Chapter 125: Sparring Begins
As the lesson instructions were just given, the group headed towards the playground.
Maki Zen'in walked in the lead, carrying her cursed tool katana, with Inumaki Toge following at her side. Panda walked with heavy steps, glancing back at Rin behind them from time to time, his face full of hesitation.
"What should we do, Maki? Are we really going to fight classmate Rin?"
Panda leaned close to Maki, his voice lowered, as if afraid of being heard by the person behind them: "He is a Special Grade! What if we beat him up too badly? Wouldn't that be embarrassing?"
Maki turned her head to look at him without stopping, her tone carrying a hint of helpless determination: "What else? Do you want to go back and spar with Teacher Gojo?"
She paused, recalling the scene of being toyed with by Satoru Gojo, and her brows furrowed even tighter: "I don't want to be treated like a toy by him again. Every time I spar with him, I can't even touch the corner of his clothes, and in the end, I have to be teased by him saying 'Too slow' or 'Not enough power.' That's what's frustrating."
At this point, her tone softened slightly, carrying a trace of uncertain comfort: "Although Rin is strong, at least we can see his movements. Maybe we can find a chance to counterattack. It's better than dealing with an opponent like Teacher Gojo who is 'completely untouchable,' right?"
Inumaki Toge nodded immediately, holding seaweed in his mouth and softly said "tuna" (meaning "agree").
The three of them had once fought against Geto Suguru. Although they were defeated, they could at least manage a few counterattacks.
Unlike when facing Satoru Gojo, where they barely had a chance to attack.
In their opinion, even if Rin's strength was on par with Geto Suguru, it was much easier to deal with than "the strongest."
After all, Satoru Gojo's Limitless was too bizarre, and his speed was extreme. They couldn't even get close and could only take a beating.
After failing, they still had to endure his teasing. If Okkotsu were still here, at least there would be a "high HP" companion to share some of the damage, but now there were only the three of them, and every training session felt like being unilaterally "toyed with" by Satoru Gojo.
The three of them secretly glanced back at Rin, who was following behind. Seeing him looking down at the ground, seemingly unaware of them, they immediately put their heads together and whispered to discuss.
"Why don't we attack together? Should we test what his Cursed Technique is first?" Panda suggested.
"tuna mayo." (Meaning "Be careful not to hurt him") Inumaki added, afraid that the sparring would turn into a real fight.
Maki pondered for a moment and nodded: "Okay. Panda, you pin him down from the front. I'll attack from the side. Inumaki, you are responsible for long-range support. Let's figure out his fighting style first."
Satoru Gojo, following behind, took in this scene. The smile on his lips faded slightly, and a trace of worry suddenly arose in his heart. Did he come up with a bad idea?
Originally, he wanted to divide the four into two groups for sparring training, but Rin's strength was too high, not in the same tier as the other three. Group sparring was meaningless, so he thought of letting the three of them spar with Rin.
But looking at the three of them nervously discussing, he felt it was inappropriate. If he wasn't careful, it would exacerbate the alienation between them.
But since things had come to this, it could only be this way.
Satoru Gojo sighed softly, only hoping that Rin could really grasp the measure.
Rin had no interest in the whispers of the three in front. His attention was always on Satoru Gojo beside him.
In his eyes, only "the strongest" Satoru Gojo in the entire Jujutsu High was worth his attention.
He could vaguely perceive the unfathomable Cursed Energy on Satoru Gojo. This "strength" gave him a trace of anticipation, but also made him calmer.
Soon, the group arrived at the playground.
The playground was open and spacious, and the ground was made of special non-slip material, which was very suitable for combat training.
Rin put down his backpack, threw it casually by the fence, and then stretched his limbs. He gently rotated his wrists, and his joints made a faint "crack" sound.
He didn't release any Cursed Energy, just did a simple warm-up, then walked straight to the center of the playground, stood still, and looked at Maki and the two others with a calm gaze, waiting for the sparring to begin.
Seeing this, Satoru Gojo walked up to remind him to "take it easy, don't scare them."
But before he could speak, Rin looked up and gave him a "don't worry" look. That gaze was clear and firm; clearly, he knew the measure of "stopping at a point" and didn't need too much advice.
Satoru Gojo was stunned for a moment, then laughed, backed away a few steps with peace of mind, walked to the fence, and sat down, ready to enjoy this special sparring.
He wanted to see what kind of side this usually cold boy would show in battle.
He also wanted to see if Maki and the two others could find a breakthrough opportunity in this sparring with a Special Grade.
In the center of the playground, Rin stood tall, his aura steady.
Opposite him, Maki and the two others stood in a triangular formation, their eyes vigilantly staring at Rin, their Cursed Energy already quietly gathering.
A special sparring was about to begin.
Rin was still standing in the center of the playground, his figure as tall and straight as a quiet pine.
He didn't take a proactive attacking stance, just looked down at the three people opposite him. In his blood-red pupils, there were no waves, as if he were patiently waiting for a play whose outcome was already known to begin.
"Start!"
As soon as Satoru Gojo's voice fell, a series of heavy footsteps sounded on the playground.
Panda clenched his fists, his broad shoulders tensed, and his Cursed Energy surged slightly. As the "Tank" best at taking hits in the group of three, he rushed to the front without hesitation.
His fist carried the force of breaking the wind, slamming directly toward Rin's chest.
If this punch landed on an ordinary Jujutsu Sorcerer, it would probably break their ribs directly.
Facing this heavy attack, Rin did not dodge, but raised his arm to meet it, his palm accurately holding Panda's wrist.
The moment their arms collided, a doubt suddenly arose in Panda's heart.
That's not right? Why is the force of a Special Grade so "soft"?
He could clearly feel that Rin's arm was very steady, but it didn't burst out with suffocating suppression. Instead, it was like he was deliberately holding back, not even fully unloading his own fist.
"What are you spacing out for!"
Maki's voice came from the side. She held her cursed tool katana, her footsteps as light as a cat, and the blade gleamed coldly, cutting straight to Rin's side.
This was the old routine of their cooperation: Panda pinned him from the front, and she was responsible for surprise attacks on flaws.
Almost at the same time, Inumaki Toge's lips moved slightly, and light purple Cursed Energy wrapped around the sound wave and spread: "Don't move!"
The effect of the Cursed Speech Technique took effect instantly, and Rin's body froze in place.
Panda took the opportunity to pull his wrist back, and his other fist slammed heavily onto Rin's shoulder.
Maki's cursed tool katana brushed past Rin's clothes. Although it didn't cause substantial damage, it sealed off all his paths of retreat.
"Boom!"
The force of the two attacks superimposed, knocking Rin flying heavily.
He fell to the ground, sliding out a shallow trace, but didn't get up immediately, just sat there, looking at the three calmly, not even frowning.
A look of joy immediately appeared on Maki's face. She tightened her grip on the sword, her tone carrying a hint of contempt: "What Special Grade, just so-so! Looks like we'seniors' have to teach you how to fight in a team."
Panda, however, was a bit hesitant, scratching his furry head, his voice lowered: "Would this be too harsh? He just enrolled, and we already beat him so he can't get up. What if he gets unhappy?"
"You're overthinking it."
Maki rolled her eyes at him, her tone carrying vigilance: "He is a Special Grade. This attack doesn't even count as a warm-up. We should worry about whether we can hold on to the end."