HRU: Chapter 212/213

Chapter 212: It's Really a Domain

This made nearly the entire audience believe that Satoru and Suguru's team was doomed to lose.

Satoru said, "Suguru, be careful. I can feel it. This thing is strong..."

Hearing this, Suguru narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Yeah, it's strong. But unfortunately for it, we're stronger."

With that, he took a slight step back. Not from fear, but to bait the enemy.

He and Satoru had long since developed an unshakable sense of coordination.

As expected.

With Suguru feigning vulnerability, the cursed spirit grinned with a twisted expression and vanished in an instant.

Suguru's expression shifted subtly.

Satoru immediately warned,
"Suguru, watch out. It's fast!"

He once again removed his special glasses and placed them into his pocket. In that moment, his brilliant blue eyes lit up once more.

Empowered by Cursed Energy, the Gojo clan's Six Eyes began to rotate slowly.

Satoru could see the cursed energy flowing through the air. He instantly locked onto the cursed spirit's location.

It hadn't disappeared.

Instead, with the boost from cursed energy, it was rapidly closing in on Suguru at a speed the naked eye could barely follow.

However.

Though Suguru didn't possess the Six Eyes, his instincts sharpened through countless battles told him exactly what the cursed spirit was planning.

You're trying to pick off the weaker one first? Too bad.

He murmured, "Cursed Spirit Manipulation: Rainbow Dragon!"

In that instant, a white dragon burst out from beside him, barreling toward the incoming cursed spirit.

Once you know the target and angle of the attack, no matter how fast your opponent is, it's hard to be caught off guard.

Faced with the sudden counterattack, the cursed spirit was visibly startled.

But it recovered quickly.

This one wasn't reckless.

It figured it could break through the Rainbow Dragon, but there were two opponents, and it still had to keep a wary eye on that Six Eyes brat.

It would be unwise to turn its back, so it used its high mobility to veer off to the side.

But right then.

"The technique comes first. Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue."

A calm voice echoed beside its ear.

Unnoticed, the Six Eyes user had already appeared at its side!

Teleportation?

The cursed spirit was stunned. It prided itself on its speed, yet the opponent had kept up effortlessly.

It was too late to evade. Its expression shifted.

In the next moment, a violent surge of negative energy exploded across its body, shaking the entire building.

...

Outside the screen, the spectators were stunned.

"Are those really Geto Suguru and Gojo Satoru?"

"That cursed spirit is no joke, but it took a massive hit in just two exchanges!"

"That Rainbow Dragon Suguru controls is definitely above Grade 1!"

"Their teamwork is perfect!"

"Not to mention Satoru's technique is insane. Even a Special Grade cursed spirit should be half-dead if not outright exorcised after taking that hit!"

"I thought Satoshi might win, but now I think I overestimated him!"

"Satoru right now might even be stronger than Satoshi was nine years ago!"

...

In the battle scene.

Seeing Satoru land a direct hit on the cursed spirit, Suguru smiled and said,
"Nice one, Satoru!"

"If anyone tries to mess with the two of us, they better be ready to get wrecked."

"Don't let your guard down. It's not exorcised yet." Satoru's expression remained serious. Cursed Energy still surged in his glowing blue eyes.

Once he entered battle mode, Satoru became deadly focused.

Unlike Suguru, the surrounding obstacles didn't block his Six Eyes.

He quickly realized the cursed spirit wasn't just still alive—its cursed energy was even denser than before.

Suddenly, a distorted, raspy voice echoed from all directions.

"Cursed Spirit Manipulation, Six Eyes... No wonder they sent you."

"But it's too bad. You're still going to die here."

As the voice faded, the cursed spirit stepped forward, reappearing in front of them.

Satoru and Suguru both froze in shock.

Because despite taking a direct hit, the cursed spirit looked completely unscathed.

"How is that possible?" Suguru frowned. "Did it miss?"

Satoru's eyes narrowed, Cursed Energy flowing in his gaze.

Then he understood.

He let out a quiet chuckle. "Suguru, it healed with the power of Sukuna's finger. But don't worry, that power won't last forever."

The cursed spirit bared its teeth in a cruel grin.
"Oh? You figured it out? Not bad. But it's more than enough to kill you before it runs out."

"Because…" It stared at the two of them and said slowly, "Domain Expansion."

Suddenly, with a deep rumble, the atmosphere shifted. The surrounding blood mist thickened dramatically.

A terrifying pressure surged out from the cursed spirit.

"Domain?" Suguru and Satoru's expressions changed instantly.

They could feel it. Their cursed energy was being suppressed.

In the next moment, the pale blue glow in Satoru's eyes dimmed. His Cursed Energy began to dissipate. Suguru could no longer sense the Rainbow Dragon he had summoned.

"Our cursed energy… it's sealed?"

"What the hell is this thing?!"

...

At Jujutsu High, everyone in front of the screen had grim expressions.

"It actually used Domain Expansion!"

"The power of Sukuna's finger doesn't just grant healing through Reverse Cursed Technique... It even gave it the ability to use Domain Expansion?!"

"Even a top-tier sorcerer would struggle against a cursed spirit of this level..."

"Isn't this way too much for a high school entrance test?!"

"This is just murder!"

"Their cursed energy seems sealed. Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru are in serious danger!"

"Someone arrange a rescue team now!"

"If they can't use cursed energy inside the domain, they won't last long!"

...

Seeing the cursed spirit use its Domain, everyone watching felt chills down their spines.

Satoru and Suguru hadn't unlocked their own Domains yet. Something might really happen!

On the high platform, the five members of the Gojo family gripped their teacups tightly, expressions grim.

Over the past nine years, they had watched Satoru grow. He was, without question, the greatest genius the Gojo clan had produced in a thousand years.

But it was still too soon for him to face a cursed spirit that could deploy Domain Expansion.

Kumaen and Shunichi both looked visibly worried.

Meanwhile, the Zenin clan members couldn't help showing a hint of schadenfreude.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 213: The Tug of War

Between Special Grade Cursed Spirits

"It's really not that easy to complete the S-grade entrance exam..."

"Tch, if you don't have what it takes, don't take the mission. That's just walking straight into death..."

Zenin Naobito frowned. Then as if recalling something, he shook his head and muttered, "Satoru and Suguru aren't that easy to kill..."

The very next moment.

Just as the rescue team monitoring Satoru's battle was about to move, Principal Sekiguchi Seiji shouted,
"Stand down. No need for rescue!"

He cut off the operation before it could begin.

"Principal Sekiguchi, are you insane?"

"Why aren't you authorizing a rescue? You want to watch them die in there?"

"Gojo Satoru's Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue didn't even damage the cursed spirit earlier, and now their Cursed Energy is sealed..."

Sekiguchi pointed at the massive screen and said calmly,
"The feed from the Cursed Corpse live broadcast hasn't been interrupted."

Everyone froze, turning back toward the display.

What they saw shocked them.

Even with their Cursed Energy sealed, Satoru and Suguru didn't look the slightest bit panicked inside the cursed spirit's Domain.

There was no call for help.

Instead, it was the cursed spirit that suddenly howled in pain.

The tension in the room eased at once.

They had no idea what had just happened.

The feed flickered, then stabilized.

On-screen, Suguru stood with Hōzukimaru in hand, gently waving it aside.
"Sorry," he said calmly, "I'm actually pretty good at hand-to-hand combat too."

It seemed the cursed spirit had miscalculated. Thinking Suguru was vulnerable with his Cursed Energy sealed, it had gone in for the kill… only to be repelled by the Zanpakutō in his hand.

The audience was stunned.

"That's a Zanpakutō in Geto's hand!"

"Yeah. Zanpakutō don't rely on Cursed Energy to be used!"

"That explains it."

"No wonder Principal Sekiguchi didn't authorize a rescue. Even with their Cursed Energy sealed, with Zanpakutō, they can still fight a Special Grade cursed spirit head-on!"

Sure enough.

After being repelled by Suguru, the cursed spirit didn't get a moment's rest.

Because Satoru was already waiting for it.

Without anyone noticing, he had moved with precise coordination and was now standing at the cursed spirit's flank.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura!" Satoru shouted.

The blade in his hand fragmented into thousands of tiny invisible petals under the light, and they shot toward the cursed spirit like a blizzard of cherry blossoms.

Pink fragments enveloped the cursed spirit.

Moments later, it shrieked in agony again.

When the blades dispersed, its entire body was riddled with shallow cuts. It staggered, nearly falling to the ground.

It was terrified.

Even with their Cursed Energy sealed, they're still this strong...

If not for the regenerative power granted by Sukuna's finger, that last attack from Satoru might have sliced it to pieces.

Seeing this, the crowd watching the broadcast was shaken.

"As expected of the strongest duo of the new generation. Their power is insane!"

"Damn. That cursed spirit thought Geto was easy prey just because his Cursed Energy was sealed. Instead, it got slammed back with his Zanpakutō!"

"Suguru's hand-to-hand combat combined with his Zanpakutō is terrifying. The cursed spirit completely underestimated him. What a joke!"

"No wonder Principal Sekiguchi didn't call for help. They didn't need it."

"Honestly, the Zanpakutō might even output more damage than Cursed Techniques!"

"If this keeps up, it's just a matter of time before that cursed spirit is exorcised!"

"And they'll be the first to clear an S-grade trial at Jujutsu High!"

...

Watching all this, Kumaen almost crushed his teacup in excitement.

"Thank goodness Satoshi made Zanpakutō for them. Otherwise, Satoru would've really been in danger this time."

Shunichi also laughed, "It's just a matter of time before he wins."

"Now it's up to Young Master Satoshi!"

...

Zenin Shinsuke, who stood silently at the edge of the crowd, trembled as he looked at the Zanpakutō.

"That's...."

The monks around him sighed quietly.

"Now that Gojo Satoshi has awakened, it makes sense that his Zanpakutō creations have returned with him."

...

Toji watched the screen and muttered emotionally, "Satoru and Suguru are surprisingly proficient with their Zanpakutō. Yuto, if you keep slacking off, they will surpass you."

Yuto replied flatly, "Toji, I'm not a power-obsessed maniac like you. If they surpass me, then so be it."

"Either way, I'm still very satisfied with Nozarashi right now."

...

Meanwhile, in a remote courtyard in Shikoku.

Itadori Kaori scowled and shook her head.
"Zanpakutō again… Gojo Satoshi's influence is everywhere."

"I didn't expect that even the Domain prepared specifically for Satoru and Suguru couldn't kill them... but?"

She narrowed her eyes.

"There's something off about Sukuna's Domain. Why are they still able to use their Zanpakutō within it? It's as if Sukuna intended it that way."

Then, sensing something, she suddenly smiled.

"Did Satoshi walk into the trap too?"

"As long as Gojo Satoshi dies, these Zanpakutō will be meaningless. Ryoumen Sukuna, King of Curses from a thousand years ago... don't disappoint me."

...

Back in the footage.

Even with his Zanpakutō, Satoru was clearly caught in a back-and-forth battle.

Despite the power of Sukuna's fingers, the cursed spirit was on its last legs.

It was only a matter of grinding it down now before it could be fully exorcised and Sukuna's finger reclaimed.

Meanwhile, the other group.

Satoshi hadn't even encountered his cursed spirit yet.

The contrast between the two was obvious.

The crowd, who had hoped to witness an intense battle between the two Gojo prodigies, now felt deflated.

Satoru was nearly finished. Satoshi hadn't even started.

The gap in attitude was disappointing.

But suddenly, someone cried out, "Look! Satoshi's team just ran into a cursed spirit too!"

The entire crowd perked up and quickly turned toward Satoshi's screen.

(To be continued.)