The Cursed Spirit's wings sliced through the clouds, bringing a cool breeze.
This pitch-black flying Cursed Spirit unfolded wings nearly ten meters wide, steadily carrying Rin and Maki through the air, as the city below gradually shrank into blurry patches of color.
The city in the distance was shrouded in a thin mist. That was the location of the Special Grade Cursed Spirit mission, and a dense wave of Cursed Energy was continuously emanating from the depths of the city.
Rin sat on the Cursed Spirit's back, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the Cursed Spirit's rough skin.
Originally, upon learning that his opponent was a Special Grade Cursed Spirit, a hint of excitement, barely noticeable, lurked in his eyes—he would meet a new "toy" and verify his strength in battle.
But now, his expression was somewhat complicated, his lips tight, his gaze occasionally drifting toward Maki beside him, carrying an unspeakable sense of helplessness.
"Rin, did you even listen to what I was telling you?"
Maki's voice broke the silence.
She sat sideways on the Cursed Spirit, one hand gripping the Cursed Spirit's dorsal fin, the other gently tapping Rin's arm, her eyes filled with seriousness:
"I'm not joking with you. As long as you're willing, everyone at Jujutsu High can become your friend.
Panda might seem carefree and clumsy, but he's actually very thoughtful.
Inumaki doesn't talk much, but he quietly remembers everyone's preferences. Teacher Gojo loves to tease people, but he never lets us suffer injustice..."
She chattered on, her tone filled with genuine expectation:
"You don't have to keep yourself locked away, and you don't have to feel like loneliness is inevitable.
When I was little, I also thought no one would accept me because I lacked Cursed Energy. But later, I realized that what's truly important isn't power—it's having people willing to walk beside you.
You just lack a little courage, the courage to take that first step."
Rin didn't speak. He only turned his head to look at the distant mountains, where the Cursed Energy fluctuations were becoming clearer, carrying a heart-stopping sense of pressure.
But his ears were dominated by another voice: Sukuna's cursing.
"What an idiot!"
Sukuna's voice, filled with undisguised contempt, exploded in Rin's mind:
"Does she really think a person can't live without friends and family? Only the weak treat 'comrades' as a lifeline! Are you really going to believe in this cheap warmth?"
Sukuna's tone was full of disdain, as if Maki's sincerity was a ridiculous joke in his eyes:
"You are different from her, Rin.
You are fundamentally like me—you don't need these boring emotional ties. Fighting, getting stronger, defeating all opponents—that is what you should pursue! Don't let this kid's foolish words influence you!"
Rin neither refuted Sukuna nor responded to Maki.
He just quietly looked at the girl beside him, watching the sincere light flickering in her eyes. His heart felt as if something had gently nudged it, yet it was quickly wrapped again in a layer of cold shell.
He thought of Suguru Geto's corpse, Kenjaku's familiar yet strange face, and Sukuna saying, "Countless people will die because of you in the future."
Those memories he had deliberately ignored resurfaced through Maki's words.
"I know what you're thinking."
Maki seemed to see through his silence, and her voice softened:
"Do you feel like you'll bring trouble to the people around you? Or do you feel that once you open your heart, you'll lose them again?"
Rin's body paused slightly, and the movement of his fingertips stopped.
"I used to think that too."
Maki smiled, her eyes showing relief:
"I was afraid my efforts wouldn't keep up with everyone else, afraid I'd hold them back, afraid they'd realize I wasn't that strong.
But later I understood that true friends won't leave you because of your weaknesses; instead, they'll help you get stronger together.
You don't have to shoulder everything alone, and you don't have to think that 'not caring' equals strength. Sometimes, admitting you need others requires even more courage."
The Cursed Spirit's wings suddenly fluttered, and it slowly lowered its altitude. They were getting closer to their destination.
A dense aura of Cursed Energy rushed toward them, carrying the scent of blood. Clearly, the Special Grade Cursed Spirit had already detected their arrival.
Rin finally withdrew his gaze and looked at Maki.
His expression remained unchanged, but his voice was cold:
"We're almost at the mission site. Focus."
This was his only response, neither an agreement nor a refusal.
Maki looked at his profile, knowing he hadn't accepted immediately, but at least he hadn't simply turned away like before.
She nodded lightly and tightened her grip on the long sword at her waist:
"Don't worry, I won't hold you back this time! I've been training extra hard lately. I can help deal with the Special Grade Cursed Spirit too!"
Rin didn't reply, he just raised his hand and gathered Cursed Energy.
Scarlet Cursed Energy flickered in his palm, reflecting the shadow of the distant stadium and the complex emotions in his eyes: the coldness brought by Sukuna, and the faint warmth brought by Maki.
Sukuna's voice still echoed in his mind, filled with dissatisfaction:
"Don't pretend you didn't hear me! If you dare to believe that nonsense, you'll fall because of it sooner or later!"
Rin still ignored him.
He knew Sukuna wasn't wrong, and he knew he shouldn't be affected by Maki's words. But looking at the girl's determined back beside him, a sliver of hesitation appeared in his heart for the first time.
Perhaps Sukuna's "don't need it" wasn't the only answer?
The Cursed Spirit's wings traced an arc in the air, landing steadily on the stadium's soccer field.
The moment they landed, a strange aura mixed with blood and frenzy rushed toward them, making Rin frown deeply. Maki instinctively tightened her grip on her long sword, her eyes instantly becoming vigilant.
This was an open-air stadium. The stands were packed with spectators, dense crowds covering the entire seating area. What should have been an atmosphere of cheering and shouting now exuded a chilling frenzy.
Everyone craned their necks, staring intently at the center of the soccer field, letting out excited roars, as if watching a grand performance.
And the center of the soccer field was the core of this "performance."
A scarlet figure stood in the middle of the field, his posture straight as a javelin.
He was dressed in Spanish Matador attire, a black top hat tilted on his head. His visible profile had rigid lines. In one hand, he held a scarlet silk cloth, and in the other, a narrow silver long sword, its blade still stained with wet blood.
That was a humanoid Special Grade Cursed Spirit. Beneath its entirely scarlet skin, Cursed Energy flowed slowly like magma, radiating a heart-stopping pressure.
Opposite him stood a blood-soaked soccer player.
The athlete's uniform was already soaked through with blood, and his face was covered in hideous wounds, but his eyes were unfocused, containing only a manipulated frenzy.
Clenching a deformed soccer ball, he charged toward the Cursed Spirit repeatedly. Each step left a muddy streak of blood on the scarlet turf.
Rin's pupils contracted slightly. He could clearly see that this athlete was an ordinary person, yet he could see the Cursed Spirit and was forcibly dragged into this "bullfight." Clearly, the Cursed Spirit's Cursed Technique had influenced him.
"Hah!"
The athlete let out a hoarse roar and charged toward the Cursed Spirit again.
Just as he was about to pounce on the Cursed Spirit, the Cursed Spirit suddenly waved the red cloth in its hand.
The scarlet silk cloth traced an elegant arc in the air, and the Cursed Spirit's body instantly vanished beneath the red cloth, as if merging into a shadow.
The athlete missed, colliding headfirst with the red cloth, staggering back several steps.
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