Following Rin's mental command, the Cursed Energy within his body suddenly accelerated its flow, and the Cursed Technique engraved in his brain glowed with an even more dazzling light.
In the next second, the rapid "da-da-da-da—" of dense gunfire instantly echoed through the training ground. It was more hurried and continuous than the "Revolver," sounding like a torrential rain pouring onto metal, making the very air tremble slightly.
Bright flashes of fire flickered and erupted from the tips of Rin's right fingers. One black-red Cursed Energy bullet after another poured out like a barrage, densely raining down upon the Cursed Spirit.
Every Cursed Energy bullet struck the target with precision. A series of blood blossoms instantly exploded across the Cursed Spirit's dark-green body, with fragments of armor and flesh splattering, creating a mess across the stone ground.
Ten seconds later, Rin abruptly withdrew his power. The fire at his fingertips vanished, and the dense gunfire ceased along with it.
He lowered his arm, his wrist feeling slightly sore. Maintaining high-intensity Cursed Energy output for ten consecutive seconds consumed more Cursed Energy control than he had imagined.
As for the Cursed Spirit, it no longer possessed its previous intimidating appearance. Its massive body was riddled with holes, each the size of an egg, making it look like a sieve. Even the armor covering it was pitted and battered, with many parts pierced through, revealing the churning flesh within.
Even more startling was that most of these holes went straight through the body; one could clearly see the scene behind it from the front. Had it been a smaller Cursed Spirit, it likely would have been shredded into mincemeat by this barrage.
Geto Suguru stepped forward, circling the Cursed Spirit to examine the wounds closely. He even lightly touched the edge of one hole with his finger, sensing the residual fluctuations of Cursed Energy.
After a moment, he straightened up and turned to Rin, unable to help but praise: "Impressive! In just ten short seconds, you fired at least over a hundred Cursed Energy bullets. That calculates to a rate of ten rounds per second. This suppression power is terrifying!"
He paused, his tone full of recognition:
"While the individual power is significantly weaker than the 'Revolver,' the attack distance and speed are several hundred times greater. In actual combat, when facing a siege of numerous low-level Cursed Spirits or needing to remotely pin down a Special Grade Cursed Spirit's movements, the 'Rifle' is even more useful than the 'Revolver.' A dense barrage can not only cause sustained damage but also disrupt the opponent's rhythm, creating offensive opportunities for yourself."
Miguel, standing to the side, was also dumbstruck. He walked forward, looking at the dense holes in the Cursed Spirit, and clicked his tongue: "If this hit a person, even a Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer wouldn't last two seconds... Rin, this Cursed Technique of yours is practically designed for the battlefield!"
Rin rubbed his slightly sore wrist, now having a clear idea of the Rifle's practical effects. Just as Geto Suguru said, it might not be able to heavily wound a Special Grade Cursed Spirit with one hit like the Revolver, but in scenarios involving suppression, containment, or clearing a field, it was an absolutely irreplaceable tool.
"It's alright, it's alright..." Rin laughed it off, his tone carrying a hint of weakness. "Actually, the consumption of the Rifle isn't less than the Revolver; it's even slightly more. To demonstrate the 'Tank,' I'll need to rest for a bit to gather enough Cursed Energy."
Just as he said this, Geto Suguru followed up by asking:
"Rin, is the principle of your next technique, 'Tank,' similar to the 'Revolver' and 'Rifle'? Are they all projectile-based attacks?"
"The general logic is the same, but the 'Tank' has an added explosion effect, and its power is the greatest among these three weapons."
Rin nodded, recalling the scene when he tested it in the Divine Tree Space last night. A hint of anticipation flickered in his eyes. Back then, he had only charged it roughly and it had blasted through the outer roots of the Divine Tree. If he launched it with full power, the lethality would likely reach another level.
"Oh?" Geto Suguru raised an eyebrow, his interest growing. "Then we'll wait for you to rest up before continuing the experiment."
Hearing this, Rin pointed quietly at the Cursed Spirit nearby, feeling a bit between laughter and tears:
"Uh... Teacher, are you sure you want to keep using this Cursed Spirit as a target? Look at it; it seems a bit unhappy."
The two followed his gaze and indeed saw that the Cursed Spirit no longer had its previous fierce demeanor. Although its wounds had healed through Cursed Energy, its armor was pitted and battered, with rusty plates hanging crookedly on its body, looking exactly like a defeated soldier who had just escaped the battlefield.
Its six crimson pupils stared fixedly at Rin, its gaze full of resentment. Though it couldn't speak, it clearly conveyed the emotion of "I am very displeased," making Rin feel a bit embarrassed.
One must know that Special Grade Cursed Spirits all possess significant intelligence. This Cursed Spirit, having been tamed by Geto Suguru, had an IQ far exceeding ordinary Cursed Spirits. Naturally, it held a grudge against Rin for turning it into a sieve.
Geto Suguru also noticed the Cursed Spirit's resentment and smiled helplessly, raising his hand to form Finger Seals:
"Fine, let's change targets." Along with a fluctuation of Cursed Energy, the Cursed Spirit turned into a cloud of black mist and was withdrawn. In the next second, another, heavier surge of Cursed Energy exploded in the center of the field, and a tall, humanoid Cursed Spirit slowly manifested.
This Cursed Spirit was about five or six meters tall, shaped like a pot-bellied monk. Its bare upper body was covered in knotted muscles, and it wore only dark trousers. Around its neck hung a string of prayer beads larger than fists, with blurred cursed seals carved on each bead.
The most peculiar feature was its head, which had only a single, massive eye embedded in the center of its forehead. The eyeball was a murky yellow, slowly rotating as it scanned the area. It did not stand on the ground but floated cross-legged in mid-air. The Cursed Energy fluctuations it emitted were steady and heavy, even stronger than those of the previous Cursed Spirit.
"Special Grade Cursed Spirit, One-Eyed Monk. We'll use him to test the power of the 'Tank'," Geto Suguru introduced.
Looking at the One-Eyed Monk, Rin felt a sense of familiarity. He had seen this Cursed Spirit in the anime before; Geto Suguru had used it against Toji Fushiguro during the Hidden Inventory Arc. He hadn't expected to see the real thing in person.
He silently calculated: Among Geto Suguru's known Special Grade Cursed Spirits, including the Cursed Spirit from before and the One-Eyed Monk, plus the legendary Imaginary Vengeful Spirit Tamamo-no-Mae, he had at least three. This foundation was indeed substantial.
Fortunately, Rin's Cursed Energy recovery speed far exceeded that of ordinary people. This was likely one of the talents that came with his transmigration.
In just over ten minutes, he felt about seventy to eighty percent of his Cursed Energy had recovered, and his complexion had reddened slightly.
"I can start now."
Rin stood up, walked to a spot twenty meters in front of the One-Eyed Monk, and turned to Geto Suguru. "Teacher, have it prepare its defenses. The power of the 'Tank' is much greater than the previous two techniques. Don't let it get accidentally injured."
Geto Suguru nodded and tilted his chin toward the One-Eyed Monk.
The Cursed Spirit immediately understood. Its floating body sank slightly, its hands crossed in front of its chest, and the Cursed Energy around it surged frantically, condensing into a thick black-yellow shield on its surface. Even the single eye on its forehead was covered by Cursed Energy; it was clearly using its full power to defend.
To the side, Geto Suguru and Miguel kept their eyes locked onto Rin, fearing they would miss a single detail. The former had his arms crossed with an inquisitive look, while the latter clenched his fists, even softening his breathing.
Rin took a deep breath and slowly raised his right arm, clenching his hand into a fist. His left hand gripped his right forearm tightly, as if stabilizing his posture for power output.
With a thought, the Cursed Technique engraving in his brain suddenly lit up. The Cursed Energy in his body surged toward his right hand like a tide. A terrifying pressure slowly gathered on his fist, making even the surrounding air appear distorted. The dust on the stone ground slowly gathered toward his right hand following the flow of Cursed Energy.
The charging lasted for about ten seconds. Rin could clearly feel his right hand was about to succumb to the pressure of the Cursed Energy. He immediately parted his lips and uttered two words: "Tank."
In the next second, "BOOM—!"
A dull roar, like a cannon shell leaving a barrel, exploded in the training ground. It was more shocking than the crisp crack of the Revolver or the continuous fire of the Rifle; even the ground shook violently.
A black-red Cursed Energy bullet, several times thicker than before, launched from Rin's fist. With a sharp whistling sound, it instantly crashed into the One-Eyed Monk's defensive shield.
Fire erupted in front of the Cursed Spirit's chest. The blinding light caused both Geto Suguru and Miguel to subconsciously squint. Dense smoke instantly enveloped the One-Eyed Monk's figure, even temporarily masking its presence.
After launching the "Tank," Rin felt the Cursed Energy in his body instantly drained dry. His legs buckled, and he nearly fell, only managing to steady himself by grabbing the nearby railing. The Cursed Energy he had just recovered had been completely consumed by this single strike.
As the smoke gradually cleared, the miserable state of the One-Eyed Monk was revealed to everyone.
The two arms it had crossed in front of its chest had disappeared, leaving only bare shoulders. The stumps were a bloody mess, with black-yellow Cursed Energy still writhing in a futile attempt to repair the wounds. The shield on its chest had long since shattered, and a massive wound stretched from its left shoulder to its lower abdomen. Though it hadn't pierced through the body, it was deep enough to see bone, with dark purple blood gurgling from the gash.
It lost its balance and slammed heavily into the wall at the edge of the training ground, letting out a pained wail. Its single eye also lost its previous luster, turning dim and lifeless.
The power of this strike far exceeded the sum of the Revolver and the Rifle.
Geto Suguru and Miguel watched, dumbfounded. It took a long while for them to snap out of it and marvel at the sight.
"I thought the power of the Revolver was ridiculous enough, but I didn't expect the 'Tank' to be the real killing move."
Miguel smacked his lips, his tone full of amazement.
Geto Suguru walked forward, raising his hand to withdraw the weakened One-Eyed Monk. He turned to look at Rin, who was being helped into a seat by Miguel, his tone carrying a sense of understanding:
"The 'Tank' requires charging and consumes a massive amount of Cursed Energy. Being able to produce such power is a reasonable trade-off."
Rin leaned against the railing, panting heavily as he explained:
"Yes, the longer the 'Tank' charges, the more compressed the Cursed Energy is, and the greater the power. I only charged for ten seconds just now. If I could charge for a bit longer, the power might even double. Furthermore, its attack range is the longest; the longer the charge, the further the range can extend. I haven't tested exactly how far it can go yet."
Geto Suguru nodded, a flash of admiration in his eyes:
"Despite the high consumption and the need for charging, the 'Tank's' power is enough to break through the defenses of most Special Grade Cursed Spirits. It can be considered a top-tier single-target burst technique."
"What you need to do next is follow Miguel and learn Cursed Energy control to reduce the waste of energy in your technique. Once you can precisely control your Cursed Energy, the charging time for the 'Tank' might shorten, and the consumption could decrease. Only then will this technique be truly mature."
Rin nodded heavily. With this technique and by shoring up his weaknesses, his confidence in the Jujutsu World had grown significantly.