A trace of cruel cunning flashed through Sukuna's consciousness.
'However, there isn't no backup plan. I can let the soul of the vessel, Kasumigaoka, bear the impact of Unlimited Void in my stead.'
As the King of Curses, he possessed plenty of insidious methods for escaping trouble and shifting blame.
But as soon as this thought surfaced, he dismissed it himself.
'But it's meaningless.'
Satoru wasn't limited to using Unlimited Void just once. If this time failed, there would be a next time. This was ultimately a terrible strategy akin to drinking poison to quench thirst.
Moreover, it was uncertain whether Utaha's soul could even withstand one blast of Unlimited Void.
It was just that Sukuna had the hindrance of knowing the plot.
This advanced application of Domain Expansion he envisioned—envelop and compress—required a subversive understanding of Barrier Techniques and an extremely bold level of control. This was not something an ordinary Jujutsu Sorcerer could conceive of, nor could it be naturally grasped merely by talent.
It required having witnessed the sealing principle of the Prison Realm, which inverted inside and outside to form its own world, in order to draw parallels and gain insight.
The Satoru of the original storyline could think of it because he had seen the Prison Realm.
The current Satoru, always hailed as 'The Strongest' and enjoying smooth sailing, might not possess such a tricky, perhaps even heretical, tactical mindset.
Just as Sukuna's thoughts raced, rapidly analyzing the battle and deducing all possibilities, Satoru on the other side of the battlefield felt a solemnity no less intense than his.
He slowly straightened his body, the halo of his Simple Domain flowing steadily around him.
He raised a hand to wipe away the last smear of blood from his cheek. His sunglasses were long gone, and his Six Eyes stared at Sukuna without obstruction, the depths of his pupils holding a complex light of unprecedented caution mixed with excitement.
'Truly... annoyingly difficult.' Satoru murmured internally.
Sukuna's troublesome nature far surpassed any opponent he had ever faced.
It wasn't just the bottomless Cursed Energy, but also the opponent's ancient, seasoned combat wisdom and his unscrupulous tactical choices.
The open barrier Domain, neutralizing Domain Amplification, the application of modern knowledge, and the madness hidden beneath his calm facade—a willingness to use any means to achieve his goals.
All of this made Satoru feel genuine, life-threatening pressure.
To defeat Sukuna, he absolutely could not fall into the opponent's familiar rhythm, nor could he afford even the slightest carelessness.
He had to calculate further than Sukuna, strike harder, and perhaps... dare to break convention and employ tactics that even he found risky.
Just as the tactical prototype of the "Compressed Domain" became clear in Satoru's mind, and Sukuna, with alarm bells ringing in his heart, weighed various extreme countermeasures—
A massive, tyrannical, scorching, and ominous Special Grade Cursed Spirit aura erupted violently from the other side of the Jujutsu High barrier without warning, like a giant boulder thrown into a calm lake.
This aura was so strong that it far exceeded ordinary Special Grade Cursed Spirits, even carrying a scorching, distorted texture, instantly drawing a portion of the attention of the two supreme beings on the battlefield.
Satoru's Six Eyes instantly captured the source and nature of this abnormal Cursed Energy. His brow furrowed imperceptibly, and he thought to himself, 'Troublesome.'
With Sukuna, an unprecedentedly powerful enemy, right in front of him, this was a moment that required his full attention and allowed for no distractions.
How could a Cursed Spirit of this level suddenly appear inside Jujutsu High?
Meanwhile, in the main building of Jujutsu High, Masamichi, who had been closely monitoring the world-shaking duel within the Training Barrier, suddenly stood up from his seat, his burly frame exuding a heavy aura.
He also sensed the aura of that Special Grade Cursed Spirit, his expression exceptionally grave. "This feeling... it's no ordinary Special Grade Cursed Spirit. Is it one that hasn't been recorded, or has some kind of mutation occurred?"
He instantly judged that within Jujutsu High right now, the only one with the strength and confidence to quickly deal with this sudden Special Grade Cursed Spirit was Satoru, who was currently in a fierce battle with Sukuna.
However, the problem followed.
Satoru was currently at a critical moment in his battle with Sukuna. Their Domains had just clashed, and they were in a delicate state of stalemate and gathering momentum. He was the one who had publicly proposed "having a fight." If he were to pull away now because of an emergency, it would undoubtedly be somewhat embarrassing for his position as the "strongest" and for the etiquette of battle.
But if he ignored it, the consequences of that Special Grade Cursed Spirit rampaging inside Jujutsu High would be unthinkable. Ordinary teachers, students, and buildings simply could not withstand it.
Just as Satoru's mind raced, weighing whether to risk a quick resolution or to temporarily set aside the duel with Sukuna to deal with the Cursed Spirit, Sukuna's reaction in the center of the battlefield exceeded everyone's expectations.
The madness and battle intent flickering in the four scarlet vertical pupils on "Utaha's" face, under Sukuna's control, receded as quickly as a tide.
He did not take the opportunity to attack, nor did he mock him. Instead, he slowly and voluntarily closed his eyes.
Following that, the slits on his cheeks quietly closed, and the markings on his arms and neck quickly faded and vanished.
That suffocating pressure of the King of Curses rapidly diminished and withdrew like a punctured balloon.
In just a few seconds, Sukuna's will retreated completely as if it had never appeared, returning full control of the body to Utaha herself.
"Ugh... ah?"
As Utaha's consciousness reclaimed her body, a strong sense of dizziness and the slight pain radiating from her limbs due to the high-intensity combat made her groan, and she staggered before managing to steady herself.
She looked blankly at her hands, which had returned to normal, then looked up at Satoru, who had also stopped his movements with a look of surprise.
She subconsciously asked in her mind, (Sukuna-san? Are we not fighting anymore?)
Sukuna's voice echoed deep in her consciousness, carrying a rare, almost listless calm, and a deeper, imperceptible regret. (Tch, what a buzzkill. Small fry running in to interfere at a time like this.)
He paused, his tone returning to its usual indifference and arrogance. (Forget it. This kind of half-baked situation is boring to continue. I am not complete right now.)