A crimson light exploded across the horizon, spreading outward like wildfire. It engulfed the entire sky in an instant, so blinding that it made people instinctively shut their eyes, tears welling up from the sheer intensity. The temperature of the air skyrocketed, reaching levels where only magical energy could offer protection.
The roaring impact echoed like thunder, shaking the heavens! The earth cried out beneath the force, and many who failed to react in time felt their eardrums rupture. Blood ran down their cheeks as they screamed, hands clutching their heads.
After wiping away the tears, those still conscious finally dared to open their eyes.
What they saw was an apocalyptic scene—a wall of flames in shades of orange and red, connecting earth to sky. From its jagged cracks, massive tongues of fire burst forth, racing into the clouds thousands of meters high. It was as if the sky and earth had been split in half by this burning monument.
The ground had been torn apart, forming a gigantic canyon of lava and fire that extended far beyond the eye could see. Flames roared endlessly within the rift, stretching across the horizon like a line drawn by a god.
If a drone had flown into the skies above, the observer would have been stunned. The gigantic wall of fire had sliced straight through the heart of Fukuoka City, cutting it down the middle. In the suffocating heat, the only sound that remained was the heavy gulping of onlookers swallowing in fear.
Fukuoka's once-vibrant streets had been turned to ash. Craters lined with molten fire now marked what had been familiar roads and districts.
Fortunately, the city had been fully evacuated in advance. If civilians had still been there, this one strike alone could have killed or wounded tens of thousands in an instant.
But there was no hiding this anymore.
Whether it was the sky-spanning stone gate from earlier or this divine sword strike that bisected a city—these events were visible for miles. No amount of cloaking spells or media cover-ups could contain this.
"Mom… Mom, what is that?"
In a distant farmhouse far from the epicenter, a child pointed at the burning clouds overhead.
His mother, still holding her farming tools, turned her gaze upward. The moment her eyes registered what she was seeing, she froze. Trembling, she grabbed her child's hand, rushed back into the house, and bolted the doors. They didn't come out again.
Elsewhere, countless ordinary citizens witnessed this apocalyptic display. Photographers, some lucky enough to be nearby, rapidly snapped pictures, capturing a moment that would forever alter history.
"Is that…"
A nearby Jujutsu master who had been mid-battle suddenly choked on his words.
"That… that must be a power close to that of a god."
"Hard to say… but you're not wrong."
At the center of it all stood James. Half of his body had turned completely black. Bits of charred flesh flaked off like ash in the wind. It looked less like he had delivered the attack and more like he had been the one struck by it.
Hadō Ninety-Six: One Blade Cremation was a Kidō technique that required self-sacrifice. It was immensely powerful, dangerously unstable, and notoriously difficult to master. But with one swing, it erased everything in its path.
James possessed the memories of Yamamoto Genryūsai—so mastering Kidō was never the issue. The problem was that Kidō techniques didn't naturally function in this world.
But James had a solution.
His Domain Expansion: Spiritual Trillion Soul Avenue Realm.
It enabled four core functions:
1. Guaranteed hit effect: All attacks target the soul directly, bypassing the physical body.
2. Power amplification: Every action—slashes, punches, movement, Kidō—is drastically strengthened based on one's Reiatsu.
3. Reiatsu generation rule: All creatures within the domain are assigned a Reiatsu value based on their mental strength. James, as the caster, receives an additional amount equal to the sum of everyone else's Reiatsu.
4. Otherworld compatibility: Abilities from other worlds can be fully used inside the domain.
Using this, James had sacrificed half his body in exchange for a single, ultimate strike—obliterating Amazakki so thoroughly that nothing remained.
He had never used this technique before for a reason.
The side effects were catastrophic. One strike would leave him completely incapacitated.
Worse still, the enemy's conceptual reversal meant that even inside his domain, a guaranteed hit wasn't truly guaranteed.
The only viable strategy was to wait until the enemy activated their own domain. Then, James would deploy his own in direct confrontation. Once his domain shattered the opponent's, the resulting Spell Meltdown would nullify the enemy's cursed techniques—leaving them defenseless.
Sure, your power might be incredible. But if you can't land a hit, what's the point? It was the same principle as Zanka no Tachi—Yamamoto's final sword form.
Now, James's body trembled. Burnt flesh pulsed with life, trying to regenerate, but the injuries refused to heal. Even with reverse-curse techniques, it would take a long time for him to recover.
Why?
Because the Cremation Sword not only burned the flesh, but sacrificed one's own vitality. And James's body was overflowing with life force—that's why the move was so devastatingly powerful.
Maybe… once he learned the reversal technique that heals others, he could use this move more freely?
"James-kun… was that your Domain Expansion?"
Jiujiu Yuki asked quietly, stunned by the apocalyptic display. Though relieved to be alive, the sheer magnitude of what she had just witnessed left her breathless.
Next to her, Daisuke Suta stared in silent awe, jaw nearly touching the ground. Meanwhile, Geto Suguru rushed toward the crater to retrieve Gojo Satoru's body.
Fushiguro Shigeji chuckled faintly. He had always known James was a monster. What he was thinking about now was the reward payout once this mission ended.
"James-kun, are you alright?" Daisuke Suta finally asked, concern in his voice.
James didn't answer aloud, but in his mind, he thought, "Definitely not."
He needed to find Ieiri Shōko immediately. Whether she had fully mastered the healing reversal technique didn't matter. She was his best shot.
His cursed energy was nearly depleted. His body was half-destroyed. At this point, even an average civilian could kill him with ease.
James knew he had been too soft. If he'd truly taken advantage of the enemy's exhaustion, let his allies take the brunt, and only acted when the time was right, he might have won without injury.
But then again… Were the people in this world just NPCs?
Even in Demon Slayer, James had kept his distance—only intervening at key moments, like when he killed Muzan. This time, however, he had chosen to trust his teammates.
"I'm fine," James said simply.
A thousand thoughts boiled down to those two words.
Because at the end of the day, men—especially the powerful ones—loved to show off.
Suta understood immediately. Things didn't look good. He glanced at the nearby Jujutsu masters and made a quick decision—to find Geto Suguru immediately.
James was far too vulnerable. If anyone with ill intent realized it, disaster could strike. Not all the Jujutsu masters present were trustworthy. The core group of eight might be dependable (excluding Fushiguro Shigeji), but the rest were… questionable.
Jiujiu Yuki left as well, heading toward other hotspots where fighting continued. She and James had no deep connection. Staying behind would only draw suspicion.
Soon after, Geto Suguru returned, holding the unconscious Gojo Satoru in his arms. His face was full of grief and uncertainty.
Strangely, Gojo's body had healed—yet he remained unconscious.
Seeing him, James suddenly understood.
The world itself had corrected the timeline.
Gojo Satoru did indeed master the reversal technique. That power—combined with the world's obsession with balance—had brought him back from the brink.
Kamo Katsuhiko was dead. The next family head would surely be Kamo Noritoshi.
Gou Maki was gone. Inumaki Toge now stood as the last heir to the Cursed Speech clan.
This world fought hard to preserve balance.
James reached out with his still-functional hand and rested it on Geto's shoulder.
"Gojo Satoru might've died… but you've brought him back."
As if on cue, Gojo Satoru's eyes fluttered open.
A brilliant blue light flared in his Six Eyes—clear, sharp, and filled with purpose.
The true Gojo Satoru had finally returned to the stage of history.
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