Six years later.
In the training grounds of the Gojo estate, two small figures sprinted under the scorching sun.
"Satoru, pick up the pace! I'm already thirty laps ahead of you!"
Satoru watched his older brother's back, his face twisted in annoyance.
"Brother... slow down. It's too hot. I feel like I'm going to melt!"
"What? Satoru, you feel it too? That's right! It's your youth burning!"
Souma was drenched in sweat, but his small body moved with a rhythm and power that belied his age.
"Come on, Satoru! Shout it with me! Effort! Struggle!"
"Effort... struggle..." Satoru muttered, barely opening his mouth.
"Louder! I can't hear you!"
"Effort! Struggle!"
"Still can't hear you! You think you can become the strongest jujutsu sorcerer with a voice that weak?"
"EFFORT!!! STRUGGLE!!!"
"Good! That's the spirit!"
Watching from the shaded veranda, the Gojo Clan elders smiled with satisfaction.
Despite his young age, Satoru had already begun showing signs of an unruly, carefree personality. He was brilliant, yes—perhaps the most naturally gifted child the clan had seen in centuries—but he lacked drive.
Fortunately, his older brother Souma was a different breed entirely. From the moment he could walk, he had thrown himself into a demonic training regimen with a discipline that frankly scared some of the adults.
And he didn't train alone. He dragged Satoru along with him.
From basic taijutsu to mastering the Limitless technique and developing their Six Eyes.
Because of this relentless effort, both brothers had shattered every training record in the Gojo Clan's history.
At only six years old, they had fully mastered the Limitless technique's "absolute defense" and learned Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue.
Souma, in particular, could already use Blue for long-distance teleportation with frightening proficiency.
The future generation was truly terrifying.
"Alright! Three-hour sprint training complete!"
With Souma's triumphant shout, Satoru immediately flopped onto the grass.
"Finally..."
Satoru gasped for air, staring up at the clouds with relief.
"Don't sit down right after exercise! Get up and walk it off!"
Souma stepped forward and extended a hand to pull Satoru to his feet.
Satoru took the hand, groaning as he stood up. He looked at his brother with a mix of confusion and exasperation.
"Brother, is it really necessary to grind this hard?"
Of course it's necessary!
Souma rolled his eyes internally.
you think I don't want to slack off and play video games?
That scheming parasite Kenjaku is lurking in the shadows, and the King of Curses is waiting to turn Shibuya into a blender.
Your brother can't even sleep soundly at night!
Just thinking about how Satoru would get cut in half in the future—and how he himself might suffer the same fate if he wasn't careful—made Souma restless.
He felt like he was on the verge of a mental breakdown!
Only by rapidly increasing his strength and truly reaching the level of "above heaven and earth, I alone am honored" could he feel even slightly at ease.
This was probably what they called firepower insufficiency phobia.
Looking at Satoru beside him, Souma said seriously, "Satoru, you don't actually think that just because you learned the Limitless technique, you're invincible, do you?"
Satoru blinked, tilting his head. "Aren't I?"
"..."
Souma looked at him with frustration. "The Limitless technique's absolute defense is still just a technique powered by cursed energy. What if something can ignore cursed energy or disrupt the technique's structure?"
Having knowledge of the plot, Souma knew very well that there were multiple ways to break through Infinity.
First were special cursed tools like the Inverted Spear of Heaven and the Black Rope, which could nullify cursed techniques.
Second were special techniques like Domain Amplification, which involved creating a miniature domain around one's body to neutralize defensive techniques through guaranteed-hit effects.
Of course, the second method was much harder, since it required learning Domain Expansion first.
Hearing Souma's words, Satoru actually paused to think for a moment.
But then he shrugged, flashing a confident grin.
"No problem! I've already learned to use Blue for short-range teleportation. Even if an enemy can break through Infinity, they'll never catch me!"
Seeing that Satoru was already developing his trademark confidence, Souma didn't push it.
Some lessons had to be learned the hard way.
I guess I'll let Toji Fushiguro handle the practical exam in a few years.
Souma shook his head. "Well then, you rest up. I'm going to go train in taijutsu!"
Currently, he was practicing the Gojo family's Shinbu-ryu, a comprehensive martial arts system that integrated swordsmanship, striking techniques, grappling, and more.
This combat system had evolved over hundreds of years and was devastatingly effective in real combat.
Satoru, however, wasn't interested. He found the traditional forms boring compared to experimenting with his cursed technique.
"Oh, right. Satoru, I forgot to mention. Two days ago, I passed the Shinbu-ryu disciple evaluation. I've reached Kaiden rank."
"Huh?"
Satoru froze.
In martial arts schools, disciples were generally ranked as Kirigami, Mokuroku, Kaiden, Menkyo Kaiden, and Shushin Soshi.
Kaiden meant you had thoroughly mastered the school's techniques.
At six years old, Souma had reached Kaiden, an achievement that took other Gojo clan members over a decade to accomplish.
"Already?" Satoru's eyes widened. "You're a monster, you know that?"
"I'm just efficient," Souma replied, stretching his arms.
"Brother, seriously, take a break," Satoru whined, tugging on Souma's sleeve. "You're making everyone else look bad. Including me!"
One of the clan elders stepped forward, chuckling softly. "Young Master Souma, Satoru is right. Too much is as bad as too little. Training should balance work and rest. Why don't you both go out and relax today?"
"Yes! Exactly!" Satoru nodded vigorously. "Let's go to the city!"
Souma looked at Satoru's hopeful face, then at the elder. He sighed.
"Fine. We'll take a break today."
"Awesome!" Satoru cheered, his fatigue vanishing instantly.
"Genso, you're responsible for the safety of Young Masters Souma and Satoru."
The elder assigned the task of protecting the brothers to Gojo Genso, an excellent Grade 1 jujutsu sorcerer from the clan.
The group of three changed into casual clothes, left the heavy atmosphere of the Gojo estate, and headed toward the lights and noise of Akihabara.
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