A rhythmic clap of a slow applause echoed across the track, shattering the stillness.
"I'm amazed you actually learned teleportation that fast." Satoru had appeared out of nowhere with his trademark smirk on his face.
I glanced down at my hand; my knuckles were still clenched in a fist that wasn't enhanced with mana. If anything, the only thing my mana circuits got to do was cover the distance from sky to ground.
"My bad, man. I—I didn't think he would be that weak physically."
"Oh, don't worry about it. He needed the wake-up call to train harder."
Megumi lay as a crumpled shape of obsidian against the sun-warmed greenery.
"Phew~"
The relief was short-lived. As Satoru stepped closer, the atmospheric pressure seemed to shift slightly, where even I—who was new to the supernatural—could feel it weighing my shoulders down.
"But of course, I can't really let you disrespect my student like that. So… let's spar!"
'On the bright side, I can try to modify Limitless if I can manage to analyze it enough.'
Copying Limitless was stupid without the Six Eyes, but modifying it would be very welcome. An application where I could personalize the technique would be my best bet. Such specific details probably wouldn't matter until I received more unique traits, but even just achieving a general modification would be perfect.
Satoru stood casually across from me with that confident smirk on his face.
"I'll even give you a freebie: I'll explain my technique."
I raised a hand. "No need. I know your technique arguably as much as you do."
"Really? Then by all means, school me."
Fwoo~
I teleported in front of him, my feet digging into the track with a heavy, grounded thud.
"Limitless is an ability that brings the mathematical concept of Infinity into physical reality."
I threw a punch towards his gut, my mana singing a high-pitched, searing note as it reinforced my fist.
My fist slowed, then stalled. It felt like pushing into viscous, invisible honey that grew denser with every millimeter. The air between us was so uncannily still that it was actually pretty interesting to analyze.
"Lapse, or Blue, is what happens when you create a negative distance in the world. Its effects show themselves by pulling things in because the world is trying to fill this anomaly; or in other words, a mini-black hole."
The failure of my enhanced kick wasn't all that shocking. The more I watched the infinite distance manifest, the more my understanding clarified, and I felt something click in my head. This click didn't feel like I was on the verge of copying it, but it felt like my understanding may help with something.
Spinning once more, I channeled mana again, my circuits burning hot as I infused them with the spatial energy I had recently had the luck to come in contact with. My activation of "Flash Teleportation" was nowhere near enough.
"Reversal, or Red, is the opposite of Blue as it manifests the concept of 'divergence' which is extremely potent. It manifests in an extreme repelling force."
"Tch." I clicked my tongue as my kick, while it did get somewhat closer, was too slow to outwit Satoru's senses and that automatic activation. Bringing my leg back, I took a different stance. My right hand out, unclenched, with my whole body relaxed, a smile on my face as I ended this basic explanation of mine.
"Then, there's the combination of these two to create a third, but-!"
My mana circuits sang once more with a scorching vibration, while I pushed my Strength C limits to the absolute edge, taxing my Endurance to withstand the output. There was a deafening snap—the sound of my suit's sleeve breaking the spatial barrier in a micro-second—as my fist traveled that final inch.
Pa!
"I'm surprised this almost worked. Did knowing about Purple really shock you?"
Utilizing short-range teleportation in a cast as quick as I could, I struck with a modified one-inch punch. I got all the way past infinity, getting stopped by Satoru himself who grabbed my wrist. Actually…
'Hah~ I didn't get past, but so close.'
My cast wasn't fast enough, even with me dropping Purple to somewhat distract him. Satoru Gojo was truly Satoru Gojo, and this was before he trained in the Prison Realm. I seriously couldn't wait to see up close how much of a beast he became afterward.
"I must say, you've given me quite a lot to think about! I'm totally going to have to re-evaluate you… Hm? What's your name?"
"Vancroft Kye. Feel free to just call me Kye."
"Then Kye, I think we should have a talk. What do you say?"
"Gojo, I'm sure I don't have a choice."
"Pfft~! If you don't want to, I'm not going to force you. I just want to use you for something I haven't done in a while."
"Hah~, sure." Satoru once more put his hand on my shoulder and the surroundings started to vanish. "Nobara, Megumi, the Kyoto students should be here soon. Go have some fun!"
Like that, we teleported away.