The courtyard was quieter today.
Not peaceful… just quieter.
Everyone was still thinking about what I said yesterday.
Domain Expansion.
Even saying it in my head felt heavy.
I sat on the steps with Kaito, Denki, Kirishima, Mina, and a few others from U.A. High School. The Jujutsu students were nearby, but this conversation… this one felt like it belonged to us.
Denki leaned forward, elbows on his knees.
"…Okay, so explain it again."
Kirishima nodded. "Yeah, bro, what even is a domain expansion?"
I exhaled slowly.
"It's like… creating your own space. A zone where everything inside follows your rules."
Mina blinked. "…Like a game arena?"
"…Yeah," I said. "But way more intense."
Kaito crossed his arms. "So whoever uses it basically wins?"
I hesitated.
"…Not always. But it gives a massive advantage. Like—guaranteed hits, controlled environment, overwhelming pressure…"
Denki's eyes widened.
"…That's broken."
Behind us, Izuku Midoriya was already muttering and taking notes.
"A spatial override technique… guaranteed-hit conditions… environmental manipulation…!"
Bakugo scoffed. "Sounds like cheating."
I smirked slightly.
"…Exactly."
But then I looked down at my hands again.
"…And I think I can do it."
That shut everyone up.
Kaito stared at me. "…Ren."
I shook my head.
"I'm not saying I have one yet. But if my portals control space…"
"…then a domain is just taking that to the next level."
A silence fell over our group.
Even Mina looked a little nervous now.
"…So what would yours even be?" she asked.
I thought for a moment.
"…I don't know yet."
And that was the problem.
Because domains weren't just abilities.
They reflected the user.
Their mind.
Their instincts.
Their… truth.
Before I could think deeper—
A voice cut in behind us.
"Well… if you're going to talk about domains…"
We turned.
Standing there was Yuji Itadori, with Megumi Fushiguro beside him.
Megumi crossed his arms.
"…You should at least understand what one feels like."
My eyes narrowed slightly.
"…What do you mean?"
Before he could answer—
Another voice.
Calm.
Serious.
"…A domain is not just power."
We turned again.
And standing there…
Was someone new.
A man in a suit.
Eyes sharp.
Presence heavy.
Hiromi Higuruma.
My stomach dropped.
"…Wait."
Yuji stiffened slightly.
"…Higuruma."
Kirishima whispered, "…Why does he feel so intense…"
Higuruma adjusted his tie.
"If you wish to understand a domain…"
"…then experience one."
My heart skipped.
"…Wait—"
Too late.
He raised his hand.
And everything—
SNAPPED.
The Domain
The world changed instantly.
The courtyard vanished.
The sky disappeared.
The ground beneath us turned into polished wood.
Walls rose up around us.
Tall.
Endless.
Silent.
We were inside a courtroom.
A massive one.
Dark.
Oppressive.
Heavy with judgment.
My breath caught.
"…No way…"
Higuruma's voice echoed.
"Domain Expansion: Deadly Sentencing."
A gavel slammed.
BANG.
A shiver ran down my spine.
Suddenly—
A strange presence appeared.
Floating.
Watching.
Judging.
The shikigami judge.
Everyone froze.
Denki whispered:
"…I don't like this."
Bakugo clicked his tongue.
"…Tch. What kind of battlefield is this?"
Midoriya was shaking slightly.
"…It's not a battlefield… it's a trial…"
Yuji looked at me.
"…Ren… stay sharp."
I swallowed.
Because I could feel it.
The rules.
The pressure.
The fact that…
We weren't in control anymore.
Higuruma stepped forward calmly.
"In this domain… violence is restricted."
Bakugo immediately tried to spark an explosion—
Nothing.
"…The hell?!"
Higuruma continued.
"You are now defendants."
A gavel slammed again.
BANG.
"Judgeman will decide your crime."
Denki panicked.
"CRIME?! WHAT CRIME?!"
Mina grabbed Kirishima's arm.
"…I didn't do anything!"
I clenched my fists.
"…This is what a domain feels like…"
Total control.
Total authority.
No escape.
No fighting.
Just… judgment.
Then—
The shikigami spoke.
A deep, echoing voice.
"Defendant: Ren."
My heart dropped.
"…Me?"
Kaito turned to me.
"Ren?! What did you do?!"
I swallowed.
"I—don't know?!"
The courtroom went silent.
Then—
"Charge: Reckless manipulation of space. Endangerment of multiple individuals."
Everyone slowly turned toward me.
Denki:
"…He's not wrong…"
Bakugo smirked.
"Heh. Guilty."
"HEY—"
BANG.
The gavel slammed again.
Higuruma's voice echoed calmly.
"State your defense."
I froze.
"…Defense?"
My mind raced.
This wasn't a fight.
This wasn't about power.
This was about—
Words.
Truth.
Responsibility.
I looked down at my hands.
The same hands that opened portals.
Moved people.
Changed battlefields.
…Put everyone at risk.
I clenched them.
"…I…"
I looked up.
"I didn't mean to hurt anyone."
The courtroom stayed silent.
"I was learning… trying to protect people… trying to help."
I swallowed.
"…Yeah, I went too far sometimes."
Denki coughed.
"…Sometimes?"
I ignored him.
"But I never wanted to hurt my friends."
Silence.
The judge hovered.
Thinking.
Then—
BANG.
The verdict came.
Everyone held their breath.
And I realized something in that moment…
This wasn't just a domain.
This was a test.
Not of strength.
But of who I was becoming.
And whether I was ready…
To control something as powerful as a Domain Expansion.