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

Nanami was just about to say something when the Transformer-like cursed spirit interrupted.

"I am a cursed spirit born from humanity's fear of cars. All humans, die!"

"Hahahaha!"

A crazed laugh filled the air.

Humans afraid of cars? Come to think of it, there hadn't been any cursed spirit like this in "Jujutsu Kaisen" before. But considering the bizarre world of curses, it wasn't that surprising.

With that declaration, the cursed spirit waved its massive hands, sending a horde of vehicles sedans, vans, trucks—rushing straight toward Ryuji.

"Is this… a domain?"

Ryuji tried to dodge, but the cars still barreled toward him. That meant one thing: the cursed spirit had deployed its domain, a space with a guaranteed hit effect.

"Be careful!" Nanami warned, though he knew how powerful Ryuji was. "In this domain, cars will keep crashing into you!"

No wonder Nanami had struggled, constantly fending off cars without a chance to get close. He hadn't been able to fight back properly.

"Don't worry about me," Ryuji replied with a calm smile, hands still in his pockets as the cars seemed about to crash into him.

"Die, human!" the cursed spirit cackled, believing it had won.

"This is it…" Nanami watched, feeling a cold sweat. Even though he trusted Ryuji's abilities, the scene unfolding still made him nervous.

But then, to Nanami's surprise, the cars passed through Ryuji as if he were a ghost, not even grazing him.

This was the power of Third Dimension, his intangibility.

"You know, I haven't used this phasing ability much," Ryuji mused aloud. The truth was, with his overwhelming strength, he rarely had the need to use such a specific technique. But he had to admit, it was ridiculously overpowered.

In the face of Third Dimension's phasing ability, the must-hit effect of any domain became a joke.

"How… how is this possible?" The cursed spirit, previously full of confidence, froze in shock. Its most powerful attack had just gone right through Ryuji, leaving him completely unharmed.

"Is it over already?" Ryuji asked, noticing the attacks had come to a halt. His indifferent smile didn't waver.

Clasping his hands together, he turned his gaze to the cursed spirit.

"In that case, why don't I show you my domain?"

If the other side had unleashed a domain, it was only fair to respond in kind.

"What… is that?" Nanami watched in awe.

So far, only Gojo had seen Ryuji use his domain, but even Nanami, knowing Ryuji's talent, couldn't help but be impressed.

"Domain Expansion: Horizon of the Captivating Skandha!"

The domain of Horizon of the Captivating Skandha opened up, its space replacing the cursed spirit's domain in an instant. Unlike Sukuna's Malevolent Shrine, this domain wasn't as fearsome, but it was more than enough to deal with an ordinary special-grade cursed spirit.

With Ryuji's vast well of cursed energy powering it, the cursed spirit's domain was crushed in mere moments.

"What… what is this place?"

Nanami, now seeing the beach, the bright sun, and the gentle waves of Horizon of the Captivating Skandha for the first time, was taken aback.

"This is… beautiful."

He hadn't expected such a serene, almost vacation-like domain.

"I've always wanted to visit a place like this on holiday," Nanami remarked with a hint of longing. "Who knew the first time I'd see such a sight would be inside a domain!"

While Nanami admired the scenery, the cursed spirit was clearly panicking. It hadn't expected its own domain to be overwhelmed so easily.

"How… how can this be?"

Its confidence shattered, the cursed spirit's eyes darted around at the now unfamiliar space. But before it could react, Ryuji's calm voice echoed again.

"Let the dead rise."

In an instant, the tranquil ocean began to churn. From its depths, cursed spirits shaped like giant fish leapt into the air, rushing straight toward the Transformer-like cursed spirit.

Within Ryuji's domain, the sure-hit effect was in full force. The cursed spirit had no chance to dodge.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The cursed spirit initially tried to resist, but soon it was overwhelmed, struck again and again until it couldn't fight back.

"This… this is impossible!" The cursed spirit, unable to comprehend its defeat, screamed in disbelief. It hadn't expected to be defeated so thoroughly and easily.

Deploying a domain wasn't enough. The difference in power was just too vast. Even the fearsome Horizon of the Captivating Skandha had become far more powerful in Ryuji's hands due to his absurdly high level of cursed energy.

"Well, not bad."

Ryuji seemed satisfied with the result.

"Soul Devouring!"

Without wasting any time, he activated his Soul Devouring ability. Chains shot out from his back, swiftly wrapping around the cursed spirit. The fish-like cursed spirits retreated as their prey was claimed.

Though it wasn't the most massive cursed spirit he had ever consumed, a special-grade spirit was always a good catch.

"A pity…" Ryuji muttered as the chains retracted. The fish spirits returned to the ocean, disappearing as quickly as they had appeared.

The cursed spirits inside the domain were just manifestations of Ryuji's cursed energy, not real cursed spirits he could consume. Otherwise, he could create cursed spirits at will and devour them for power.

"That would've been perfect."

The domain faded, and Nanami stood up, brushing the dust from his clothes.

"Thanks again," he said gratefully. He wasn't naive—he knew he'd have been dead if not for Ryuji stepping in.

"It's nothing," Ryuji replied casually, waving off the gratitude.

"There have been more and more cursed spirits like this lately," Ryuji noted, recalling the spirit's claim that it had been born from the fear of cars. He hadn't seen anything like that before.

"Yeah," Nanami sighed. "People's negative emotions are off the charts these days. The number and variety of cursed spirits have gone through the roof."

"So what's Jujutsu High's plan to deal with it?" Ryuji asked, curious.

"There've been rumors…" Nanami hesitated for a moment but decided to share. After all, Ryuji had saved his life—more than once, in fact. "They're talking about… live streaming."

"Live streaming?" Ryuji was taken aback, then couldn't help but laugh. "So, sorcerers are going to become internet celebrities now?"

"That's one way to put it," Nanami said with a shrug. It sounded absurd, but in the current situation, it might be the best option.

"Right now, too many people have witnessed cursed spirits. It won't be long before everyone knows about them. The idea is to stream battles with cursed spirits so people can see sorcerers in action and feel safer. Maybe that'll calm their fear."

It made sense. People's fear of cursed spirits had fueled the rise in curses. If they could show the public that sorcerers were capable of handling these threats, it might reduce their fear.

But…

"Fear isn't the only negative emotion out there, you know," Ryuji said, shaking his head. "There's also jealousy."

People could be petty and spiteful. If they saw sorcerers wielding powers far beyond that of ordinary humans, some would inevitably feel jealous, angry even.

"Why not me? Why don't I have that power? Why am I just an observer?"

Those feelings could easily give rise to resentment, hatred, and bitterness—emotions just as dangerous as fear.

"…"

Nanami was silent for a moment, understanding the truth of Ryuji's words. But still…

"This is the only solution we have right now. We'll just have to deal with it as best we can."

Seeing cursed spirits wasn't something that had ever happened on this scale before. The higher-ups didn't have a perfect answer.

Ryuji chuckled. "Well, if Gojo is around, he can probably handle most of it. Just having him should be enough to put people at ease."

Gojo was the strongest sorcerer alive. Even if people got jealous, they wouldn't dare act on it as long as Gojo was there to keep things in check.

"And with your power, Ryuji-kun, I'm sure you'll keep plenty of people in line too."

Nanami looked at him with admiration. Ryuji's strength was also more than enough to keep troublemakers at bay.

"Haha, maybe," Ryuji said, smiling. "But honestly, I just want a peaceful life. If the cursed spirits get too out of control, it'll ruin my quiet days."

Nanami knew Ryuji wasn't the type to enjoy being tied down. He didn't want to be part of Jujutsu High, preferring his freedom.

"That's fine. It's just reassuring to have someone like you on our side."

Gojo was powerful, but he could be unreliable. Ryuji, though, was someone Nanami could trust to get the job done.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

With the cursed spirit dealt with, Ryuji wasn't planning to stick around any longer.

"I've got leads on a few more special-grade cursed spirits I need to handle, so I'll be heading out."

"Understood."

Nanami watched him leave, then sighed.

"Looks like I'll be working overtime again. Ugh, I hate overtime."

***

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