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

The doorbell rang in the early morning.

Mashiro opened the door, and Itadori stood outside, holding a lunchbox.

"You have a mission today, right?" Itadori handed over the lunchbox.

"Ten o'clock, Shinagawa." Mashiro took the document and turned to walk inside.

As Huzhang followed behind, changing his shoes, his gaze swept over the silver-white Murasaki sword on the knife rack in the entryway.

Mashiro opened the lunchbox, which was packed full of rice, omelet, and spinach with sesame seeds to accommodate her appetite. The miso soup was in a thermos.

The portion size was sufficient, but to be honest, it was a bit too Japanese-style, and I wasn't used to the taste.

But considering that I made it early in the morning and brought it to her, this slight inconvenience is a minor flaw that doesn't detract from the overall excellence.

Mashiro picked up the egg roll, took a bite, and slowly began to eat.

Huzhang poured himself a glass of water and sat down opposite her.

"Still partnering with Mr. Nanami?"

"Um."

"What is it this time?"

"Level 1, we'll know the specifics when we get there." Mashiro stuffed the last piece of omelet into her mouth, took a couple of sips of miso soup, stood up, and said, "Let's go."

Huzhang packed up his lunchbox and turned back as he walked to the door: "Come to the college tonight, I'll save some food for you."

Mashiro slung her violin case over her shoulder, then paused for a moment on the doorknob. "Hmm."

The door closed, and the footsteps in the corridor gradually faded away.

In Shinagawa Ward, a coastal industrial area, Nanami waits for her by the window of a coffee shop.

As Mashiro pushed open the door, the wind chimes rang once. Nanami looked up and nodded at her.

In front of him was a cup of black coffee and a latte.

Mashiro sat down, picked up the latte, took a sip, and found it a little bitter.

She quietly added three more spoonfuls of sugar.

Nanami pushed over a mission briefing, along with two photos taken at the scene through the window.

"Code name 'Tide Sound,' Level 1. Their area of ​​operation is the abandoned fourth warehouse area of ​​Shinagawa Port, on the seaward side." Nanami's tone was more cautious than usual.

"Its special features are water manipulation and sonic attacks. The underground pipes in the warehouse area are connected to the seawater, allowing it to move quickly using the pipe system. The two members sent out by Window did not return; they only sent back these photos."

Mashiro looked through the photos. The warehouse was flooded up to her ankles, and the walls were covered with dense cracks, as if they had been caused by something shaking from the inside.

"Sound waves." Mashiro repeated the word, her fingers lightly tracing the rim of the coffee cup.

"High-frequency vibrations can be amplified through water. Water control is not an attack but a medium." Nanami took out a piece of paper, which was the analysis report of the window. "The attack range is about thirty meters in radius from it. Any object containing water will be resonated by the sound waves, including the human body."

Mashiro put down the photo, picked up her latte, took a sip, and then put the cup down, the bottom of the cup tapping softly on the porcelain plate.

"The sign on the window says the curse energy has disappeared, not that death has been confirmed."

Nanami glanced at her: "The reports from the window are always conservative in their wording. But being missing for more than forty-eight hours is basically equivalent to a death sentence."

"That means they didn't find the body."

"Yes."

"Then we'll count them as alive." Mashiro stood up. "They might still be trapped somewhere. We'll find out when we get there."

Nanami didn't try to persuade her further. He had grown accustomed to the silver-haired girl's way of thinking; pessimism wasn't her thing.

He took a pair of special earplugs out of his briefcase and handed them to her: "These are to protect your ears. Wear these."

Mashiro took the earplugs and put them in her ears.

The world quieted down; unless you were very close, there was practically no sound.

The two walked out of the coffee shop. The air in Shinagawa was filled with a faint smell of the sea, which grew stronger as they walked south.

Mashiro followed behind Nanami, a few strands of her silver hair blowing in the sea breeze. She reached out and brushed them aside, her gaze sweeping over the rows of abandoned shipping containers and rusty cranes along the roadside.

The warehouse district is located at the southernmost tip of Shinagawa Port, with four rows of warehouses built right by the sea.

The first and second rows are completely abandoned, with collapsed roofs and corroded and perforated iron sheets. The third row has just begun to be demolished, with sandbags and steel bars piled up.

Mashiro stood in front of Warehouse No. 4 and looked down at the puddles at her feet.

The water wasn't deep, but you could feel the fluctuations of the curse power spreading continuously; these were traces of the cursed spirit.

"It just passed by here." She continued walking. "The water in the underground pipes is flowing, and it's moving faster than on the surface."

"So it already knows our location." Nanahata drew a short sword, its blade coated with magical energy, reflecting a blinding white light in the midday sun. "Open the door."

Mashiro pushed open the iron door of the warehouse.

The door hinges emitted a sharp, scraping sound that echoed repeatedly inside the empty warehouse.

Deep inside the warehouse, a huge humanoid silhouette, about three meters tall, could be vaguely seen.

Its body resembles a translucent jellyfish, with murky liquid flowing inside. A horizontal slit is split at the head, which is its mouth.

"Trendy Sounds"

Sensing the intruder, Chaoyin let out a shrill roar, the sound reverberating and causing ripples on the water's surface.

Mashiro sensed the cursed power within the water ripples. She didn't intend to dodge, but instead focused her cursed power to resist the impending attack.

The water rippled against my calf, and my muscles felt like they were being pierced by countless needles at once. The vibration spread upwards along my blood vessels, and I felt a sudden loss of strength in my knee.

Nanami moved quickly between the steel frames of the warehouse, stepping on a broken crossbeam to avoid the ripples in the water.

He frowned and looked down at Mashiro. The girl was standing still, the water already up to her thighs, her body trembling slightly in the water.

Mashiro instead took a few steps forward and began to fight back.

Click, click, click, the Dharma wheel above my head began to spin, and it spun faster with each ripple of water it absorbed.

"Again!" Mashiro drew her sword and charged at Shion.

The cursed spirit's mouth split wider, and the air inside the entire warehouse began to tremble.

Countless water droplets were shaken off the surface of the water and suspended in mid-air. Then, under the influence of the spell of the tide, they shot towards Mashiro.

Mashiro quickly swung her Rain of Rain, cutting off most of the water droplets, but hundreds of water droplets still hit her at the same time.

The clothes were instantly torn in countless places, large red bruises appeared on the exposed skin, the eyelids felt heavy, a dull ache came from the eardrums, and the internal organs were repeatedly squeezed by the resonant force.

She felt liquid churning in her throat, unable to tell if it was water or blood.

The Falun accelerated, and the crimson light in its pupils grew brighter and brighter.

She raised her right hand and pressed it against her chest, feeling her heart pounding in her chest cavity.

A normal person's heartbeat frequency is regular, but now her heart is synchronizing with the vibration frequency of the cursed spirit.

She is actively adjusting and can no longer feel the pain from the shock.

Nanami leaped down from the steel frame, his short sword slashing through the water where the cursed spirit was, attempting to interrupt its attack.

But the cracks in the water closed in an instant, and the magical power of the slash was dissipated by the water layer, failing to reach the core.

"It's not working, Kujo, it's back again!" Nanami shouted.

The second wave wasn't just a sound wave; it also included a water-controlling technique, with the emerging water droplets forming a water tornado that surrounded her.

The rapidly spinning water, carrying sand and iron filings, enveloped her entirely in the center of the whirlpool.

The water blades cut through the skin, sand and iron filings burrowed into the flesh, and sound waves acted directly on the bones through the water medium, sending a sharp pain deep into the bone marrow.

But it was too late; the Falun had stopped turning.

I've gotten used to it.

Mashiro opened her eyes.

The waterspout was still spinning, but neither water, sound waves, nor anything else could cause her any harm.

She raised her hand, and Cong Yu was drawn.

"Your technique," Mashiro grinned, each word clearly audible, "I accept it."

With a burst of speed, he passed through the vortex and appeared before the cursed spirit.

It wanted to make one last struggle, and its big mouth was preparing to launch a final attack, but a sudden jet of water hit it, interrupting its attack.

"It's over. Fall into eternal sleep."

The rain slashed down, cutting into the translucent body and tearing through its defenses. The cursed spirit's body swelled violently, countless bubbles bulging on its surface before exploding from the inside.

Water splashed high into the sky, but not a single drop landed on Shiro. It had learned both water control and sound wave techniques.

Tide Sounds - Purification.

The Murasaki Blade was burning hot, its light swirling, and the curse power of a level one cursed spirit was transmitted into Mashiro's body.

Mashiro sensed the changes within her body; her total magical power had increased significantly, allowing her to fully enter the realm of a first-level sorcerer.

There are some new changes that are not yet ready to be studied.

"The difficulty level is so-so, it doesn't really interest me." She looked up at Nanami and said, "I can handle the next level one mission by myself."

Nanami sheathed his sword, walked to her side, and looked down at the clothes she was wearing, which were riddled with holes: "...Do you ruin a whole set of clothes every time you go on a mission?"

"Add an expense to the next budget for clothing."

"I was just kidding."

"I'm serious." Mashiro sheathed Murasame, looked down and picked up the sleeve that was hanging on her arm with only a few threads connecting it. "This time, I need to wear an extra pair of pants."

"I'll talk to the window for you this afternoon." Nanami looked at the tiny, scabbed wounds on her arm and remained silent for a moment. She always learned something new after each mission; her learning ability was terrifying.

"How precise is the water control?" he asked.

"Judging from the water volume, that water sphere just now could form a needle. We'll have to try again for a larger one." Mashiro raised her hand, and the water on her clothes condensed into a water sphere. "We should be able to control more at the beach or in the rain, but we need to test it in real combat."

Nanami looked at the water sphere and asked, "Is it just water control, or does it also control sound waves?"

"Together, that cursed spirit can make water vibrate at high frequencies." Mashiro waved her hand, and the water sphere dispersed into mist, refracting a small rainbow in the sunlight. "However, I can only use it to control water for now. I still need to practice to achieve cutting."

"That's enough." Nanami pushed up his glasses. "On the battlefield, having more skills means having more chances of survival. Your learning ability is the strongest I've ever seen."

Masashi tugged at her dry collar and nodded with satisfaction. "At least it dried the clothes."

Nanami silently glanced at his still-dripping suit. "Is this service not offered?"

"I won't provide it; figure it out yourself. Reliable adults."

As she spoke, she looked around the warehouse and used a water control technique to drain all the water from inside.

The warehouse was restored to its original state, with an inspection door tightly closed beside it, but a flashlight lay fallen in front of the door.

"He's still alive. He must have been swept into the pipes," Mashiro said, walking over and crouching down, picking up a flashlight. "His magical energy hasn't disappeared; it's just been isolated by the water layer."

Nanami helped her push open the inspection door leading to the underground pipes. Behind the door was a staircase extending downwards, with the smell of seawater filling the air, and a faint response coming from deep within.

Mashiro turned to look at Nanami. "He's not dead yet."

"I'll go down." Nanami took off his suit jacket, folded it neatly, and placed it on the dry steps. He rolled up his sleeves. "You stay up here and provide backup. The pipe space is too narrow; two people can't move at the same time."

"Don't you need me to go down?"

"I didn't even have to lift a finger this time," Nanami said, then walked down the steps into the underground area.

Mashiro stood at the entrance of the pipe and watched him disappear into the darkness, then looked down at the flashlight in her hand.

Then he turned around and sat down, placing Cong Yu across his lap, and slowly drew circles on his lap with his fingers, waiting.

A few minutes later, Nanami helped a young man with a broken leg up from the pipe.

He was soaking wet, covered in seaweed and mud, and leaning on Nanami's shoulder for support. His face was pale but he was still relatively lucid. He paused for a moment when he saw Mashiro sitting by the puddle.

Despite his tattered clothes and wounds, he remained calm and composed.

This little girl, who looked about twelve or thirteen years old, also participated in the mission and experienced an even more brutal battle than him.

"Th-thank you." His voice was hoarse; he had swallowed a lot of seawater and was trapped in the darkness, so he couldn't speak a complete sentence.

Mashiro took the raindrop from his knees and put it back in his waistband. He stood up and looked at the simple splint on his leg. It seemed that Nanami had made it from below.

"Can you walk?"

"able."

"That's fine then." She nodded and handed him the flashlight. "I retrieved the flashlight for you."

The young man took the flashlight, bowed his head, and remained silent for a moment. "I thought I was going to die here."

Mashiro had already turned and was walking towards the warehouse door when she heard this. She stopped and looked back. Her red eyes gleamed slightly. "The message you delivered is very important. Go back and take good care of your injuries."

She continued walking out, each step leaving wet footprints on the ground.

Nanami helped the young man to sit down by the outer wall of the warehouse, took out his phone to contact the window to dispatch a support vehicle, and after hanging up, dialed Gojo Satoru's number to give a brief explanation of the mission's completion.

Mashiro, who was standing nearby, walked up to the vending machine and bought two cans of latte, handing one to Nanami who had just walked over.

Nanami took it and glanced at the label on the jar: "Sweet."

"The sweet ones taste better."

Nanami didn't say anything, pulled the tab and took a sip, while Mashiro leaned against the vending machine and slowly drank as well.

A sea breeze blew, lifting a few strands of her silver hair, which she brushed aside.

"Water control, sound waves," Nanami suddenly spoke up. "How many spells do you have now? Have you counted them yourself?"

Mashiro didn't answer with a specific number, saying, "I didn't count, just enough is fine."

"Enough." Nanami repeated the word, precisely tossing the empty can into the trash can. "But your learning method is too dangerous. You have to observe closely in battle every time, exposing yourself to the enemy's firepower. No matter how fast you understand, always being at the forefront and getting hit is not a long-term solution."

Mashiro glanced at him and said, "Don't you understand the mindset of the strong?"

"Fine, fine, I'm just being a loser." Nanami didn't continue the topic.

He recalled what Gojo Satoru had said on the phone and relayed it to Mashiro: "Gojo asked me to tell you that he wants you to demonstrate the abilities you've learned, and that he's waiting to see your mission report."

"Let him write it himself." Mashiro threw the empty can into the trash can. "Tell him that if he wants to see the demo, he has to bring the report in exchange."

After saying that, she turned and left, her back casting a long shadow in the midday sun.

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Since I update around 8 words every day, please leave some comments, dear readers. I don't want to write single-player games, meow.

Hope you enjoy watching!