Panda thought for a moment, felt it made sense, and clenched its fists again, preparing to launch the next round of attacks.
The trio's coordination was becoming increasingly seamless.
Panda used its body to bear the brunt of "Rin's" movements, Maki seized the opportunity to slash with her cursed tool katana, and Inumaki used Cursed Speech from time to time to restrict "Rin's" actions.
For a moment, they actually managed to suppress "Rin" so completely that it had no room to fight back, unable to even stand up.
Yet, they failed to notice that the "Rin" they were attacking had not released even a shred of decent Cursed Energy from the very beginning.
Even when sent flying, it didn't look disheveled in the slightest; instead, it exuded a strange sense of "cooperation".
On the battlefield, the three were still fighting the air.
Panda's fists smashed into empty space time and again, yet in its eyes, every punch landed "solidly" on Rin.
Maki's cursed tool katana clearly only sliced through air, yet she seemed to see the hem of "Rin's" clothes being cut, revealing an opening.
Inumaki's Cursed Speech was released against the void, but the "Rin" in his eyes was obediently bound by the Cursed Speech, unable to even move.
Their eyes were filled with the desire for imminent victory.
Panda's ears perked up slightly, and a simple, honest smile played on its lips.
Maki's gaze was sharp, her breathing slightly rapid, enjoying the sense of achievement from "suppressing a Special Grade".
Even the usually reserved Inumaki had a glint in his eyes; he tightened his grip on his Cursed Speech scroll, preparing to unleash an even stronger Cursed Speech to completely "end the battle".
Yet, this absurd scene appeared exceptionally comical to any bystander.
Gojo Satoru, standing by the fence, had long since covered his forehead, his black blindfold slipped halfway down, revealing his azure Rikugan / Six Eyes, his tone filled with helplessness:
"Three idiots... does not a single one of you feel like something is wrong? The one opposite you is a Special Grade!"
Gojo Satoru sighed, his tone a mix of amusement and frustration:
"Alright, this is my fault. I should have told you earlier that Rin's Cursed Technique hides an illusion."
He had originally intended for them to get familiar with each other through sparring, but he hadn't expected Rin to simply "toy" with them using illusions. Forget about training results—the three of them probably hadn't even realized how thoroughly they had lost.
He glanced at Gojo Satoru, unable to help but lament inwardly.
This guy was truly unreliable outside of combat; he hadn't even told his students basic intelligence like "the opponent can use illusions".
"There's no point in saying these things now."
Rin's gaze fell on Gojo Satoru, and a glimmer of clear anticipation finally flashed across his blood-red pupils:
"Why don't we have a match?"
"Oh?"
Gojo Satoru was instantly intrigued, a flamboyant smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he rocked back and forth with his hands in his pockets:
"Are you sure? If you and I go all out, I'm afraid this training ground will be demolished."
"Of course, we won't go all out."
Rin proposed, his tone serious, "We can set some rules.
No direct attacks with Cursed Technique, and no using Cursed Technique to escape, but we can imbue Cursed Technique into taijutsu to enhance combat power.
This way, we can determine a winner without causing large-scale destruction."
Gojo Satoru raised an eyebrow and nodded:
"Interesting, this rule is quite novel."
"There is one more condition."
Rin added, looking Gojo Satoru straight in the eye, without the slightest concession:
"You are not allowed to use Limitless for defense; otherwise, this sparring session is completely meaningless."
This remark was clearly aimed at Gojo Satoru's core Cursed Technique.
Gojo Satoru grinned, intentionally drawing out his tone:
"That seems a bit unfair to me, doesn't it? Limitless is my signature, after all. What's the difference between this condition and making me fight with one hand tied behind my back?"
Rin fell silent.
He knew Gojo Satoru was right; Limitless was part of the "the strongest" strength, and such a restriction was indeed harsh.
But he wanted to know so badly just how strong Gojo Satoru's taijutsu was when stripped of absolute defense; this was his best chance to get closer to "the strongest".
Just as Rin was about to relent, Gojo Satoru suddenly changed the subject, his smile full of cunning:
"However, I can agree to it.
But as a price, you also have to agree to one thing: if I win, you have to be responsible for guiding the training of Maki, Inumaki, and Panda this afternoon. How about it?"
"Deal."
Rin agreed almost without hesitation.
For him, as long as he could exchange blows with Gojo Satoru, this little "price" was nothing at all. He had even begun to mobilize the Cursed Energy in his body, condensing it into his limbs, and the calm in his eyes was completely replaced by fighting spirit.
He wanted so badly to experience the true strength of "the strongest" once more.
Gojo Satoru watched the undisguised fighting spirit in his eyes and smiled even more happily:
"Straightforward! Then we'll stop at a point, don't get too heated up, okay~"
Just then, Rin on the other side of the training ground gently raised his right hand and flicked his fingertips slightly.
"Snap!"
A crisp snapping sound echoed across the empty training ground, like a pebble breaking the barrier of an illusion.
The pale purple residual Cursed Energy instantly faded away like a receding tide, and the "Rin" before the three suddenly vanished.
The "suppressed" opponent was gone, leaving only the empty ground, their own fists hanging in mid-air, a sword slashed halfway, and Cursed Speech stopped at their throats.
The three woke up with a jolt, their expressions instantly shifting from "desire for victory" to shock.
Panda's fist froze in mid-air, its mind going blank as it looked at the empty space before it:
"Eh? Where did Rin go? He was just here..."
It subconsciously looked down at its own fist, then at the ground that didn't even have a footprint, only then realizing belatedly that it had seemingly been punching the air the whole time.
Maki's hand holding the sword trembled slightly, the smugness on her face fading instantly, replaced by disbelief.
She suddenly turned to look at the other side of the training ground; Rin was standing there, watching them completely unscathed, without even a trace of a struggle on him.
"Illusion... was it an illusion the whole time?"
Her voice was stiff, and thinking of how she had just been slashing at the air, her cheeks flushed bright red instantly.
Inumaki backed up two steps, his eyes full of embarrassment, and whispered a soft "Bonito flakes" (meaning "How embarrassing").
He lowered his head to look at his Cursed Speech scroll, recalling the scene where he had shouted "Don't move" at the void, and wished he could bury his face in his collar. This was probably the most embarrassing time since he started using Cursed Speech.
"Finally awake?"
Gojo Satoru's voice carried a teasing tone as he walked over to the three and patted Panda on the shoulder:
"How is it? The taste of an illusion isn't pleasant, is it?"
Panda scratched its head, smiling honestly, its tone full of embarrassment:
"I didn't expect Rin's illusion to be so powerful... we didn't notice it at all."
Maki took a deep breath, suppressing the embarrassment in her heart, and looked in Rin's direction, her gaze becoming more serious:
"It was our carelessness, we underestimated the strength of a Special Grade."
"Alright, clear the training ground. I'll spar with Rin next."
Gojo Satoru suddenly stepped forward, waved his hand, his tone full of confidence, instantly attracting everyone's attention.
He removed his black blindfold, his azure Rikugan / Six Eyes shining sharply under the sunlight, and the Cursed Energy that had dissipated around him re-condensed.
Yet, he deliberately kept it within the range of "tai-jutsu augmentation," without a trace of leaking pressure. Clearly, he couldn't wait to start this special sparring session.