AN: Finally here, with chapter two of this! Took a little longer than expected, due to other obligations, but it's here. Hope it gives you all some bit of enjoyment.

Also, perhaps a bit of good news, too, but the chapter length for this one will be between 5 and 8K words, just like my intent for another fic of mine, so this should allow for chapters to come out quicker. At least, I'd hope so, anyway, as I plan to put more focus on this, in the future, alongside The Olympian God of Destruction, with how JJK has my attention, right now.

Anyways, enough of that. On with the chapter itself!

Sorcery's Strongest:

Chapter 2: Coming To Terms With Reality.

December 14th, 1989… Zenin compound…

One week. It had been exactly one week, since Jiren had been reborn, for lack of a better term, in this new world.

The warrior had spent much of his time since getting here contemplating as to why that was, and how he wasn't simply just erased from existence, as had been the promised fate for the universes that lost, during the Tournament of Power.

The Tournament of Power had ended for him, after all, in failure, when he was eliminated alongside Son Goku and Frieza, where both, despite being enemies, were able to put their trust in one another to remove him from the ring, while leaving that other guy from their team as the sole survivor. A feat that'd truly hammered home for him the importance in being able to trust in others, once again, and not be so willing to push everyone away. Something which came not long after he, in a blind rage, had tried to 'show' Son Goku how easily erased his bonds with his allies could be, by throwing a Ki blast up at the ones in the stands that would've surely killed them all, had it been able to land.

A most shameful moment from him, he thought, as his mind replayed it over the course of the week he'd been here. Despite his willingness to shirk away any potential bonds and trust with others, for fear of betrayal, that was no excuse for such an idiotic and villainous action, on his part, just to prove a point. He was supposed to be a hero of justice who protected people, which he'd made his mission to do, back in Universe 11, not some murderer, like his action then had almost made him.

He was sure that angel, Whis, or any other angel, would've stepped in to stop that attack, even if Son Goku didn't, but that in no way made the attempt any less pathetic and evil, something not just his master, Gicchin, would've found abhorrent, but also his parents, had they been there to see it.

He knew his fellow pride troopers had certainly been shocked and horrified by his actions, for even as angry as he was, he'd felt their emotions turn that way, as soon as the target of his blast became clear to everyone. At that point, the beatdown Son Goku had handed him, in hindsight, was more than deserved. It was a beatdown that he would've given himself, if he could, as in that instant, he'd truly abandoned all that he'd been taught, and all that he'd been doing his best to be, in that one, foolish moment of spite.

All he could say, which was even remotely positive about that turn of events, was that he'd been fully taught the error of his ways, and had learned a valuable lesson that his master would've been proud of, in what was his final moments.

Well, what had been his final moments, anyway, until he somehow ended up in this place, born again as a human baby, and was currently wrapped up in a thick, cosy blanket, inside his own crib. To say he was utterly stunned at this turn of events was an understatement. It made no sense to him what was going on, why his soul and mind still existed, and now inhabited the body of a human infant, and he wasn't just eradicated.

Had the Omni-Kings, for whatever reason, decided to give him a second chance at life? Had Son Goku, after defeating him with his teammates' help, vouched for him to be given such a chance as this, out of the kindness of his heart, to which the Omni-Kings had listened? Or was it possible that his continued existence like this was just some cosmic error on their part? Like they'd meant to erase him, but only managed to do so with his body, and unintentionally sent his mind and soul hurtling elsewhere?

Jiren didn't have a clue what the true answer to his quandary was, and had the sneaking suspicion that he was never going to get a proper answer, unless someone like the Grand Priest decided to cross over to here and humour him with an explanation, which he doubted was going to happen. It could occur, still, but Jiren didn't feel the need to hold his breath on that, as with how thorough the Grand Priest apparently was, from what Belmod had once told him, it seemed out of character for him to not tell him about what was going on, as soon as possible, if he knew about it.

And by, 'as soon as possible', he meant either before, or at the very time he'd been reborn. With the latter specifically, the head angel could've easily communicated to him in private, through telepathy, even with the people from his new family around him, even across universes and immeasurable distances. Such was child's play for a being of his power, to whom time itself would be more of a suggestion, given he was far more powerful than he, who without going all out, already transcended it with his strength.

Leaving such a thought exercise about why he even still existed in any form aside, however, Jiren was hardly about to admit he wasn't thankful for being given this second chance, whether it was purposeful or accidental. After all, now that he did have another chance, in this world, he could somewhat right the wrongs of his prior path, and better follow the teachings that his master Gicchin had imparted onto him so long ago. Such as having trust in others, fighting for and with your allies and friends, all in the name of justice and to protect the weak and innocent, so that as many people as possible could live out their days happily.

Speaking of his new world, though…

"Ah, come here now, Jiren-kun. It's time for you to be fed."

Broken from his thoughts by a new arrival he'd just sensed coming, speaking such words of affection to him, Jiren glanced up from the crib he'd been placed to sleep in – of which he only did during the night, as opposed to during the day as well, like was expected of him, given his physical age here – to see the figure of his new mother approaching, garbed in a dark-green kimono.

Even now, Jiren couldn't quite believe such a thought was on his mind. He had a mother again. Sure, not his original mother, who would always hold a place in his heart, as would his father, both of whom he would've loved to see again, but still, she was his mother now, nonetheless, and one who had shown him nothing but love and kindness, since his birth.

She'd also, almost humorously, given him the same name as what he'd had before. The mighty warrior wasn't sure if he could just chalk that up to cosmic coincidence or not, but regardless, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't slightly pleased with being able to keep his original name.

Picking him up out of his crib with a gentleness and care only a mother could, she soon moved and sat down on a chair nearby in his room, which was quite spartan, in its makeup, with nothing of note in it, aside from the aforementioned crib and chair, with a window by the former. The woman then proceeded to, after making sure she had him properly situated in her lap, first, pull out a plastic bottle of white liquid, which she proceeded to bring up to Jiren's lips, sliding the cap into his mouth, as he opened up for it.

The former Pride Trooper was thankful that he was able to drink this from a bottle, as he was now, which had been something that'd been done for him since two days ago, now, as he preferred it over the prior method of feeding him. One which had involved his new mother partially disrobing, so she could expose her pale breast to him, and have him feed from the milk that came through her engorged nipple.

The mighty warrior wasn't necessarily opposed to that prior method, as he knew she'd simply done that as her duty, being his mother, as the most natural way to feed him, like most mothers did for their young, even on his old home planet. And admittedly, her milk did taste sweeter than what his gullet was currently gulping down, however, baby or not, Jiren preferred if the woman that had birthed him into this world maintained her modesty. He also, perhaps a bit more selfishly, desired not to listen to himself suckling on his mother's nipple, as with his mind and memories maintained, it just felt strange, regardless of the context. Thus, the current option for sustenance, he felt, was best.

"Hehe. That's a good boy. There's plenty there, so drink to your heart's content." The woman giggled softly, obviously enjoying this tender moment she was having with him alone. "We want you to grow up big and strong, after all. Though, with the massive amount of Cursed Energy you were born with, and how absurdly quick you seem to pick things up, as opposed to everyone else, you'll no doubt end up doing that anyway, even without my presence."

Jiren remained silent at this, as he drank his fill.

When it came to the first thing she'd mentioned, that being this 'Cursed Energy', Jiren would be lying if he said he wasn't fascinated by it, after becoming well acquainted with it, over the last week, as well. The feel of it was similar enough to how his Ki had felt, after all, which made it relatively easy for him to reign in and control, on a basic level. However, there were some notable differences, such as how dark it felt in comparison. So dark, in fact, when compared to his old energy source, which had also come from his soul, that Jiren, upon gaining consciousness after his birth, had thought that he was feeling the presence of something innately evil, before a moment later, he'd recognized that such energy was flowing from him.

And yes, he said 'old energy source', when referring to his Ki, as he didn't appear to have it anymore. And he had searched for it within, to find even a scrap of it left, only to find even more of this exceedingly massive amount of cursed energy that he now possessed instead. Whatever had brought him here, whether by accident or not, it was certainly thorough, that much was for certain, in ridding him of anything of his past life, outside all of his memories, which were kept, thankfully.

When it came to him having no Ki, that actually brought him to another difference between it and the Cursed Energy that now inhabited him instead. That being, unlike how Ki had been, and was no more, in the universe he now resided in, it did not apply universally, with everyone having it. He knew this because, like with Ki, he was able to use it to sense things around him, even if not to the same refined degree he had before, by any stretch, and could feel the cursed energy of other people around him, as well as the lack of it, too, when he'd pushed his senses beyond the compound he was in. He could feel the animals outside of it, which in his old world would've had Ki, though not unlocked, and he'd assumed this new energy would be similar, only to find that it was completely absent from them.

That had come as a bit of a surprise to the former pride trooper, but not as much as the last thing he'd learned so far, about Cursed Energy, or he supposed he could call it CE for short, which differentiated it from Ki.

While it didn't innately exist within every living thing, people who lacked it, could still generate it, through their negative emotions, which led to the birth of 'cursed spirits' which would plague them, and acted as an unseeable creature to those lacking cursed energy. And these creatures ranged from simply bringing misfortune upon those who'd unwittingly spawned them – and in other cases, attracted them towards them – to even causing disastrous scenes, like murders, disappearances, and in some cases, widespread destruction to everything around them.

He had learned that particular piece of information through listening in to another mother of the Zenin clan teaching such to her child, outside of the building where he was mostly kept, a few days ago, when his mother had seen it fit to bring him out into the open with her, for some 'fresh air', as she'd put it.

Evidently, it was their job as sorcerers to eradicate cursed spirits and protect the public from them. And the clan he'd been born into, was apparently an entire family full of sorcerers, which had existed for a very long time. Over a thousand years, from what he'd gleamed so far.

This all suited Jiren just fine. He was practically destined to be a protector of the people, again, which only solidified for him even more, that this new life was a second chance for him to properly follow the path his master Gicchin had always set out for him. After all, all sorcerers, or at least, the ones he knew about from his limited information, anyway, were allies to each other, even if not related by blood, and were there to assist and aid one another, if required, in the defence of people from cursed spirits. They were people who were meant to push for justice, in a way, by ensuring that the foul spirits born into the world could not make it a living nightmare for the innocent people simply trying to live their lives.

Before he got ahead of himself, though, there was one final thing he'd noticed about this new energy source of his. To him, at least, it felt… incomplete? It was hard to explain, even to himself, but it felt like what was within him, was only half of a true whole, which was unknown to him. And that was something he was going to have to investigate, at some point during his future training.

And speaking of training, that brought him to the second thing his new mother had mentioned, which was how 'quickly' he seemed to pick things up.

He may not be able to speak yet, due to undeveloped vocal-chords, but that didn't mean he hadn't started trying his best to do whatever he could on his own, if possible, as soon as he could. Especially with how this world was, and what he would end up being, he couldn't afford to sit back and relax. Not entirely, anyway. He may not be able to do much, just yet, but he'd quickly found out what he could do, if he put his mind to it.

For starters, unlike any regular baby his age, within the first few days since being reborn, with a little help augmenting himself with Cursed Energy, similar to how he'd done with Ki, Jiren had forced himself out of his swaddled cloth bindings to both crawl and then stand on his own two legs and walk. He hadn't gotten very far with the latter, hardly a few steps even, before his stubby legs, unprepared yet for such a burden, even with the energy's assistance, had given out on him, and he'd almost been forced unto all fours on the floor, if not for him latching onto a chair and climbing atop it within one of the rooms of the Zenin compound.

His mother, along with several other Zenin clansmen, had been there to witness this 'incredible feat'. Words that Jiren felt would've been immensely hyberbolic, if not for the fact that he was little more than 4 days old, and at that age, at least for the human race, a baby wasn't supposed to be capable of crawling yet, much less walking, and then climbing onto a chair to sit on it.

Such an 'exploit' for one his current, physical age, was enough to further make him the talk of the compound even more than he'd already been, for his massive abundance of Cursed Energy and unique appearance. And when his father had caught wind of it, for he had not been present, at the time, he'd practically been bouncing off the walls with glee that was barely hidden by a thin mask of stoicism. The presumption being that Jiren had witnessed the adults around him walking about and then sitting down on chairs or couches themselves, and had mimicked them successfully, despite not even being a week old yet, much to their awe.

Jiren would allow them that presumption, as it didn't matter to him, at the end of the day.

It was the same with his second and latest 'incredible feat', which his uncle Naobito had personally bore witness to, just yesterday, and that was Jiren simply going to the bathroom and handling his 'business' in there, rather than inside the diaper he'd had wrapped around him, at the time, and which he'd removed. Something he'd been forced to do the first few days of being a new-born, and had felt nothing short of mind-numbing humiliation inwardly, at soiling himself, baby or not.

Admittedly, it almost brought the tiniest of chuckles from the seasoned warrior's mind, when he recalled the stupefied look that his uncle had held, when he saw him, still less than a week old physically, in this world, crawl inside, get up on his feet after removing his diaper, climb on to the toilet, 'skilfully' evade falling into said toilet, and then dispensing of his urine and faecal matter. All on his own, without assistance.

Word of that had spread from Naobito, who looked like he couldn't believe what he'd just seen, evidenced by him immediately turning to his drinking gourd and downing the contents inside, once he saw Jiren drop down from the toilet. The man leaving him to his own devices, which involved wiping himself, before putting the diaper back on, muttering to himself about the 'little monster' that Ogi, Jiren's new father, had sired.

Being called such a name within ear shot didn't hurt to hear in the slightest. Not just because Jiren had heard far worse thrown his way by villains, in his old life, but also because he was more than aware that performing such simple tasks at an age where he was effectively supposed to be helpless and incapable of doing anything for himself, made him stand out like a sore thumb. It made him look even more different than the rest, than his appearance already did, alongside his reserves of Cursed Energy, which again, he already held a basic control over. Something which, from what little he'd gleamed, some young Zenin children, several years older than his physical body, had yet to grasp, and probably wouldn't for the next few years.

"Still," Jiren's mother went on, bringing his attention back to her, as a proud smile made its way onto her face, as she looked at him. "you're my son, at the end of the day, so whatever it takes, I'll be sure to be there for you, in any way that I can, even if you might not need it…"

Even if he wouldn't, the sentiment was appreciated, and Jiren would've said as much, if he could. Sure, it was just words, and as he'd learned in the past, those could easily end up meaning nothing, but Jiren chose not to go down that darker path of thinking, and instead, embraced the notion that she really would keep such words to him. And in return, he would give the same back to her, as it would not be fair of him to simply take without returning the gesture.

He'd already made such a blunder with the Pride Troopers, as part of his way of not letting them get too close to him. To keep them at arm's length, as he was convinced at the time that only personal strength mattered, and the strength of bonds was worthless. Something that Son Goku had beaten out of him, and then Toppo had further shown the foolishness in, when despite what he'd done and said, rather than give up on him, he'd given him an impassioned speech to rise back up and fight, as he believed in him.

A true comrade he'd been, until the very end, despite his own mistakes, and alas, Jiren had been too blinded by his own past to see it, until the very end.

No matter how slim the odds were on it, the once strongest warrior of Universe 11 vowed that if Toppo had gotten similar treatment to him, and was still out there, in some form, then in the future, if they met again one day, and Toppo remembered, like he did, he'd give him a proper apology. For he deserved that much, at least, given how he'd treated him and the others.

He and his mother sat mostly in silence then, for another few moments, simply enjoying the calm and tranquil atmosphere, with his mother occasionally cooing at him affectionately, as he drank from her bottle. And then, just as Jiren released the cap from his maw, with all the bottle's contents sucked down, and the woman let out a soft giggle at how quiet and composed he was for an infant…

KA-BOOOOOM!

Jiren's eyes snapped open in alarm, as he heard an explosion from outside, and felt a slight tremor run through where he and his mother were.

"W-What in the…!?" His mother exclaimed in shock, the sudden explosion catching her by surprise, as well, as she whipped her head in the direction she felt and heard it come from. "What's going on!? Are we being attacked!?"

Not able to see anything from her current position, and with curiosity winning out, the woman rose to her feet, whilst keeping Jiren tucked in her arms, by her bosom, as she hurriedly made her way around the crib, and came up to the window, allowing them both a view at what may be going on.

Meanwhile… Outside… at that very moment…

"Hmph! I suppose I should've guessed this would happen. There's always that one idiot in the pack that's too overzealous for their own good." Ogi scowled, his clothing rustling from the wind generated from the explosion of an attack he'd managed to evade, as he glared out toward a sizeable dust cloud over a dozen metres in front of him, with a hand gripping the sheathe of his blade. "I'd heard from our informants just yesterday that a large bounty had been placed on my child's head, not long after his birth, just as it has the Gojo clan's latest brat, for him being born with the Six Eyes, but I'd never have thought one of you disgusting Curse Users would be dumb enough to try and attack the Zenin clan's compound itself, just to attempt to collect it." The clansman sneered, as the dust began to fade away, showing the crouched figure of someone within, at the centre of a sizeable crater.

"Tch. You know, you really could've made this a whole lot easier, if you hadn't gotten in my way." The Curse User scowled right back, with cruel, light-brown pools narrowed on Ogi, as he pushed up to his feet. His build a stocky one, standing at his full height of six-feet, as he walked up out of the crater he'd made, with a fist smoking by his side, and his shoulder-length, auburn hair rustling in the wind. Brown pants and a gaudy-looking sweater of all things worn on his person, with no footwear in sight, like some sort of broke, dirty beggar, in the eyes of the sword-wielding Zenin. A visage only further reinforced by his equally as ugly face, with larger-than-average lips, malformed cheekbones, bulging forehead, black rings around his eyes, filthy-looking, brown, scraggly beard that reached his chest, and more than a few teeth missing inside his mouth.

"I could've gotten in, killed your freak of a son, and left to get that money, while leaving the rest of you fuckers to do whatever it is you please, but no, you just had to notice me and make this more complicated than it needed to be." The Curse User continued, while cracking his knuckles, looking ready for a fight, as Ogi snorted disdainfully.

"Bold of you to assume that even if I hadn't gotten in your way, you'd have made it to my son and successfully managed to kill him, without anyone else stopping you. And our detractors call us arrogant." Ogi upturned his nose condescendingly, as he felt the eyes of numerous other Zenin clansmen on them, from various different parts of the compound. "Honestly, you were a fool to come here. You'd have had a better chance trying to take the Gojo brat's head than my son's."

"Tch. Not a chance." The man scoffed back. "That kid's been locked down tight by his family, from what I heard, to keep him safe. Neither me, nor anyone else like me, I'd wager, has got any interest in heading all the way there, to put up with whatever defences they erected to protect that brat. Better to wait until he's a bit older and out more in the open. You, on the other hand," He added, while pointing at Ogi, though more broadly, he may as well be lumping in the whole clan, with his following words. "clearly put up no such defences. No barriers, no additional guards, nothing. Can't say that surprises me, with how you Zenin are, thinking you're better than everyone else."

"Hmph. We are better. That's no mere thought, you pathetic scoundrel. It's a fact." Ogi replied haughtily. "And the birth of my son is only further evidence to that. Nobody else could've hoped to sire a child as unique as he is. Not even the Gojo clan's brat will hold a candle to him, with what my son has already shown himself capable of." The man added confidently, knowing of his child's very rapid learning curve, that was fast making it clear that, beyond even his appearance and unparalleled levels of Cursed Energy, he was one-of-a-kind.

A one-of-a-kind boy that had been sired from him. Fate truly was a marvellous thing.

The Curse User seemed to think he was open, as he finished speaking, for he chose that moment to rush him. His previously smoking hand by his side glowing a blue and black around it, while the air around his palm began to crackle like a lit fuse to dynamite, as he got ready to thrust it forward.

"That kid of yours ain't gonna be around for much longer, so don't get too excited now, you damn Zenin!" The man yelled out, before shouting his chant, as he swiftly closed the distance between himself and Ogi, outstretching his open hand toward the sorcerer, as his palm lit up a yellowish-gold. "Cursed Technique: Bomb Blast!"

Hopping back to create distance between them with eyes narrowed and focused, Ogi drew his blade from the sheathe in the blink of an eye, activating his own Cursed Technique in the process, as powerful flames erupted around the cold steel.

"Cursed Technique: Blazing Courage!" The sword-wielding sorcerer yelled back, Cursed Energy briefly bursting around his form in a bluish aura, as he then launched an arc of cursed fire toward his opponent, as he swung his sword forth. His fire meeting with the light emitting from the man's hand, just as its luminosity greatly expanded, causing the Curse User's eyes to widen in panic.

It was too late for him to pull back at that point, though.

BOOM!

A building-sized explosion occurred once again, this time wreathed with fire, as a shockwave was sent out throughout the Zenin compound, and the Curse User, howling in agony, was sent flying back. His burned body bouncing harshly along the pavement, smashing apart the stone, as his form twirled uncontrollably, before he managed to right himself, to a degree. The man purposely bouncing his shoulder off the ground, almost dislocating it in the process, as he hopped up, turned in the air, and forced his bare feet to skid harshly against the ground, drawing blood from his ripped and sizzling skin, as he steadily brought himself to a stop.

When he did, the worst of the damage he'd suffered became apparent, when he chanced a glance down, and to his horror, saw that the hand he'd used for his attack, along with a good deal more of his arm, up to his elbow, was reduced to a badly burnt, bloody stump with a darkened chunk of bone sticking out from the blackened flesh.

"Agh! Fuck!..." The auburn-haired man cursed, staring in both shock and rage, just as much as pain, at his missing appendage, before his eyes widened, and he was forced to leap away, as another arc of fire swooped in where he'd halted himself. The arc breaking the stone beneath, sending up a shower of gravel and bathing what remained in dark flames that would easily leave him scorched into a skeleton, had they landed on his person.

"Well, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what your technique is and how it works, that's for sure." Ogi's cold voice resounded out with even more condescension, as he calmly strode forth, blade covered in flames and held by his side, as his dark eyes regarded the Curse User a good ways' away from him now with nothing short of disgust. "The ability to produce and condense an explosion in your hand, before releasing it and allowing it to expand in a well-timed blast, which, given you didn't start out with any missing limbs, it can be assumed, normally won't affect you. Not an awful technique to have, I suppose, but it's quite the shame it's wasted on someone like you."

"Fuck you…!" The Curse user snapped back, feeling nothing short of rage at the situation, which beat out the fear he felt, realizing he may've, indeed, made a mistake coming here for their newest brat's head.

"Such foul language…" Ogi tsked. "Though, with the kind of vermin you are, it doesn't exactly shock me, I must say."

Nngh… Damnit, this isn't good! This guy alone is definitely a better fighter and Jujutsu sorcerer than I am. Gotta be Grade 1, at the very least. Maybe even Special Grade 1… The now disfigured Curse User thought to himself, already getting a decent sense for this Zenin clansman's standing, from just their brief altercation alone, as he saw him calmly and casually stride toward him. His intent to finish him clear. Shit! What do I do…? His other hand, while burned, clenched subconsciously. I still have one hand left to use my technique with. Maybe I could use it on the ground in-front of us, cause another explosion that'll force him back, and use it give me a chance to get the hell out of here…

The idea seemed appealing, as he'd already lost one limb and gotten himself burned bad enough in just their latest exchange, and wasn't keen on losing his life next, which would most definitely happen if he chose to stick around and try to fight this prick off. All just so he could try and find the kid he came for, whom he didn't know the location of, right now, and all with the other Zenin clansmen undoubtedly on his ass, after the commotion that'd just been made. He didn't even have to glance around, after all, to feel many other pairs of eyes on him now, from around the compound.

Yeah, even if he could defeat the bastard coming toward him, he wasn't stupid enough to think he could handle the rest of the clan coming down on him, all at once, and jumping his ass. That exact scenario was precisely why he'd tried to sneak his way in and find that little bastard he was gunning for, only for that to get dashed when this guy discovered him, and they'd ended up in a fight.

A fight he knew now, he couldn't win. Let alone do it fast, like he'd been intending to, when he quickly resorted to the use of his technique. All using that had done, it seemed, was ensuring that the rest of this damn clan was alerted and paying attention, as opposed to before, when they were none the wiser to his presence.

Damnit… Best if I get out while I can. This was a stupid idea…! The man gritted his teeth, as he took a step back, and prepared his technique in his other hand, ready to put his plan of escape into motion.

It was then, however, as if by pure chance, that he glanced past Ogi, and further up toward the building directly ahead of them, and his eyes widened, when he saw the two watching from a window. One being a woman, obviously born of the clan too, with her hair and eyes that he could just about make out, from this distance.

The man quickly dismissed her presence altogether though, when he took in the baby in her arms, and, even from such a distance, he made out the exceptionally pale skin, and those eyes... those freakish, alien-looking eyes of pure obsidian and a hint of grey, staring out at them, in that moment.

His target… the one he was here to kill, was just right ahead of him! And outside the sword-wielding sorcerer, he basically had a clear path toward him!

"Thinking of running away?" Ogi's voice pierced his thoughts, as the man drew closer to him. "That'd be the wisest decision you could make, but I'm afraid I won't be allowing it. Not after you've sullied my clan's sacred grounds with your filthy presence, all with the desire to kill my son." The sword-wielder's voice grew colder than ever, as he said those words, and the Curse User could feel the killing intent radiating off of him, now.

The Curse User had a split-second decision to make, in that instant. Put his escape plan into action now, or take the risk, massive as it was, and try to get past the stronger sorcerer, so that he could get to and kill the kid.

There was absolutely no guarantee he had any chance of making it out of here alive, if he chose the second option, to claim the bounty. Matter of fact, the odds were quite low, given his current circumstances.

Then again, his immediate plan for escape wasn't holding all that much better odds of succeeding, either, with how focused the Zenin swordsman was on him, to be fair...

With time on a crunch, and no further time to think, with the swordsman's approach, the man made his decision.

"Heh. Screw it." The Curse User grinned evilly, letting greed answer for him, as he aimed his now glowing hand behind himself, toward the ground. "All or nothing!"

"What?" Ogi's eyes narrowed sharply at those words, before they widened considerably when, in his mind, against common sense, the man activated his Cursed Technique. The light expanding out, before an explosion burst through an instant later, tearing apart the ground behind the Curse User, and sending the man rocketing forward, with a face-splitting, tooth-baring, malicious smile.

As he shot past, Ogi, bracing himself easily enough against the shockwave of the explosion, swung his flame-wreathed blade forth, managing to slice off one of the man's feet, as he flew by, sending droplets of charred blood flying alongside the flopping appendage toward the pavement.

The Curse User felt it, along with the searing pain from losing a second appendage, but he didn't care. Even such mind-melting suffering couldn't dampen his mood, as he recognized he'd made it past the swordsman, and saw the woman and the freakish baby coming closer and closer to him, as he fast approached where they were.

The woman seemed to realize what was going on, to her horror, much too late, as all she could do was take a small step back, with a startled and fearful look, as he zoomed in faster than sound itself. His remaining hand now outstretched in front of him, technique flared and ready to blast ahead of him, to take out the baby, along with the woman as well, purely by collateral.

He vaguely heard the shouts of shock and distress from around him, including from the swordsman, and the evil sorcerer imagined those would only become so much worse, once they realized who he'd aimed at, and what the result would be. It was enough to make him let out a short cackle of depraved glee, knowing that he'd gotten one over on this stuck-up clan, and all while potentially getting to leave with a guaranteed reward that would see him set for early retirement!

As soon as his glowing hand was mere inches away from the flimsy glass of the window that separated him from the woman and infant, however, time seemed to slow down to a crawl.

"Eh…?" Suddenly, the man then felt an overwhelmingly horrific feeling course through his entire being, as his instincts screamed at him to get away. To get away as fast as he could, and to never look back, even though it was much too late to do that, now.

The man's eyes then met the child's, in that instant, and the sensation that he'd just made the gravest mistake of his entire life flooded through, when he did not see helpless, obsidian and grey eyes staring back at him.

Instead, in a moment that shook him to his very core, he saw blazing red pools glaring back at him, full of inhuman fury, at the actions he had taken.

In the Curse User's last, fleeting moments on this mortal coil, he knew, instinctively, that he'd messed up. For in his mind, those were not the eyes of a human or an alien staring back at him, as he felt an unseen force rush out from them, shattering the glass between them, and charge right into him, unabated.

Those were the eyes of a ferocious demon. One that he'd been foolish enough to challenge, and immediately paid the price for it, when all he knew next, was oblivion.

AND CUT!

Well, that's a cliffhanger way to end things. Will do my best to get the next chapter out as soon as possible.

And for those who might ask, don't worry. Only one more chapter will involve Jiren as an infant, before I age him up a bit. There'll be a few timeskips, I'd say, before we get to the Hidden Inventory part of the timeline, and then eventually, the canon timeline, so to speak, with Yuji and them.

As I said up above, hope you all got a bit of enjoyment out of this, and I'll see you all again in the next one!