A/N: SO FORETOLD, AS PROMISED, I DELIVER!
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I... honestly didn't get why Caren's usually dead face held traces of genuine worry after the provocations Sancraid had just spewed.
Yeah, they were vile, and I was going to bash his face against the concrete until nothing except red mush remained of it BUT, it also wasn't like I was the sort of easily offended person to 'see red' or 'lose control' or some equally weird shit over a couple of words.
So anyway, I started blastin'.
Ehem... I mean-
"Cursed Technique Reversal: Red."
If Blue was a terrible attractive force that tugged on the very fabric of space to achieve destruction, then Red was an equally terrible repulsive force that shoved out the very world to achieve complete and total annihilation.
It was a technique that Gojo acquired after a decent bit of hardship and experimentation, but for me, in this world, perhaps because of the way mystery and spells were structured, it was as easy as reversing the 'code' for Blue.
That said, just because it came easy didn't mean that it wasn't equally, if not more potent, than the real Red so I was forced to unleash a very finely controlled version lest I alert the whole city.
A flash of red. The spell lashed out. A massive boom. Then, the world shattered.
Office cubicles and desks flew and were torn to shreds, the floor was ripped out right from under Sancraid's feet. Shards of glass exploded out like shrapnel from a grenade. In a mere instant, the entire office floor was completely and utterly annihilated.
Maybe the instincts honed over decades of hunting down people for the Church came in clutch for him, or maybe his God decided to elongate his suffering, but Sancraid did tank my hit. Just before the flash hit him, he quickly mumbled a series of words and the very thing I was here for came spilling out of his almost-reptilian form.
Three defensive barriers overlaid atop one another, the so-called Multi-Layered Bounded Field boasting the ultimate defense against all sorts of magicks. And... it was true. One look, and I knew that every bit of what Mark had told me was true. It really was impossible to pierce this incredible defense using even the highest degree of conventional magecraft.
Sancraid cackled. "Surprised?"
"Nope. I was waiting for this."
The 'code' was intricate, beautiful and removed from the common Bounded Field in structure to an absurd degree. Where the latter were imposed upon a set area, these barriers were imposed upon himself. He was the anchor, and they fully cut him off from the world around him.
Even without any modifications, it bore a fair to resemblance Infinity. It was a surprise to be sure. A happy surprise.
The third outer-most layer imposed 'stillness' upon all that entered, slowing and freezing them in space and time. At that point, such things as force, momentum and destructive power became utterly irrelevant. That was why my technique didn't even scratch the Executor where it had shredded everything. In fact, I realised my arsenal was hard-countered by it.
To rub it in my face, he even dusted off his shoulder.
"You can't do anything to me, heretic. Now, watch as I bring every single one of my claims to reality."
In spite of all that, my grin remained unfazed. I began covering the distance with slow, deliberate steps. Definitely, the defense would need the highest class of magicks to pierce, a class far beyond what I currently had access to. BUT, there was just one damning flaw.
It was a product of magecraft. Magecraft was something I hard-countered.
"If I can see it, I can analyze it. So..." I held out my hand, stepping closer. "I understand it now."
His eyes widened when I dismantled the barrier's imposed effects with that same easy stride. He stumbled back when I dismantled the second defensive layer. He even tried to turn and run like a reasonable person when I crossed the third just as easily. He'd realised that if either Red or Blue hit him without a barrier, he was beyond dead.
I... just phased through, hand held out.
"Come on. Let's shake hands."
Sancraid stared at me, dumbfounded. I imagine it came as quite the shock when I casually disregarded his trump card, even Gojo Satoru himself would be decently surprised if someone just entered Infinity.
"Come on. It's just a handshake. Just like friends... We could forget this ever happened. You understand your situation now, don't you? I don't care about what you said, so, handshake. C'mon~."
He knew I was going to murder him if he turned and ran. So, with almost child-like innocence, he reached out, and took my hand in his. Sensually, I enclosed his fingers within mine.
"N...Now let me go-...!!"
That was a huge mistake.
"I lied!"
He tried to wrenched his hand free, I pulled harder, and rammed my fist into his gut. Red exploded. His stomach burst. I didn't stop. I punched him again. Chest. Ribs. Gut. Repeat. Boom. Boom. Boom. With reinforced arms, I threw him in the air and kicked him in the chest, launching him through the office.
Wide-eyed, vomiting blood, Sancraid smashed against a wall. He slid down slowly. Painfully. Leaving a trail of blood and innards. Yet, he still moved. He threw his Black Key right at my face. I grinned. His own defensive barrier spilled out.
No, it was MY defensive barrier now. Not multi-layered like his, not with the concept or the structure he used. You see, I'd been experimenting with dividing distance within a Bounded Field in anticipation from the moment I was told that tampering distance was the easiest thing to do within one's bounded field.
No, mine was a single layer. A single layer that... well, anyone could guess, right? I was definitely going to modify it further later but for now, the joy of achieving this was near orgasmic.
His blade halted midair, stopped by the now-infinite distance between me and the rest of the world. The Black Key impotently clammered against the floor as I grinned further.
"Now, I promised I was gonna bash your skull against the concrete, didn't I? Or wait, I guess I never said it outloud. But, you get it, right? You've probably done this before too."
I was overjoyed, in a state of complete bliss. Well and truly... tweaking.
Infinity.
Blue.
Red.
My set was finally complete!
I wanted to jump and punch the air, kiss someone even.
"No! Wait! Just wait a second!"
"How's it feel having the situation turn so suddenly? What were you going to do Caren again?"
This guy probably thought he'd gotten a bunch of easy marks or something to stake his psychotic sadism on. Well, too bad. No, I didn't feel bad in the slightest. I was doing all of humanity a favour here.
Instantly covering the distance between us, I grabbed Sancraid by the hair and dragged him up before smashing a blue-coated fist into his face. I pulled my fist back, and punched him again and again. Until he was a bloody mewling mess. Only then, did I toss him into the air and hold up a finger.
"Cursed Technique Reversal: Red."
The psychotic trash disappeared from the world in a flash.
When I turned to check on Caren, she had her hands over her heart, "You're-... Good job. But, you shouldn't get so mad... for someone like me."
Again, I wasn't mad at all.
I just shrugged, stretching my arms.
Whatever floated her boat, I guessed.
Now that the job here was done, there really was no meaning in sticking around. I was starting to miss my family and Luvia, even my classmates. Besides, I'd had enough of this deranged place already. I needed to tinker with this 'Infinity', overlap it with my Imaginary Numbers Affinity.
"Man, we really blew this place to shit, huh?" I glanced at the ruined offices all around us, a hand in my pocket. "Hishiri's going to give me a headache."
"It's 2003. This is America. They're just going to blame those people from the Middle East if your Bounded Field worked. The government might even want to reward you."
I snorted... She really just said the craziest shit. Unfortunately, it was indeed true. That was definitely what was going to happen.
"But mm, I've decided."
She poked a finger into my chest.
"Decided what?"
She poked me harder.
"I'm going to-"
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Hope you enjoyed.
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