BANG.
The sound of the gavel echoed one last time—
—and then the world cracked.
The courtroom walls split like glass.
The ceiling fractured.
The floor beneath us shattered into fragments of light.
And in an instant—
We were back in the courtyard of Jujutsu Kaisen.
Everyone stumbled slightly as reality reset.
Denki dropped to his knees.
"…I NEVER WANT TO GO TO COURT AGAIN."
Kirishima exhaled hard.
"THAT WAS NOT MANLY AT ALL…"
Mina clutched her chest.
"…I thought we were actually getting sentenced…"
Bakugo rolled his shoulders, annoyed.
"Tch. Dumb ability. Couldn't even fight."
Nearby, Yuji Itadori let out a breath.
"…That was Higuruma's domain."
Standing calmly a few steps away, Hiromi Higuruma adjusted his tie.
"You've now experienced it."
I didn't respond.
Because I was still staring at my hands.
Still feeling it.
The pressure.
The control.
The way the entire space bent to one person's will.
"…I get it now…" I whispered.
Kaito looked at me.
"…Ren?"
I slowly stepped forward.
"…I get how it works."
Gojo, leaning casually against a pillar, smirked behind his blindfold.
"Oh?"
My heart started racing.
Fast.
Loud.
"…If a domain is just… creating a space…"
"…then I can do that too."
Denki's head snapped toward me.
"WAIT—"
Too late.
I raised my hand.
And for the first time…
I tried to copy it exactly.
I took a deep breath.
Closed my eyes.
And focused on everything I felt inside that courtroom.
The rules.
The structure.
The pressure.
The authority.
"…Domain Expansion…"
The air around me warped.
Kaito stepped back.
"…Ren…?"
A faint ripple spread outward from my feet.
The ground beneath me shimmered.
Like space itself was struggling to stay still.
I forced it further.
"…Deadly Sentencing."
For a split second—
Everything went white.
Then—
Nothing.
Silence.
Stillness.
I opened my eyes.
We were still in the courtyard.
No courtroom.
No judge.
No domain.
Just… me.
Standing there.
Breathing hard.
Denki blinked.
"…Did it work?"
I stared at my hands.
"…No."
Frustration hit instantly.
"…Why not…?"
I clenched my fists.
"I did everything the same…"
Higuruma stepped forward calmly.
"You mimicked the form."
I looked up.
"But not the foundation."
"…Foundation?" I repeated.
He nodded.
"A Domain Expansion is not simply technique."
He pointed lightly toward my chest.
"It is a manifestation of your innate self."
I froze.
"…Myself?"
Gojo pushed off the wall, walking closer, clearly enjoying this.
"You tried to copy his domain," he said, gesturing toward Higuruma. "But that's like trying to copy someone else's personality. It doesn't work like that."
I looked down again.
"…So I can't use his?"
Higuruma shook his head.
"No."
A pause.
"However…"
That made me look up.
"…You can create your own."
Silence.
Everyone leaned in.
Even Bakugo stopped complaining.
My heart started racing again.
"…My own…"
Gojo grinned.
"Now we're talking."
I swallowed.
"…But I don't even know what that would look like."
Yuji stepped beside me.
"…It's based on you, right? So… what do you do best?"
I thought about it.
Portals.
Movement.
Chaos.
Saving people.
Messing up.
Trying again.
Kaito said quietly:
"…You connect things."
I blinked.
"…What?"
He shrugged.
"You connect people. Places. Even enemies half the time."
Denki nodded.
"…Yeah… you literally dragged villains and heroes into the same fights."
Mina smiled.
"…And somehow made it work."
I looked at my hands again.
Connecting things…
Distorting space…
Moving everything…
Freely.
My eyes widened slightly.
"…So instead of copying a domain…"
"…I make one where everything is connected by me."
Gojo's grin widened.
"Now that sounds interesting."
I took a slow breath.
The air around me shimmered again—
—but this time…
It felt different.
Less forced.
More… natural.
"…Not yet," I said, lowering my hand.
Everyone blinked.
"…Huh?" Denki said.
I shook my head.
"If I rush it… it'll fail again."
I looked up at the sky.
"…But next time…"
A small smile formed.
"…I won't be copying anyone."
The wind picked up slightly around us.
Space flickered for just a second.
Barely noticeable.
But enough.
Gojo chuckled.
"…He's getting close."
And deep down…
I knew it too.
I wasn't there yet.
But I was right on the edge of creating something completely my own.
Something dangerous.
Something powerful.
Something that wasn't borrowed—
…but mine.