The Nexus stage, tinged with endless white and void blue, became a cosmic laboratory where adaptability clashed with absolute impossibility. Rimuru Tempest, fully trusting Ciel's calculations, began testing the limits of Satoru Gojo's spatial defense. The frustration of basic physical and energy attacks had given way to a cold, analytical determination.
Rimuru (Thought): Ciel, the theory regarding conceptual or non-physical attacks... Do we have a skill in my arsenal that could be applied? [Ciel: Searching the skill database. Postulating correlations. Ultimate Skill 'Gluttonous Lord Beelzebuth's' 'Soul Devourer' skill operates on a metaphysical level, targeting spiritual/conceptual existence. Ultimate Skill 'Covenant Lord Uriel's' 'Causality Control' skill manipulates the laws of cause and effect, which could interact with the causality implicit in the creation of 'Infinity'. Ultimate Skill 'Darkness Lord Azathoth's' 'Abyssal Corruption' skill may directly target existential information.]
Rimuru mentally nodded. He had tools that operated beyond the physical plane. He decided to start with something more subtle than total annihilation. He concentrated his energy (mana and spiritual energy) and imbued it with the conceptual quality of 'Soul Eater.' He didn't fire a projectile; instead, he attempted to extend an invisible, immaterial influence across supposedly infinite space toward Gojo. It was an attack on the soul, on existence itself, designed to ignore physical or spatial barriers.
Gojo, who was still floating carefree, felt a slight chill. It wasn't a physical sensation, but a strange... vibration at a fundamental level. His Six Eyes, even under the blindfold, sensed the nature of the energy Rimuru was using: it wasn't mana, nor cursed energy, nor even conventional spiritual energy. It was something trying to target his very being, his soul.
"Ooh! That's new," Gojo exclaimed, a note of genuine surprise in his voice. "A soul attack, huh? Interesting. Will the 'Infinity' stop it?"
Rimuru's invisible influence traveled through space... and again, seemed to slow down as it approached Gojo. 'Infinite distance' applied even to this type of attack, though perhaps in a different form. It wasn't that the attack was physically stopped, but rather the very concept of 'reaching' Gojo became infinitely longer. However, a tiny fraction of 'Soul Eater's' influence seemed to brush against the barrier of Infinity, causing a minimal fluctuation in the space around it.
Gojo (Thought): Fascinating! It didn't completely stop it like normal magic. It slowed it down to infinity, yes, but it managed to interact with my ability in a way that almost nothing else does. Its energy isn't 'physical,' it points to something... existential. But my 'Infinity' is a conceptual defense against distance. Still...
"Almost! But not quite," Gojo said aloud. "Infinity isn't just physical space. It's the impossibility of reaching me. You have to go to a deeper level than just the soul." He smiled. "Though you gave me an idea. How about we try something other than an attack 'toward' me?"
Gojo raised a hand and concentrated a massive amount of energy. This time, he didn't form a blue or red sphere, but instead distorted the space between himself and an empty spot on the stage, collapsing the negative space. "This is 'Blue' at its best. An attraction so strong that... well, you'll see."
With a ripple of energy, the point collapsed. There was no physical black hole, but rather the space itself around it tore into a singularity, sucking the surroundings into a nonexistent point. It was a technique of pure spatial destruction, capable of erasing anything nearby. It was a way to attack the area around Rimuru, rather than Rimuru directly through Infinity.
Rimuru felt the immense spatial attraction. Rimuru (Thought): Ciel, countermeasure. Use Uriel. [Ciel: Using Ultimate Skill 'Covenant Lord Uriel'. Deploying 'Infinite Prison' and 'Accelerated Field' to counteract 'Blue's' singularity on a large scale and keep the individual Rimuru Tempest out of the critical attraction radius.]
Layers of translucent cubic barriers formed around Rimuru, made of controlled space, acting as an anchor against the suction. At the same time, Rimuru moved at a speed assisted by Uriel, away from the center of the spatial singularity. The white scenery distorted horribly around him, but Rimuru stood firm, resisting the pulling force that would have ripped a star apart.
Gojo observed. "You countered my 'Blue' on a massive scale. You have impressive spatial control, not just defensively. Hmm. How about something a little more... explosive?"
Without warning, Gojo moved his fingers as if mixing colors. In the space between him and Rimuru, where their 'Blue' (convergence) and 'Red' (divergence) conceptually met, he created a singularity that neither attracted nor repelled, but simply erased. "This is my 'Purple Void.' The imaginary space that erases existence."
An invisible but palpable line of annihilation shot out from Gojo. It wasn't a beam of energy, but a line where space simply ceased to exist, erasing everything in its path at a fundamental level.
Rimuru (Thought): Ciel! That's a spatial annihilation attack! Countermeasure! [Ciel: Using Ultimate Skill 'Dark Lord Azathoth'. Deploying 'Abyssal Corruption' to attempt to divert or nullify the annihilation line on a conceptual/informational level. Danger Level: Critical.]
Rimuru extended a hand. Delicate strands of dark energy, seeming to absorb not light but information, extended from his palm, colliding with the invisible line of 'Purple Void'. There was no explosion. Only a conceptual hiss. Gojo's annihilation line deflected slightly, passing inches from Rimuru, erasing a swathe of the stage behind him before dissipating.
Gojo stopped, his eyes (albeit covered) fixed on Rimuru. "You deflected 'Purple'... You used some ability that interfered on an... informational or conceptual level. What the hell are you, slime? You don't just copy, nullify, and counter on levels that make no sense." The amusement in his voice had been replaced by intense interest and a hint of wonder.
Rimuru (Thought): Ciel, it worked. 'Abyssal Corruption' interacted with his conceptual attack. [Ciel: Affirmative. The 'Abyssal Corruption' ability operates on the level of existential information, allowing it to interfere with abilities that manipulate reality on a conceptual level. It's a possible counter to 'Infinity' and techniques based on it.]
Rimuru felt a twinge of hope. He had a way to interact. But Gojo hadn't used his ultimate weapon yet.
Gojo: "You're interesting, Rimuru Tempest. Truly interesting. You've evaded, countered my 'Blue' and 'Red', and even deflected my 'Purple'. No one has ever done that without my permission." He placed a hand on his bandage. "But you still haven't broken my 'Infinity'. And I have one last card. Something that nullifies the outside world for my opponents. Can you adapt to that?"
An immense pressure, unlike physical or spatial force, began to emanate from Gojo. The air around him grew dense, heavy with a power that Rimuru recognized as a type of "Domain" or "Absolute Field." The empty white stage began to transform around him, not through spatial manipulation, but through the imposition of a new sensory reality.
Rimuru (Thought): Ciel, what are you doing? [Ciel: Alert. Individual Satoru Gojo is preparing his Domain Skill: 'Domain Expansion: Boundless Void'. This skill traps the target within a space where they receive an infinite amount of information and stimuli, paralyzing their mind and body. It is an instant KO technique for most beings.]
The reality around them dissolved, replaced by an abstract and overwhelming space, a whirlwind of colors, sounds, and sensations that instantly bombarded the mind. It was Gojo's "Boundless Void," a realm where the senses and consciousness were overwhelmed by an infinity of stimuli. They were trapped within "Infinity" in a completely new way.
Rimuru felt the onslaught of information, an amount so vast that even his own processing capacity faltered for an instant. It was as if billions of years of sensory data were compressed into a single second.
Rimuru (Thought): Ciel! Counter! Protect my mind! [Ciel: Processing infinite information. Filtering. Reconfiguring mental shields. Alert. Individual Satoru Gojo has activated his Mastery Skill.]
Gojo stood at the center of his domain, his blindfold now removed, his Six Eyes shining and exposed for the first time, observing Rimuru trapped in the infinity of information. "Welcome to my world. The 'Boundless Void.' Here, the only option is to kneel. Can your adaptation handle this?"
The real challenge for Rimuru, and for Ciel, had arrived. They could analyze and adapt to physical or energetic abilities, and even interact with low-level concepts. But could they process and withstand an influx of information and override a dominance that imposed a new reality?
The second part of the duel had escalated dramatically. Rimuru had proven that he wasn't just a copycat, but a master of adaptation with abilities that could defy concepts. Gojo had responded with his most potent weapon. The next part would decide whether Unlimited Adaptation could find a crack in the Infinite Void, or if Rimuru would be overwhelmed by infinity itself.
The tension is rising! Gojo has used his Domain Expansion, the "Boundless Void," his most powerful technique for incapacitating opponents. The challenge now is whether Rimuru and Ciel can withstand and possibly find a way to counter an attack on the conceptual level and sensory overload.
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