The car drove smoothly on the way back to the city, the compartment silent.
Rin leaned against the car window, watching the scenery rapidly receding outside, and involuntarily recalled the conversation he had with Gojo Satoru a few days prior.
"Why did you send Maki with me?"
At the time, he frowned, his tone clearly showing resistance:
"I can complete the mission alone; she'll only distract me."
Gojo Satoru sat behind his desk, his usual flamboyance gone, replaced by a more serious demeanor:
"I know your strength; you're absolutely safe executing missions alone."
He paused, looking directly at Rin:
"But Rin, you need to understand, Tokyo Jujutsu High is completely different from the Star Plasma Cult. You call the shots at the Star Plasma Cult, but Tokyo Jujutsu High has rules, and things that need to be protected."
"I'm not worried about your ability, but your state of mind."
Gojo Satoru's voice softened:
"You carry too much inside you—the obsession with getting stronger, the anxiety about crises—these could all lead you to make extreme decisions. I can only be more at ease with Maki by your side."
At the time, Rin only felt impatient, thinking Gojo Satoru was meddling.
But now, remembering the handgun the woman hid behind her back in the abandoned building, and Maki's unsuspecting approach, his fingertips twitched slightly.
If he hadn't reacted fast enough, if Maki had truly been shot then… Rin's eyes darkened.
Maki, sitting beside him, seemed to sense his emotional fluctuation and glanced at him sideways.
The shock and confusion from the building earlier had now subsided, leaving only a hint of complexity.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately it just became a soft sigh.
She finally understood that Gojo Satoru sending her wasn't just to "supervise" Rin, but more to act as a buffer between him and the "rules" at certain moments, and even… to help him avoid some unexpected situations in places he didn't consider.
Rin might not care about rules, but he had inadvertently protected her.
And her presence, perhaps subtly, kept Rin from completely veering off track.
"That woman… thank you."
Maki hesitated for a long time before finally speaking in a low voice.
Rin didn't turn his head, merely gave a faint "mm," his voice almost inaudible.
Silence fell upon the car compartment once more, but this time, the quiet held no previous alienation or distance; instead, it carried a hint of unspoken understanding.
Maki looked at Rin's profile; the boy's features were stark, and his blood-red pupils still showed no emotion, yet she inexplicably felt that this "Cursed Killer" who always preferred to be alone wasn't as ruthless as rumored.
Meanwhile, Gojo Satoru's words still echoed in Rin's mind.
He might still disagree with the so-called "rules," but he had to admit that Maki's presence didn't seem as "distracting" as he had imagined.
The car drove smoothly on the way back to the city, the silence in the compartment still carrying a subtle understanding.
Suddenly, an urgent text message ringtone broke the calm.
The Jujutsu High Assistant in the driver's seat quickly picked up his phone, and the moment he saw the message content, his previously relaxed expression instantly tensed, his grip on the steering wheel unconsciously tightening.
The next second, he slammed on the brakes, and the car came to a steady stop at the side of the road.
Rin immediately sensed something was wrong, his blood-red pupils narrowing slightly as he looked at the assistant:
"What's wrong?"
"It's bad!"
The assistant spoke rapidly, his tone anxious:
"A Special Grade Cursed Spirit has suddenly been detected in a subway station not far from us! Gojo Satoru just sent a message, telling us to rush over immediately to provide support!"
The moment the words "Special Grade Cursed Spirit" fell, Rin instantly pushed open the car door, Cursed Energy surging around him.
He raised his hand and waved, and a pale purple Cursed Energy pattern unfolded on the ground, a large, winged Cursed Spirit appearing in response.
It was the substitute Cursed Spirit he used for rapid movement.
"I'm going first."
Rin leaped onto the Cursed Spirit's back, his tone urgent but firm.
The long-awaited Special Grade Cursed Spirit had finally appeared; he had no hesitation, only wanting to rush to the battlefield immediately.
"Wait for me!"
Maki's voice suddenly came.
She quickly pushed open the car door, rushed to the Cursed Spirit with her long sword, her eyes firm:
"I'll go with you."
Rin looked down at her, a flicker of hesitation in his blood-red pupils.
The danger of a Special Grade Cursed Spirit far exceeded that of an ordinary Cursed Spirit; Maki had no Cursed Energy, and even with her superb physical combat skills, she could be in danger.
But he remembered the scene in the abandoned building, Gojo Satoru's instructions, and that unspoken understanding from earlier.
His hesitation lasted only a second before he moved aside, making space:
"Get on."
Maki leaped onto the Cursed Spirit's back without hesitation, standing steadily beside Rin, gripping her long sword tightly:
"Be careful, Special Grade Cursed Spirits are not easy to deal with."
Rin acknowledged, patting the Cursed Spirit's neck:
"Let's go, fastest speed."
The Cursed Spirit let out a low growl, spread its massive wings, and shot into the sky, speeding towards the subway station.
Strong currents of air whipped through their hair, the ground scenery rapidly receding, and the distant city skyline becoming clearer.
Rin stood at the front, his blood-red pupils fixed on the direction of the subway station, the battle intent around him almost solidifying.
Two months of waiting, countless ordinary missions, and finally, the opportunity to fight a Special Grade Cursed Spirit had arrived.
This time, he would go all out and break through his limits.
Maki stood behind him, her gaze vigilantly observing their surroundings, while also feeling the surging Cursed Energy from Rin.
She knew she might not be able to help much, but at least she couldn't be a hindrance.
If they encountered danger, she could also use her physical combat skills to restrain it, creating attack opportunities for Rin.
"There are many ordinary people in the subway station; we need to get there quickly to avoid casualties."
Maki said loudly, the wind obscuring some of her voice.
Rin nodded, his eyes growing sharper:
"I know."
He could imagine the chaotic scene in the subway station; the appearance of a Special Grade Cursed Spirit would inevitably cause panic.
They had to subdue it before it caused large-scale casualties.
Meanwhile, in the Divine Tree Space, Sukuna felt the presence of the Special Grade Cursed Spirit, a hint of fanaticism flashing in his vertical pupils:
"Finally! Rin, don't disappoint me; fight well and let me see your progress during this time!"
Rin ignored Sukuna's taunts, only urging the Cursed Spirit to speed up.
The distant subway station was already close, vaguely showing figures of people running in panic, and the towering, destructive Cursed Energy rising into the sky.
Another newly born Special Grade Cursed Spirit, and it had already manifested its Domain!
As soon as Rin landed, he was enveloped by a powerful Cursed Energy pressure.
Deep within the subway station, a massive Domain had already formed; though its outline was blurry and its aura unstable, clearly not yet fully mature, it still exuded a powerful deterrent.
The space within the Domain was subtly distorted, the screams of ordinary people and the sound of collapsing buildings isolated by the Domain, leaving only a muffled roar, as if the entire subway station was under the Cursed Spirit's control.
"Hold on tight!"
Rin grabbed Maki's wrist with his backhand, his tone urgent but steady.
Maki instinctively tightened her grip on his hand, feeling a surge of strength as Rin pulled her forward.
The two bypassed the panicked crowds, moving against the flow of people, rushing quickly towards the lower levels of the subway station.
The oppressive feeling of the Domain grew stronger, making Maki's breathing somewhat difficult; even without Cursed Energy, she could clearly feel that fear originating from the soul.
But she didn't retreat, gripping her long sword and tightly following Rin's steps.
Rin's blood-red pupils spun rapidly, his Sharingan: Insight fully activated, attempting to penetrate the Domain's interference and pinpoint the Cursed Spirit's location.
Although the incomplete Domain had limited power, it could distort perception and interfere with judgment, adding considerable difficulty to the battle.
"The Domain isn't stable yet; this is our chance!"
Rin shouted, simultaneously pushing the reinforcement of Crimson Blood Manipulation Technique: Scarlet Scale Leap to its extreme, increasing his speed once more, carrying Maki as he leaped over a collapsed railing.
The platform below was already a mess, with trains derailed and overturned, carriages deformed, and many passengers trapped inside, letting out desperate cries for help.
The newly born Special Grade Cursed Spirit was coiled in the center of the platform; it was entirely black, like a mass of shadow, strangely shaped, its body constantly changing, covered in thick tentacles.
The most bizarre thing was that its body was connected to the shadows of the surrounding people, and the Domain's Cursed Energy was continuously emanating from within it.
"Save people first!" Maki couldn't help but exclaim, looking at the trapped passengers.
But the next second, just as Rin was about to act, the Cursed Spirit looked back at Rin.
It then transformed into a mass of black shadow and disappeared by following a man's shadow.
Subsequently, the Domain surrounding it suddenly condensed, finally forming a complete Domain.
Directly isolating Rin and Maki outside.
....
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