While Charlie faced Heracles in Tokyo, his two comrades were also confronting equally formidable opponents in other parts of the world.
Near the Pyramids, Egypt.
Deadly beams of light shot from a man's palm, piercing toward their target and causing a massive explosion.
*BOOM!*
The shockwave spread, shaking the desert ground and kicking up storms of dust and sand. The majestic pyramids stood as silent witnesses to the battle.
"Oh, my attack didn't hit you? Impressive. Is it an invisible wall, telekinesis, or some other ability? That's a useful power. I'll take it."
The voice was deep and authoritative, unperturbed by the failure.
The attacker was a tall man with a powerfully muscular build, striking facial features, short white hair, and pale white eyes that showed no hint of emotion.
"Pointless. Your attacks will never reach me, Shigaraki Zen. Or should I call you All For One?"
From behind the curtain of dust, Wang Jian stepped out silently and unscathed. His clothes weren't even dusty.
His template was Gojo Satoru. Except for Domain Expansion, Wang Jian had unlocked the seals on all his template's abilities.
Clearly, All For One's attack hadn't harmed him thanks to Infinity. After all, Infinity was the fundamental ability of the Limitless Technique.
Infinity wasn't an energy barrier but a clever manipulation of space based on mathematical and physical concepts.
Broadly speaking, Infinity worked by applying Zeno's Paradox in real life.
Zeno's Paradox, particularly the Dichotomy Paradox (Achilles and the Tortoise), states that to reach a goal, one must cover half the distance, then half of the remaining distance, and so on.
When an object (fist, knife, curse, bullet) approached Wang Jian, Infinity divided the distance between him and the object into an infinite series of distances. For the object to reach him, it would have to traverse that infinite distance in finite time. Since this was impossible, the object would slow down as it neared and essentially never truly reach his body.
But Wang Jian knew its weakness. Infinity could be breached by abilities that ignored distance concepts, destroyed space, or transcended natural laws. Though his template was Gojo Satoru, Wang Jian's personality wasn't influenced. So, he wasn't arrogant enough to explain Infinity's mechanics to his enemy like Gojo Satoru often did.
"…"
"You even know my real name… That makes me even more eager to examine the information in your brain." It had been a long time since he was called by his true name, and All For One looked at him with keen interest.
"I have nothing to discuss with you." Wang Jian ignored the threat. His hands moved swiftly, forming a series of seals.
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"
He took a deep breath, then unleashed a massive fireball the size of a truck from his mouth, scorching the air with heat capable of melting steel in an instant.
*SHUAAA!*
All For One regarded the incoming attack with disdain. He was too lazy to even dodge. Raising his hand, he used one of his Quirks, Air Cannon, releasing a shockwave of destruction.
*BANG!*
The fireball and shockwave collided in mid-air, producing a deafening boom that shook the desert.
The two attacks neutralized each other, leaving behind a vortex of hot wind and melted sand.
"Haaah… As expected from a technique with low accuracy. In the original story, the Fireball Technique almost never killed anyone and could always be dodged."
Wang Jian had anticipated this outcome.
"Compared to ninjutsu, my main expertise is Cursed Techniques."
Recalling his experience acquiring ninjutsu, Wang Jian couldn't help but grumble about the Third Hokage's regime.
It's worth noting that the ninjutsu he'd learned so far was bought on the black market!
There was no other choice; it was truly difficult for civilian ninjas to obtain powerful ninjutsu.
Unlike ninjas from clan backgrounds, who taught children ninjutsu from a young age, civilian ninjas didn't receive such privileges.
If civilian ninjas wanted to learn ninjutsu, they had to exchange it for hard-earned achievement points. Moreover, to access the Sealed Scroll recording powerful ninjutsu created by the Second Hokage and past strong Konoha ninjas, approval from the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was required.
Hiruzen was known as the Professor of Ninjutsu and the Strongest Hokage in History. Clearly, the latter title was self-proclaimed propaganda to consolidate his authority.
Konoha's citizens respected and admired Hiruzen, but Wang Jian had a different perspective. In his eyes, Hiruzen deliberately limited other ninjas' power to maintain his hegemony.
So, Wang Jian secretly robbed corrupt nobles and daimyo notorious for oppressing the common people, then used the money to buy ninjutsu on the black market.
He always found it strange that humans with supernatural powers like ninjas had to serve as mercenaries for ordinary and powerless people.
Shouldn't their roles be reversed?
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
"Daydreaming in the middle of a fight. Seems you're confident I can't breach your invisible defense?"
Using his Quirk Rivet Stab, All For One's fingers transformed into black tendrils with red cracks extending along them. However, the tendrils stopped several meters from Wang Jian, blocked by Infinity.
"I was just reminiscing about a bad experience." Wang Jian shrugged. He knew he couldn't underestimate All For One.
(I need to defeat him before he figures out how Infinity works. Who knows if he has a Quirk related to space or cause-and-effect. This will be a tough fight.)
He decided to attack. Using Blue, one application of the Limitless Technique that created an attractive force in space, Wang Jian's body suddenly shot forward as if teleporting, appearing right in front of All For One. His fist, wrapped in Cursed Energy, lashed out at his enemy's face.
"Hmph!"
Unfortunately, All For One was no ordinary foe. His combat experience was vast, and he responded in time. With a grin on his face, he used his Quirk Impact Recoil, reflecting the attack's impact back at the attacker.
*BANG!*
The force of Wang Jian's punch rebounded onto himself. He immediately retreated, maintaining distance.
"It's not just you who has attack-nullifying abilities, kid!"
All For One launched a counterattack.
He combined multiple Quirks: Brawn Boost to enhance physical strength, Repulsion to propel himself at high speed, and Force Field for protection. With this combination, he engaged in close-quarters combat with Wang Jian.
*BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!*
In the midst of the Egyptian desert, under the shadows of the pyramids, the two figures exchanged relentless blows, yet neither was injured.
*BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!*
Every one of Wang Jian's punches was repelled by All For One's invisible Force Field, producing dull impact sounds. Conversely, every counter from All For One—punches, kicks, or energy blasts—slowed and stopped centimeters from Wang Jian's body, held back by Infinity.
They were like two boxers separated by an invisible glass wall, relentlessly trying to break through each other's defenses, searching for an opening or weakness.
Wang Jian tried variations of ninjutsu attacks, while All For One experimented with different Quirk combinations.
*WHOOSH!* *CLANG!* *CRACKLE!*
For the time being, their battle reached a stalemate—at least for now. After all, both understood that neither side was serious yet; it was just a warm-up.