"Tch. About time." Naoya spat blood as his Domain finally collapsed.
His vision blurred, his body barely holding together. He turned his head slightly—Shoko stood not far away, her face frozen in shock.
???????
"How… are you alive?" she asked, genuine confusion in her voice.
Naoya coughed, tasting iron. "Why the hell were you so close to the Domain? Do you have zero survival instincts?"
Shoko blinked, still processing what had just happened.
"Shut up and heal me," Naoya muttered, his voice weaker now, his balance slipping.
He felt his body giving out. Darkness crept into the edges of his vision. His knees buckled—
Shoko rushed forward, reaching out to catch him.
But even at death's door, Naoya refused.
With the last of his strength, he twisted away, dodging Shoko's arms and letting himself hit the ground, risking further injury.
"$**$ Naoya, You're ridiculous."
Naoya smirked faintly, even as his body collapsed. Not even on the brink of death would he fall into a woman's arms.
Shoko let out a sigh, shaking her head. "You're really making me consider leaving you to die."
"Then do it .... bitch," Naoya muttered weakly—before losing consciousness completely.
Shoko sighed, then without hesitation, delivered a strong slam to his stomach.
Naoya's eyes snapped open as he violently coughed up blood.
"You- "
"Just making sure you're still alive,"Shoko said, rolling her eyes.
.........….
...….
…
Naoya's eyes snapped open as sunlight streamed through the windows of his dorm room at Jujutsu High. His body ached, but the worst of his injuries had clearly been treated.
He sat up with a grunt, wincing as his muscles protested. The last thing he remembered was collapsing on the battlefield after defeating Kosetsu. That damn woman must have dragged him back here.
The door creaked open. "Oh good, you're finally awake," Shoko said, leaning against the doorframe.
"You've been out for three days."
"Three days?" Naoya scoffed, running a hand through his dishevelled hair. "That's nothing. I could've woken up sooner if I wanted to."
"Right. Because choosing to be unconscious is definitely how biology works." She tossed him a bottle of water. "Drink. Your body's still recovering."
Naoya caught it effortlessly, twisting off the cap with one hand. "Where's Gojo and Geto?"
"On a mission"
Naoya, having finished the bottle of water, leaned back slightly, his gaze fixed on Shoko. "Do you have any questions? You keep staring at me."
Before Shoko could respond, the door creaked open.
It was none other than Principal Yaga, stepping in with a purposeful look.
"We have a couple of questions for you."
Naoya sighed, tossing the empty bottle aside. His irritation grew as people kept barging into his room like it was some kind of marketplace.
"Tch. No privacy, huh?" He muttered before turning his attention to Yaga.
"Fine, what do you wanna know?"
Yaga folded his arms, his expression serious. "How did you win? Or more precisely, how did you survive?"
"You make it sound complicated," Naoya scoffed, stretching his arms behind his head. "I won because I'm stronger. Simple as that."
Yaga's expression remained stern. "Kosetsu was a fully realized Special Grade with a Domain Expansion. The difference between—"
"—between a curse with a Domain and one without is like night and day, yeah yeah," Naoya interrupted, waving a hand dismissively. "I know. Doesn't change the fact that I crushed it."
Shoko let out an audible sigh from the doorway, while Yaga remained stone-faced. "That's not an answer, Naoya. We need proper details for the mission report."
Naoya rolled his eyes. "Fine. The snowman's Domain was strong, I'll give it that." He paused, tapping the empty water bottle against his knee. "I used Simple Domain first to buy time. When that wasn't cutting it..." A cocky grin spread across his face. "I just opened my own Domain. Simple as that."
Yaga's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline. "Your own Domain? You've achieved Domain Expansion?" His voice carried clear disbelief.
Even Shoko looked shocked, though she'd privately suspected something like that. Still, the idea was ridiculous - Domain Expansion is the peak of jujutsu sorcery, most people die before even achieving it.
Naoya just smirked, enjoying their reactions. "What? Surprised? Thought I couldn't do it?" He leaned back against his pillows, the picture of arrogance. "Guess you underestimated me."
"Well, we'll continue discussing this later," Yaga sighed, turning to leave the room. His heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway as he disappeared around the corner.
Shoko remained for a moment longer, studying Naoya with an unreadable expression. "You really pulled it off, huh?" she muttered, almost as if confirming it for herself.
Naoya's smirk widened, "Of course I did."
Shoko shook her head slightly, that same thoughtful look still in her eyes as she turned to follow Yaga. Both of them shared the same unspoken thought as they walked away from Naoya.
Naoya Zen'in, with his newly awakened Domain Expansion, might actually be stronger than Gojo Satoru at this very moment.
.................................…
.....................
........
One week had passed in the blink of an eye. The morning sun streamed through the windows as Naoya stretched his fully recovered body, his eyes gleaming with determination. Now that he had mastered Domain Expansion, there was another powerful technique he sought to conquer - Domain Amplification.
Domain Amplification - an advanced anti-domain technique that enveloped the user in a thin layer of a domain without imbuing it with a cursed technique. This unique property allowed it to neutralize any opposing technique or Domain Expansion upon contact by pouring the enemy's power into that empty space. In Naoya's eyes, it was downright overpowered.
Not only would it give him a way to bypass troublesome techniques like Gojo's Infinity without relying solely on his Domain Expansion, but it would also weaken any attacks that made contact with him. The defensive and offensive applications were immense - just look at how Sukuna had tanked Gojo's Red and Blue attacks like they were almost nothing, while those same techniques would obliterate nearly anyone else in the jujutsu world.
Naoya smirked as he cracked his knuckles. This was the next step in his path to supremacy. With both Domain Expansion and Domain Amplification in his arsenal, even the so-called "strongest" would have to acknowledge his power.
The training ground awaited. It was time to push his limits even further.
......….
Meanwhile...
As Geto and Gojo strolled through the streets, Geto turned to his friend.
"Hey, Satoru. Did you hear the news about Naoya?"
Gojo stopped mid-step before chuckling. "And what about it?"
"He's mastered Domain Expansion."
"is that so?"
Gojo's smile widened. "Heh. Well, I suppose it was only a matter of time before I learn it too."
"Same for me." Geto added, a confident glint in his eyes.
A moment of silence passed before Geto spoke again, a hint of curiosity in his tone. "If you and Naoya fought now, who would win?"
Gojo tilted his head, pretending to think. "Hmm, let me see..." He started walking again. "If Naoya used all his arsenal and Domain Expansion, it might be a little draining."
"But would you lose?"
Gojo tilted his head slightly, as if considering it—then flashed a grin.
"Nah. I'd win."