaging emotions were rapidly converted by the Cursed Energy core within his half-Cursed Spirit body.
An endless cycle of Cursed Energy caused his power to rise almost infinitely.
He had truly transformed fear into Cursed Energy, just like Naobito Zen'in.
Kirigiri emitted a clear, flowing sound like water.
Mahito drew his blade.
The entire world seemed to freeze before his eyes.
He slowly raised his head.
The celestial phenomenon, now terrifyingly close, was fixed in place like amber.
Mahito had entered a state of Meikyo Shisui.
His subjective consciousness slowed the flow of time.
In his eyes, everything in the world was motionless; only he could move.
Yet, his movements were as slow as a high-speed camera's slow-motion footage.
His draw was as sluggish as a turtle's crawl, each motion precise, like an old master instructing an apprentice.
Mirokuji Kirigiri, Tsukumogami Release ———— Shin! Sen!
A black light enveloped the blade of Kirigiri.
Black Flash!
The moment Kirigiri was swung, Mahito's capacity for thought vanished completely.
He advanced along the arc of the slash.
His Simple Domain suddenly expanded like a breath.
A Simple Domain is an extension of a Jujutsu Sorcerer's will, and now, all of Mahito's will was concentrated on a single point, with no other thoughts remaining.
To cleave this celestial phenomenon—with a single cut!
In this moment, Mahito finally surpassed his limits.
The Black Flash light covering Kirigiri's blade distorted space itself.
In this cut that surpassed cutting, Kirigiri's ability was imprinted onto the celestial phenomenon, just as it had once imprinted its cutting line onto Ama-no-Habakiri's high-speed compressed wind blades.
A massive fissure appeared at the center of the celestial phenomenon.
Then, the air sphere imbued with Virtual Mass was severed.
The sudden disappearance of its immense mass caused the surrounding orbiting meteorites to be repelled and shot outwards.
An explosion akin to a supernova occurred.
The boundless mass was split open.
All the mass it had absorbed exploded outwards in an instant.
The diffusion of this vast mass triggered a tremendous explosion, shaking the entire Domain Expansion.
The immense force, accompanied by shockwaves, even pushed the entire space into a vacuum.
Then, a massive backdraft phenomenon was born, sucking everything into a single vortex.
Then, a secondary explosion!
Yuki Tsukumo immediately erected a defensive wall of heavily massed air around herself.
The collision of the two immense masses scattered with a thunderous roar.
Her pupils—
—contracted.
"H... o... w...?"
Her mind raced, immediately grasping the key point.
"That long blade in your hand isn't a Cursed Tool; it's a Tsukumogami!"
"The reason you could cleave the celestial phenomenon while maintaining a Simple Domain—which prevents Cursed Technique use—isn't just because you used Black Flash, but also because the Tsukumogami in your hand simultaneously used its ability!"
Even Black Flash couldn't withstand a direct collision with the celestial phenomenon.
This was a crushing by immense mass; spatial distortion alone couldn't simply repel it.
But Black Flash combined with a Cursed Technique was different.
Yuki Tsukumo understood.
No wonder Ama-no-Habakiri had so cleanly sliced through the sandstorm earlier.
At that time, Ama-no-Habakiri wasn't even the main attack; it merely provided a wide-area attack range.
What truly cut the sandstorm was the Tsukumogami in Mahito's hand!
No wonder his cuts were so clean and decisive.
She had prepared Cursed Energy defenses, yet this long blade had easily severed her arm.
"Her name is Kirigiri."
Mahito said softly.
"Mirokuji Kirigiri."
Yuki Tsukumo laughed.
"God-slayer sword, huh?"
"How arrogant!"
Suddenly, a silver light appeared before Yuki Tsukumo's eyes.
A blade's gleam extended infinitely, reaching the cornea of her eye in an instant.
The tip of the blade seemed poised to pierce her eyeball, penetrate her brain.
Kirigiri was upon her!
Yuki Tsukumo jerked her head aside.
Kirigiri's tip pierced the tip of her ear.
A speck of crimson adorned Kirigiri's blade, but it vanished the next instant.
As Mahito sheathed his blade, he gave it a shake, flicking the blood from Yuki's ear to the ground.
Mahito attacked continuously.
Each swing was like unleashing a storm.
Shinkage Style: Monkey's Return!
Mahito wasn't just swinging his blade; he moved along with the trajectory of his swings.
His footwork was minimal, yet before Yuki Tsukumo, he flickered in and out of sight, like a nimble monkey leaping through a jungle.
Continuous, uninterrupted high-speed attacks, combined with Elusive Footwork.
Even with Yuki Tsukumo's combat experience, she couldn't counterattack immediately.
She felt surrounded by a world of flashing blades.
Kirigiri was a straight-edged greatsword over 2 meters long, giving Mahito an attack range akin to a—
—spear.
Unarmed, Yuki Tsukumo couldn't even get close to him.
Yuki Tsukumo suddenly stomped the ground.
Boom!
The tremendous force directly upheaved the earth.
Mahito's flurry of blades vanished.
The sudden destruction of his footing disrupted the fixed pattern of his Monkey's Return, breaking his high-speed combo.
"Not fully mastered yet, Mahito!"
Yuki Tsukumo laughed heartily.
"A true master of Monkey's Return could continue attacking unfazed even if the ground churned like waves!"
"Your talent is exceptional, but your practical experience is overwhelmingly lacking!"
"I didn't expect Tsukumo-san to also know the Shinkage Style."
Mahito steadied himself.
"I am a master of the Shinkage Style."
"I know your Simple Domain too!"
Yuki Tsukumo took a large step back, leaping like a soaring eagle.
"I specialize in Floating Boat, adept at surprise attacks."
She reached her hand towards the back of her head, and Garuda, which had been slowly rotating like a halo behind Yuki Tsukumo's head, fell into her hand.
She violently swung Garuda, its massive attack range enveloping everything in front of her.
"I ask you, Mahito."
Yuki Tsukumo roared.
"How much longer can your Simple Domain hold?"