Don't Fuck with the White Mage (Jujutsu Kaisen - Utahime Iori SI Chapter 1)
It is important to manage stress.

It's important to remove the things that cause negativity in your life.

Sadly for me, this is something I no longer have the privilege to do, since in this life I was reborn as a Jujutsu Sorcerer.

In my past life I had a few stress related problem. I wasn't the most... fit person. My diet wasn't really the best, as I couldn't help myself with delicious foods or sweets. You only live once, so might as well indulge in tasty stuff like yaki soba, steak or cinnabon.

Hahaha... yeah...

Then there was the smoking. I mean, that's a way to cope with stress, so that's helpful, right?

Let's not even talk about my love life.

"Sorry, it's just... I don't think things are working out between us."

"I just don't see us together in the future? Like, this doesn't feel like it's going somewhere."

"The spark is gone, you know? Things are kinda boring?"

The spark of gone?! Asshole, that should be my line! You should be sweeping me off my feet, not the other way around!

Maybe I just had bad luck with boyfriends. Every single time.

Naturally, I kinda stopped dating after that. Saying it's inevitable that I won't meet a good guy.

I wanted kids too...

Now if you didn't notice, there was one last stress I had.

Anger.

Lots of anger.

None of it express, of course. Don't want to seem like a "crazy bitch".

I didn't want to be "bossy" or "bitchy" or whatever. As the eldest among my siblings, I had to be the responsible one. And I loved it, you know. Looking after everyone, cooking for them, or helping them study, or just playing or hanging out. Being the one to lend an ear, or give some "sage" advice.

"Wow, you're really smart, big sis... how come you still don't have a boyfriend?"

I had to deal with a lot of little shits.

So yes, I was good at keeping things in. Handling it all with a smile.

And what did that get me?

Dying at 43 years old from a heart attack. At forty fucking three!

Hey, God?

WHAT!

THE FUCK!?

"My, Hime-chan! To think you would be blessed with so much Cursed Energy at such a young age?"

"Honey, maybe this is a sign that our clan will have good fortune in the future too!"

That was my parents reaction upon me learning to use Cursed Energy when I was six.

I'm so fucking glad my stress from my past life is making you happy, you fuckers!

Okay, okay. That's not fair. My parents maybe stereotypical stern Asian parents, being from a tradition Sorcerer Clan and all-albeit a minor one-but they were actually pretty good people.

The Iori Clan... honestly wasn't really big enough to justify being called a "clan". But they were acknowledge as one, due to supervising the sacred sites in Kyoto.

And by "supervise", I mean just live there and keep the place clean.

"Ooooh! Dear, look, look, Hime-chan developed an Innate Technique! At eight years old even!"

"Thank you, O' Kami and our ancestors for giving us such a blessing as this child. To think our Hime could be so talented. Is this a sign that a 'genius' will emerge for our clan, like the Gojo?"

"Hahah, Dear, you silly. Let's not get too far ahead. Now dry those tears, Hime will be concerned."

Yeah dad, what the fuck are you thinking? Don't compare me to one of the monsters of this world.

"These are tears of pride, Honey!"

I remember my parents saying while smiling. Fuck me, were they dorks when they don't have that mask of "serious, stern tradition parents". But they did love and support me.

Yes, they had some expectations of me, as would be normal for this world, setting and the culture of Japan that I was reborn into.

But their expectations were pretty tame. They never asked that I do more than what I could.

If I can use Cursed Energy, then they ask I practice a certain amount of time with it.

If I can use an Innate Cursed Technique, then they ask I practice that.

They never asked for something unreasonable like being able to suddenly use Domain Expansion or the like. Although I did learn how to do Curtain and other barriers easily enough. Likely because my Innate Technique affects an area than directly targets people.

In a way, while being reborn into this death world was stressful, it had been pretty stress-neutral thus far.

Then I went to Kyoto Jujutsu High.


It was my first year in Kyoto Jujutsu High.

"Hello, I am Iori Utahime. It's a pleasure to meet you both, and I hope we can get along and work well together." I told my fellow classmates.

We were seven all together, but my assigned "team" as it were, were just these two.

"Nice to meet you. I hope we have a profitable relationship, Utahime-san." One of my current classmates, and team member, Mei Mei, said to me.

Wait, did she just say "profitable relationship"? The hell? I knew she was money obsessed but isn't this too much! Also, she was money-hungry since she was this young!?

"Gojo Tanaka. Follow my lead, don't cause problems, don't get killed and that would be fine for this team." Our resident Gojo said.

Keep it in. Keep it in. Calm down. Don't shout at someone from the Big Three Families. Don't deck him in the face. He has Limitless like Gojo, so it would be useless anyways. Although this fucker doesn't have the Six Eyes, so he'd probably die if something big attacked him constantly.

"Ahaha, no need to be irritated, Gojo-san. We're all here to fight Curses-" I tried to laugh off his introduction.

"Sama."

I was interrupted.

"Call me with 'sama'. Don't presume we're on the same level, housekeeper." He said. I could almost imagine that old head squeeze of high blood pressure returning the more this bitch kept talking. "Even your Technique is to help those already on top rise higher. So don't forget your place." He didn't wait for a reply as he turned and walked away.

"..." I smiled and said nothing, but once his back was turned my fist clenched for a moment.

How easy would it be? Without even cursed energy to alert him, punch him in the back of the head.

"Hmm..." Mei Mei made a noise from next to me.

"That was intense, huh, Mei Mei-san." I laughed it off again. I looked to my classmate only to see her leaning closer to me, as she had an interested look on her face. "Is... something the matter?"

"...Your eyes had an interesting look for a moment there." Mei Mei said.

"Eh?" I blinked in confusion.

"Anyways, we should head on for our mission, before Gojo-san finishes it before we arrive. Can't have payment without participating." Mei Mei gave me a nod as she turned to walk away too.

"Ah, right." I said before following post-haste.

"Do you remember the Cursed Spirit we're dealing with?" Mei Mei said to me, although it honestly kinda felt like she was just saying that to make small talk. She wasn't someone who would forget mission details, at least I didn't get that impression from her.

"Ah, yes." I nodded. "The location is the Tennoji Park. Following the zoo outbreak due to some explosions smuggled in by animal rights group, a lion had managed to escape the zoo and ended up in the park. While it was later put down, the news of that didn't circulate all that much due to there being almost no causalities from the lion. However, a rumor circulated that the lion was still in Tennoji Park.

"Some people who went there went missing, starting a local legend of a second lion that had escaped, or that the lion was a mother that had a cub, and it was left behind in the park, where it survived and grew up there." I summarized the history of the Curse we were hunting. "Over time as more people went missing in the park after dark, more rumors spread, however even though many officials search the park, there was no sign of the lion. Although the stories do specific that victim were only targeted at night." I finished then added. "Officials didn't want to search at night since they didn't want to give a predator such a natural advantage. Although there was a show attempt to prove to the public that there was no lion, and no one got hurt during that."

"What do you think?" Mei Mei asked.

"Probably a spirit with a barrier that has conditions on it's activation, like time of day, amount of people and so on." I speculated.

"Hmm," Mei Mei nodded. "Seems to be the case. Hopefully it's that cut clear."

"Hopefully."

I could only hope my trusty shotgun will do the job.

What? You thought I was fighting fucking hand-to-hand in this job!


Later on, after travel via train ride followed by a car ride, we reached the park, and walked quite a while in it.

Mei Mei used her Black Bird Manipulation to scout ahead, and thank god for that.

We found the Curse alright. We definitely found it.

It wasn't one lion Cursed Spirit lookalike.

It was five.

Or it would be more accurate to say it was one being that divided itself into five part. Basically the lion pack were actually one Cursed Spirit.

Tanaka killed one easily enough. Then we faced a problem as the moment that one died, the other fours' Cursed Energy levels doubled.

Then it doubled again when Mei Mei killed one with her knife-blade-thing. So now we have three Grade 2, maybe even Semi-Grade 1 Curses on our asses.

"AAAAAAAH!" I ran from one of the Lion Curses firing behind me, but the fucking thing was dodging! Why the fuck does it know how to dodge? It's a Curse shaped like an animal! So act like an animal, be stupid, get shot and die!

I couldn't even use my Innate Technique as I had to use Solo Forbidden Area to power up Mei Mei and Tanaka, once we found out about the Lion Cursed Spirit's gimmick. Fucking rumors and people exaggerating the number of lions.

Sadly my Cursed Energy buff wasn't some OP thing that instantly made Sorcerer into GigaChads. The whole 120% thing from canon requires chanting, dancing, music and the works. I guess Cursed Energy needs to get into the fucking mood to work right.

The standard amplification that I can give is a 40% increase to someone's Cursed Energy, including myself of course. And I couldn't use it multiple times consecutively, I needed a break in-between.

Eventually I evaded the Cursed Spirit into a tree.

Yes, seriously climbed a tree. Somehow it didn't follow me.

It just circled the tree. Slowly.

Ah. I got it now. This isn't an animal. It's a Curse. Of course it wants to revile in my fear, to feed on the negativity of this situation to keep it's strength. Or something.

Also, the fucker was still dodging my shotgun.

Click. Click. Click.

My brain was working fast. Thinking fast. But I was not smart! So I was being dumber faster!

"Housekeeper, I need support here! Strengthen me!" Tanaka shouted as he faced two of the Lion Curses.

"Mei Mei, I'm outta bullets! Throw me one of your knives, please." I shouted, not even bother to acknowledge Fraudjo over there.

"Hmm, this is suppose to be a team effort, and I've more than done my part." She said thoughtfully.

Mei Mei, I beg you please stop with a sassy character.

"Alright, how would you like it for 100,000 Yen?" Mei Mei said with lazy smile.

"MEI MEI, I'M FROM A CLAN, BUT I'M NOT FUCKING RICH!" I cried out.

"HOUSEKEEPER!" Fraudjo shouted, but again I was busy, I was freaking out-

The Lion Curse roared.

And now the Cursed was climbing up the tree.

I never noticed that Mei Mei was actually heading in my direction.

All the stress, anger that I felt in this life, the memories of my past life, all of this seemed to pound in my head till it reached a boiling point.

I jumped.

I jumped at the Curse.

It opened it's maw to devour me.

I slammed the empty shotgun between it's jaws, giving me one moment of reprieve as it couldn't bit me, and with my weigh we fell off the tree.

I didn't think.

I just wanted this stupid thing dead.

I gathered my Cursed Energy, held it all in my hand.

Hand clenched into a fist.

And right as we were about to reach the ground, I punched.

Sparks of black and red erupted. I felt dopamine or whatever slam into my brain, like a wave of coolness and sweet calm.

BANG!

The Lion Cursed Spirit's throat blew up, leaving a hole in it. The Cursed Spirit was definitely dead.

Dead.

From my hands.

I looked at my hands covered in spirit blood. Ectoplasm or whatever.

"My, my, Utahime-san. Looks like you didn't need the knife after all." Mei Mei said from next to me, but I wasn't focusing on her.

Just this feel of fleeting possibility in my hands.

"YUMEMI, HELP!" Tanaka shouted.

Mei Mei had an ugly frown on her face.

I had a lot of Cursed Energy. I noticed some gash on my arm. It might have been from climbing the tree. It might have been from grazing one of the Curse's claws or fangs.

Cursed Energy is negative.

To be positive I need to multiple a negative by a negative.

I smashed the Cursed Energy together. I just had more as they fused like two splashed of water.

I gathered it up more. In the same spot, with the same intensity. Two bags of Cursed Energy.

Still no.

Create Cursed Energy within Cursed Energy. I forced it to gather to change charge.

And it did.

I immediately healed, returning physically back to full healthy without any scratches or wounds.

"...Huh, Utahime's service potential just shot up." Mei Mei muttered to herself.

I felt it then. The distinctiveness of Reversed Cursed Energy.

I looked up to see Tanaka on his last leg as both Semi-Grade 1 Cursed Spirits were trying to bite him, but his Limitless were keeping them at bay for now.

"Mei Mei, can I rent that knife from you?" I said, only focusing on fight in front of me. I held a hand for her.

"Oh, if it's only a rental, I suppose it's okay 10,000 Yen, and only for five seconds." Mei Mei said, but I felt there was a more jesting tone in her voice.

"I'll buy you some beer later." I said as I felt her hand the blade to my open palm.

I gathered up my Cursed Energy, feeling it move and flow in a way it never did before. It a way, that was never so easy before.

Solo Forbidden Area, my Innate Technique, amplified my Cursed Energy even higher.

And threw the knife.

I felt a spark as my fingers left the handle.

It zoomed through the air, making a whipping sound.

BAM!

One of the Lion Curses was stabbed right in the face, it's brain matter flying out the back of it's head.

The Grade 1 Curse Spirit was the only one left.

"Here." I grabbed Mei Mei's shoulder and used what was left of my Cursed Energy to charge her up. "Consider this a down payment on the loan." I said, to which Mei Mei chuckled. "I'll leave it to you and that asshole. I'm gonna go to sleep now."

"Fufufu, you know what, just for you, Hime-chan, I accept." Mei Mei chuckled and smiled, as she walked off toward the Cursed Spirit.

I passed out.

Given that I woke up later in Kyoto Jujutsu High, I was alive, and awarded the title of Grade 2 Sorcerer.