Had this new story's first chapter mostly finished for a while now, and decided to complete it now, whilst having finished the latest piece of The Olympian God of Destruction's upcoming chapter, and before I go to bed. Hope you guys will be intrigued enough by it to stick around with it, and find this first chapter to be serviceable, at least. The second one should be out not too long after The Olympian God of Destruction's next update, which should hopefully be at the end of this month, though I make no promises.
Sorcery's Strongest:
Chapter 1: A New Start For The Mightiest Mortal.
December 7th, 1989.
A date that would forever be remembered in the world of jujutsu, within most timelines, as when none other than the scion of one of the three most legendary and well-respected sorcerer clans, who could all trace their roots back to the Heian era, was born.
He was the first bearer of the Six Eyes in centuries, and when combined with the remarkable cursed technique passed down by his family, in Limitless, a truly lethal combo was created, that all but guaranteed that this child, once he'd grown up, would easily be amongst the strongest sorcerers of his time, or any other, for that matter.
Before even that though, as if sensing his gargantuan presence and what he would go on to be, the world of curses was forced to shift, almost as if to match the might of this sorcerer, and not be completely left behind by the potential he'd been born with.
This boy's name, was Satoru Gojo. The pride of the Gojo clan, and whom with his existence, would enable the clan's power over the jujutsu world to blossom out, in direct correlation to the power he himself would soon wield.
In the vast majority of timelines containing this boy's world, he alone was born that day and year in Japan, and he alone, due to his birth-right, would come to be known as not only the 'Honoured One', but also as the strongest sorcerer of the modern age, with no equal to speak of.
In the timeline our story takes place in, however, which is only one in countless, this fact was not the case. For as if brought along by fate itself, or more accurately, the whims of the divine, another boy was born in Japan on that same date. A fact that by itself, was not too unusual, given that it was not too uncommon for more than one child to be born on the same day, in any given year, in just Japan alone. What those of the jujutsu society would find eery, if not downright scary, was that this boy wasn't just born on the same date as the scion of the Gojo clan, but also, as many would find out, was also born at the exact same time as well, to none other than one of the other three most prominent sorcerer clans of the day, in the Zenin clan.
His birth, just as much as Satoru Gojo's, was one that forever altered the course of the world as well, though more specifically, it would also have a profound effect on the clan he was born into, especially given whom he was born to.
Zenin compound… On the date that would never be forgotten…
"Right this way, Zenin-sama! Your wife and new-born child should be over there!" A near-bald man of impressive height, donning a dark suit and tie, along with dark sunglasses to hide his eyes, exclaimed in a rather excited tone, as he motioned toward one of the various buildings that was dotted throughout the sacred grounds of the Zenin's home turf. A modestly-sized, traditional-looking building that had been built for the specific purpose of being a birthing house for the clan's children numerous centuries ago, dating back almost to the Heian era itself, the golden age of sorcery.
The man whom he had exclaimed this to, following swiftly behind him, normally, would not have taken kindly to the over-expressive burst of emotion in his presence, from one of his clan's servants, given the traditions that both his clan, and their servants, had to uphold. Especially by one of his own personal servants, who were normally, to his liking, very stoic and reserved individuals.
However, this was an occasion where the clansman felt he could give his servant a pass for his unbecoming behaviour, as he himself, was admittedly, quite excited, even if he hid it beneath a stoic mask.
"Yes, yes. I'm aware of where the birth was supposed to take place. You don't need to point me in its direction." The Zenin clansman replied with a gruff voice, perhaps a little rudely, but then, to be fair, he didn't need to have such a thing pointed out to him, given his entire life he had been raised in the compound, and thus, he knew where everything was. Even if he didn't, though, he'd but only need follow the aura that was being exuded out from the building itself that was being pointed to.
Said clansman was also a tall, but more slim man who appeared to be in his early-to-mid thirties with long black hair slicked back into a high ponytail, with somewhat regal features, such as sharp cheekbones to go with an angular jaw, along with a roman nose and dark eyes. His attire being that of a very traditional white shitagi and kosade, with a dark hakama and white socks, which were worn beneath a pair of finely-made, old-school Japanese sandals.
This particular member of the clan, was none other than Ogi Zenin, and he was not what most would call a nice man.
If anything, most, including those from his clan, would call him harsh and uncaring for anyone, outside of himself.
And they were, for the most part, correct. Ogi cared for nobody, other than himself, and what could be done to improve his position in the clan he was a part of.
It was for that reason, that while his wife, who was also a Zenin and about a decade-and-a-half younger than he, was in labour, he had been out on a simple mission to purge a cursed spirit from a town near their compound. A cursed spirit who'd been strong enough to warrant someone on his level being sent out to deal with it, which he had taken to both maintain and improve his reputation, to make it better than his older brother, Naobito's. All in the hopes that when the time came for their father, the current clan head to step down, he'd see Ogi's accomplishments and what he'd done for their clan as being better than his brother's and name him as his successor over his elder sibling.
The birth of his first child, whom he hoped would be born rather talented, at least, in jujutsu sorcery, was to him, merely a part of that, and one that he'd thought he didn't need to be physically present for.
Ogi knew he had erred in this decision, in not being present for his son's birth, when just after he'd exorcised the foul spirit that'd been plaguing the town's streets and causing many disappearances, he'd felt it. Right down into his bones, and even his very soul itself, miles away from his family's compound, a surge of cursed energy so overwhelming, that it had briefly frozen him in place. The man, at first, wondering if a much more powerful cursed spirit, one with far greater power than he'd ever felt from one, had shown itself around the area of his home.
As he'd made his way back to his compound as swiftly as he could, however, with a small bit of concern, given how strong that cursed energy had felt, he had been intercepted by the very servant who was with him now, whom he had never seen so animated before. A mix of awe, shock and excitement all plastered over his face, as if he couldn't believe what was happening and what he was about to report to Ogi.
That immense surge of cursed energy, unlike anything the man had ever felt before, had not come from a vile cursed spirit who would perhaps seek to do damage to his clan. Nor had it come from a sorcerer who had business with the Zenin clan, good or bad, who had reached such a level where they could flex such astonishing levels of cursed energy that made Ogi's, much as it pained his pride to admit, seem miniscule, by comparison, like he'd initially thought.
No. That mighty surge he, and evidently, his entire clan had felt, in much the same way he had, was brought about by none other than the child he and his wife had sired, upon emerging from the womb, and such a revelation had sent the entire compound itself into a bit of an uproar, while he was away.
Various other members of his clan, from multiple branches, made way for him and his servant, as they came through. Men, women and children all sending Ogi a look of disbelief, knowing that the one responsible for the aura pushing out from that building was none other than his newly-born son, as they stood in place, all but transfixed by what they were feeling.
At this, Ogi had to legitimately supress the grin that threatened to form on his face as hard as he could. Wherever he looked in the compound, there were members of the clan standing and staring in awe, having never felt a presence like this themselves. And it was coming from his child. His child!
Hehe. I haven't seen the kid yet, but with this kind of presence, there's no way my old man hasn't felt it, too. If my child turns out to be half as good a sorcerer as what his monstrous amounts of cursed energy are at, then there's no way father will be able to ignore it. His consideration of me to be clan-head after him will surely soar high! He thought greedily, as they finally made it to the building's entrance and slid the door open.
Upon stepping inside, Ogi's eyes widened first at the pressure he felt pressing down on his body, from the dense amount of cursed energy housed inside the building. Something his servant had a significantly harder time dealing, showing some visible strain on his features, but otherwise, managed to remain standing, just as Ogi did.
The sight the two were greeted by, as they adjusted to the pressure inside the birthing house, was that of numerous other, more important members of the clan, then the ones outside, all forming what was almost a circle of bodies around what lay at the centre, which Ogi didn't even need to guess at what – or who – it was.
Two men he knew all to well turned sideways to glance at him, as they stood nearly shoulder-to-shoulder, right in front of the entrance, and technically, at the front of the pack of onlookers. His father and elder brother.
Ogi's father was a tall, elderly man in his mid-to-late sixties, with similar slicked-back hair to Ogi's, but his was left freely to fall behind his shoulders and down his back, as opposed to being held in a ponytail, and was completely grey, due to his advancing age. His facial features were just like that of Ogi's himself, though he lacked the roman nose and had sharper eyebrows. A moustache was also present above his lips, as grey as his hair and which reached down his face, curving at a near-ninety degree angle as both sides passed his lips, reaching down beyond his jaw, as his dark eyes glared at Ogi.
Upon his body, was an outfit similar to Ogi's, with the only difference being the colour of his hakama, which was brown, and the fact that he wasn't wearing sandals, leaving his dark-white socks to be the only thing covering his feet.
His brother, Naobito, who was in his early forties, took after their father in hairstyle, though his hair was shorter, reaching just above his shoulders and was dark black in colour. His own features taking a lot after their father too, though his eyebrows were longer and sharper than Ogi's or their father's. He also sported his own moustache, which was long and thin, extending past both of his cheeks almost completely straight, taking after the English-style, which he'd grown fond of after a visit to Britain years ago, to purge a few cursed spirits.
Adorned on his body, which was the most muscular of the three of them, he wore a brown yukata that reached down to his ankles, with a black sash around the waist, and left one side of his torso, along with an entire arm exposed, showing off the abs he'd gained from intense training. And in contrast to his father and brother, who both wore something over their feet, the man elected to go barefoot.
"Ogi…" His father began, managing to keep a stoic façade in the face of what was going on, as he addressed his younger son. "I must say, you and your wife have left me speechless, this day, with the boy you have sired. Never in all my time as clan-head, and even before then, have I ever bared witness to the birth of a child amongst our ranks who exudes so much cursed energy, before…" The older man remarked, and though it was hard to, given how well he hid it, both Ogi and Naobito could feel the man's disbelief at the situation. "This is unprecedented…"
"I'll say. Didn't think Ogi would ever help produce a child for our clan, like this one." Naobito commented, his tone showing how little he cared for how much such a statement might offend his younger brother, who glared at him upon hearing it.
Ogi still felt some satisfaction though, in seeing his brother's usually care-free smirk wiped off his face, for once, and replaced with a scowl that Ogi would daresay looked jealous. Something that actually managed to get Ogi to show a rare smirk of his own, as for once, it was clear that he had done something that exceeded his brother, and made him look better, in the eyes of their father.
"Hmph. Shows how much you really knew about my capabilities, brother." Ogi allowed himself to snipe back, feeling some vindication, as his brother's scowl only deepened, making him feel all the better. After all, none of Naobito's spawn had ever caused such a reaction out of their clan, upon birth, like his child was doing right now.
"Enough, you two. I understand you both have your rivalry, which I approve of, but now is not the time for quarrelling." The father of the two scolded them both, as though they were still unruly children under his watch. "Now is the time to bask in what I believe could very well be the future of our clan, which could aid greatly in cementing us as the most powerful, amongst the three major clans." He remarked with the utmost seriousness. A genuine deal of excitement peeling through his voice at the prospect, as his statement sunk in for both of his sons, and indeed, the rest of the clan members who heard his words.
For Ogi, more than anyone else, hearing this sent a thrill through him, as with those words alone, he knew that his chances of becoming the head of the clan had, as he'd hoped, drastically increased, with such praise already being levied at his child, who wasn't even a day old yet!
Speaking of his child though, his father then turned to look back at where he'd been staring before, and Ogi, making himself some room in the circle, looked over himself, at what had caught everyone's attention, as Naobito joined them.
There, in the centre, almost ten metres ahead, upon a birthing mat still stained with blood, was laid the body of his wife, a young, pretty woman of barely eighteen years, with dark eyes like most Zenin clan members, fair cheekbones, slim jawline, small, yet regal-looking nose, and reasonably high forehead.
Her skin, which was usually pale to begin with, was much paler now than Ogi had ever seen it before, making her look almost like a ghost, with a profuse amount of sweat glossing over her pale and tired body. So much so, that it soaked into the special yukata she'd been given, and made it cling to her in what Ogi felt was a somewhat unsavoury manner, that allowed her shapely figure to be more pronounced than usual, as she did her best to keep her breathing under control. A tall order, given she'd just given birth, and was also likely under the same pressure as all of them.
Her dark hair, usually held neatly in a bun, was splayed out over the floor beneath her, looking quite messy in a way that was most unbecoming of her station, if she were in any other situation than this, as despite it all, the young woman managed an exhausted, but happy smile, at the small bundle in her arms. One that she held closely to her chest, as her eyes remained focused purely on what was cocooned within the white blanket given to her by the nurses, whom by now, had made room for her, but were still visible off to the side, near some of the other clan members.
Ogi paid no mind to those servants, however, as he stepped forward and made his way closer to his wife, while feeling more and more of the pressure that was originating from the baby – his baby – covered up in the blanket.
She, of course, heard him coming, and glanced up at him, a frown immediately replacing her smile and marring her features, as she breathed in and out, before returning to look at the child they'd helped bring into this world. Her smile, one of pride and awe, returning, as the aura the baby gave off crashed into her in waves.
Ogi took no offence to her reaction to him, other than feeling a slight bit of annoyance at her insolence, as there was no love between them. Their marriage having been arranged since before the woman had even hit puberty, and had been finalized when she had reached sixteen years of age, all in service to the clan.
A service that, quite clearly, had paid dividends right now, as far as Ogi was concerned, as he knelt down near her, and the boy she was cradling in her arms.
"Give him to me." Was all he said, not bothering to use his wife's name, or address her with any kind of respect or kindness. And though she hesitated, gripping the bundled baby just a little tighter against her chest, she ultimately, as he expected, relented, and offered his baby boy up to him.
He paid no heed to her reluctance in doing so, as he promptly took the boy in his own arms. His body instantly feeling the pressure increase, now that the boy was being held by him, as he stood up with a sensation of pride and awe, while settling the boy into a reasonably comfortable position cradled in one of his arms, as he looked down at him, gazing upon his child for the first time.
He had a short tuft of black hair all over his head, just as all Zenin babies did when born, and to his immense relief, harboured no ailments or deformities due to the excessive amount of cursed energy he held upon birth, unlike what he knew some other sorcerer babies could end up with.
His skin was exceptionally pale though. Almost as pale as his wife's was, currently. His small arms, as well, which peeked out through the blanket, startlingly, had noticeable muscle definition to them. Something Ogi would've found to be utterly ludicrous, given babies were not supposed to have that, if he weren't gazing upon it at this very moment. An impossibility that was staring him right in the face, just as much as the immense aura the baby boy radiated pushed down on him.
And as the boy peeled his eyes slightly open, no doubt from the disturbance of being lifted up, Ogi could make out one more unique feature about him. This one in particular causing him to widen his eyes in surprise, as it was something that set him apart from the rest, more than anything else, and made for just as much an identifier of his uniqueness, as the Six Eyes did, whenever they appeared on a member of the Gojo clan, their most bitter rivals.
His eyes… The sclera was pitch-black, like the irises of a Zenin, with the irises themselves, while hard to make out at first, once his eyes were a bit more open, Ogi could see were a startling shade of grey, that seemed to hold an untold amount of strength behind them, as they locked gazes.
For a brief moment, Ogi felt spellbound, as though he was staring into the eyes of a mighty warrior whose power and will were so far beyond his own, that it made him seem like an insignificant speck by comparison.
The moment passed though, when the boy closed his eyes again, seemingly going back to sleep. And as he did, this time, the aura he'd been given off, which gave the room such a remarkable level of pressure to those present within, as well as those outside, receded completely. Almost as if the baby himself, already conscious of what was going on, had shut it off under his own power, with an ease as great as breathing.
As soon as the aura went away, if felt like a massive weight had been lifted off the shoulders of every clansman present. And with that weight lifted, each of them either breathed a sigh of relief that they hadn't known they'd needed, or began to whisper amongst one another, about the newest member of their clan with a sense of wonder, and in a few cases, an undercurrent of fear.
Ogi ate it all up, knowing it was his spawn creating such a buzz amongst his family, where no-one else's ever had.
Heh. What a monster of a child. My monster of a child, who is already bringing me such great pride, before he's even begun his training in jujutsu sorcery… The man thought, grinning near ear-to-ear, a most unusual expression on his face, for those who knew him, as he continued to gaze down upon the boy he held close, while listening to the hushed whispers of his clansmen, who all recognized the unparalleled potential his son possessed. You, my boy, will without a doubt be exactly what our clan will need, as my father said, to cement us as the greatest sorcerer family there is, above our so-called 'peers' in the Kamo and Gojo clans.
The self-centred side of Ogi came out then, as he glanced toward both his father and brother, the former of which looked more proud of him than he'd ever seen, due to the spawn he'd sired, while the latter, despite trying to hide it from him, looked a mixture of impressed and displeased. Impressed, no doubt, from the power his son clearly wielded, and displeased, because the fool knew that with him fathering a son like this, the odds of their father favouring Ogi over himself had never been higher.
Heh. About time things started swinging my way. I knew it was only a matter of time! He thought, as he returned his gaze to his son. His eyes full of selfish desire, which he could now see the path toward being fulfilled. You, my boy, more than anything else, it seems, are exactly what I needed, to cement my future position as clan-head over everyone else. Best believe, I'm going to do everything I can to ensure you live up to your potential, so that our clan can stand at the top, with me as its leader.
Meanwhile, as the man thought ahead to what could be, his son, who was still awake, in actuality, was having his own thoughts, at the moment, despite being newly born, for his mind and soul were by no means that of a freshly born baby, which would need time to develop their own identity. Instead, they were that of the strongest mortal the now annihilated Universe 11 had ever seen, and potentially the multiverse itself, up until his defeat in the Tournament of Power.
Chief amongst these thoughts, quite understandably, given what his final moments had been like, was one single quandary – or perhaps it was better to say, a questioning statement of fact – to this reborn warrior, known by his former peers and enemies alike, as Jiren the Grey.
I'm… alive?