Black smoke billowed from the shattered remains of six Chimeras, freshly obliterated by RED. Their cursed particles spiraled in the air, drawn back toward the domain's ground like iron filings pulled to an invisible magnet.
At the center of the darkness, Shinzo Zen'in slowly lowered his hand.
From the swirling vortex—they emerged again.
Their black flesh reknit, cracked bones locking back into place, and in less than three seconds… the six Chimeras stood once more—larger now, with thicker, pulsating crimson veins.
Tora froze.
"…They're not just regenerating… they're evolving."
On his shoulder, Rainbow Dragon hissed sharply, its scales bristling as if sensing a threat beyond words.
Shinzo stepped forward, his voice echoing like it came from the depths of an ancient cavern.
"In the Mourning Palace, death is nothing but fuel. The more you destroy them… the stronger they'll return."
Gojo glanced at them, then gave a small chuckle.
"Heh… so this is your version of 'Infinity,' huh?"
His eyes narrowed, yet behind them, the Six Eyes blazed—scanning, analyzing every detail for the near-impossible opening.
_______
Wave Assault
Shinzo raised one hand. Ten Chimeras moved at once.
Four leapt into the air, arcing over Gojo. Two more erupted from beneath the domain floor, jaws yawning wide like the pits of hell.
Meanwhile, the giant Chimera at the far end of the domain lifted its cursed whip… and slammed it down.
BOOOOM!!!
A pressure wave swept outward like a tsunami, black dust surging into the air to blot out sight.
Gojo shifted into stance, Infinity thickening around him. The first airborne strike froze at zero distance with a faint metallic chime.
But before he could move his hand, the ground beneath him split apart—two underground Chimeras burst upward, their bodies slipping past Infinity…
…and striking Gojo square in the waist.
BANG!!
Gojo was hurled back, cracks splintering across the domain floor beneath him. A thin trail of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
"Ohh…" he smirked, meeting Shinzo's eyes. "Interesting. You're actually making me put in a little effort."
Up in the trees, Tora clutched the trunk tight, cold sweat beading at his temples.
"…Infinity… bypassed again. This isn't coincidence. Shinzo's forcing the distance to vanish."
He glanced at Rainbow Dragon. "If he can impose an 'absolute distance' inside his domain… Infinity will always lose here…"
Rainbow Dragon growled low in agreement—but something flickered in its eyes, as if recognizing a fragment of energy from within the Chimeras themselves.
Tora narrowed his eyes.
"…Don't tell me—" His thought cut short as another impact shook the domain.
_______
Gojo Strikes Back
Gojo wiped the blood from his lip with a casual flick.
"Alright then. Let's try something a little… disruptive."
His hand rose slowly.
Dense, deep-blue energy began to swirl in his palm, growing heavier, more compact, until the very air warped around it.
Cursed Technique Lapse: BLUE.
The gravitational sphere appeared—instantly dragging dozens of Chimeras toward a single point. Their bodies shrieked and tore apart into black mist mid-air.
But before Gojo could collapse the pull, the giant Chimera's whip swept in from the side.
WOOOSH!!
The blue sphere shattered like glass. The recoiling space slammed outward, detonating in all directions.
Gojo clicked his tongue.
"Guess I'll have to deal with the big one first."
_______
Shinzo's Step
Shinzo snapped his fingers once.
The domain's fog thickened, hardening into dark walls that boxed Gojo in. From those walls, dozens of cursed spears emerged, each aimed for a vital point.
Gojo grinned wide.
"Seriously? You're going to put me in this little toy box?"
He raised his hand—red light flaring once again.
"Reversal: RED!"
BOOOM!!!
The crimson blast ripped the fog walls apart, clearing his sightline—only for Shinzo to already be there.
His body was coated in Domain Amplification, his fist descending like a meteor straight for Gojo's face.
BANG!!
Gojo was slammed backward, the domain floor splintering beneath him. Infinity—once again—was inactive.
_______
Tora nearly lost his footing.
"He's pushing Gojo… actually pushing him back! Damn it… Shinzo's not just merging amplification with his domain—he's turning every single Chimera into an extension of that amplification!"
Rainbow Dragon tightened its coils around Tora's neck, hissing.
Shinzo stepped forward slowly, each stride making crimson runes flare to life beneath his feet.
"Gojo Satoru… you will never win here. In the Mourning Palace… every strike you unleash… feeds them."
Tora's eyes widened.
Feeds them?
Gojo paused. From the corner of his vision, he saw the six Chimeras destroyed by RED—now growing even larger, crimson veins throbbing, eyes burning with ravenous hunger.
Shinzo's smile deepened.
"Even your rage… is fuel."
Gojo chuckled.
"Hahaha… so that's it? You think that scares me?"
He spread his arms wide, the air collapsing around them.
"Then let's see… if your old domain can withstand this."
White light began circling at his feet.
Tora's eyes went wide.
"…Unlimited Void…?"
But before the ring could form, the whip-bearing Chimera struck again—shattering it. Red light surged from Shinzo's domain symbols, forming shadow chains that lashed toward Gojo.
Shinzo lifted his hand.
"In here… there's no room for you to craft your own reality."
The chains slammed into Gojo's forming barrier—
CRAACKK!!
The white domain shattered like glass, the world freezing at the clash of two wills that refused to yield.
_______
Tora held his breath.
A deep-purple explosion bloomed from Gojo's palm, swirling like a miniature black hole. "Purple"—the Gojo clan's forbidden technique, spoken of only in whispers among the oldest sorcerers—tore through ground and air alike, rending reality with incomprehensible force.
Shinzo had no time to evade. His body was hurled aside, and Tora's eyes went wide as, from the knees down… Shinzo's legs were simply gone, devoured by the spiraling void. Blood and cursed particles scattered into the air, evaporating before they could even touch the ground.
"Wait…" Tora muttered, voice tight.
"Why… doesn't he know that technique? The Ten Shadows… they've fought the Gojo clan before. There's no way he's never heard of Purple."
Rainbow Dragon growled low beside him, its eyes gleaming with wariness. Shinzo's aura—once an unfathomable abyss—wavered, yet instead of collapsing, it pulsed darker still.
Gojo walked forward casually through the fading violet haze, a crooked grin on his face.
"Hahaha… is this all you've got?"
Cracks raced through the air—the Mourning Palace shattering like fragile glass. The black walls splintered into fragments, fading into specks of cursed light before vanishing.
Shinzo, legless, remained aloft on writhing shadows. Blood dripped from the torn ends of his trousers, yet his eyes stayed sharp, unyielding. His breaths were heavy, but his lips curved into a strange smile—the kind worn by someone ready to burn everything away.
He pressed his palms together, fingers folding into a complex mudra.
"Let's die together."
Cursed energy surged violently from him, unrestrained, like a tidal wave ready to engulf everything. The shadow beneath him spun into a massive circle etched with ancient symbols, glowing pale blue over the cracked ground.
Tora froze. He knew that pattern. The Zen'in clan's ultimate summon—Mahoraga.
"No way… he's going to call that?!"
Shinzo's voice echoed—two tones layered, as if spoken from two worlds at once:
"With this treasure, I summon… Furube… Yurayura…"
The shadow ring spun faster, blazing with blinding light. The pressure it exuded crushed the air from Tora's lungs.
"…Divine General… Mahoraga."
The ground split open. From the chasm came the grinding of chains, followed by pillars of cursed light spearing into the sky.
A towering white figure emerged, a spinning Wheel of Fate mounted on its back. With each rotation, waves pulsed outward—shattering stone and toppling distant trees.
Gojo halted mid-step, his expression sharpening.
From his perch, Tora could only stare, heart hammering, cold sweat trailing down his neck. Even Rainbow Dragon, usually fearless, lowered itself, wings folding halfway around Tora as if to shield him from the oppressive presence.
And in the center of it all… Shinzo kept smiling, as if losing his legs was a small price to pay for summoning the bringer of destruction.