Satoru Gojo felt ready.
He hadn't increased the output of his technique. Both of them understood this was just a test—to see the maximum threshold of the automated defense, nothing more.
All he did was stay sharply alert, watching for the moment the pebble broke through the automation so he could dodge in time.
That's right—he'd already assumed the defense wouldn't hold.
His opponent was Special Grade. After all this time, he had a decent grasp of Sōjun Minamoto's style. The quieter the attack looked, the more power it packed.
Sōjun thrived on that kind of silent impact.
The pebble shot straight at him, aiming for the shoulder.
Sōjun Minamoto had to consciously suppress his habit of aiming for vital points. This flashy auto-defense setup wasn't his thing—he had plenty of ways to get around it.
Sure, Achilles might never catch the tortoise running normally. But what if he suddenly teleported?
The pebble collided with the untouchable space, going from blazing speed to absolute stillness in a split second.
Just when everyone thought it had been blocked...
In the next instant, the pebble surged forward again—from stillness to extreme speed—and pierced right through Satoru Gojo's shoulder blade.
Thud.
It embedded itself in the thick wall of Training Field No. 2.
Everyone's eyes followed it to the wall, then quickly snapped back, expressions filled with shock.
"Shhh—!" Gojo winced, clutching his shoulder, lips twisted in pain.
"That was way too much!"
He had shifted his position just enough to avoid a full hit, but only barely. The pebble didn't shatter bone, but it tore through his shoulder, taking a chunk of flesh with it.
Blood trickled from the small hole in his shoulder, but he quickly healed it with Reverse Cursed Technique from his right hand.
Mouth twitching, he muttered, "What the hell was that?"
"Black Flash," Sōjun Minamoto replied, walking over and poking Gojo's shoulder, landing the touch with ease.
It looked like the break in automation had weakened the technique as well. It wasn't a full overload, but still took a moment to recover.
During that brief window, the strength of his technique noticeably dropped.
Roughly three seconds.
Sōjun watched as Gojo re-established the automated defenses and estimated the recovery time—around three seconds.
And three seconds is more than enough time to do a lot.
That only confirmed his disinterest in the whole automation concept. For him, the drawbacks outweighed the benefits.
Of course, it still suited someone like Satoru Gojo.
"Black Flash?!"
Satoru Gojo could clearly tell it was a Black Flash—and so could everyone else on the training field.
But that was exactly why it was so baffling.
"You use Black Flash that casually?"
"And you're applying it to external objects?"
"And what was that black vortex? It had the same vibe—doesn't that count as part of the Black Flash too?"
He voiced the questions everyone was thinking. The others all nodded in agreement. This kind of display shattered their understanding of the jujutsu world.
Back during the Star Plasma Vessel incident, everyone knew Sōjun Minamoto had unleashed thirteen consecutive Black Flashes. They'd assumed that was the peak. They never imagined he'd push things even further—beyond human limits.
He'd once again broken their concept of what was possible.
"You could call it a Black Flash, but it's already beyond that label."
Sōjun Minamoto smiled casually. He formed a blade with his palm, flicked out a faint streak of black light, and gently slashed across Gojo's shoulder. The movement was light, almost graceful—but when his hand moved away, a deep gash had opened, blood streaming out once more.
Satoru Gojo: "..."
"If you extract the spatial component from a Black Flash, you can apply it to other objects. Like, a knife can deliver a cutting effect, a rock can hit like a wrecking ball. The stronger the spatial power, the heavier the impact. Of course, it works both ways."
"It all depends on how well you can control it."
"If your understanding runs deep enough, you can even apply it to space itself—crossing distances instantly."
Sōjun had initially launched the black vortex in an attempt to warp space directly, letting the pebble bypass the untouchable zone and strike Gojo from within. Unfortunately, Star Eyes' calculations showed that kind of approach was nearly impossible.
Limitless truly lived up to its name. That "universe" Gojo created really did behave like an entire universe—it was nearly impossible to cut into it from the outside.
Sōjun could do it, but the cost would be enormous. And honestly, it wasn't worth it right now.
Especially when there was an easier way.
So he simply let the pebble drift into that space. And when the "tortoise" was just about to shift positions, the pebble reappeared exactly there—before the automated defense could react. Naturally, it hit.
"Don't act like that was no big deal!" Gojo used Reverse Cursed Technique again to heal the new wound, his tone rising without him realizing it.
"How do you consistently trigger Black Flash?"
"And how did you extract its spatial component?"
"Never mind attaching it to an object—how does a tiny pebble, that fragile, even withstand spatial power?"
"Isn't that insanely difficult?"
"And don't even get me started on crossing space—that's just ridiculous."
Black Flash was said to reflect a sorcerer's understanding of Cursed Energy. Even with Six Eyes, capable of analyzing cursed flow to the finest detail, Gojo himself couldn't land Black Flash every time.
Yet Sōjun could—and Gojo could tell something was off.
"Damn it, you completely stole my thunder," he muttered, then tossed the thought aside.
He'd gathered everyone today to show off his automated technique, hoping to bask in their envy. Now, seeing the crowd surrounding Sōjun like curious kids...
This was the scene he'd hoped for—and it happened—but sadly, he wasn't the center of attention.
Should've never invited him.
Gojo froze for a moment. Wait, why had he invited him again? He fell into a daze, vaguely remembering he'd forgotten something important.
"Your automation's still incomplete, isn't it? The object recognition range isn't broad enough," Sōjun offered, trying to console him while sharing his own observations.
His cellular erosion technique seemed to bypass the automation as well.
"Right. At this stage, it can't detect poisons."
...?
Sōjun blinked. Did Gojo's technique just classify his cellular erosion as a poison?
The automation system was human-centric—so this was Gojo's conceptual definition of "toxin." So... he'd been treating him like a poison all along?
Sōjun was speechless.
Gojo suddenly smacked his forehead, then walked over.
"Right! I'm planning to apply for Special Grade in a few days."
"You free anytime soon?"
"Huh? Your promotion's got nothing to do with me..." Sōjun answered offhandedly—then paused. Wait. Was this guy trying to pick a fight again? He looked at Gojo.
"I am free, but I won't be your examiner. It'll still be Yuki Tsukumo."
"Oh, I see," Gojo muttered, clearly disappointed.
So he really was using the promotion as an excuse to fight him head-on.
Sōjun shook his head inwardly. He had no interest in fighting Gojo right now. The guy couldn't even use a Domain—what was the point?
"What's with that look?" Gojo immediately sensed something. He leaned back dramatically, then crept closer with exaggerated flair and whispered in Sōjun's ear:
"Actually, your technique doesn't just control your body and soul—it controls your Cursed Energy too, right?"
Before Sōjun could respond, he gave him a pat on the shoulder.
"Relax, I won't tell anyone."
That actually made Sōjun laugh.
He hadn't really bothered hiding his technique since reaching Special Grade. Honestly, even before that, he wasn't particularly secretive. Even if everyone knew—so what? His progress was fast enough that by the time someone figured out how to counter him, he'd already have a new workaround ready.
Like his technique—what if everyone knew he could perfectly control the body, soul, and Cursed Energy? It still wouldn't help. No one could stop him. Besides, his technique had already evolved again, now incorporating the authority of evolution.
Sōjun wasn't worried about Gojo leaking anything. If Gojo understood his technique and still dared to make contact, it meant he trusted him.
Maybe... it was even Gojo's way of reassuring him.
"You could give your technique a proper name," Gojo said with interest. "Calling it stuff like 'Body Manipulation' or 'Soul Control' just doesn't do it justice. Got anything in mind? Want me to name it for you?"
"Heh... let's call it Unlimited."
Sōjun rejected the offer immediately, turning to Gojo with a teasing grin.
Gojo blinked, then burst out laughing. "Great name!"
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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