"One percent?" Gojo Satoru raised an eyebrow before casually waving a hand. "It's fine, it's fine. Just treat it as a learning experience. Hurry up."
The control panel shimmered, and the environment inside the training ground changed instantly.
The familiar city streets disappeared, replaced by a chaotic void where countless streams of energy surged endlessly. The oppressive atmosphere multiplied several times over.
At the center of the arena, a new Simulated Sol materialized.
He still wore his familiar black combat suit, yet the aura surrounding him was completely different.
It was not overwhelming pressure deliberately released to intimidate others. It was an absolute presence, as though his mere existence distorted space itself and compelled everything around him to submit.
Within his crimson eyes, galaxies seemed to revolve endlessly, while at the same time containing the emptiness of absolute nothingness.
Simply standing there sent a deep, instinctive chill through everyone watching from outside the arena. Even the S-Class heroes felt an overwhelming pressure that seemed to grip their very souls.
"This... this is..." Yuji Itadori swallowed hard as cold sweat soaked his back.
"Is this really not even one percent?" Megumi Fushiguro struggled to breathe while his shikigami stirred uneasily within the shadows.
Nobara Kugisaki tightened her grip on her hammer until her knuckles turned white.
"This has to be a joke. How are we supposed to beat something like this?"
Even Metal Bat and Tanktop Master had lost their smiles, their expressions turning unusually grim.
Bang's hand stopped midway through stroking his beard, his eyes sharpening like blades.
Superalloy Darkshine instinctively assumed a defensive stance.
At some point, Saitama had stopped eating his snacks. Tilting his bald head slightly, he quietly observed the simulated figure in the arena.
"Oh?"
For the first time since arriving, the playful smile disappeared from Gojo Satoru's face. It was replaced by intense concentration and unmistakable excitement.
His brilliant blue Six Eyes operated at maximum capacity, analyzing the endless stream of information pouring from the figure before him.
"Wow..."
He couldn't hide his amazement.
"Now this is incredible data."
Simulated Sol moved.
There was no sound.
No warning.
Not even an afterimage.
It was as though he existed simultaneously at every point within the entire space.
Gojo's strongest defensive technique, Limitless, became completely meaningless. It never even had the opportunity to activate because the attack did not come from outside.
Instead, space itself seemed to reject his existence.
Bang!
The dull impact echoed like a blow delivered directly to everyone's soul.
Gojo Satoru was crushed beneath a force that felt like the weight of the entire world. It was as though he had been cast into an absolute void where even concepts themselves ceased to exist.
The Cursed Energy surrounding him instantly collapsed.
The light within his brilliant blue eyes faded.
Blood burst uncontrollably from his mouth.
He could not even comprehend what had happened.
His consciousness was violently stripped away and crushed beneath an insurmountable difference in power.
The simulated battle ended immediately.
The training ground returned to normal.
Gojo Satoru knelt on one knee, breathing heavily. Sweat soaked his white hair, leaving him looking unusually disheveled.
One hand clutched his chest, yet an almost crazed grin spread across his face, as though he had finally encountered the challenge he had always sought.
"Ha... haha..."
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"What was that... not even one percent? You've got to be kidding me. Sol... what kind of monster have you become?"
Silence filled the training ground.
Everyone remained frozen after witnessing the incomprehensible attack.
An instant defeat.
Absolute.
Undeniable.
Completely beyond understanding.
Against an existence like that, skill, techniques, experience, and even the world's own rules seemed utterly meaningless.
Yuji, Megumi, and Nobara stood pale and speechless.
They had only glimpsed the smallest fraction of Sol's true power, yet it was enough to shatter everything they thought they understood.
The S-Class heroes exchanged silent glances, each seeing the same mixture of shock and awe reflected in the others' eyes.
Unlike the younger generation, they fully understood the hopeless gap revealed in that single instant.
"It seems," Zombieman said quietly, breaking the silence, "our special training is still far from enough."
Bang sighed, his expression filled with complicated emotions.
"The ultimate martial arts I've pursued my entire life would probably amount to little more than child's play before that kind of power."
Superalloy Darkshine silently lowered his bodybuilding pose, lost in thought.
Metal Bat tightened his grip on his bat until it creaked.
"Damn it... he's way too strong. But someday..."
His eyes blazed with even stronger fighting spirit.
Tanktop Master nodded solemnly.
"Recognizing the gap is the first step toward becoming stronger."
Saitama had already picked up another potato chip.
Crunch.
As he casually ate, he glanced toward Gojo.
"Oh... he lost pretty badly. That feeling, though... it seems kind of familiar."
Gojo Satoru slowly rose to his feet and rolled his shoulders.
The brilliance returned to his Six Eyes.
"Interesting. This is way too interesting!"
He burst into laughter.
"Now that's a goal worth chasing! I can't even come close to reaching it right now, but..."
Turning toward Child Emperor at the control panel, his excitement was impossible to hide.
"Child Emperor, can we schedule these simulations regularly? I need a lot more experience fighting this."
Still recovering from his own shock, Child Emperor adjusted his glasses.
"O-of course. Even though the data is incomplete, it's still extremely valuable for sharpening combat instincts and adapting to overwhelming levels of pressure."