Sukuna reassessed his tactics once more. Right now, he could not think of any way to win in the short term other than another Domain battle, which meant he had to make full use of the advantages of an open Domain.
The only way was to destroy [Unlimited Void] while avoiding its effects, then wear Satoru Gojo down through the Domain's effects while using enhanced slashes at close range to strike his weak points and lower the efficiency of his Reverse Cursed Technique...
[For now, I just need to wait for my technique to recover again...]
Sukuna settled into his stance and waited for Satoru Gojo to attack. With both of them suffering burnout, close combat was still in Sukuna's favor. Satoru Gojo had no reason to pass up that opportunity.
But Satoru Gojo's next move shocked Sukuna so badly that his usual calm smile vanished, replaced by a look that was both grim and dazed.
Satoru Gojo formed a one handed sign again.
"Domain Expansion. [Unlimited Void]."
"??!!"
After what had just happened, Sukuna had no desire to be hit by [Unlimited Void] again. He quickly formed signs with both hands, and a Barrier covered in net like patterns instantly enclosed him inside it.
"Hollow Wicker Basket!"
This was the prototype of [Simple Domain]. It could neutralize a Domain and erase its guaranteed-hit effect, and because its Barrier took a different form, it was in some ways even sturdier than [Simple Domain]... But against an opponent of this level, it was difficult to use hands free. He had to keep maintaining the hand signs.
Although Ryomen Sukuna managed to avoid the effects of [Unlimited Void] through [Hollow Wicker Basket], it also effectively sealed both of his hands. The best option now would have been to undergo complete incarnation, restoring his body to its "two faces, four arms" state, which would also reset his injuries...
But he chose to keep watching Satoru Gojo instead, because if he fully incarnated and used his Domain again, while Satoru Gojo could still cancel burnout and Sukuna had no way to deal with it, then gaining an extra pair of hands would mean almost nothing.
[So this is it... He destroys the part of his brain responsible for "using techniques," then heals it with Reverse Cursed Technique. That lets him skip burnout entirely. It is basically resetting technique burnout itself?]
The moment Satoru Gojo saw Sukuna use [Hollow Wicker Basket] and lock both hands in place, he rushed forward at once, gathering Cursed Energy to break him down.
But just then, Sukuna's hand signs suddenly changed. The Barrier of [Hollow Wicker Basket] gradually faded away, replaced by a true Domain Barrier.
"Domain Expansion. [Malevolent Shrine]."
Now that he understood the principle, Sukuna showed the madness worthy of his name.
After all, he was the kind of monster who had seen Kenjaku create a human Cursed Object just once and then replicated the entire process himself, learning how to turn himself into a Cursed Object...
Sukuna brushed the dust off his body and looked at Satoru Gojo.
"Let me see what other fresh tricks you've got..."
Satoru Gojo, who had stopped in place, rolled his neck, loosened his shoulders, and took up his stance again.
"Then let's see how much you can actually learn!"
Sukuna grinned and lowered his head slightly, hiding the last marking beneath his left eye as it slowly lost its color.
"You brat..."
…
Black Flash and a dense barrage of slashes once again tore [Unlimited Void] apart, while Satoru Gojo answered with a full power Red that struck Sukuna right between the brows...
"Domain Expansion. [Malevolent Shrine]."
"Domain Expansion. [Unlimited Void]."
Neither of them hesitated. They expanded their Domains again. Then [Malevolent Shrine] shattered the shell of [Unlimited Void], and Satoru Gojo heavily injured Sukuna badly enough that he could no longer maintain his Domain. Everything seemed to be repeating in a cycle.
After the Domains broke apart, the two of them expanded their Domains yet again...
What Sukuna had actually been waiting for was a drop in Satoru Gojo's condition. Because Sukuna himself had already used the "destroy first, then heal" method to reset burnout, he knew it was not something that could be repeated forever. The brain was not like the rest of the body. No matter how precise the Cursed Energy control was, destroyed portions could never be restored perfectly. Hidden damage was bound to remain...
But they had already gone through four Domain clashes. Even Sukuna's own head had started to buzz. So why was Satoru Gojo still in such good shape...?
Sukuna suddenly looked around at the surrounding Barrier again.
"You did not load a technique??"
The moment he saw Sukuna's expression, Satoru Gojo burst into laughter so ridiculous it practically sounded like a pig squealing.
"So you finally noticed? You smashed your brain for nothing twice. Head hurting yet?~~"
That was right. This was [Unlimited Void], developed by Satoru Gojo on the basis of the first stage of Akira Zenin's [Ten Directions Sacred Realm], the initial state of the Domain with no Shikigami loaded into it, and expanded into a form made entirely of Barrier and Innate Domain. [Floating Contemplation].
Since it did not use a technique at all, naturally there was no such thing as burnout. This was also the kind of [Mental Domain] Akira Zenin had predicted, a Domain closer to the ancient style of fighting through the environment.
Even without a loaded technique, however, its Barrier could still interfere with other Domains. When facing an open Domain, it could still cancel the opponent's technique effects by offsetting the guaranteed-hit commands, and it was nowhere near as fragile as [Simple Domain].
Using [Mental Domain] this frequently consumed an enormous amount of Cursed Energy and concentration, but Satoru Gojo's absurdly precise control over Cursed Energy greatly reduced the difficulty of maintaining it.
The moment Satoru Gojo realized Sukuna had learned the method of "healing burnout," he changed his strategy. Starting from the third Domain clash, he began using [Floating Contemplation], luring Sukuna into repeatedly destroying his own brain and laying the groundwork for victory...
"So what do you think? Do you think I'll load a technique into it next time, Sukuna!"
"Heh heh..."
"Oh? Can't handle the pressure anymore? Are you finally losing your mind?"
Satoru Gojo said that, but his expression remained extremely serious as he kept thinking through every possible way Sukuna might still turn this around.
"...This unique Domain structure and that old fashioned looking Barrier really are impressive. But this thing should have other uses too. If my guess is right, this Domain technique is basically a 'relay station,' isn't it?"
"..."
"Domain Expansion. Technique loading."
The surroundings remained the same, a porcelain like expanse of open ground and a faintly reflective water surface. The shrine still stood behind Sukuna, but now its mouth suddenly opened impossibly wide, revealing the pedestal inside. On top of it stood a thick red candle as wide as a man.
As the candle was lit, ox skulls began floating up from the water all around them, and the eyes of every skull ignited with the same flames burning inside the shrine.
"[Malevolent Shrine]."
"Just as I thought. Compared to confusing the opponent or interfering with their Domain, the Barrier you're using feels more like a 'foundation' that can adapt to different techniques. A base used to switch the technique loaded into the Domain..."
Standing in front of the shrine, Sukuna looked down from the higher ground and smiled at Satoru Gojo.
"You can endure slashes, but what about being scorched from the inside out?
Now... the Domain effects are fair.
How well done do you want to be?"