Jujutsu Kaisen: The Sorceress of Control

We reached 100 stones, so here's the second extra chapter

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Rika was in the morgue, the air heavy and cold as always, but that wasn't what unsettled her. It wasn't the first time she had been there, observing lifeless bodies, yet she never got used to it. In front of her lay the body of a recently deceased sorcerer on the metal table, pale and inert, soon to be subjected to a thorough examination. The worst part wasn't the body itself but the fact that she was compelled to witness it.

Shoko Ieiri, her teacher and mentor for the past six months, moved with surgical precision. Every tool in her hands seemed to be part of her, a natural extension of her medical knowledge and her mastery over the reverse technique. Rika watched closely, but each time the instruments penetrated the flesh or extracted an organ, a knot formed in her stomach. Witnessing death up close always brought back bitter memories, especially after what had happened with Kaori.

It had been half a year since she began studying under Shoko's tutelage. At first, it had all been theory. Rika absorbed every concept diligently: tissue regeneration, the precise manipulation of cursed energy to reverse fatal injuries. She was excellent in theory, one of the best according to Shoko. But in practice... she was a disaster. No matter how many times she tried, her cursed energy simply wouldn't respond as it should. She couldn't heal even the slightest wound, and it frustrated her deeply. Each failure brought her closer to the feeling that she wasn't meant for the reverse technique, despite all her knowledge.

A few days ago, after another failed attempt, Shoko had offered an idea that seemed chilling: that she become more intimately familiar with bodies, not just through reading, but by directly observing autopsies of fallen sorcerers. "If you understand how the body functions in its final moments, maybe you can grasp what your energy needs to correct," Shoko had told her. Rika had tried to resist at first, not feeling prepared for such a thing, but Shoko, always calm, had insisted. Now, here she was, with a dry throat and nerves on edge.

Rika held her breath as Shoko began examining the sorcerer's internal organs. Every cut and dissection was done with impeccable precision, but that didn't make the sight before her any easier. Every time Shoko extracted an organ, Rika felt her own stomach twist. Still, she forced herself to maintain her composure. She didn't want to appear weak. She had been through a lot, and this couldn't be worse than what she had already lived through.

The echo of Shoko's footsteps resonated in the cold room as she moved around the table. "Hold this for a moment," she suddenly said, extending the deceased's heart to her. Rika blinked, unable to process what she was seeing. The organ still dripped, dark red, as if trying to remind her what it meant to be alive. She hesitated for a moment, but Shoko's calm eyes gave her no other choice. Without protest, she took the heart in both hands, feeling the weight of death in them. The texture of the flesh repulsed her, but she didn't let go. She had committed to this.

As she held the organ in her hands, the silence in the room grew louder. Her mind began to wander, and thoughts of Makima soon invaded her. In recent months, her mistress had been busy interacting with some first-year students. Although "interacting" wasn't the most accurate word. She knew well that Makima was using them, manipulating them to extract information. But that was part of her nature. She always had a hidden purpose, always plotting something bigger, and Rika had learned to accept it. However, she couldn't help but wonder what she was after this time. Recently, she had mentioned something about domains but hadn't given her more details.

Rika let out a sigh. Sometimes she wondered if her life under Makima's service had warped her perception of what was normal. She had witnessed terrible things, even Kaori's death at the hands of her own daughter. Nothing could be more devastating than that, right? And yet, here she was, holding a dead man's heart as if it were a simple lesson. The horrors she had witnessed in her life overlapped with what was before her, creating a mix of apathy and repulsion.

Shoko's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "You can let go now," she said, continuing her work. Rika released the heart, relieved to be rid of that burden, but the emotional weight remained. She knew that even if she mastered the reverse technique, there would always be that feeling of emptiness inside her. Could that be what Makima felt all the time? A permanent void, incapable of being filled by anything or anyone.

Rika watched Shoko as she continued her work, feeling more distant than ever from the clinical coldness her teacher possessed. She had accepted this teaching in the hope that it would help her improve, but more and more, she found herself questioning if she truly had what it took to continue.

Makima sat, a notebook spread out in front of her, her fingers moving with speed and precision across the pages. The pen traced lines, organizing her thoughts meticulously. She had reached a point in her personal research, breaking down each facet of her technique in detail. Her Cursed Domination Technique was a masterpiece in itself, but despite her expertise, there was something still missing: a deeper understanding of her power, of how she could improve and perfect every aspect.

The phases of her technique were divided into three fundamental components. In the analysis phase, her eyes became the key instrument to unravel the minds of others, penetrating deeply into the subject's psyche. The next phase, command, was when her power materialized in her absolute control over the other. She didn't need to say a word, though if she did, the control would grow stronger. Finally, the memory phase, in which the victim's mind began to deteriorate slowly, until becoming a fully controlled puppet, devoid of its own will.

As Makima wrote about the final details of her technique, a noise snapped her out of concentration. Gojo suddenly appeared, with his usual relaxed yet imposing aura. "What are you writing?" he asked, a playful smile on his lips.

Makima's pen paused for a second on the page before she quickly closed the notebook. "A personal diary," she replied, her words tinged with irony as her eyes assessed the situation.

Gojo smiled wider. "A personal diary, huh? Seems like you have secrets even from me." His tone was light, but there was an undertone of curiosity. "You're still bent on obtaining a domain, aren't you? Even though you're quite powerful without one."

Makima observed him closely, knowing Gojo always analyzed more than he let on. "I'm not that interested in your opinion on my technique," she replied calmly. "What concerns me is perfecting it. There's no room for complacency."

Gojo raised an eyebrow. "Interesting... I haven't seen you use certain parts of your technique lately. It seems you only bring them out when truly necessary."

Makima looked at him without blinking. "Not everyone is prepared to face them."

"But you are," Gojo responded with his mischievous smile. "I'm surprised that, despite your power, you keep searching for more. What makes you think a domain will make you stronger?"

Makima remained silent for a moment, considering her words. She knew he was trying to understand her, but she couldn't show vulnerability. "It's not just about obtaining a domain," she finally said. "It's about knowing I can control it completely. If I don't perfect myself, I'll be limited, and I won't allow that."

Gojo leaned against the door with his typical nonchalant air, yet kept his eyes on her. "Secrets... I don't have that many, at least not important ones. But it seems you do." Slowly, he moved away from the door and walked towards her, hands in his pockets. When he was close enough, he extended a hand, his fingers barely brushing against Makima's head as if he were assessing something. "Do you know what it feels like to be before something... infinite?"

Makima slightly frowned, surprised by the familiar gesture, yet kept her composure. "Infinite?" she repeated, trying to hide the growing discomfort within her.

Gojo slowly approached Makima, his usual smile reflecting a mix of curiosity and amusement. Without warning, he placed his hand on her head, a surprisingly casual gesture. Makima raised an eyebrow, observing the sudden contact with a mixture of bewilderment and analysis.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her tone neutral enough to disguise any surprise.

Gojo didn't respond immediately, instead letting his hand remain in place while crossing his fingers with the other, a gesture she hadn't seen before. Makima watched him closely, uncertain of what exactly to expect. The atmosphere around them began to shift.

"I just want to show you something," Gojo finally said, with a carefree air. "It's a lesson you'll learn sooner or later, and I'd prefer it be with me."

At that moment, Makima felt a tangible shift in the environment. Reality around them began to distort slightly, as though everything around them was altered by an invisible force. However, though she could sense the magnitude of Gojo's power, she didn't experience the effects directly. She was curious but not alarmed.

"What is this?" she asked, with a note of interest in her voice, not fully understanding what she was witnessing.

Gojo smiled with a playful gleam in his eyes. "This, Makima, is my domain: the Infinite Void." His tone was calm, yet there was something almost reverent in his words. "Within it, the flow of information becomes overwhelming. Everything that exists, every detail, every thing, is perceived all at once. It's... infinite."

Makima narrowed her eyes, still not entirely grasping the scope of what he was saying, but it was clear it was no ordinary technique. "Infinite..." she murmured, processing the concept. Despite the enormity of what he was suggesting, she felt no direct impact on herself.

"You're quite calm," Gojo remarked, with a smile suggesting admiration. "That's because I'm touching you. As long as I do, you won't experience anything of what others feel in this space." He looked down at her, still keeping his hand on her head. "Without my touch, you'd be trapped in a vast amount of stimuli that would be impossible for you to process."

Makima looked at him silently, unwavering, weighing the information. Gojo wasn't someone who did these demonstrations often, and she now understood this was more than a game. "So this is a domain," she said, maintaining her calm tone. "A powerful technique, no doubt."

Gojo smiled more broadly. "Powerful and perfect. Within this space, there's no escape for those who suffer it. See, not many can even withstand a fraction of this and come out unscathed." He lowered his hand from her head but didn't break contact entirely. "But as I said, you haven't experienced anything... yet."

Makima remained silent for a moment, choosing her words. "An impressive demonstration, Gojo. Though I'd prefer not to find out what I would feel without your protection."

Gojo chuckled softly, releasing his domain with a simple movement. The distortion in the air vanished as quickly as it had come, leaving the room as it was before. "Don't worry. There's time for everything." He leaned slightly towards her, his eyes gleaming playfully. "But someday, when you're ready... you might want to see it for yourself."

Makima held his gaze, unblinking. "Perhaps I will." It wasn't a threat or a challenge, only an implicit promise that her quest for power had no limits.

Gojo took a step back, still smiling. "I like your attitude. Maybe you're more interesting than I thought."

As Gojo walked away, Makima watched him with the same calculated expression she always wore. She had learned something valuable that day: a small part of the vast power Gojo wielded. But she also knew it was just the beginning of a much greater revelation.