The training grounds echoed with sharp bursts of energy as Leo stood in the center, shirtless and focused, his breathing calm but intense.
The air around him shimmered slightly, disturbed by the residual force of his earlier attacks.
He raised his hand slowly, gathering the natural energy around him.
The Divine Punishment technique glowed faintly in his palm, forming a sphere of golden light.
Leo concentrated, visualizing a distant target. With a sharp exhale, he launched the energy forward — a glowing blast that surged through the air and struck the stone dummy with a booming explosion.
The dummy cracked into two, and a ripple of dust spread outward.
"Hmph... decent," Leo muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.
Next, he stepped into a low stance, energy gathering in his legs and core.
This time, he activated Energy Strike Out. A flicker of energy surrounded his hand — a short-range but devastating technique.
He dashed forward in a blur, slamming his palm into a fresh target dummy.
There was no explosion, no fanfare — only a crushing impact that shattered the entire structure as though it had been struck by a collapsing mountain.
"Energy cost is minimal. Good. Very good," Leo murmured, stepping back.
He continued for another hour, switching between the two techniques, adjusting his control, refining the flow of energy, and measuring consumption rates.
By the end, his body was soaked in sweat, his breathing heavy, and his legs slightly shaky from constant motion.
Just as he sat down to rest, he heard light footsteps approaching.
From the hallway emerged a petite maid with a small tray of sliced fruit. She looked like she had wandered in from a dollhouse — short, fragile-looking, with large hazel eyes shimmering with innocence.
Her silver hair was tied into two curly twintails that bounced with every timid step, and her soft features only amplified her loli-like appearance.
Leo leaned back, his expression shifting from calm to mischievous. He gave her a sly, almost evil smile.
The little maid stopped, visibly startled. Her delicate fingers clutched the tray tighter, and her round eyes quivered like a frightened kitten.
"What's your name, little one?" Leo asked, grinning.
"A-Anne, Master Leo..." she answered, her voice small and high-pitched. Her cheeks flushed red as she looked down at the floor.
"Anne, huh?" Leo mused, eyes tracing her form — her short stature barely reaching his chest, her porcelain skin nearly glowing under the sun filtering through the window, and her nervous stance that made her look all the more innocent. "You'd look even cuter in a proper maid outfit."
She trembled.
"Feed me," Leo commanded, gesturing lazily.
Anne stepped closer, her tiny hands reaching out with the tray. Carefully, she picked a slice of fruit and fed it to him.
Leo accepted it with a smug expression, savoring both the fruit and the sight of the trembling loli.
On the other side of the estate, several members of the Shadow Force sat on rooftops or clung to trees, watching over their target.
"I swear," one of them sighed, rubbing his forehead, "this guy is mentally unstable."
"No kidding," another replied, watching through a telescope as Alex talked to his dragon egg — again.
Alex was now curled around the egg, arms wrapped around it protectively as if shielding it from imaginary enemies.
"Don't worry, little guy," Alex whispered passionately, "You and I, we'll take down the world together.
And then… Sophia and Selena will serve us tea while Leo begs for forgiveness!"
He laughed to himself, hugging the egg tighter.
"...Did he just cluck like a chicken?" one Shadow Force member asked.
"Yep. Gave the egg a peck on top too," another replied, not even surprised anymore.
"Master Leo… you're a genius, but what a freak you made him into," one muttered, shaking his head as they continued observing the increasingly deranged Alex, who was now drawing imaginary diagrams of his future harem in the dirt.
They sighed in unison.
Leo stretching lazily after being fed, a smirk tugging at his lips. "What a show," he muttered. "And it's just getting started."
The chapter ends
---
Author's Note:
Loving the journey so far?
Please support with a Power Stone!
Your votes help this fanfic grow—and as a thank you, there will be bonus chapters for Power Stone milestones!
Got suggestions or wild ideas?
Drop them in the comments—I'd love to include your thoughts as we shape Gojo's path together.
Let's keep pushing forward—no regrets, just pure hype!
– azuredragonx
---