"Toji, if you don't act now, Amanai Riko won't be able to hold on much longer."

Knowing that Toji did not care about the fate of the Zenin clan, Naobito pressed him directly. He didn't want the entire Zenin family wiped out even if this Curse User was killed.

If the Zenin clan fell during his time as clan head, that would be far too tragic.

The moment Naobito's voice fell, Uraume felt a sharp pain in her chest. For some reason, a long black blade had pierced through her body.

How is this possible? How is it possible?

Her face twisted in disbelief.

Inside her own Domain Expansion, how could Toji approach without a sound?

"What kind of rules are these!?"

She endured the searing pain and forced herself free from Katen Kyōkotsu's strike.

Every unfamiliar game was an attack nearly impossible to avoid. She had escaped from Irooni and Takaoni before, but this time, she had been struck by a new technique.

"Kageoni. If your shadow is stepped on, you lose."

What…

She did not understand at first, but it was clear this game was connected to shadows.

Turning her head, she saw Toji emerging from her own shadow, and finally understood the mysterious nature of this ability.

The Zenin clan's shadow arts. This seemed even more refined than the Zenin family's jujutsu.

With the overwhelming body of Heavenly Restriction and the bizarre games of his Zanpakutō, could such a man truly be defeated? Were these three games the limit of Katen Kyōkotsu?

Uraume did not know, but fear had already crept into her heart.

Yet under such circumstances, how could Toji possibly let her escape?

"Kageoni!"

He leapt from her shadow and slashed with both blades.

Uraume dragged her wounded body to dodge. Though Katen Kyōkotsu missed her directly, deep gashes still tore across her flesh, and her monk's robe was shredded to rags.

Kageoni's special ability.

She realized the game did not only allow Toji to hide and move freely within shadows.

His earlier strike had missed, but he had still swung with full force into the ground.

It was to strike her shadow.

If your shadow is stepped on, you lose.

Within the vast shadow of the Pavilion, Toji held the main battlefield.

But the rules of the game were equal to both players.

Her own shadow was influenced by the pavilion's shadow. The same applied to Toji.

Uraume's lips tightened. A breath of frost left her mouth, not at Toji, but at the ground, freezing the shadow itself.

Toji had cut her twice. She would not allow him to leave unscathed.

If she wanted to retreat, she first needed to repel him.

Her body could no longer sustain the task of killing the Star Plasma Vessel. For the sake of Lord Sukuna, and the battles to come, she had to preserve her strength.

She had to admit that in her current state, she could not endure a prolonged battle against Toji.

Katen Kyōkotsu had played a decisive role.

But its games only had their greatest effect the first time. Once experienced, their impact would be diminished.

She had to leave, and quickly.

"Sakura Blizzard!"

She unleashed her ice technique once more, but this time it was not an attack. It was only meant to obstruct Toji's movements.

No one knew that Uraume had already decided to retreat. Not even Naobito or Naoya, who both believed she was still capable of fighting on equal ground with Toji.

Even Toji himself thought the same.

After all, this was his first time facing a sorcerer who possessed a Domain Expansion. He could not afford to be careless.

Especially since Amanai Riko was only a normal human. If Uraume somehow slipped past him, how would he face Satoshi?

"Such pressure. This is the true strength of a sorcerer, father."

Naoya sighed. This overwhelming power filled him with despair. He felt he could never hope to surpass such a Curse User in his lifetime.

Naobito nodded. Among the Zenin clan members who had inherited Projection Sorcery, none had ever awakened an innate Domain.

Although there was no absolute connection between a Domain Expansion and one's innate Cursed Technique, it was widely accepted in the jujutsu world that the more powerful the technique, the greater the chance of comprehending a Domain.

As for whether the Ten Shadows Technique could compete with a Domain Expansion, Naobito did not know. But to him, Toji, who wielded both Heavenly Restriction and Katen Kyōkotsu, was undeniably stronger.

Still, it seemed unlikely that a powerful Curse User like Uraume would flee after only a few exchanges.

Yet from the inner room, Maki suddenly shouted,

"Niisan, that person is going to run away!"

Her young voice was soft, but her words were startling.

Naobito and Naoya both glanced at her, dismissing them as childish nonsense. But Uraume's expression shifted immediately.

The frost behind her condensed faster.

When Toji heard Maki's warning, his pupils contracted. He sensed the change in Uraume.

Kicking off with his left foot, he lunged forward. This time, he did not use Katen Kyōkotsu's games, only the raw strength of his Heavenly Restriction body, swinging straight for her.

But what greeted him was only the slight curl of Uraume's lips.

"It's too late."

"Zenin Toji, I will remember you. You are strong, perhaps even stronger than Gojo Satoru."

"But next time we meet, I will be the one who wins."

Her figure dissolved into ice, and Toji's fist smashed nothing but a puppet of frost.

Only the echo of Uraume's voice and the drifting snow remained in the sky.

(To be continued.)

***

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