[Author Note: I might have made Naoya seem a little more competent but I feel like it makes some sense. Also hopefully I didn't butcher infinity, I think what I did makes some sense but tell me if I was wrong.]
[Also the chapter is purely Naoya vs Gojo. No POV stuff]
The arena buzzed with anticipation, voices layering over each other until they became a low, constant hum.
Two figures stepped onto the stage.
On one side stood Satoru Gojo—hands in his pockets, posture loose, expression bordering on bored. His eyes, however, were sharp.
Across from him, Naoya Zenin walked in with measured steps, chin slightly raised, gaze locked forward.
The announcer's voice rang out, loud and dramatic.
"Representing the Zenin Clan. One of the most promising Grade 1 sorcerers of his generation. The prodigy of the Zenin Clan. NAOYA … ZENIN!"
A wave of noise followed.
"And his opponent… not just a prodigy but already someone who arguably stands at the top of modern Jujutsu Society. The legend of the Gojo clan. SATORU … GOJO!"
The reaction doubled.
Gojo scratched the back of his head, unimpressed.
"I don't know why they are all so hyped up," he said, glancing at Naoya. "There isn't any fight to have here."
Naoya scoffed. "You talk big. Just because you are special doesn't mean anything. Today you will fall to the might of Naoya Zenin."
Gojo smiled slightly. "Ok ok no need to get so riled up. I already said it, the result of this fight was already decided the moment we were put in the same bracket."
After Gojo's words there was a brief silence.
Then—
Naoya vanished.
A sharp burst of movement carried him forward, closing the distance instantly. His fist cut through the air, aimed directly at Gojo's face.
However it stopped.
Just inches away from the face of a handsome but infuriating face.
Naoya's eyes narrowed.
"... Of course."
Gojo tilted his head, looking at the suspended fist with mild curiosity. "Did you seriously forget about my passive infinity, or were trying to attack me before I could activate it"
Before Naoya could react
Bam.
Gojo's fist drove into his side, sending him skidding across the arena. The ground cracked under his feet as he forced himself to a stop.
Gojo exhaled lightly, rolling his wrist.
"…Man," he muttered, "holding back is harder than I thought. Elder's told me if I should hold back a little and not break anything"
"I'm a little envious of Futa-chan. He got to go full nut cracker on that Haruto guy. Speaking of which, do you know him? He's from your clan."
Naoya steadied himself, irritation flickering across his face.
Infinity.
'Obviously I have heard of it before but experiencing it. It's a barrier that separates space repeatedly such that no attack can actually approach him.'
It's what makes Satoru Gojo, Satoru Gojo. It's the reason why he is destined to become the strongest sorcerer.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then Gojo raised his hand.
A dense sphere of warped space formed instantly—
Blue.
Without warning, it launched.
Naoya moved.
The sphere tore through where he had been standing, dragging debris and air into itself before collapsing violently. Another followed. And another.
Gojo didn't pause.
Blue spheres rained across the arena in rapid succession, each one distorting space as it passed. The ground fractured, the air warped, the pressure mounting with every attack.
Naoya didn't counter.
He ran.
He didn't try to fight back, in this situation running away was the best thing to do, bide his time appropriately.
He watched.
Waited.
Till suddenly Gojo disappeared.
Naoya's eyes widened—
and Gojo was already in front of him.
Bam.
A clean punch to the torso.
Naoya's body bent around the strike, breath forced out of him as he was driven backward again. He slid across the ground, shoes grinding against the stone before finally stopping.
"…Tch."
Gojo stood where he had landed, expression unchanged.
Naoya exhaled slowly.
Stalling wasn't working.
'I was hoping to drag this out, Satoru Gojo can't maintain infinity indefinitely, meaning their will definitely be moments where he has to turn it off. When he starts to turn it off regularly, I would start speed stacking and finish him with one blow'
But that seemed impossible, evading his attacks for that long would be impossible.
And at this rate—
He'd lose.
A brief pause.
Then Naoya straightened.
"…Fine."
If he couldn't win by playing safe, then there was only one option left.
A risk.
Gojo stepped forward again, casual as ever. "You're starting to look tired."
Naoya didn't respond.
Gojo moved.
'Instead of teleporting he is rushing in, is there some kind of limitation to his teleporting ability?'
'Anyway I felt it, whenever you punch someone you have to make actual contact with their body right Satoru Gojo. Meaning that for that very brief frame before contact, you turn off your infinity barrier.'
'Counter attacking within that small frame is impossible, given our speeds are relative but there is one thing I can do'
I stood their focusing my cursed energy into reinforcement while also preparing myself for what was to come next.
At that exact moment before Satoru Gojo's fist made contact, Naoya Zenin activated his cursed technique.
Projection Sorcery.
Projection sorcery forces the user to abide by a rule of moving along a projected path in 24 frames per second. It's with this technique that Naobito Zenin managed to become the fastest sorcerer alive in the current day.
It also had a secondary effect, those who make contact with someone who has the technique activated will also be forced to abide by this 24FPS movement. Otherwise they will be trapped in a frame for 1 second.
And the moment Satoru Gojo made contact with Naoya, who had activated the technique, Gojo's fluid like movements did not abide by the 24FPS rule, forcing him into a frozen state.
He froze.
Completely still.
Naoya's body, however, was forced to follow along its predetermined path. Because Naoya Zenin's movement still had to abide by the rules of physics, he was forced to spend a few frames following the projected path that Satoru Gojo's punch set him on.
11 frames were spent being knocked away, and getting into the rushing motion, to Satoru's frozen body.
Half a second.
'That's all it took.'
'It's just like I thought, someone who happened to have a good technique alone wouldn't manage to stand at that height.'
Naoya rushed forward to Satoru Gojo's frozen frame and prepared to unleash an onslaught of attacks at the same moment.
'The one who will stand with him, at the top. IS ME!'
While a figure of strength from the Zenin clan flashed in Naoya's mind, he sent 3 punches into Gojo's frozen body all at the same moment.
The glass freezing Gojo's body cracked as he was skidded along the arena floor, the power behind Naoya's punch was devastating.
Perfect execution.
Naoya stepped back slightly, breathing steady, eyes fixed on him.
Waiting.
Gojo blinked.
"…Huh."
He reached up, touching the side of his face where the punches had landed.
No damage.
Not even a bruise.
"Was that it?" he said quietly. "When I got frozen I was a little concerned but you had no power behind that punch"
"Impossible, that was a full powered punch to the head. You should have taken some damage at the least."
Gojo lowered his hand.
"…Pretty interesting."
And then
He moved.
Faster than before.
No wasted motion. No hesitation.
His fist connected cleanly with Naoya's face.
The impact echoed across the arena.
Naoya's body lifted off the ground, momentum carrying him backward before he crashed into the stone, the surface fracturing on impact.
Silence.
Dust settled slowly.
Gojo stood where he was, expression calm.
"…Yeah," he muttered. "I can't hold back too much."
Across the arena, Naoya laid still.
Consciousness faded quickly, vision blurring as the world dimmed.
His thoughts, however, lingered.
That power, that figure of strength.
That overwhelming, absolute difference.
"…So this is it…"
'I-its just like Toji-kun'
Naoya promptly fell unconscious.
Some recommendations for JJK fanfics I have been reading.
Reincarnated as Hajime Kashimo.