Chapter 32: The Honored One (1)

[Third Person's Point of View]

"Remind me again, why do I have to fight you?"

August folded his arms and stared irritatedly at the silver-haired sorcerer stretching in front of him.

"Hmm? How else will I be able to gauge your progress?"

The obvious matter-of-factly tone annoyed him to no extent. 'How much do you think I improved in 2 days?!'

Fifteen minutes ago, Gojo teleported into his apartment and struck up a conversation as if this was the most normal thing in the world.

He had just returned from an ICM meeting that he found incredibly dull, with endless discussions about the safety protocol for an upcoming international event scheduled for next year.

And he even shamelessly asked for coffee while talking with him.

"And, where are we supposed to spar?" Both of them were immensely powerful beings, capable of obliterating entire countries without breaking a sweat.

The white teeth of the silver-haired man flashed as he intertwined his left middle finger with his index finger, a translucent haze seemed to emanate from him, slowly engulfing them in its embrace

"Don't resist", Despite the disorienting feeling that came with the haze, August chose not to actively struggle against it.

The feeling came and went instantaneously, leaving his eyes to open in a similar but vastly different setting.

The couch, furniture and TV set that should have been on his right were suddenly on his left, and vice versa. Even the vast Tokyo skyline in front of him seemed to be.....reflected in a mirror.

"!?"

"Welcome to the Mirror Realm" Satoru declared with excitement, gesturing around them with his hand at a right angle to his body.

'Master Ancient one?' August gave Satoru an odd look as if he was seeing a completely different person.

"The what?" He asked with a blend of perplexity, panic and fascination, his thoughts racing as he tried to comprehend the bizarre occurrences happening in front of him.

'How is this even...possible? Marvel doesn't exist in this reality. I made sure to check that first thing.'

Using Analyse right now was out of the question, as Satoru would surely sense any magic being used in his presence. If he were caught performing non-elemental magic, his entire facade would crumble.

So he waited for the explanation.

"You were correct in assessing that being like us can't fight freely without destroying the surroundings. Full marks for that!" Satoru applauded with a wide grin, resembling a failed comedian.

"Six centuries ago, destruction caused by fights between supernatural beings had reached a critical point, prompting the ICM to urgently devise a solution: The Mirror Realm."

Gojo abruptly cut off his explanation and gestured for him to come closer to the expansive windows that stretched from floor to ceiling in the apartment.

The sight before them was always awe-inspiring, but this time it was slightly altered. The entire world laterally inverted.

"This is the Mirror Realm, in a way. It's more like a projected version of it since actually accessing the real realm or travelling there is nigh-impossible. Thanks to the spell created by the International Congress of Magic, we can overlap the physical world with this projection of the mirror realm and engage in battle without fear of causing damage."

August's brain hungrily processed all the new knowledge and finally voiced the question that had been nagging at him from the start.

"Wouldn't this be considered a form of strategic magic? Can't we utilize it to pull our enemies into the mirror realm and trap them there, since they would have no means of returning?"

"Absolutely, if this was the real mirror realm that is." Gojo paused, his blindfolded gaze fixed on August. "Spells aren't as all-powerful as you think. Every spell has its own weakness as do all types of magical energy"

"Do you remember when I told you not to resist?" August nodded, recalling their previous conversation. "That was a binding vow. In order to pull someone into the mirror realm, they must not resist. And even then, they could easily leave by simply willing it."

"Why are these kinds of conditions necessary?" He was more intrigued than anything at these revelations about the inner workings of spells.

"Because spells that are too 'game-breaking' are banned by the laws of the world" Gojo snickered at the use of his game mechanics to explain the laws of reality.

"Where do I find the 'instruction-manual'?" Both of them chuckled while gazing out at the outside scenery, which in contrast to its real counterpart, was eerily quiet.

"Seriously, what do you mean by laws of the world?" He was truly curious about that part as he remembered coming across the same words when was reading the description of Eikyū Mugen Sōzō.

Satoru let out a soft sigh and approached the window, which promptly cracked open to allow him to step onto the empty air outside. "You wouldn't understand even if I explained it," he muttered under his breath.

He turned to face August and held out a hand towards him. "Remember our agreement? Show me how close you are to becoming a Special-Grade."

'Where does his confidence in me originate from?', following the Satoru's footsteps, August also stepped outside, but instead of plummeting to the ground, he easily stabilised himself mid-air.

The wind swirled around him, creating thrust in a specific pattern that aided his flight. Satoru's expression remained unfazed as if he expected nothing less from August.

"What do you want me to do?" August asked, with a hint of eagerness in his voice. He had already decided to impress the cocky white-haired man in front of him with some powerful techniques.

"Simple. We fight!"

With lightning speed, Satoru appeared right in front of August and landed a punch on his chest, sending him flying through several buildings before crashing to the ground as the sound of impact echoed through the surroundings

[Twin Star Plasma Cannon]

August quickly rose and fired two lethal, dark purple beams of death towards the direction he came from.

-Zing

The beam, several meters thick, sliced through the buildings with ease, making a beeline for the white-haired man. In an instant, he was consumed by the powerful energy as it shot upwards into the sky with no signs of stopping.

August could see the clouds parting as the twin purple beams ascended the sky.

"Too Predictable"

[Fire Serpentine Sealing Chains]

Black, snake-like chains materialized around the unscathed figure who had suddenly appeared behind him. The chains were an attempt to distract their opponent as he readied his next attack.

August's gaze widened in shock as he saw Satoru get ensnared by the chains. However, instead of being hindered by them, Satoru effortlessly delivered another powerful blow to his face, causing him to crash into a nearby skyscraper.

Boom

Debris scattered as a figure launched out, stopping abruptly in front of Satoru. Surprise filled his eyes as he asked, "Why aren't you using your technique?"

It was Satoru's turn to look confused, which he conveyed with a tilt of his head. "Why would I? You are weak."

"..."

Veins popped in his head and every muscle on his face visibly twitched as he asked with a forced smile, "Is that so? So you won't use your technique against me No Matter What right?"

The arrogant smirk he got in return served to irritate him even further. 

'Tho I am suppressing my strength to low rank, used with proper magic this can prove to be quite deadly' He planned to slowly unseal his strength to portray to the outer world that his strength has increased naturally through the ingenious use of magic.

'With this body and instincts, it is possible to use that' He had been envisioning a spell combination for a while, but his physical limitations, instincts, and demonic energy held him back. However, as soon as he reached sequence-7, he met the necessary requirements.

[Lightspeed Impulse]

The violet of his eyes shone like rare gemstones, their vibrant colour reflecting the faint lightning that wreathed his body like a halo. Thin strands of electricity danced around him, coiling and crackling with wild energy. Even his unruly black hair seemed to stand on end, spiked and charged with the power surging through him.

[Lightning Magic: Thundergod's Cloak]

A light blue cloak crackling with pure lightning, engulfed his body in a blinding glow with vibrant blue sparks dancing along the edges, creating an electric aura that outlined his muscular form. His overall appearance was reminiscent of a deity from ancient tales - a Thundergod come to life.

"Is that Killua's Godspeed and Raikage's Lightning Release Chakra Mode?" Gojo asked incredulously while amusement was palpable in his attitude.

"Mh. I took inspiration" August nodded sagely at Gojo's words. All the anime and manga he read served as a springboard to increase his magic arsenal exponentially.

By activating the Lightspeed Impulse, he amplified his already impressive reaction time to an unmatched level, foregoing any physical enhancements. Meanwhile, t the Thundergod's cloak provided a significant boost to attack speed and defence, without any cognitive improvements. The spells came with their own trade-off as some aspects of each spell were sacrificed in order to reinforce the other.

"And finally" With only one final step to perfect this combination spell, he clasped his hands together and closed his eyes. Gojo observed his student's movements with amusement and a spark of anticipation for their upcoming battle.

"Binding Vow"

Gojo hastily removed his blindfold and stared at August's figure in disbelief, his aquamarine eyes scanning everything and ready to intervene if anything went wrong.

Both the spells were extremely magically and physically taxing so they couldn't be used for more than an hour by any high-class while used together. Mainly due to the physical strain.

But this was a cheat code for him, who had a godly mana regeneration and recovery speed better than a Phenex.

"Lightspeed Impulse and Thundergod's cloak will work at one-tenth of their power when cast individually. But when cast together, they will synergise and increase each other's power exponentially"

Silence ensured as lightning effects slowly dissipated from August's body. Just as Gojo was about to intervene and take him to Shoko in case the binding vow lashed out, a massive pillar of lightning fell from the sky.

It was as if Heaven itself was unpleased with this mortal's efforts, yet the world bestowed upon him honours for his courage and cleverness. The lightning struck August's form, engulfing everything in a blinding bright glow

The lightning struck without any accompanying explosion, causing Satoru to grin in anticipation as he observed his student's reaction through closed eyelids.

The light dissipated to reveal a glowing figure floating in front of him.

August's entire body seemed to crackle and pulse with raw, untamed energy as bolts of lightning raced across his skin. His eyes blazed like two miniature neutron stars, glowing with an intense blue light. But the most striking change was in his midnight hair, now transformed into shining blue strands made of actual electricity, dancing and swaying with each movement.

[Magic Fusion: Raijin Mode]

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Author-san here!!!

(Important Note- I changed the International Council of Magic to the International Congress of Magic.)

If we reach 320 power stones for this chapter, I'll post an early one tomorrow.

But, if you want to read the next chapter, and two weeks' worth right now~, go visit my Patreon account.

[Link: Patreon.com/Midwintersnow] ['P' lowercase ofc]

See Ya :)