Three Months Later:
Ethan was exiting New York County Family Court. He had just completed the legal proceedings for his adoption by Lucy Park—a well-forged alias used by the Ancient One.
He had spent the last three months under more supervision than he ever experienced back at the orphanage. After all, a notice-me-not barrier only works passively, not actively. It can fail against determined or highly observant individuals—and anyone who knew Miss Andler knew just how dedicated she was to her work at the orphanage. Unfortunately for Ethan, that dedication included unexpected visits to check on his welfare. He was certain that if Miss Andler ever found out how he usually spent his evenings, she would faint on the spot.
But—
Today marked the end of the supervisory period.
His official name was now Ethan Park.
No more surprise welfare checks by the county.
He had also been enrolled in East Side Elementary School. He didn't really need to attend, but New York City had strict legal guidelines stating that an adoptive parent must ensure their child's formal education.
His life settled back into a rhythm.
He attended school in the mornings, visited the Sanctum Sanctorum library in the afternoons for a few hours—though he no longer needed additional books on barriers, as his Ten Shadows Technique manual functioned almost like an encyclopedia for anything related to barrier techniques. In the evenings, he went curse hunting across the Eastern Seaboard, though the Ancient One had forbidden him from engaging Grade 1 or higher cursed spirits without her presence.
He honestly thought that restriction was unnecessary—he could one-shot most Grade 1 curses with cursed energy cannons.
Still, after his encounter with the special-grade cursed spirit, Ethan realized just how lucky he had been to survive a Domain Expansion without any reliable counter to its guaranteed-hit effect. If he had been even a few seconds late in summoning Max Elephant, he would have died inside that domain.
That thought lingered.
With his increased understanding of cursed energy, he had spent the past few months learning various counters to Domain Expansions.
Countering a Domain Expansion in jujutsu primarily involves negating its guaranteed-hit effect. The most effective method is expanding one's own domain—something Ethan was currently unable to do, though he felt that landing a few more Black Flashes would allow him to grasp it.
The second method was Simple Domain, which neutralizes the guaranteed-hit function by creating a small, separate space within an opponent's domain.
Atsuya Kusakabe, a Grade 1 jujutsu sorcerer and teacher at Tokyo Jujutsu High, lacked an innate cursed technique but was praised as the "strongest Grade 1" by peers such as Gojo and Nanami. He reached that level through mastery of Simple Domain, using it defensively to neutralize techniques—even against monsters like Kenjaku and Sukuna.
Another method was Falling Blossom Emotion, an anti-domain technique passed down among the Big Three families. Unlike Simple Domain, it doesn't expand its own space. Instead, it automatically counterattacks with cursed energy the moment a guaranteed-hit attack makes contact.
This technique can also be applied to weapons, shrouding them in the same counteracting cursed energy. However, it primarily counters the attack itself, not the cursed technique behind it.
Ethan could also perform Hollow Wicker Basket, but he doubted he would ever rely on it—Simple Domain, its precursor, was far more effective.
Domain Amplification was still beyond his reach, though he was confident he would learn it alongside his own Domain Expansion. It was an advanced barrier technique used to neutralize innate cursed techniques and bypass defenses like Gojo's Limitless. The user coats their body in a thin, empty barrier that behaves like liquid, forcing opposing techniques into it and negating them on contact.
Ethan's Available Shikigami:Ethan currently had eight shikigami under his control:
Nue – Can be partially summoned to remove natural restrictions on cursed energy output, allowing attacks capable of dealing ten times normal damage.
Divine Dogs: Kuro and Shiro – The only shikigami with which Ethan could share vision, similar to Mei Mei's Black Bird Manipulation. Dual Divine Dogs count as a single shikigami.
Rabbit Escape – Rabbits can be produced in large numbers regardless of how many are destroyed. However, one rabbit bears a symbol resembling the Cloth of Various Things—if it is destroyed, all others perish as well. Ethan always kept this rabbit within his shadow. He also had a fascinating binding vow planned involving a chimera with Rabbit Escape, Nue, and Divine Dogs.
Gama (Toad) – A human-sized frog with a symbol resembling the Mirror of the Deep among the Ten Sacred Treasures. Primarily a support-type shikigami, which Ethan considered relatively weak.
Max Elephant – Capable of unleashing massive torrents of water with enough pressure to flood entire corridors. When summoned by Ethan, it resembled a mammoth with long, curved tusks and hollow eye sockets. Using partial summoning, Ethan compressed its water attacks into piercing blasts similar to the Kamo Clan's Piercing Blood. Reinforced with cursed energy, these attacks could reach the speed of sound and damage special-grade defenses.
Great Serpent: Orochi – A gigantic white snake with a tan-yellow underbelly, capable of surprise attacks from enemy shadows and temporarily immobilizing even special grades.
Round Deer – Tamed the day after the 9/11 attack. Ethan's version was muscular, had four eyes, and bore the Jewel of Resuscitation symbol. It could output positive energy via Reverse Cursed Technique, healing allies and counteracting cursed energy. Even when partially summoned, it emitted a passive debuff capable of harming special-grade cursed spirits.
Piercing Ox – A massive ox with short curved horns and a symbol resembling the Cloth of the Bees. It attacks by charging in a straight line, with no upper limit to its attack power—the longer the charge, the stronger the impact. Even short charges could damage special-grade defenses. Ethan still remembered how resilient it was during subjugation, surviving multiple cursed energy cannons and punches.
He wondered what would happen if it charged around the globe just once.
After leaving the court, Ethan arrived at the New York Sanctum Sanctorum with the Ancient One. Along the way, he contemplated a binding vow involving a chimera of Divine Dogs, Rabbit Escape, and Nue.
Raiju.
This chimera would possess the vision-sharing of Divine Dogs, the small size and mass production of Rabbit Escape, and the wings and electric discharge of Nue.
It could share sight with Ethan, be produced in numbers—though fewer than rabbits—and unleash high-speed electrical attacks.
Inspired by Mei Mei's Bird Strike, Ethan devised a similar vow.
Binding Vow: Raiju's StrikeThe Raiju are forced into a suicidal pact. By sacrificing their lives, they bypass their natural cursed energy limitations, resulting in a devastating, high-speed, high-impact attack capable of killing normal special-grade cursed spirits in a single strike.
Where a single crow equaled a non-grade curse, a single Raiju was a Grade 2 threat due to its mobility and electrical discharge. Raiju's Strike lifted its upper limit entirely, creating attacks far deadlier than Mei Mei's Bird Strike.
Arriving at the Rotunda of Gateways within the Sanctum Sanctorum, Ethan selected an isolated island dense with red spruce trees.
Using one hand, he summoned a single Raiju, activated Raiju's Strike, and aimed it at a giant rock some distance away.
He fired.
Silence.
Then—impact.
BOOM.
The rock shattered completely, and the shockwave erased all flora for over a hundred meters behind it.
A single strike capable of killing a special grade.
Ethan imagined what hundreds of these could do.
A small smile crept across his face.
He could feel it—the tenth shikigami drawing closer.
Would Divine General Mahoraga survive hundreds of Raiju's Strikes?
He didn't know.
But he was closer than he had been yesterday.
Before Mahoraga, however—
The Ninth Shikigami of the Ten Shadows Technique awaited.
Tiger Funeral.
Ethan interlaced his fingers into the shadow puppet of a tiger's head and poured cursed energy into his technique.
The subjugation ritual for the ninth and unknown shikigami, Tiger Funeral, had begun.
With Ethan Park as its sole participant.
----------------------------------------------------------
If you enjoy it, please leave a Review and Power stones
----------------------------------------------------------