41 Chapter 27. The Origins of Power (Part 1)

A person initially learns a skill and progresses rapidly, but upon reaching a certain height, they might spend decades without making significant progress, stuck in the same place. This is because humans have limits, which is why geniuses or masters who leave a legacy behind are so rare. Thinking about it, Satoru and I are absolute opposites. Unlike a child destined for greatness, I've been breaking the limits of my strength since childhood… But enough of that!

A sudden burst of Cursed Energy from my feet gave me the necessary acceleration to cover tens of meters in a fraction of a second and position myself beside Satoru. A sharp sidestep followed by a wide swing of my right arm into his unprotected side.

"You would call it a Sisyphean task!" you might say.

"Domain Amplification!" I would reply.

Only a slight vibration stood in the way of my fist connecting with Satoru's body. Then, "The Strongest" was sent flying dozens of meters away, breaking everything in his path. Domain Amplification - a technique acting like a field covering the Sorcerer's body, nullifying cursed techniques. Essentially, Domain Amplification is akin to "Simple Territory", but unlike the latter, the "Expansion" technique is easy to use, thus accessible to both an average Sorcerer and a Curse.

However, Satoru Gojo isn't someone to be easily affected by such a "simple" technique. To counter the power of Domain Amplification, he just needs to inject a bit more Cursed Energy into "Infinity". How to get around this? Simple - attack so swiftly that he can't speed up "Infinity" in time... However that's not without its problems.

"We have less than two minutes left, don't we?" Satoru's irritating voice came from behind me.

Since I started using "Enhancement" with Cursed Energy, about thirty minutes had passed, so technically, I should have overheated and stopped infusing Cursed and thermal energy into my body. But, due to my advancement in the "Acting Process", my endurance improved, and I still stood ready to bruise this brat.

"The question is, what can you do against me in these two minutes?" I replied, turning to face Satoru, his face now unmasked, his jacket removed. And I wasn't just boasting. My already incredibly strong physique was greatly fortified by my special "Enhancement", so I can proudly say that in the last few minutes of our fight, I've been dragging my teacher through the mud.

The prickling sensation in my head, triggered by [Sense of Danger], made me bolt. The next moment, a small blue orb appeared on my right, speeding past the spot I'd been a second earlier, leaving behind a ravine several meters deep. Pure physical strength versus the legacy of the Gojo clan… This feels familiar.

I found myself in front of Satoru and, grabbing his wrist, pulled him towards me, then thrust my elbow forward, reinforced more than usual with my burning Cursed Energy. 

Second Great Technique: Kou Kai Mon!

But at the last moment, I completely dispersed the attack's momentum and redirected all the Cursed Energy into my palm. I was well aware that this move, which didn't work on Aoi Todo, wouldn't work on Satoru Gojo either. So, I had a risky idea - if Satoru boasts his "Six Eyes", why not let him deceive himself?

First Great Technique: Palm Strike!

It was his confidence and arrogance that made everything work as planned. By fortifying his torso with Cursed Energy, Satoru left his limbs vulnerable, which I exploited by crouching and slashing his legs with my red-hot palm. But Satoru Gojo being Satoru Gojo, reinforced his left leg at the last moment and leaped back, saving his skin.

Whew… Using "Domain Amplification" and Kai Men Bajiquan techniques simultaneously, combined with Cursed Energy, is quite taxing. That's why my "dear" teacher is now regrowing one leg instead of the two I'd planned. I bolted again, sensing danger, but was slightly too late, and the impulse of the "Red" knocked me far away, spinning through the air.

Instead of panicking, I took advantage of the situation. Spreading my arms, I created multiple fireballs, launching them at Satoru, each on a different trajectory. Yes, since my "Cursed Technique" is not really a "Cursed Technique", as it primarily involves Spiritual Energy, I can use my fire even while employing "Domain Amplification".

As the fireballs flew on different paths, they reached the teacher at different times, which I used to my advantage. Using "Fire Teleportation", I would appear from one fireball, attack Satoru, and then reappear at another.

What will you do, Satoru Gojo? How villainously that sounded… I like it! But I was genuinely curious about this question. Now, physically stronger than him, I could impose my own pace on the battle, fast and deadly. Any slip-up: an insufficiently fortified limb, a wrongly placed foot, or a hand — could lead to me completely overpowering Satoru. Using "Domain Amplification" together with my "Cursed Technique" is admittedly a bit cheeky. But this proud scoundrel himself decided not to use "Purple" and "Domain Expansion".

So the question is, what will win - pride that denies defeat, or pride that considers using "serious techniques" a defeat itself? Suddenly, Satoru clapped his hands, and I felt the space around me twisting and distorting, followed by the sound of a popping bubble. A cold wind cut through my skin. The rarefied atmosphere made it hard to take a deep breath. A plane flew by.

Hm… A plane? I opened my eyes wide. High in the sky, I could see the forest burning along the long and deep ravines left by Satoru. Nasty and underhanded! That's my response to that. The thin atmosphere doesn't affect my fire, but "Enhancement" is significantly weakened, as oxygen, which I desperately need, is one of the main components of this technique.

"Something in idiotic" appeared Satoru at my side, his voice inaudible due to the roaring air currents ringing in my ears.