Chapter 96: Yuki-Onna

"Keng! Keng! Keng!"

With each swing of the giant axe, sparks flew in all directions.

It felt as if something invisible in the wind and snow was constantly attacking, striking at unknown targets.

"This domain's guaranteed hit effect is really troublesome!"

As she resisted the unavoidable damage from the domain, Mei Mei was able to keep her composure.

In the sky, a crow circled overhead.

This was Mei Mei's Black Bird Manipulation technique. While not a powerful ability in itself, it allowed her to control the crow and share its vision.

The reason Mei Mei had become a first-grade sorcerer wasn't just because of her techniques but due to her exceptional physical strength.

The two-handed axe she wielded wasn't just for show either it was a genuine, special-grade cursed tool.

"Found it!"

Through the crow's eyes, Mei Mei finally spotted a weak point in the domain.

With a powerful swing of her axe again, she unleashed her move.

"Kamikaze!"

This was a lethal move that Mei Mei had developed using the Black Bird Manipulation technique. By burning the crow's cursed energy, it would launch a suicidal attack. If it connected, it could even destroy a special-grade cursed spirit instantly!

"Boom!"

Following Mei Mei's command, the crow ignited, its body ablaze with cursed energy. It charged at the weak point she had pinpointed.

The impact was so powerful that it sent a large gust of wind rippling through the area.

"Hah!"

Feeling the wind and snow around her finally start to calm, Mei Mei breathed a sigh of relief.

"Looks like the reward will be higher this time."

Training these crows one by one had been painful, and losing one was costly.

She hadn't expected her opponent to be not only a special-grade cursed spirit, but also one capable of deploying a domain.

The payout for this job was clearly going to be insufficient, and Mei Mei was already planning to demand more from the Curse Master.

"Hum~"

Feeling good about the prospect of extra money, she began humming a little tune.

But just as she relaxed...

"Bang!"

A sudden strike from behind sent her flying.

"What?!"

She was shocked. The cursed spirit wasn't dead yet?

The wind and snow, which had previously stopped, resumed. The air in this domain wasn't just cold it was as sharp as knives.

Mei Mei's back was now injured, putting her in an even worse state.

Despite the pain, her survival instincts kicked in, and she quickly swung her two-handed battle axe.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

She managed to block the snow attacking her from all directions, but barely. Her strength was waning, and the situation grew more desperate by the second.

"If this drags on, I'm going to die!"

Mei Mei was no fool. She knew that continuing this fight would mean her death.

Even her Kamikaze attack hadn't been enough to finish off the enemy.

And now, trapped within the cursed spirit's domain, escape wasn't an option.

"Hehehe!"

A cold laugh echoed through the wind and snow.

Mei Mei saw a humanoid figure slowly emerge.

This was the master of the domain.

"Yuki-onna?"

Because of her preparation for this job, Mei had studied several urban legends. It seemed her opponent was the cursed spirit Yuki-onna, a snow woman from those very legends, now fused with a cursed spirit.

Mei Mei noticed that one of the Yuki-onna's arms was twisted—damage likely caused by her Kamikaze attack. Unfortunately, it hadn't been enough to kill her.

With the Yuki-onna's appearance, the wind and snow intensified, growing more violent.

The cursed spirit looked at Mei Mei, who was struggling to defend herself, with a contemptuous smile.

It was as if she was watching an insect fight a losing battle.

"Am I really going to die?"

The wounds on Mei Mei's body multiplied, her strength waned, and her vision blurred.

It dawned on her that death might be inevitable this time.

"Damn, I won't even get my reward!"

Even in such a dire situation, money was still on her mind. Typical of Mei Mei.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Mei Mei noticed that the wind and snow around her were weakening.

She looked at the Yuki-onna, confused. Could the cursed spirit be showing mercy? No way. That was impossible.

So, was someone else coming?

At the same time, the Yuki-onna turned her head, also sensing the presence of another human entering the domain.

"Is this a domain?"

This was Ryuji's first time seeing a fully formed domain. He had seen half-finished attempts before, but nothing like this.

The sudden voice made both Mei and the Yuki-onna look over in surprise.

Soon, Ryuji stepped into view.

He glanced at the Yuki-onna first, showing no particular surprise.

Then his gaze fell on Mei Mei, who was kneeling, barely holding herself up with her axe.

"Hmm?"

Mei Mei? One of the few memorable characters from "Jujutsu Kaisen". Of course, Ryuji recognized her from the anime.

However, Mei Mei's current state was far from good. She was covered in wounds, and her clothes were torn.

"I have to admit, the battle axe really stands out," Ryuji thought, his gaze lingering.

"If you stare any longer, I'm going to charge you."

Despite her injuries, Mei Mei managed to crack a joke, noticing where Ryuji's eyes had wandered. She didn't seem too bothered.

"Of course, for a cute guy like you, I might even give a discount!"

"..."

Ryuji grinned. Was he being flirted with? This was exactly like Mei Mei's character from the anime.

"Shua!"

The snowstorm suddenly intensified again, this time targeting Ryuji.

"Watch out, this domain is trickier than it looks!" Mei Mei warned, her teasing tone fading as the fight resumed.

Ryuji remained silent.

The shadow beneath him began to rise, forming a black curtain that blocked all the wind and snow.

When the curtain fell, Ryuji was still smiling.

"If it's a domain, then let's fight domain with domain."

With that, Ryuji raised his hands, intertwining his fingers.

"What…?"

Mei Mei's eyes widened in disbelief. Could this kid actually cast a domain?

Though she wasn't inexperienced, seeing someone so young casting a domain was shocking.

The Yuki-onna, too, seemed to sense the shift. The snowstorm became more frantic, as if in a desperate attempt to stop Ryuji.

But his smile remained unchanged.

Slowly, he muttered a few words.

"Domain Expansion – Malevolent Shrine !"

"Boom!"

At the same moment, a massive shrine rose from the ground behind Ryuji.

A blood-red aura spread, swallowing the Yuki-onna's domain entirely.

"What is this...?"

Even the Yuki-onna, a special-grade cursed spirit, couldn't hide her shock.

Mei Mei, meanwhile, relaxed.

Although she didn't have a domain of her own, she understood the basics: in a domain duel, the stronger domain would completely overpower the weaker one.

It was obvious now that Ryuji's domain was superior.

The Yuki-onna's domain collapsed and was instantly shattered.

"This is… unexpected!"

Not only had Mei Mei not expected a young sorcerer to appear, but she certainly hadn't expected him to have such a powerful domain.

"You seem nervous!"

Ryuji was clearly enjoying himself. He raised one hand and pointed it at the Yuki-onna.

"Don't worry, the pain will only last a moment."

"Cleave!"

With a flick of his wrist, the slashing technique activated. Dozens of cursed energy blades rained down like a storm on the Yuki-onna.

Even in the domain, where dodging and resisting was impossible, the Yuki-onna could do nothing but take the hits.

"Shua! Shua! Shua!"

The technique was relentless. As expected from something that could overpower Gojo's Limitless, the sheer destructive force was on full display.

The Yuki-onna, a special-grade cursed spirit, was utterly overwhelmed.

"It's over!"

Ryuji didn't kill her outright, though. Instead, he activated his Soul Devouring ability.

"Swish!"

A dark chain shot out, dragging the nearly-dead Yuki-onna into a dimensional rift.

"As expected!"

Patting his slightly full stomach, Ryuji grinned.

"Only special-grade cursed spirits can help me improve now."

With the Yuki-onna gone, the domain dissolved.

The surroundings returned to normal, and the snowstorm vanished completely.

"I'm alive!"

Mei Mei, who had regained some strength, stood up, resting her axe on her shoulder with a relaxed smile.

There was nothing quite like surviving a close call.

After all, dead people can't make money.

"You must be that prodigy sorcerer Ryuji, the one Gojo mentioned."

Mei Mei had already pieced together who he was.

After all, she'd been there when Gojo had talked about him.

"You've heard of me?"

Ryuji raised an eyebrow.

"Just a bit. Seems like Gojo might have underestimated you. You're more than just a genius."

A so-called "genius" was just someone with potential yet to be realized. But Ryuji had clearly surpassed that stage.

"My name's Mei Mei, first-grade sorcerer!" she said with a sly smile, blinking at him playfully.

Despite her battered appearance, she still had an air of charm about her.

Ryuji raised an eyebrow, took off his coat, and handed it to her.

"Need this?"

"Perfect timing!"

Her clothes were torn in multiple places. Aside from money, Mei Mei didn't have many other obsessions.

After slipping on the coat, Mei Mei smiled and said, "So, how'd you enjoy the show?"

"...?"

What? This woman—she was really bold.

Ryuji was a bit surprised but wasn't one to back down from a challenge.

He seemed to be thinking for a moment, then nodded confidently and gave her a thumbs-up.

"Not bad at all!"

"..."

Mei Mei fell silent for a moment, not expecting such a straightforward answer from him.

"This is the first time someone's gotten a good look at me like this. So... how much are you willing to pay?"

Of course, leave it to Mei to bring money into this situation.

Ryuji, unfazed, teased back.

"How about we find a room and discuss the price?"

"Tch!"

Though he looked young, Ryuji had the attitude of someone experienced with women.

A scoundrel, no doubt.

"Yeah, I think we can skip the room part!"

It wasn't a huge deal, but the thought of getting a room with a guy she'd just met for the first time? Even Mei Mei wasn't that carefree.

"The bounty for this exorcism is thirty million yen from the higher-ups. But since we're dealing with a special-grade spirit that could expand a domain, I'm planning to ask for an extra ten million. Since you helped out, how about we split it fifty-fifty?"

Mei Mei didn't plan to take all the credit for herself. After all, there was a good chance they might work together again in the future.

"You know, if it weren't for me, you'd be dead right now. Shouldn't the reward be mine?"

Ryuji wasn't all that concerned about the money, but seeing Mei Mei's reaction made him want to push her buttons a bit.

"..."

Her face went blank for a moment, then she turned to him with a fake smile.

"You know, you're not as cute as I first thought!"

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