Threads of Infinity chapter 16: Veil of Power
The night air was thick with the hum of cursed energy, and Tsukasa stood in the shadow of a nearby alleyway, his figure barely visible to the human eye. His presence, however, was undeniable. The faintest shift in the air rippled through the atmosphere, a warning of the immense power that was about to be revealed.
Slowly, Tsukasa took a step forward, his gaze unwavering. His eyes, those eyes—an abyss of endless power—glinted as he emerged from the darkness, each movement deliberate and slow. As his footfall echoed in the empty street, the pressure of his cursed energy began to bleed into the surroundings, coiling around the buildings like an oppressive storm cloud.
Geto, standing a short distance away, felt the shift in the air before he saw Tsukasa's figure. The familiar, unsettling sensation of being watched washed over him. He glanced to the side, his eyes narrowing as he saw Tsukasa stepping forward from the shadows, a ghostly presence with an aura so dense, so suffocating, it seemed to warp the very air around him.
The air grew colder, heavier, as Tsukasa's eyes met Geto's for the first time. There was no recognition in his gaze—just a distant, calculated emptiness, like the calm before a storm. His power radiated outward, an overwhelming tidal force that made the space around him seem smaller, more fragile.
Geto's heart skipped a beat, the sudden weight of Tsukasa's presence causing a rare flicker of hesitation. His grip on his cursed energy tightened instinctively, and for a moment, he could have sworn the very ground beneath him trembled.
Riko Amanai, standing near Geto, felt it first—the shift in the atmosphere, the oppressive weight of Tsukasa's cursed energy. Her breath caught in her throat, her body stiffening in response. Her eyes widened as she turned toward him, instinctively shrinking back, as if she could sense the danger radiating off him, even if she couldn't fully understand it. Every fiber of her being screamed that something was wrong, that the person before her was no ordinary threat. Tsukasa's presence was so intense, it felt like the air itself was choking her, suffocating her with its power.
Tsukasa's gaze moved to Riko only for a moment, noting her reaction without a hint of emotion. There was no curiosity, no care. She was a fleeting thing in his eyes—insignificant. Her fear didn't matter. She was just another human, no different from the rest.
With a subtle flick of his eyes, he turned back to Geto, his presence still weighing heavily on the surroundings. It was as though the very world had bent to accommodate him, his power undeniable, suffocating, and unyielding. No words were needed. Tsukasa's power spoke for itself.
The silence stretched on as Tsukasa's oppressive aura weighed heavily on the space between them. Riko's unease was palpable, her wide eyes flickering between Tsukasa and the two men beside her. She wanted to move, to run, but her legs were frozen by the sheer force of Tsukasa's presence. Even Geto, normally so composed, seemed to falter under the weight of the cursed energy suffocating the street.
Then, as if to cut through the tension, a voice broke the silence.
"You've got a lot of nerve, standing in front of us like that," came the calm, but unmistakable voice of Satoru Gojo.
Tsukasa's gaze shifted slightly, his eyes narrowing in recognition, though his expression remained neutral. He had felt Gojo's energy long before he spoke—an undeniable presence that, like his own, was saturated with raw power.
Satoru stepped forward, his white hair tousled slightly by the wind, his usual grin nowhere to be seen. The carefree attitude he often exuded was replaced by a sharp focus, his Six Eyes narrowing as they locked onto Tsukasa. There was no hesitation, no fear in Gojo's stance. Just like Tsukasa, he stood unflinching in the face of overwhelming energy, a challenge in his eyes.
Geto, still feeling the lingering pressure from Tsukasa's aura, instinctively took a half-step back, allowing Gojo to take the lead. He was well aware of Gojo's power—stronger than anyone else, Tsukasa included. He trusted Gojo, even when the situation felt precarious. And right now, he could sense that Gojo was sizing Tsukasa up, just as Tsukasa was doing to them.
Satoru stepped forward, his white hair tousled slightly by the wind, his usual grin nowhere to be seen. The carefree attitude he often exuded was replaced by a sharp focus, his Six Eyes narrowing as they locked onto Tsukasa. There was no hesitation, no fear in Gojo's stance. Just like Tsukasa, he stood unflinching in the face of overwhelming energy, a challenge in his eyes.
Geto, still feeling the lingering pressure from Tsukasa's aura, instinctively took a half-step back, allowing Gojo to take the lead. He was well aware of Gojo's power—stronger than anyone else, Tsukasa included. He trusted Gojo, even when the situation felt precarious. And right now, he could sense that Gojo was sizing Tsukasa up, just as Tsukasa was doing to them.
Riko stood behind them, her heart racing. She had already been struck by the raw, frightening power emanating from Tsukasa, but now, as Gojo and Tsukasa stood before each other, she couldn't help but notice the striking similarity between the two.
Both had snow-white hair, both exuded a magnetic presence that felt almost otherworldly. But it wasn't just that—they both had piercing blue eyes. While Gojo's eyes carried an air of confidence and playful arrogance, Tsukasa's were cold and detached, almost icy. It was as if his gaze could see through everything, his eyes holding a level of intensity that made Riko feel like she was exposed under a microscope.
Geto, too, noticed the similarity and felt a strange unease ripple through him. His gaze flickered from Tsukasa to Gojo, a slight frown tugging at his features. Despite their differences, the resemblance was unmistakable. It was like staring at a reflection of Gojo—but darker, colder. It made him uncomfortable, though he couldn't pinpoint why.
Gojo's own eyes narrowed as he observed Tsukasa, noting the eerie similarity in appearance, though the look in Tsukasa's eyes unsettled him. The usual swagger that accompanied his presence faltered for just a split second. His gaze shifted from Tsukasa's piercing blue eyes to the rest of his features, and something deep within Gojo stirred. There was an uncanny likeness—too much, almost.
Tsukasa was an enigma, but that look in his eyes—the cold, calculated look that could rival Gojo's own—felt almost like an unspoken challenge.
"You must be Tsukasa," Gojo said, his voice carrying the weight of someone who had already anticipated this encounter. He didn't seem surprised, though there was a faint edge to his tone. "It's been a while since we had someone with this kind of energy, huh?"
Tsukasa's eyes flickered, but he said nothing. His expression remained as emotionless as ever.
Gojo didn't flinch under the intense stare. Instead, his lips curled into a smile, albeit a strained one. "If you've come to pick a fight, I'd suggest you think again. You might have power, but I have something you don't," Gojo continued, his eyes gleaming with confidence. "I don't care what your reasons are, but if you try anything funny, I'm not going to let it slide."
The atmosphere crackled with tension as both cursed energy users sized each other up. It was a standoff, but Gojo's unwavering stance made it clear that he wasn't about to back down.
For a brief moment, the air seemed to hang in suspended animation, the fate of the encounter uncertain. But Tsukasa, ever the enigma, tilted his head slightly, as if in silent contemplation. His presence alone was enough to leave the others on edge, but he had no immediate intention to act.
Instead, his lips parted, and he spoke, his voice cold and dismissive. "You're not worth my time," he said, turning his gaze from Gojo to Geto, then back to the distant horizon. "I'm not here to fight. I just wanted to see how the strongest sorcerer stacks up against a real challenge."
The moment Tsukasa finished speaking, his aura didn't recede—it lingered, swirling like a storm around him, yet his posture relaxed as though he had simply grown bored. With a final glance at Gojo, Tsukasa began to walk away, his footsteps deliberate and unhurried.
Gojo didn't move, his eyes following Tsukasa's retreating figure, and for a brief moment, there was a glint of something unreadable in his gaze.
Tsukasa's footsteps were steady, each step deliberate, as he turned away from the confrontation. He hadn't come to fight. The air around him crackled with the residual energy of his presence, but his focus was elsewhere, detached from the scene he had left behind. The power that emanated from him was almost palpable, and yet he gave no sign of stopping, no indication that he cared about the two sorcerers standing behind him.
But as he walked, Tsukasa's senses remained keen, the ambient energy swirling around him allowing him to sense every movement, every fluctuation in the atmosphere. He felt Gojo's gaze locked onto him, intense and unwavering, even from behind his dark glasses. There was something about the way Gojo stared, something beyond the usual cocky confidence—perhaps it was a hint of something deeper, a recognition of the challenge Tsukasa presented.
Tsukasa paused mid-step.
Without a word, without even a shift of his body, Tsukasa's eyes flicked upward, his piercing gaze locking directly with Gojo's. The world around them seemed to hold its breath for a moment.
Gojo's eyes widened under his glasses. It wasn't just the intensity that caused his reaction, but the sheer force behind Tsukasa's Six Eyes. There was something in the younger boy's stare—cold, detached, and yet so focused—that sent a shiver down Gojo's spine. It was as if Tsukasa could see right through him, past all the layers of cursed energy and his defenses, as though Gojo were an open book in the face of that gaze.
For the first time in a long while, Gojo felt a flicker of unease—unsettling, yet intriguing. Tsukasa's eyes didn't just hold power; they seemed to dissect everything they touched. The same Six Eyes Gojo had, but sharpened to an intensity he had never witnessed before.
The air around them seemed to grow heavier with each passing second. Tsukasa's stare didn't waver, his expression unchanged, the quiet storm of cursed energy swirling gently around him, almost as if it were waiting for a command.
Riko, standing silently behind Gojo and Geto, couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine at the sheer force of Tsukasa's presence. She had witnessed Gojo's strength before, but this—this was something different. It was cold, impassive, and utterly terrifying. The way Tsukasa's piercing blue eyes bore into Gojo, so similar to the man standing before her, sent a shiver of recognition through her. It was as though she was witnessing the birth of a new, even more terrifying force, one that might even rival Gojo himself. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized how dangerous this boy was.
Geto, standing next to her, couldn't hide his surprise. He had always known that Gojo's Six Eyes were a force to be reckoned with, but what Tsukasa exuded was different. It was as if Tsukasa had unlocked something beyond Gojo's power, something colder, more precise. He studied the young boy closely, trying to understand how someone so young could possess such an overwhelming presence. A flicker of unease crossed his expression, quickly replaced by a guarded curiosity. Who was this boy? What was his purpose?
Gojo's eyes remained locked on Tsukasa, the silence between them stretching on. Finally, he blinked, breaking the tension, and Tsukasa continued walking without a single glance back. His steps were deliberate, his presence still hauntingly powerful, even in his departure.
Geto watched Tsukasa's retreating figure, his gaze thoughtful. There was something deeply unsettling about the boy, something dangerous that even he couldn't quite place. As a sorcerer, Geto had faced countless curses and other sorcerers, but Tsukasa... he was different. The way he carried himself—so detached, so cold—made Geto question if this encounter was just a coincidence.
Riko, still shaken, looked up at Gojo, seeking some form of reassurance. But Gojo's expression had shifted, his usual carefree attitude replaced with something more serious, more contemplative.
"Is he really...?" Riko started to ask, her voice barely above a whisper.
Gojo glanced at her and gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. "Yes. He's... someone to keep an eye on."
Riko couldn't suppress the shiver that ran through her at his words, the weight of them settling like a heavy stone in her chest.