Threads of Infinity chapter 18: Cracks in the Veil
The trio stood at the boundary of the Tokyo Jujutsu High barrier, the shimmering veil that separated the cursed realm from the safety of the school grounds. Gojo Satoru, ever the picture of ease, led the way with his hands casually in his pockets, his sunglasses reflecting the harsh midday light. Beside him, Geto Suguru walked with measured steps, his gaze sharp, constantly scanning the surroundings. Riko Amanai trailed behind, her expression a mix of curiosity and trepidation, her presence barely a whisper in comparison to the two sorcerers.
The atmosphere around them was thick with the silent hum of cursed energy as they approached the barrier's edge. Gojo gave the slightest of nods before lifting his hand toward the barrier.
"Let's get this over with," Gojo muttered, his voice steady.
With a swift gesture, he tapped the air, and the barrier, which had been a shimmering wall of invisible force, flickered and rippled before collapsing in on itself. The sudden release of energy sent a slight shiver through the air, a signal to those within that the safety of the school grounds had just been altered.
Stepping forward, Gojo entered without hesitation, followed by Geto and Riko. As they passed through, the oppressive weight of the barrier vanished, but the tension that hung in the air remained.
As they moved deeper into the grounds, Gojo's demeanor shifted subtly. A week had passed since he had activated his Infinity to its fullest extent, maintaining the barrier of impenetrable distance from the world beyond. It was exhausting, even for him. With a quiet exhale, he flicked his hand in a subtle motion that, to any onlooker, would appear almost nonchalant.
The air around him rippled as Infinity deactivated, and for the first time in days, he could breathe fully, the world pressing closer to him without the constant strain of maintaining his overwhelming technique.
Unbeknownst to the three of them, however, another presence lingered in the shadows.
Tsukasa Gojo, hidden and silent as a predator in the dark, had been following them for the past several days, watching from a distance as Gojo's movements became more predictable. His presence was a quiet storm, a disturbance in the otherwise calm surroundings that no one could yet detect—except for Gojo, who seemed unaware of the eyes that watched him from the darkness.
Tsukasa's sharp, piercing eyes flicked between the figures of his former family—his once-uncaring relatives, his bloodline. He saw Gojo and Geto, but it was Gojo who commanded his attention the most. Every step Gojo took, every casual flick of his hand, only fueled Tsukasa's growing disdain for the world that remained outside his grasp.
He remained hidden, his aura still. The only thing that told of his presence was the subtle shift of energy in the air, a slight distortion that clung to the shadows.
Tsukasa's focus never wavered as he studied Gojo from a distance, his sharp gaze following the man's every move, wondering just how much longer Gojo could ignore the inevitable.
The warm, almost oppressive air of Tokyo Jujutsu High buzzed with tension as Gojo, Geto, and Riko walked deeper into the compound. The once steady presence of Gojo, unshaken by anything and everything around him, seemed to shift ever so slightly. His senses were still sharp, but something was off, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as they approached the open courtyard.
Without warning, a sudden gust of wind cut through the calm, and in the blink of an eye, a shadow leaped from behind the thick stone pillars, appearing as if it had materialized out of thin air.
A flash of steel glinted, too fast for Gojo to register until it was already upon him.
Toji Fushiguro.
The deadly assassin, a curse user without the use of cursed energy, moved with terrifying speed, his presence masked in a way that defied logic. He was a man of few words, but his body spoke volumes—his presence was lethal, his intent unyielding.
Toji's knife, a wickedly sharp weapon designed to cut through anything, found its mark. Without hesitation, he lunged at Gojo, his eyes cold and calculating. The blade cut through the air in a seamless, practiced motion, piercing through Gojo's torso with a sickening crunch.
Gojo's breath caught in his throat as the knife buried deep within him, the sensation of pain unexpected and unfamiliar. For a moment, he stood frozen, his gaze widening as the steel blade sank deeper. The sheer force of the strike felt as though the world itself had been momentarily shattered.
"Tch."
Gojo gritted his teeth, the shock of the moment making his mind race. The blow was swift, too fast for him to block, but not enough to fully incapacitate him. He had Infinity—but Toji's speed, his raw skill, had made all the difference.
The force of the blow caused Gojo to stumble back, the pain momentarily disorienting him. Blood dripped from the wound, staining his white robe, but Gojo's eyes—still hidden behind his glasses—narrowed, a single thought flickering through his mind: Who is this?
He had faced countless opponents, some powerful, some cunning, but none had ever breached his defenses so easily. He could still feel the pressure of Infinity protecting him—yet Toji's attack had managed to bypass it, at least partially. The assassin had targeted the weakness, the single point where Gojo's boundless technique could not fully guard him.
Riko, frozen in shock, couldn't tear her gaze away. Geto, his expression darkened with concern, stood ready but hesitated. The scene was too quick, too chaotic for anyone to fully process in the moment.
Gojo's expression, despite the wound, remained eerily calm. The blood seeping from his body seemed to slow his movements, but there was an undeniable fire in his eyes. He hadn't expected this—underestimated this man—and now, the game had changed.
With a quiet exhale, Gojo raised his hand, his eyes meeting Toji's, all pretense of calm dropping away.
"You've made a mistake," Gojo said, his voice low and tinged with something darker, more dangerous.
And in that instant, the world around them seemed to freeze, as if the very air had thickened with tension.
The blade still lodged deep in Gojo's torso, but his body didn't flinch. Blood began to stain his robes, but Gojo's expression remained unchanged. The injury was merely an inconvenience to the man who had transcended limitations with his cursed technique. Beneath the blood, Gojo's cursed energy swirled, a constant ebb and flow that healed his body far quicker than any normal human could comprehend.
Toji, a seasoned assassin, stood poised, waiting for the moment Gojo would react. The air crackled between them, tension building as the assassin readied himself for the next strike.
Gojo, despite the wound, looked down at the hole in his side with an unreadable expression. "Nice try," he said, almost conversationally. "But I'm not finished yet."
With a flick of his wrist, Infinity flared around him, forming a barrier between him and the assassin. The world around Gojo seemed to warp as the flow of time and space bent to his will. Toji's movements slowed to a crawl as the Infinity field expanded, but only for a moment. Gojo's expression hardened.
"Let's get this over with," Gojo muttered under his breath, his Six Eyes flickering with cold intensity.
In an instant, Gojo unleashed a burst of Blue—a massive, concentrated shockwave of cursed energy that warped the space around them. It expanded outward like a great force of gravity, pulling everything in its wake. Toji, though fast, wasn't quite quick enough to avoid it entirely. He was yanked forward, his feet leaving the ground as the pressure of Blue crushed everything in its vicinity.
Gojo's control over Blue was absolute. The blast was calculated, and it hit Toji hard, sending him flying backward. Dust and debris filled the air as the shockwave rocked the battlefield. But Toji, rolling out of the way, quickly regained his footing with remarkable agility. He smirked, wiping the blood from his lip, his expression unchanged.
"Not bad, kid," Toji said, voice tinged with a mixture of respect and exhilaration. "But you're gonna have to do more than that."
Gojo's smirk didn't falter. His eyes, however, were narrowed. His Infinity flickered for a moment, testing the limits of its protective boundary. Toji was fast, but Gojo had the advantage of distance—and of his techniques. He could feel the tension in the air, the space itself straining with the weight of their power.
"You want more?" Gojo said, his voice now laced with confidence. Without warning, he shot another wave of Blue, but this time, he didn't just send it out—it was controlled, concentrated. The air thickened with cursed energy as the force of the Blue crushed the ground beneath them, forcing Toji to leap backward to avoid the gravitational pull.
But Gojo wasn't done yet.
With an almost imperceptible motion, Gojo poured more cursed energy into the technique, enhancing it to the point where the air itself began to warp in response. The ground shattered under the sheer force of Maximum Blue, sending cracks through the earth in every direction. The pressure was overwhelming, and Toji, despite his incredible reflexes, was forced to backpedal, dodging the intense pull of the technique.
For a moment, everything seemed still, the battlefield quiet save for the echo of energy dissipating in the air.
Toji wiped his brow, his face still calm but his posture now more cautious. He adjusted his grip on his weapon, eyes scanning Gojo. The fight was far from over, and the tension between the two was palpable.
"I'll admit it, you're strong," Toji said, his tone shifting as he gauged Gojo's power. "But I didn't come all this way to play games."
Gojo's Six Eyes flashed beneath his glasses, a cold smile tugging at his lips. He knew what Toji was capable of, but what the assassin didn't know was that Gojo wasn't even close to unleashing his full power. The fight had only just begun.
In the distance, Riko and Geto watched silently, their expressions a mixture of shock and disbelief. Riko's eyes were wide as she tried to process the sheer magnitude of Gojo's strength. Geto's attention, however, was focused on the ongoing battle, analyzing every movement. Geto catches Gojo's gaze in his gaze all that is said is run, and so they did
And still, hidden in the shadows, Tsukasa's piercing gaze never wavered. His intense blue eyes, still locked onto Gojo and Toji, were unreadable. His mind worked as he observed, analyzing the flow of cursed energy, the dance of battle unfolding before him.
Power. That's all that mattered now. He would get stronger. The moment Gojo and the others stepped aside, Tsukasa would rise.
The battle raged on, and the distance between Tsukasa and his goal grew smaller with every passing second.