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—OoOoO—

Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami

Oregairu by Wataru Watari & Ponkan8

Genre : Supernatural, Action, Friendship, Slice of Life, and Little Bit Romance

Summary: Not the romantic comedy of youth that he experienced, not the quiet and normal life of youth he had. He never missed his day-to-day cursing his strange and annoying life. He is Hikigaya Hachiman and this is all his complaints as a jujutsu sorcerer.

Chapter 32: Komachi Assassination 2.

—OoOoO—

Imaginary Image Processing was quite a unique domain. That was because Nanako's innate domain was shapeless and had no form. The inside was just a blurry picture. However, therein lay its uniqueness. With that vague innate domain, Nanako could manifest it into the real world through the scenery she took on her smartphone that had been imbued with cursed energy. In other words, the extent of her domain could vary, depending on her abilities.

As an old-style domain, the sure-hit effect on the domain would only occur if Nanako explained the rules or mechanics. Actually, it was very simple. A domain realised through a smartphone camera meant her domain was the camera itself, which could take photos in real-time. And Nanako could process the data by editing it to her heart's content using a smartphone.

At first glance, it sounded terrific. For example, if Nanako erased Komachi from the photo, would the real Komachi's life also be erased? Unfortunately, no. Photos taken by her domain were one complete data. If Nanako edited and deleted Komachi's image in the photo, that would be tantamount to sending her out of the domain. As such, the only thing she could do was edit Komachi's position.

If Nanako shifted Komachi's position in the photo, it would give the effect as if Komachi was thrown. If she shrunk Komachi's figure, the real Komachi would be pushed backwards. If she zoomed in on her target image, it would draw her towards it. That was how her domain worked.

Unfortunately, although Komachi was knocked over here and there, she could move her body to minimise the impact. However, when Nanako took out a full frame behind her, her target would be completely locked like she was doing now. The frame symbolised that the target must follow what was in the photo.

That was Nanako's absolute restraint. However, in exchange, she couldn't edit the photo like before, and what was locked was her physical body. So, the target brain could still function properly even though it couldn't send commands to its motor nerves.

—OoOoO—

"Just like that, huh?" Nanako said with a disappointed sigh.

The girl walked towards Komachi, who was kneeling down helplessly. Nanako knelt down, pinched Komachi's chin, and looked into her eyes for a few seconds. Not sure what was bothering her mind, she tsked and suddenly felt annoyed by the girl.

"Seriously, is that all? Am I expecting too much from you?" continued the gyaru girl, "You've a convenient technique, but this is all you got? If it was Master Geto, he could easily get out of this situation."

Nanako paused while tilting her head upwards. She took a deep breath and then let it out roughly. After that, she looked back at her target.

"That's why I called you spoiled girl. At your age, Master Geto already had better control over the cursed spirits he had tamed. But look at you, playing around with those monkeys while you should be able to use your powers for the greater good of jujutsu society!"

Nanako's gaze darkened as she looked deep into Komachi's eyes. Her image was clearly reflected in those clear black irises. However, the look in the assassin's eyes implied she was looking far into the past and longing for the missing figure in her life.

'Come to your senses, idiot! This girl isn't Master Geto or something! Nor will she ever be able to understand our suffering!' Nanako cursed in her heart.

The gyaru stood up. She took out a dagger that was sheathed at her back waist.

"It was a good fight, Hikigaya Komachi. But I expected more."

Before Nanako could draw her dagger, she felt something trying to break into her domain. The first impact felt like it caused a crack in the artificial sky inside her domain.

'What? Is it reinforcements? How did it get here? Is Mimiko all right?'

Nanako's worries peaked when she imagined the worst scenario that could happen. That made her forget for a moment to immediately execute Komachi. But it was only after the second impact was felt that the barrier was broken. At that time, Nanako could sense an existence trying to break through.

'This feeling… it's a cursed spirit!'

The cursed spirit quickly plunged downwards, forcing Nanako to jump several metres backwards to avoid it.

"Turbo Granny?" she said.

Nanako's domain was unique but had a fatal weakness. It took whatever form Nanako took using her smartphone and turned it into concrete data in the form of a photo. Therefore, if any other factors break into it, it would be regarded as a virus that injected the data and made the system unable to read it correctly.

That caused the sure-hit effect on Nanako's domain to be temporarily disabled. The system needed time to process the new data that had just been entered to work normally again. How quickly it could adapt to changes depended on Nanako's abilities. Unfortunately, she was still inexperienced in this field.

Turbo Granny quickly closed her distance from Nanako. She was surprised by the speed of the cursed spirit. However, Nanako could react by crossing her arms forward to minimise the damage.

A fast and heavy punch hit her. Luckily, she reacted appropriately, only sending her flying a few metres.

However, Turbo Granny didn't chase after her. The creature returned to Komachi's side quickly. The cursed spirit knew what to do without waiting for a verbal order. She picked up the still-limp Komachi in her arms. With the boosters on her feet, Turbo Granny shot up towards the hole she had previously made.

"That was pretty sick," Nanako said, annoyed, waving her hand.

The girl stared at Turbo Granny leaving. She tsked, annoyed and released her domain, and the sight returned to Komachi's school's original gymnasium.

Nanako thought her target would run away and immediately went to find help. However, a smile of joy crossed her face as she saw Komachi standing there with Turbo Granny beside her. Komachi's friends who had fainted, whom Nanako had previously kicked out from her domain, were nowhere to be found. It only meant Komachi had swiftly evacuated them as soon as she had left the domain.

"Nice. I'll be disappointed if you run like a coward, Hikigaya Komachi."

Meanwhile, Komachi wore a smile no less broad than her opponent's.

"Why should I? I'm sick of your ramblings comparing me to Geto, you know? And I take it personally."

Nanako only replied with a crooked smile. The girl looked hesitant to launch her next attack. Honestly, she was more curious about how Komachi could summon Turbo Granny even though her movements had been completely sealed.

"You're curious, right?" Komachi said in a mocking tone.

Komachi herself was also surprised to learn that Turbo Granny could be summoned automatically, even though she left the talisman that sealed her in the classroom. However, when she recalled her binding vow with her brother, she began to understand why it could happen.

"This isn't the first time I've become an assassination target. Unlike Geto Suguru, who kept the cursed spirits in his body, I kept mine using the special talisman I made. That sounds inefficient compared to Geto, but in exchange, I can arrange for my cursed spirits to be summoned remotely."

What Komachi said was partly true but partly a lie. Yes, she could indeed summon her cursed spirits remotely. But in this case, Komachi had never set up Turbo Granny to act like that. There was one condition that Komachi must agree to for Hachiman to allow her to keep Turbo Granny.

Hachiman didn't want Komachi to become so dependent on her technique that she would forget basic curse energy control and martial arts training. Because of that, Komachi was only allowed to keep Turbo Granny under one condition. She wasn't allowed to use it unless her life was in danger. It was a binding vow they made. That way, when Komachi was helpless in Nanako's domain, and she was about to kill her, at that moment, Turbo Granny was automatically summoned.

But it was also a bit of luck for Komachi. Because she couldn't be summoned at any time, Komachi kept Turbo Granny in her school bag, sometimes even forgot to bring it. Therefore, Nanako's domain effect didn't affect Turbo Granny's summoned.

"You bastard," Nanako cursed under her breath.

Something made Komachi feel odd. She couldn't stop thinking about Nanako's domain mechanics, that very different from what she knew.

'Domain Expansion should have a sure-hit and sure-kill effect, right? But hers wasn't lethal. Her sure-hit was troublesome, but it couldn't cause instant death.'

Komachi didn't know about the mechanics of the old-style domain, which she thought was foreign. Not wanting to take the risk, she took out a talisman but didn't immediately release the cursed spirit inside. She instead flew the talisman out through the gymnasium ventilation and let it float in the sky of her school.

The goal was simple. She wasn't sure about the strangeness of Nanako's domain. Even though she knew that Domain Expansion was a spell that could only be used once a day, considering Nanako had just cast it at the start of the fight, plus hers had no lethal effect, Komachi thought if it was possible Nanako could do it more than once.

Thus, by placing the talisman that she arranged to unsealed as soon as anything untoward happened, she wanted to repeat how Turbo Granny was able to save her from Nanako's domain.

—OoOoO—

Nanako dashed towards Komachi with a dagger in her right hand and a smartphone hanging diagonally across her chest. The girl understood Komachi's plan, which was why spawning domains would no longer be effective.

She slashed her dagger at Turbo Granny, who was trying to protect Komachi. However, the cursed spirit caught her hand. From the side, Komachi appeared and prepared to punch her, but Nanako was quicker to kick Komachi on the right side of her stomach. Still in front of her, Turbo Granny was ready to punch her, but Nanako paid her no heed. Even though a heavy attack would land, Nanako preferred to butt Komachi's head hard instead.

The little Hikigaya had to let her nose bone crack and forced her to take a few steps back. Meanwhile, Nanako flew several metres after getting hit by Turbo Granny. But she was quickly able to regain her balance.

'This Turbo Granny is more annoying than Hikigaya Komachi herself.'

Nanako had a lot of experience fighting a cursed spirit manipulator. She was taken to Geto Suguru's tutelage and deeply understood how a cursed spirit manipulator fought.

'Seeing how she relied too much on a special-grade cursed spirit, I'm sure I can take her down even without a domain.'

She saw Turbo Granny, who had arrived before her in the blink of an eye. The cursed spirit was about to kick Nanako, but the girl swiftly ducked down, so it passed over her. Nanako didn't waste the opportunity and charged forward with her dagger in hand.

She thrust her dagger into Turbo Granny's abdomen and ripped it horizontally to the right. The creature growled angrily, but to her surprise, it turned out that Komachi, hiding behind Turbo Granny, had caught her hand.

'This bitch disguised herself and let Turbo Granny take the hit just to catch my hand?' Nanako thought.

Turbo Granny, receiving an inner order from Komachi, started hitting Nanako on the head. The creature could land two heavy punches until finally, Turbo Granny landed a kick on Nanako's stomach, which was strengthened by a booster behind the cursed spirit's legs.

Nanako was thrown five metres before her body hit the gymnasium floor. And she swiftly thrust her dagger into the floor to increase the friction. She barely managed to stop herself from being sent flying, but her dagger lodged too tightly.

Not wanting to let her opponent gain momentum for her helplessness, Nanako gave up the dagger. She quickly dashed towards the gymnasium door and exited the building. Komachi didn't let her opponent escape. She ordered Turbo Granny to chase after her.

Komachi stood still and caught up with Turbo Granny to catch up with her opponent. However, she was several steps behind due to the massive speed difference.

Just as Komachi was two metres from the gymnasium door, a window near the door was suddenly shattered by a spherical shape the size of a baseball. It was a smoke bomb that exploded right when it hit the floor.

Komachi reflexively covered her mouth and nose and narrowed her eyes to adapt to the dense black smoke. Less than a second later, the window was utterly destroyed because Nanako had intruded. There was now a katana in her right hand, ready to be slashed at any time.

Taking advantage of her target's sight being blocked by the thick smoke, Nanako immediately slashed her sword at Komachi. However, the Hikigaya girl was swiftly able to take a step back to dodge. Unfortunately, Nanako's katana tip hit her, creating a deep cut in her abdomen.

Fresh blood splashed as the open cells split open in the incision line. Komachi winced in pain and held her stomach with her hand to suppress the pain.

'That girl… she didn't run away, but tricked into separating me from Turbo Granny and attacked at the right time? Moreover, did she leave her sword outside alone for this moment?'

Komachi immediately removed the Turbo Granny spell outside the gymnasium and reloaded it into the talisman. However, before that, she ordered Turbo Granny to release a burst of cursed energy. Nanako reflexively looked back as she felt a surge of energy from Turbo Granny. However, she tsked when she noticed that there was nothing there and that it was just a cheap trick Komachi used to distract her.

Seeing Komachi two metres before her with a slash in her stomach and a slightly dented nose, Nanako then darted at the girl. The distance was only about one metre. And a little more, she could draw the katana to Komachi's chest. However, what surprised her was a stone hand suddenly gripped her body from below.

'A cursed spirit? Since when?' Nanako thought, confused.

Nanako mustered all her strength to free herself. However, it was a cursed spirit that Komachi had strengthened using her cursed energy. In the first place, it was a semi-first-grade cursed spirit. It could hide its body in earth or stone, rock, and such objects with high perfection.

Komachi was sure a sorcerer of Nanako's class would have noticed if that cursed spirit had merged with the gymnasium floor. However, she anticipated that by giving an order to Turbo Granny to release a torrent of cursed energy into the air. Distracted Nanako was a good chance for Komachi to summon a new cursed spirit.

The density of the cursed energy released by Turbo Granny was enough to disguise the residual energy of the cursed spirit hiding on the gymnasium floor. And with perfect timing, Komachi caught and completely neutralised Nanako's movement.

Even so, the little Hikigaya didn't know how long it would last. It was an opportunity she had painstakingly created, and she didn't want to miss it. Komachi desperately pulled Nanako's dagger, which was stuck on the floor.

With a cold gaze, she thrust the dagger into Nanako's throat. It was an excruciating pain. The blonde girl vomited blood in response. A thick, fishy-smelling red liquid began to flow profusely from the cracks created by the dagger.

As if her adrenaline was dropping, Komachi's breath started to hitch. Her stomach was still bleeding, but it wasn't as bad as before. But still, the pain didn't decrease, and maybe even increased because the adrenaline that continued to squeeze her focus began to drop.

With a cold gaze, Komachi watched Nanako run out of breath from a dagger in her throat.

"It's your own fault for coming to me, you know?" Komachi said in a low voice.

With dogged determination, Komachi swung the dagger diagonally to the left. It didn't completely cut Nanako's neck, but it was enough to cut the girl's capillaries, so the blood flowed without stopping.

When she finished her job, Komachi immediately threw the dagger away and released the cursed spirit gripping Nanako's body. The gyaru girl fell helplessly on the gymnasium floor, but that wasn't what became her concern.

Komachi's hands shook. She couldn't stop it even though she had tightly gripped her hand. The vibrations in her hands seemed to spread throughout her body and made the girl shiver.

No, Komachi wasn't exposed to poison or other adverse effects. No, it wasn't something like that.

Since her brother returned to Chiba, Komachi had begun receiving frequent training from him. However, this was her first experience killing someone using her own hands. She knew it couldn't be helped, but it still left a bad taste in her mouth and stomach.

'I thought I would be fine, but it was worse than I thought.'

Komachi took a deep breath to calm herself down.

'Becoming a jujutsu sorcerer isn't just about exorcising cursed spirits. There are lots of evil sorcerers out there. I must get used to this feeling soon if I'm serious about pursuing this profession.'

Komachi wiped the blood dripping from her nose.

'This is even worse than when Turbo Granny slaughtered us.'

Her whole body seemed to be crushed. The bone of her nose that collided several times with Nanako's attacks gave her chafing pain. Even Komachi could tell that the shape of her nose bone was no longer symmetrical even though she couldn't see it. Moreover, the pain caused by the incision in her stomach was getting worse and worse.

As if understanding what its master was feeling, Ten-kun, the cursed spirit in the form of an inverted eggplant, wrapped itself around Komachi's shoulders, stroking the slime-soft surface of its skin against Komachi's cheek.

"Thanks, Ten-kun," said the girl with a faint smile.

Komachi turned and walked toward the gymnasium shed, where she had kept her friends safe. Even though she managed to overcome an assassin who was about to kill her, she knew the battle wasn't over. The curtain had yet to be lifted.

'But with my current state, I won't be able to continue fighting.'

Komachi walked weakly with heavy breathing.

"At any cost, I must seek help."

It was probably only three or four steps, either, Komachi wasn't sure. But certainly, she suddenly felt a sword stab her from behind and pierce her chest.

Komachi widened her eyes in shock. Drops of blood started flowing from her mouth without her noticing.

The pain caused by the stab was enough to drain her stamina drastically. With broken and feeble movements, Komachi looked back at the stabbing perpetrator.

"Y-you… h-how?"

It was a familiar figure who should have died a while ago.

"I'm Master Geto's disciple for a reason, you know?"

Reality often betrayed expectations. That was called life. Nanako, using the same katana, stabbed her in the back with a grin on her face.

"Lesson one, never turn your face away from an enemy unless you've confirmed its death."

After saying that, Nanako quickly pulled the katana out of Komachi's body. Not giving her target a chance to catch the breath, she turned Komachi's body so the girl was now facing her. Without further ado, Nanako thrust her katana into Komachi again, but this time into her stomach.

Komachi let out coughs of blood with trembling pupils. Nanako's hand holding the katana began smearing with fresh blood flowing from Komachi's stomach. That unlucky girl grabbed Nanako's shoulder to support her body, which was losing strength. Meanwhile, the gyaru just stared at her coldly.

"Now, how should I end this shit?" she said, thrusting the katana deeper.

—To Be Continued—

Author Note: Based on this battle, it could be seen that the difference in experience between Komachi and Nanako was really clear. Nanako here may only be the same age as Megumi, but her years as a criminal have really pushed her skills to great heights (It said she was born in 2002, but not a specific date. So I'll go with her in Megumi's generation). I'd say that her combat ability is on par with a first-grade sorcerer. The case is the same as Hachiman, their creativity carries their technique to that level. But her overall experience was lacking when compared to other adult first graders. As she said, she is Geto's pupil for a reason!

So, with that in mind, and noting that I'm not too keen on prolonging the fight when the difference is clear, the next chapter is the conclusion to this fight. How Nanako survived even though Komachi literally cut her capillaries, I'll explain in the next chapter. What is clear, what Nanako used was not an RCT.

That's all from me. Please support me by subscribing me to "patre0n.-com-/-akadaka" (please replace "0" to "o", and remove the "-".) I won't force you and I'm still continuing the story, although you don't subscribe to me. But it'll help me a lot. Anyway, see you and stay safe.

You can find chapters 33, 34, 35, 36, and 37 on my patre0n account.