Chapter 0: Cursed Clan
Summary:
Master Tengen narrates the history of the Miura clan after he has a premonition. He feels that their story is a foreshadowing of the disturbance he senses and thus calls on his followers to investigate.
Inside the heart of the Tokyo Jujutsu prefecture was tomb hidden among a wide array of shrines and ancient architecture which was known for its clerical history. Inside it, was its permanent inhabitant and his select caretakers.
Windows would often confirm that barriers reflected constant activity within its walls. It was proof that the master was hard at work.
Tengen walked inside this home, pacing, as he traced what little was left of his humane features. The marble pillars he had passed served as his mirrors to which he made an active effort to disregard.
"Immortality seems to unbecome me," he spoke with much gloom towards himself. His two pairs of eyes blinked as he looked at his reflection. The shape of his face changed into a cylinder and only his trunk and limbs remained the same. Within, he felt the most unwavered. As an immortal, he eventually learned to live with the consequences of his gift for so long as he could help in the maintenance of humanity's peace and best interest.
Despite needing a vessel to continue his sacred task, he found that living in his deformed state was the least of his concerns.
Not long after, he was greeted by two of his followers-mortals- whom he had asked to join him in his study. The two of them gave him a contrite expression. There was nothing much they could do for him but listen.
He had for a while now, asked them to send messages to their affiliates regarding a premonition. He spoke about the disturbances caused by imbalanced energy he was sensing.
Investigations were already underway but as someone who has lived for as long as he had, he already had an inkling as to what was afoot.
Tengen gestured for them to sit but didn't join their commune. Instead, he continued to pace and asked them if they had time to listen to his story.
"Humanity is said to be single greatest creation by a Supreme Being," he began, "Living, emotional and vulnerable creatures that walk the Earth daily without truly knowing what the future holds.
Individuals with limits yet with capabilities that seemingly unconstrained.
The blessed ones.
Little is known regarding how the select few of the same race later evolved into people of magic.
Many believe that sorcerers were created as a necessity after the bounds of man disrupted the balance that dictated what should separate from the norm to the supernatural.
Man had begun to summon entities of the dark borne from their own wickedness that only increased in time. Soon, the tides of the dark had proven too much to be kept in one's heart that they have mutated into separate personas, later appropriately called, Curses,"
Tengen narrated about what he remembered as he was starting out as mortal sorcerer and recalled what he had learned throughout the years. It wasn't a new story but a story worth recalling.
Practitioners of sorcery developed their own means of combating the Curses by utilizing their own negative energy and transforming it into light.
Despite their presence, the years didn't grow kinder as it passed.
There were practically very few Jujutsu-led families left and most of them were found in Japan. For some reason, the folklore that surrounded the land of the rising sun played a heavy part on its history as a race imbued with cursed-energy potential. It may also be because a lot of supernatural entities were created in the country as a natural portal to the other world.
Among those already known are the Gojo Family, the Kamo family and the Zenin family. Their colorful reputation was successfully carried out by the generation of late that it came to no surprise that active practitioners came from their line.
Small clans and even individuals with notable Jujutsu strengths were becoming more widespread as time passed however it did seem that the presence of sorcerers was beginning to wither as compared to the mundane population. There were, after all, clans that weren't as prominent as others but were still very much of interest and if anything, they were slowly being erased.
He looked towards his followers now, "They say that as sorcerers grew more selfish and more like the very beings they were sworn to fight against, the more the powers grew astray. I too, am part of that,"
Curses were borne out of the negativity of men and time has proven that the true plague of the modern world was man's inability to control their selfish desires.
Undeniably, sorcerers were being outnumbered by pitting sorcerers against their own.
Among the folktales of how sorcerer lines came to be was the hard lesson that each member who lived with the family name of Miura had to learn.
Taking a few steps towards them, he gave them a doleful look, "Wickedness only put into fruition a never-ending cascade of indifference and cruelty,"
"The Miuras barely escaped such fate.
This is how they came to be.
1821
150 years ago, the Miura clan was declared the best hunters of both mythical and natural beasts. They were also known to Jujutsu practitioners but to a less extent than the other clans. Their prowess extended from their innate skill to wield a vast amount of weaponry which included cursed objects. However, they used their abilities for poaching-they were most ruthless.
Among all the beasts they have tamed, it was the Golden Fox which became the catalyst towards the destiny written for them.
The Golden fox, unbeknownst to them, was a sacred beast. A free and powerful entity that took the form of a rare animal.
There were various versions on how they chanced upon it but what was consistent was how the fox astonished it its looks. Its color mimicked the sun that even its sharp claws shone like it. The movement of its fur synced as it took careful steps around the hunters. Despite its prominent teeth showing, it didn't growl, nor did its red eyes hint of aggression. It merely observed the humans braced to capture him.
"Greetings," a kind voice disrupted their concentration making the hunters double back.
Already, it gave them the impression that he was hostile as no such animal could ever communicate unless it was a curse.
Initially, members of the clan who captured it was attracted by its luxurious fur and its unexpected ability to communicate with humans. The temptation to skin the beast was great but the legend of part-taking of its flesh to obtain great vitality was greater.
As a peaceful creature, the fox didn't fight back at the hunters and instead requested an audience with their leader to discuss its fate. The odd words of the beast intrigued the hunters that after binding it, they agreed.
Luckily, the head of the Miuras then was a peace-loving lady called Himeno Miura. Upon seeing its state, she instructed its release and asked for a private conversation. She decided to welcome the sacred beast into her home as a guest. Her gesture captured the foxes' favor and protection.
The fox, being a creature of magic itself, helped with the establishment of their clan as agriculturists, farmers and animal rescuers. It even taught some of the members the ability to harness energy to heal the injured. To the warriors, it provided strength and agility, the type of sorcerer that only revolved on providing life and protecting its sanctity.
The Golden fox's purpose was to allow an un-doing of their family's past transgressions.
More of its kind soon joined the Miuras and soon, the household also attracted a great deal of travelers who became its caretakers.
Himeno was a match for the fox. They had the same principles so it wasn't hard to stand as the clan's head for many years.
The foxes and the Miuras lived in harmony until the head of the household died after 20 years. Since her death, the Golden Fox found itself less involved with the daily activities that he was used to but still, it, alongside its shulk continued to serve the Miuras loyally.
It took only a year for the peace to dissipate inside the now established clan. The Miuras who were left with the Golden fox used their Jujutsu to enchain the fox into servitude as they rose in rank and wealth in the world of sorcerers.
In the year of 1871, 50 years since they were able to capture the 9-tailed Golden Fox, the Fox would soon meet its demise after having the enchantments consume its core..
The Fox was kept alive using reversed-jujutsu in exchange for lending its powers to the Miura clan. Seeing as some of the members present were dear to his beloved Himeno, he reluctantly obliged. However the elders have abused its power and led a number of foxes near to extinction.
Out of the Fox's disappointment, he cursed the clan with its spirit before he died.
The stern voice of the man echoed inside the head of each Miura present. On its deathbed, the fox changed into the form of a man with long golden hair and red eyes. All over its bronzed body were markings of enchantments seemingly painted in precise strokes. Despite its long claws, sharp teeth and pointed ears, from afar, he could be mistaken as a person.
The fox looked terrifying as it towered over them in its muscular form but it was also beautiful. Those guarding him recalled that tears flowed from his face as he held on his chains but all they heard him say was Himeno's name.
He could not accept that the death of his most beloved was put to waste by her kin.
He declared that all child-bearing descendants of the Miura would inherit the curse of the fox and would be born as a hybrid-a Kitsune. Born with two halves of 1 soul, a human and a curse. Men who were born with Kitsune spirits often do not inherit the full potential of the Kitsune and have to offer up one of their eyes to sustain their power.
All Kitsune would be born as the bearer of the Kitsune spirit who serves as a watcher and a curse user who would be given the sacred task to protect all sacred beasts. Should they break the sacred covenant, all living members of the Miura bloodline would be given a punishment worse than death.
The curse bound the whole clan to its sacred oath and anyone who would break it would be sentenced to death or else be punished by the Kitsune spirits themselves. In the resolve to amend past mistakes of the clans, all curse users often have short lives and rarely live past 50.
Since the death of the Golden fox, witnesses of the event never tamed a sacred beast again. But foxes often came to ask for sanctuary. Despite being skeptical of the warning, they never neglected a foxes' request.
In 1891, a female was born of the clan with brush-like markings on her skin. She was born with a great pool of cursed energy and the gift to control water. It was the first Kitsune to be born from the Miura line. At the age of 13, she was classified as the first great sorcerer of the clan and was often called in to accompany active jujutsu sorcerers to perform exorcisms.
It was during her 16th birthday when her fox features surfaced fully. She grew claws and had slit-like pupils surrounded in a very light shade of green. Her teeth sharpened and all over her body were sacred markings which symbolized fox fire. Despite her beast-like features, her character remained the same. She was still a kind, intelligent and amity-loving figure. Soon, her intolerance to meat developed.
It is said that Kitsunes are bound to respect all living things especially creatures of the earth that they refrain from eating any animal meat. This principle is said to play a vital aspect in retaining their gifts from the Golden fox.
Being a young Kitsune, there were times when she would be swayed to do things that were less favorable to the good of the jujutsu world and more for the benefit of the greedy clan-heads. The interest of the Zenins, Kamos and the Gojos in their family only grew in time.
Years have passed and the elders of the clan have decided to keep her educated and trained only within the confines of the estate but as her power grew, her cursed-spirit also grew hungrier.
She was born as a one-tailed fox but her Kitsune was a voracious type who would feed on her cursed energy without restraints especially if she did not utilize its form. Fearing that unleashing her full potential would lead to the destruction of her clan and the clans that tried to pursue the Miura's, she decided to seal the Kitsune within herself leading her to slowly fade away. She was secretly approached by a blood manipulation practitioner who offered to help with her heavenly restriction but after learning that he had ulterior motives, she declined.
In 1912, the first Miura Kitsune died on her 21st birthday under mysterious conditions.
Soon, Inaris surfaced within the clans. Males born with fox-inherited shikigamis began to sprout. These fox-spirits had different abilities and different faces. All of which emerged to primarily aid the Kitsunes in the family. Generally, only 1 Kitsune per generation would be born so it was only natural that Inaris increased in time. Unlike the Kitsune, Inaris generally have better longevity and most of them often opt to go outside of clan activities to utilize their skills.
The Miuras learned with much sacrifice and difficulty what it meant to bear the Miura name. As word of their status spread in the jujutsu world, their nomination to be a notable family has come up time and again only to be declined by the head of the Clan. It was part of the Golden Fox's rule to never gamble in politics especially in the jujutsu hierarchy and this decision did not take kindly to heads of their world.
The Miuras for a time isolated themselves from their contemporaries. It took years before they rejoined their society and finally accepted recognition for their standing as family line that produces special grades.
In 1919, fraternal twins were born with the mark of the Kitsune. The male twin inherited an Inari and the female was born as a three-tailed Kitsune. The twins proved hard to control for the Miuras alone and as such were sent to the school for jujutsu training. Unlike their predecessors, the twins were anything but shy about their abilities. The 15 year-olds were proud of their succession and they were happy to use their powers when needed. They were both engrossed in building a world free from cursed-spirits that they forgot that a part of them were cursed-spirits as well.
1934, because of ambition, the twins were sent out alone to destroy an ancient demon on their own. Even though they were successful in their pursuit, the higher-ups ended up collecting their drained bodies from the site of impact. It was also believe that part of the reason that they had died was they found remnants of the King of Curses lurking in the scene but there was no proof of him ever being the reason for their deaths.
Their clan, though filled with stories of glory, slowly became less populous.
The fox-spirits seemed to be unhappy with the Miuras. Instead of lifting the curse and bestowing the gift to another clan, they became more ruthless.
For a time, direct descendants from the clan did not bear any female children. Of those who did, none inherited the Kitsune and Inaris would skip a generation.
The Inari drought was lifted in 1936 when a direct descendant of the first Kitsune gave birth to a male who inherited a four-tailed Inari, Hideo Miura. It was the first Inari to be born with more than 2 tails.
Soon after his birth, clan members noted an increase in Inari number.
In 1944, Miura Kodansha, a 2 tailed Kitsune was born, the first Kitsune who was gifted with reverse-jujutsu techniques and the ability to utilize the wind element.
Then after a three-tailed Inari was bestowed upon Miura Kanata, Hideo's son in 1960.
It would be 29 years after that the clan would be blessed with a new Kitsune, Sachiko Miura.
The Six-tailed Kitsune.
News spread fast about the newborn that even Master Tengen opened the doors to the Star Corridor to the Miuras in hopes of meeting with her.
And it would be not long after her birth when she disappeared.
End of Chapter 0
NOTE: This is a work of fan-fiction. All rights reserved to the creator of JJK, Gege Akutami.
This is simply an output of my 'what-ifs' in the JJK world and Juju-fever. My timeline and interpretation of concepts behind the franchise may not be consistent with the current published works but I tried.
Concepts and characters behind the Miura clan came from my own research and imagination. I tried my best to tie them in the main plotline.
The first few chapters may focus on the OC for now but rest-assured, the characters you all love and cherish will fill the pages. It's a bit of a slow burn so bear with me.
This may contain anime and manga spoilers.
