Chapter 1: A New Beginning
The void was endless.
That was the first thing I noticed—not darkness, not light, just... nothing. An absence so profound it felt like existing and not existing simultaneously. I couldn't feel my body, couldn't hear my heartbeat, couldn't even sense the passage of time. Was I dead? The question floated through my consciousness like a leaf on still water.
I must be, I thought. The last thing I remembered was the screech of tires, the blinding headlights, and then... this.
"Interesting."
The voice came from everywhere and nowhere, resonating through the void with a quality that made me think of ancient things, of concepts too vast for human comprehension. If I'd had a body, I would have jumped. Instead, my awareness simply... shifted.
Before me—or what I perceived as before me—a figure coalesced from the nothingness. It wasn't exactly a person, more like the idea of a person, constantly shifting between forms. One moment an old man with kind eyes, the next a young woman with an enigmatic smile, then something incomprehensible that made my mind skitter away from direct observation.
"What are you?" I managed to think.
"I have many names," the entity said, its voice carrying an undertone of amusement. "Random Omnipotent Being, God, Fate, The Universe's Janitor—that last one is a personal favorite. But you can call me ROB. It's simpler."
"Am I dead?"
"Very much so," ROB confirmed. "Truck-kun got you. Classic, really. Almost cliché at this point."
I felt... nothing, really. My life had been ordinary. Unremarkable. I'd existed, gone through the motions, and now it was over. No great loss to the world.
"I can sense your apathy," ROB said, sounding almost amused. "Which brings me to why I'm here. You see, souls like yours—ones that died with unfulfilled potential—sometimes catch my attention. Call it cosmic boredom, call it benevolence, but I'm offering you a chance."
"A chance?"
"Reincarnation," ROB said simply. "But not just any reincarnation. I'm giving you the opportunity to live in another world, one you're familiar with from your previous life. The world of Jujutsu Kaisen."
Now that got my attention. Jujutsu Kaisen? A world of curses, sorcerers, and supernatural powers? That was infinitely more interesting than my mundane previous existence.
"I'm listening," I said.
"I thought you might be," ROB said with a chuckle. "Here's the deal—I'm granting you three wishes to help you along. Within reason, of course. No omnipotence, no reality-warping on a universal scale, nothing that would break the fundamental rules of that world. But otherwise? Your choice."
Three wishes. I didn't need to think long. In the JJK world, everything ran on cursed energy. The more you had, the more you could do, the longer you could fight, the stronger you'd be.
"First wish," I said. "I want massive cursed energy reserves. More than Sukuna—if he has twice the cursed energy of Yuta Okkotsu, then I want three times Yuta's reserves."
"Ambitious," ROB said, sounding pleased. "You want the fuel to power whatever path you choose. Granted."
I felt something shift inside whatever I was now, like a vast reservoir had opened up within me.
"Second wish," I continued. "I want an ability like Great Sage from That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, but specialized for this world. Three functions—thought acceleration up to a thousand times, assistance with cursed energy control and incantations, and a status display showing my condition and progress."
"A support ability," ROB mused. "Practical. However, such an ability will have limitations. If you're using it to manage your cursed energy, that will consume most of its processing power. You'll have to choose how to allocate its functions."
"That's fine," I said. I wanted power, not a crutch. "I'll learn to handle things myself eventually."
"Very well. Granted."
Something clicked into place in my mind, like new software installing itself.
"Third wish," I said. "I want a cursed technique called Needle Compass. It works like Akaza's technique from Demon Slayer—detects fighting spirit, tracks opponents, predicts movements, identifies weaknesses in combat."
"A combat analysis technique," ROB said. "Combined with your thought acceleration and massive reserves, you'd be quite formidable. Very well—granted."
The third shift was immediate, like a new sense had been grafted onto my being.
"Your wishes are granted," ROB declared as the void began to change, colors bleeding in at the edges. "A word of advice—you have the tools, but tools are useless without skill. Train hard, don't get cocky, and remember: that world is dangerous. Even with your gifts, you can still die."
"When am I being sent?" I asked.
"2012. You'll have time before the main story begins. What you do with it is up to you."
The world exploded into sensation, and I—
---
I woke up gasping.
My eyes snapped open to see an unfamiliar ceiling. Sunlight streamed through a window, and I could hear the distant sound of traffic. I sat up quickly, looking around.
A small bedroom. Desk with textbooks and notebooks. A backpack in the corner. Posters on the walls—some anime, some sports players.
What the—
Memories flooded in. Not replacing my own, but joining them. Kaito Yamada, nine years old, fourth grade student. Parents died in a car accident a year ago. Now living with Aunt Yuki, who worked as a nurse.
I looked down at my hands. Small, yes, but not baby-sized. Nine years old. Old enough to actually do things, not stuck as a helpless toddler.
Okay, I thought. This is real. I'm actually here.
Then I felt it.
A surge of energy erupted inside me, like a dam breaking. It flooded through my body, wild and uncontrolled, burning through pathways I didn't even know I had. My vision blurred, my breath caught, and for a moment I thought I was going to die all over again.
Shit shit shit—
"Great Sage!" I gasped. "Help!"
«NOTICE: Great Sage activating. Analyzing situation. Cursed energy levels critically unstable. Host lacks proper control pathways. Initiating emergency stabilization protocol.»
The voice in my head was mechanical, emotionless. But as it spoke, I felt the chaotic energy inside me begin to... settle. Not disappear, but organize itself into something more manageable.
«NOTICE: Emergency stabilization complete. Cursed energy contained within safe parameters. Warning: Host must develop proper control techniques. Great Sage currently utilizing 90% of processing power to maintain cursed energy stability.»
I slumped back against the headboard, breathing hard. The energy was still there—massive, overwhelming—but at least it wasn't trying to rip me apart anymore.
"Status," I said. "Show me my status."
A translucent screen appeared in my vision:
---
STATUS DISPLAY
Name: Kaito Yamada
Age: 9 years
Cursed Energy Capacity: 96,234 / 100,000 units
(Reference: Average sorcerer: 1,000 units | Yuta Okkotsu: ~33,000 units | Ryomen Sukuna: ~66,000 units)
Cursed Energy Control: 2%
Physical Condition: Healthy
Cursed Technique: Needle Compass (Sealed - Requires conscious awakening)
Great Sage Functions:
- Thought Acceleration: Available (Max 1000x)
- Cursed Energy Management: ACTIVE (90% processing power)
- Status Display: ACTIVE (Minimal power consumption)
Skills: None developed
Notes:
- Cursed energy control critically low. Cannot safely manipulate cursed energy without Great Sage assistance.
- Cursed technique remains sealed until consciously activated.
---
I stared at the numbers. Three times Yuta's cursed energy. More than anyone except Sukuna. But with only 2% control, I was basically a walking bomb that Great Sage was barely keeping from exploding.
"Great Sage, what do I need to do to improve control?"
«ANSWER: Host must practice cursed energy manipulation through repeated exercises. Recommended approach: Basic circulation, compression, and release techniques. As Host improves, Great Sage will be able to reduce processing power dedicated to stabilization.»
So I had to actually work for it. Fine. I had the reserves to practice all day if I wanted.
"Walk me through a basic exercise."
«AFFIRMATIVE: Beginning basic cursed energy circulation tutorial.»
I spent the next thirty minutes trying to manually move cursed energy through my body. It was harder than I expected. The energy was sluggish, unresponsive. When I tried to compress it, it slipped away. When I tried to release it, either nothing happened or way too much came out.
Frustrating as hell.
«NOTICE: Cursed energy control increased to 2.1%. Progress detected.»
Great. At this rate, it would take years to get decent control. But I had time, and I had the reserves to practice without worrying about running out.
A knock on my door interrupted my training.
"Kaito? You awake? You'll be late for school!"
Aunt Yuki's voice. I remembered her from the inherited memories—kind, hardworking, took me in without hesitation after my parents died.
"I'm up!" I called back.
I got out of bed and looked at myself in the mirror. Nine years old, black hair, dark eyes, average build for my age. Nothing special to look at, which was fine. Better to blend in.
I got dressed in my school uniform, grabbed my backpack, and headed to the kitchen.
Aunt Yuki was already there, making breakfast. She looked tired—she'd probably worked a late shift at the hospital.
"Good morning," she said with a smile. "How'd you sleep?"
"Fine," I said, sitting down. "You look tired."
"Long night at work," she admitted, setting a plate of rice and eggs in front of me. "But I'll be fine. You have everything ready for school?"
"Yeah."
We ate in comfortable silence. She asked about my homework, reminded me to come straight home after school, told me she'd be working another shift tonight so I'd need to heat up dinner myself.
Normal, mundane conversation. The kind of thing I'd never appreciated in my previous life.
After breakfast, I grabbed my bag and headed out. The walk to school took about fifteen minutes through a typical residential neighborhood. As I walked, I focused inward, trying to sense the cursed energy around me.
There. Faint signatures scattered throughout the area. Small ones, probably low-level curses or residuals. Nothing dangerous, but definitely present.
So curses really do exist here, I thought. This is actually the JJK world.
The school was a standard elementary building. I headed to my classroom, took my seat near the window, and settled in for what would probably be a boring day.
My classmates filtered in, chatting and laughing. I recognized some of them from Kaito's memories but didn't particularly care about any of them. They were just normal kids, completely unaware of the supernatural world that existed alongside theirs.
The teacher started the lesson—math, I think. I barely paid attention. Instead, I was thinking about my situation.
I had massive cursed energy but almost no control. I had Great Sage, but it was busy keeping me from exploding. I had a combat analysis technique I hadn't even activated yet. And I had six years before Yuji Itadori would eat Sukuna's finger and kick off the main story.
Six years to get strong enough to survive in this world.
I wasn't interested in being a hero. Wasn't interested in saving everyone or preventing tragedies. That kind of thinking got you killed. But I also wasn't stupid enough to think I could just coast by on my reserves and avoid all conflict.
This was the JJK world. Danger was everywhere. Curses, curse users, even jujutsu society itself could be a threat if you weren't careful.
No, what I needed was to become strong enough that I could handle whatever came my way. Strong enough to protect myself, to take what I wanted, to live on my own terms.
Everything else was secondary.
"Yamada! Pay attention!"
The teacher's sharp voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Some of my classmates snickered.
"Sorry," I said automatically.
The teacher frowned but moved on. I pretended to focus on the lesson while my mind wandered elsewhere.
I'd start training seriously today. Work on my cursed energy control until Great Sage could free up more processing power. Then I'd activate my Needle Compass technique and learn how to use it properly. Build a foundation over the next few years so that when the story started, I'd be ready.
Ready for what, exactly? I wasn't sure yet. But in a world like this, being weak wasn't an option.
The lunch bell rang, and students started pulling out their bento boxes. I ate mechanically, not really tasting the food, still lost in thought.
A kid from my class—Tanaka, I think his name was—tried to talk to me about some game. I gave noncommittal responses until he got the hint and wandered off.
I wasn't interested in making friends here. These were just normal kids. They'd never understand the world I was now part of, and getting attached to people who could become collateral damage in future conflicts seemed like a bad idea.
Better to keep my distance.
The afternoon classes dragged on. History, Japanese literature, more subjects I didn't care about. I went through the motions, answered when called on, and counted down the minutes until I could leave.
Finally, the end-of-day bell rang.
I grabbed my bag and headed for the door, ignoring the chatter of my classmates making after-school plans. I had more important things to do.
As I walked home, I thought about my goals. Short term: improve cursed energy control so I could actually use my power without Great Sage babysitting me. Medium term: activate and master my Needle Compass technique. Long term: become strong enough to handle whatever this world threw at me.
Simple. Straightforward. Achievable.
I turned the corner onto my street and paused.
There was something there. A cursed energy signature, stronger than the residuals I'd sensed earlier. Not huge, but definitely present.
I focused, trying to pinpoint it. There—near the abandoned lot at the end of the block. A curse, probably low-grade based on the energy output, but an actual curse nonetheless.
For a moment, I considered investigating. Testing myself against it, seeing what I could do.
Then I remembered I had basically no control over my cursed energy and my technique was still sealed.
Yeah, no. Not today.
I turned and walked home, leaving the curse alone. There would be time for fighting later, once I was actually ready. For now, I needed to focus on the basics.
Rushing in unprepared was how you got killed.
When I got home, I dropped my bag, heated up some leftovers for dinner, and ate quickly. Then I went to my room, closed the door, and sat down on my bed.
"Great Sage, let's continue the training."
«AFFIRMATIVE: Resuming cursed energy control exercises.»
I closed my eyes and focused inward, trying to manipulate the vast ocean of cursed energy inside me. It was slow, frustrating work, but I kept at it.
This was my new life. A world of curses and sorcerers, of supernatural powers and constant danger.
And I was going to master it, no matter how long it took.
Not to save people. Not to be a hero.
But to live on my own terms, to take what I wanted, and to make sure nothing in this world could touch me.
That was enough.
---
End of Chapter 116