Domain Expansion involves expending a massive amount of Cursed Energy to construct an Innate Domain infused with an Innate Technique in the space surrounding the user. Within the Domain, the caster receives various buffs to attack and defense; furthermore, any Innate Technique imbued into the Domain is guaranteed to hit the enemy trapped within.
The Domain of Satoru Gojo, the strongest human, is called Unlimited Void. It forces the target's brain to repeatedly perform "perception" and "transmission" for the sake of "living," generating a vast amount of useless information. The victim is trapped in a cycle of needing to receive information to survive, but receiving so much that they cannot process it, causing the brain to cease functioning. They are left standing as a living corpse.
Ryomen Sukuna's Domain, Malevolent Shrine, pursues ultimate destructive output, allowing him to unleash an unlimited flurry of slashes within its bounds. Compared to Gojo's, Sukuna's Domain is easier to understand and resist.
Aomori felt that since he was technically still human, he likely couldn't process an infinite stream of information either. He didn't have much confidence in countering Unlimited Void, which was why he was specifically searching for a countermeasure.
The booklet in his hand was the Zenin clan's detailed analysis and counter-methods for Domains.
Domains were not common; those capable of performing them could be counted on one's fingers. Even within the vast Zenin clan, the former head Naobito Zenin could not perform Domain Expansion. Only the estranged Megumi Fushiguro possessed the potential. It was a skill that demanded supreme talent. Only those with a deep understanding of their own technique and a gargantuan pool of Cursed Energy had even a chance of learning it.
And that was just a chance; most only grasped it when their lives were threatened by a great terror.
As Aomori currently lacked an Innate Technique, he naturally couldn't learn an authentic Domain. He quickly skipped that section and looked at the countermeasures.
The book mentioned three ways to counter a Domain:
One, escaping the Domain. A Domain is effectively a small, bounded space. If one breaks the barrier, they can escape, and once outside, the guaranteed hit no longer applies. However, this is a desperate measure. Barriers are not easily broken from the inside, and attempting to do so while being bombarded by guaranteed-hit attacks is incredibly difficult.
Two, countering with an Innate Technique. If there is no better option, one can use their own technique to resist. Maintaining a Domain consumes massive amounts of energy; by stalling for time, the Domain might collapse on its own. This is a mediocre strategy at best.
And three, the Superior Method. Countering a Domain with a Domain: A powerful Domain can suppress a weaker one. Even if one's Domain is the weaker of the two, it can neutralize a portion of the enemy's power. Since few can learn full Expansion, someone in the Zenin clan created a Simple Domain called Falling Blossom Emotion.
When the guaranteed-hit technique of an opponent's Domain enters the range of Falling Blossom Emotion, the user's Cursed Energy instantly counterattacks, forming a defense.
While this Simple Domain was better than resisting with a raw technique, it felt somewhat redundant to Aomori. His reaction speed was already near that level, and it didn't seem capable of defending against Unlimited Void, as Gojo's attack was a passive, non-physical strike. Theoretically, one is affected the moment they enter the Domain.
"It seems I still need to spend time figuring out my own Domain. Ideally, I should find a person or a Cursed Spirit capable of Domain Expansion to learn from."
He quickly filtered his memories. Aside from Gojo, Sukuna, and the four Special Grade Cursed Spirits, the only other person capable was the exceptionally talented Megumi Fushiguro, who was favored by Sukuna.
Characters who only appeared late in the original story were not within Aomori's consideration. One should pick the low-hanging fruit, so Aomori set his sights on Megumi Fushiguro. However, Megumi was currently tucked away inside Tokyo Jujutsu High. Not easy to kidnap.
Should I find a way to lure Megumi out? There seems to be a good opportunity right now.
For instance, using a summons from the Zenin clan.
Aomori thought about it but decided against it for now. He had finally found a good hiding spot; he needed to fully exploit it first. There was no rush for Megumi Fushiguro. The Kyoto Sister-School Goodwill Event between the two schools would start in about ten days. The villains would take action then, making it the perfect time for Aomori to fish in troubled waters.
Megumi wasn't the only one at Jujutsu High Aomori was interested in.
Putting down the booklet on Domains, he picked up another ancient book and began to read with relish.
…
As the son of the former clan head, Naoya Zenin possessed information on many Curse Users. When necessary, he would have reliable subordinates contact them to strike dirty deals. To please Aomori, Naoya revealed everything he knew.
Not long after leaving, he returned and handed Aomori a list of Curse Users.
Aomori scanned it and locked onto a Curse User named Haruta Shigemo. This guy had a notorious track record in his memories, so he decided to use him as a sacrificial offering.
"Curse Users are like cunning rabbits with three burrows; he has many hiding spots, so it won't be easy to find him quickly. However, I will do my utmost to complete this task," Naoya said, not as an excuse, but to highlight his future effort. By emphasizing the difficulty, the eventual success would seem more valuable.
"I see. Then don't restrict yourself to just one target; cast a wide net. Since you're short on manpower lately, I'll give you two helpers." Aomori released Darkrai and Ditto.
Looking at the demonic Darkrai and the sinisterly smiling Yujiro-Ditto-Hanma, Naoya felt a surge of wariness, though he looked delighted on the surface.
"Thank you for your concern, Aosora-sama. And these two are?"
"Just think of them as my Shikigami. Once you find the Curse Users, leave the rest to them." Aomori patted Ditto's head, and it transformed into a common small bird. "This one can shapeshift; it should be helpful."
Shikigami? At least they aren't 'subordinates.' Naoya felt relieved and beat his chest in a guarantee. "I will complete the mission."
He already had a plan to lure the snakes out of their holes. He just needed to fabricate a task and a deal to perform a "fishing" sting operation. The target could be anything the shapeshifting Shikigami turned into. Without a specific target, things were much easier.
Darkrai turned into a shadow and attached itself to Ditto, who hopped onto Naoya's shoulder. The trio left with Naoya radiating confidence.
…
Two days later, at the Zenin estate.
In a cold room where bodies were laid out, Aomori was fully equipped, his gloved hands pressed against a corpse. He sat with his eyes closed, doing something indiscernible. After a long while, Aomori sighed, retracted his hands, and left the room.
"Still not working."
In this world, Innate Techniques are innate, etched into the physical body. A certain villain who was just a brain could occupy other people's bodies and use their techniques. Therefore, Aomori wanted to see if he could find a technique within someone else's flesh. He had worked for half the day but found nothing.
"My Spirit is not yet sharp enough to perceive things at a deeper level."
He felt that Innate Techniques were like meridians or Magic Circuits, etched deep within the body. Without reaching the level of "internal vision" seen in novels, he couldn't sense them.
Returning to his quarters, he stripped off the gear and put on a loose robe. At that moment, Darkrai and the others returned, having successfully completed the mission. Aomori had already seen the results on the Monster Slaying System. The dungeon chest had been opened, yielding a large cleaver-like Cursed Tool. It was better than nothing, so he tossed it into his inventory.
"Aosora-sama, I have returned! The mission was a complete success!" Naoya Zenin said, eager for credit. Having witnessed the power of Darkrai and Ditto, he was now even more fanatically loyal to Aomori.
"You did well. Go back to your duties." Aomori gave him a smile as refreshing as a spring breeze, looking nothing like the god-like figure from two days ago.
"Yes, My Lord!" Naoya bowed and withdrew.
Absol and Pidgeot were also released, and the four Pokémon gathered together. Suddenly, Ditto's body undulated, and it transformed into a greasy, balding middle-aged man.
Aomori thought he looked familiar. "Is that a Curse User from the list? The one you dealt with?"
The "balding middle-aged man" nodded, opened his sausage-like lips, and vibrated the air to produce a raspy voice: "Ao... mori..."
"?" Aomori raised an eyebrow. "Ditto, you can speak?"
He had tried to train Ditto to speak before, as it possessed a complete vocal apparatus when transformed into a human, but for some reason, it could never learn. He hadn't expected it to suddenly master this skill.
Ditto had more surprises in store.
The "balding middle-aged man" clapped his hands, and his remaining hair suddenly grew long, dancing in the air like small snakes, lashing out at Absol and Pidgeot. Absol dodged gracefully and retaliated with a wind blade, slicing the long hair in half. Pidgeot was much more blunt, simply flapping its wings and tearing the hair apart.
Seemingly in pain, the "balding middle-aged man" retracted his hair with a pained expression, though his hair count had decreased significantly.
"So that's why he was balding," Aomori quipped before getting back to the point. "Ditto, you can use jujutsu too?"
The man nodded happily. "Yes!"
"That makes no sense. You couldn't use Digimon skills back in the Digital World. Could it be...?"
Thinking of a possibility, Aomori quickly opened the system and checked Ditto's stat panel. He couldn't help but smile.
"As expected, the level of Transform has increased. It jumped from LV8 to LV9."
Intrigued by the limits of Ditto's imitation, he said, "Transform into me."
The man nodded, his body growing taller and leaner, his hair becoming thick and lush, until he looked exactly like the handsome Aomori. Aomori inspected him closely. Finding that even the clothes were perfectly replicated, he nodded in satisfaction.
"It's too cramped here. Let's go outside and test this out."
He grabbed "Aomori" and left the residence, avoiding eyes as they rapidly ascended into the sky. Darkrai followed closely, while Absol and Pidgeot stayed behind to avoid drawing attention.
The three broke through the clouds and reached the calm stratosphere. The freezing wind didn't dampen Aomori's enthusiasm. He let go and threw "Aomori" out.
"Holy... sh—!"
"Aomori" looked terrified, flailing his arms as he fell straight down, disappearing into the clouds. Aomori and Darkrai stood with their arms crossed, unmoved. They knew Ditto well.
Sure enough, "Aomori" soon flew back, a pair of wings grown from his back to save him from falling to his death.
"Aomori, you jerk! You really threw me! Do you have any humanity left?" Ditto's speech was becoming increasingly fluent, just like a real human. However, hearing those curses coming from his own face felt very jarring to Aomori. "I've been with you since the beginning. It's one thing to bully me and ignore our history, but now you're trying to murder me?"
Seeing him continue to ramble, Aomori frowned and let out a soft hum. "Oh? You have a problem?"
Sensing Aomori was genuinely getting annoyed and remembering his track record, "Aomori" instantly caved. He shut his mouth and laughed nervously. "No, no! I was just practicing my spoken language. How do I sound?"
"Enough. Don't waste time. Show me what skills of mine you can use." Aomori hated rambling; Ditto being able to talk wasn't entirely a good thing.
"Right, right."
"Aomori" pondered for a moment, looking like he was constipated, and raised a finger.
However, nothing happened. He looked confused. "Eh? Where's my lightning? Where's my light?"
"You can't use them?" Aomori thought for a bit and said, "Chant with me."
"Okay."
"Sprinkled on the bones of the beast. Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring...."
This time was successful. Energy orbs appeared between the hands of both, one large, one small. After finishing the incantation, two lightning shockwaves collided. "Aomori" only held out for ten seconds before being overwhelmed by the genuine shockwave. Fortunately, he saw it coming and dodged in time.
"Incantation-based skills can be used."
Afterward, Aomori tested other skills. Telekinesis failed. Martial arts like Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist couldn't be copied in a short time. Rule-based skills like 100% Princess Carry also failed.
Conversely, skills like Light Breathing and Ittou Shura could be learned. Through Breathing Styles, "Aomori" could produce some light and lightning energy, though the effects were vastly inferior.
Currently, it appeared that only physical-based skills or those with corresponding incantations could be copied. It could use jujutsu likely because of the nature of Innate Techniques. Swapping into an identical body was equivalent to copying the technique etched within.
If that were the case, Ditto's gains in this dungeon would exceed Aomori's imagination.
Turning into Gojo or Geto? Just the thought is exciting.
Now, Haruta Shigemo absolutely had to die.
"Ditto, spend the next few days training with me. You're too weak. You should at least be able to handle half of my strength," Aomori said, cracking his knuckles. "Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist and Exploding Heart Release Fist are mandatory. You can forget about my Thunder-Light Duality Fist; you definitely can't learn that."
Seeing Aomori's enthusiastic expression, "Aomori" felt a chill, backing away before finally nodding reluctantly.
"After that, we just wait for the Goodwill Event to begin."
————
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my p-atre-on: p-atre-on.c-om/Overgod [Just remove the hyphen to access normally]