My infancy was… the singular, crowning shame of this current life. If I could, I would scour the memories of my parents from existence. Alas, I know of no such cursed technique to accomplish the feat.
To put it plainly, being an infant was a trial of the highest order.
My speech was garbled, I could not dress myself, and my meals… they consisted entirely of my mother's milk. Despite this tiny, fragile vessel I now inhabit, my soul has seen over sixty winters. To be forced to suckle for survival from a woman decades younger than I… it was nothing short of psychological agony.
I often wondered what sort of divine punishment this was. To be raised as a babe by a couple younger than my own students—was this the Buddha's retribution for the lives I took? Or perhaps a penalty for the way I picked fights with every sorcerer who crossed my path? Looking back, I suppose I was quite the hellion in my previous life. By the standards of this era, my past conduct would be considered utterly unthinkable.
Regardless, I have no desire to ever be an infant again. Once was quite enough. Should a third life ever come to pass, I pray my memories only return once I have safely cleared the toddler years.
Four years have passed since I was cast into this era. I can finally dress myself. I no longer rely on my mother's milk for sustenance. This "Western cuisine" is a revelation—specifically, the charred puck of minced meat they call a hambaagu. Truly, this era knows how to feast. One never wants for a meal, and the fact that we do not freeze in the winter is a mercy I do not take for granted.
However… Summer. You, I cannot forgive.
Without the wondrous machine known as an "air conditioner," I am certain I would have perished. During my first summer, I nearly died of heatstroke. Yet, there was a silver edge to that dark cloud: in that brush with death, I managed to grasp the core of cursed energy once more. My Reverse Cursed Technique now flows with greater efficiency than it ever did in my prime. I suspect I might even be able to output it externally now, though I have yet to test the theory.
Beyond that, this body possesses a truly staggering amount of cursed energy. It is likely several times greater than what I commanded in my previous life. While it does not mean I can spam the Reverse Cursed Technique indefinitely, I should be able to sustain it through a prolonged engagement without fear of bottoming out.
Best of all, I have finally confirmed my Innate Technique.
It is Blood Manipulation.
A wave of relief washed over me when I realized it was the same technique as before. Had I been born with something foreign, I would have had to start from the very beginning, learning the nuances of a new system.
"...Now then. Shall I give it a teh-tht?"
The sun had already dipped below the horizon when I stepped out into the garden. It was a modest space, but through the eyes of this tiny body, it felt like a vast training ground.
I took my stance at the edge of the yard, my back to the high perimeter wall, and pressed my palms together. I funneled blood into the space between my hands, using cursed energy to compress it with agonizing precision. My reserves were higher than before; I needed to know the limit of my Convergence. I needed to see the true power of my Piercing Blood.
Compress. Further. Tighter.
Hmph. That should suffice. I aimed for a tree on the far side of the garden, opposite where I stood.
"—Piertheng Blood!"
Tsk. Can I truly do nothing about this clumsy tongue? A woman's tongue is far too soft; it refuses to move with the martial precision I require. Or so it feels to me.
No matter. This body is still unrefined. In time, I shall wield it like a master's blade.
As for the Piercing Blood I had just unleashed…
"...What in the world?"
The tree was unscathed. Not a single splinter had been displaced. This was impossible. I had applied a Convergence far more potent than any I had achieved in the Heian era. A trunk of that modest thickness should have been hollowed out instantly.
Wait. What was that…?
I approached the tree and peered closely at the bark. My eyes widened. There was a hole—a tiny, microscopic puncture, no thicker than a sewing needle.
A realization struck me.
"...I comprethethed it… too much?"
Could it be? Yes, there was no other explanation. My Convergence had surpassed my previous life's peak. But in my excitement over my increased cursed energy, I had over-compressed the blood. It had become a needle-thin filament, traveling at a velocity so extreme it had passed through the wood without leaving a visible impact.
I clicked my tongue. I should have stuck to my old ratios. While the speed of that shot was so great even my own eyes could barely track it, the destructive yield was pathetic. What use is a needle, no matter how fast it travels? Such a parlor trick would never reach the likes of Sukuna. I must become more efficient. I must learn to unleash a Piercing Blood that carries true weight.
"Stop it! What are you doing?!" a voice shrieked from nearby.
"Stop that laughing! You look like a freak… a monster!"
I glanced toward the neighboring house. What a racket. It sounded like parents berating a child. To tell a child not to laugh… what a miserable pair of parents.
Well, it was no concern of mine. I have no interest in the domestic squabbles of strangers. Poking one's nose into such affairs never leads to anything but trouble. I had more important things to do—training to win a war against a monster.
Let's try again. Lower the compression ratio… verify the standard output.
"How many times do we have to tell you?! Fix that face!"
"Why can't you just be normal?!"
The screaming was becoming an irritant. Perhaps I should go and quiet them down so I can focus on my work…
It was only much later that I realized the gravity of my whim.
In that moment, I should have stayed away. I should have ignored the neighbors entirely. The moment I chose to intervene was the moment my luck finally ran out. Because of that choice, my second life would be spent at the beck and call of a blood-crazed madwoman.
Himiko Toga… you brat! I shall curse you unto the last of your descendants!