AN - when this comes out it will have hit 30k views so thanks for that! i will try and post another two next week... when im off i'll post more trust me.
[Third POV]
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Taking it upon himself to understand his true strength in this world-Kazuhi challenged the second strongest sorcerer. Or rather... the second strongest challenged him.
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— [Kazuhi POV] —
Throughout my life in this world, I hadn't forgotten about him.
I'd even caught glimpses of him from time to time.
The future Ghost of the Zenin Clan. The one whose existence would force Satoru Gojo to awaken. The person whose actions set the majority of Jujutsu Kaisen into motion.
Toji Zenin.
I knew what he was going to do. What he was going through. If I'd been in a stronger position, I may have even done something about it.
But it was too risky.
That's all there was to it.
...Well. That, and I genuinely had no idea where he was most of the time.
But whatever.
The reason I'm even bringing him up is this.
Toji Zenin has finally, fully realised his Heavenly Restriction.
And with that, the balance of power among sorcerers irreversibly shifted.
The one standing at the top was no longer a sorcerer at all.
It was him.
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...So how exactly did I end up here.
Fighting the second strongest sorcerer of this generation.
The closest thing I'd had to a fight of that level before this was five months ago against that special grade curse.
I'd improved a lot since then. Training under Naohiro and Jinichi had sharpened me in ways I hadn't predicted, I can finally be on par with Jinichi in terms of martial arts.
But still-
— Flashback Start—
My proficiency in Simple Domain and Falling Blossom Emotion is close to mastered at this point. There isn't much left to refine except barrier practice for a Domain Expansion, whenever I hopefully manage to—
I dodged on pure instinct.
The movement snapped me out of my thoughts before my mind even caught up. I loaded my body with Cursed Energy Reinforcement and shifted sharply, scanning for what I'd just avoided-
"You dodged that, huh. Maybe Naohiro's been talking you up for a reason."
Naobito...
Of course he'd be the one to do that.
"Why are you—"
"Training grounds. In exactly one week. I've booked the arena." He was already turning away, that lazy grin spreading across his face. "Be there."
He turned back for a second "Oh. and if I win you owe me sake."
And then he was gone.
...
Bruh.
— End Flashback —
I was cooked.
— [Third POV] —
Kazuhi stepped out into the arena.
Naobito was already waiting at the centre, arms folded, posture nonchalant.
Clearly having nothing to prove.
"Thought you might not show," he said, glancing down at Kazuhi. The height difference was absurd. Naobito had a good sixteen inches on him.
"I considered it," Kazuhi replied flatly.
"Hoh. Cheeky little thing."
"You never answered me last week. Why are we doing this?"
Naobito tilted his head, tapping his chin in exaggerated thought.
"...Because I can?"
'Called it.'
"Whatever. Let's just get this over with."
"Alright." The amusement in his voice dropped. "Get ready."
Two immense swirls of Cursed energy flowed out to the surroundings, Blue reaching higher than the Orange-overtaking it.
'His output is almost double mine, -sigh- of course it is...'
Kazuhi barely had time to register the thought before Naobito moved, cutting through space like an animation, closing the distance in less than a blink. The back of his fist caught Kazuhi lightly across the chest.
And yet it still knocked him, causing him to stumble backwards three steps.
Shocked he thought. 'I didn't even process that. Is this the difference-'
Naobito didn't stop. He was already behind him-nigh-teleporting through the separated movements of Projection Sorcery; arm pulled back for the follow-up-
A beam discharged from Kazuhi's head. not aimed any place in particular, a reflex born from months of sparring with opponents far faster than him.
Firing before his mind even gave the order and shoving him sideways just far enough.
The punch grazed air.
Naobito stilled for half a second, eyes sharp with analysis. 'His battle sense is higher than I expected.'
Kazuhi capitalised on that half-second. He lunged, reaching towards him but Naobito had already slipped free with the expertise of his technique, reappearing at a comfortable distance with an easy expression.
"Jinichi trained you well—"
Another beam. Stronger this time, purposefully charged.
Naobito bent around it almost lazily and closed the gap again, tapping Kazuhi on the shoulder-and then Kazuhi was frozen. Locked into the freeze-frame that Projection Sorcery enforced on anything that broke its twenty-four-frame rule. His body couldn't respond.
'This... Is foreig—'
The punch hit him like a battering ram.
Three times amplified. Naobito's knuckles connected with the frozen frame of his body and the force hit him all at once.
Kazuhi was launched backwards.
'That...' He bit down on his lip as his body recovered from the free fall.' really hurt'.
Landing back on his feet he started charging up a Max-Output-beam while in front of him an orange Barrier formed.
Naobito's gaze tracked the barrier forming in-front of Kazuhi 'Oh? is that a barrier? Forgot he could create that.'
'Let's test that.'
He started running. Stacking velocity with each 'frame', each movement adding onto the last through the compounding ffect of his technique. The air Sonic Boomed
— BOOM —
His fist flew towards the barrier.
It immediately shattered, putting Kazuhi in the way of the attack.
'This is gonna hurt-'
it hit Kazuhi, almost caving on his stomach and causing him get thrown backwards.
Kazuhi flew the fastest he ever has, flipping and turning till he hit the far wall hard enough to blur his vision.
The world tilting. Sound slowly disappearing.
"...Damn." Naobito exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Might've overdone it a little."
He looked at the crumpled shape near the wall, then grimaced slightly.
"Riki's not gonna be happy about this."
A bulb went off in his head, trying his very best to get out of Riki's wrath.
Naobito smirked. "...Actually, I'll just hand him off to Naohiro. That works."
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