Nobara and Eriri broke free from the suffocating, dark mire, finding themselves in a spacious but dilapidated activity room.
The walls were covered in graffiti and dried stains, scattered tables and chairs lay toppled, and the air was thick with dust and a faint smell of mildew. Several windows were boarded up, with only a grim sliver of light filtering through the cracks, barely illuminating the interior.
Nobara looked around in annoyance. "What kind of hellhole is this? That disgusting Cursed Spirit dragged me to this dump."
"Fat woman! Kato-san!" Eriri was more concerned about her companions.
She didn't care about the filth covering her, anxiously calling out, but only the echoes in the empty room and a faint, unsettling rustling sound from afar answered her.
"Stop yelling, they can't hear you."
Nobara calmed down, gripping her hammer tightly, nails clutched between her fingers.
"There's something wrong with the space in this cursed place, we've most likely been separated. Let's take care of ourselves first."
No sooner had she spoken than several distorted figures slowly emerged from the shadowy corners of the activity room.
They were three Cursed Spirits, each with a different form but exuding intense malice.
One was like a patchwork doll, covered in stitches and dripping black oil.
Another resembled a rotting child, dragging giant scissors.
And the third was like a bloated shadow, constantly shifting its shape.
They were all Grade 3 Cursed Spirits. Individually, they weren't much of a threat, but their numbers were enough to cause trouble for a novice like Eriri.
"Here they come."
Nobara's eyes sharpened, and she unhesitatingly hammered a nail into a nearby wooden pillar.
Resonance!
The nail established a connection with the pillar, and Cursed Energy fluctuations spread out, disrupting the movements of the nearest "doll" Cursed Spirit.
Nobara seized the opportunity to rush forward, her hammer whistling as it smashed fiercely towards the "doll's" head.
However, the other two Cursed Spirits lunged simultaneously. The rotting child swung its large scissors at Nobara's side, while the bloated shadow tried to envelop her from behind.
"Sawamura! Don't just stand there!" Nobara shouted amidst the chaos.
"Ah! Y-yes!" Eriri snapped out of her daze.
Despite her hands trembling from fear, she forced herself to concentrate. She recalled one of the most common applications of Jujutsu taught in Jujutsu High's basic class — Shikigami Talismans.
This Cursed Technique was scoffed at by Sukuna as a "commonplace trick," but as he evaluated, its advantage lay in its convenience, simplicity, and quick mastery, making it especially suitable for someone like her, who was strong in theory but weak in practice, adept at precise operations but lacking in close combat ability.
Eriri quickly pulled out several blank talisman papers from a special drawing board she carried. Biting her fingertip, she used her blood as ink, concentrating intensely, recalling the rune structures taught in class and the sensation of injecting Cursed Energy.
Her fingers outlined the talismans with astonishing stability and speed.
On the first one, with just a few strokes, a simple yet sharp canine outline sprang to life on the paper, the blood-red runes glowing faintly the moment they were completed.
"Manifest!" Eriri shouted, throwing the talisman forward.
The talisman spontaneously ignited in the air, and from its ashes, a translucent, canine-shaped Shikigami made of pale blue Cursed Energy roared and lunged out.
Though not large, it was agile, biting the arm of the "rotting child" Cursed Spirit that was trying to ambush Nobara, temporarily restraining it.
"Nice work!"
Nobara felt the pressure ease, smashing the "doll" Cursed Spirit backward with a hammer, taking the opportunity to disengage.
Encouraged, Eriri's face remained pale, but her fingers moved faster.
On the second talisman, she drew a soaring eagle.
On the third, the outline of a shield-wielding samurai.
"Manifest! Manifest!"
The eagle Shikigami shrieked and dove, using its talons and beak to harass the constantly shifting "shadow" Cursed Spirit, restricting its movements.
Meanwhile, the shield-wielding samurai Shikigami firmly blocked in front of Eriri and Nobara, enduring an attack of black oil spewed by the "doll" Cursed Spirit. Light flickered on the shield, significantly dimming but successfully defending.
"That's some good support, princess!"
Nobara's pressure greatly reduced, and her fighting style became more unrestrained.
She used scattered metal objects in the activity room as mediums for her "nails," continuously unleashing "Resonance" to disrupt the Cursed Spirits, while her hammer flew, accurately striking the Cursed Spirits' weak points.
"To the left! Eagle, distract it from transforming! To the right, doggy, bite and don't let go! Samurai, raise your shield high!"
Under Nobara's command and Eriri's increasingly skilled Shikigami control, the three Grade 3 Cursed Spirits were gradually suppressed.
Eriri found that while her Shikigami had limited strength and short durations, they could be remarkably effective in this coordinated battle.
She began to attempt more precise operations, such as having the eagle Shikigami feint to attract attention, the canine Shikigami attack from behind, and the samurai Shikigami move flexibly according to Nobara's position, providing cover or blocking attacks.
"Final blow!"
Nobara seized a momentary gap when the three Cursed Spirits were temporarily restrained by the Shikigami, fiercely hammering a special nail with spiral patterns into the ground.
Straw Doll Technique: Resonance! Maximum Output!
Centered on the nail, a powerful Cursed Energy shockwave erupted in a ring, instantly engulfing the three Cursed Spirits.
Under the Shikigami's restraint and Nobara's full-power strike, the three Cursed Spirits let out mournful wails, their bodies disintegrating like shattered pottery, turning into black smoke and vanishing.
"Hoo... Hoo..." Nobara leaned on her hammer, panting.
Eriri was also almost collapsed. Maintaining three Shikigami took a considerable toll on her Cursed Energy and mental stamina.
The Shikigami dissipated as the battle ended.
"Hey, blonde, you draw pretty well."
Nobara wiped sweat from her brow, looking at Eriri with approval. "Although the Shikigami are a bit weak, your timing and coordination are good. You have potential."
Eriri was too exhausted to speak, only managing a weak smile, but a glimmer of confidence flickered in her eyes.
So what if it's a common Cursed Technique?
If you can use it well, it's a good Cursed Technique.