Jogo's voice was extremely low, like magma churning underground, carrying a chilling, sinister cold.
He took a step forward, the Cursed Energy around him surging even more violently, tiny cracks appearing on the wooden floor beneath his feet, and the scorching aura made the surrounding air viscous.
Kenjaku, however, merely smiled faintly, casually brushing the creases on his suit cuff, his tone completely unperturbed:
"I'm not underestimating you; I'm merely stating facts."
"Stating facts?"
Jogo clenched his fists abruptly, the flames in his palms almost breaking free of his control:
"He's just a human who only recently awakened! Even if he absorbed the power of two Special Grade Cursed Spirits, how strong could he possibly be?!"
What he couldn't stand the most was this feeling of being belittled.
As a Special Grade Cursed Spirit, he was accustomed to overwhelming power, to humans trembling before him. Now, to be told by Kenjaku that he "doesn't even have the qualifications to contend"—this humiliation completely made him lose his reason.
"Shut up!"
Jogo roared, no longer willing to hear another word from Kenjaku:
"He's just a kid who hasn't even grown all his hair yet; you don't need to set traps! I'll bring back his corpse myself and show you who truly has the right to talk about 'contending'!"
With those words, Jogo turned and strode towards the villa's main door, his steps hurried and heavy, the Cursed Energy around him almost scorching the door frame into deformation.
He didn't look back, nor did he heed the gazes of Hanami and Dagon behind him; his mind was entirely focused on tearing Rin apart with his own hands to prove his strength.
Kenjaku sat on the sofa, not even lifting an eyelid, as if Jogo's rage and departure had nothing to do with him.
It wasn't until Jogo's figure disappeared outside the door that he slowly spoke, his voice as light as a breeze:
"Remember to be careful."
The words sounded like concern, but his eyes held a trace of imperceptible calculation.
He raised his eyes and gave a subtle look to Earth Fiend, who was lying in the center of the living room, his pupils slightly constricted, and he gently tapped the ground with his finger.
Earth Fiend immediately understood Kenjaku's meaning.
His massive body slowly rose, his heavy feet treading the ground without making a sound.
A flicker of understanding passed through his murky eyes, then he silently followed in the direction Jogo had left. His enormous figure quickly disappeared outside the door, leaving only a faint, earthy yellow Cursed Energy trace.
Hanami watched the direction Earth Fiend departed, her vine-like fingers gently tapping the window frame, her voice carrying a hint of doubt:
"You anticipated he would act on his own?"
"Otherwise?"
Kenjaku finally looked up, a meaningful smile playing on his lips:
"Jogo's arrogance was always part of the plan. He wants to prove himself, so let him go."
He paused, his gaze falling on Rin's marked location on the map, his eyes sharpening:
"With Earth Fiend following, it can prevent him from being killed by Rin and also seize the opportunity to test Rin's true strength. Two birds with one stone, why not?"
Silence returned to the villa, broken only by the faint sound of Kenjaku's fingertip tracing the map.
He looked at Rin's marker, his smile deepening. Jogo's unauthorized action hadn't disrupted his plan; instead, it brought him one step closer to his goal of seizing Rin's body.
Meanwhile, outside the villa, Jogo was speeding towards the area where Rin might appear, filled with rage, completely unaware that he had already become a chess piece on Kenjaku's board.
Behind him, Earth Fiend followed silently like a shadow, awaiting the optimal moment to strike.
A hunt centered around Rin quietly began, unnoticed by anyone.
The mountain road wound and twisted, like a grey ribbon, entwined among the continuous green mountains.
Outside the car window, passing vehicles were sparse; only the rustling of wind through the trees and the faint hum of the car engine formed the main melody of this area.
Rin sat in the passenger seat, leaning slightly against the window, his gaze calmly watching the rapidly receding trees outside.
He didn't speak, a faint sense of detachment emanating from him, keeping the Jujutsu High Assistant in the driver's seat constantly on edge.
This was the assistant's first time responsible for picking up and dropping off Rin for a mission; he had only heard rumors of this young Special Grade Sorcerer before.
He was powerful, cold-natured, and even somewhat unapproachable.
Throughout the journey, he dared not speak much, only occasionally stealing glances at Rin's profile through the rearview mirror, wanting to remember the appearance of this legendary Jujutsu Sorcerer, yet fearing his gaze might anger the other party.
Just then, Rin suddenly spoke, his voice low and serious, with an undeniable sense of command:
"Stop the car."
The Jujutsu High Assistant's heart leaped, instantly flustered.
Had his stolen glances been discovered?
He fumbled to step on the brakes, and the car slid a distance on the road before slowly coming to a stop.
He nervously gripped the steering wheel, his palms slick with cold sweat, not daring to even breathe, only waiting for Rin's reprimand.
But Rin said nothing more; he simply pushed open the car door and walked straight out.
He stood in the middle of the road, looking up slightly, his gaze sweeping over the road behind the car, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
In the air, besides the fresh scent of mountain vegetation, there were also two faint, ethereal Cursed Energy auras—one as scorching as magma, the other as heavy as the earth, both carrying the unique oppressive feeling of a Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
The Jujutsu High Assistant sat in the driver's seat, watching Rin's back, his heart growing increasingly frantic.
He wanted to ask something but dared not speak rashly, only watching helplessly as Rin turned around and walked towards him.
"Drive away from here quickly,"
Rin's voice was still calm, but it carried an undeniable power:
"No matter what sounds you hear, don't look back."
After speaking, he no longer paid attention to the assistant, turning and walking towards the road behind the car, his back straight and firm, as if what awaited him was not danger, but a long-anticipated feast.
The Jujutsu High Assistant originally wanted to ask something, like "What happened?" or "Are you okay alone?" But when his gaze passed through the car window and saw Rin's Crimson Sharingan, all his questions were swallowed back.
There was no anger in those eyes, only an almost fanatical excitement, as if a grand battle was about to begin.
He dared not hesitate for a moment, immediately shifted gears, and slammed on the accelerator. The car roared and sped off towards the mountain road ahead, quickly disappearing from Rin's sight.
Rin watched the car's receding direction, a faint smile playing on his lips.
This assistant was very smart, knowing what to ask and what not to ask, and even more so, knowing to promptly distance himself from danger, which was much less troublesome than those who didn't know their place.
"You seem to have guests to entertain, don't you?"
Sukuna's voice echoed in his mind, carrying undisguised sneering laughter, his tone full of schadenfreude:
"It seems it's Special Grade Cursed Spirits coming for you. Finally, some fun to watch?"
Rin didn't look back, his gaze still fixed on the distant road behind him, where the Cursed Energy aura grew clearer and more violent.
A smile identical to Sukuna's appeared on his face, carrying a hint of excitement and anticipation:
"Since they are guests, I must entertain them well."
As his words fell, he slowly clenched his fists, and the Cursed Energy around him began to surge quietly.
The Sharingan had already activated, clearly presenting the distant scene in his mind: two figures were speeding towards him, one surrounded by burning flames, the other with steps as heavy as Mount Tai. It was Jogo and Earth Fiend.
The wind on the road gradually became violent, whipping up gravel from the ground, hitting the roadside guardrails with crackling sounds.
Rin stood in the middle of the road, his Crimson Sharingan gleaming sharply, awaiting this sudden battle.
Sukuna's laughter echoed in his mind:
"I hope this time, you won't need someone to save you like last time. If you're killed by a Cursed Spirit, I'll be lonely."
Rin ignored Sukuna's taunt, merely bending his knees slightly, adopting a battle stance.
He could feel that both Jogo and Earth Fiend were extremely powerful; this battle would likely be even more brutal than his previous confrontation with Matador.
But there was no fear in his eyes, only a thirst for battle.
After all, only in desperation can one truly feel the meaning of being alive.
At the end of the distant mountain road, two figures grew closer and closer. Scorching flames and heavy, earthy yellow Cursed Energy intertwined, like two moving disasters, approaching Rin's location.
A fierce battle sweeping across the mountain road was about to begin.
The mountain road wound and twisted, like a grey ribbon, entwined among the continuous green mountains.