Gaio hadn't gone far from the Shinomiya estate when he pulled over to the side of the road.
With a fluid motion, he dismounted his motorcycle, raised a hand, and the heavy bike vanished instantly. Standing there, he arched a brow, as if tracing something invisible in the air.
In the next moment, his figure flickered and disappeared completely.
---
Tokyo Jujutsu High, Principal's Office.
Sunlight streamed through the window.
Satoru Gojo lounged lazily in his chair, hands behind his head, his sneakers propped carelessly on the polished tea table.
His head tilted, a carefree grin on his face, the black blindfold obscuring most of his expression, making it impossible to tell if he was actually listening.
Megumi Fushiguro sat nearby, his face serious as he reported to Gojo. "Early this morning at Takao Mountain, that special-grade cursed spirit…"
His voice was clear but heavy. Beside him, Yuji Itadori and Nobara Kugisaki listened intently.
Just then—
Rip!
The air in the center of the office tore apart! A pitch-black spatial rift snapped open.
From the rift, a figure stepped out, landing steadily.
Gaio, appearing right in the principal's office.
The rift sealed shut instantly, as if nothing had happened.
The room fell into dead silence.
Megumi's report cut off mid-sentence.
Yuji's pupils contracted, his body tensing instinctively.
Nobara shot to her feet, her face wary, hand already gripping the hammer at her waist.
Gojo's legs paused on the table, his lazy grin deepening for a split second.
He turned his head slowly, and even through the blindfold, his gaze locked onto Gaio with pinpoint precision.
"Yo?" Gojo's playful voice broke the frozen air. "Nero-kun? Quite the rare visitor."
Gaio's arrival instantly eased the tension in the room.
Nobara's eyes sparkled, her mouth falling open as she let out a fangirl shriek. "Lord Nero!!!"
Gaio raised a brow at her familiar fan frenzy, giving her a small nod and a smile before striding over to the couch across from Gojo and sitting down.
"My dear Nero-kun~" Gojo grinned, sitting up straight, his Six Eyes glinting with amusement beneath the blindfold. "What brings you here so suddenly?"
"House hunting," Gaio said bluntly. "I want a big estate, like yours."
Gojo yanked off his blindfold, his Six Eyes wide. "Whoa, whoa, you come to me for everything else, fine, but now you're asking me to help you buy a house? I just built you that standalone place a month ago!"
"Good location, close to the school," Gaio continued, ignoring Gojo's protests. "Money's no issue."
Gojo burst out laughing, slumping back in his chair. "Oh, this is rich. Your place isn't big enough anymore, huh?"
Gaio didn't respond, just stared at him.
"Alright, alright." Gojo waved a hand. "The Zenin clan got wiped out by Maki recently, right? I can pull some strings, get their estate fixed up or even rebuilt, but—"
His grin turned dangerous. "How about a quick spar first? I've invited you a few times already, you know."
The room went quiet again. Nobara sucked in a breath, Megumi and Yuji each took a half-step back.
Gaio met Gojo's eager gaze and shook his head firmly. "You're not my match."
Gojo, of course, knew this. As the ceiling of the jujutsu world, he was more aware than anyone of Gaio's terrifying strength.
But his eyes gleamed with excitement—the thrill of facing an absolute powerhouse, the chance to push his limits.
"Nero-kun~" Gojo leaned closer, his lanky frame slinking toward Gaio like an oversized cat, his voice teasing. "Just a quick round, c'mon~"
His exaggerated whining and six-foot-plus frame made the act comically absurd.
Nobara covered her mouth, stifling giggles until her face turned red. Yuji and Megumi tactfully looked away—no one wanted to deal with Gojo's post-fight grudges.
Gaio frowned, about to refuse again, but paused as if something occurred to him.
"Gojo, how much heat can you handle?" he asked suddenly.
"Huh?" Gojo tilted his head, puzzled.
---
Jujutsu High's Deep Mountain Training Ground.
The massive hollowed-out mountain interior spanned the size of several football fields, its walls etched with reinforcement barriers.
In the center, Gojo was dramatically warming up—stretching his legs, twisting his wrists and ankles.
Ten meters away, Gaio stood with his hands in his pockets, chin raised, watching Gojo's theatrics with mild disinterest.
At the edge of the training ground, a crowd of jujutsu sorcerers had gathered, each with their own stance, watching the two in the arena.
Mei Mei sat elegantly, legs crossed, her brother Ui Ui at her side. Yuta Okkotsu leaned against a bench, his cursed katana slung over his shoulder. Maki, her short hair framing her face, gripped her Soul-Release Blade with a hint of excitement. Inumaki stood nearby, tugging his collar up. Shoko Ieiri puffed on a cigarette, looking like she was here for the show.
Most eye-catching was the corner where Nobara and Hana Kurusu led a "Nero Cheer Squad," waving glow sticks and rallying a dozen girls in a frenzy of cheers.
"Hey, what's this about a heat test?" Gojo asked, stretching his hamstrings, his Six Eyes locked onto Gaio.
"Testing another blade," Gaio said flatly.
"Another one?" Gojo ripped off his blindfold, his blue eyes sharp. "Not the space-cutting one?" He remembered that blade's danger.
Gaio's brow furrowed impatiently. "Hurry up. Haimi's waiting for me."
"Ha! Wife guy!" Gojo snickered.
His laughter cut off as his figure vanished!
Whoosh!
The air tore apart with a sonic boom! Gojo's fist, wrapped in overwhelming cursed energy, rocketed toward the back of Gaio's head, so fast most spectators only caught a blur!
Gaio didn't even turn.
Swish!
His head tilted slightly. Gojo's fist grazed past his ear, hitting nothing but air, the sheer force blasting a crater into the ground.
"Boring," Gaio's icy voice came from Gojo's left.
He stood there, hands still in his pockets, as if he hadn't moved at all.
Gojo's pupils narrowed, but his grin widened. "Ho!" He kicked off, the ground cracking beneath him, his figure vanishing again!
This time, it was a storm! Fists, elbows, knees, legs—all enhanced with cursed energy and the Limitless technique's warped trajectories—formed a barrage of countless afterimages, engulfing Gaio's position!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The center of the training ground became a haze of dust, the reinforced floor shattering like tofu! The layered barriers flickered wildly, buzzing under the strain.
Spectators in the front row raised their hands to shield against flying debris and shockwaves.
Shoko exhaled a smoke ring. "Gojo's unreliable, but his physical skills are the jujutsu world's peak."
Mei Mei narrowed her eyes. "It's pointless."
In the dust cloud, Gaio stood like a rock in a raging sea.
He didn't even block! With minimal tilts, sidesteps, and shifts, each move precise to the micrometer, he dodged every attack!
Gojo's fists, carrying devastating force, grazed his clothes without leaving a wrinkle.
"Too slow," Gaio's low voice cut through the explosive flurry.
Gojo's eyes blazed with battle lust! After a heavy punch missed, he spun, pulling back and forming hand signs at his chest!
"Technique Forward: Blue!"
Buzz!
A terrifying suction erupted! Space compressed into a twisted, light-devouring singularity, locking onto Gaio!
"Technique Reversal: Red!"
Almost simultaneously, Gojo thrust his hand out!
A destructive scarlet shockwave of repulsive force complemented Blue's pull, creating a twisted field that could reduce a special-grade cursed spirit to particles! Space itself groaned!
"There it is! Sensei's combo!" Yuji shouted, pumped.
Blue and Red collided, shredding the space around Gaio like a paper shredder!
"Is that it?" His voice pierced the warped storm, chillingly clear!
Gaio stood unshaken at the epicenter.
The chaotic field of Blue and Red tore at space, but only made his white hair and clothes flutter!
His eyes locked onto Gojo with unmasked disdain. "Gojo, you're even less interesting than Sukuna."
Those words lit a fuse!
Gojo's manic grin froze, then twisted into wilder excitement!
"Ha—!" A crazed laugh erupted from his throat, his Six Eyes blazing blue, cursed energy surging uncontrollably! "You're right! Warm-up's over!!"
Boom!
Gojo's figure became a blurred streak!
Blue erupted beneath his feet, granting near-teleportation speed!
Red's force wrapped his fists and feet, each strike carrying mountain-shattering power!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The training ground seemed to host dozens of Gojo afterimages!
From every angle, he unleashed a relentless storm of attacks on Gaio!
Each punch, each kick, powered by Red, could level mountains! He moved at blinding speed, hunting for even a sliver of an opening!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The training ground was like a battlefield under heavy artillery! The solid floor exploded!
Countless stones were pulverized by Red's force! The reinforced barriers screamed, their energy flickering, on the verge of collapse!
The spectators were stunned.
"So… fast!" Yuji's eyes struggled to track the afterimages.
"It's not just speed… Each hit's energy is way beyond before!" Megumi's forehead beaded with sweat, knowing he'd die under any single blow.
Nobara and the cheer squad held their breath, glow sticks frozen mid-air.
Maki gripped her Soul-Release Blade, her eyes sharp. "This is the real strongest Gojo-sensei…"
Shoko's cigarette fell from her lips. "Lunatic…"
Gojo's attacks were impenetrable, like countless scarlet meteors converging on one point! Yet Gaio stood with his hands in his pockets!
Swish! Swish! Swish!
His movements were minimal, precise as if he could see the future!
Every sidestep, every tilt, every shift perfectly evaded Gojo's terrifying Red-powered strikes!
Not one attack touched his clothes!
"Is this your limit?" Gaio's calm voice rang through the explosions, tinged with disappointment.
"Not done yet!!" Gojo's crazed laughter dripped with madness! He finally caught a seeming gap in Gaio's casual movements—not a flaw, but a deliberate bait!
"Now—Imaginary Technique: Purple!"
Gojo's figure appeared directly in front of Gaio! His hands formed signs at his chest!
Cursed energy compressed and fused! Blue's cyan and Red's scarlet twisted together, collapsing into a miniature black hole radiating destruction!
Buzz—!!
The black hole devoured all light and dust! Catastrophic energy brewed within!
Gojo's face twisted into a feral grin, his arms thrusting forward! "Take this!!"
Boom—!!!!
A purple energy torrent, capable of annihilating everything, tore through space, roaring from the black hole!
Its power dwarfed every prior attack, swallowing Gaio and the surrounding space in a world-ending surge! Purple light engulfed half the training ground!
The terrifying shockwave, mixed with pure annihilation energy, slammed into the already-strained barriers!
Crack—!!!!
The barriers shattered like fragile glass! The residual storm surged toward the spectators!
"Bad!" Yuta drew his katana instantly!
"Protect!" Maki shouted, raising her Soul-Release Blade!
"Salmon!" Inumaki yanked down his collar!
Megumi summoned Nue!
Everyone's faces paled, unleashing their strongest defenses!
But just before the destructive storm hit the front row—
Buzz!
A blade flash sliced through, splitting the energy! Gaio!
In the rolling dust and chaotic energy, the purple light faded.
Gaio's figure reappeared.
He stood exactly where he'd been, the ground beneath him unscathed! The devastating Purple had been like a breeze passing by.
He slowly sheathed his Zanpakuto. "No domain? My turn, then."
As his words fell—
Buzz—!
An indescribable pressure gripped everyone's hearts!
Not aura—it was pure heat!
The training ground's air seemed to ignite!
One moment, the crowd was reeling from Purple's aftershock; the next, they were thrown into a volcano's core!
"Hiss—!"
"So… hot!!"
Sweat evaporated the instant it formed! Skin burned as if seared by a branding iron, and every breath scorched their lungs!
The barrier runes at the edges sizzled, flickering unsteadily.
Spectators were drenched, but their sweat turned to vapor before hitting the ground! Nobara's glow sticks began to melt!
"What… temperature is this?!" Maki felt her Soul-Release Blade's handle burning her hand.
"My body… is screaming…" Yuta's cursed energy shielded him, but his skin still stung.
Shoko narrowed her eyes, sensing the unnatural heat. "The core… it's that blade…"
Gojo, at the center, felt it most intensely!
His Six Eyes worked overtime, trying to parse the physics-defying heat.
His Limitless technique ran at full capacity, forming an infinitely divided defensive space, keeping the lethal heat at bay.
Even so, he felt the apocalyptic force hammering at his technique's limits! The air around him twisted and boiled!
"Domain exp—" Gojo didn't hesitate, raising his hand to unleash his ultimate move—Infinite Void!
But—
Boom!!!
A towering inferno erupted around Gaio!
The training ground became the heart of a volcano, a blazing hell in an instant!
The ground's rocks cracked, their edges melting into red lava!
In Gaio's hand, the plain Zanpakuto was gone.
In its place was an ancient-looking tachi, its blade wrapped in crimson patterns.
Just held in his hand, the blade warped the surrounding air into liquid-like ripples!
"Ryujin Jakka," Gaio said softly.
The moment the name fell—
Boom—!!!
The flames' temperature skyrocketed exponentially!
Crimson fire roared like an angry dragon, surging upward!
The training ground's reinforced alloy ceiling glowed red, melting like wax!
The barriers flickered like candles in the wind, on the verge of collapse!
Everyone unleashed their strongest cursed energy to resist.
Gojo's Limitless barrier screeched, its infinite layers showing signs of softening under the extreme heat!
Sweat (if it could be called that) vaporized instantly on his brow!
"Hey, hey, hey!!!" Gojo finally understood Gaio's earlier question, his Six Eyes wide with disbelief. "This heat… is a bit too cheating!!!"
This wasn't human power! It was divine wrath! The sun incarnate!
Gaio's lips curved slightly, his dark eyes reflecting the all-consuming flames as he looked at Gojo calmly.
"Can your Limitless handle the sun's temperature?"
Gojo's Six Eyes widened. The sun?! Not a metaphor?!
Gaio tilted his chin, Ryujin Jakka pointing downward, its tip glowing red, the air sizzling.
"Guess not," he said flatly, a hint of disappointment.
"Then—an ordinary slash."
Before his words settled—
Swish!
Gaio's figure vanished!
Gojo's Six Eyes frantically tracked him—nothing!
Hiss—!
The air ignited with a piercing shriek beside Gojo's ear!
Gaio appeared right in front of him! Ryujin Jakka swung down, unadorned, with crushing speed and power!
"Block!" Gojo's cursed energy exploded! His arms crossed, Limitless stacking to its limit!
A near-solid spatial shield formed before him!
But the moment the blade touched—
No massive impact came!
A feint?!
Gojo's heart stopped. His Six Eyes caught the heat-warped air behind him!
"Behind!!!"
Too late!
Gaio appeared at his back! Ryujin Jakka's crimson blade traced a deadly reverse-kesa arc!
Shink!!!
The blade struck, and an apocalyptic explosion of flames erupted like a suppressed volcano!
Boom—!!!
Gojo's "infinite" spatial defense let out a metallic wail, melting under the blade's touch!
The defense—breached!
The blade tore through the technique, slashing heavily across Gojo's crossed back!
"Gah—!!!"
Gojo felt unimaginable force and searing heat erupt simultaneously! His protective cursed energy shredded like paper! His clothes vaporized instantly!
His flesh scorched, blood evaporating before it could spill!
Thud!!!!
His body became a scarlet streak, smashed into the training ground's far wall!
Boom—!!!
The earth shook! The reinforced wall collapsed into a massive crater, cracks spiderwebbing outward!
Debris rained down, the air thick with the acrid smell of melted rock!
At the center, the heat and flames abruptly receded.
Gaio flicked Ryujin Jakka, its flames extinguishing, returning to its ancient form. He didn't glance at the collapsed wall.
Clang.
The blade slid into a sheath that appeared from nowhere.
Gaio turned to Shoko, stunned in the stands, his voice calm.
"Go patch him up."
"He won't die."
"And remind him about my house."