The night spread its veil over Shinjuku, painting the skyline in muted shades of gray and violet. The city never slept, yet beneath the brilliance of its lights, the unseen world stirred restlessly. Aya Gojo stood on the edge of a deserted construction site, her breath forming faint clouds in the cold air. Her heart pounded in her chest—not from fear, but anticipation.
Gojo stood a few meters away, hands in his pockets, his usual relaxed smile curving his lips. "First lesson outside the classroom," he said casually. "This site's been crawling with low-level curses for days. Think of it as your training ground."
Aya swallowed hard. "You're saying… I have to exorcise them?"
"Exactly," Gojo replied. "I'll be here if things get out of hand. But you need to trust yourself. You have the instincts. Use them."
The wind whispered through the hollow metal frames of the half-built towers. Aya closed her eyes for a moment, focusing. She remembered Gojo's instructions: Don't think. Feel. The cursed energy around her pulsed faintly, like distant thunder beneath the surface of the world. Slowly, she began to sense it—traces of malice, pain, and rage woven into the air.
"They're here," she murmured, eyes snapping open.
Gojo tilted his head. "Good. Now, show me how my sister fights."
From the shadows of the unfinished building, a low growl echoed. The air thickened, and three cursed spirits emerged—misshapen creatures, their bodies formed from hatred and decay. They moved like liquid shadows, eyes glowing red. Aya's pulse quickened, her grip tightening on the air itself as cursed energy flickered faintly around her hands.
The first curse lunged forward. Aya sidestepped instinctively, her movements fluid, as if her body already knew what to do. She swung her arm outward, releasing a pulse of invisible force that sent the creature crashing into a steel beam with a metallic shriek. Sparks rained down as it dissolved into mist.
"One down," Gojo commented, smirking. "Not bad."
But the others were faster. They circled her, movements unpredictable, their snarls vibrating through the scaffolding. Aya's mind raced. Focus. Breathe. Feel the flow. She raised her hand again, sensing the space between her and the curses, the tension of the air, the thin barrier of Infinity that Gojo had mentioned.
For an instant, she saw it—not with her eyes, but with something deeper. The threads of cursed energy, shimmering faintly, binding the world together. And then she acted.
She stepped forward, energy rippling from her palm in a wave. The nearest curse disintegrated instantly, its scream echoing through the empty site. The last one hesitated, its form flickering. Aya didn't wait. She drew her energy inward, then released it in a focused strike that cut through the darkness like a blade. Silence followed.
Gojo's slow clap broke it. "You're learning fast," he said, walking toward her. "Your control's rough, but your instincts are sharp. You handled them better than most second-year students."
Aya exhaled shakily, feeling the exhaustion creep into her muscles. "I didn't even think… my body just moved."
"That's what happens when you stop fighting yourself," Gojo said. "Your cursed energy responds naturally when you accept it. But remember, power without discipline is chaos. You'll need both."
Aya nodded, though her mind was still reeling from the sensation of it—the sheer force that had poured through her, the resonance of energy she barely understood. She looked down at her trembling hands. "It felt… alive. Like it wanted to move with me."
Gojo smiled faintly. "That's because it's yours. Don't fear it. Listen to it."
As he spoke, Aya felt a faint tremor beneath her feet. The ground cracked slightly, dust falling from the steel beams above. Gojo's head turned sharply. His expression changed, the smile fading.
"Wait," he murmured. "There's something stronger."
A second later, a chilling presence filled the air. Aya staggered back as a massive shadow began to materialize behind the skeletal structure of the tower. This curse was different—larger, denser, radiating hatred so intense that the air itself seemed to warp around it. Its face was a grotesque mask of despair, its limbs twisting like molten tar.
Gojo stepped forward calmly. "Well, that's unexpected. Seems you've attracted quite the admirer, Aya."
Aya's chest tightened. "I… I can't fight that thing!"
"Of course you can't," Gojo said lightly. "Not yet. But you can learn something from it. Watch closely."
Before Aya could answer, Gojo raised his hand lazily. The air shimmered. In an instant, the curse froze mid-movement, its massive claws suspended inches from the ground. A faint crack echoed—then silence. The creature imploded, collapsing inward as though the very space it occupied had rejected its existence.
Aya blinked, stunned. "You… erased it."
Gojo turned slightly, a playful smile back on his face. "Technically, I just reminded it that it doesn't belong here."
She stared at the empty space where the curse had been, awe flooding her expression. "That… was the Infinity, wasn't it?"
He nodded. "Yes. The same power you have, though yours hasn't awakened fully yet. You felt a glimpse of it earlier—the barrier between you and everything else. It's both shield and weapon. When you master it, you'll understand what it means to be untouchable."
Aya's gaze hardened. "Then teach me. I don't want to just watch—I want to fight."
Gojo studied her for a long moment before nodding approvingly. "Good. That's what I wanted to hear. Tomorrow, your real training begins. Tonight, you did well. Remember this feeling—the moment between fear and resolve. That's where true strength is born."
The city lights shimmered in the distance as the two Gojo siblings walked out of the construction site. The night breeze carried the faint scent of dust and ozone, remnants of the battle. Aya looked up at the stars, her exhaustion giving way to a quiet determination.
I'm not just his sister, she thought, her reflection shimmering faintly in a puddle of rainwater. I'm going to surpass him.
Gojo chuckled softly beside her, as if he had read her mind. "Ambitious already? I like that."
She smiled faintly, brushing her hair back. "Guess it runs in the family."
He grinned. "Oh, it definitely does."