A pitch-black domain stretched out before his eyes, instantly complicating the situation.
This was originally just a newborn Special Grade Cursed Spirit, but now Rin had to figure out how to annihilate it while also worrying about the Non-Sorcerers trapped within the domain.
This responsibility from Jujutsu High became his greatest shackle.
If he were still in the Star Plasma Cult period, he would have long since expanded his domain without hesitation to clash head-on with the Cursed Spirit, without giving a thought to the lives of others.
But now, he could only hesitate on the spot.
Were the people inside the domain still alive?
This Cursed Spirit's Cursed Technique was too bizarre; it could turn into shadows and merge with the shadows of others, forcing him to be exceptionally cautious in every move for fear of accidentally injuring those trapped inside.
"Rin, come quickly! Help me! This person is being crushed!"
Maki's cry for help interrupted his thoughts.
Rin swept his gaze over to see Maki struggling to push a giant rock. A man was pressed beneath it, half his body buried deep under the rubble, with only his upper body exposed, emitting agonizing, heart-wrenching wails.
Maki gritted her teeth, veins popping on her forehead, but the giant rock remained unmoved. She had no choice but to turn and ask Rin for help.
But Rin did not turn back. His Sharingan: Insight remained locked onto the movements of the Cursed Spirit within the domain, his tone icy and devoid of warmth:
"Forget about him, he's already beyond saving."
He spoke the truth.
The man's ribs had long been crushed by the giant rock, his internal organs ruptured, and his breath was so faint it could stop at any moment. His current struggle was merely an instinctive reaction of the body.
Continuing to attempt a rescue was just a futile waste of time and might even invite an attack from the Cursed Spirit.
Yet Maki grew increasingly anxious; she knew Rin was right, but she still refused to give up:
"Even if there is only a glimmer of hope, we cannot just watch him die!"
She pressed her hands firmly against the giant rock and exerted force again, her arms trembling slightly from the excessive effort.
The trapped man was still crying for help intermittently, his voice as weak as a candle in the wind. Fear covered his pale face, his entire body trembling uncontrollably, his eyes filled with a desperate longing for life.
Rin's inner self was in a fierce conflict.
Expanding his domain directly would resolve the Cursed Spirit the fastest, but the Non-Sorcerers within would instantly lose their lives.
If he didn't expand his domain, the Cursed Spirit's shadow Cursed Technique would be difficult to break. If he dragged it out, not only might the trapped people meet with disaster, but he and Maki would also fall into danger.
He had always aimed only for strength, never deigning to be kidnapped by "conscience."
But at this moment, Maki's persistence and the man's cry for help were like needles pricking his already hardened heart.
"Hurry! He can't hold on much longer!"
Maki's voice was choked with sobs, and her hands were already worn raw and red by the rubble.
Rin's fists slowly clenched, his nails digging deep into his palms.
A flash of struggle crossed his blood-red pupils, only to be covered by icy coldness once more.
He turned his head abruptly to look at Maki, his tone remaining firm:
"I said, forget about him! Our primary mission is to eliminate the Cursed Spirit, otherwise, more people will die!"
"But he's about to die right now!"
Maki raised her head, her eyes rimmed with red:
"We are Jujutsu Sorcerers, the ones who protect Non-Sorcerers, not monsters who watch people die and do nothing!"
These words struck Rin's heart like a heavy hammer.
He froze, and the words of Gojo Satoru suddenly flashed through his mind:
"Jujutsu High has rules, and things that need to be protected."
Protect? He had never needed to protect others, nor did he need others to protect him.
But at this moment, watching Maki's stubborn back and the man's desperate eyes, the impenetrable barrier in his heart seemed to have cracked.
Just then, the originally calm, pitch-black domain suddenly writhed violently. A jet-black tentacle quietly emerged from the shadow on the ground, spreading rapidly toward Maki and the man.
The Cursed Spirit had already detected their presence!
Rin's expression changed drastically:
"Careful!"
Rin's thoughts were still pulled between "saving people" and "exorcising the curse," when the originally calm, pitch-black domain suddenly writhed violently.
A thick, jet-black tentacle lunged from the edge of the domain, ignoring the boundaries of space, and curled straight toward Maki!
"Not good!"
Rin realized it instantly, but collapsed steel frames and a panicked crowd separated him from Maki; he couldn't rush over in time.
He instinctively channeled his Cursed Energy, his Weapons of War Revolver firing a bullet that pierced the air as it shot straight toward the tentacle, attempting to block its trajectory.
But he was still a second too slow.
This Cursed Spirit's domain could actually attack targets outside its range, completely defying the basic logic of Cursed Techniques!
The black tentacle didn't strike directly; instead, it precisely touched the shadows of Maki and the man trapped under the giant rock.
Just as Maki bent down to pick up her dropped long sword, she felt a powerful pulling force from her shadow. Her body tilted uncontrollably toward the domain, unable to break free.
"Bang!"
The Cursed Energy bullet slammed into the subway platform, blasting out a deep crater. Dust instantly filled the air, obscuring his vision.
Using the smoke as cover, Rin erupted with Cursed Energy. His figure turned into a blur as he rushed over, the airflow around him forcibly blowing the dust away.
But the scene before him made his expression change drastically.
Maki and the dying man had vanished without a trace!
Sharingan: Insight had clearly captured the entire process.
Dragged by the immense force from the shadows, the two were sucked in like a vortex, merging directly into the darkness at the edge of the domain without leaving a single trace behind.
"Damn it!"
Rin cursed under his breath, his blood-red pupils filled with gravity and a trace of imperceptible anxiety.
This Cursed Spirit's ability was too bizarre; not only could it turn into shadows to lurk, but it could also drag targets across the domain boundaries through their shadows.
But there were already many Non-Sorcerers trapped inside the domain; why did it specifically risk exposure to snatch Maki and the man who shouldn't have lived much longer?
Such an unnecessary move must have a reason behind it.
Rin stood before the pitch-black domain, without the slightest hesitation.
He waved his hand, spreading out a Cursed Energy pattern. A robust Cursed Spirit appeared in response, charging straight toward the Special Grade Cursed Spirit's domain.
The next second, the expected obstruction did not appear. The summoned Cursed Spirit drilled into the domain without any resistance, suffering no attacks and not being annihilated by the domain's power.
"A one-way domain?"
Rin's pupils constricted, his blood-red eyes filled with shock.
This completely contradicted his understanding of domains.
A normal domain was either isolated from the outside, closed in both directions, or allowed the user to freely control entry and exit. But this Special Grade Cursed Spirit's domain was actually a one-way cage that was "open to enter, but closed to exit"!
People outside could break in at will, but those inside were completely trapped. This was an unbelievable method.
But there was no time to investigate the principle now.
Rin could clearly sense that the summoned Cursed Spirit was still alive after entering the domain; there was no Cursed Energy fluctuation indicating death.
This meant that Maki, and the trapped Non-Sorcerers, were likely still alive!
This realization eased the anxiety in his heart slightly, but also firmed his determination to break in.
His Cursed Energy climbed to its peak in an instant.
The next second, Rin's figure shot forward like an arrow from a bow, crashing into that pitch-black domain without hesitation.
.....
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