On the edge of the mountain forest several kilometers away, Maki Zen'in supported Fushiguro Megumi, who had just recently woken up. The two stood side by side on high ground, their gazes fixed intently on the distant horizon.
The dark clouds looked like they were soaked in ink, pressing heavily down on the low sky. Lightning and thunder roared as if a celestial deity were enraged, and streaks of stark white lightning tore through the sky, illuminating the world in a blinding flash.
Terrifying explosions erupted one after another, the roaring sound traveling through the forest like rolling thunder, making their eardrums buzz.
The ground beneath their feet trembled incessantly, and fine cracks spread across the surface, as if the entire mountain range was about to collapse during this battle.
"This... this is practically a natural disaster..."
Fushiguro Megumi murmured to himself, his eyes filled with unbelievable shock.
He had never witnessed a battle of this magnitude. The energy fluctuations generated by the clash of Cursed Energy, even from several kilometers away, transmitted a suffocating sense of pressure.
Maki Zen'in's expression was also extremely serious, and the fingers gripping her long sword tightened slightly.
She had previously executed missions alongside Rin and witnessed his strength, but the ferocity and terror of the battle before them far exceeded her imagination.
"Power of this level... is already enough to dominate the Jujutsu World."
She spoke softly, her tone carrying a hint of complexity:
"Yet he is still desperately pursuing greater power... What exactly is his ultimate goal?"
This question not only lingered in Maki Zen'in's mind but also plunged Fushiguro Megumi into deep thought.
Senior Rin is already powerful enough to fight two such terrifying Special Grade Cursed Spirits alone, so why does he possess an almost obsessive desire for power?
Meanwhile, the center of the battlefield no longer resembled its former self.
The once dense forest had been reduced to a barren clearing. All the trees were either charred black by lightning or pulverized into dust by the water waves of the Dragon-Form Cursed Spirit. All that remained were scorched, broken wood and cracked earth, and the air was thick with the acrid smell of gunpowder, water vapor, and the clash of Cursed Energy.
Rin stood in the center of this ruin. His black upper garment had been completely shredded during the battle, revealing well-defined, solid muscles covered in small scars.
Rain mixed with sweat and a few traces of blood slid down the contours of his muscles, yet it did nothing to extinguish the fire in his eyes.
His black hair whipped wildly in the gale and the flow of Cursed Energy. His Crimson Sharingan fixed intently on the giant dragon constantly churning in the sky, and the Lightning Cursed Spirit that accompanied it, transforming into streaks of lightning.
The Dragon-Form Cursed Spirit's greenish-black scales gleamed coldly in the reflection of the lightning. Its massive dragon claw struck down, kicking up stones and water columns everywhere.
The Lightning Cursed Spirit, acting like the most agile hunter, continuously transformed into lightning and darted around, searching for openings in the defense. Every time it appeared, it was accompanied by a fatal Guaranteed-Hit Lightning Strike.
Yet there was no fear on Rin's face, only pure, extreme fervor.
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, revealing an excited smile. The black and red Cursed Energy around him surged and swelled like boiling magma, forming a massive aura that pushed away the surrounding rain and debris.
"Bring it on!"
Rin let out a low shout, his voice infused with Cursed Energy, piercing through the thunder and explosions, echoing across the battlefield.
He suddenly exerted force with his feet, his body shooting out like an arrow released from a bow, charging toward the dragon claw and the lightning.
The Crimson Blood Manipulation Technique allowed his speed and strength to break through their limits once again. The faint golden halo of the Hymn of Prayer surrounded him, resisting the scorching of the lightning and the erosion of the water vapor.
In the sky, the giant dragon let out a deafening roar. Its golden vertical pupils were filled with ferocity, while the Lightning Cursed Spirit's azure pupils flickered with killing intent as its lightning-like figure approached once more.
And Rin, like the sole lunatic in this disaster zone battlefield, freely unleashed his desire for battle amidst the strong winds, heavy rain, lightning, and thunder. The black and red Cursed Energy intertwined with the lightning and the Dragon Might, composing an ultimate showdown belonging only to the strong.
The Rain Dragon's greenish-black scales shone with a cold, hard luster. Every single scale was like the most durable special grade cursed tool.
This was the hardest body Rin had ever encountered.
Previously, he had used the Weapons of War several times. The black and red Cursed Energy Cannonballs, when striking the dragon scales, only managed to leave behind some superficial scratches.
The Rain Dragon seemed naturally immune to this level of Cursed Technique attack. It continued to churn freely amidst the bombardment, and its massive dragon tail swept across the ground, instantly pulverizing several boulders.
What was more troublesome was that although the Rain Dragon had not fully deployed a Domain, it was already able to use the torrential rain to construct a Semi-Domain Environment.
Enhanced by the rain, the Thunder Beast beside it seemed to have broken free of its restraints. Its speed was several times faster than before, and azure currents wrapped around its body, transforming into blurred streaks of lightning that continuously darted and churned around Rin.
The infinite electric radiance was like a net woven by the heavens, constantly compressing Rin's maneuvering space. Every flicker was accompanied by a fatal lightning strike.
If the faint golden halo of the Hymn of Prayer had not constantly surrounded him, blocking the scorching of most of the lightning, Rin would already be covered in wounds.
But even so, the Thunder Beast's Guaranteed-Hit Cursed Technique, which ignored defense, was still effective.
It always managed to seize the gaps when Rin was fighting the Rain Dragon, closing in like lightning, smashing its fists or palm blades, charged with electrical current, onto Rin's body.
In just a few minutes, several deep, bone-visible wounds had appeared on Rin's arms and back. Blood mixed with rain continuously dripped down, yet he forcibly ignored it.
"Roar!"
The Rain Dragon in the sky let out a deafening roar, its massive body suddenly diving down. Its gaping maw opened, revealing sharp fangs, and with an aura of devouring everything, it bit fiercely toward Rin.
The foul stench and turbulent Cursed Energy filling its mouth almost sucked the surrounding rainwater inside.
A cold light flashed in Rin's eyes. Instead of dodging, he charged toward the dragon's head. Just as the Rain Dragon's massive mouth was about to close, he suddenly thrust out both hands and desperately jammed the giant dragon's upper and lower jaws apart.
"Bang!"
The immense impact forced Rin's feet to plow two deep trenches in the ground, and he was dragged backward tens of meters before stabilizing his posture.
The Rain Dragon's eyes were filled with ferocity, and it frantically exerted force, trying to close its mouth. But Rin's arms were like two pillars of steel, completely unmoving. Black and red Cursed Energy surged from his arms into the dragon's jaws, tearing against the Rain Dragon's Cursed Energy, producing sizzling sounds.
The Rain Dragon felt the immense force coming from its mouth in shock. This tiny human was actually stopping its jaws from closing using only physical strength? It became even more violent, its dragon claws continuously striking toward Rin, only to be flexibly dodged by him.
The next second, Rin suddenly exerted force. The veins on his arms bulged, and the black and red Cursed Energy surged.
He actually exerted great force with both hands, as if swinging a loach, violently lifting the Rain Dragon—which was several times his size—and slamming it heavily onto the ground.
"Boom!!!"
The earth violently shook, and a massive deep pit was smashed into the ground, which instantly filled with rainwater.
The Rain Dragon's head struck the rock, letting out a muffled cry of pain.
Facing the immediate opportunity, the Cursed Speech Technique's Curse Seal reappeared at the edge of Rin's mouth.
The next second, Rin roared directly into the Rain Dragon's mouth, where there was no scale defense:
"Twist!!"
Without the defense of the scales, a large volume of blood burst forth from the giant dragon's mouth.
But right in this interval, a blinding streak of lightning suddenly appeared behind Rin.
...
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