"Keng! Keng! Keng!"

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

  It felt as if something invisible in the wind and snow was stantly attag, 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 posure.

  In the sky, a crow circled overhead.

  This was Mei Mei's Bck Bird Manipution teique. While not a powerful ability in itself, it allowed her to trol the crow and share its vision.

  The reason Mei Mei had bee a first-grade sorcerer wasn't just because of her teiques 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 magic tool.

  "Found it!"

  Through the crow's eyes, Mei Mei finally spotted a oint 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 Bck Bird Manipution teique. By burning the crow's cursed energy, it would unch a suicidal attack. If it ected, it could everoy a special-grade cursed spirit instantly!

  "Boom!"

  Following Mei Mei's and, the crow ignited, its body abze with cursed energy. It charged at the oint she had pinpointed.

  The impact was so powerful that it sent a rge 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 oppoo 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 insuffit, and Mei Mei was already pnning 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 rexed...

  "Bang!"

  A sudden strike from behi 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 swuwo-handed battle axe.

  "g! g! g!"

  She mao block the snow attag her from all dires, but barely. Her strength was waning, and the situation grew more desperate by the sed.

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

  Mei Mei was no fool. She khat tinuing 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 ugh 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 oppo 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 appearahe wind and snow intensified, growing more violent.

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

  It was as if she was watg an i 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 ohat death might be iable this time.

  "Damn, I won't eve my reward!"

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

  "Huh?"

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

  She looked at the Yuki-onna, fused. Could the cursed spirit be showing mero way. That was impossible.

  So, was someone else ing?

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

  "Is this a domain?"

  This was Ryuji's first time seeing a fully formed domain. He had seen half-fitempts 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 g the Yuki-onna first, showing no particur 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 reized 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 mao crack a joke, notig 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 dist!"

  "..."

  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 beh him began to rise, f a bck curtain that blocked all the wind and snow.

  When the curtain fell, Ryuji was still smiling.

  "If it's a domain, the's fight domain with domain."

  With that, Ryuji raised his hands, iwining 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 shog.

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

  But his smile remained unged.

  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 domaiirely.

  "What is this...?"

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

  Mei Mei, meanwhile, rexed.

  Although she didn't have a domain of her own, she uood the basics: in a domaihe stronger domain would pletely overpower the weaker one.

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

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

  "This is… ued!"

  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 poi at the Yuki-onna.

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

  "Cleave!"

  With a flick of his wrist, the sshing teique activated. Dozens of cursed energy bdes rained down like a storm on the Yuki-onna.

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

  "Shua! Shua! Shua!"

  The teique was relentless. As expected from something that could overpojo's Limitless, the sheer destructive force was on full dispy.

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

  "It's over!"

  Ryuji didn't kill her ht, though. Instead, he activated his Soul Dev ability.

  "Swish!"

  A dark 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 help me improve now."

  With the Yuki-onna gohe domain dissolved.

  The surroundings returo normal, and the snowstorm vanished pletely.

  "I'm alive!"

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

  There was nothing quite like surviving a close call.

  After all, dead people '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 uimated you. You're more than just a genius."

  A so-called "genius" was just someoh 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 pyfully.

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

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

  "his?"

  "Perfect timing!"

  Her clothes were torn in multiple pces. 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 oo back down from a challenge.

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

  "Not bad at all!"

  "..."

  Mei Mei fell silent for a moment, not expeg 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 t money into this situation.

  Ryuji, ueased 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 sdrel, no doubt.

  "Yeah, I think we 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 pnning to ask for ara ten million. Since you helped out, how about we split it fifty-fifty?"

  Mei Mei didn't pn to take all the credit for herself. After all, there was a good ce they might work together again iure.

  "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 ed about the money, but seeing Mei Mei's reaade him want to push her buttons a bit.

  "..."

  Her face went bnk for a moment, theuro him with a fake smile.

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

  ****

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