The Cursed Spirit slowly approached Meimei, its lips curling into a grin as it savored the pleasure of its newfound power.
"Human, do your best to entertain me."
Boom!
The Cursed Spirit drove its legs into the ground, cracking it beneath its feet, then shot toward Meimei like a blur.
It clenched one fist, and dazzling lightning burst from it, a terrifying sight.
I hope the others get here soon.
Meimei gripped her axe and charged to meet it.
She had no choice but to grit her teeth and fight.
Clang!
The axe collided with the fist, ringing out sharply. Lightning blasted from the fist, and a single blow left half of Meimei's body numb.
The tremendous force sent her flying again.
She was no match for it at all!
Meimei's face had gone pale, and her breathing was slightly ragged.
Feeling the numbness spreading through her body, she knew that if she didn't run now, it would be too late.
She couldn't contend with her opponent, whether in hand-to-hand combat or any other regard.
"What's wrong, human? Is that all you've got? I haven't even started trying!"
The Cursed Spirit gave her no chance to catch her breath. Its lightning-wreathed fist came at her again.
Meimei could only use her axe to block its attacks while secretly activating her Cursed Technique: Black Bird Manipulation.
"Human, your hand-to-hand combat skills aren't bad. Hurry up and show me your Cursed Technique!"
The Cursed Spirit looked slightly unhinged. It had another hobby: observing other people's Cursed Techniques so it could refine its own evolution.
"My Cursed Technique is really weak. But if you want to see it, I suppose I can show you."
Meimei parried its attacks with her axe and grumbled.
If her Cursed Technique weren't so weak, why would she have trained so hard to develop such formidable hand-to-hand combat skills?
Still, though her Cursed Technique was weak, she did have a few tricks worth showing.
After one clash, Meimei quickly retreated and snapped her fingers. "Bird Strike!"
Whoosh!
A crow shot toward the Cursed Spirit's head like a bullet, moving at almost supersonic speed.
Sensing something coming from behind, the Cursed Spirit instinctively shifted to the side.
Bang!
The crow struck, blasting away half the Cursed Spirit's head with terrifying force.
If the Cursed Spirit hadn't instinctively turned its head, the attack would have blown its head clean off.
Meimei looked regretful. "So close. But this should make things a lot easier, right?"
She had great faith in this sacrificial crow attack of hers. If her opponent had been an ordinary Special Grade, it would probably have been exorcised by now.
Unfortunately, this time her opponent was no pushover.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
"Human! You actually managed to hurt me!"
The Cursed Spirit grew excited. Half of its ruined head quickly regenerated, and a cross-shaped lightning sword formed in its hand, made entirely of lightning.
The lightning rippling between its black scales shone even brighter, and its terrifying Cursed Energy made it hard to breathe.
"There's no point playing around anymore..."
Meimei furrowed her brows. Cursed Spirits were naturally good at regenerating, and this one was a Special Grade. There was nothing she could do.
Even if every Grade 1 Sorcerer came, it wouldn't help. Only a Special Grade could deal with this Cursed Spirit.
"Utahime! Fall back!"
Meimei darted backward, preparing to retreat. To hell with the money—staying alive came first.
"Human, where do you think you're going?"
The Cursed Spirit's towering figure appeared behind Meimei like a bolt of lightning. It raised the lightning sword in its hand, a cruel grin spreading across its face.
As long as she played with it, it might go easy on her. But if she tried to run, there was only one outcome.
"Meimei!"
Utahime's pupils contracted, and her heart skipped a beat. How could they possibly defeat such a powerful Cursed Spirit?
"Ah... I still haven't saved enough money..."
Meimei had no time to react. As she watched the lightning sword come down, she felt a pang of regret.
She hadn't saved enough money, but she'd probably saved enough for her younger brother to live on for the rest of his life. At least she wouldn't have to worry about him.
"Finally found you."
A figure appeared above the Cursed Spirit in a flash. He held the Special Grade Cursed Tool Play Cloud in one hand, the veins in his arm bulging like coiled dragons, and slammed it down at the Cursed Spirit.
"Hm?!"
The Cursed Spirit suddenly sensed danger and whipped around.
A crimson staff greeted it.
Boom!!
Its body had no time to react. It bent into a bow shape as the blow sent it flying into a high-rise, demolishing every building in its path.
"You almost became another young woman cut down in her prime. Are you all right?"
Shinsuke Zenin looked at Meimei, who could barely lift her axe, and asked.
"Phew... I'm all right for now. I nearly died. If they don't increase the pay this time, Jujutsu High and I are going to have a serious problem."
Meimei struggled to her feet, her body still tingling and numb.
"Meimei! Are you okay?"
Utahime hurried over and helped Meimei up, worry written all over her face.
"Utahime, don't worry about me."
Meimei leaned on Utahime's shoulder and reassured her.
"You two should get farther away. I'll handle things here."
Shinsuke Zenin looked at the Cursed Spirit rising from the rubble, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
He'd finally found a Special Grade—and not an ordinary one, either.
"Be careful! This Cursed Spirit is no pushover!" Meimei hurriedly warned him.
"So you don't have any Cursed Energy. No wonder I didn't sense you."
The Cursed Spirit emerged from the rubble as the mangled flesh on its head began to regenerate. After having its head smashed twice in a row, it was getting angry.
"A human without even any Cursed Energy. Have you decided how you want to die?"
The Cursed Spirit gripped its lightning sword and swung it hard. A bolt of lightning shot from the blade toward Shinsuke Zenin.
Boom!
Shinsuke Zenin casually swung Play Cloud and shattered the lightning.
"Another Cursed Spirit that looks down on people."
Shinsuke Zenin brought Play Cloud's sections together to form a staff, then shot toward the Cursed Spirit like a blur.
If he took too long to kill it, someone else might snatch it away. He didn't want to let his prize slip through his fingers.
"Hmph! At least you've got decent speed."
The Cursed Spirit snorted. Lightning burst from its body as it clashed with Shinsuke Zenin.
The two blurred figures collided again and again, each impact shaking the ground. They fought from the ground into the air, then crashed back down.
"Gulp."
"Meimei, should we help him?"
Utahime swallowed as she watched Shinsuke Zenin fight the powerful Special Grade on equal footing, stunned by what she was seeing.
So that aloof middle-aged man was this strong?
"How would we help? Your Cursed Technique wouldn't work on him."
Meimei rolled her eyes at her.
He had no Cursed Energy, so Utahime's support Cursed Technique wouldn't work on him. Meimei was injured, too, and couldn't help.
As for the Grade 2 Sorcerers and anyone below them, it would be enough if they didn't get in the way.
"Right, yeah."
Utahime came to her senses. The aloof man had no Cursed Energy.
"Come to think of it, isn't Kusakabe supposed to be on the same team as him? Why hasn't he shown up yet?"
"Ha... ha... ha... I finally made it!"
Just as Utahime wondered, Kusakabe arrived, panting heavily.
He'd sped here by car and then run the rest of the way. Seeing Shinsuke Zenin already fighting the Special Grade Cursed Spirit, he couldn't help commenting:
"Did Shinsuke-sensei fly here?"
"How are you two? Utahime, Meimei, are you all right?"
Kusakabe looked at the two women and asked.
"If Shinsuke-sensei had arrived one second later, you wouldn't be seeing us again."
Utahime briefly explained what had happened.
"Is this Cursed Spirit really that strong?"
Kusakabe watched Shinsuke Zenin attack with a grin, looking like a madman, while the Special Grade Cursed Spirit struggled to defend itself. He fell into thought.
"Come to think of it, isn't Shinsuke-sensei just trying to kill the Cursed Spirit?"
Did that really look like someone trying to prove himself, like the rumors said?
Before you continue