"
In the silent underground ruins, a weak cough broke the deathly stillness.
A hand covered in blood pushed away a heavy chunk of concrete that was pressing down on him.
Choso crawled out from the depths of the rubble, bloodied all over.
His chest was deeply sunken; several ribs were likely broken, and every breath felt like a knife's edge.
Had he not been one of the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings, possessing recovery and vitality far beyond a normal human's, Sukuna's single punch would have killed him ten times over.
'Brother...'
Choso propped himself up, swaying as he stood.
He didn't bother wiping the blood from his mouth. His eyes remained fixed on the massive hole Sukuna had smashed through the ceiling, his gaze filled with endless worry and self-reproach.
'Damn it!'
'If only I were stronger... If only I had recognized him sooner...'
Choso slammed his fist against a nearby wall, creating a shallow crater. The sharp pain in his knuckles couldn't mask the agony in his heart.
He had not only failed to protect his brother, but had watched helplessly as the demon known as Ryomen Sukuna took over his brother's body.
'I have to... bring him back!'
Choso took a deep breath, forcing down the surging blood in his chest.
He knew that in his current state, chasing them was a death sentence.
But he had no choice.
Even if it cost him his life, even if he had to make the whole world his enemy, he would save Yuji Itadori from that demon's clutches!
Because he was the only family he had sworn to protect with his life!
Dragging his heavily injured body, Choso stumbled toward the surface.
His silhouette looked lonely in the dim ruins, yet it radiated an unyielding determination.
Meanwhile.
In another dark passage beneath Shibuya.
'Tap, tap, tap...'
Rapid footsteps echoed through the empty tunnel.
Megumi Fushiguro, Maki Zenin, Naobito Zenin, and Kento Nanami were advancing quickly.
'Mr. Nanami, that guy's presence seems to have vanished.'
Megumi summoned his Divine Dog to scout ahead, his brow furrowed.
The four of them had just encountered a Special Grade Cursed Spirit with an octopus head in a different transfer hall.
Strangely, the curse hadn't fought to the death. Instead, it had retreated while fighting, seemingly leading them somewhere on purpose.
"Don't let your guard down."
Kento Nanami adjusted his goggles. A faint cursed energy glowed on his blunt blade.
"Special Grade Curses have intelligence rivaling humans. If it chose to retreat, it means there is a trap ahead."
"Hmph, who cares about a trap?"
Maki Zenin carried her long sword cursed tool, her face full of disdain.
"If we run into it, we'll just cut it down! We don't have time to play hide-and-seek. Gojo-sensei is still waiting for us to save him!"
"Young people certainly are energetic."
Naobito Zenin, walking at the back, stroked his beard and took a swig of sake from his gourd, speaking with a smile.
"But Maki is right. The sooner we deal with that guy, the sooner we can head up to provide backup."
The four continued forward and soon reached a spacious underground transit station.
However, the moment they stepped inside, the environment underwent a bizarre transformation.
*Buzz!*
The originally dim lights distorted. The walls, the floor, and even the air began to ripple violently like water.
A thick, pungent smell of the ocean instantly filled their lungs.
"This is..."
Nanami's pupils shrank. His survival instincts, honed on the edge of life and death, alerted him to the danger.
"Look out! It's a Domain!"
Nanami roared, but it was too late.
The water-like distortion swallowed the four of them completely.
When they regained their sight, they were no longer in the dilapidated transit station.
The sky was a brilliant blue, soft white sand lay beneath their feet, and the sound of waves crashing against rocks reached their ears.
This was a vast, endless tropical ocean!
"Welcome to my sea."
A deep, ethereal voice resonated from all directions.
The four spun around. In the distance, the octopus-headed Special Grade Cursed Spirit—
Dagon—floated quietly on the water's surface.
Behind it stood a massive archway formed from seawater.
Beneath the seemingly calm surface of the ocean, countless dark shadows moved rapidly, radiating a spine-chilling malice.
"Domain Expansion: Horizon of the Captivating Katana."
Dagon slowly raised its hands, its dead-fish eyes flashing with cold killing intent.
"Since you're in such a hurry to die, I'll fulfill your wish."
"Become... nourishment for my children!"
"Splash!"
As Dagon's voice fell, the calm sea suddenly boiled over.
Countless grotesque and terrifying marine curses surged from the water like a tide!
There were giant sharks with razor-sharp fangs, sea urchins covered in poisonous spines, and mutated octopuses as large as small mountains...
They swarmed toward the four on the beach in numbers that made one's skin crawl!
"Dammit! Why are there so many?"
Maki Zenin cursed, swinging her long sword without hesitation, cleaving the lead shark curse in half.
But immediately, more curses surged forward, surrounding her.
"Divine Dog!"
Megumi Fushiguro quickly formed hand signs, and his two Divine Dogs lunged out, tearing into the oncoming marine curses.
"Ratio Technique: Collapse!"
Kento Nanami joined the fray, his blunt blade striking the weak points of the curses with precision, reaping scores of them with every swing.
"Projection Sorcery!"
Naobito Zenin turned into a blur, weaving through the dense army of curses, using his superior speed to harvest the monsters' lives.
However, no matter how fast they killed, the number of marine curses seemed infinite!
"It's useless."
Dagon floated in mid-air, looking down at the four struggling on the beach, his voice dripping with mockery.
"Within my domain, my children are infinite."
"Your stamina will eventually run out, and when that moment comes..."
A cruel light flashed in Dagon's eyes.
"It will be your end!"
Faced with an endless army of monsters and the overwhelming power of a Special Grade Cursed Spirit,
the four trapped within the domain fell into unprecedented despair.
Could they truly break through this death trap of a domain?
"
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