Ultimate Man [JJK X SOL]: Loading Golden Entries at The Start

While Maki and the others were strong, even when combining their efforts with Nobara and Ysuuji, they could probably only handle an ordinary special-grade cursed spirit.

But the cursed spirit of loneliness standing before them was anything but ordinary.

"..."

Maki wasn't foolish. She understood what Ryuji meant when he stepped forward, wordlessly taking charge of the situation. She gripped her weapon tightly, frustration bubbling inside her.

Maki had always been the type to push herself relentlessly to prove her worth. As she stood there, powerless to contribute, her resolve only hardened. She swore to herself that when this was over, she would train even harder. Next time, she wouldn't just be an observer.

"Being alone is the only destination!"

The cursed spirit's body rippled like liquid mud, twisting grotesquely as it launched a mass of sludge toward Ryuji.

"Disgusting," Ryuji muttered, watching the attack approach.

The method was revolting, more a test of tolerance than a real threat.

"Dissipate."

With a single word, Ryuji's cursed speech activated.

A pulse of energy spread outward, obliterating the sludge midair before it could touch him.

"Impressive," Sukuna murmured from within Yuji, observing the fight through his host's eyes. His interest was piqued.

Ryuji's technique was powerful, no doubt about that, but Sukuna wasn't impressed enough to feel threatened. He wondered, however, if Ryuji had more up his sleeve—something that might surprise him.

"Lonely! Lonely! Lonely!"

The cursed spirit roared, refusing to give up. More waves of sludge formed and hurled themselves at Ryuji in rapid succession.

"Enough of this."

His gaze sharpened, and a distortion of space appeared around the cursed spirit. The mud-like body was caught instantly, unable to move.

The cursed spirit writhed in the distorted space, its form contorting under the immense pressure.

"Unreal…" Itadori Yuji muttered, staring in awe at the spectacle. Nobara and Maki were equally stunned.

They had heard stories of Ryuji's abilities but seeing them in person was an entirely different experience. It was like witnessing a power that existed on another plane of reality.

Within Yuji's mind, Sukuna's laughter echoed.

"Interesting."

For the first time, Sukuna spoke aloud, his voice emerging through Yuji's lips.

"What the hell?" Yuji asked, startled. Sukuna rarely spoke unprompted, let alone during a battle.

But this time, Sukuna ignored Yuji entirely. His attention was locked on Ryuji, or more specifically, the power Ryuji was using.

There was no mistaking it. The energy Ryuji wielded was linked to Sukuna's missing fingers. Two of them, in fact, were undoubtedly in Ryuji's possession.

"Fate works in mysterious ways," Sukuna thought, amused at the unexpected turn of events.

Yuji scratched his head, confused but choosing not to press Sukuna further.

Meanwhile, the cursed spirit was growing desperate.

"What kind of power is this?"

The distorted space tightened around it like a vice, leaving no room for escape.

Realizing it had no other options, the cursed spirit activated its trump card.

"Domain Expansion—Land of Death!"

With a roar, the cursed spirit unleashed its domain. The sky darkened once more, and the oppressive atmosphere returned.

Yuji, Nobara, and Maki, who had been watching from a distance, vanished from Ryuji's sight as the cursed spirit's domain forced them into separate spaces.

"Of course," Ryuji muttered to himself, unfazed.

As a spirit of loneliness, it made sense for its domain to isolate its targets. Solitude was the essence of its power.

"Lonely! Lonely! Lonely!"

The cursed spirit's voice echoed in the darkness. At the same time, Ryuji could feel the creeping sensation of loneliness tugging at his mind, trying to corrode his will.

"Not bad," he admitted, acknowledging the cursed spirit's abilities. "But this ends here."

Ryuji raised his hand, his expression calm and resolute.

"Domain Expansion—Horizon of the Captivating Skandha!"

This time, Ryuji chose not to use his Malevolent Shrine.

The domain he activated was one he had gotten from Dagon, a closed domain. Though it wasn't as versatile as an open domain, with Ryuji's immense power, it was more than enough to handle a newly born special-grade cursed spirit.

"Buzz!"

The cursed spirit resisted, trying to push back against the domain's intrusion.

But its efforts were futile. Within moments, the darkness dissolved, replaced by light.

Yuji, Nobara, and Maki, who had been trapped in separate spaces, suddenly found themselves standing together again.

They blinked, disoriented as their surroundings shifted into a sunny beachscape, complete with waves crashing against the shore.

"What… is this?" Nobara asked, staring around in disbelief.

Before anyone could answer, the cursed spirit's voice rang out, laced with disbelief and rage.

"Impossible! How can you have two domains?!"

The cursed spirit was reeling. It had already been defeated once by Ryuji's Malevolent Shrine. Yet the domain surrounding them now was completely different.

"How can a person possess two domains?!" it screeched, its voice tinged with fear.

The cursed spirit, having only recently been born, couldn't comprehend what it was seeing.

Inside Yuji's body, Sukuna chuckled darkly.

"As expected."

Unlike the cursed spirit, Sukuna understood what was happening. But even he was astonished by Ryuji's ability.

"This guy… Copying techniques is one thing, but copying domains? That's just absurd," Sukuna muttered.

He leaned back within Yuji's mind, his grin widening.

"It's ridiculous. But I have to admit… it's impressive."@@novelbin@@