As soon as Gojo questioned the curse's identity, Jogo launched himself at him.
The debris from the road flew into the air, and Jogo used it to his advantage. With a swipe of his arm, a strange material formed on the side of the highway wall, where Gojo's back was facing. He glanced before it let out lava, engulfing Gojo completely. The explosion was so huge, the lava sprayed past the highway, and into the forest behind them.
The ground was sizzling and burnt, leaving up a giant smoke cloud. Jogo who stood near the site laughed menacingly. The ground was crushed where he stood, and he only smirked at the destruction he caused. "That was easier than I expected."
Before he could leave, his eye widened in surprise. The smoke cleared, and Jogo could see the sorcerer still covered in lava. However, he wasn't hurt by it. It melted away, as Gojo voiced his annoyance. "Who are you...calling easy?" He was holding two fingers up, frowning.
"Brat." Jogo replied, twisting his ear. Smoke was rising from the top of his head.
'He's a cursed spirit, but he can communicate clearly' Gojo thought as he observed the curse. 'And the sheer amount of cursed energy...An unregistered special-grade?' He remembered the time he fought Sukuna. He's likely stronger than Sukuna currently was. "Special-grades are classified as such because they're special. Having them pop up this frequently throws everything off."
Jogo chuckled in response. He prepared himself to engage in combat. "Did I wound your pride?"
"Nope." Gojo cracked his knuckles, grinning. "I'm starting to find this fun."
"Finding this fun, you say?" Jogo asked. A bug was juggled at the top of the curse's head, as he continued to talk. No sense of danger at all.
'He chose a place devoid of people? No, he was avoiding other sorcerers coming to back me up.' Gojo watched as Jogo summoned more insects.
Jogo shot out his hand, and pointed to their target. "Ember Insects!" They flew at a quick speed; fast enough where no normal person would be able to track them.
Gojo slowly raised his arm to block. "Well, if you're coming after me, you're right...about having no sense of danger."
The environment around Gojo had a glitch, and just as the insects were about to reach him, they were stopped by an illusory wall. The force of the crash caused a significant indentation to be left behind Gojo. The buzzing became more intense, but they were unable to approach him. "What happens if this hits me?" Gojo asked a the insect's lengthy stinger, which was attached to its nose, trembled and made an attempt to move. It was the first to open its mouth, and the others quickly followed suit, wailing in unison. Sound? Their little bodies trembled wildly just before they blew apart.
In spite of their diminutive sizes, they were capable of producing a massive explosion that swallowed up all of Gojo once more.
"A two-stage attack of sound and explosions?" Gojo mused, jumping on the top of the wall. The insects never stood a chance. "That's clever."
Gojo was quickly pursued by Jogo, who ran in his direction. A big ball of fire began to develop in his palm as the curse continued to run its course. Jogo brought his palm down and struck Gojo's head, which was now completely consumed by flames, with great force.
"There's more!" Jogo turned around with a grin, head steaming with lava, and slapped Gojo in the back. His palm flattened as Gojo slowly slumped backward. After the attack had landed, purple flames began to emerge. A second explosion occurred, mirroring the outcome of the first attempt. It was devastating to the trees, and the cement crumbled to pieces.
"That's all it took?" Jogo commented, arrogance laced into the way he talked. "I took a look for myself, and it was just an overestimation by the weak. That human was just as fragile as the rest. He wasn't living a life of truth. It's all so nauseatingly repulsive." He turned around, and started walking away. "I'm going to go spread real strength, the truth, through death."
"We just went over this a moment ago." Gojo called out light heartedly, dusting off his uniform with a frown. "Can't you even learn? Ugh, this smoke..."
Jogo swiveled around, his gaze growing increasingly hostile as he did so. It was obvious that he took offense to the insults that Gojo was hurling in his direction. But, he was also bewildered by the circumstances. Hadn't he struck him across the face and the back of the head? "What's the meaning of this?"
Noticing the curse's frustration, Gojo explained. A grin tore across his face at the look Jogo gave him. "To put it simply, you didn't hit me."
"Impossible. That wasn't like before." Smoke curled out from Jogo's head, puffing a little Gojo's words. "I know I touched you and killed you."
With the same smile, Gojo elaborated further. "You touched the 'Infinity' that exists between you and me."
Jogo hummed in confusion.
"I'll show you." Gojo raised his hand and shook it in an innocent manner, as if he were a kid. He teased Jogo as the curse just stared at him. "Put your hand out. Come on, come on."
When Jogo still didn't move, Gojo kept going. "Come on, come on, come on."
'No hostility? I guess I'll see what it's about.' After giving it some thought for a moment, Jogo promptly put his hand on top of Gojo's, causing the former to let out an audible gasp. It was nothing at all like what he had imagined in his head. There was a gap between his and Gojo's, comparable to the separation that occurred when two magnets with the same polarity resisted each other. It seemed as though Jogo was being held back by an invisible shield, and it was impossible to push any further.
"See?"
'I can't touch him?' Jogo thought.
"You're not exactly stopped, but the closer you get, the slower you go. So, what now?" Gojo slowly wrapped his fingers around Jogo's, who was spluttering in anger. "We could just shake hands like this, you know."
"I refuse." As he growled out his response, Jogo's face contorted into an expression of utter disgust.
Gojo smirked slyly, as if he were a school boy ready to flirt his way into a girl's heart. "Don't be shy, now. You're making me embarrassed, too."
"Damn you!" Jogo roared out, ready to attempt to kill Gojo once more. But he was too slow, and Gojo rapidly hammered Jogo in the stomach. The blow was so strong that it caused Jogo to throw up blood in a purple color. While he was being lifted into the air, his body contorted in pain; however, he was unable to escape since Gojo was still holding onto him.
'He's fast!' Jogo thought, head rearing back in pain. 'It's not just a blow strengthened by cursed energy! What is this?! I don't get it! I have to know!' The blood spit out by Jogo didn't land on Gojo, blocked by infinity.
Copying Jogo's words from earlier, Gojo unleashed another series of attacks, each one more destructive than the last. "There's still more!"
Gojo twisted his body and drove his leg into Jogo's side, which caused the latter to be hurled into the air away from Gojo but still near. He flew backwards, the curse screaming as he did so.
"Infinity exists everywhere." Gojo said, talking like he was teaching one of his students. He lifted a finger, and bright red, cursed energy swirled into a small ball. "My jujutsu just brings it forward in reality. Convergence, divergence...What do you think happens when one touches this void? Cursed Technique Reversal: Red."
Jogo took a direct hit from the energy, which propelled him deep into the forest and caused him to collide with a number of trees. Jogo made an effort to correct himself, but the force that was dragging him back was too strong. The area immediately surrounding them was engulfed with smoke and debris. It took Jogo a few more trees to get moving, but once he did, he was able to keep his equilibrium and continue sprinting. His fist burst into flames, but it was put out when Gojo gave him a sucker punch to the face and launched him in the opposite direction from which he had come. Gojo was grinning widely as he battered Jogo into a pulp, and it was clear that he was having a great deal of fun doing it.
Every attempt the cursed tried escaping had been fruitless, and Gojo was easily able to keep up with it. He drove Jogo into the ground with such force that rocks and sticks scraped brutally against his robust skin as Gojo's bruising grip on Jogo's face caused his face to be crushed. When Gojo took pleasure in watching Jogo suffer, the smirk on his face became increasingly callous.
Jogo was able to eventually free himself with a powerful kick, and the two of them landed a significant distance apart from each other. They went around in a circle for a split second before Jogo launched himself into the air and called his purple fire. His genuine goal to kill was made clear by the fact that the explosion was significantly larger than any of the others that came before it.
Gojo sidestepped the blast and positioned himself to deliver a kick to Jogo. There was a smear that looked like blue and white as it followed him along his movement. Gojo kicked Jogo like he was a soccer ball, sending him careening into the neighboring lake as if it were a field goal. The curse was unable to stop himself from coming to an uncontrolled stop, and as a result, he collided and sank beneath the surface of the water.
Gojo brightened up as soon as the curse was no longer in his line of sight. He was still hovering in the air. "Oh, this is perfect."
The purple blood was pouring from his head, and serious injuries made it difficult for any of Jogo's body parts to move or speak. The fact that Jogo's clothing had not been harmed in any way despite all of the attacks was the only positive aspect of the scenario that Jogo could take away from it at the moment. He wheezed as the weariness that was starting to settle into his bones became more noticeable. Despite the fact that he had grossly underestimated Gojo, he did still have one more move in his repertoire. Jogo thought back to the moment when Geto had confided in him his concerns about the sorcerer.
"You can try, but you'll die, Jogo." Geto had cautioned, but Jogo had disregarded it with a look that said, 'are you serious?' He was soaked and in a terrible mood as he slowly got up. As he stood up, his arms moved in a weary manner. 'It wasn't just talk. No matter. If I can't hit him, I'll just drag him into my Domain.'
While Jogo searched the area for Gojo, a trail of smoke rose into the air.
"Where did he go?"
Gojo uttered an apology as he touched down behind Jogo, holding cargo that was unaware of the situation. "Sorry about that."
"What the?! Gojo why are we here?!" Izuku was the one being carried along with a sleeping Eri in his arms who had one eye opened until she went back to sleep.
"Were you waiting?" Gojo inquired, amused at the absurdity of the situation.
"That's..." Jogo gaped in shocked at Izuku. ' Sukuna's vessel?!'
Gojo held up Izuku like he was a toy. "This is Midoriya Izuku-kun along with the little girl who goes by Eri and since the little one is asleep, Izuku-kun here is gonna watch."
Izuku looked at Jogo...and he almost laughed, 'Holy shit! His head looks Mt. Fuji!' Izuku thought with Sukuna observing through the boys eyes while being annoyed that his torture with Izuku ended shortlived.
When Gojo descended the staircase, he observed that Izuku had begun to adjust to the involvement of the cursed doll with Eri sleeping on the boys lap with small smile on her face with Gojo fining it adorable but He kept his distance from the teenager amd child in to prepare a surprise for Izuku.
"I'll protect you." The actor in the show said emotionally. "I'll never leave you."
"Sam..."
Izuku watched the television, completely engrossed in whatever was taking place on the screen. The cursed doll was dozing off between his palms, with one of Izuku's legs elevated. He hadn't even batted an eyelid the entire time.
'Wow, he learns surprisingly quick', Gojo speculated. He kept his distance from the teen and offered his greetings to Izuku, "Izuku."
That was when Izuku's skin suddenly became white, and his eyes became alert. The doll hadn't budged an inch in its position. It was evidence that Izuku had finally mastered the technique of circulating cursed energy.
"Gojo-sensei?"
Gojo smiled, pleased with the boy's progress. Talking to him doesn't cause a problem, either.
"You need something?" By now, Izuku had turned around, one hand lying on the doll's head with the other simply brushing the hair of the young child.
'Looks like we'll be able to increase his output quickly and move on to the next stage soon.' Gojo thought.
"We're heading out, Izuku." He continued on after Izuku had made a confused noise. "It's an extracurricular lesson. I'm going to teach you about the pinnacle of jujutsu battles, Domain Expansion."
"We're also bringing Eri too, right?" Izuku asked while the little girl was being lifted by the boy and placed on his arms.
All Gojo did was nod his head.
Right now Izuku, who was still holding the sleeping girl in his arms, cautiously put his foot on the water, and once he realized his legs wasn't sinking in the water, he took a complete step down into the body of water. Theories and questions concerning everything were constantly racing through his mind.
"Sensei, what's going on? We were at the school just ten seconds ago, right?"
"Oh, we warped here." Gojo said lightly, with no intention of saying anything else.
'Seriously, he's not even gonna explain further?' Izuou thought with a bead of sweat that travelled from his forehead.
'What do you expect, it's not like he's gonna give you a crash course on why you're here...it's still pisses me off though that we were interrupted'
'We'll get back to training after this is over, Ryomen'
'Whatever ya brat'
This just annoyed Izuku a bit.
'Sukuna's vessel...So he really is alive.' Jogo thought, recollecting Geto's words from the cafe. 'You have to render Gojo Satoru incapable of fighting. The second is to get Ryomen Sukuna and Midoriya Izuku on your side.' 'I can't kill Midoriya due to our future plans...Has he caught on to our goals?' "What's the brat for? He and that other brat a shield?" Jogo asked.
"A shield? No, no." A huffed laugh spilled out. "I told you, he's here to watch while the other is simple just sleeping since it is her bedtime but I couldn't find a baby sitter for her but I'm in the middle of teaching this boy lots of things. Don't worry about him. Just keep fighting."
"Bringing in someone who will slow you down just makes you a fool."
Gojo let out a genuine laugh, his face breaking into a broad grin. "It'll be fine. After all...you're weak."
If Jogo was aggravated before, his level of anger had reached a fever pitch by this moment. The knobs on his ears and the top of his head exploded with lava, and his rage became known as the lava traveled to the farthest reaches of the lake. He was so angry that he balled his hands into fists as he roared at him. "Don't underestimate me, brat! I'm going to enjoy swallowing up that smug face of yours!"
The water was moved by a more significant outburst of lava, and it eventually reached Izuku, Eri and Gojo. The boy recoiled a bit while holding Eri close as he took a step backward. Fear coursed through his veins. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before; the other curses he had to overcome were as insignificant as a bug in comparison to this monstrosity. 'This guy...is weak? He's way more monstrous than any of the monsters I've encountered so far!' Izuku thought.
Gojo gently put his palm on Izuku's head and smiled. He gave him a grin and then said, "You'll be fine. Just stay close to me."
"Domain Expansion!"
Then Jogo brought his hands together, a mass of dense, dark rock appeared around them and encircled them all. When Izuku glanced around in a panic, the domain finished the last touches on its creation. Cracks could be observed all throughout as a result of the lava that broke through the rock. Another layer of rock eventually formed, further enclosing them. The lava was constantly exploding, and getting hit by it would do a significant amount of damage.
"Wh-What is this?!" Izuku looked up. Besides him, Gojo was still calm.
Jogo let out an evil laugh. "Coffin of the Iron Mountain!"
This time, Gojo answered him. "This is Domain Expansion. You use cursed energy to construct an Innate Domain imbued with a cursed technique in your surroundings."
A spray of lava landed on Izuku's hand, which made him panic as he let Gojo hold Eri while he was waving off the lava from his hand, "Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot!"
"What you all experienced at the juvenile detention center," Gojo continued, as if his student hadn't been burned. "Was an incomplete Domain that hadn't been imbued with any cursed techniques. If that had been a proper Domain, all of you first years would have died. I think Megumi understood that. Spreading out a Domain consumes a ton of energy, but its merits are worth the cost. One such benefit is the boost to stats due to environmental factors."
"So like buffs in video games?" Izuku questioned with Gojo nodding.
"Another is..." Gojo paused, lifting up a hand to swat at the large boulder headed their way. It was as if he were swatting a fly, and the boulder crumbled to pieces.
Jogo clicked his tongue. 'Most sorcerers would have burned to ash the moment they entered my Domain!'
"...that the techniques imbued in the Domain are guaranteed to hit within that Domain."
"Guaranteed?"
"Guaranteed. But don't worry. There are several ways to deal with it. You can take the hit using a cursed technique, like just now, or...I don't really recommend this one, but you can go outside the Domain. That's usually impossible. You can also..." Gojo explained, as both of them imagined wizards as an example.
Jogo cut the sorcerer off, fed up with all the waiting. "If I neutralize that Infinity of yours with a dense Domain, then my techniques will reach you."
"Yeah, they'll hit." Gojo agreed, grinning.
Izuku looked over at Jogo when he heard Infinity.
Jogo's smile widened as he remembered getting the Prison Realm. 'I'll add it to my collection,' he'd said, but now he had a different opinion. I came here half in jest. I thought I wouldn't care if I couldn't kill him. But having this difference between us thrust in my face...On my pride as a cursed spirit, as the new humanity, this is completely unacceptable!'
"The most effective way to deal with a Domain is to lay out your own Domain. When two Domains are laid out at the same time, the more refined one will dominate that space." Gojo said, giving Eri back to Izuku and slowly pulling off his blindfold as he spoke. "Though, sometimes, compatibility and the amount of cursed energy are factors."
Jogo stomped on the ground, a small crack forming. He leaned forward, smoke rising rapidly from his head. "There won't even be ashes left of you, Gojo Satoru!"
After pointing his fingers skyward, a breach materialized in the ground. Lava began to erupt from the floor near Gojo,Eri and Izuku, and it advanced fast in their direction as it did so. As a direct consequence of the catastrophic event, rocks could be found all over the area. It abruptly stopped once it neared a couple feet near the three, glitching.
Gojo slowly removed the remaining portion of his blindfold. His white hair flowed across his face in a sweeping motion. Gojo opened an eye that was crystal-like and brilliantly colored like the sky. As he smiled, his eyelashes spread apart like a fan. He raised one hand and crossed two of his fingers in front his face. "Domain Expansion...Infinite Void."
The ground that was underneath Gojo, Izuku and a sleeping Eri abruptly changed color, and the transformation spread throughout the rest of the domain. The intense pressure of the energy rendered Jogo immobile since he was too stunned to move, and he became frozen solid. As a condition of Jogo's ability to perceive and hear everything but not at all, it seemed as though the universe had shrunk down to encompass only the three of them. The overpowering presence of all of this material, which was still missing pieces, left Jogo shaken. He was unable to blink or move, and his air came out in a jagged manner as it left his lungs. The sights and sounds of the forest, the water, and the light inundated Jogo's consciousness. He could no longer focus on anything else. When the development of the domain was finally completed, it provided the sense that Jogo was perched on top of an eye. Almost immediately after that, there were white splotches all across the ground.
'What just happened? Was my Domain overwhelmed? I can't see anything. I can't feel anything. No...I can see everything! I cant feel everything! But the information is never complete...So I can't do anything!' Jogo remained motionless as his thoughts raced over what had just occurred in rapid succession.
"This is the inner world of Limitless. Perception, communication...Every action involved in living is forcibly carried out an infinite number of times." One of Gojo's hands was placed on Jogo's head, and the other was used to carry Izuku who was holding onto Eri, away so that the two wouldn't be affected. "It's ironic, isn't it? When granted everything, you can't do anything...but just die peacefully. But I have questions I want to ask you, so I'm letting you off the hook with this."
Izuku looked up at Gojo with a perplexed expression on his face as a drop of sweat formed on his cheek. The grip that Gojo had on the head of the curse became even more strenuous. While Gojo was in the process of tearing Jogo's head, Jogo's eye started bulging up in response. The malicious grin that he had been sporting before reemerged on his face at that moment. Gojo was able to totally rip off Jogo's head, as if he were pulling a weed out of a garden. It was as if it were nothing to him. Blood sprayed from the wound, and the domain collapsed.
Throwing Jogo's head on the ground, Gojo stomped on it. "Now, who told you to come after me?"
'He really is the strongest jujutsu sorcerer!' Izuku thought, and while it was preferred to have Gojo on his side, he couldn't help but feel wary. As a living organism, he's on another level!
Sukuna on the other hand simply observed.
"Oh, dear." Geto and Hanami who had been watching the fight from far away now observed as Jogo was being interrogated. "What now? Will you rescue him? I can't let people from the school see my face, so I'll be going home now. If you want to save him, go ahead and save him. Though I don't know if your kind have such emotions."
Hanami looked at the white flower that bloomed on his finger. "We do. We're the true humans, after all."
As Geto started walking away, Hanami disappeared in a swirl of petals. "Quite the statement for a cursed spirit to make."
"You don't seem like the type to act on orders." Gojo mused, rolling Jogo's head on the ground. His blindfold was partially on again. "Was something good supposed to happen if you killed me? Regardless, I want to know. Who was it? Come on, just tell me already." His foot applied more pressure on Jogo, squashing his face.
"Like I'd ever tell you, brat!" Jogo grunted out.
"You sure you should be saying that?"
"Damn you!"
"Hurry up and tell me, or I'll exorcise you." Gojo replied annoyed. "Of course, I'll do that either way."
Izuku's eyes traveled over the tree as he saw...petals?
"What th-!!"
Just then, a thick plant of flowers shaped into a palm tree landed between Gojo and Jogo. In an instant flowers grew across the field.
"Wow!" Gojo smiled. His mood improved from the flowers, and he was blushing happily.
"Flowers!" Izuku echoed. Both wore smiles on their faces, fight no longer in them. "Pretty!"
Jogo let out a suffocating laugh.
Gojo gasped, realizing what was going on and slapped his face. 'That is a curse, right? It's stripping away my will to fight.'
Just then Izuku, who was still under the hypnosis and was startled when a root grabbed him by the foot and launched him into the air with Eri
,who was now awake to hold onto him for dear life.
When Gojo turned around, Hanami scooped Jogo's head, rushing away.
"Sensei, we'll be fine! Go after him!" Izuku yelled, upside down. When he looked down at the creature about to eat both him and Eri, he quickly changed his mind. "Sorry, I lied! Help!"
Gojo sent a bit of cursed energy to kill the plant monster, and he turned around as Izuku landed on the ground with a thud while predicting Eri.
"Are you alright,Eri?" Izuku asked with Eri just nodding her head as she snuggles deeply in the boys jacket like it was her lifeline, Izuku sighs as he rubbed the girls hair to calm her down.
'Wow. He got away. He's good at hiding his presence. He's way creepier than Volcano Head.' Gojo thought as he went over to the two and patting the Eri's head a bit with the girl going over the blindfolded man which made him lift her up, "So cursed spirits of that level are forming a faction now? This is getting interesting." Gojo said eith a smile as he turned his attention to Izuku.
"Izuku, I want you-or rather, everyone-to become strong enough to beat that."
"...what?"
'Oh? Are you going to reach deaths door sooner? Color me surprise'
"It's better to have a concrete goal, right?" Gojo lifted his finger up. "Man, I'm glad I brought you here."
"I had no idea what was going on to begin with, though...but atleast this helps with training my cursed energy..." Izuku said while he sweat dropped.
"Now that we've set your goal, all that's left is to pursue it. We'll speed up the schedule a bit. For the next month, you'll be watching movies and fighting me." Gojo punched his hands together.
...all Izuku did was sigh..., 'its bad enough i have to fight Sukuna in my subconscious and now this?...will I still be alive a month from now?' Izuku thought.
"After that, it's practical combat. You'll take on and complete several harder missions. You'll learn the basics and how to apply them, and then you'll show them off at the exchange event." Gojo laid out. He was confident Izuku would excel after their training.
"...question...what is this exchange event?" Izuku asked.
"Ah?" The smile on Gojo's face didn't falter. "I didn't tell you?"
Yaga frowned, humming. His arms were crossed in annoyance at Gojo's lateness. In front of him, Ijichi was quietly stammering in fear. "He's late!"
Ijichi let out a squeak.
Geto walked up the stairs of an apartment building, and entered on of the rooms. Through it, led to a domain, one of which was a bright beach filled with seagulls. "Sure is peaceful here." Geto said, glancing at Dagon's form in the water.
The curse sitting under a beach umbrella flipped the page of his book. His skin, paper white with grey stitches all of his body stood out.
"How's Jogo doing, Geto?"
"On death's door. Hanami stepped in to save him, so he'll probably be fine."
"How irresponsible. You're the one who egged him on."
"Heavens no." Geto walked over to Mahito. "I tried to stop him."
The door to the domain opened and Hanami and Jogo came inside.
"Speak of the devil. Jogo, Hanami. Glad to see you're safe." Mahito smiled, a bit of amusement seeping through.
"How can you say that when you see me like this?!" Jogo growled.
Geto smirked. "You're lucky you got off with just that."
Jogo grit his teeth and Geto stuck out his tongue in response. "Why, you..."
"I think you understand now...So we'll go about sealing Gojo Satoru at the appropriate time, in the appropriate place, once we've secured our advantage over him. We'll carry it out on October 21st in Shibuya. I'll contact you with more details later. Good enough, Mahito?" Geto turned to look at Mahito.
The curse closed his book, satisfied. "No objections here. Let's be cunning about this. Like curses should. Like humans should."
A darker grin formed slowly on Mahito's face as he spoke his last line.
Meanwhile we see Mizuki Yagi staring at what appears to be an rundown apartment with a bit of sweat that pores form her forehead, "well he said this was the place...I have to do this, not only for my future...but the future of my brother as well...Rest in Peace Big Bro"
She said as she stepped inside with a determined look on her face.
Somewhere inside a lab was where we see Tomura Shigaraki floating in giant tube that was filled with an eerie like liquid with one his limbs being gone as he was sleeping as his mind played through the event that occurred towards his missing limb...the brat that did this caused him to have a new motive...a new mission.
'Kill...I'll kill you'