Shibuya IX

A Domain Expansion was the ultimate move of sorcerers. 

An open card that guaranteed victory to those without it.

Sukuna who held a Domain unlike without a barrier was special amongst specials.

A barrierless domain was unbeknownst to Arai nor anyone in the current world of Jujutsu. It wasn't even something they had thought possible.

Now Arai, would have to take the full brunt of its strikes.

"AARRGGHHH!!!"

"GRAAHHH!!"

Mahoraga and Arai screamed in pain from the slashes ripping them apart. Blood spilled everywhere while the subtle sound of someone cackling reverberated throughout the domain. Concrete, trees, glass, humans, nothing and no one was safe inside of it. Until Malevolent Shrine is gone, it will relentlessly attack all targets within its guaranteed hit's effective range.

Sukuna dismissed his domain and gazed upon the shikigami with the ability to adapt to any phenomenon. It was a dangerous creature and he had to play his cards right or he could be in trouble. He had purposefully only targeted Arai with his slashes and not the shikigami after figuring out its ability because if he attacked it too often, it would fully adapt to his technique.

The only way to defeat Mahoraga... is to completely destroy it with a new attack before it can adapt.

Cleave fits that criteria but if Mahoraga did not only adapt to dismantle but to slashing techniques in general...

Mahoraga who was on the ground struggled to stand up as its adaption started.

Mahoraga's regeneration will soon be completed.

"■ open!"

The fire arrow was created and Sukuna without wasting anymore time released it and collided with Mahoraga creating an explosion of fire that engulfed the area. Like that, the most powerful shikigami was destroyed.

Sukuna came out of the destruction with a satisfied smile. He brushed off the ashes on his clothes and looked up to the sky which could not be seen due to the clouds forming because of the fires.

"You are the first in a long time that has been able to keep me excited in battle." Sukuna said after opening his eyes. "So keep making this enjoyable for me would you, sorcerer."

Someone responded to Sukuna by bursting out of the rubble. Arai was there, all bruised up. Cuts all over his body, one of his eye sockets was gone, his left arm was nothing but a skeleton with pieces of meat here and there, his jaw was broken one side and barely hanging.

Sukuna couldn't help but chuckle seeing his state. "What a sorry sight." 

Of course, he had known that Arai had survived his domain. He had seen everything, but focused on taking care of Mahoraga first. It's adaptation was too annoying of an ability to not take care of. Though that made sure that Arai survived.

He had used a simple domain when he was hit and used that time to clad himself in armor with clay. Using that moment, he ran away from Sukuna and used [Falling Blossom Emotion], the anti-domain. Doing this, he made sure to weaken the slashes with this technique and let his armor take the last brunt of it while reciting his chants to unleash his technique.

Because at the end of the day, his domain which was barrierless had one major flaw.

A flaw that he hadn't met anyone who could exploit it.

It relied on a pact.

And that pact was severed, making the domain minimize and gave Arai the space he needed to escape.

Sukuna's domain had finished making its performance.

[Domain Expansion: Absolute Authority!]

Now it was Arai's turn.

His turn to show Sukuna that he was not done.

[Rule: No domain techniques allowed.]

Without giving any time for Sukuna to react, he had already place down the first rule.

A rule that was placed down and would not be released until the barrier for the domain collapsed.

The price for that was that unlike the rules which held for one minute and would be able to make a new rule in two. This rule which held for an indefinite amount of time had to take 499 seconds until a new rule could be added.

In a fight of domains, Arai would lose. He was not arrogant enough to think his domain would come out victorious. So he waited for Sukuna to use his, so that he can't counter with his own domain.

"Don't think I'm done yet." Arai said as before he gripped his chest tightly.

[Sacrifice!]

Sukuna could not see it, but Arai's cursed energy grew at a rapid rate. He had just sacrificed his lifespan for this, 50 years in fact, but he didn't care. As long as he can get rid of Sukuna, it would be worth it.

'Stay calm, stay focused. Don't lose your rationality. Be ready for everything.' Arai thought, he was ready. He won't make the same mistake, he will adapt and win. His wounds started healing visibly, but he could hardly notice the diminution of energy. He had more than double the amount of cursed energy that Yuta Okkutsu had at this moment. That was how strong his pacts were.

"I guess this is dessert to finish the meal." 

"No talking, let's fight." Arai said before his tornados were created.

With his sure-hit effect being in place, his tornados hit Sukuna and sent him flying. Still in the air, Sukuna sent slashes after slashes at him forcing him shield himself. 'I guess even in a domain, I can't neutralize his technique. Fucking monster.' Arai thought as he felt the slashes go through and cut his skin.

Though his wounds healed making them disappear.

He may not be as proficient in reverse curse energy as Sukuna, Gojo or Shoko but it would do the job for now.

5 minutes remained...

They traded blow for blows and their mastery of hand to hand combat showed, but differences in their skill showed. Arai had more power and was pushing Sukuna back and Sukuna used his slashes to cut Arai forcing him to heal. 

It was a stalemate.

['Law', 'Pillars of Hierarchy', 'Hitobashira'.]

Arai chanted the incantations while fighting Sukuna. But Sukuna was unaware until he finished, normally sorcerers of this level relied on their senses to feel a 'spark'. This spark occurs when a powerful move with a lot of cursed energy is made.

Arai held no such weakness in his power.

And the unknown incantations made Sukuna unprepared as for what to come.

Arai knew this and used this opportunity to rush at Sukuna and grab hold of his arms.

[Gift!]

*BOOM!*

Sukuna's body was sent flying and crashed into the domain's barrier. His entire stomach was destroyed, his bones and muscle tissue could be seen from the impact.

"Annoying bastard." Sukuna muttered before instantly healing his wounds.

3 minutes remained...

The time left was getting smaller and smaller and Arai was noticing something. Sukuna's slashes were becoming less and less frequent. He was still keeping up with Arai, but now Arai was overwhelming him and even landing more and more strikes.

'You're slowly running out of cursed energy while I'm full on it. You had to fight both me and that shikigami and now its slowly thinning out. All I need is to make the rule of no conflict until you lose control of the body and I win. You're up against a wall now, Sukuna.' 

1 minute remained...

Arai pushed Sukuna back and made a hammer out of clay slamming Sukuna to the ground who struggled to push back. The clay formed back into gauntlets and Arai pummeled Sukuna who had his guard up and tanked the hits. 

But before he could be overwhelmed, Sukuna formed a slash without handsign and cut Arai's face diagonally. He was lucky that he had a helmet of clay on and right about when Sukuna was going to deliver a punch to his unprotected face.

Sukuna's body convulsed and slowed down. His body had stopped responding to his commands.

Itadori was fighting back from within and his time was running out.

[Gift!]

Another gift was made and hit Sukuna breaking his arms and forcing him to heal them.

Only 10 seconds until he would win.

But that was when Sukuna made his move, he made the same handsign he does when he forms a domain and closed his eyes.

'What is he doing? He can't form a domain because of the pact.' Arai was baffled, but knew he had to make his move now or else something bad might happen. That was when Arai felt the 'spark' emitting from Sukuna, the spark made when a finishing move was made.

[Maximum Output: Cleave]

The cleaves made their way to the domain and attacked Arai's domain. The slashes were made with the full might of Sukuna.

'Is he crazy?! He's attacking the barrier while inside where it's at its strongest.' Arai thought as he rocketed himself at Sukuna.

5 seconds remained...

Arai pulled back his fist and wrapped his entire body in wind. Sukuna kept attacking the barrier with his slashes. He pushed himself to the limits and squeezed all the speed he could muster. Because of this, he had made it in time to Sukuna who had to hold his handsign to attack the barrier.

Arai swung his fist and hit Sukuna directly in the face.

[Black Flash!]

As if luck was on his side, he landed a black flash at the best time and smashed Sukuna skull. He could literally see the bones of his skull showing and spilling the blood in the air. Though as the same time as Arai was swinging his fist, Sukuna dropped his hands but they weren't dropping because he lost strength. But because Sukuna had another trick up his sleeve.

He pulled his fist to his chest and took his heart in the palm of his hands. Sukuna had one goal, to smash his heart. With a squeeze, his heart was smashed and what appeared before Arai's eyes was a pact made within a split second. A split second too fast for Arai to sever the pact and give Sukuna the boost he needed.

*Crack!*

The domain had shattered.

Arai's eyes widened as he felt the change. The wind and clay gauntlets lost their power in that instant. His abilities stemmed from his innate technique and that technique was now temporarily lost due to the break of his domain. All that was needed for Sukuna to heal and kick Arai in the chest sending him tumbling back.

Sukuna grimaced. "You were a tad bit too slow. Just a bit." 

[Domain Expansion-]

A new spark was made.

[Malevolent Shrine!]

And a new domain was now manifested. With no pacts to confine him, Sukuna fully released his abilities and Arai could not do anything, but watch with astonishment as Sukuna expanded his domain once more.

"You should wipe off that surprised look and take one of despair." Sukuna cackled as he walked up to Arai.

"I knew you would focus on buy time so I accumulated as much cursed energy I could while fighting you. All so that I can break the domain from the inside, a move that you wouldn't expect. But you knew that your domain was weaker than mine, so you made sure to hold off until I expanded mine, right?"

Sukuna took a look of ponderation and then laughed mockingly. "Kahaha!! I forgot you can't talk, something with a Heavenly Pact I'm sure. Well this has been fun, be proud that you have pushed me this far. Not many can hold that achievement."

Arai could watch as Sukuna made his move, he closed his eyes and oddly felt at peace. His danger sense kept flaring so he turned it off. He turned everything off, all his pacts and all his connections with everyone. He knew it was over.

This was his end.

"So this is the end." Arai said as he stared off at the sunset.

With the ocean waves washing over his bare-feet in the sand, he felt at peace. There was nothing left for him to do, so it was time for him to leave his duty behind and rest for a while. He laid down on his back and closed his eyes feeling the cold wind hit his body.

"I guess Haibara was right, getting some free time alone with no task to do or waiting for feels great."

"Well obviously, nobody wants to work overtime."

"Leave my old man alone, he's exhausted after the fight."

Arai leaned his head back and saw Nanami and Maki walking up to him.

"So I guess it's time to walk over to the horizon." Arai said with a smile.

Nanami patted Arai on the shoulder. "Can't just stay here, right? The dead needs to leave the living alone. That's why the 'Sanzu River' was made. At least I think that's why."

"Looks more like an ocean than a river to me." Arai said before he stretched and got up. "It's time to finally get some peace of mind. Who knows, maybe I'll get enlightened like Buddha."

"Someone so narrowminded wouldn't be able to be enlightened." Maki said and sticked her tongue out while running to the ocean.

"You brat! Don't shame me for my dreams." Arai laughed before he sat down and saw the two going into the river. The last laugh they would have together as Nanami and Maki disappeared into the horizon and into the afterlife.

"Wait for me there."

"What a sorry sight." Sukuna mocked Arai as he looked at his corpse or whatever that was left of him. All that was left was a stain of blood on the ground. 

The markings on his face slowly faded away and he smiled one last time.

"Hey brat, take a good look brat at what you've done." The markings completely disappeared and the smiling face was now one of distraught.

Distraught over what he had done. His body had murdered thousands of people because of him. And a parent of one of his friends was dead. 

As tears filled his eyes, he could only blame himself for his mistakes and utter these words.

"...just die. I just want to die."

That was the day, Isao Arai was declared dead by the higher-ups of the Jujutsu Society.

31 October 2018, 8.36 P.M.