Gojo tilted his head, lounging effortlessly in his chair. His silver hair, disheveled yet impossibly perfect, caught the glow of the fire surrounding us. Though his posture was relaxed, the way he toyed with his blindfold between his fingers suggested a deeper intent—one I could barely begin to unravel.
His lips curled into a smirk.
"So, you've arrived, Izaya."
His voice didn't just reach my ears—it reverberated through me, settling in my bones. It was less a question and more a statement of certainty, as if my presence here was inevitable.
Still, I answered.
"Yes, Sensei."
I let my gaze wander. The world beyond the ring of fire was an abyss of nothingness—pure black as far as the eye could see, an endless void stretching into infinity. The only solid ground beneath me was a floor of gray stone, bathed in the flickering glow of the flames.
Gojo stood up, dusting off his sleeves as if preparing for something far more casual than what was about to unfold.
"Let me change the scenery for you."
He snapped his fingers.
The darkness shattered.
In an instant, the world around us shifted—swallowed by a blinding flash before reforming into something vast and surreal.
'What the hell…'
I blinked rapidly, adjusting to the overwhelming brightness of our new surroundings.
We were inside a massive white hall. The sheer scale of it was staggering—the walls stretched impossibly far, their surfaces gleaming as if sculpted from light itself. I craned my neck upward. The ceiling was so high that it seemed to brush against the heavens, obscured by a faint mist.
Ichiji wasn't exaggerating when he said this place was larger than the entire campus.
Gojo chuckled, watching my expression with evident amusement.
"Huge, isn't it?" he mused. "It's perfect for testing your techniques… like that Yamato no Orochi."
My mind replayed Ichiji's words from earlier.
'Gojo-san had the shrine installed recently.'
I glanced at Gojo, realization dawning on me.
'So, he built all this after seeing the sheer size of my techniques…'
It was hard to tell whether I should be flattered or concerned. Either way, there was no mistaking one thing:
One hell of a sensei I got, huh?
Gojo suddenly turned to Ichiji. "Go up there."
Without warning, a set of circular stairs materialized behind me, spiraling upward to a high platform embedded in the white wall. Ichiji, unfazed, ascended the steps and disappeared through a door. Moments later, I spotted him through a long horizontal window stretching across the hall, his sharp gaze fixed on us.
I turned back to Gojo.
"So," I asked, curiosity creeping into my voice, "what exactly are we doing here?"
Gojo's smirk widened. "First, we're going to spar."
I stiffened.
"I want to experience all of your abilities firsthand," he continued. "Not just the one you showed before. Also…" His fingers played idly with the edge of his blindfold. "You've grown considerably since the battle, haven't you?"
I said nothing, but the slight twitch in my fingers betrayed me.
Gojo pulled down his blindfold, revealing those piercing, crystalline eyes—impossibly bright, impossibly sharp. They locked onto me with an intensity that left no room for deception.
"You disobeyed my orders to rest and trained for the past two days," he said matter-of-factly.
I scratched my cheek, knowing I'd been caught.
I expected disappointment. Maybe a scolding.
Instead, his tone was laced with something unexpected.
Amusement.
And beneath that… pride.
"Well then," Gojo said, stretching his arms lazily, "show me everything you've got, Izaya. After that, we'll start training to make you even stronger."
A slow grin spread across my face.
My golden eyes flickered, then surged with cursed energy.
"Alright, Sensei," I said. "As you wish."
I crouched low, pressing my palm to the ground.
Instantly, the stone beneath us trembled, pulsing with the force of my cursed energy. It responded to my will, shifting, reshaping—then bursting upward.
Boom!
A forest of jagged stakes erupted from the earth, each one razor-sharp and deadly. They shot toward Gojo like spears seeking blood.
The impact was instant.
Dust and debris clouded the air. The stakes shattered the moment they touched him, splintering into useless fragments.
As the dust settled, Gojo stood there, completely unmoved.
Not a single scratch.
His smirk was ever-present.
"You'll have to do better than that."
He raised a hand, palm outward.
"Let's start with close combat. You can use your technique for that too."
I exhaled, rolling my shoulders. "Alright."
I extended my right hand.
Through my enhanced vision, the space between us lit up—a swirling current of cursed energy and air particles aligned in a perfect streamline. I manipulated them, reducing the density of the air, eliminating resistance. The very fabric of the battlefield bent to my will, refining my movement to its peak.
Simultaneously, blue light crackled at my fingertips.
Electricity.
Not just any electricity.
A technique I had struggled with. One I had nearly abandoned.
Until the Black Flash changed everything.
Now, the air around me transformed, splitting apart into pure energy. The charge grew stronger, roaring with power. The sound of a thousand birds chirping filled the air.
My feet tensed.
Cursed energy surged through my body.
"I call this technique—"
I vanished.
A thunderous crack split the hall as I launched forward.
Before Gojo could blink, I was right in front of him.
"—Chidori!"
My lightning-cloaked hand pierced through the air, aiming straight for his face.
Infinity.
I stopped mid-air. The electric glow of my hand flickered just inches from his skin. A thin barrier—an unseen force—stood between us.
I sighed.
"Are you going to turn it off?"
Gojo smirked.
"Of course."
His infinity vanished.
My attack shot forward.
In an instant, his hand caught my wrist.
It was like being gripped by an unshakable force of nature.
"You're fast," he admitted, "but not fast enough."
Then came the strikes.
One.
A crushing impact against my lower abdomen.
Two.
A precise hit to my stomach, forcing the air from my lungs.
Three.
A powerful blow to my chest, sending me airborne.
I flew backward, gasping. But before I hit the ground, I twisted mid-air, flipping onto a stone pillar I had conjured in the heat of battle. My feet dug into the wall, holding me horizontally.
Gojo chuckled, hands in his pockets.
"Tanden. Heso. Kyodo," he listed the points he had struck. "Three vital areas. Each one weakens your balance, breath, and strength."
He tilted his head. "Still… your body barely buckled. You've reinforced it well in just two days."
'What terrifying potential,' his smirk deepened.
I smirked back.
"Instead of complimenting me, Sensei… maybe you should observe your surroundings."
A soft hum of cursed energy pulsed.
All around him, metal stakes shimmered into existence—forming from the very air.
With a sharp whistle, they launched at his head.
Gojo vanished.
Hovering in the air above the battlefield, he pouted.
"Hey, I said close combat!"
I grinned.
My fist crackled with a new surge of power.
Blue electricity formed into a spearhead.
'You wanted fast?'
The lightning stretched forward.
'This is fast!'