JJK: Chapter 1/3

Chapter 1: What to Do If You Are Reincarnated into the Zen'in Family?

In 1996, Kyoto, Japan, a pickup truck slowly drove along a country road.

The driver hummed a tune, enjoying the brief tranquility of being away from the Zen'in Family.

In the cargo bed, a small head peeked out from under a black plastic sheet, quietly observing the surroundings.

"It's around here."

With that, the black plastic sheet was carefully lifted, and a child who looked to be only six or seven stood up, clutching a bag almost as big as himself, his gaze nervously fixed on the river under a narrow bridge not far ahead.

"3, 2, 1, jump."

Before the truck reached the bridge, the child hurled the bag out, then seized the moment to jump into the river himself.

"Pfft, cough, cough, good thing I learned to swim in college."

The child, named Eichi, was a transmigrator.

However, what frustrated him was that he had transmigrated into the Zen'in Family in Jujutsu Kaisen.

There were many hellish beginnings in Jujutsu Kaisen, and Eichi's was one of them, being reborn into the Zen'in Family without awakening a Technique.

Such people in the Zen'in Family had only two outcomes.

One was to become a servant with a status even lower than cattle, living a numb life.

The second was to rise up in rebellion, and then either the rebel or the Zen'in Family would disappear.

Situations like Toji Fushiguro and Maki Zen'in were extremely rare in the history of the Zen'in Family. If Naobito Zen'in hadn't been the most enlightened head in its history, the Zen'in Family would probably have been wiped out by Toji, and Maki wouldn't have even had a chance.

While Toji might not have been able to single-handedly destroy the Zen'in Family in a direct confrontation, his combat intelligence was exceptionally high.

First, assassinate Naobito, Ogi, and a few others. The rest would not be a threat.

The Zen'in Family driver who had been moving slowly just now was doing so for this very reason.

Who would want to return early to be a subservient figure when they could stay out a little longer?

However, this also gave Eichi a chance to escape.

After climbing ashore, Eichi found the bag he had thrown, changed into a clean set of clothes, and headed toward the suburban train station.

What remained of the large bag, after removing clothes and the thin blanket used for cushioning, was only a small shoulder bag.

It wasn't that he didn't want to take more, but his current body was too young, and bringing too much would severely hinder his movement.

Eichi needed to find a place to hide for the night, then take a train to Osaka tomorrow morning, and later find an opportunity to go to Tokyo.

The Zen'in Family's foundation in Kyoto was too deep, there were informants from the clan almost everywhere.

A year ago, his first attempt to escape resulted in him being caught and brought back in less than three days.

The reason was that the shop where he bought food was a Zen'in Family enterprise. After the owner reported him, two people quickly tracked his route and brought him back.

At that moment, Eichi deeply regretted not having learned anti-forensics in his previous life.

But the problem was, which college student would learn anti-forensics for no reason?

So he was kicked half to death by the people who came to catch him and taken back to the Zen'in Family.

If he hadn't just turned six at the time, still with the possibility of awakening a Technique, he probably would have died under the Zen'in Family's house rules.

Those of Zen'in are Jujutsu Sorcerers, those who are not Jujutsu Sorcerers are not human.

This was the philosophy the Zen'in Family had always believed in. Under this philosophy, for ordinary clan members without Techniques and power, the Zen'in Family was a true den of devils.

If he had been exposed to such a philosophy from a young age, Eichi might have become numb like others, but having grown up under an idealistic, revolutionary education in his previous life, he truly couldn't accept it. He ran away immediately after his mother committed suicide.

The experience of being beaten half to death after his failure did not make him afraid, it strengthened his resolve to escape.

In an abandoned shack not far from the train station, Eichi looked with satisfaction at the small house where he planned to stay for a night.

The house hadn't been abandoned for long. If cleaned properly, it could even be lived in long term.

More importantly, the train station was not far away, and next to it was an old residential area with shops and other facilities.

However, to be safe, it was better not to get close to the residential area.

Yet life is always full of surprises. Just as Eichi was curled up in a corner, preparing to sleep, a shocking sound came from outside the door.

"Is this it, Dairou?"

The sudden voice startled him.

"Yes, according to the Technique's feedback, that brat should be inside."

Dairou outside the house held a yukata, and the Cursed Energy emanating from it pointed to Eichi's hiding spot.

"How is this possible? They caught up so quickly?"

What Eichi didn't know was that his previous escape had already agitated the Zen'in Family's nerves. If he hadn't been a child, he might have disappeared from this world last time.

Having passed the age of six without awakening a Technique, his value in the Zen'in Family was very low, especially since this was not his first escape.

Therefore, the Zen'in Family had already decided to deal with Eichi as quickly as possible to uphold family law.

"Is that the yukata I wore during my daytime family lessons and chores?"

This is bad. Is it a Technique that can find the user through an item?

Although he had not awakened as a Jujutsu Sorcerer and could not see the effects of Cursed Energy, he knew a little about the bizarre Technique abilities of Jujutsu Sorcerers.

Technique, the peculiar power mastered by Jujutsu Sorcerers in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen.

A Jujutsu Sorcerer's Technique is basically innate and almost impossible to comprehend through acquired training or other means.

Therefore, it is called an Innate Technique.

However, almost impossible does not mean completely impossible. There are ways to acquire acquired Techniques in this world, such as Yuji Itadori.

Of course, some people do not have Techniques but rely on Cursed Energy and learned skills to exorcise Cursed Spirits.

A representative figure is Kusakabe of Shinkage-ryu.

Additionally, Barrier Techniques and some Shikigami-manipulating Techniques can also be acquired.

In this world, possessing an Innate Technique does not mean one can use it. One also needs a brain capable of using the Technique.

In the original work, Yoshino Junpei possessed both a Technique and Cursed Energy, but he did not have the brain structure to use the Technique.

Therefore, Junpei could not use his Technique until Mahito used Idle Transfiguration to alter his brain structure.

Cursed Energy is derived from a Jujutsu Sorcerer's own negative emotions. Sorcerers need to constantly train to extract and accumulate Cursed Energy from negative emotions, and to maintain stable output during combat.

Perhaps this is why Jujutsu Sorcerers in this world are relatively insane.

Even the power they use is so negative. It is not surprising that people go mad.

"Damn it, with such a useful ability, go be a policeman. Why be a dog for the Zen'in Family?"

Eichi said angrily.

With a push of his hands, he quickly got up, grabbed the small bag next to him, and ran toward the window.

"You brat, still trying to run? Because of you useless trash, I have to work overtime again."

Seeing Eichi running toward the back of the house through the front window, Yota said angrily.

There was a saying: when the strong are angry, they brandish their swords at the stronger; when the weak are angry, they brandish their swords at the weaker.

Yota was such a person, and not only Yota, but Naoya and others who later bullied Maki and Mai were all such people.

Under the influence of the Zen'in Family's twisted philosophy, everyone was assigned their own class, and Eichi, orphaned and without an awakened Technique, was undoubtedly at the very bottom.

As Yota broke through the door, Eichi kicked a box in the corner toward his face.

"You bastard."

"Ah, I'll kill you."

The box contained the dust and gravel Eichi had swept up while cleaning the room earlier. Since there was no trash can, he had put it in the box. Now it unexpectedly served a good purpose.

While Yota and Dairou were blinded by the sand and gravel, Eichi quickly climbed out the back window and ran toward the bridge that crossed the train tracks.

Running over this bridge would lead to a densely populated residential area. Then he could use the people there to block Yota and Dairou. After that, he would take it one step at a time. If he couldn't shake off his pursuers, there would be no after that, he would surely be thrown into a pile of Cursed Spirits as a warning to others.

Discarding the distracting thoughts in his mind, Eichi ran at full speed, with Yota and Dairou rapidly closing in behind him.

Just as he was about to descend the bridge, three figures came into view.

"Are there reinforcements?"

Eichi panicked. Two behind him, and three in front. He felt doomed.

Gritting his teeth, he looked ahead with determination, intending to make a final stand. It was then that he saw clearly the appearance of the three in front.

A white-haired child with sky-blue eyes like the sky, and two burly men with amiable expressions, like bodyguards.

"Gojo Satoru?"

Just as Eichi was surprised, a strange force enveloped all six people present.

[The Host has entered the Lostbelt.]

[Strongest Lostbelt System activated.]

[Detecting Lostbelt information, error. Error. Error.]

[Restarting information detection.]

(To be continued.)

Chapter 2: The System Comes, The System Goes

Tick

Tick

Everything around them was suddenly enveloped in darkness. The dim lights on the bridge became the only source of illumination. Strange sounds came from the stairs on the far side of the overpass, like stones clattering across the ground.

Tick

Tick

"Hey, Yota… Yota, this couldn't be, could it?"

Dairou, standing in the middle of the overpass, trembled as he looked at the bridge that had been swallowed by darkness.

A moment ago, they could still see the twinkling stars in the sky, the brightly lit residential area not far away, and the tracks stretching into the distance beneath the bridge.

Now everything was shrouded in darkness. Everything beyond the overpass seemed to have vanished.

No, it was not that everything outside had disappeared, it was them.

"Ah, Dairou, this is a Domain."

Yota swallowed hard, his voice shaking as he spoke the answer Dairou least wanted to hear.

As Jujutsu Sorcerers from the Zen'in Family, both were well-versed in jujutsu, and precisely because of that, they felt such despair.

"Damn it, it's all your fault, you brat. I'll kill you."

Knowing survival was hopeless, yet not daring to attack a Special Grade Cursed Spirit capable of deploying a Domain, Dairou directed all his anger at Eichi.

It is like this again. This was common in the Zen'in Family.

People like Dairou, with little status, were bullied by those deemed important. Then they vented on those lower than themselves, such as Eichi. Not only Eichi, but Toji, Maki, and Mai had all been victims of this custom in their childhood.

Eichi glanced at Yota and Dairou, their faces filled with fear, then returned his attention to the System that had just activated.

He had been filled with despair upon hearing the word Domain, but the sudden activation of the System reignited his hope.

[Strongest Lostbelt System activated]

[Detecting Lostbelt information, error. Error. Error.]

[Restarting information detection, comparing database]

The harsh error tones left him at a loss.

Shouldn't the System activate and then let him descend like a Heavenly God to manifest before mortals? Why did it keep reporting errors?

System, please hold it together, otherwise I am done this time.

As Eichi focused on the System's detection progress, Dairou in the middle of the overpass could no longer endure the terror and started toward him.

"Damn brat, how dare you ignore me."

Dairou stepped forward in anger, intending to lay hands on Eichi, as if that could dispel his fear.

The next moment, the surroundings shifted and he could not breathe.

"Ugh, ugh."

Clutching desperately at the rope around his neck, Dairou found himself hanging from the overpass.

"Woo—"

A train approached. Blinding lights filled his vision. In his terrified gaze, the train plowed through him, turning everything below his waist into a bloody mess.

"Ah!"

Since the major organs are concentrated in the upper half of the body, Dairou did not die immediately. He endured intense pain.

At the same time, Satoru and the others at the edge of the overpass finally saw the Cursed Spirit's full appearance.

It was a female Cursed Spirit with a broken right arm and only an upper body. The continuous teke, teke sounds were the Cursed Spirit's severed spine striking the ground as she crawled.

"How is this possible? The intel said the Half-bodied Vengeful Spirit was a Grade 2 Cursed Spirit. Why can it deploy a Domain?"

The two bodyguards beside Satoru immediately activated Falling Blossom Emotion, working together to protect Satoru, the Gojo Family's heir, within its range.

They had originally accompanied Satoru to practice. The target, the Half-bodied Vengeful Spirit, was a Grade 2 Cursed Spirit selected by the Gojo Family from higher-up intel.

Imaginary Cursed Spirit: Half-bodied Vengeful Spirit.

The urban legend that gave rise to this Cursed Spirit mainly has two versions. In one, a girl accidentally fell while walking past train tracks and was run over by a train, severed in two, later becoming a Half-bodied Vengeful Spirit seeking revenge on the driver.

In the other, a girl, after long-term school bullying, ultimately committed suicide. While hanging herself on an overpass, a passing train mangled her lower body and she died in agony.

Later, this girl transformed into a Half-bodied Vengeful Spirit, posing questions to people crossing the overpass. If they answered incorrectly, she used a scythe growing from her broken right arm to cut them in half at the waist, then tortured them to death.

According to intel, this Cursed Spirit was Grade 2, and its attack method was simple physical strikes with a scythe, unable to penetrate Limitless. For Satoru, it was a suitable practice target.

"Is this a Domain?"

Unlike the tense bodyguards, Satoru stared curiously at the darkness-shrouded Domain with his Six Eyes, which resembled the vast sky.

As Dairou in the middle of the bridge died, Yota was quickly strung up on the overpass as well.

"Hey, did you figure anything out?"

"Ah, the opponent is indeed the Half-bodied Vengeful Spirit from the intel. The Domain's attack method is clear."

"Hmm, both of those people on the bridge had ropes suddenly thrown around their necks, then were flung from the overpass to look like hangings, and finally were hit by a train and split in two."

"Do you have confidence?"

Hearing this, the man looked hesitantly at Satoru, who stood protected between them.

His companion immediately understood.

If Satoru were not here, with two Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerers who had mastered Falling Blossom Emotion, they would have a chance to exorcise a Half-bodied Vengeful Spirit that had reached Special Grade. But if one person had to be split off to protect Satoru, then... after all, there are differences among Special Grades. Not every Cursed Spirit is a disgrace to the category.

The most important thing now was to ensure Young Master Gojo's safe departure.

They quickly reached the same conclusion.

At that moment, Satoru spoke.

"Interesting, is this the Technique that can kill the Six Eyes?"

Startled, the two followed Satoru's gaze to the child they had already assumed could not survive.

Time rewound to a few minutes earlier.

[Data comparison complete. Current world code name: Jujutsu Kaisen.]

[Destination error detected. Searching for solution.]

[Search complete. System will re-locate Lostbelt position.]

[System is about to unbind. Compensation will now be given to Host according to System Rule 173.]

[Activating Enhancement Function. Host's physical attributes and talent are being enhanced to peak level.]

Eichi felt intense heat flood his body. His exhaustion vanished, and even his mental fatigue dissipated. He felt refreshed, as if he had been waking naturally for several days.

At the same time, peculiar information flowed from his shadow.

It sounded like a dog's bark, yet also like a wolf's howl.

Ten Shadows Technique.

Eichi was ecstatic, the corners of his mouth curling up.

[Enhancement successful. Assigning Technique.]

[Error. The Law of this world dictates that a mortal can only possess one Innate Technique. Searching for a solution.]

[Search complete. Command Seals inscribed. Holy Grail being issued.]

[Congratulations. Host has obtained an external Technique, Imaginary Foundation: Holy Grail.]

[System compensation has been issued. Unbinding now. Wishing Host a pleasant transmigration.]

From now on, I can enjoy life.

Reading the System text and absorbing the external Technique's information, Eichi could not suppress his smile.

At this moment, he finally possessed the qualifications to control his own destiny.

He raised his hands and formed a mudra. A crimson Command Seal dissolved, transforming into a vast surge of Cursed Energy that swelled until it felt like his body would burst.

"Furube, Yurayura, Yatsuka no Tsurugi, Ikaishinshō Makora!"

A sacred yet terrifying figure emerged from his shadow.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 3: Demonic Void

"Furube, Yurayura, Yatsuka no Tsurugi, Ikaishinshō Makora!"

As Eichi's voice faded, a tall figure emerged from the shadows stretched by the streetlights.

The figure had a floating halo above its head, no eyes, four small wings on either side, and a tail like an insect's abdomen at the back of its head.

Its physique was very tall and robust. Comparing himself to it, Eichi realized Mahoraga might be four or five meters tall.

On its right arm was a simple arm blade, yet the aura it exuded gave an indescribable sense of holiness.

It was the Sword of Exorcism, specifically designed for Cursed Spirits.

Eichi leaped back several steps and hid behind Mahoraga. At that moment, after Yota Zen'in's death, the Half-bodied Vengeful Spirit's gaze fixed on Mahoraga.

From his observations just now, Eichi realized the Half-bodied Vengeful Spirit selected its attack targets based on their distance from the center of the overpass to the sides. Therefore, standing behind Mahoraga, he was no longer the target. Mahoraga, closer to the center, was.

A somewhat crazed smile appeared on Eichi's lips.

He noticed the Half-bodied Vengeful Spirit was trembling.

"Hahaha, so Cursed Spirits can be afraid too. Get rid of her, Mahoraga."

The second Command Seal on the back of his hand vanished.

Under the effect of the Command Seal, Mahoraga first locked its target onto the Half-bodied Vengeful Spirit prostrate on the ground.

Mahoraga pushed off with its feet, shattering the ground. Its massive body shot toward the Half-bodied Vengeful Spirit like a cannonball.

The next moment, ropes appeared out of thin air, snaring Mahoraga's neck and hanging it from the overpass.

"Woo—"

A familiar sound rang out as the train sped toward Mahoraga, which was hanging from the overpass.

Boom. Sizzle.

The train crashed into Mahoraga's colossal body, and the Domain turned into a car accident scene.

Mahoraga's powerful defense meant that while the train injured it, it did not completely break its body like it had broken Yota Zen'in's.

Instead, the train twisted and deformed from the impact, eventually derailing.

The halo on Mahoraga's head rotated, and its injuries rapidly healed.

At the same time, two pieces of information appeared in Eichi's mind.

One was that Mahoraga had adapted to and broken free from the ropes around its neck, and the other was its prioritizing adaptation to and breaking free from the train's impact when it was hit.

While Eichi was happy, a hint of worry appeared in his heart.

He was happy because he knew this was stable now. The Half-bodied Vengeful Spirit was no match for Mahoraga.

The worry was that Mahoraga had also listed the Command Seals as something it needed to adapt to, but because it was currently in battle, the priority was not high.

The Command Seal's command effect was judged by Mahoraga as an attack from Eichi, its tamer, on Mahoraga.

Damn it, if I had gotten the System earlier, I could have used three Command Seals to order Mahoraga to commit suicide.

If he directly ordered Mahoraga to commit suicide now, during the short period of time it took to re-summon it after disappearing, the Half-bodied Vengeful Spirit would target him.

He could not withstand the Half-bodied Vengeful Spirit's attacks.

Similar to Yuta Okkotsu, the external Technique Eichi obtained was a summoning and shikigami-controlling Technique activated through the Holy Grail placed within his body.

However, the original Heroic Spirit summoning, after being assimilated by this world, transformed into summoning imaginary Heroic Spirits.

Imaginary Cursed Spirits required a sufficient degree of recognition to be generated, which meant Eichi needed to ensure that the Heroic Spirits he wished to summon had enough recognition before he could summon them as imaginary Cursed Spirits.

This greatly frustrated him, since he had originally intended to directly summon Heroic Spirits to protect and care for himself.

After localization, the Holy Grail's operation was tied to the Cursed Energy system, and the Cursed Energy system was only active in Japan. Coupled with the fact that the legends of Heroic Spirits in the Type-Moon world differed from this world, Eichi had to find a way to collect imaginary concepts related to the Heroic Spirits from the Type-Moon world.

Fortunately, after the System's modification, the Command Seals could affect not only Heroic Spirits but also the shikigami he summoned through the Ten Shadows Technique.

After all, Command Seals originally evolved from magic used to control familiars, and the shikigami summoned by the Ten Shadows Technique were also familiars.

Bang.

With its body restored, Mahoraga grabbed the edge of the overpass, used it to propel itself in a large jump, and landed heavily in front of the Half-bodied Vengeful Spirit. Amid her terrifying screams, ropes once again flung it from the overpass.

"Woo—"

The train approached again, but this time, it failed to cause any damage to Mahoraga.

The halo on its head rotated once, and Mahoraga jumped back in front of the Half-bodied Vengeful Spirit.

Eichi knew that this time, Mahoraga had adapted to the rope's restraint.

Sure enough, when the ropes reappeared, they failed to constrict Mahoraga, only pulling off one of its wings.

This was not because Mahoraga lacked a better way to harmlessly break the rope attack, but because this was more efficient, deflecting the opponent's attack at minimal cost.

A more sophisticated method would require more time.

Moreover, it was just a head wing. It recovered to its original state in less than a second.

Mahoraga walked up to the Half-bodied Vengeful Spirit and raised the Sword of Exorcism in its right hand high.

"Ah ah ah!"

The Half-bodied Vengeful Spirit let out a piercing scream. Cursed Energy, like blood, gushed from the severed part of her right arm, forming a giant blood scythe.

"Ah ah ah!"

She plunged the blood scythe into Mahoraga's waist, intending to cut it in half. But before the scythe struck, the Sword of Exorcism in Mahoraga's right hand had already slashed into her body.

The Sword of Exorcism carried positive energy, similar to Reverse Cursed Technique. Even a Special Grade Four Calamities would die instantly if directly hit.

With a tragic shriek, the body of the Special Grade imaginary Cursed Spirit, the Half-bodied Vengeful Spirit, began to turn to ash.

Clatter. To Eichi's surprise, a dark red, shriveled finger fell to the ground.

"Why is Sukuna's finger here?"

Eichi picked up the finger from the ground, puzzled.

So that is it. That is why this Cursed Spirit, despite being very strong, felt a bit unintelligent.

He had been puzzled before, because this Cursed Spirit was too mindless. Although highly intelligent Cursed Spirits were rare, those that could open a Domain usually had some intelligence, especially since this Half-bodied Vengeful Spirit had not had her intelligence erased by Suguru using Cursed Spirit Manipulation.

In the story, even a Grade 3 Cursed Spirit knew to threaten Nobara with a child, and a few advanced Cursed Spirits, apart from the Four Calamities, could manage simple communication.

The Half-bodied Vengeful Spirit was Special Grade, yet she had been charging blindly all along.

Upon seeing Sukuna's finger, Eichi understood. This was a Special Grade Cursed Spirit catalyzed after consuming Sukuna's finger.

"Hey, tell me your name before you die."

As he pondered, Satoru, who had been standing at the edge of the overpass, walked up behind him.

"Eichi. Also, who said I was going to die?"

Eichi initially thought Satoru was going to eliminate him, his competitor, right here, but then decided Satoru was not that kind of person.

"That thing is still there, you know."

Satoru pointed to Mahoraga, which was watching from the side, then pointed to the two bodyguards behind him.

"I asked them just now, no one here can handle that thing. Or are you saying you can get rid of it?"

Satoru's face was full of curiosity.

As a Six Eyes user who grew up surrounded by countless people, Satoru had always been learning and training his Six Eyes. Naturally, he knew about this Technique that had once killed a Six Eyes user.

The strongest shikigami in the Ten Shadows Technique, Mahoraga, which had never been tamed and was treated by the Zen'in Family as a last resort for mutual destruction.

Eichi's mouth twitched.

"No need to worry."

A Command Seal flashed on his right hand, hidden behind his back, and Mahoraga began to disappear.

Feeling that Mahoraga's adaptation progress to the Command Seals had increased significantly, Eichi also felt a bit helpless.

"Oh."

Satoru's eyes widened, and the two bodyguards behind him looked astonished.

"You have already tamed Mahoraga?"

"Not completely tamed yet."

"How did you do it?"

...It is a secret.

Was Satoru already so lacking in boundaries at such a young age? No, it seemed like he never understood what boundaries were.

Gurgle.

A sound came from Eichi's stomach.

Having not eaten dinner, and after running and fighting, Eichi felt like he could eat three large steamed buns right now.

Oh, it is rice balls here.

"Let's go eat something together."

"Alright, but not in Kyoto."

"Why not?"

"Too many Zen'in Family dogs there."

"No problem, come with me."

Just as the group left, an old man with stitches on his head appeared at the center of the overpass.

"Interesting. Although it was just a hopeless attempt, I unexpectedly saw something interesting."

The old man cleared the residual Cursed Energy from the scene, then turned to leave.

(To be continued.)