2005
Lilly could say with absolute certainty that there was something special about the world she had reincarnated into.
When she had to start leaving her safe haven to set up a life for her and Yūta, she had done her work in short, methodical bursts. She did not linger longer than necessary so each visit ended up only being ten to thirty minutes long.
She went out of her way to draw the least amount of attention to her, more than perturbed that she had been attacked several times by humans who called her a Curse. She did not understand what drew them to her, and she was reluctant to risk a confrontation so soon.
She primarily lived with Yūta in the haven she created in the In Between.
Nothing attacked them there, and nothing had come for there her since her awakening years ago. She figured the In Between was safe.
In those exceedingly short outings, Lilly was able to notice several things in Japan.
There were… things.
Beings of spiritual energy laced with negative emotions. They passed through the world like fish swimming in the ocean, phasing in and out of humans and objects with little difficulty. In terms of strength, they seemed exceptionally weak—one good swat ought to take care of them—but the fact that they existed at all perturbed her.
Creatures like those existed in worlds closely tied with death. She did not feel the presence of a death world stacked on top—like in Bleach or Soul Eater—which meant there was some kind of tear.
Visiting the other countries she noticed the creatures could really only be seen in Japan, adding further fuel to her tear theory.
Some kind of big event happened in Japan to cause a reality tear between life and death.
Which meant somewhere in that world existed a creature strong enough to tear apart realities.
Eesh.
She did not want to fight that.
During one of her trips out in the world she lingered in an area filled with those odd little creatures. She watched them move about, curious if any of them were intelligent.
"Begone, Curse!"
Lilly heard the man shout, but she assumed (hoped) he was talking to someone else or something else.
And then she felt a surge of spiritual pressure hit the back of her head.
She turned around, incredulous as to why a man would attack her.
Her body had been born in 1993, which meant she was only (physically) twelve at the time.
For some reason, the man was trembling in fear as he looked at her.
Why? Lilly thought.
He did something with his hands, and Lilly felt another shot of spiritual energy hit her. It hadn't hurt—she kept a thick layer of condensed spiritual energy around her—but it was certainly rude.
"Stop that," she said, flicking her right hand to conjure a gust of wind laced with spiritual energy to knock the man down.
And that was how she learned that the humans of that world were fragile because she accidentally splattered him against a nearby building.
Lilly buried her face in her hands, groaning. "Damn it, not again."
Usually, she thought, special world and special humans translate to sturdy humans. Like Naruto, Blue Exorcist, or HxH. So these humans are somehow special but not sturdy? What the fuck kind of world is this?
Normally that fragility was saved for horror or tragic stories. Sure some of the creatures were grotesque but she certainly wouldn't be scared of them. She'd seen far worse visiting the different iterations of hell, or when she reincarnated in-
Geh, nope, nope, nope, not thinking about that horrible world.
Plus, with the way some humans had powers(? She guessed it was powers since she was hit in the back with spiritual energy?) the world seemed more set up for superhero stuff or maybe Shounen. Not horror or tragedy.
She didn't understand how this world operated. There was clearly something going on, but what?
Enough. Lilly lowered her hands, her red eyes narrowed as she glared disdainfully at the splattered corpse. My body is stable enough I can fight if I need to. This time, I'll hunt them. One way or another, I'm getting my damn answers.
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
Lilly returned home for the day, exasperated yet determined.
That could have been a good chance to get some questions answered, Lilly thought petulantly, still sore that she accidentally killed the man.
"Mama!"
Lilly hadn't hidden the fact that she wasn't Yūta's biological mother. The woman, Ichika Okkatsu, didn't have much of a family to leave her son to. Yūta's grandparents had passed long before Yūta was even born, and the only relatives he had left were a cousin and uncle, both of whom did not look particularly excited about adopting Yūta.
Lilly gathered up what things seemed important to Ichika to give to Yūta when he was older. She kept a picture of the woman in Yūta's room, along with a stuffed bear Ichika had bought for her son days before his birth.
Since he was only four years old, he didn't have a concept of death yet. Only that he was someone who got to have two mommies, but he could only see one of them.
"Hi baby boy," said Lilly, stepping into the house. Her eyes moved up to glance at Shiori who fluttered around Yūta.
Shiori was Lilly's oldest summon. She was a small white butterfly with the unique ability to create a fresh kaleidoscope to accommodate Lilly's needs. Shiori spent most of her time in the In Between, waiting for Lilly to summon her. Sometimes she would linger in Death's realm, relaxing.
Lilly used her summon to babysit the toddler when she left, or if she had a customer to attend to. Shiori fluttered around Lilly and Yūta, the delicate butterfly humming a soft tune in greeting.
~There were no visitors while you were gone.~ Shiori projected the message to Lilly.
The teashop was on the first floor, with a quaint living situation set up on the second and third floor.
Lilly had purchased an empty building in Tokyo to connect her home to, that way they had a physical address, and when Yūta was ready to attend school he could bring his friends over.
The actual building would remain empty. Only when Yūta or Lilly opened the front door would it lead to their home in the In Between. It was an excellent use of pocket magic an old friend had taught her.
Lilly still received visitors in her teashop. The magical red oak door always opened for at least one person every day.
She was starting to get regulars—aspiring writers and artists who marveled at the magical tea shop that came and went like a dandelion caught in a breeze.
That guy called me a Curse, Lilly thought as she scooped Yūta into a hug. She nodded at Shiori, silently dismissing the summon who disappeared in a gleam of light. Is that what those things are? But those things look pretty grotesque, surely he didn't confuse me for something as hideous as that?
Although physically twelve, her body wasn't deformed. She took decent care of her body.
Her hair was a pink gradient, and her eyes an unnatural shade of red. She had seen plenty of other humans with a variety of different hair colors, so she doubted her pink-red combo stood out.
I should probably put on a disguise when I hunt them down, Lilly thought.
"Mama," Yūta repeated, tapping Lilly's cheek. His dark blue eyes gleamed. "Me."
"Ah, sorry, baby was I not paying enough attention to you?" Lilly cooed with a smile. "Do you wanna play some games with Mama?"
"No."
"Do you wanna eat?"
"No."
"Do you want me to set you down?"
"No."
"... Do you want me to keep holding you?"
"No."
"Do you wanna just keep saying no?"
"No."
"Ah," she said, kissing his nose. "Then… yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes—"
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
Lilly spent the next week in preparation for her hunt. Had Lilly only needed to worry about herself it would have barely taken her a day, but she had to prioritize Yūta's safety.
Given her lack of knowledge, her hunt could prove dangerous. She had to set up precautions in case she did not return. She needed to ensure Yūta could live at the teashop on his own for the next few decades with only Shiori to ensure he went to school and whatnot. She needed to make sure he would be safe, cared for, and okay without her in the worst-case scenario.
She also had to prepare her actual disguise and prep the kaleidoscope to escort her to be doubly safe.
She couldn't very well go out looking like she normally did, now could she?
Well, okay, she could, but where was the fun in that?
Besides, she was already giving Fate the middle finger with what she wore on a daily basis. Wearing that to a potentially lethal fight was begging Death to swoop in and snatch her up.
Ever since becoming Yūta's mother, she had tied her hair off to the side like any good Dead Anime Mom™ as a very clear and blatant fuck you to Fate. She had a variety of aprons she liked to wear over top her sweaters to complete the look. As soon as her body matured, it would be perfect.
But at physically twelve, the best she could pull off was Dead Big Sister™.
Since that had become her default appearance, her disguise would need to be something different.
Getting together some cotton, she spent the week cutting and sewing into the cloth. Carefully, meticulously she formed an elegant yukata with intricate floral designs. She prepared some getas to go with it, and a blank white mask to cover her entire face.
On Saturday she twisted her long gradient pink hair into a bun and clipped it with a butterfly hair clip.
"Mama," Yūta called out, wobbling to her in his own yukata. He had watched her make one and wanted a matching one.
Lilly couldn't say no to her darling son, naturally, she put him a smaller version of the pink and white yukata she currently wore.
He reached out to her. She bent over to him, kissing his forehead. "I'll be back for dinner."
"No," he said, puffing up his cheeks. "No, no."
"Sadly yes, yes, yes," she said, kissing both of his cheeks. "Shiori."
Shiori fluttered beside him, landing lightly atop his head. Her white wings settled. ~Come, child. Let us play.~
"'Egos?" Yūta asked excitedly, tilting his head back to try and find Shiori. Shiori gracefully glided off him.
~Yes, legos.~
Yūta stepped away from Lilly, turning around to chase after Shiori into the living room. "Yeah!"
"Bye-bye baby," Lilly called out to him.
"Bye-bye," he said, entirely focused on the white butterfly.
"Well then," said Lilly, rolling her shoulders as she stepped out the front door. "Let's see what we have in store for today, shall we?"
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
The enchanted door lead Lilly to a slow street in Tokyo. Lilly lightly stepped onto the street, glancing up at the dreary sky.
Looks like it'll rain today, she thought.
Around her, dozens of ethereal pink butterflies fluttered into existence. They were created by Shiori as part of the kaleidoscope. Silent, loyal, and strong. They would serve and protect Lilly during her outing.
She had never purposefully tried to get her attackers' attention, after all. She had no way of knowing how powerful her opponents were. While what she faced easily died, they could have been considered canon fodder or useless grunts.
She folded her hands together, pushed out her spiritual energy, and started to calmly walk through the street.
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
Satoru Gojō
Satoru Gojō shoved his hands in his pockets, displeased with his "chaperone."
He shouldn't need any kind of escort.
The adults were being needlessly cautious. So what if a couple of Grade 1 Sorcerers died in Tokyo and the Curse was never found? That was years ago.
Satoru clicked his tongue in annoyance.
He wasn't like them, either.
He was strong.
They weren't.
His chaperone, a Special Grade Sorcerer, tossed him an aggravated look. "Stop sulking. I'm letting you come with me as a favor to your family, the least you could do is be grateful."
Family, Satoru scoffed.
Satoru was from one of the big three sorcerer families. Each of the families descended from the Big Three Curses, granting them immense power and an abundance of secret techniques. Satoru was no exception, he was blessed with some of the strongest Cursed Energy in his generation.
Because of their history and power, the three families were highly valued in the Jujutsu Society and had a lot of political sway. Normal Sorcerers would kill to curry favor with them.
It was gross.
The Gojō family were descendants of Michizane Sugawara, a legendary Jujutsu Sorcerer from the Heian Era who, after dying, because one of the Three Great Vengeful Spirits of Japan. The Gojō family had a variety of secret techniques passed down from generation to generation. The most known one was Limitless, and the most valued was the Six Eyes.
Satoru was the first one in the last four hundred years to have both.
The Six Eyes in conjunction with the Limitless technique made Satoru Gojō the strongest Sorcerer in his generation.
Possibly even the strongest Sorcerer period.
He was used to people trying to vy for his attention and affection. It was no longer a surprise, but rather, an expectation.
A boring one at that.
Oh sure, he'd get that stuck-up oddball now and then, but those types never lasted long. They either died from a Curse or realized it was better to be on Satoru's good side.
What a drag.
He didn't want to be there. He didn't want to be chaperoned by a slimy suck-up.
He wasn't weak. He didn't need any help.
They needed him.
"The hospital's a few blocks over. Reports say the Curse is roaming outside it," said his chaperone.
What was his name again? Satoru idly wondered. The man had introduced himself, but Satoru tuned him out. Useless Groupie the Third?
Satoru shoved his hands in the pockets of his black jacket, silently following behind the Sorcerer.
Was there a worse combination than feeling bored and annoyed?
Ugh.
Satoru felt the Curse before he saw it.
Warmth. Heat. Fire. Like a sunrise in a desert, it was intense and hot. Satoru instinctively jumped back, focusing his senses on the odd presence.
That's not a normal Curse, he knew. He may not have been a veteran, but he knew that what he felt was abnormal. Is this a Special Grade?
His chaperone vehemently swore. "Stay back, Gojō. I'll engage."
You'll die, Satoru thought. The difference in presence between his chaperone and the Curse was like comparing the sun to a blade of grass.
"I—" Satoru began to say something, but his chaperone cut him off.
"Disobey orders again and you won't leave the school until you graduate," he warned.
Satoru's jaw clenched, a spike of irritation making his eyes narrow behind his dark sunglasses. "Yes… sir."
Satoru made no move to follow his chaperone, choosing to track his movements by sensing his Cursed Energy and the presence of that of the Curse.
His chaperone headed straight for the location of the Curse and then-
… Did his energy seriously disappear that soon?
Satoru wanted to groan.
How can he be that weak? Was it a one-shot? It's such a pain looking out for the weak, Satoru thought, moving to where his chaperone disappeared.
Satoru ducked down one of the streets and stopped at the entrance of an alleyway.
Huh, Satoru thought, staring hard at the alleyway. He couldn't see anything, but…
No…?
Did a Curse put up a curtain?
Satoru grinned. Interesting! Let's see how long it takes to break it.
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
Lilly
"Curse!"
Lilly beckoned the man forward, entangling him with her spiritual energy. She didn't like to use magic due to its fickle nature, but she always thought it worked best.
Her kaleidoscope surged forth, circling the man and putting up a heavy barrier of illusions.
"Y—" the man stumbled as soon as Lilly's magic hit him. His eyes clouded over and he fell to his knees. His jaw slacked as he slumped.
"Good," she whispered, slowly stepping forward. She gripped the man's chin, tilting his head back to meet his gaze.
She did not enjoy reading minds or memories, but she did not want to risk drawing out her mission. She did not know what threats awaited her, nor if any of her abilities would work against them.
There was something strong enough to make a tear in reality.
That was not a creature she wanted to fight without ample knowledge and prep. Time was not on her side.
Plus my baby is waiting for me at home. It already took half an hour for this man to find me, I don't want dinner to be late.
Lilly rapidly tore through the man's mind, absorbing and digesting information.
The man was something called a Jujutsu Sorcerer. He was part of a secret society based in Japan. He was the highest-ranked field-operative currently in Japan.
Really? This is the strongest?
There were two schools for Jujutsu Sorcerers and today he was with—
Lilly gasped when she felt the barrier shatter.
The kaleidoscope's barrier was destroyed? Lilly thought with alarm, looking up sharply to see—
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
Satoru Gojō
It took Satoru longer than he would have liked to be able to shatter the odd curtain the Curse had put up. He fell through, landing in the alleyway.
His chaperone was on his knees on the pavement, a dazed look on his face. The Curse took a few steps back from the man, giving Satoru time to examine it.
That's a weirdly human shape, thought Satoru.
Indeed. It was the first time Satoru had seen a Curse look… not ugly?
It was the size of a pre-teen with baby pink hair pulled up in a bun with a butterfly clip. It used a white mask, making it impossible for Satoru to see the kind of expression it was making. It wore a pink and white yukata with a girlish flower design. Several butterflies hovered around it, casting soft pink light in the alleyway.
If it weren't for the ethereal butterflies surrounding it, and the dangerously warm presence it exuded, Satoru would have thought it was a regular middle schooler.
Satoru grinned.
"Hi there," said Satoru. "Wanna play?"
Then something odd happened.
Something that ought to be impossible, really.
One of the Gojō's family's techniques was something called Limitless. At the base level, Limitless was an innate technique that granted the users nigh-absolute control over spaced through Cursed Energy manipulation at an atomic level. With the help of Six Eyes, Satoru had been able to refine Limitless to his own Infinity technique.
When anything attempted to touch Satoru the person or object in question instead hit the infinity between himself and them. It is a convergence of an infinite series, anything that approached the infinity slowed down and never reached the user.
Satoru had been working on that technique for years, and as long as he was conscious, he could use it. He had been using it.
He was using it as soon as he broke through the curtain.
Nothing should have been able to touch him. Nothing.
It should have been impossible.
Should have… should have, right?
One moment the Curse was several paces away from him, and the next it was in front of him, touching his cheek.
Satoru tensed, his heart thumping loudly in his chest as confusion and alarm shot through him.
"What?" he breathed out in surprise.
"Toujours et toujours," the Curse whispered. It traced a thumb along his cheek. Satoru didn't have time to react further—stupefied by the seemingly impossible—when the Curse dissolved into a flurry of pink butterflies that disappeared.
What… exactly… happened?
Satoru stared in bafflement at the empty air, having a hard time believing what transpired seconds ago.
He placed his hand on his cheek where it had gently touched him.
Satoru grinned.
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
What Lilly did will be explained next chapter.
Thanks for everyone who participated in the vote for Lilly's disguise!
The yukata + mask combo was in the lead when I wrote this, but the Dead Mom Trope was close enough that I decided to make it her casual attire. *thumbs up*
Watties, do we want pictures of the characters in each of the chapters? Yay or nay?
Answer: So many Nanamis! Hell nah, gimme Sukuna's mom so I can be his sibling and annoy tf out of him.
Question: What weapon would you use to fight Curses if you were a Jujutsu Sorcerer?
Reviews are love!