Ch.54 Invincible Doesn't Equal Omnipotent

Akira was, of course, well aware of this knowledge and the secrets of Satoru Gojo, but just because Akira knew, it didn't mean the other students did. Akira, being a responsible assistant, knew when to step in without hesitation, ensuring he was a qualified TA.

After guiding them just enough, Akira stepped back, allowing the spotlight to shine on Satoru Gojo:

"The advantages of Domain Expansion... well, there aren't many. Just two: enhanced state within the environment and guaranteed hit, both of which are easy to understand."

"When you expand your own 'innate domain' and attach your technique to it, the environment created will naturally be the most suited for you to exert your abilities."

"Since the domain is entirely covered by your technique, it's equivalent to your opponent being inside a completed technique, making it impossible to dodge."

"The essence of my 'Holy Shield Technique' is the paradox of 'Achilles and the Tortoise.' Because of the domain's existence, the paradox is nullified, and Achilles eventually catches up with the tortoise. It's kind of like that. Do you understand?"

Yuta Okkotsu, true to his title as the officially recognized number one genius, was the first to react: "I get it, it's like a combination of field magic and an innate barrier?"

"Very good analogy," Satoru Gojo praised without hesitation. "It's more effective than field magic and less draining than an innate barrier. However, unlike an innate barrier, Domain Expansion doesn't necessarily have to be closed off. But to prevent the enemy from escaping, most choose to close it. So, do you understand how to deal with a domain now?"

"If you can't win, then run," Maki was as straightforward as ever.

"There's no need to fight on the enemy's home turf. Since Domain Expansion consumes a lot of cursed energy, if we can trick the enemy into using it and then escape, the situation would become advantageous for us." Panda was as smart as ever.

"Salmon," Inumaki... you're still a broken record, huh?

Akira added, "Besides, technique counterattacks are still effective. Gojo-sensei only said you can't dodge; he didn't say you can't block."

"That's what I've been doing all along."

"Shinra Tensei" and "Bansho Ten'in" in "Naruto" were definitely not minor skills, but to Satoru Gojo, they were like basic attacks (A-moves), something he could use freely without any restraint or moderation.

"But it's not exactly a good countermeasure. Competing in techniques within the enemy's domain is inherently foolish. The only reason I can do this is because my technique's completion and understanding of cursed techniques surpasses Rika's, and Rika's domain is incomplete. After all, she's dreaming; if she could consciously control the range and focus of her technique, even I would struggle."

"And because of the existence of barrier techniques, escaping from a domain is extremely difficult. The most effective way to deal with a domain is for us to expand our own domain. When both sides expand their domains simultaneously, the superior technique will gain the upper hand. Of course, this also depends on compatibility and cursed energy."

In the end, Domain Expansion falls within the scope of cursed techniques, and the basic principles of cursed techniques apply within the domain as well.

"So, is Sensei going to expand his domain?" Yuta Okkotsu asked excitedly.

"No, that won't work," Satoru Gojo shook his head.

"Why not? Is the so-called 'invincible' guy lacking confidence in winning a domain battle?" Maki taunted provocatively.

"It's not that. In terms of cursed energy and domain scale, Rika has the upper hand. As for technique, I'm confident I can outmatch any opponent. But I can't guarantee what state Rika will be in after I cover her with my domain. Don't forget, this is Rika's dream, and we're here to wake her up, not kill her—invincible doesn't equal omnipotent."

That final statement was the true reflection of Satoru Gojo's situation.

Even with world-invincible power, it doesn't mean you can make everything go your way.

Force is only the last resort; in the grand scheme of life, the times when you don't use force far outnumber the times when you do.

"So, we have to clear the level step by step and head to the heart of the nightmare."

Akira understood. For other people's domains, it's still manageable, but with Satoru Gojo's domain, if anything goes wrong, Rika could end up brain-dead.

"There's also a necessary condition: Yuta must be in the party. If the cursed spirit Rika is a nightmare, the real Rika might not recognize us."

We must admit, when Satoru Gojo gets serious, he's reliable. Unfortunately, he almost never does.

"So, what are we waiting for? Let's go! You said you'd carry us to victory and take us flying," Akira urged.

"Carrying you guys isn't hard; the hard part is getting Yuta to Rika. A regular domain's range is usually within a hundred meters at most. But for Rika's domain, even I can't determine its scale. The strength of the monsters inside likely increases gradually, and then there are the factors of the map itself—let's test it out a bit."

As he spoke, Satoru Gojo formed hand seals.

His left hand activated the Cursed Technique: Blue, and his right hand activated the Reversed Cursed Technique: Red. When the two met—

"Hollow Technique: Purple!"

The essence of Blue is negative infinity.

The essence of Red is positive infinity.

When the two meet, they form an "imaginary mass." When this "mass" is propelled with "motion," it creates an annihilation effect, with power sufficient to slice through space.

Thus, the sky crumbled, the earth shattered, and the shockwave, glowing with blue and purple electricity, surged straight ahead, cutting through everything it touched, extending to the horizon without any sign of weakening.

The students were all stunned.

They knew Satoru Gojo was ridiculously strong, knew he kept talking about being invincible all the time.

But until they saw it with their own eyes, none of them understood what "invincible" really meant.

Now they knew.

The Six Eyes provide the strongest insight.

A casual basic attack can freely manipulate gravitational push and pull.

For defense, there's the nearly cheat-like permanent "Holy Shield Technique."

If injured, he can self-heal with "Reversed Cursed Technique."

And there's the Domain Expansion that can overwhelm anyone, along with the map-altering "Purple."

Apart from the limitations of human physical strength, this man had no weaknesses.

That's why he's the peak, that's why he's invincible.

Even Akira couldn't resist the awe.

It's unavoidable; knowing the setting and witnessing it firsthand are entirely different experiences.

Moreover, Akira knew that the technique "Purple," which looked like a big move, was at most a minor skill. Other similar minor skills included using "Blue" and "Red" to achieve instant teleportation.

Aside from that, Satoru Gojo's control over cursed energy was also at an extreme level, making his cursed energy consumption infinitely close to zero.

The methods Akira thought of to defeat him boiled down to two.

Either restrict him with the environment, ideally making cursed energy and cursed techniques ineffective. No matter how strong Satoru Gojo is, he would then be limited to the scope of a human being.

Or, use a method that exceeds his defenses, breaking his "Holy Shield Technique" while simultaneously obliterating his soul.

Otherwise, even if your raw strength surpasses his, you might not secure ultimate victory.

To be honest, even if Akira trained Darkrai, the mythical Pokémon, to level 100, he wouldn't have much confidence.

Unless he could obtain something even more broken, a Pokémon with a higher priority rule than "Infinity."

Which ones would that be?

PS: Not sure if Darkrai's nightmare-inducing ability can bypass Satoru Gojo's "Infinity" to affect him.