In the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, one truth stands above all. Every elite sorcerer possesses a Domain Expansion. Each is unique, shaped by the user's will, technique, and innate nature. Between these domains, the effects vary dramatically.
Some warp reality, rewriting the fundamental laws of existence. Others seize control of the battlefield, bending space itself to the sorcerer's advantage.
And then there is Ryomen Sukuna.
His Domain, Malevolent Shrine, is unlike any other. Unlike a conventional Domain Expansion, it lacks a barrier. It does not trap opponents. Instead, it expands outward, overwhelming a vast radius with its deadly influence.
Its concept is devastatingly simple: cleave and dismantle.
There are no tricks and no elaborate conditions. Only relentless, merciless carnage. Within the Malevolent Shrine, every target in its range is cut, regardless of defense. Flesh, bone, reinforced structures, even the strongest Cursed Techniques—none are spared. It is the purest form of slaughter, an execution with no chance of escape.
No walls. No mercy. Only death.
Ryan stood amidst the unfolding chaos, his gaze steady as the sheer malice of Sukuna's domain bled into reality. The suffocating aura of death was palpable, like an invisible blade hovering at his throat, waiting to strike.
His eyes flicked toward Sukuna, his expression unreadable.
"Would you care to explain?" he asked, his tone almost casual. "What exactly does your domain do?"
No sorcerer in their right mind would willingly reveal the mechanics of their Domain Expansion. Not when knowledge could be the difference between victory and death. But Ryomen Sukuna was different.
At Ryan's question, the King of Curses stilled, his four eyes glinting with amusement before his lips curled into a wicked grin.
"Explain it?" he echoed, a low chuckle escaping him. "What, do you want a more poetic understanding of your own death?"
He threw his head back and laughed. It was harsh, cruel, and mocking.
"Fine by me."
Confidence? No. This was beyond confidence. It was certainty, an absolute conviction that once Malevolent Shrine was unleashed, there was no escape. No counter. No hope. The moment an opponent stepped into his domain, they were already dead. Explaining it wouldn't change a damn thing.
So he did.
"My domain's effect is simple," he said, his voice tinged with dark delight.
"Cleave."
"Dismantle."
"The moment I activate it, everything in range is cut apart."
A pause.
He watched Ryan's face, searching for the moment of realization—the dawning horror, the futile scramble for a way out. That moment of despair. He lived for it.
But Ryan didn't react. He didn't tense. He didn't waver. His expression remained calm, unreadable.
Something flickered in Sukuna's gaze—interest.
Still, it didn't matter.
With a single thought, Malevolent Shrine expanded.
There was no dome, no boundary to shatter. The space itself was simply claimed, stretching outward like an execution ground.
A single breath. A single heartbeat.
A storm of infinite slashes erupted.
A million cuts in an instant.
At that moment, as countless attacks rained down upon Ryan remained completely unscathed.
Not a scratch. Not even the slightest sign of damage.
Sukuna's expression darkened. His eyes narrowed as he took in the impossible sight before him. Malevolent Shrine had been fully unleashed, its power absolute. A relentless storm of cleaving slashes, each capable of cutting through anything in range, had torn across the battlefield.
And yet, Ryan stood there. Untouched.
Impossible.
His fingers twitched in irritation. There was no trick, no barrier, no visible counter. The slashes should have cut through him a thousand times over, yet they amounted to nothing.
"Che," Sukuna scoffed, baring his teeth in a smirk that didn't reach his eyes. "Now this is interesting. Care to explain, brat?"
Ryan tilted his head, his expression calm, almost bored. "Explain?" he repeated, his voice steady. "I was hoping you could do that for me. After all, this was supposed to be your trump card, wasn't it?"
Sukuna's smirk twitched. "Hah! Acting cocky just because you survived? Don't get ahead of yourself. I'll carve you up soon enough."
The tension in the air was suffocating. The onlookers, both sorcerers and curses alike, watched in stunned silence.
Jogo, still reeling from the overwhelming pressure Sukuna had unleashed earlier, could not hide his disbelief. "What… just happened? That attack shouldn't have left anyone alive!" His voice was raw with frustration, flames flickering at his fingertips.
Hanami, standing beside him, observed carefully. The cursed spirit's deep, guttural voice rumbled in thought. "Not just survive. The attack vanished. As if it was never there to begin with…"
Mahito chuckled, though even his usual amusement was tinged with unease. "Now that's fascinating. A technique that nullifies a domain's sure-hit effect? I've never seen anything like it before!" His grin widened, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. "What do you think, Gojo?"
Gojo Satoru had been silent up until now, his arms lazily crossed over his chest. He finally let out a low whistle. "Now, now," he mused, tilting his head slightly. "Even I'm not sure what just happened… and that doesn't happen often." A grin played at his lips, though his gaze was sharp, analyzing every detail. "But if I had to guess…"
All eyes were on Ryan.
He sighed, his gaze shifting back to Sukuna. Then, without any grand theatrics, one of his eyes shimmered, shifting from its normal hue into something far more ominous.
The Kokugan.
A ripple pulsed through the air, subtle yet undeniable. For those attuned to cursed energy, the sensation was suffocating. Overwhelming.
Sukuna's grin faltered for just a fraction of a second.
Ryan finally spoke. "Your domain isn't bad," he admitted. "But there's a flaw."
"A flaw?" Sukuna repeated, his tone dripping with mockery. "You must be joking."
Ryan's lips curled into a small smirk. "No joke. Your slashes are absolute, yes. They cut through everything within your domain, no exceptions. But what happens…" His Kokugan pulsed again, distorting the space around him. "When the very concept of those slashes is reduced to nothing?"
Sukuna's expression darkened.
Gojo let out a small laugh, pushing his blindfold up slightly to get a better look. "Oho, now I get it. He didn't block the attack… he removed it."
Mahito's eyes widened. "Removed...? Wait, you mean—"
"Not blocked. Not deflected," Gojo said, his smile widening. "The Kokugan didn't just shrink the attacks. It erased them before they could fully manifest. As if they had never existed at all."
A heavy silence fell over the battlefield.
Sukuna's fingers flexed, his gaze locked onto Ryan with renewed intensity. He had faced countless opponents. But this was the first time someone had not only withstood his domain, but completely nullified it.
His lips curled into a grin. There was no amusement in it. Only raw, unrestrained excitement.
"I see," he muttered, his voice low. "Then I guess I'll just have to get serious."
Ryan exhaled, his gaze steady. "You weren't already?"
Sukuna laughed, the sound wild and unhinged. "Not even close."
The air tensed. The fight was far from over.
Then, without hesitation, Ryan unleashed Daikokuten's power. The very same attacks that had once threatened him were now under his control. Without a sound, without a trace, they turned against their own master. And just like that, the battlefield was emptied.
Sukuna's eyes narrowed as his mind raced, trying to comprehend what had just happened. He might not have understood how Ryan had done it, but he knew. Those eyes. The power behind them was the key.
"Tch." A smirk curled across his lips, his expression twisting into something cruel. "It's those damn eyes, isn't it?"
Fine. I'll just rip them out.
His decision was instant. With a mere thought, he willed his domain to move once more, commanding another wave of attacks, this time, all aimed directly at Ryan's eyes.
But just as the attacks were about to strike, everything changed.
The suffocating darkness of Sukuna's domain was gone. The oppressive pressure vanished, replaced by a crisp, open sky. White clouds drifted lazily above, and in the distance, birds soared peacefully. The towering skyscrapers of the real world stood firm, their glass windows gleaming under the sunlight. Beneath their feet, solid ground. They were back.
The rooftop where they had stood before the domain was still intact, untouched. Reality had returned.
Sukuna's Domain Expansion had failed.
A heavy silence followed. Ryan's subordinates looked around in stunned disbelief. He had undone Sukuna's domain with a mere glance.
Sukuna's eyes widened in shock. What just happened?
For the first time in centuries, a sliver of unease crept into his mind. His domain, the absolute extension of his will, had been severed. No, not simply undone. It felt as if, in that single moment, his connection to it had been completely cut off.
His gaze snapped toward Ryan, suspicion and wariness clouding his expression. This was his doing. There was no doubt about it. But how?
At the same time, Jogo, Hanami, and Mahito were trying to process what they had just witnessed.
Jogo scowled, his flames flickering wildly. "Did that bastard just—cancel Sukuna's domain? No way. That's impossible."
Hanami, ever calm, studied Ryan with quiet intensity. "It wasn't just undone. The flow of cursed energy was erased."
Mahito, on the other hand, grinned, his amusement barely contained. "Heh. Now that's interesting. I wonder—" He turned to Gojo, who had been watching the entire thing with an unreadable expression. "Hey, Gojo, what do you think?"
Gojo crossed his arms, a smirk tugging at his lips. "I think I finally found someone as annoying as me." His six eyes glowed faintly as he observed Ryan. "But that wasn't just power. That was a technique."
Jogo scoffed. "Like hell it was. He didn't even move!"
Gojo merely chuckled. "Exactly."
Meanwhile, Ryan simply smiled.
"Alright, enough playing around," he said, shifting his gaze toward Sukuna. "Honestly, from the start, I could've taken your domain away at any moment. I just wanted to see what you were capable of." He tilted his head slightly, expression turning unimpressed. "But after watching… yeah. Not that impressive."
Then his smile sharpened. "So… fuck you."
A chill shot down Sukuna's spine.
It wasn't the words. It wasn't even the tone. It was the raw, absolute certainty behind them.
His entire body tensed as an unfamiliar sensation washed over him—fear. A deep, primal instinct screamed at him that he was about to die.
Impossible.
Not once in all his years had he ever felt this way. Not when facing the strongest sorcerers. Not even in the face of death itself.
But now, this man…
His mind raced, his instincts roaring for him to move, to react, to do something—
Too late.
Just as Sukuna willed his body to move, Ryan was already beside him.
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