It was a muggy August morning in Tokyo.
Eight people had gathered at Training Field No. 2—three third-years, three second-years, first-year newcomer Kiyotaka Ijichi, and Sōjun Minamoto.
This area was strictly for students only.
Everyone had received a message from Satoru Gojo early that morning, urging them to gather here immediately. No explanation was given.
By the time Sōjun Minamoto arrived, the rest were already standing in a circle. Even though he'd left fifteen minutes early, he was still the last to show up.
"What's going on?" he called out to Satoru Gojo from a distance.
Gojo stood with his hands on his hips, giving a slight nod. Half his eye peeked out from above his sunglasses, but he didn't answer—just gave him a look.
What the hell was that supposed to mean? That expression didn't explain anything.
Sōjun Minamoto didn't bother asking again and simply joined the group.
"Get ready!" Shoko Ieiri suddenly shouted.
She and Suguru Geto stood opposite Gojo, each holding an item—Shoko with a pen, Geto with an eraser.
They loosened up with a few stretches, twisting at the waist, shaking out their arms.
Then, without warning, they hurled the pen and eraser straight at Satoru Gojo.
Swoosh—swoosh—two sharp sounds sliced through the air.
They were incredibly fast, powered by Cursed Energy.
Gojo didn't move a muscle. He just stood there, watching the pen and eraser fly straight at him. As they got closer and closer, they suddenly froze in place right in front of him.
Everyone looked a little stunned.
Through Sōjun Minamoto's enhanced vision, he could tell the pen and eraser hadn't truly stopped—they were still inching forward, but at an incredibly slow rate, so slow it was practically imperceptible.
To the others, who didn't have his sight, the objects looked completely frozen in midair.
Information about the Limitless Technique flashed through Sōjun Minamoto's mind. He immediately understood—this was the Achilles Paradox.
In the legend, Achilles was the fastest runner in Greek mythology. But according to Zeno's paradox, Achilles could never catch up to a tortoise that had a head start. Every time Achilles reached the point where the tortoise had been, the tortoise had moved forward a bit more. That cycle continued endlessly.
In simple terms, the gap between them kept shrinking but could never be closed completely.
It seemed insignificant, but was actually impossible to overcome.
Sōjun Minamoto didn't sense any active technique from Gojo. It felt more like the technique was operating passively.
"Hmm, not bad," Gojo said as he canceled the technique. He reached out and caught the pen, let the eraser hit his forehead and bounce off, then casually caught it with his other hand.
Sōjun Minamoto narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. Even objects trapped in the paradox still followed the laws of physics. Without any external force acting on them, their speed would naturally slow to a crawl.
Shoko Ieiri blinked in surprise. "What the hell?!"
"Is it some kind of automatic targeting system for the technique?" Suguru Geto, standing beside her, asked after a brief pause.
"Close. More accurately, I've made myself the target of the technique," Satoru Gojo said with a wide grin.
"I've automated the actions I normally have to do manually. Based on the strength of Cursed Energy, and the approaching object's mass, speed, and shape, I can assess potential threats and trigger an automatic defense."
He tossed the pen and eraser high into the air, letting them fall freely toward him—only to see them stop mid-air above his head.
Gojo laughed, hands on his hips.
"My eyes can read the flow of Cursed Energy and pick up every bit of information around me. With just a small amount of Cursed Energy and the help of Reverse Cursed Technique, I can keep Limitless running almost constantly… and I've also completely eliminated the need for hand signs when casting techniques."
He paused, then added, "Next up—Domains and long-distance teleportation."
"Oh? So with Reverse Cursed Technique maintaining your neural function, your brain can stay active indefinitely?" Shoko's eyes lit up at the idea. She pulled the lollipop from her mouth, visibly excited, and dove into a discussion about Reverse Cursed Technique with Gojo.
She had to admit—this guy couldn't heal others worth a damn, but when it came to himself, he was a natural.
"The method works, but the brain still tires normally. Reverse Cursed Technique can ease the fatigue, but it can't eliminate it entirely."
Sōjun Minamoto stepped forward. He'd tried something similar in the past. It was manageable for short periods, but keeping it active long-term was just another form of brain damage.
And that was something he couldn't accept.
Someone like him—no smoking, no drinking, always mindful of balanced meals and a proper sleep schedule—couldn't tolerate putting his body under that kind of strain.
Sure, it was doable, but it would severely slow his progress toward perfect evolution.
Gojo lacked Perfect Control self-awareness and couldn't sense the micro-damage being done, so Sōjun gave him a heads-up.
"I'm fine," Gojo shrugged, completely unbothered.
The damage was still within his tolerance. As long as he got proper sleep—or even just took occasional breaks—it was enough to keep his energy intact.
And what he gained in return was a fully automated Limitless.
Sōjun didn't say more. Gojo clearly understood the risks. It came down to personal choice—he was just offering a reminder.
Watching Gojo's triumphant grin, Sōjun bent down and picked up a small pebble.
"Mind if I give it a shot too? I'd like to test your automation at full capacity."
"How do you want to test it?" Gojo straightened up, a smirk curling at his lips. He lifted his gaze over the rim of his sunglasses, locking eyes with Sōjun.
"You wanna fight me? That's dangerous, you know. I'm the strongest! Hahahaha..."
Originally, he'd just called Sōjun over to show off a bit—though he had other motives, too. But hearing that, he tossed those thoughts aside. Now he just wanted to spar.
"The strongest Grade 1 sorcerer?" Sōjun had little interest in the title of "strongest." He preferred being the king behind the curtain. He opened his hand to reveal the pebble in his palm.
"Just let me throw this once."
He tossed the pebble into the air, caught it, then repeated the motion a few times.
"Alright, let's do it!" Gojo followed the pebble with his eyes, adjusting his stance.
Sōjun tossed the pebble once more—but this time, instead of catching it, he flicked his wrist and launched it upward with a light snap.
A swirling black vortex appeared in midair. The pebble disappeared into it.
Gojo immediately lost all sense of it.
He instinctively activated Six Eyes at full capacity, but the stone had vanished without a trace.
No residual Cursed Energy?
Impossible. That vortex was packed with Cursed Energy—how could the pebble not carry even a hint of it?
But he didn't have time to dwell on it.
From the empty air in front of him came a soft "pop." The world stilled for a breath, and even the tiniest sound drew everyone's attention—including Gojo's.
The pebble reappeared, shrouded in a flicker of black light, and shot toward him like a bullet.
Sōjun Minamoto nodded in satisfaction. This was a new fusion of Black Flash and spatial techniques—culminating in this precise strike.
It might've looked like a casual flick, but anyone on the receiving end would feel the overwhelming force behind it.
He'd made sure the pebble carried no trace of Cursed Energy. Since the whole point was to test Gojo's automated Limitless, it wouldn't be fair if he had any warning or could prepare a defense.
Sōjun's eyes lit up with excitement as he looked toward Gojo, anticipation building.
Now, he'd see exactly how Limitless would react to the incoming pebble.
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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