There was no sound. No time. No sensation of life.
Just an endless void swallowing everything.
In that nothingness, Sung Jin-Woo stood silently, his eyes submerged in stillness.
"…System?"
No answer.
Once, he was the Shadow Monarch. Unrivaled power. An unbeatable army.
But now…
Nothing.
⚠️ [Error… System failure…]
⚠️ [Connection lost…]
The voice was fragmented, weak… as if it were dying.
He slowly raised his hand.
No shadow. No power. No response.
"Where am I…?"
Time beyond measure passed… until even sensation faded.
Suddenly—
💥 The void cracked.
A sharp light pierced the darkness, and his body was pulled by an irresistible force.
A New World
Cold air.
The sound of wind.
But something was wrong. A heavy, suffocating feeling. Dark energy filled the place. Energy… unlike anything he had known before.
Sung Jin-Woo opened his eyes slowly. His body was exhausted, weak. He could barely stand.
"…My power… is gone."
He looked around. A deserted street. Broken buildings. An eerie silence.
Then—
A scream.
The Cursed Bicycle
In the middle of the road, a massive creature stood.
Its body was twisted, deformed. It looked like a human fused with a bicycle—metal pipes jutting out of its flesh, wheels spinning where its legs should be. Its face was split in half, revealing rows of sharp teeth.
A curse.
Two figures faced it.
A boy with pink hair—Yuji Itadori—clenched his fists, ready to fight. Beside him stood a boy with black spiky hair—Megumi Fushiguro—his hands forming a summoning sign.
"Megumi! What is this thing?!" Itadori shouted.
"A curse," Megumi replied, his voice tense. "A powerful one. Don't let it touch you."
The curse moved.
Fast.
Itadori dodged, but the creature was relentless. Its wheel-legs spun violently as it charged again.
💥 Crash!
Itadori was thrown into a wall. He coughed, struggling to get up.
"Itadori!" Megumi shouted. "Demon Dogs—!"
Two shadow wolves lunged at the curse. They bit into its flesh, but the creature barely flinched. With a single swing of its metal arm, it sent both dogs flying.
Megumi gritted his teeth. "This isn't working…"
Jin-Woo Enters
From the shadows, Sung Jin-Woo watched.
His body was weak. His power was gone. But his instincts remained.
He scanned the battlefield.
This thing… it's like a monster from a gate. But different. The energy is… darker. More twisted.
Itadori was on the ground, barely able to move. Megumi was struggling to summon another shikigami.
The curse raised its arm, ready to crush Itadori.
"No…"
Jin-Woo moved.
Without thinking—he rushed forward, grabbing a broken pipe from the ground.
He struck.
💥 Clang!
The pipe hit the curse's arm… and did nothing.
The creature didn't even flinch.
Jin-Woo's eyes widened. "…Even this… is useless?"
The curse turned its hollow eyes toward him.
Then it swung.
Jin-Woo barely dodged. The wind from the strike alone cut his cheek.
I'm too weak. I can't fight like this.
But he didn't run.
The Fight Continues
"Hey!" Itadori shouted, getting back on his feet. Blood dripped from his forehead, but his eyes burned with determination. "Whoever you are—thanks! But this thing is mine!"
Jin-Woo frowned. "Don't be stupid. You'll die."
"Maybe," Itadori grinned. "But I'm not letting it hurt anyone else!"
Megumi stepped forward, forming another seal. "I'll hold it. You two attack together!"
The curse charged.
Megumi summoned a large toad that wrapped around the curse's legs, slowing it down. "Now!"
Itadori lunged, fist raised.
Jin-Woo moved with him, swinging the pipe with all his remaining strength.
💥 Two strikes. One target.
The curse staggered.
For a moment—it seemed like they had hurt it.
But then…
The flesh began to twist. The wounds closed. The curse stood taller than before, its energy even more intense.
"It… healed?" Itadori whispered.
Megumi's face was pale. "Curses regenerate. We need to destroy its core."
"Where is it?" Itadori asked.
"I don't know."
The Turning Point
The curse let out a deafening roar.
It swung its arm wildly. Megumi was thrown into a car, the metal crumpling around him. Itadori tried to dodge, but a metal pipe from the curse's body pierced his side.
😨 Blood sprayed.
Itadori fell, clutching his wound.
Jin-Woo stood alone.
His breathing was heavy. His arms trembled. Every instinct told him to run.
But he didn't.
I've faced worse. I've fought gods. I won't lose to… this.
He tightened his grip on the pipe.
The curse turned toward him. Its hollow eyes seemed to mock him.
"I am the Shadow Monarch," Jin-Woo whispered. "Even without my power… I don't run."
He charged.
The curse swung.
💥 At the last moment—Jin-Woo slid under its arm.
He saw it. A small, glowing core hidden beneath its chest.
With all his strength—
He stabbed.
The Core
The pipe pierced the core.
The curse screamed—a horrible, twisted sound. Its body began to crack, light pouring from the wounds.
"Now!" Jin-Woo shouted.
Itadori, despite the pain, forced himself up. He ran forward and punched the core with everything he had.
💥 CRACK.
The curse exploded.
Dark energy scattered into the air, dissolving like smoke.
Silence returned
Aftermath
Jin-Woo dropped to his knees.
His body was empty. No strength left.
"…We did it."
Itadori collapsed beside him, breathing heavily. "That… was insane."
Megumi limped over, holding his arm. "Who are you?"
Jin-Woo didn't answer. He stared at the remains of the curse.
In my world, I would have raised it as a shadow. A soldier. An ally.
He focused.
Nothing.
The darkness didn't respond. No shadow rose.
"…It's really gone."
⚠️ [A new system has been detected…]
⚠️ [Compatibility with Cursed Energy: Initializing…]
Jin-Woo's eyes widened slowly.
"…It's back?"
But before the message could finish—
A chill ran down his spine.
In the distance, more curses were gathering. Their twisted forms emerged from the shadows, drawn by the battle.
And Jin-Woo had nothing left.
End of Chapter One