"Domain Expansion," I shouted, my hands already forming the sign for my domain.
My memories were still spotty at best, but I swear somewhere in that clusterfuck of a memory lane I had heard that white-haired man—Satoru Gojo—say that the best way to battle a domain was to deploy your own domain.
I was in no condition to question a man who looked like the artist burned half of his budget just to design him, so I did what he said.
As soon as I realized my domain was the key—and thankfully I wasn't attacked during that brief window like Naobito and Nanami—I deployed my domain almost instantly.
"Death Trade."
The environment rippled.
Dagon's domain split apart midway, making way for my own domain to manifest.
The bright blue sky and sandy beach were overwritten by a dark, ink-like surface. A massive cross manifested behind me, like the kind used to mark a grave.
The only unique part about the giant cross was the two platforms hanging from each arm of the cross, indicating measurement—or perhaps balance for a trade.
It was a traditional weight scale made on a cross.
"What?!"
"The boy can use a domain?!"
Naobito and Nanami were the first to lose their composure.
After all, sorcerers capable of using a domain could be counted on a single hand in the modern era.
There were currently only three publicly known ones.
Satoru Gojo—of course.
Yuki Tsukumo.
And Kinji Hakari.
This was mostly because Yuta hadn't revealed his domain publicly yet, and many other sorcerers weren't even on the Jujutsu higher-ups' radar yet. Someone like Higuruma, for example.
But even so, simply being able to open a domain automatically placed a sorcerer at Grade One level by principle alone.
"Tch. I knew the brat was trouble," Maki grumbled to herself.
Even she understood what it meant to have someone with a domain fighting against a Special Grade curse spirit that also possessed a domain.
A difference between life and death.
I thought mostly ignored their reactions.
More accurately, I didn't have the mental capacity to focus anywhere else while maintaining the domain clash.
My black domain slowly overtook almost half of Dagon's tropical island domain, covering half the world inside the barrier in darkness, as if the sun itself had been eclipsed by my presence.
Death had arrived.
Midway through the clash, however, our domains seemed to lock into a natural battle of dominance.
Perhaps Dagon had regained control of his collapsing domain halfway through.
Or maybe this simply meant that both of our domains were refined enough to prevent either one from completely overpowering the other.
"You… I should have known."
Dagon's voice turned cold.
"You weren't fighting back even though you had more cursed energy than the man in the suit. So you're the key that handles the domain. I shall kill you first."
'Wait he has more CE than Nanami ?' Maki snapped.
Dagon didn't look pleased about me erasing the sure-hit effect of his domain.
One moment the red-shelled octopus monster stood on the far side of the domain.
The next moment he was right in front of me.
His fist came forward, ready to rip my head off in one clean strike.
Even my reaction time wasn't fast enough to comprehend what had happened.
But Dagon's fist suddenly stopped two inches away from my face.
His body froze.
Turned into a frame.
And then he was violently kicked away, sent flying back to his original position.
My breath caught in my throat.
For a moment I genuinely thought I was dead.
But in the nick of time, old man Naobito appeared and saved the day.
"Hahahahaha… brat, you really are full of surprises, aren't you?" Naobito laughed loudly.
"Hahahaha! Say, would you like a bride? What are your thoughts on marriage? What about Maki over there, don't get it wrong, with her stiff face, she got a great rack underneath..."
He patted my back while laughing.
Each slap felt like my spine was about to shatter into pieces.
And where the hell did marriage even come from?!
One looked on the side and it was evident by the looked alone, the girl was bloody ready to murder someone.
Naobito didn't even paid attention to the said girl he wished to marry of, he just casually took another sip from his gourd.
That was definitely wine.
The man was drinking during a Special Grade fight.
Even though he had just saved my life, I didn't exactly feel reassured by his presence.
"You…"
Nanami materialised beside us as well.
He didn't look nearly as good as Naobito though. He was covered in blood, but at least still standing.
Nanami stood beside me while facing Dagon on the other side of the domain.
"You should have told us you could use a domain," Nanami scolded.
His voice sounded half relieved and half annoyed.
I had no idea what to say.
It wasn't like we had enough time earlier to sit down and have a deep conversation.
Nanami didn't wait for my reply though.
Whatever I said probably would have sounded like nonsense to him anyway.
Instead, he asked a single question.
"How long can you maintain your domain?"
He didn't even ask if I could win the clash.
He only needed me to hold it long enough for them to kill the Special Grade curse spirit.
"I… I don't know," I replied, breathing heavily.
"This is only the second time I've used this technique. I'll try my best to endure as long as possible."
My mind was already running on overdrive just to maintain the domain clash.
Surely the curse spirit had to be dealing with something similar, right?
Special Grade or not, maintaining a domain had to be taxing.
"That's more than enough," Nanami nodded.
He then glanced toward Naobito, who was mostly fine aside from a few minor wounds.
Neither of them said a word.
Yet somehow it felt like they completed an entire conversation with that single glance.
"Maki," Nanami called.
"You are to protect him at all costs. If his domain falls, we are as good as dead. Make sure nothing happens to him. Naobito and I will deal with the Special Grade spirit."
Maki had already moved beside us.
Her eyes roamed dangerously over my body, as if she were sizing me up.
Perhaps she was already planning how many bones she would break once this was over for hiding my cursed technique.
I could only gulp and try to bury that line of thought.
I definitely didn't need a sexy, potentially serial-killer teenage girl hunting me down.
"I want to fight," Maki said bluntly.
"You can't even damage his shell. You'll just hold us back," Nanami replied immediately.
"Stay here and protect him. If he goes down, we all die."
Nanami wasn't budging. Maki's eyes turn cold, but there was clearly a helpless look in that face.
Nanami didn't change his decision though, It was the most practical solution available.
For once, even Naobito seemed to agree.
By now Dagon had already recovered.
And he clearly didn't like what he was seeing.
Those human sorcerers were protecting the one person clashing with his domain.
"So damn annoying," he muttered.
"Mahito was right. Humans are so annoying."
He launched himself toward us.
Naobito and Nanami moved at the same time.
Maki clicked her tongue beside me but didn't disobey her orders.
She firmly positioned herself in front of me with her naginata in hand, eyes tracking every movement of the curse spirit.
My focus returned to the domain clash.
From what little I understood, domain battles were mostly decided by refinement.
What exactly refinement meant?
God only knew.
But since my domain was far less lethal than Dagon's, shouldn't I have some kind of advantage?
It make sense if normal logic is applied ?
Then why were we evenly matched?
I couldn't understand it.
Why?
Maintaining my domain like this was painful.
I could probably keep this going for a while—unless Dagon's domain suddenly began overwhelming mine.
But that would mean placing my life entirely in the hands of Nanami and Naobito.
And I wasn't comfortable with that.
Come on… there has to be something I can do here.
I gritted my teeth.
The best possible outcome would be figuring out how to overwhelm Dagon's domain.
But to do that…
I needed to refine my domain.
How the hell was I supposed to do that?