Curse Return: Demon Void Girl Doesn't Want to Be a Weakling

The Fiery Monk let out a painful roar, and uncontrolled flames gushed from its wounds. For the first time, its movements became noticeably stiff and chaotic.

"Now!" Mashiro shouted hoarsely.

Nanami, who had been poised to strike, rushed forward like lightning at the perfect moment created by Mashiro. The magical power gathered on his short sword was condensed to the extreme, turning into an almost invisible thin line that pierced the flames deep into the neck of the Karmic Fire Monk with unparalleled precision along the wound Mashiro had opened!

The massive body of the Fiery Monk suddenly stiffened, then, like a punctured balloon, the lava and flames on his body rapidly disintegrated and turned to ashes.

The flame on his neck, symbolizing his origin, flickered violently a few times before finally going out.

Thick black smoke rose up, and some of the pure incantation power contained within was purified and dispelled by Nanami's sword, but a large portion was quietly absorbed by Congyu, who was nearby.

Mashiro felt a surge of energy, far purer and more abundant than ever before, flowing into her body, rapidly nourishing her battered body, repairing her injuries, and replenishing her energy reserves.

This propelled her total magical power to a new level, not just reaching level two, but even pushing her towards an even higher level.

She and Fushiguro Megumi are now at the same level, although their combat strength may be different.

Silence returned to the shrine, with only the night wind blowing across the scorched earth, gradually dispelling the unpleasant smell of burning from the battlefield.

Nanami sheathed his sword, his movements still meticulous. He didn't immediately examine the scene. He first turned his head, his gaze landing on Mashiro.

"You are truly remarkable, Monk Karmafire. I will probably never forget you for the rest of my life."

The girl stood there, covered in wounds, her clothes tattered, swaying precariously as if she would collapse at any moment.

But she stood ramrod straight, knife in hand, her crimson eyes shining brightly in the night, and the mad smile from the battle still lingering on her face.

“You…” Nanami began, his voice hoarse. He had just witnessed an incredibly brutal battle.

This girl, completely disregarding her own body, adapted and learned at an unbelievable speed, even countering the attack of a level one cursed spirit.

That fearless and increasingly frenzied fighting spirit was deeply imprinted in his mind.

“Me?” Mashiro turned to look at him, her smile gradually fading into calm. “I’m still alive, the cursed spirit is dead, the mission is complete. So,” she held out her hand, palm up, “my 800,000 yen, Mr. Nanami?”

Nanami stared at her outstretched hand, covered in burns and blood, and remained silent for two seconds.

Then he took a thick envelope from the inside pocket of his suit, stepped forward, and gently placed it into the only intact side pocket of her tracksuit.

“There’s a million here,” he said, his tone unusually serious, even with a hint of barely perceptible gentleness. “You’re worth this price. Not just the payment, but also the medical expenses. You’re badly injured and need immediate professional treatment.”

"One million?" Mashiro blinked, touched his bulging pocket, his excited mood calmed down, and his tone became calm again.

"Thanks. But I'll pass on the treatment; my constitution is different, and I recover very quickly."

“Your recovery ability is indeed extraordinary,” Nanami said, not pressing the issue but speaking seriously, “but that’s no excuse for your reckless behavior. Your fighting style is too extreme. You might get lucky this time, but you might not next time.”

“Only the weak rely on luck.” Mashiro nonchalantly shook her still numb right arm, but the movement aggravated the wound, causing her to gasp again. “I have a strong mindset. If I can’t beat someone, I adapt, and once I adapt, I win.”

Nanami looked at her, this girl covered in scars yet stubborn and arrogant, and finally just shook his head, as if giving up on lecturing her. He took out his business card from his pocket and handed it to her.

"This is my contact information, Kujo Mashiro." He called out Mashiro's full name, his tone solemn. "I acknowledge your strength and resolve. Although I don't agree with your methods, you are a qualified sorcerer. You can contact me if you encounter any difficulties in the future, and I will recommend you for suitable missions."

This was already a very high compliment and invitation. Mashiro took the simple business card and carefully put it away.

"I will. Contact me anytime if there are any good assignments." She tried to move her body and felt her strength returning little by little. "I'll go now, I still have to catch the Shinkansen."

"Wait." Nanami called out to her, his brows furrowing as he looked at her unsteady steps. "How are you going to get to the station in this condition? I'll take you there."

"Need not……"

“Don’t argue, you’re a minor.” Nanami interrupted her, his tone leaving no room for argument. “At least take you to a place where you can get a taxi, that’s your responsibility as an adult.” As he spoke, he began to take off his suit jacket.

“Hey, no need…” Mashiro wanted to refuse, but Nanami had already draped the large coat over her almost naked body and carefully adjusted the front of her coat to cover the terrible wounds.

"Let's go." He said succinctly, turned around and led the way, but deliberately slowed his pace considerably.

Mashiro paused for a moment, looked down at the men's suit jacket she was wearing, then at Nanami's tall and composed back, and finally said nothing more. She wrapped the jacket tighter around herself and followed.

Chapter 10 Arrival in Sendai

Qi Haijian walked steadily ahead.

Mashiro, wrapped in his suit jacket, silently followed half a step behind. The jacket was too big for her, the hem almost reaching her knees, but it did a good job of concealing the tattered clothes and the injuries on her body.

The silence lasted for several blocks until Mashiro spoke first while waiting at a red light at an intersection.

"Mr. Nanami".

"Ok?"

"Get me some identification." She said calmly and casually, "An adult's identification, something that can be used for daily life. The name will still be Kujo Mashiro, and the cost will be deducted from my next payment."

Nanami didn't stop walking, but turned his head to the side, his gaze behind his glasses lingering on her face for a moment.

The green light came on, and he stepped across the zebra crossing, with Mashiro jogging a couple of steps to catch up.

"Reason." His tone was devoid of emotion.

"I need to go to Sendai. Right now, I can't buy a ticket or stay in a hotel, and I can't do anything." Mashiro's reason was direct and realistic: "I need an identity that allows me to move around normally, at least enough to get by."

“This is a forged document,” Nanami stated the facts.

“I know. So it’s a transaction. I pay and I bear all the risks.” Mashiro looked up at his cold, hard profile. “Once we have the documents, the source will be cut off. Even if something goes wrong in the future, it will only be traced back to Kujo Mashiro.”

Her words were clear and concise, which made Nanami fall silent for a few seconds.

"Why Sendai?" he asked again. "Is it a personal matter? Is it related to your family?"

You can't exactly say you went to find the main character, can you?

"...Both are possible, that's the answer." Mashiro silently wiped away her cold sweat and said ambiguously.

Could it be a fight over the family fortune? She's willing to risk her life for money; it's quite possible.

Qi Hai was lost in thought and didn't ask any further questions; his adult sense of propriety kept him there.

After crossing another intersection, the lights of a bus stop could be seen in the distance. Nanami stopped and turned to face Mashiro.

“Photographs,” he said.

Mashiro took out her phone, unlocked it, brought up the camera, and handed it to Nanami.

Then she took a few steps back from the lamppost, stood at the edge of the lamplight's glow, and took off her worn-out baseball cap.

Her silver hair was loose and blowing in the wind. She reached out from under her suit jacket and tidied her hair again. Then she raised her face and looked calmly at the camera with her red eyes.

Nanami raised his phone, aimed it at her, and pressed the shutter.

With a click, Nanami looked at the photo on her phone. The light was a little blurry, but the facial features were clear.

He handed the phone back, adjusted his glasses, and said, "Tomorrow morning, Shibuya Station East Exit, locker number 107, password 1123."

"Inside you will find a driver's license and a simplified resident certificate. The driver's license is a real blank certificate, and the photo will be replaced, but the resident certificate is a replica, and you have to remember the basic information."

"How much?."

"Three hundred thousand."

"Okay." Mashiro nodded, put her phone away, and put her hat back on.

Nanami looked at her, this girl who was covered in wounds but didn't care at all, and who forged documents as easily as buying a bottle of water, and finally just sighed softly.

"Get in." He raised his hand to flag down a passing empty taxi and opened the back door.

Mashiro glanced at the taxi, her fingers slowly stroking the back of her other hand, and softly said, "Thank you for this jacket..."

"Keep wearing it, return it to me next time we meet." Nanami interrupted her, "I've prepared a room for you, get some rest, and we'll set off again tomorrow."

Zhenbai paused for a moment, nodded, and bent down to get into the car.

Qi Guan closed the car door and gave the driver an address. The car window slowly rolled up, separating the inside from the outside.

Mashiro leaned back in her chair, tilting her head as she watched Nanami's figure rapidly shrink outside the window until it disappeared around the street corner.

Thank you, reliable adult.

This was the first time Mashiro had felt warmth in this world. She closed her eyes and unknowingly fell asleep.

......

The next morning, at the east exit of Shibuya Station.

Mashiro took a brown paper bag from locker number 107. She walked to a corner and opened it; inside was a laminated photocopy of a resident's certificate and a driver's license.

The photo on the license is of her, but her skin tone and features have been subtly altered, making her look much more mature. Her name is Kujo Mashiro, and her age is twenty.

Is this still Japan? Such fast efficiency! They're truly reliable adults.

While complaining, she arrived at the station, put Cong Yu into her instrument bag and carried it on her back, covering the exterior with her magic power so that at least the security check wouldn't be able to detect it.

At the Shinkansen ticket window, she handed over her driver's license and cash, "a ticket to Sendai."

The ticket seller checked her ID, glanced up at her, said nothing, and then went down to issue the ticket.

A few minutes later, she walked to the platform with her ticket in hand.

The train arrived at the station on time. She found a seat, put her luggage away, and sat down.

The scenery outside the window began to speed up. Mashiro looked out the window and drew circles on the table with her finger.

Yuji Itadori of Sugisawa Third High School in Sendai.

She recalled the plot of Jujutsu Kaisen; the original work didn't specify a date, only that it was this month.

She needs to get closer and observe Huzhang; at least she needs to know about it the night he bit his finger.

This was the first time since she came into this world that she had so actively approached a character in the story.

I'm a little excited. Although I don't know how her addition will affect the plot, as long as we follow the original storyline, there shouldn't be too much of a deviation.

"I want to see for myself just how strong that King of Curses really is." Mashiro thought, her heart pounding faster, and a smile involuntarily crept onto her face.

The train arrived in Sendai around noon.

Mashiro walked out of the station without stopping, opened her phone's map, and followed the navigation towards her destination.

About half an hour later, she stood outside the main gate of Miyagi Prefectural Sugisawa Third High School.

Faint bursts of noise and slogans could be heard from the campus.

Is it lunch break time?

Looking through the iron gate, Mashiro could see the outline of the teaching building, and in the distance, some students in sportswear were running on the wide playground.

Mashiro didn't approach, but instead walked along the street outside the school, observing as she went.