Gluttonous Ogre Buhara

The other exam participants had erupted in anger, their voices clashing in a chorus of outrage against Menchi and Buhara, Gojo stood apart, a grin spreading across his face. The chaos around him seemed to amplify his amusement rather than dampen it.

Menchi's eyes narrowed as she caught sight of Gojo's expression.

"If that's how you want it then have it," Menchi said.

She reached up, plucking a few strands of her pink hair. She held them between her fingers for a heartbeat, her gaze sharp and unyielding. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she tossed the strands into the air.

The hairs floated gracefully, catching the light for a split second before morphing. They twisted and grew, expanding in mid-air, each strand thickening into chains of seemingly solid pink metal. They wove together with a precise elegance, forming a towering, unyielding cage that slammed into the ground around Gojo and Buhara. The metallic thud echoed, the bars towering high and solid. Gojo stood inside, unfazed, his grin still intact as he assessed his sudden enclosure. Buhara just stood there quietly with a lazy expression, but Menchi's eyes remained locked on Gojo, watching for his reaction.

"You will regret this now," she said.

"Nice trick," Gojo said, his voice carrying a lazy amusement as he knocked on the metalike bars of the cage. "But cages aren't my kink."

He cracked his knuckles, his eyes gleaming with anticipation as he prepared to confront whatever was coming next, the grin never leaving his face.

The participants outside unaware of nen the cage erupted in shock, their voices blending into a chaotic mix of disbelief and awe. Some shouted about magic powers, while others speculated wildly about what they had just witnessed.

"That's it! The magical powers of hunters."

"It's actually real."

"Am I dreaming?"

Inside the cage, Gojo's grin only widened. He relished the unpredictability of it all—this was far more interesting than the mundane trials that had come before. His gaze flicked toward Buhara, who was already charging at him with incredible speed, the ground trembling beneath his massive for. With a deep grunt, Buhara lifted his leg, bringing it down with a powerful stomp aimed directly at Gojo, the force of it cracking the ground beneath them.

But Gojo was already in motion, his body fluid and light as he slipped out of the way, his feet barely touching the ground as he sidestepped the crushing blow. The stomp landed just inches from where Gojo had been standing, sending a jarring shockwave through the cage.

"Careful now," Gojo said, his voice light, almost playful as he sized up Buhara. "You're gonna break that lady's fancy kink cage."

Buhara didn't pause after his initial stomp missed its mark. With a determined grunt, he followed up with a barrage of rapid palm strikes, each one aimed with crushing force at Gojo. The air hummed with the intensity of Buhara's attacks, each strike a powerful attempt to pin Gojo down.

But Gojo moved like a whisper in the wind, dodging every strike with an effortless grace that seemed almost taunting. He weaved and ducked, his body twisting out of the way as Buhara's palms slammed into the air where he'd just been. The strikes hit the ground and cage walls with enough force to bend metal, sending tremors through the enclosed space.

Not far from the exam site in a dimly lit room, Chairman of the Hunter Association, and Founding Master of Shingen-Ryu School of Martial Arts, Issac Netero sat comfortably in his chair, his eyes fixed on the monitors in front of him. A hidden camera feed displayed the chaos unfolding inside Menchi's cage, capturing every move with crisp clarity. Beside him, his loyal PA, Beans, stood attentively, a clipboard in hand.

"Buhara's strikes could easily destroy the foundations of a small building," Netero remarked, "but that boy is facing around him. Do you why, Bean? I reckon it's because of those eyes. He might be enhancing his eyes with aura to read the vibrations, flow of power and muscle tension, when a martial artist gains the ability to read this, he is said to have achieved - Foresight. With that, his evasion starts before the attack even properly begins."

"Not bad," Gojo quipped, his voice carrying a light, teasing tone as he sidestepped another fierce palm strike. "But you'll have to be faster than that if you want to catch me."

Buhara's brow furrowed as he redoubled his efforts, but Gojo was untouchable. He continued to glide through the storm of blows, his movements almost a blur, never allowing Buhara's strikes to find purchase. The gap between them was more than physical—it was a chasm of skill and speed that Buhara struggled to bridge.

The cage echoed with the sound of Buhara's failed attempts, each strike a testament to Gojo's uncanny agility. Outside, the crowd's shock shifted to awe as they watched the effortless way Gojo handled himself, as if he were untouchable, invincible within the cage.

"Was he always that strong?" Anita asked.

"I-I don't know," Kurapika replied.

Meanwhile, Gon and Killua just watched, Gon in awe while Killua felt something deeper. This fighting style bore too much resemblance to the style of his own family.

Hisoka meanwhile felt a prickle of annoyance. "For how long is this mountain of lard will continue to hold back?"

Netero watched intently as Buhara launched another furious palm, the massive hand hurtling toward Gojo's face. For a brief moment, it seemed as if Buhara would finally land a hit, it even looked like he did, but Gojo moved with impossible speed, catching Buhara's wrist at the last second. With a fluid twist, Gojo twirled and flipped Buhara over, slamming the large hunter to the ground with a force that shook the cage.

"This is my Gojo Style Taijutsu," Gojo declared, his voice echoing through the metal bars, the grin never leaving his face.

Netero chuckled softly, leaning back in his seat. "A masterful display of the soft style martial arts principles," he murmured, his eyes gleaming with a mix of admiration and intrigue. "Once you have mastered soft way, you can redirect any attack even if it has power superior to your own, making superior muscle seemingly useless but there is a limit to power in proportion to your own that you can redirect of course. Skills will only take you so far. Moreover, it depends on the stability of the opponent, Buhara's lower body stability remains steady like a mountain, makes sense why that boy isn't going for foot sweeps."

He stroked his beard and said, "Bean, tell me more of Buhara."

Beans nodded, then quickly flipped through the pages on his clipboard. "Sir, Buhara's file," he said, clearing his throat. "Buhara Kanemaru, a natural Enhancer by Nen type, with five recorded Nen abilities in hunter registration."

Netero's eyes flicked back to the screen as Beans continued.

"The first ability is called [Gluttonous]," Beans explained. "It uses enhancement to massively increase Buhara's digestion capacity, energy conversion and caloric storage. Essentially, he can consume enormous amounts of food, convert it into aura and store the energy in fat to increase total aura capacity, which supports his other abilities."

"Ah, also makes sense," Netero nodded thoughtfully, stroking his beard. "Abilities working on high aura... explains why he eats so much as why he is so fat. Even the brain consumes a lot of calories, after all, that is why he always sleeps. Even now he is half-asleep."

Beans glanced around, where Gojo had already repositioned himself, his stance relaxed but alert, while Buhara was pushing himself off the ground, his movements slightly sluggish. Netero leaned forward, his expression sharpening with a keen observation. He had noticed something that most among the audience hadn't.

Beans blinked, focusing more intently on the screen. "Half-asleep? I didn't catch that. There is nothing in the file about this."

"It's not nen ability but a psychological state," Netero continued, smiling as if he had unraveled a small mystery. "There's more going on with him than meets the eye. Keep an eye on how he paces himself—he's conserving energy, even while fighting. I'd wager it's part of a strategy related to his other abilities."

Inside the cage, the tension crackled as Buhara, determined not to be outdone, lunged at Gojo with surprising speed, his massive arms outstretched in an attempt to grab him. The ground beneath Buhara seemed to quake with the force of his movement, each step resounding like thunder in the enclosed space.

As Buhara's hands reached for him, Gojo pushed off the ground, stepping on his opponent's shoulder and vaulting effortlessly over Buhara's head with a swift handstand, his movements fluid and almost playful. In mid-air, Gojo twisted, bringing his legs around in a smooth arc, and delivered a powerful kick to the back of Buhara's head as he landed. The impact sent Buhara stumbling forward, crashing onto the floor with a heavy thud.

Gojo landed lightly, barely a sound marking his descent. He turned to face Buhara, dusting his hands off as if the manoeuvre had been nothing more than a casual warm-up.

"Come on," Gojo said, his voice sharp and edged. "You have to do better than that."

The entire room seemed to hold its breath as Buhara remained sprawled on the floor for a moment, unmoving. Then, in a bizarrely calm manner, Buhara let out a long, deep yawn that echoed through the space. He stretched his arms lazily, blinking a few times before finally pushing himself up.

"Good morning," Buhara mumbled, rubbing his eyes as if he had just woken from a nap. He looked around, taking in the scene as if seeing it for the first time. His demeanour shifted, the drowsiness falling away as his eyes finally sharpened with focus.

Gojo watched with mild amusement, one eyebrow raised. "Seriously?" he muttered under his breath.

Buhara stretched his body like it was just another regular day, participants around the cage were stunned, and then he looked to Menji outside and asked, "Mind telling me what's going on?"

Menchi rolled her eyes and answered, "You are in a fight, moron. Now kick his ass quickly, I want to have some sushi."

"Right...." Buhara yawned once as he got back to his feet. He looked at Gojo and finally asked, "Who are you?"

Gojo thought about the question for a moment then answered, "I am simply known as the Strongest."

Buhara shrugged, "Okay... They call me Buhara the Ogre by the way. Oh.. right.. I have to kick your ass so let's get done with it."

From the crowd outside the cage, Hisoka watched the battle with a keen, predatory interest. A sly smile tugged at his lips as he observed, he chuckled softly to himself. "Now," he mused aloud, just loud enough for those near him to hear, "You will learn the thrill of battle with a full-fledged Enhancer."

Inside the cage, Buhara's presence shifted. He was no longer the sleepy, sluggish fighter Gojo had easily dodged before. His aura enveloping him into the state of Ryu.

'He is an Enchancer that's confirmed.' Gojo thought while analyzing Buhara's aura.

"Let's finish this up so I can go back to sleep already," Buhara said. "I hate wasting my awake time with boring people."

With newfound vigour, Buhara charged at Gojo, his fists swinging with renewed speed and power. The strikes were relentless—a flurry of punches and palm strikes aimed at every angle, each blow carrying the weight of his full strength and application of Ko.

Gojo moved to evade in the state of Ryu, still graceful but now forced to focus, his movements tightening as Buhara pressed the attack. He ducked and twisted, his steps quick but not as effortless as before. The air around them seemed charged with tension as Gojo manoeuvred like a leaf in the wind, slipping just out of reach of each strike. But Buhara's attacks were faster now, sharper, and Gojo had to put more effort into maintaining the distance. He even raised his fists to guard, and even threw a few jabs in with little to no opening but at the effect of barely any damage.

'Weird, I am hitting him in the pressure points. Any other guy would have been paralyzed by now.' Gojo thought.

Buhara laughed, his voice booming in the enclosed space. "You're slipping around like the wind, aren't you?" he taunted, a wide grin spreading across his face. There was a manic energy to his movements now, a raw intensity that filled the cage with a palpable sense of danger. "This entire life is a drag, swinging between boredom and the funny, I am tired of this, I just want to sleep and eat it out. But people like you won't let me."

Suddenly, Buhara leapt high into the air, his massive form soaring upward with surprising agility. He twisted upside down, pumped his legs against the ceiling, using it as a springboard, and launched himself downward with a tremendous force. His descent was like a falling meteor, aimed directly at Gojo, the sheer power of the move enough to send shockwaves through the air.

Gojo's eyes narrowed as he gauged the attack, his body tensing in anticipation. The moment Buhara crashed into the ground, the impact was cataclysmic. The entire floor shattered beneath the force, sending cracks spiderwebbing out in all directions. The cage itself rattled violently, lifting off the ground by a few feet from the sheer shock of the blow. Dust and debris filled the air, momentarily obscuring everything in a thick, blinding cloud.

For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.

As the dust blew, Gojo emerged, standing at the edge of the crater Buhara had created. His posture was relaxed, though his eyes were alert, scanning for Buhara with a focused intensity. Suddenly, the hunter burst out of the crater with a ferocious roar, charging directly at Gojo with terrifying speed. He was just inches away, a wall of unstoppable force bearing down on him.

Gojo's eyes widened, and for a split second, he lost his usual composure. "Oh, shit," he muttered, quickly springing into action. At the last possible moment, Gojo executed a swift somersault over Buhara, his body flipping gracefully through the air. He narrowly cleared Buhara's head, feeling the rush of wind as the giant barreled past beneath him. Momentum carried Buhara forward like a runaway train, his eyes blazing with a singular focus. He crashed straight into the metal bars of the cage, the force of his tackle sending the entire structure flying.

"Get out of my way!" Buhara roared, his voice echoing through the chaos as he charged on, leaving a path of destruction in his wake.

The cage flew over with a deafening crash, bending and twisting from the impact. Gojo landed lightly on his feet, spinning around to watch the aftermath. His heart raced, the unexpected ferocity of Buhara's attack almost catching him off guard.

He shook his head with a bemused grin as he said, "If that is how life is to you then it's because you made it this way."

The cage crashed down around the participants, sending them scrambling in all directions to avoid the flying debris and twisted metal. The air was thick with dust and tension as Buhara turned, his eyes locking onto Gojo with fierce determination.

"I am not done yet," Buhara said, "despite this miserable state of life, there are two reasons for why I haven't killed myself. First is delicious food, and second, to beat the hell out of ASSHOLES like you who stop me from enjoying delicious food!"

Buhara charged again, his speed defying his massive size. With a bellow, he swung his leg down in a devastating stomp aimed directly at Gojo, the ground trembling beneath his weight. Those watching could barely track his movement, their eyes widening as Gojo appeared to freeze, unmoving as the massive foot came barreling down.

For a split second, a collective gasp rippled through the audience. To those perceptive enough, it seemed like the fight was over—that Gojo was caught, crushed under the sheer force. Dust billowed up, obscuring the scene in a choking cloud that veiled the outcome. But as the dust began to settle, Gojo was there, standing calmly just a short distance away, his back turned to Buhara. His posture was relaxed, his silhouette untouched by the violent storm of the attack.

Buhara's eyes widened in shock, his voice incredulous as he demanded, "How did you dodge that?"

Gojo's shoulders began to shake, a chuckle escaping his lips that quickly grew into a full-blown fit of laughter. He turned slowly to face Buhara, and the crowd fell silent, every eye drawn to the sight before them.

Gojo's black eye mask was gone, and in its place, his eyes gleamed with an otherworldly brilliance—blue and crystalline, like jewels glowing with an inner light. The sheer intensity of his gaze seemed to pierce through everything as if seeing the world in its most fundamental form.

Gojo's laughter echoed through the stunned silence, an unapologetic expression of his joy and power.

"My theory was right... Getting into dangerous fights increases my body's adaptation to aura for the sake of survival. The Six Eyes have almost returned to their prime," he said between breaths, the amusement clear in his voice. "Oh, and I just danced around that attack. It is all in slow motion to me now. No, it's as if the entire world is at a standstill and I am the only one that moves."

Buhara, undeterred by Gojo's laughter, clenched his fists, the veins in his arms bulging as he let out a roar and charged forward again, this time aiming a powerful palm strike at Gojo's chest. The sheer force behind the attack caused the air to ripple, and the spectators braced themselves, expecting the hit to land.

Gojo moved with effortless grace, his stride calm and casual as he twirled around the attack without a hint of urgency. His mind quickly calculated the attack.

'His velocity is around 258 metres per second, the attack will exert around 10 MJ of energy, Force is... Momentum is... To redirect it would require....'

Before Buhara could react, Gojo dodged and extended the palms of both his hands, one over the other, connecting cleanly with Buhara's chest. The move absorbed all the momentum, and he twisted his midsection and legs, sending the force back to the source with his own mixed in by applying Ko at the end with another surprise. The impact was immediate—Buhara's massive frame was sent hurtling backwards, his body smashing into the remains of the fallen cage with a thunderous crash. The steel cage groaned under the weight, flattening completely beneath him. It didn't just stop there was Buhara fell into a bloody coughing fit.

"Too slow," Gojo said with his hand still outstretched, "but perfect for my demonstration of the use of the rotational principle in marital arts and my new trick."

Inspired by stories of old sorcerer Kashimo who turned his cursed energy to mimic electricity, Gojo now used his aura to mimic piercing lethal vibrations through emission and transmitted through his fist. The result was a devastating punch whose attack power remained unchanged regardless of durability.

Gojo shrugged, "I don't have a name for it but I'll call it as... Aura Pulse. That's a good name."

The crowd gasped, eyes wide as they took in the spectacle. Buhara, the unstoppable force, had been flung across the battlefield with ease.

Netero looked wide-eyed from the seat. "Has that boy reached that stage? Where the martial artist has realized how to optimally use all internal and external forces to his advantage - Weight, Power, Momentum and even Gravity are all part of his arsenal. Moreover, he seems to use an ocular nen ability... This is just too interesting."

Buhara groaned from the wreckage, the remnants of the cage pressing down on his body. Yet even as the pain set in, a grin spread across his face. "Using external sources for attacking. What's the big deal? I can do that too," he muttered, his voice low and excited.

He lay there, his breath heavy but steady. For a moment, it seemed as though the fight might be over. But then, without warning, a powerful crimson surge of energy erupted from his body, sending a wave of aura rippling outward as he leapt into the air directly from the laying position and then landed on his feet.

The ground trembled beneath the force, and the participants watching from the sidelines stepped back in awe, their eyes wide with shock and fear.

Killua grabbed Gon and leapt back. "Stay back! It's going to get dangerous now," he said with mild panic.

Gon felt confused as he was pulled away, but for the short time he had known Killua, this was the first time he had seen this kind of look of fear on his face. Those in the immediate vicinity including Kurapika and Leorio felt like getting by a blizzard, only very remain impervious during this fight.

Menchi, standing at the edge of the chaos, sighed, her arms crossed. "Finally," she muttered as if she had been waiting for this moment all along.

Chairman Netero and Beans watched closely through the hidden camera, their expressions reflecting a mix of intrigue and anticipation. "Well, it seems things are getting interesting now," Netero mused, his eyes twinkling with excitement. "Bean, what's Buhara's other nen abilities?"

As Buhara slowly rose from the debris, his body began to change. His once-round figure morphed into something far more terrifying. His muscles bulged and expanded, the fat from his body burning away in a burst of energy that ripped off his shirt. His skin took on a deep red sheen, shimmering with a fiery intensity, as if his very blood had ignited beneath the surface.

Two large horns jutted from his forehead, curling upward like those of a demon. His once docile expression was replaced by a primal snarl, eyes glowing with a feral intensity. Each breath he took seemed to vibrate the air around him, his monstrous form now towering over the battlefield.

[ Hatsu: Raging Oni ]

The transformation was complete. Buhara stood before Gojo, no longer the laughing glutton he had been moments ago, but a hulking figure of raw strength and fury.

Bean looked at the file and answered, "Raging Oni, it's an Enhancement type Ability which amplifies the aura output of the user along with physical strength, speed, and durability and even grants some regenerative capacity, with the set condition of burning large amounts of fats in the body to keep it active."

The participants watched with bated breath, their fear palpable. No one dared to speak. They had just seen a man transform into a monster. Buhara turned to her and said, "Evacuate this place. Things are about to get damaging."

Menji sighed and shouted to the participants, "Alright everyone follow me outside the building unless you want to be eaten by that monster over there."

The participants hearing this hurried for the exit, but some like Kurapika's group and Hisoka kept looking and they did so. Then Menchi followed towards the exit soon after them, and said, "Make it quick, Buhara."

"Let's see how you handle this," Buhara growled as all the participants left the building, his voice deeper and more menacing, as he flexed his massive arms and muscles.

"Cool transformation, but you still can't touch me," Gojo muttered, his tone almost playful. The fight was far from over, and now the stakes had just been raised.

Buhara, now in his monstrous form, took a deep breath, his hulking frame filling the air with an ominous presence. His muscles tensed, and without warning, he pulled one leg up, his upper body leaning forward as if preparing for something impossible. The ground beneath him trembled under the immense pressure of his weight.

"Oh, wind become my blade," he roared.

In a flash of movement that defied his size, Buhara launched into a backflip, his massive foot carving through the dirt with terrifying precision. Gojo's Six Eyes flickered as he sensed something cutting through the air with deadly force. Instinctively, he dodged to the side, his body moving just in time as Buhara's attack sliced through the space he had just occupied.

The sound of splitting concrete echoed through the room. When Gojo turned to look, his eyes widened slightly in surprise. The entire wall behind him, along with the floor beneath it, had been cleaved cleanly in two. Dust and rubble fell from the gash in the wall, the sharp line extending far beyond where the attack had been aimed.

[ Hatsu: Vanishing Blade ]

"Well, that was close," Gojo muttered, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. His glowing eyes narrowed, the thrill of the fight intensifying.

Standing beside Netero, Bean read, "Vanishing Blade; this ability uses Buhara's immense physical strength to create vacuum blade which is then further charged through the use of Emission. Normally a natural enhancer like Buhara wouldn't be able to use his weakest category like that, but the added condition of requiring Raging Oni for it to be utilized grants him an invisible attack that could slice through an entire large building at it's strongest."

Buhara straightened up, his hulking form casting a massive shadow across the field. "You see it?! You can see my vanishing blade, or did you just read the air disturbance and my movements to determine the attack's direction," he growled, the ground beneath him cracking with each step as he prepared for another assault.

Gojo's smirk only grew. "Bit of both. Doesn't look all that vanishing to me," he replied, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp, gleaming with anticipation. "Let's see what else you've got."

Buhara charged forward to close the distance between him and Gojo. But then settled into his sumo stance midway, his hulking frame brimming with power, his eyes glowing with intensity. The ground beneath his feet groaned, cracking under the weight of his energy. He raised one massive leg high into the air, his muscles coiling with incredible strength.

"I call upon forces of Earth and Heaven."

With a roar that shook the very walls, he brought his foot down in a devastating stomp.

*BOOM!*

The world seemed to explode. The ground heaved, and debris flew in every direction as if a giant bomb had gone off. Walls crumbled, floors buckled, and the ceiling collapsed under the overwhelming shockwave. The sheer force of Buhara's stomp obliterated everything in its path, turning the building into a battlefield of destruction. Dust and smoke filled the air, obscuring the view of the carnage.

[ Hatsu: Rumbling God ]

Despite the cataclysmic force, one thing remained untouched—the camera and connected devices through which Chairman Netero and Beans watched the fight. Designed to record even the most extreme conditions of a potential nuclear war, the equipment transmitted the chaotic scene back to the Chairman's screen without interruption. Netero leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with interest.

Netero asked, "What's this?"

Bean answered, "Another use of Enhancement and Emission, but instead of concentrating power into something sharp like with Vanishing Blade, the Rumbling God is an explosion that just destroys anything in the immediate vicinity."

"Interesting..." Netero said, "Now look closely, the boy might have opened his own bag of tricks."

Outside the building, the participants backing away from the area saw the entire large building crumble over their shoulders as the ground beneath them shook. As debris and shrapnel rained down from the collapse, panic surged among the participants. They stumbled backward, eyes wide with terror as the remnants of the fight engulfed the area in chaos.

Suddenly, Statoz jumped into action. With a determined look in his eyes, he brandished a delicate umbrella, its petals shimmering with vibrant hues.

"Everyone, take cover!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the cacophony.

With a swift flick of his wrist, he opened the flowery umbrella. As it unfurled, a radiant shield of hard light blossomed from the petals, expanding outward like a protective barrier. The shield glowed brilliantly, reflecting the chaos around them while absorbing the oncoming debris. Fragments of stone and shards of metal collided against the shield, creating a shower of sparks, but none penetrated its surface.

Inside amid the chaos, Gojo sat calm and composed in a crouched position on the blast's crater. As the dust swirled around him, his extended outward with emission and manipulation, forming a protective veil.

"[New Shadow Style: Simple Domain]," Gojo said, his voice low but confident.

The once dubbed "domain for the weak" and the secret yet most basic technique of the New Shadow Style school of sword arts, created by the legendary founder Sadatsuna Ashiya to protect his followers from malevolent sorcerers and curses of the Heinan era, this technique from the world of jujutsu was now reborn in the world of nen.

Netero's eyes widened. "A defensive ability based around En?"

Inside the domain, the air was still, the violent chaos of the outside world kept at bay. Gojo then grabbed a metal bar that fell out from the destruction and stood with it in his hand like a sword. His aura coursed through it with Shu.

"Next move is for you, Nanami," he muttered recalling his classmate from the sorcery school back in his own world who used a blunt sword.

But Buhara however wasn't finished yet. With a beastly roar, his body surged forward, his palm glowing red with sheer power. He charged into Gojo's domain, the ground trembling beneath his massive form as he prepared to strike. This was his final nen ability which required fats in his blood to burn as fuel.

[ Hatsu: Bloody Impact ]

Yet, as soon as his palm entered the domain, the power behind waned. The glowing red aura flickered, and the force of his attack dampened as the Simple Domain's rules took effect.

Gojo smirked, gripping the bar tightly in his hands. "You are just too slow again."

[ Hatsu: New Shadow Style: Evening Moon Sword Draw ]

He swung the bar with all his might like a baseball bat, his entire body rotating with the motion. The metal bar and Buhara's glowing palm collided with a deafening *crack*, sending shockwaves through the air. The force of the blow shook the remnants of the arena, but neither fighter gave an inch. They were evenly matched in that moment—Buhara's raw strength against Gojo's calculated precision.

With a grunt, Buhara leapt back, creating distance between him and the domain. His hulking form launched into the air, and as he ascended, he swung his massive arms in an X-shape. Two vanishing blade attacks, identical to the one that had cleaved the arena before, shot toward Gojo.

[ Hatsu: Vanishing Blade: Dual Blades ]

Gojo's eyes narrowed. He dodged the first blade with a swift sidestep, but the second came in too fast. He twisted his body at the last second, but the blade caught him on the side, slicing through his shirt and leaving a shallow cut.

He winced slightly but remained composed, a small grin tugging at his lips. His hand pressed lightly against the wound, a thin streak of blood visible beneath his fingers.

"Not bad," Gojo muttered, glancing at Buhara with renewed determination, his eyes glowing brighter. "But it's going to take a lot more than that to beat me.

Buhara, noticing the cut on Gojo's side, let out a triumphant roar. "I've drawn first blood!" he bellowed, his voice echoing through the crumbled arena.

Gojo's expression remained calm. "You might want to take a look a your hand before saying this," he countered, his eyes flicking to Buhara's bleeding hand.

Then without missing a beat, Buhara twirled gracefully with a snarl, as if performing an elegant dance. His movements were deceptive, but each step was calculated and precise. From his spinning form, multiple vanishing blade attacks erupted, streaking toward Gojo with lethal intent.

[ Hatsu: Vanishing Blade: Blade Dance ]

Gojo's eyes flickered with concentration. He activated his Simple Domain again, this time reprogramming it to shift himself away from the attacks. His body moved almost instinctively, the domain manipulating the air around him to ensure he dodged every incoming attack. He deactivated the domain, then charged forward, his movements fluid and unrestrained.

The two combatants soon closed the distance, their battle entering a fierce close-combat stage. Buhara swung his massive glowing palm towards Gojo, aiming to crush him with sheer force, but Gojo then cast another Simple Domain with a different set of commands.

[ Hatsu: Bloody Impact ]

Gojo, however, leapt over the attack, and drew the aura-charged bar. As he soared through the air, he brought the metal bar down with precision, carving multiple cuts around Buhara's arm, torso, and face.

[ Hatsu: New Shadow Style: Batto Sword Draw ]

Each swing was a blur of motion as the Domain amplified Gojo's evasion and speed. Buhara roared in frustration as Gojo's strikes connected, leaving thin but painful cuts on his enhanced form. Despite his immense strength, Buhara's speed and agility were now being tested by Gojo's relentless and skilled attacks.

Buhara staggered back, his red skin gleaming with the fresh wounds. He glared at Gojo, a mix of rage and admiration in his eyes. "You're good," he growled, his voice filled with grudging respect. "But I'm just getting warmed up."

Gojo and Buhara exchanged blows once again, the air around them crackling with energy. Despite Buhara's monstrous strength, Gojo effortlessly dodged everything. The metal bar flicked out, leaving behind hundreds of shallow cuts across Buhara's massive body.

Gojo said as attacked, "Earlier you were whining about sleep. Now look at yourself, enjoying yourself, covered in wounds but saying yes to pain and life."

The cuts began to glow faintly, a strange steam rising from them as if Buhara's very skin was boiling. His eyes gleamed with a sudden surge of energy, a power that seemed to erupt from deep within.

"All I want is to just want to enjoy a life of leisure and war like a proper man of power, if I seem whiny it's because some bastards make me do slave labour for this hellhole of an association."

Gojo laughed. "I can relate to that. Otium Et Bellum."

With a deafening roar, Buhara surged forward with a renewed force. His body seemed to expand further, his skin reddening even more as raw energy flowed through him. He pulled his palm back, charging it with an intense crimson resulting from his burning blood that pulsed dangerously.

[ Hatsu: Bloody Impact ]

Gojo's eyes narrowed as Buhara's glowing red palm came toward him, the sheer force behind it sending a shockwave through the air. Reacting instantly, Gojo raised the bar, reinforced by his aura, while his Simple Domain kicked in, attempting to dampen the overwhelming power of the punch and then intercept it.

[ Hatsu: New Shadow Style: Evening Moon Sword Draw ]

*CRACK!*

The impact was unlike anything before. The bar in Gojo's hand shattered into pieces, splintering in all directions. The protective field of his Simple Domain flickered and then crumbled under the immense pressure. The force of Buhara's attack broke through everything.

Gojo barely had time to brace himself before the palm connected squarely with his forearm raised to block. The world seemed too slow as the blow sent him flying backwards with incredible speed. Shock and fractures ran through as his body crashed through a pillar, shattering it into rubble, and hurtled towards the stunned participants, their faces filled with shock and disbelief. The impact sent tremors through the ground as Gojo's body skidded to a stop just short of the group, the air thick with dust and debris.

"That's a smart move, he decided to burn the fat in the blood he was losing for a momentary power boost catching that kid by surprise, and turning disadvantage into advantage," Netero remarked. "But the question is if the kid has something else in his pocket, or is it over?"

Gojo sat on his knees, his breath steady despite the devastating blow he had just taken. Buhara, towering like a juggernaut, approached with heavy footsteps. His wounds, glowing and steaming just moments ago, had sealed completely, his monstrous body ready for the final blow.

Buhara squatted down, the ground trembling beneath him as he prepared for a final attack and Gojo sent into the earth. "I had some fun but now It's all over," Buhara growled, his voice booming. He leapt high and crashed down towards Gojo.

[ Hatsu: Rumbling God ]

But just as his leg came crashing down, Gojo's eyes snapped open. In a fluid motion, he rose from his knees, his body alive with newfound energy. He met Buhara's incoming stomp with a rising uppercut, infused with precise and unimaginable power.

[Hatsu: Black Flash]

The phenomenon occurred—an explosive surge of cursed energy released within one-millionth of a second at the moment of impact. With the attack power amplifying to the formula of [ 1+Attack Power^2 ], the uppercut connected with such force that black sparks crackled in the air, and it touched and distorted the space around them.

Buhara's leg fractured instantly, the bone splintering under the immense pressure of Gojo's strike. The hulking fighter was sent flying backwards, crashing through debris as he tumbled across the battlefield, finally slamming into a pile of debris with a deafening thud.

Gojo flew straight up into the air before landing lightly on his feet, his entire body brimming with aura. The black sparks from the [Black Flash] continued to dance around him, swirling like living shadows. His expression was calm, almost serene, but there was something more in his stance now—something transcendent.

At that moment, Gojo had entered a state where manipulating his aura became as simple and natural as breathing. His control over the energy was absolute, his movements effortless. It was as if the world itself revolved around him, the sensation of omnipotence washing over his mind.

Under the shower of black sparks, Gojo returned to his peak form. His glowing Six Eyes radiated with a brilliance unseen before, and the participants watching from afar could only stare in awe at the spectacle unfolding before them.

[ Hatsu: New Shadow Style: Simple Domain ]

Gojo's presence dominated the space as a significantly larger domain than before enveloped him and Buhara, and his body, now operating at 120% of its maximum potential, felt light as air. Every step, every movement was an extension of his will, his aura bending to his commands like a finely tuned instrument. The arena itself seemed to hum with the intensity of his energy, the air thick with the pressure of his power.

"All the conditions have been met," Gojo said softly, his voice carrying an edge of finality. 'The fight has pushed my aura manipulation to the same level as my cursed energy manipulation and my aura has touched space - all according to plan. The conditions for reverse engineering Infinity have now been met.'

Meanwhile, Buhara's transformation had also reached its peak, his body burning fat from his blood and marrow as his red aura surged to demonic proportions. His monstrous appearance resembled a monstrous Oni from eastern legends, with his hulking form towering over Gojo, injuries and mangled leg healed, his gaze filled with fury and bloodlust.

"Stand proud Buhara, you were strong," Gojo said.

"What are you talking about? I am not done just yet." Buhara growled as felt the effects of domain eating away at his aura.

Gojo didn't just stop there he issued to commands to Simple Domain. 'Prevent any contact of foreign aura with the source. Intercept any foreign aura source.'

Then he used another technique.

[ Hatsu: New Shadow Style: Hazy Moon ]

Originally a technique meant to replace broken part of a blade with cursed energy, Gojo now utilised this technique in a different manner. With his metal bar destroyed, Gojo grasped at nothing but air, took his stance and an invisible blade of raw aura emerged in his grasp.

"I will fly now. Can you keep up?" Gojo said as the aura blade hummed in the wind.

[ Hatsu: New Shadow Style: Evening Moon Sword Draw ]

Gojo charged and slashed at Buhara countless times within a moment. His relentless strikes descended upon Buhara like a whirlwind. Each slash and cut from the translucent blade left Buhara scrambling to keep up. Buhara spun around, kicking and punching, attempting to counter, but the precise movements of Gojo's domain neutralized everything—his body flowing seamlessly with each step, he weaved under, over, around the attempted counters, anticipating every move.

In a breif moment, the onslaught broke all aura defenses, making bloody cuts after cuts, forcing the monstrous fighter to burn an even larger cunks of his biomass for one last attempt. Buhara's palm glowed crimson, launching his most powerful attack once more and it shattered Gojo's aura blade.

[ Hatsu: Bloody Impact ]

But Gojo didn't flinch. He pressed forward without hesitation, letting go of the shattered aura blade and throwing in a barrage of aura pulse strikes with fists and kicks. Attacks appeared at faster rate than Buhara's endurance regeneration of could keep up, closing his eyes he felt as though he was against apart by hordes of strange monsters. The fear of annihilation gripped Buhara as he found himself unable to counter or land a single blow, and when he tried to counter with another [Bloody Impact], Gojo kicked him in the throat before he could do as much as gather his energy.

Buhara staggered, sweat dripping from his brow as he felt the crushing pressure of Gojo's aura. His body trembled, blood trickling down the corner of his mouth as he knew his current power wouldn't be enough. Not against Gojo. He was outmatched in every way. Desperation surged within him.

He clenched his fists, teeth grinding, his decision made. 'A vow,' he thought grimly. His only chance at turning the tide. He had to risk everything.

Buhara pressed his palm against his chest, feeling the thundering pulse of his heart. He summoned his Nen, his aura swirling violently around him like a storm. "A vow of blood and marrow," he muttered under his breath, "the blood of my heart, my marrow, my sinew —sacrifice them all for power." His Nen flared, crackling in the air as his body began to wither, fat and muscle burning away as they fueled his vow.

Pain ripped through him, searing his very soul as his body shriveled, his bones thinning, his skin stretching taut over his skeletal frame. But his power—it surged beyond anything he had ever felt before. His fists glowed with a deep crimson aura, pulsating with the life force he had sacrificed.

"This is my last chance," Buhara whispered, his voice hoarse. "Bloody Impact—" he leaped forward, his Nen exploding outwards in a crimson shockwave, every ounce of his remaining life force channeled into the devastating attack.

[ Hatsu: Bloody Impact ]

Across from him, Gojo stood, calm and composed, his Six Eyes glowing with intensity. Buhara's Bloody Impact roared towards him, a wave of red energy engulfing everything in its path.

And then, in an instant, Gojo raised his hand towards the oncoming attack. Black lightning crackled at his fingertips, the sound of a tear in space echoing as he released his second Black Flash. As he closed his hand into a fist, void of pure destruction erupted around him, black and red energy colliding with a force that shook the very ground.

[ Hatsu: Black Flash ]

The clash of both energies consumed the battlefield. Crimson and black. Life and death. The ground beneath them disintegrated, shockwaves tearing through the air, rocks crumbling as the sheer power of the exchange reached out in every direction. Time seemed to stop as the two opposing forces collided, the world itself holding its breath.

When the smoke cleared, the battlefield was a wasteland of ruin.

Gojo stood amidst the destruction, untouched. His Six Eyes gleamed as he lowered his hand. His gaze didn't even flicker to the broken figure of Buhara lying on the ground.

Buhara gasped for air, his body emaciated, gaunt, barely resembling the man he once was. His chest rose and fell with labored breaths, his heart struggling to keep him alive. The Nen vow had taken nearly everything from him. He lay in a pool of his own blood, half-dead.

Gojo, however, wasn't looking at him anymore. His gaze had turned to the sky, indifferent to Buhara's fate.

"Buhara!" Menchi's voice cut through the silence. She stood on the edge of the battlefield, eyes wide in horror. "Get away from him!" she screamed at Gojo. Her rage and desperation swirled together as her long hair fluttered in the wind. Without hesitation, she launched her attack—thin feelers of her hair extended like razor-sharp tendrils, moving with lightning speed toward Gojo, aiming to strike him down where he stood.

Gojo's Six Eyes flickered, his attention shifting lazily towards the oncoming attack. The tendrils surged forward, moving at blinding speed—yet, as they came within few inches of Gojo's range, they stopped. They floated there, suspended in mid-air, unable to touch him.

Menchi's eyes widened in confusion. She pushed her aura harder, forcing the tendrils to move. But they didn't. It was as if an infinite chasm had appeared between her and Gojo, an unreachable distance that separated them.

"What… is this?" she whispered, her voice trembling with frustration and disbelief. Her tendrils hung there, suspended, unable to breach the impossible space.

Gojo glanced at her, his eyes devoid of concern. "It's pointless," he said, his voice calm, almost bored. His presence was untouchable.

Menchi then abandoned her attack, alarmed by Buhara's condition, immediately rushed to his side. "Buhara!" she cried, kneeling beside him, checking his pulse and assessing his weakened state.

The remaining participants, watching from the sidelines, were frozen in awe, some barely able to comprehend what they'd just witnessed. The ground beneath their feet had been torn apart, and the very air around them seemed to vibrate with the lingering power of the clash between Gojo and Buhara.

For a fleeting second, Gojo felt the weight of eternity resting in his palm—untouchable, vast, and fleeting all at once. He smiled.

"To see a World in a Grain of Sand,

And a Heaven in a Wild Flower

Hold Infinity in the palm of my hand,

And Eternity in an hour."

Overhead large shadow was casted over the clearing, and all the participants looked up above at the giant airship of Hunter Association high in the sky. But no one at the scene knew that at that very moment the power balance of the world had forever been changed.