Noriko hummed, flicking through the thick text in front of her before pushing it to the side. Deciding she was bored, she leant back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest. She stared up at her instructor, Gojo Satoru - who was too busy leafing through a manga to notice her.

"I don't really understand why I'm here and not with the others on Exorcism duty." Her voice was sharp as it cut through the quiet space between them. The other First Years had been assigned to the exorcism of a cursed spirit, while Noriko had been tasked to stay within the compound and flick through books. Snapping his own book shut, Gojo finally swivelled towards her direction.

"Well, it's only a Semi-Grade 2. I figured you wouldn't gain much from it, besides those three are still working out their individual styles - they need the practice." The white-haired man remarked, pulling the chair across from Noriko out and slumping down in it. "The association informed me you were close to mastering Domain Expansion when they last tested you."

She shrugged, glancing up at the overhead fan above them. The library was empty as most students and staff were either out on missions or in lessons of their own. While having only been enrolled at the College for a few days, Noriko couldn't deny that the library had fast become her favourite place. Books of Jujutsu knowledge were practically pouring off the shelves, and they had a pretty established romance section.

"Something like that." Muttering, she drew her eyes from the surrounding shelves to skim them over the contents on the desk she was sat at. "But, I'm not really sure what that has to do with me re-reading books I've already read - which I would've done anyway in my free time - and missing out on a valuable combat experience."

"Oh no, I just thought this would a great time to check out the latest volume," he teased, lifting the manga he'd been reading up into her eyeline, watching (in surprise) as her lips quirked into a smirk. "We probably should be heading down to the training grounds about now."

Noriko pushed herself up out of the chair, slinging her schoolbag over her left shoulder. Smoothing out her skirt, she checked she had everything before waiting expectantly for her instructor. He paused for a second - mind racing over his newest curiosity. Unusual spirt energy, unusual personality, unusual history: there were so many - too many - puzzle pieces missing to Noriko Kamo. Like, after a lifetime of no proper instruction and merely practicing by herself in secret, how did she have such a strong grasp over such complex Jujutsu Techniques? And how was she already Semi-Grade 1?

Either way, it didn't matter, because no matter how valuable she turned out to be at her fullest potential, it just added another sorcerer to Gojo's disposal.

The two strode out of the library and down to the courtyard. It was mostly silent between the two of them - Gojo not really having anything to say, and Noriko not having a reason to say anything. Stepping out from under the lip of a roof, the two were bathed in sharp sunlight and warmth.

Around the middle of the outside expanse, Gojo paused, turning on his heel to face his student. Noriko took this as a signal that their lesson was about to finally begin, threw her bag to the side and pulled off her jacket - throwing it somewhat behind her with her bag. Her ink brush always remained safely tucked into the holster around her leg, along with a fresh, or at least half full, ink canister - which Gojo internally applauded as good practice.

"Tell me everything you know about Domain Expansion."

"A domain expansion is a three-dimensional space constructed with cursed energy and manifested through a cursed technique - when used by a sorcerer it's referred to as the Sorcerer's territory." Noriko recited, squinting under the harsh sun. Too bright, she lamented internally, feeling slightly jealous that her classmates were out doing the 'fun' (in her opinion) stuff. "It... uh... enhances the Sorcerer's abilities (whether that's techniques or the physical aspect), and creates a space where all attacks made by the user hit, however, can be countered by the use of Cursed Energy or their opponents Domain."

"So, to have the upper hand against all enemies, a sorcerer must...?"

"Have the strongest Domain Expansion." Satoru Gojo clapped his hands together and made a sound of approval.

"You're going to use yours against me."

"Hmm..." Noriko hummed to herself, glancing over her shoulder and skirting her eyes over the empty field. The dirt beneath her feet was light and compacted - meaning this space had been intentionally been carved out for practice. Snapping her attention back to her instructor, she turned her eyes to him again. "But mine isn't complete yet."

"Exactly, which is why practice will help you to improve it."

"Alright then," she shrugged, flipping the lid of her ink canister open with her left hand as she prepared herself. Satoru watched in interest as she dipped the brush into the black ink and paused to take a breath. He noted how her cursed energy flared as she did so. While that was a wrinkle that could be smoothed out, it showed that her control over her energy wasn't quite complete, but that didn't surprise him. Her energy was unusual; almost like static. It prickled at his skin and filled his mouth with a metallic tang as he sought to further analyse it - like a live wire, he mused. Of course it would end up this way without proper guidance in how to control it, however, there was something heavy under it - something dark and cold.

Lifting a pale hand, Noriko drew the brush down vertically in front of her, a thick, black line of ink forming in the brushes wake. Satoru watched in curiosity as the ink began to expand, turning a stark white colour as it spread out between them. A sphere formed in the middle of the training grounds, encompassing the two sorcerers.

Gojo's vision was a flash of white as the world around him began to form - perhaps slower than a more experienced one - until he was lost in an abyss of white. Then came the crackling, the static energy that he'd felt swarming under the guise of Noriko's being expanded and pulsed throughout the space.

Trees began to sprout from the ground near him - paper white - and a shrine began to unfold before him. It was grand, perhaps a replica of the Kamo shrines (he wasn't sure) and as it built itself up from the ground - he found it began to exert pressure. The white structures, which included a wealth of flora surrounding the shrine, he noted, began to gain a rough texture and he began to recognise it as paper. A paper world, he mused in entertainment. While the domain had no clear light source or any colours, a sea of stormy clouds swirled around the top of Noriko domain, crackling ever so slightly.

"A paper domain?" Satoru called out to his student, who had taken a couple steps back to sit on the grand steps, her ink brush still poised between the fingers of a hand that lazed in her lap. She nodded, looking up briefly to observe the storm before lowering her gaze to him. He noted how comfortable she was within it, meaning she'd probably performed this a couple times. "That's very interesting, any new techniques?"

"You want me to use them on you?" She called out, lazing further back on the step. Perhaps too comfortable. Responding with a shrug, he braced himself for an attack. Although the Domain wasn't quite as powerful as he might have anticipated, it was tangible - she'd progressed more than Fushiguro had - however, as he flexed his own energy, he could feel the clarity of it waver.

"Shijin Technique: Tenjin's scriptures.*" Noriko called (even though she didn't have to) and the Domain pulsed in response. The static grew stronger and Gojo watched as tiny flickers began to gather amongst the ground. "Perhaps this space is similar to yours in a way, sensei. I'm lucky... really. Other Domain's are bound by strict rules which follow the focus of the user's techniques - a set list of guidelines pertaining to the given 'theme'."

A smirk settled on Noriko's lips as her eyes took in the world around her - a world of her total control.

"My technique's 'theme' is to create, with almost no limitation other than my own mind, therefore this Domain is only bound by one rule: ."

Ink began to form against the white expanse above Gojo's head and in a thick scrawl, kanji began to appear. Earthquake. The lettering pulsed before fading, just as the ground began to rumble and shake, and the white-haired man found himself stepping a foot back to keep his balance. The shrine didn't move.

"You lied, didn't you?" He called over the noise, watching his student smirk in satisfaction. So, that's what it was, he mused to himself, a control complex. Noriko's true motive was control, perhaps from not having any of herself? Maybe not as noble as Yuji's cause, but a strong one nonetheless.

"I wouldn't be out of the shrine if I hadn't." She countered bluntly, shrugging her shoulders. The ground began to still.

"Of course, I don't think the Kamo Clan would be happy with your skill level," Gojo muttered, striding around the clearing. He reached a hand out to some of the foliage - finding it surprisingly lifelike. Oh, how they'd hate it. Those traditional purists would be losing their mind if they'd known they'd produced such a sorcerer... and had let it fall straight into Gojo's hands. "You're not biologically related, are you?"

"How'd did you know?"

"The moment you begun to show signs of being a semi-decent sorcerer they would've taken you in to the Head Family." He elaborated, glancing up to the clouds above him. "How do you determine the intensity, such as when the earthquake stops?"

"In the same way an Imaginary Vengeful Spirit is formed." Gojo twitched, turning his gaze from his surroundings to his student. Their eyes locked - or Noriko's eyes met where she thought Gojo's eyes could've been. "However, that's just a vague metaphor, it really doesn't have anything to do with the production of Cursed Spirits."

Sensing his relief, Noriko chuckled.

"I'm just getting you back from the manga incident earlier."

"Eh? You shouldn't be getting back at your teacher like that," the same dopey grin sprawled across his face as they both relaxed. He moved away from the patch of flowers he was examining to sit down next to her on the steps. Unlike many Domains he'd been in, Noriko's wasn't threatening or particularly dangerous. Perhaps because she'd never been instructed to use it as a weapon, it was just merely an amalgamation of her energy?

"Well, in forming Imaginary Vengeful Spirits, there must be certain conditions met: there must be a lot of general fear surrounding the subject and the fear has to be vivid or genuine. With my writing technique, the more descriptive, the more powerful the result," they both glanced up as kanji began to sprawl over the open air - too fast for him to read. Lines turned into paragraph and before he knew it, Satoru found the entire expanse covered in calligraphy. It pulsed before fading. A moment of silence followed before a thick pool of ink began to form in the centre of the clearing. "Of course, I've found the stronger the general belief in the 'image', the stronger I can make them as well. There's really a number of things that influence."

It seeped upwards, seeming unaffected by gravity, until it pooled several feet off the ground. Forming vague shapes, the ink began to solidify, stretching out to form greyscale limbs.

"An Oni*?" The black-and-white beast towered close to eight, or nine feet, and had a large club gripped tightly in it's left hand. Four teeth protruded out of it's mouth - two upwards, two down, as depicted in some of the scriptures Gojo had seen - and it's skin was covered in inky markings. Glancing over to the two on the steps, it trained it's beady eyes on Noriko before turning to wander off into the forest.

"Mmm..." Noriko nodded, watching it disappear off between the white trees. "Something like that... so, how is this meant to improve -"

They both froze as a heavy energy rolled over them; both of them shot to their feet and away from the entrance of the shrine.

Another sorcerer? Satoru mused internally, his trademark, careless grin still painted across his face - which he almost always wore when dealing with his students. He wasn't too worried, since there was a barrier around the college, however, the energy was unusual. Perhaps a cursed spirit? That wouldn't be possible.

With a jolt, the shoji doors leading to the entrance of the shrine were thrown open - clicking and straining against their stoppers.

Perhaps her Domain wasn't all colourless, Noriko mused, as a red-eyed figured stared back at her.

In Japanese mythology and folklore, (天神) is the Shinto kami of scholarship, the deification of a scholar, poet, and politician named Sugawara no Michizane. 天 means sky and 神 means god or deity.

(鬼) are a kind of yōkai from Japanese folklore, variously translated as demons, devils, ogres or trolls. They are popular characters in Japanese art, literature and theatre.