NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: Kokusen
Up until now, Naoya had kept his binding vows a secret. He had hidden the improvements he'd gained from them, using them only in situations where no one could witness their full potential. But this battle was different. This was his final training session with Naobito, and he wanted to see just how far he'd come.
Naobito paused, his sharp eyes narrowing as he studied Naoya. "Huh? Are you—" He stopped mid-sentence, his instincts kicking in. He knew Naoya well enough to understand that the kid never did anything without a reason. If Naoya was offering him the first strike, there was a catch.
"As you wish," Naobito said, his usual lazy smirk returning. "Your face irritates me anyway. You could use a good beating."
Without another word, Naobito launched himself at Naoya, He didn't hold back—this was Naoya's choice, after all. In an instant, he closed the distance between them and delivered a clean, powerful punch straight to Naoya's face.
The impact was brutal. Naoya's head snapped to the side, and his body was thrown backward with enough force to slam into a nearby wall. The sound of the collision echoed through the training grounds, dust and debris scattering in the air. For a moment, it seemed like Naoya might not get up.
But then, slowly, he pushed himself to his feet. His movements were deliberate, almost unnervingly calm, as he wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand. He spat a mouthful of blood to the side, his sharp eyes gleaming with a mix of pain and determination.
"This is my first time in my life getting punched in the face," Naoya said, his voice low but steady. He looked down at his hand, now smeared with blood, and smirked faintly. "I hope it will be the last time too."
His blond hair fell over his eyes, casting a shadow over his face, but the intensity in his gaze was unmistakable. Naobito didn't waste any time. He launched himself at Naoya again, his fist aimed squarely at the boy's face. But this time, something was different.
Naobito's fist connected, but instead of the satisfying impact of flesh, he felt nothing. His eyes widened as he realized too late that he had punched something else. Before Naobito could react, a sharp pain exploded in his face as Naoya's foot connected with his jaw, sending him flying backward.
Naoya stood tall, his expression calm but his eyes burning with intensity. "That really hurt," he said, his voice laced with a dangerous edge. "Now it's my turn."
Naobito wiped the blood from his mouth, his sharp eyes narrowing as he stared at Naoya. For the first time in a long while, he looked genuinely surprised. "What was that?" he asked, his voice tinged with confusion and curiosity. "Was that an application of Projection Sorcery?"
Naoya's smirk widened, but he didn't answer immediately. Instead, he took a step forward, his movements deliberate and calculated. The air around him seemed to crackle with cursed energy, the afterimages of his decoys flickering in and out of existence like ghosts.
"You could say that," Naoya finally replied, his tone casual but carrying an underlying edge. "I've been working on a few… improvements. Thought I'd test them out on you."
Naobito's eyes gleamed with a mix of amusement and intrigue. He straightened up, his usual lazy smirk returning, though there was a newfound sharpness to his gaze. "Improvements, huh? You've been holding out on me, brat."
Naoya shrugged, his smirk never fading. "Man, if I were you, I'd fake an injury and leave right now."
"As the head of the legendary Zenin clan, getting kicked by an 11-year-old… really?" Naoya taunted, his voice dripping with mockery.
Naobito chuckled, though there was no warmth in it. "Well, don't get too cocky."
Naoya knew he was running out of time—his Vow of Temporal Perfection had less than two minutes left. So why was he wasting time talking instead of pressing the attack? The answer was simple: Naoya didn't want to win by catching Naobito off guard. Even though it was unlikely, he wanted to test his true strength against Naobito at his full power.
Without another word, Naoya launched himself at Naobito, his speed amplified to its peak. The two began trading blows. Naoya's strikes were powerful, each one fueled by his immense cursed energy reserves and the physical enhancements granted by his binding vow. Naobito, despite being pushed back, met each attack with equal ferocity.
For the first time, Naoya's hits were actually hurting Naobito. The old man grunted as a particularly powerful strike landed on his shoulder, forcing him to take a step back. Naoya's cursed energy was overwhelming, and his physical strength, and with the vow boosting his strength, even Naobito could feel the impact.
But Naobito wasn't done yet. Naoya might have had the upper hand in cursed energy and raw strength, but Naobito had something even more important—experience. He didn't need youth or overwhelming power to win. His skill in combat was unmatched. He knew how to read his opponent, spot weaknesses, and turn the fight in his favor with nothing but technique and instinct.
As Naoya kept up his assault, Naobito adjusted. He began reading Naoya's movements, countering every strike with precise, well-placed attacks. Every time Naoya thought he had an opening, Naobito was already there, blocking or slipping away like it was second nature. Even as he took blow after blow, the old man's smirk never wavered.
"Damn, I really thought you were gonna be a challenge," Naobito said, his voice calm and laced with mockery despite the intensity of the fight. "My bad for expecting too much."
Naoya gritted his teeth, his cursed energy flaring as he pushed himself even harder. His strikes grew faster, more powerful, but Naobito continued to evade or deflect them.
The old man's taunts were getting under his skin, but Naoya refused to let it show.
"Wow, I must really bring out the best in you," Naoya shot back, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "You're never this competent, are you?"
"You brat," Naobito growled, his usual calm slipping for the first time. He swung at Naoya, but his fist hit nothing—a mere afterimage. The real Naoya was already behind him, striking his side before darting away.
"tch"
For the next minute, the battle raged on with no clear winner. The training grounds were in ruins, the ground cracked and torn from the sheer force of their clashes. Cursed energy crackled in the air, each strike ringing out like rolling thunder.
Naoya's afterimages flickered in rapid succession, a blur of decoys that forced Naobito to stay sharp, his senses pushed to their limit.
27 seconds left.
Is this my limit? Naoya thought, his breathing heavy as he dodged another of Naobito's strikes. His body screamed in protest, exhaustion creeping in. But he couldn't stop. Not yet.
24 seconds left.
If this were a real fight, I'd be dead in 20 seconds. He had pushed himself to the edge, yet it still wasn't enough. Naobito was still standing. Still smirking. Still mocking him.
19 seconds left.
I refuse to die.
The thought burned in his mind, fueling him. He couldn't afford to lose. Not here. Not now. His resolve sharpened, pushing him into a deep state of focus. The world around him faded—only Naobito remained. Every movement, every breath, every pulse of cursed energy became crystal clear.
17 seconds left.
And then it happened.
As Naoya managed to land a punch on Naobito's left hand, his cursed energy sparked—black.
Unleashing a Black Flash was no small feat. It required an almost impossible level of concentration and precision. Not even Satoru Gojo, the strongest sorcerer of the modern era, could pull it off at will. It wasn't something that happened randomly—it was the result of immense skill, focus, and combat potential.
A Black Flash occurred when cursed energy was applied within 0.000001 seconds of a physical hit. When a sorcerer achieved this, their cursed energy would flash black, and the destructive power of their strike would be equal to a normal hit raised to the power of 2.5. It was a rare and devastating technique, one that only a handful of sorcerers had ever accomplished.
"BLACK FLASH!" Naoya shouted as he felt the surge of power coursing through him. The impact was unlike anything he had ever experienced.
???????
Naobito, sensing the danger, quickly gathered all of his cursed energy to defend himself. His eyes widened as he realized the magnitude of the attack. He raised his arms, channeling his cursed energy into a defensive barrier, but it wasn't enough. The Black Flash tore through his defenses like paper, the destructive power of the strike amplified to an unimaginable degree.
The force of the strike sent Naobito flying backward, his body slamming into the ground with a deafening crash. Dust and debris filled the air, and for a moment, everything was still.
According to Aoi Todo, the difference between those who had used Black Flash and those who had not was like the difference between heaven and earth. It wasn't just about raw power—it was about understanding the essence of cursed energy on a deeper level. For those who had experienced it, manipulating cursed energy became as simple and natural as breathing. It was a state of heightened awareness, a feeling of omnipotence, as if the world itself revolved around them. This state allowed the user to operate at 120% of their maximum potential, pushing them far beyond their usual limits.
"Is this my cursed energy?" Naoya muttered, feeling the flow of his energy like never before. It was smooth, effortless, and intoxicating. He chuckled softly, a grin spreading across his face. "I might get addicted to this."
Naobito, meanwhile, quickly pushed himself to his feet, clutching his left arm, which was heavily bleeding from the impact of the Black Flash. His eyes narrowed as he stared at Naoya.
"Black Flash, huh?" he muttered under his breath. "Will this brat ever stop surprising me?"
???
Before Naobito could fully recover, Naoya blurred into motion, appearing at his side in an instant.
Naobito's eyes widened—too late.
Naoya's foot slammed into his ribs, sending him flying backward. The sheer speed of the attack caught him off guard. Naoya was faster now, far faster than he had been just moments ago.
Naoya landed gracefully, his smirk widening as he watched Naobito skid across the ground. "Hey, after I win, do you need a ride to the hospital?" he called out, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "I mean, I won't drive you, but I'll call someone."
Naobito pushed himself to his feet, his expression darkening.
"I haven't lost yet,"