After Rin left the warehouse, a few thugs with broken arms helped the blond-haired man lying on the ground to his feet.
He was in a sorry state, needing two people to hold him up just to stand barely. Rin's strike with the iron rod had shattered his kneecap, and the intense pain twisted his face as sweat poured down, yet he kept muttering curses, "Damn it! Damn it!"
Yet, he didn't dare to mention Rin's name at all, completely devoid of the tearful, repentant look he had just moments ago.
The blond-haired man's eyes were filled with resentment; he secretly vowed that once he got out of this hellhole, he would definitely call the police and have Rin arrested.
Just as the group was supporting each other and trying to close the iron door, a figure appeared at the entrance.
Everyone was startled, and the blond-haired man even slumped to the ground in an exaggerated manner. They thought Rin had returned, but upon looking in a panic, they only saw a strange man wearing monk robes standing at the door, which made them breathe a sigh of relief.
After realizing that the newcomer was not Rin, the blond-haired man let out a long breath, and the anger that had been suppressed by Rin surged back, leading him to angrily question the man outside.
"Hey! Where did you crawl out from? Get lost, now!"
Hearing this, the man chuckled slightly but did not answer the blond-haired man. His eyes were cold, yet his face still wore a kind and amiable expression.
He slowly walked into the warehouse, and the moment he stepped inside, the iron door behind him slammed shut with a creak, as if moved by an unseen wind.
Along with the closing of the iron door, a terrifying pressure accompanied by intense negative emotions radiated from the man.
It immediately cut off the words the blond-haired man was about to say.
This eerie and terrifying power made everyone in the warehouse widen their eyes again, all staring fixedly at the strange man before them.
This intense pressure was even stronger than Rin's from earlier, and that familiar sense of fear engulfed them once more.
The man slowly approached the group and said gently, "Hello, students. I have some questions I'd like to ask you."
...
On the third floor of the laboratory building, inside a chaotic classroom, scattered desks and chairs, broken glass test tubes, and the horrifying dark purple blood on the walls all told of a fierce battle that had just taken place. As the victor, Rin was squatting on the windowsill, his Sharingan fixed intently on two Cursed Spirits fighting each other in the woods below.
One of them, a Ox-Head Cursed Spirit, was much more powerful and was practically crushing its opponent. The minotaur stood two meters tall, its crimson skin covered in bulging, grotesque muscles that looked like they were about to explode.
Rin's expression was grim; confusion and doubt filled his heart. There were so many living people in this school to eat, yet they were here killing each other.
And this wasn't the only time; the few Cursed Spirits in the laboratory earlier had shown similar behavior. It was simply inconceivable. Why had these Cursed Spirits become so aggressive? What exactly was Geto Suguru trying to do?
He had never seen a plot like this in the manga.
Just as he thought this, the battle below was decided.
The Ox-Head Cursed Spirit used its thick, massive hands to smash its opponent into a pulp, and the scene that followed nearly made Rin's jaw drop.
He saw the minotaur reach out with its massive hand, tear off the leg of the dead Cursed Spirit, and start gnawing on it.
Flesh and blood flew everywhere. Rin's eyes narrowed as if he had realized something. He quickly grabbed the iron rod beside him, leaped from the third floor, and transformed into a dark shadow as he charged toward the minotaur below.
The minotaur was happily munching on the leg and didn't notice the sharp sound of something cutting through the air behind it at all.
The next second, Rin's iron rod slammed fiercely onto the head of the Ox-Head Cursed Spirit. With the massive momentum and Rin putting in all his strength, his arms instantly went numb. The blow felt like it had struck steel, and even the iron rod in his hand bent slightly.
Having landed the blow, Rin didn't dare to linger and quickly retreated. The minotaur turned around and glared fixedly at Rin. Its eyes were bloodshot, and a trail of bloody tears slowly flowed down. It looked miserable; not only was there a large dent in its skull, but its entire head had collapsed into its chest, making its neck completely invisible.
It seemed this blow hadn't been easy for it either. This guy was powerful; his strike hadn't killed it outright. With such a tough body, it seemed it was close to breaking through to become a Second-Grade Cursed Spirit. Since one blow hadn't worked, Rin secretly calculated how to kill his opponent.
Just then, the minotaur recovered. Although the massive impact had left its brain in a mess, it still relied on instinct, let out a roar, and charged at Rin.
The attack was ferocious, but under Rin's Sharingan, it was full of openings. It seemed its brain injury was indeed quite severe.
Watching the minotaur charging wildly at him, Rin didn't retreat but instead advanced, rushing forward to meet it.
He performed a sliding tackle to slip behind the Cursed Spirit, while the minotaur, due to its momentum, slammed fiercely into the wall of the laboratory building.
Its already injured brain became even more confused.
Seizing the opportunity, Rin leaped onto the minotaur's back. With the support of his Sharingan, he aimed the deformed end of the iron rod at its heart and drove it in with all his might.
The iron rod tore through flesh, precisely avoiding the hard bones, and pierced through the heart.
The minotaur let out a wail, but it still didn't die. Its powerful vitality supported it as it turned around and swung another punch, trying to force Rin back.
But Rin didn't dodge at all; he twisted the iron rod, yanked it out, and held it horizontally in front of him to block the blow.
A terrifying force came from the rod. In an instant, Rin was sent flying backward. Landing on the ground, the force still didn't diminish, dragging him several meters back before he finally stopped.
Standing up from the ground, Rin calmly brushed the dust off his body. The blow had looked scary, but most of the force had been blocked by the iron rod in his hand. Plus, with Rin's physique now at the level of a Grade 3 Cursed Spirit, the attack hadn't caused him any real harm.
Looking at the slightly bent iron rod in his hand, Rin still felt a lingering fear. The monster had suffered such severe injuries, yet its terrifying strength hadn't diminished in the slightest. But it was over now.
The Ox-Head Cursed Spirit turned back around, wanting to continue attacking, but its body was already swaying and unable to stand. Its strong muscles couldn't muster a shred of strength.
The massive trauma to its head left it dizzy and delirious, and the pierced heart made it unable to muster any strength.
"Roar! Roar!..." Heavy, ragged breaths accompanied mouthfuls of blood spewing from its mouth. It was now at the end of its rope.
Yet it still summoned the strength to struggle toward Rin and swing a punch with all its might, only for Rin to easily dodge it with a sidestep. At this point, it could no longer hold on and collapsed heavily to the ground.
Dark purple blood flowed uncontrollably from its mouth, and its body was still trembling slightly. Eventually, the light in its eyes gradually faded, becoming dull and lifeless, as it slowly slid toward death.
Rin stood quietly in place, waiting for the monster to take its last breath. He kept his face hidden in the shadows, and even Miguel, who was protecting Rin from the darkness, didn't know what he was thinking.