The wastelands were silent, save for the whistling wind that carried dust across the cracked earth. The ragged warrior stood still, his piercing glare fixed on Gojo. His armor was battered, its once-pristine surface scorched and scarred by countless battles. His energy was wild and erratic, like a storm barely contained within his body.
Gojo tilted his head, his blindfolded gaze meeting the warrior's. "Let me guess—you were next in line to take the Eternal Flame, but then I came along and ruined your day."
The warrior snarled, his fists clenching. "The Eternal Flame is not yours to wield! It is sacred, entrusted only to those deemed worthy!"
Gojo chuckled, stretching his arms lazily. "You know, I keep hearing that word—'worthy.' But no one's explained what it actually means. And besides…" His grin widened. "If I wasn't worthy, why'd it let me take it?"
"Enough talk!" The warrior's energy flared, the ground cracking beneath him. "If you will not surrender the flame, I'll rip it from your lifeless body!"
The warrior charged, his speed far greater than Gojo anticipated. In an instant, he closed the distance between them, his fist aiming straight for Gojo's chest. Gojo raised his hand lazily, activating the Limitless barrier. The punch stopped a hair's breadth from his body, the invisible wall of infinity keeping the warrior at bay.
"Fast," Gojo remarked, his grin unfazed. "But speed alone isn't enough."
The warrior snarled and leaped back, his hand glowing with a fiery red aura. He slammed his palm into the ground, and the earth erupted in a wave of molten energy, racing toward Gojo like a tidal wave of lava.
"Now that's more like it!" Gojo exclaimed, dodging effortlessly as he somersaulted into the air. The molten wave crashed harmlessly behind him, leaving the ground scorched and steaming.
The warrior followed up with a series of rapid strikes, his fists and feet glowing with the same fiery aura. Gojo weaved through the attacks with ease, his movements fluid and precise. To an outside observer, it would have looked like he was dancing around the warrior, his blindfolded gaze seemingly mocking every attack.
"You're not bad," Gojo said, deflecting a fiery punch with a flick of his wrist. "But you're too… predictable."
With a burst of Blue, Gojo pulled the warrior off balance, dragging him through the air like a ragdoll before slamming him into the ground. The warrior groaned but pushed himself back up, his energy flaring brighter than before.
"Predictable, huh?" the warrior growled. "Let's see if you can predict this."
He thrust his hands forward, and the air around him rippled. Gojo felt a sudden shift—the warrior's energy wasn't just wild anymore; it was focused. A massive sphere of fiery energy formed between his palms, its heat palpable even from a distance.
"This is the Flame's Judgment!" the warrior roared, hurling the sphere toward Gojo with devastating force.
Gojo's expression shifted slightly, his grin replaced by a look of mild curiosity. "Now that's a big one."
The sphere hurtled toward him, tearing through the air with a roar. Gojo extended both hands, activating Hollow Purple. The collision of energies was blinding, the resulting shockwave flattening everything in the vicinity. When the dust cleared, Gojo stood unharmed, his grin returning.
"Nice try," he said, cracking his knuckles. "But you're still not in my league."
The Warrior's Secret
The warrior staggered, his energy depleted but his resolve unshaken. "You… you don't understand what you've done," he said, his voice trembling with anger and desperation. "The Eternal Flame isn't just power—it's a curse. It binds you to its will, and when the time comes, it will consume you."
Gojo's smile faltered for a moment, his curiosity piqued. "A curse, huh? Funny, I've dealt with curses before. But this one feels different."
"It's alive," the warrior said, clutching his side. "It's not just a tool or a weapon. It's a force older than this world, and it has its own agenda."
Gojo frowned, considering the warrior's words. For the first time, he felt a faint unease in the back of his mind—a whisper, almost inaudible, coming from the depths of his soul. But he shook it off, his usual confidence returning.
"Well, whatever it is, it picked me," he said. "And I don't let anyone—or anything—control me."
The warrior slumped to his knees, his energy completely drained. "You're a fool if you think you can resist it."
Gojo knelt down in front of him, his tone unusually serious. "Maybe. But that's my problem, not yours. Now go home and get some rest. You've earned it."
With a flick of his wrist, Gojo used Blue to lift the warrior off the ground and send him gently flying into the distance. He dusted off his hands and turned to leave, his mind already drifting to the next adventure.
As Gojo traveled further, the tension in the air became palpable. News of Cell's rampage was spreading, and the people of Earth were living in fear. Villages and towns were eerily quiet, their inhabitants either hiding or fleeing in the hopes of escaping the bio-android's wrath.
Gojo found himself in a small town on the outskirts of the Northern Wastelands. The streets were deserted, the shops boarded up, and the air thick with dread. He leaned against a lamppost, watching as a small group of children played in the dirt, their laughter a rare sound in the otherwise desolate town.
One of the children, a boy no older than eight, looked up at him. "Mister, are you here to fight Cell?"
Gojo chuckled, crouching down to the boy's level. "Me? Nah, I'm just passing through."
The boy frowned. "But you're strong, right? You can stop him, can't you?"
Gojo ruffled the boy's hair. "There are plenty of strong people already working on that. Don't worry, kid. They've got it covered."
The boy didn't look convinced, but before he could say anything else, his mother called him inside. Gojo stood up, his expression thoughtful as he watched them disappear into their home.
"Cell, huh?" he muttered to himself. "Guess it's only a matter of time before our paths cross."