The next second, the two were separated by the recoil of the shockwave, flying backward in opposite directions.
Rin spat out a mouthful of fresh blood in mid-air, the pink light completely dissipated, the Scarlet Scale Leap's red markings also dimmed, his entire body's Cursed Energy was in disarray, and he fell heavily to the ground, sliding several meters before stopping.
He struggled to stand up but found his muscles sore and weak, without even the strength to lift his hand.
The aura around him suddenly vanished, leaving only profound exhaustion and weakness.
He lost.
Even by abandoning defense, using his strongest amplification Cursed Technique, and clashing with all his might, he still couldn't shake the status of "the strongest."
Gojo Satoru's Cursed Energy output efficiency was, after all, a chasm he currently couldn't overcome.
Gojo Satoru landed steadily, rubbed his numb arm, and looked at Rin, who was unable to get up on the ground, a relieved smile playing on his lips:
"Not bad, not bad. To force me back half a step, you've already done very well."
He walked over to Rin, bent down, and extended his hand:
"How are you? Are you alright?"
Rin looked up at his outstretched hand, his blood-red pupils showing no frustration, only a hint of relief and unwillingness.
He didn't take Gojo Satoru's hand, just shook his head, his voice hoarse:
"I lost."
"You lost, but you also won."
Gojo Satoru withdrew his hand, his tone serious:
"In this battle, you have shown potential and resilience far exceeding your peers."
The three people by the playground quickly ran over, Panda asked worriedly:
"Rin-kun, are you alright? Are you seriously hurt?"
Inumaki Toge squatted beside him, pulled out a packet of seaweed from his pocket, and handed it to him, quietly saying, "Salmon." (meaning "eat something to regain strength").
Maki Zen'in also squatted down, her tone carrying a hint of admiration:
"Your performance was outstanding."
Rin didn't respond to them, he just closed his eyes and began to circulate his remaining Cursed Energy to regulate the disordered aura within his body.
He could clearly feel Ryomen Sukuna in the Divine Tree Space stirring due to his weakness, that greedy intent almost overflowing.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the anomaly within his body. Although he lost this sparring match, he had also touched a new bottleneck and found a direction for a breakthrough.
Moreover, he still remembered that promise.
"I will fulfill the agreement."
Rin opened his eyes and looked at Gojo Satoru, his voice still hoarse but firm:
"I'll instruct them in the afternoon training."
Gojo Satoru smiled and patted his shoulder:
"That's more like it! Get some good rest first, and once you've recovered, we'll discuss the subsequent training plan."
After the battle, Rin and Gojo Satoru sat side by side on the steps by the playground, looking at the pitted field before them.
Maki, Panda, and Inumaki Toge were currently fighting the Special Grade Cursed Spirit Gargoyle, which Rin had summoned from the Divine Tree Space.
Such a luxurious condition, having a Special Grade Cursed Spirit as a sparring partner, only he could achieve in the current Jujutsu World.
Rin rubbed his still aching and numb arm, the faint golden Reverse Cursed Technique flowing beneath his skin, slowly healing the internal injuries left by the battle.
The soreness in his muscles gradually eased under the effect of the Reverse Cursed Technique, and the disordered Cursed Energy in his body slowly returned to stability.
Gojo Satoru looked at the three struggling on the playground, a satisfied smile on his lips, his tone light:
"It's great to have you join us; the students' strength will surely improve rapidly."
Rin didn't reply. After a moment of silence, he slowly said:
"Besides Inumaki, I can't help Maki and Panda much."
His gaze fell on Maki, who was skillfully dodging the Gargoyle's attacks with her excellent physical techniques, her blade striking the stone statue with a crisp sound:
"Maki has no Cursed Energy. All I can teach her are some basic combat techniques and timing, which will have limited improvement for her."
Then, his gaze shifted to Panda, whose massive body was firmly resisting the Gargoyle's charge, his fists striking the stone statue with Cursed Energy:
"Panda isn't even human; his physique and combat style are very unique. My experience and techniques aren't applicable to him. At most, I can help him find weaknesses in combat."
Gojo Satoru chuckled softly and turned to him:
"It's alright, just do your best. What about Inumaki? What are your thoughts on him?"
Rin lowered his head and thought for a few seconds, tapping his knee lightly with his fingertips, his tone serious:
"I think Inumaki relies too much on his Cursed Technique."
Gojo Satoru nodded, signaling him to continue.
"Inumaki's Cursed Speech Technique is formidable, a top-tier crowd control and attack method."
Rin's gaze fell on the edge of the battlefield, where Inumaki was seizing the opportunity, softly uttering the Cursed Speech "Fall down," causing the Gargoyle's movements to momentarily halt:
"But he doesn't have the Reverse Cursed Technique, so he can only rely on throat medicine to alleviate the backlash from Cursed Speech.
It's fine against weaker opponents, but once he encounters a powerful enemy, they won't give him a chance to take throat medicine, and might even specifically target his throat."
He paused, recalling Geto Suguru's fighting style, and added:
"Just like Geto Suguru.
Everyone thought he relied on Cursed Spirit Manipulation and that his physical combat skills must be weak, but he did the opposite, frantically training his physical skills to compensate for his shortcomings, which made him almost without weaknesses."
"If Inumaki could possess physical combat skills on par with Geto Suguru, he wouldn't have to always rely on brute force Cursed Speech, which both harms himself and easily puts him in a passive position."
Rin's tone carried a hint of affirmation:
"He could use less powerful Cursed Speech to interfere with opponents in close combat.
Cursed Speech can be activated just by speaking, leaving his hands free to combine with Cursed Tools for attacks. This fighting style would be much more flexible and would also reduce the burden on his throat."
Gojo Satoru listened, nodded in agreement, a hint of approval flashing in his clear blue Rikugan:
"You're absolutely right. Inumaki's Cursed Speech Technique has great potential, but its shortcomings are equally obvious. If he can develop in the direction you mentioned, his strength will definitely make a qualitative leap."
He turned to look at the battlefield, where Inumaki was taking advantage of the Gargoyle being restrained by Panda, quickly approaching and uttering the Cursed Speech "Slow down," while simultaneously raising his hand to precisely strike the Gargoyle's joints.
"See, he already has that awareness."
Gojo Satoru smiled and pointed:
"It's just that his physical combat skills aren't solid enough, so he doesn't dare to get too close. Next, I'll trouble you to guide his physical combat skills more and help him make up for his shortcomings."
Rin did not refuse, merely nodded slightly.
He looked at the three figures cooperating tacitly on the playground, his blood-red pupils showing not much emotion, but silently planning the subsequent training schedule in his mind.
Since he had agreed to Gojo Satoru, he would fulfill his responsibility as an instructor. Moreover, watching others grow stronger also allowed him to more clearly see his own deficiencies.
The Reverse Cursed Technique had already healed most of his injuries. Rin stood up, stretched his wrists, and walked towards the playground:
"I'll go observe their battle and give Inumaki some pointers on the details of his physical combat skills."
Gojo Satoru sat on the steps, watching his retreating figure, the smile on his lips growing more content.
He knew that although Rin appeared cold, he had his own principles. Having him help guide the students was even more reliable than doing it himself.
Sunlight spilled onto the playground, the roars of the Gargoyle, the clang of Cursed Tools, and the shouts of the three intertwined, forming a unique training symphony.
And Rin's addition was making this symphony even more passionate.