When the heavy iron doors of the training ground were pushed open, the morning sun poured through the dome's skylight, spreading a bright patch of light across the gray stone floor, illuminating even the dust motes floating in the air.
Rin stepped onto the light patch in the center of the arena, turned to face Geto Suguru and Miguel who were standing at the edge, and secretly took a deep breath.
Although he had practiced this new Cursed Technique dozens of times in the Divine Tree Space last night, his fingertips still trembled uncontrollably when he had to display it in front of others, and a thin layer of sweat even beaded on his palms.
"This Cursed Technique is related to gun bullets; its principle isn't complex, in fact, it's very simple. I've only explored three uses so far."
Rin began to explain, trying to keep his tone steady, "I've named them Revolver, Rifle, and 'tank' respectively, all named after weapons.
Although the core is all bullet-type attacks, the attack range, power, and number of shots vary greatly, so please observe carefully."
Geto Suguru and Miguel exchanged glances, both seeing anticipation in the other's eyes. The former crossed his arms, the sleeves of his black monk's robe hanging loosely, with a look of inquiry in his eyes.
The latter, on the other hand, stood with hands on his hips, his rough fingers unconsciously rubbing his cuffs, and even his breathing was lighter than usual.
Both nodded simultaneously: "We understand, feel free to demonstrate."
Rin nodded and turned to walk towards the iron puppet on the other side of the arena.
That was a Grade 1 Cursed Tool Geto Suguru had purchased from another Jujutsu organization. Its two-meter-tall body was as sturdy as a small mountain, and its one-meter-thick armor gleamed with a cold, hard metallic luster.
It had no complex functions; its only purpose was to "take a beating." Its body hardness was comparable to that of an ordinary Special Grade Cursed Spirit, and it was Rin's dedicated target for practicing his fist and foot techniques and testing his Cursed Techniques.
In previous training, the spears Rin condensed with the Silk Binding Cursed Technique and the bone blades summoned by the White Bone Cursed Technique could only leave a few shallow scratches on it, even with his full effort.
If he relied solely on Cursed Technique attacks, he couldn't even make it budge.
Martial arts, however, could cause noticeable damage; the various dents on the iron puppet's armor were all hammered out by his fists and feet repeatedly, with scorch marks from Cursed Energy impacts still remaining on the edges.
It was precisely for this reason that he so urgently desired a powerful Cursed Technique; against such high-defense targets, martial arts always had limitations, and only powerful Cursed Techniques could break the stalemate.
At this moment, Rin stopped ten meters in front of the iron puppet. The sunlight fell on him, stretching his shadow long, just reaching the iron puppet's feet.
Geto Suguru and Miguel instantly sobered their expressions, their gazes locked onto Rin. They could clearly perceive that Rin's Cursed Energy was slowly surging within him, a fluctuation entirely different from when he previously activated Cursed Spirit Manipulation—more refined and more explosive.
"I'm going to start."
As soon as Rin's words fell, he raised his hand and slowly injected Cursed Energy into his brain.
The long-dormant Cursed Technique Imprint instantly lit up, and a strange yet incredibly compatible power flowed with the Cursed Energy, surging like an electric current towards his right fingertips.
He slightly bent his fingers, shaping his right hand into the form of a handgun, his thumb resting against the base of his index finger, his fingertips steadily aimed at the iron puppet's chest.
"Revolver."
He softly uttered two words, not loud, but carrying an undeniable power.
The next second, a crisp "bang—" suddenly exploded, like the roar of a real gun.
A dazzling spark flashed from Rin's fingertip, and a black-red Cursed Energy bullet, like a projectile from a barrel, shot towards the iron puppet with a sharp whoosh.
Almost at the instant the spark extinguished, a dull thud came from the iron puppet's chest, followed by a metallic cracking sound.
When the smoke and dust cleared, Geto Suguru and Miguel simultaneously widened their eyes, their calm expressions instantly replaced by shock.
The iron puppet's chest had been forcefully pierced with a hole the size of a washbasin. The metal plates at the edge were scorched black by the Cursed Energy and were still slightly hot, with fragments scattered on the stone floor, emitting a burnt smell.
"This... this power..." Miguel unconsciously mumbled.
He involuntarily took two steps forward, his eyes filled with disbelief. Geto Suguru also dropped his previous composure, his eyebrows slightly raised, a hint of awe flashing in his eyes.
He knew very well the hardness of this iron puppet; even his Cursed Spirit Manipulation would require mobilizing a Special Grade Cursed Spirit to cause such damage, yet Rin had achieved it with just a seemingly simple "Revolver."
Rin lowered his hand, looking at the hole in the iron puppet's chest, and also breathed a sigh of relief. Last night's training in the Divine Tree Space was not in vain; the power of this Cursed Technique was even stronger than he had anticipated.
"The Cursed Energy output is terrifying! With this power, can it instantly kill a Special Grade Cursed Spirit, Geto?!"
Miguel stared at the head-sized hole in the iron puppet's chest, his voice full of amazement. He had seen many Jujutsu Sorcerers in action, but few Cursed Techniques could penetrate a defense comparable to a Special Grade Cursed Spirit's body with a single blow like this.
Geto Suguru did not immediately nod. Instead, he slowly walked to the iron puppet, squatted down, picked up a piece of metal shrapnel with scorch marks, gently rubbed the burnt traces on the edge of the shrapnel with his fingertips, and only then stood up and said:
"I wouldn't say instant kill, but it's not far off."
He paused, his tone a bit cautious.
"The hardness of this iron puppet indeed reaches Special Grade level, but it's an inanimate object and won't use Cursed Energy for defense. A true Special Grade Cursed Spirit in battle will instinctively use Cursed Energy to reinforce its body and construct defensive barriers. If Rin's 'Revolver' hits a Special Grade Cursed Spirit with defenses, the damage will be reduced, but even so, it's enough to cause severe injury. This level of Cursed Technique power far surpasses that of Jujutsu Sorcerers of the same rank."
After speaking, Geto Suguru turned and walked towards Rin, with a look of inquiry in his eyes:
"This Cursed Technique must have usage limitations, right? After all, with such power, there can't be no cost."
"There are." Rin nodded, explaining seriously:
"First, the attack range. The effective range of 'Revolver' is only ten to fifteen meters. The closer the distance, the stronger the penetration of the Cursed Energy bullet. Once it exceeds fifteen meters, the Cursed Energy bullet rapidly decays, and its power drops by more than half.
Second, the number of shots. One 'load' can fire a maximum of six times. After six shots, Cursed Energy needs to be re-mobilized and injected into the Cursed Technique Imprint, which requires about three seconds of preparation time."
"Three seconds of preparation time, six consecutive attacks, with the potential to instantly kill an undefended Special Grade within fifteen meters..."
Geto Suguru muttered the key information, unconsciously tapping his palm, his eyes gradually brightening.
"Even with these limitations, this Cursed Technique is already quite outrageous. However, to fully understand its practical combat limits, this iron puppet is no longer enough."
As soon as his words fell, Geto Suguru raised his hand to form a hand seal, and black-red Cursed Energy surged in his palm, spreading a complex Cursed Mark across the ground.
"Cursed Spirit Manipulation."
He softly uttered the Cursed Technique's name, and the Cursed Mark suddenly lit up. A powerful wave of Cursed Energy instantly swept across the entire training ground. The next second, a black mist suddenly exploded in the empty space on the other side of the arena. When the mist dispersed, a massive Cursed Spirit appeared.
The Cursed Spirit was six to seven meters tall, its dark blue-green body like hard rock, covered with a rusty ancient armor. Dark red Cursed Energy seeped from the armor's seams. Its thick limbs supported its huge body, and with every step it took on the stone floor, the ground slightly trembled.
A katana taller than a person hung at its waist. Most astonishing was its head; its long hair was disheveled like withered grass, and on its fierce face, six scarlet pupils rotated in their eye sockets, locking onto Rin. The oppressive aura it exuded was stronger than any previous Cursed Spirit.
"The Special Grade Cursed Spirit, Armored Samurai, is skilled at slashing with its katana and can also manipulate its armor to release Cursed Energy barriers. Its defense and offense are both balanced."
Geto Suguru introduced, his tone somewhat casual, as if he hadn't summoned a Special Grade Cursed Spirit capable of destroying a small town, but just an ordinary Grade 1 Cursed Spirit.
Rin looked at the Armored Samurai, his eyes slightly narrowing. The design of this Cursed Spirit somewhat resembled Uchiha Madara from Naruto, especially its domineering aura, which was particularly impressive.
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly: Geto Suguru's resources are truly vast. By his count, he had at least three Special Grade Cursed Spirits in his possession. No wonder his strength allowed him to be called "the strongest" alongside Gojo Satoru.
"Rin, now you can test your Cursed Technique with the Armored Samurai."
Geto Suguru's voice pulled Rin back to his senses:
"Don't hold back. This Cursed Spirit has strong self-healing abilities; it can recover even if severely damaged. You can try how much damage 'Revolver' can inflict when there's a defense, and you can also try the other two uses, 'Rifle' and 'tank.' I'm also very curious to see their power."
As soon as his words fell, the Armored Samurai suddenly let out a low growl, and its six pupils lit up simultaneously; it had received Geto Suguru's command.
Rin took a deep breath, slowly raised his right hand, and once again injected Cursed Energy into the Cursed Technique Imprint in his brain.
This time, there was no previous tension in his eyes, only anticipation for the power of the new Cursed Technique. Facing a true Special Grade Cursed Spirit, how much power could this "Gun Bullet Cursed Technique" truly unleash?