"…and that is the story of how Naohiro Zenin became the strongest sorcerer in history." An adult woman wore a small smile as she closed the book. "Whoa! Mom, do you think I'll become as strong as he was!?" The young Naoto practically started bouncing in excitement.
Naoto's mother and Naohiro's daughter, Mayumi Zenin, gave him a helpless smile. "Well, who knows?" However, her thoughts were different. 'It's better to wait for him to mature instead of crushing his dreams.' Her smile turned slightly sad, but faded as fast as it appeared. "Just do your best, Naoto."
The four-year-old Naoto stood up and raised his fist with a wide smile. "I'll become the strongest sorcerer in history!" He started giggling to himself, thinking about inheriting [Cursed Evolution] and using it to surpass his grandfather.
-
"The boy doesn't have a cursed technique and is completely average. Why should I waste my time training him? We have other, more important matters to attend to." Naoto's father, Minoru Zenin, glanced at Naoto and looked at him as if he weren't even a human. All he saw was a simple tool that proved defective and worthless. Just another Zenin clan member that will be used as canon fodder for the talented.
Slap
Minoru widened his eyes as he moved his hand towards his cheek in disbelief. "If you're going to abandon your own child, then fuck off." Mayumi looked at Minoru like a piece of garbage. "My father was right about you. You're just leftover garbage that spilled over from the previous Zenin clan. Now that we've had a child together, we can consider our arrangement concluded."
Before Minoru said a word, Mayumi slid the sliding door shut in his face, blocking his view of Naoto. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before turning around toward Naoto with a smile on her face. "Don't worry, Naoto. The Zenin clan might have returned to its ugly roots, but the legacy my father and uncle left behind will never die."
Naoto, at six years old, simply had a blank look on his face, his naturally tired eyes matching his current thoughts. He was always told he took after his grandmother, with her brown hair and a constant tired look.
It seems like they were alike in that they didn't have cursed techniques, but that didn't dissuade Naoto. Even as a child, he was well aware that their clan specialized in the Reverse Cursed Technique as well.
Shoko Ieiri became the greatest user of reverse cursed technique output of her generation. Naturally, her teachings were passed on throughout the clan, becoming a primary factor in what made a Zenin, a Zenin.
Even though the current generation of sorcerers is weaker, there have been more reverse-cursed technique users than ever. Although it still isn't cost-effective in battle, many still struggle with output. Only a select few sorcerers can use it effectively in battle.
After learning of his lack of an innate technique and average reserves, he delved into the realm of reverse-cursed technique. Even if he couldn't become the strongest sorcerer in history, he would become the greatest healer in history.
If one avenue failed, then he would simply follow another. Naohiro Zenin didn't get to where he was by sitting around and giving up when running into a wall, but as Naoto kept trying and trying, he found that it wouldn't be enough. He realized a simple truth.
He would become a sorcerer. Not someone standing at the peak, nor one who is destined for greatness. He would become a sorcerer like everyone else. So, after searching and searching, Naoto was left with a single question.
"Is there a single avenue in this world that can let me make a difference?"
When Mayumi ended her relationship with Minoru, she left the Zenin clan with Naoto and used the clan's funds entrusted to her by her father as a fresh start in the public eye. Mayumi ultimately decided to cut ties with the Jujutsu society, so Naoto wouldn't have to become another sacrifice to an old man's agenda.
This also meant Naoto enrolled in a public school rather than Jujutsu High. Mayumi would personally train him using everything she had learned throughout her time in the Zenin clan, making him strong enough to protect himself.
One might've been confused why Minoru didn't retaliate when Mayumi slapped him. The answer was that she is a grade-one sorcerer. Even with her cursed technique not surpassing her father's, the ability to adapt in a situation helped her rise to become one of the strongest new sorcerers.
Naoto poked at his food. "Mom?" Years passed, and Mayumi and Naoto had their own small apartment. She tilted her head to the side. "What is it?" But her eyebrows furrowed when she saw Naoto. "Also, stop poking at your food."
He stopped and put his fork down. "Can I become a sorcerer?" Seeing Mayumi's confused look, Naoto elaborated. "A real sorcerer. Not a simple purifier or soldier, but a Jujutsu sorcerer."
She rested her head on her palm and had a slight smile. "What made you ask this? Kids your age shouldn't be pondering the meaning of life." Mayumi chuckled. "And what have I always said to you?"
Naoto spoke the words he had heard his mother say countless times. "Just do your best." She nodded. "Does anything else really matter? Curses, sorcerers, nothing really matters in the long term. The only thing you can do is try your best. Be the best person you can be. Whatever that means to you is what is most important. After all…" She poked his forehead. "I'll always love you, no matter who you become."
He pouted in annoyance as he rubbed his forehead. "Can you please stop doing that?" She gave him a closed-eye smile. "Nah, it's always cute to see your reactions. Now then, eat your food, or it's going to get cold."
-
The next thing Naoto knew, he was sitting up, his hands bound behind his back, the same collar around his neck sealing his cursed energy. 'What a weird dream to have. Now of all times, to think about that.' He looked around. "Where the hell am I?"
"It would be stupid to answer that question, so I'll just say be quiet. Got enough trouble dealing with kids." A masculine voice spoke to Naoto's left. "Although a Zenin is gonna sell for quite a bit, especially if you've got that much cursed energy."
As Naoto was confused about how the curse user knew who he was, he felt that his wallet was missing. 'So he stole my wallet. Shit, that had my train pass.'
"You've got to be one of those traffickers who kidnap people with cursed energy, right?" Naoto spoke with a deadpan expression. The curse user's eyes narrowed as he couldn't read his expression. 'Is he hiding that he's scared, or…"
Naoto rolled his eyes. "Typical villain playbook. What's next? Are you gonna explain your master plan?" It was at that moment that the curse user walked over to the garage door and lifted it, revealing a rack of people in sealed bags with masks over their mouths, unconscious.
For the first time since waking up, Naoto's eyes widened. "What the hell!?" Seeing his reaction, the curse user continued. "Ran out of room for you, so you'll wait here while we transfer this batch."
Naoto's expression slowly turned back to normal, but there was still a small amount of sweat on his face. 'How do I get myself out of this situation? I can't use cursed energy, and even if I could, it would be tough to fight against a barrier user. Think Naoto!' He couldn't feel his watch on his wrist, so contacting outside help was out of the question.
"With all the talk about aliens, things around here are going to get a lot more interesting. I'll either have to quit or move countries." The curse user was speaking to himself, facing the bags of people. However, Naoto caught on to a single word. 'Aliens?'
Shaking his head, he continued to think, looking around the room, seeing various seals on the ground and walls. 'So it's not a domain. Remove the seals, and I can fight unhindered, but how do I remove them in the first place!? And that doesn't solve the issue of the cursed energy sealing collar.' Seeing Naoto's eyes darting around the room, the curse user had a slight smirk. "Thinking of how to get out? You think I would be stupid enough to allow you to wake up if I didn't think about how to prevent you from escaping?"
Naoto nervously smirked. "Any smart villain would keep their victim unconscious." Bam! Naoto was kicked in the face, tumbling to the ground. 'Ouch.'
The curse user's eyes and smile widened. "You do realize that I only need your cursed energy. Whether you can talk, or move…" Crack! The curse user put pressure on Naoto's knee and slammed his foot down, bending it in an unnatural shape. "AH!" A yell escaped his mouth before he bit down on his lip, forcing the pain down.
"Not so funny now that you have a broken leg, now are you?" The curse user said softly. His eyes narrowed slightly as he started to move his foot over toward Naoto's other leg. "Let's see if anyone is willing to help you if you scream."
"Screw you!" Naoto sprang up on his working leg and headbutted the curse user's chin, taking him off guard, sending him tumbling to the ground. "You wanna mess with me!?" Despite sending him flying, Naoto still had his arms bound and cursed energy sealed while standing on one leg.
The curse user scowled as he pushed himself up and put his hand on one of the talismans on the ground, causing him to vanish. Naoto's eyes widened as he was kicked in the stomach, sending him to the ground once more. "Bastard, that hurt!" However, when he looked at Naoto, he was shocked as Naoto started squirming toward him. 'What is with this kid?'
Naoto glanced upward at the curse user. "You want to break my legs? I'll use my arms. You break my arms? I'll use my teeth. I'm not just going to sit here and accept being treated as an object! I'm tired of it!" The curse user had a baffled look on his face. 'This kid has some serious issues…'
He continued with a detached look on his face. "I'd rather die than sit around and let you do whatever you want." The curse user's expression darkened. "Then you can die." His eyes turned serious. 'He'll be a problem as a product if he's this feral.'
Before he could get another word out, Naoto suddenly found a knife through his neck. His eyes slowly moved downward and saw that the collar had a talisman on the inside. 'He teleported the knife into my neck…'
Naoto's vision went blurry as blood poured from his neck. 'All my life, I've wanted to live up to the expectations that others had for me as the 'grandson of the strongest Jujutsu sorcerer,' but I never could.' The pain was unbearable, but he couldn't scream. 'I just wish I could've told mom goodbye.'
His eyes started closing.
"Hey Naoto, what do you think makes a true Jujutsu sorcerer?" Naoto tilted his head to the side. "Genetics?"
The black-haired adult gave a helpless smile. "Can't deny that being a factor." He held up two fingers. "In reality, there are two things that make a sorcerer truly strong. You could hammer these two ideas into every sorcerer in this era, and I doubt they would understand what it means."
At seven years old, Naoto furrowed his brow as the man continued. "It's actually really simple. It's greed and insanity." He put his hands on his knees as he smiled. "Every special grade sorcerer had these things in common. They wanted, they took, and they became. Not a single true Jujutsu sorcerer is sane."
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, showing veins along his eyes. 'Like hell I'm dyin in a place like this!' To the shock of the curse user, Naoto broke the bindings that held his arms and slowly stood up.
Despite his left leg being broken, the curse user noticed that it was slowly moving back into place. Not only that, but the knife that should've been through his neck slowly popped out as it fell to the side with a metallic clank.
What was immediately apparent was the physical changes Naoto was undergoing. The skin where the knife had been now shone with a metallic light, with the rest of his neck undergoing the same changes.
After his leg was put back in place, his left pant leg tore open as spikes appeared, with the rest of his leg showing an uneven texture like rocks.
"You might not understand it now, but there will come a time when you'll run into a wall. And when you face it, you'll understand what I mean. After all…" He paused and turned toward Naoto. "You're just like me."
All of this happened in the span of a few seconds, giving the curse user no time to react. A few seconds later, Naoto calmly tore off the collar on his neck. "I never understood what he meant back then, but maybe, just maybe, what he was trying to tell me was…" He looked back into the eyes of the curse user.
"Insanity."
His gaze caused the curse user to step back. "What the hell are you? That isn't reverse cursed technique, and you couldn't use cursed energy with the collar on…so how!?" Naoto had a wide, lunatic-like smile. "Who cares? What I do know is that I'm going to enjoy some payback~."
The curse user moved toward one of his talismans to teleport while holding a knife. "You're insane!" Naoto simply tilted his head to the side, keeping his wide smile. "Nah, I'm just a Jujutsu sorcerer."
After Naoto finished speaking, the curse user vanished upon touching one of his talismans, appearing in Naoto's blind spot. As he lunged the knife towards Naoto's heart, Naoto immediately spun around, lodging the knife in his arm with a squelch. 'A cursed tool…'
However, Naoto grabbed the curse user's wrist as his smile widened even further. "Gotcha bitch." Bam! While the knife was in his arm, Naoto sent a kick with his left leg to the side of the curse user.
The curse user tumbled to the ground, bringing the knife with him, but winced when he looked at his right side. There were various cuts from the new ability that Naoto demonstrated.
Naoto didn't let up as he sprinted toward him, trying to prevent the curse user from using any more of his talismans. Contrary to his expectations, the curse user was expecting it and shot his knife toward Naoto's stomach, but he simply smirked. "[Falling Blossom Emotion]."
Falling Blossom Emotion is one of the most fundamental techniques taught to nearly all Zenin, as it is an effective anti-domain and defensive technique. Simple Domain is still gatekept, making it a challenge to learn unless you have connections.
As he activated the technique, the cursed tool failed to make contact with Naoto's body and was shot aside, leaving the curse user wide open. With a crunching sound of breaking bones, Naoto used the same hardened leg to send a kick to the face of the downed curse user.
In the moment, the curse user reached for one of his talismans to teleport away, but Naoto grabbed the curse user's shirt with his left hand, pulling him away from the talisman, and raised his right arm, which was now covered in the same hardened substance that his leg was in.
In the moments before the fist landed on his face, the curse user had his thoughts racing. 'Isn't that the arm that I stabbed!? It not only healed but also became as hard as his leg!? What the hell am I fighting!?'
BAM!
Naoto giggled as his fist reached the curse user's face. "Hurts, doesn't it? That foot from earlier hurt too, you know!?" He was already raising his fist again when he realized that the curse user was unconscious, with a large bruise on his cheek and blood pouring out of his mouth.
His fist froze inches from the curse user's face, his wicked smile disappearing from his face. He sat on his knees, fist raised, when clarity returned to him. 'Shit, I was about to kill him. While he did try to kill me, it would be a waste to end him. If I can save a few more kids and people by figuring out what this guy knows, it's way more worth it than some petty revenge in the moment.'
Naoto eventually backed off and fell on his butt, exhausted by what had happened. Looking up at the wall of people and children, his eyes twitched, but he shook his head and searched through the curse user's belongings, finding his bracelet.
When he put it back on his wrist, Naoto felt off. His eyes started closing, and he felt sleepy all of a sudden. 'What is going on?' It was then that he realized he was completely drained of cursed energy and that his body had returned to normal, the only change being that it was healed. 'What a terrible time to run out of cursed energy.'
He tried to move his hands toward his bracelet to contact the authorities, but passed out before he had the chance.
-
Somewhere else, a white-haired teenager opened his eyes. He got up from his cross-legged position and stretched his arms. "This world sure is full of surprises. First aliens, and then another anomaly."
He yelled out loud. "Hey, bro, I'll be out for a bit! Hold down the fort for me while I'm gone!" Before he heard a response, the teenager brought his hands together and vanished from his spot.
Hearing the teenager's voice, a man ran into the room and found his brother missing from his spot. The man looked down as he was holding a steaming pot. "I just made spaghetti, and now it's going to be cold when he gets back." The man with two hair buns and a strange line tattoo on his face just shook his head. "No matter, I'll just make some more while he's gone."