The light breeze gently caressed Ray's face as he lay on the rooftop of his school, his eyes half-closed. He loved this place, far from the noise of classrooms, teachers, and the endless chatter of his classmates. Up here, everything felt calm, as if time itself was frozen. But today, something was different.
A strange sense of suffocation, like an invisible weight pressing down on his shoulders, bothered him. He sighed, letting his thoughts wander, and eventually dozed off.
"Ray-kun, what are you doing up here?"
Ray's eyes shot open, startled. A boy from his class stood next to him, looking concerned.
"We've been looking for you for hours, you know? Math class started twenty minutes ago."
Ray sat up, yawning and feeling a bit embarrassed. "Sorry, I wasn't feeling too well... I needed to get away for a bit."
The boy shrugged. "You'd better catch up before tomorrow's test, or you're gonna fail again."
"I know, I know," Ray replied with a weak smile.
As the boy walked back towards the rooftop door, Ray turned his gaze to the horizon.
"I guess I'm the only one who can see this…"
A strange screen floated in front of him, like a hologram suspended in midair. Its letters glowed with a bright blue light.
When Ray had dozed off earlier, he'd experienced the strangest dream — if you could even call it a dream. It felt more like living an entirely different life.
Even after waking up, that strange sensation hadn't left him. It was as if he'd just remembered his past life. Like in those novels he'd read — he had been reincarnated.
And as for why he was only recalling his previous life now, it probably had something to do with the screen floating before his eyes.
Ray frowned in confusion.
The words written on the screen sent a chill down his spine: [Welcome, Host. You have been brought into this world.]
He blinked, disbelief washing over him. "Brought… into this world? What the hell?" he muttered, glancing around. No one was there.
Before he could really think about what it all meant, the text changed.
[Choose a card as your starter gift.]
Several cards appeared beneath the message, floating gently as if carried by the wind.
Ray hesitated. This couldn't be real, could it? Yet curiosity outweighed fear. Slowly, he reached for one of the cards.
The card he chose shimmered faintly and flipped over.
"Overhaul" was written on it.
The name echoed in his mind. Overhaul… Wait… isn't that… from My Hero Academia? he thought, heart racing.
Overhaul, Kai Chisaki's quirk, able to break down and reconstruct anything with just a touch.
Suddenly, a surge of energy flooded through him. A torrent of information about the ability he had just acquired seemed to engrave itself into his very soul. It all flashed through his mind at an overwhelming speed.
He staggered slightly but managed to stay upright. The confusion gradually gave way to astonishing clarity. He now knew exactly what Overhaul was.
"Incredible..." he whispered, stunned.
But before he could fully process the shock, the screen changed again:
[Congratulations. You have chosen: Overhaul.]
At first, Ray had dismissed all of this as a hallucination, but now he knew it was much more than that. He had actually been given a power — part of the classic reincarnation system.
But it wasn't just any power. It was one he knew well, from a work of fiction.
Yet that wasn't even the craziest part. As the power etched itself into his mind, Ray realized that he hadn't just been reincarnated…
Before he could get lost in his thoughts, the message changed once more.
[Good luck. Perhaps you will become a great jujutsu sorcerer.]
And with that, the screen vanished.
Yes, he had been reincarnated into the world of Jujutsu Kaisen.
Jujutsu Kaisen. He knew this world.
Just like My Hero Academia, it was a manga. A terrifying world, filled with curses, deadly battles, and jujutsu sorcerers fighting for their lives and the survival of the world.
But now, it wasn't just a story to him — it was a harsh reality he had been living in for the past 15 years.
Ray looked down at his trembling hands. He could feel an energy coursing through his veins, destabilizing yet intoxicating.
"So… this is cursed energy…"
His heart pounded as he tried to make sense of what had just happened.
"I have to stay calm. This world is dangerous, but with Overhaul… maybe I can be more than just a bystander or potential cannon fodder."
The sound of the rooftop door creaking open again startled him. The same boy from earlier appeared, visibly annoyed.
"Seriously, Ray, are you planning to stay up here all day?"
Ray glanced nervously at the spot where the screen had been floating. But… nothing. It was gone.
He shook his head, still confused. "Sorry, I'm coming."
The boy gave him a puzzled look. "You okay? You seem… off."
"Yeah, yeah… just a bit tired." Ray forced a smile. "Let's go."
….
Ray sat in the back of the classroom, but his mind was elsewhere. While the math teacher rattled off equations at the board, he couldn't help but notice the blurry, menacing figures lingering near the windows.
Cursed spirits.
Creatures he never would have been able to perceive before. But ever since his encounter with the system, it was as though a new sense had awakened within him. An invisible third eye, capable of seeing the unseen.
At first, he had tried to ignore them, convincing himself that it was all just a bad dream. But the more he observed them, the more he realized they were real. Yet, these spirits, small and lacking distinct features, seemed harmless—like shadows with no substance. They floated around the room, indifferent to the students and the teacher, completely detached from their world.
Ray sighed, annoyed. It was hard to focus on quadratic equations when cursed spirits were weaving between the desks. He closed his eyes, trying to shut off this "third eye." The creatures disappeared from his sight, but the feeling of their presence lingered in the back of his mind.
"Ray?" The stern voice of the teacher jolted him back to reality. "The answer to the question?"
The stifled laughter of his classmates brought him crashing down to earth. Embarrassed, he mumbled an excuse and avoided his neighbor's gaze.
"Get it together, Ray," his neighbor muttered with a mocking smile. But Ray ignored him. He wasn't in the mood for classes today.
At the end of the day, while his friends headed to the arcade as usual, Ray dragged his feet towards the deserted schoolyard.
His heart raced at the thought of what he was about to do. Use his new powers.
Ever since he had received Overhaul, that incredible ability, he had only one desire: to test what he could really do.
Which was completely normal. What Otaku wouldn't be tempted?
He found a quiet spot, away from prying eyes, behind the gymnasium.
Ray took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment to focus. The excitement mixed with a hint of apprehension made his hands clammy. This was all so new to him.
Sure, the theory was clear in his mind, but he knew nothing compared to actual practice. He needed to test this new ability, understand its limits and implications in a world where battles could break out at any moment.
"All right… let's start small," he murmured to himself, crouching down to pluck a handful of grass.
He stood up, holding the green blades between his fingers. It felt strange to think he was about to attempt something supernatural with such a simple piece of vegetation. But he knew that magic was real here, fueled by the cursed energy that permeated this world.
He focused intensely on the grass, then allowed that energy, still raw and untamed within him, to manifest. At first, it was a slight vibration in the air, almost imperceptible, but it quickly grew. Ray could feel his veins pulsing with the force of the energy, a familiar warmth taking over his fingers.
A faint crackling sound filled the air, and the blades of grass in his hands began to change. Slowly, they disintegrated into green dust, each cell of the plant breaking down. It was as if he was erasing the very existence of matter.
"It actually works…" he whispered, amazed.
But that was just the beginning.
Concentrating more cursed energy, he tried to rebuild the matter. The reverse process, theoretically more complex, required more finesse.
He closed his eyes, visualizing the shape of the grass, its texture, its chemical composition. Then, slowly, he channeled his cursed energy into his hands, imagining the particles coming together again, reconnecting to reform the matter.
He opened his eyes and was stunned. Where there had been only dust seconds earlier, the blades of grass had returned. But there was a difference. The vibrant green they once had was now dull, replaced by a sickly shade of green.
"Interesting…"
Ray studied the dull grass between his fingers, his thoughts racing. What he had just done wasn't just an impressive feat — it was more than that.
Something had changed within him. He had felt the cursed energy flow through him naturally, as if he were one with it.
This was different. Not like in My Hero Academia, where Chisaki had to touch things to decompose and reconstruct them. No. He didn't need his hands. All he had to do was let his energy diffuse into the air, into the matter.
"I don't need to learn control…" he muttered, astonished. "I… I already control this power."
He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to remember the sensations. That energy coursing through his veins was his, as if it had always been a part of him. There was no learning curve. Everything came naturally, with an unsettling ease.
He decided to push further. How far could he stretch his power?
….
Ray focused, letting the cursed energy expand around him. Like an invisible wave, it quickly spread through the air, enveloping everything in its path. Soon, he hit a limit—about 100 meters. Beyond that, he could feel the energy thinning, as if it was becoming too weak to maintain its cohesion.
"Interesting… I wonder if I could extend it further using a domain. But how do they do it in the manga again?" He scratched his head, perplexed. Activating a domain? It still felt too vague for him, but he kept the idea in mind for later.
Then his gaze returned to the grass in his hand. Something was wrong. Why hadn't it regained its original color? It had returned to its physical form, but that vibrant green was still missing.
As he thought about it, he began to realize that his power went far beyond just controlling matter. He focused again, infusing the grass with his cursed energy.
And then, he saw them.
Three subtle glows emanated from the grass. They weren't visible to the naked eye, but with his power, he could perceive them clearly.
The first glow was faint, providing him with information about the physical composition of the grass—its fibers, structure, everything that made up its "body." This was the simplest part, the one he had acted on to reconstruct it.
The second glow, however, was different. It pulsed softly, like an emotional vibration. It wasn't physical matter but something deeper. The soul. It was the soul that carried the life, the essence of this simple plant. This glow was what he hadn't touched during the reconstruction, explaining its sickly appearance.
The third glow, on the other hand, was mysterious. It seemed dormant, hidden beneath the others. Ray could barely perceive it, but it was there, lurking in the shadows. He sensed it, like a primal force waiting to be awakened.
"Body, soul… and spirit," he murmured, staring pensively at the grass.
These insights came to him without him asking. He now understood that his power could interact with these three aspects. By reconstructing only the grass's "body," he hadn't restored its soul, which explained why it no longer seemed as vibrant as before.
"If I really want to fully use this power…" He clenched the grass between his fingers. "I'm going to have to learn how to act on all three."
The mere thought of such a capability sent a shiver down his spine. With this power, he could modify much more than matter. He could touch the soul of things, maybe even their spirit. But how far could this power go?
--
Ray walked home, dragging his feet, his thoughts still swirling from his recent discovery. The streets of the neighborhood were quiet, bathed in the soft afternoon light. He nodded to the neighbors he passed, though his mind was elsewhere, focused on one thing: his power.
He stepped into his apartment, his mind still buzzing with the events of the day. It was late, and the sun was beginning to set, casting a soft golden glow through the windows.
His mother, as always, was in the kitchen, busy preparing dinner.
"Good evening, Mom," he called out, dropping his bag by the entrance.
"Good evening, sweetheart," she replied without looking up from her pot. "How was your day?"
"Oh, nothing special," he lied, trying to ignore the images of cursed spirits and disintegrated grass that still danced in his head.
He took a few steps toward his room when a shrill voice rose from the living room.
"Hey!" his sister shouted, still glued to the TV with her ever-present bag of chips. "You're home early today. I didn't see you with your friends at the arcade."
Ray rolled his eyes.
"Shut up, Sayuri."
He really wasn't in the mood for one of their usual bickering sessions.
"Don't be mean to your sister," their mother's firm voice called from the kitchen. "Go get changed."
Ray obeyed without protest. He climbed the stairs two at a time, eager to retreat to his room. He closed the door softly behind him, savoring the silence and the privacy of his sanctuary.
His bag slid off his shoulder and hit the floor with a dull thud. He collapsed onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. But his mind was elsewhere. He had just remembered that he had been reincarnated into another world. A world where cursed spirits roamed, where sorcerers fought to protect humanity, and where, somewhere, he was.
After a moment, he sat up and opened his notebook. He jotted down all the information he could recall from the manga, trying to orient himself in this new reality. After several minutes of analysis, he was certain.
"That's it…" he murmured, looking over his notes. "I'm a year before the start of the Jujutsu Kaisen storyline."
….
Ray remembered that time clearly. It was when Yuta Okkotsu joined Jujutsu High, and the threat of Geto began to manifest.
The Cursed Spirit Parade was approaching—an event of catastrophic scale that would forever change the world of exorcists.
A shiver of excitement ran through Ray. It was soon. He would soon cross paths with Yuta, Maki, Panda, and the others. Characters he had only seen in the pages of a manga or in anime episodes would become real for him.
But at the same time, a shadow of worry loomed over his excitement. Ray wasn't a hero. He was just an ordinary high school student—or at least, he had been until recently.
And even with this new power, could he really face the events that were about to shake the world of Jujutsu?
He knew this world wasn't a game. The fights were brutal, the enemies lethal. And even with his power, Ray wasn't sure he was ready. He wasn't invincible. There were countless abilities and things that could harm him.
He closed his notebook with a determined gesture.
"No matter. I still have time. I need to prepare. I need to fully test my abilities before the real danger begins."
He stood up and quickly changed, swapping his school uniform for more casual clothes—a black hoodie and a pair of sneakers. After one last glance in the mirror, he left his room and walked downstairs with newfound confidence.
"Mom, I'm going out!" he called, poking his head into the kitchen. "I'm going to a friend's place, we're hanging out tonight."
His mother, a bit surprised, looked up from the curry simmering in the pan. "It's Friday, you should rest. But alright, be careful on the road and be back before ten."
"Promise!" he replied with an innocent smile. He glanced at Sayuri, who was now watching him with curiosity.
"Your beloved sister is coming with you," she teased, her eyes gleaming mischievously.
"Don't even try," he retorted with a wink before closing the door behind him.
Outside, Ray walked through the dimly lit streets, lost in thought.
His power—he already understood the basics: he could alter and destroy things with cursed energy. He had seen it work on plants, but he needed more. He wanted to know just how far he could go. A power he didn't fully understand could turn against him.
The thought of using his powers on a human briefly crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. Too dangerous, too unpredictable… and too soon. He considered using it on himself, but that was even riskier. Even though he felt like he could control things, a natural caution held him back from trying without properly testing first.
Especially since it was highly likely that he'd end up using the spell on himself eventually.
He stopped at the entrance to a dark alley. His eyes landed on a stray cat, sitting on an old cardboard box, lazily licking its paw. The animal didn't seem to care about Ray's presence, its eyes half-closed.
A slightly sad smile crossed the boy's face.
"Sorry, buddy," he murmured, staring at the cat. "It's for science… well, sort of."
Slowly, he approached the feline, careful not to make too much noise. His hands were sweaty, and his heart was beating faster than usual. He had never done this before, and part of him wondered if he should just abandon the idea.
But another part—the one that understood the danger of the world he was now in—told him that he had to understand his power at all costs. If he wanted to survive.
In a split second, he lunged, grabbing the cat by the scruff of its neck. The animal struggled, letting out furious meows, its claws desperately trying to scratch him. Ray held it at arm's length, his eyes focused on the creature.
"Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you," he murmured, though the cat had no reason to believe him.
A few minutes later, Ray found himself in a secluded spot, away from prying eyes. He had slipped into a small abandoned courtyard, behind a building where no one was likely to pass at this hour. The walls were covered in graffiti, and garbage bins littered the ground. The perfect place for his experiments.
The cat was still struggling in his arms, swiping at the air without managing to escape. Ray held it firmly, feeling his heart beat faster and faster. His hands trembled slightly, but he refused to let the animal go. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his thoughts, before focusing on what he had already done with the plants.
He stared at the cat, and almost instantly, the same glows he had seen with the grass appeared. Three distinct flickers. The first glow, the weakest, seemed to envelop the cat's physical body—its muscles, its bones, everything that made it a tangible creature. The second was brighter, more powerful. Ray knew, deep inside, that it represented the animal's soul, its thoughts and primal instincts.
As for the third glow… it was different this time. With plants, it had been still, but here, it seemed to move, vibrating with strange, wild energy. This was the cat's spirit.
….
Unlike with grass, Ray felt the emotions and sensations of the animal more keenly.
The cat continued to struggle, and Ray could sense its fear and confusion.
Cautiously, he tried to manipulate the first glow.
Immediately, the animal reacted, its paws stiffening for a moment before falling limply. Ray had altered the cat's muscle structure, temporarily disconnecting its muscles without causing harm. Fascinated, he eased his grip, watching the feline, which could no longer move as if its limbs were unresponsive.
"Interesting…"
He then shifted his focus to the third glow, that of the cat's spirit. Slowly, he pushed some of his cursed energy into the spirit's glow. He expected resistance, but he was surprised by how easily he could alter the animal's consciousness. Instantly, the cat stopped struggling. Its eyes, once filled with panic, became suddenly vacant, as if it were in a trance. Ray had just disconnected the animal from its survival instincts.
"I can manipulate its consciousness… or at least put it on pause."
But the most intriguing was the second glow, that of the soul. Ray knew that touching the soul was much more complex and risky. However, driven by an irrepressible curiosity, he decided to try.
This time, the reaction was immediate and violent. The cat's soul seemed to react like a wild beast, pushing Ray's energy away with unexpected force. A wave of sensations flooded over him: the animal's deep fear and, more surprisingly, a fragment of memories.
Ray briefly felt blurry images—memories of the cat—flickering through his mind. He saw streets he had never walked, encounters with other stray cats, and the gnawing sensation of hunger that tormented the animal. There was a complexity he had not anticipated.
"The soul… it's more than I thought. It has its own memory, its own identity," he murmured, impressed.
Suddenly, he released his grip on the soul, frightened by what he had just touched. The cat regained its senses in an instant, and as soon as it sensed the slightest opportunity, it leaped from Ray's arms and darted away into the alley, disappearing into the darkness.
Ray stood still for a few moments, his mind swirling with all the new information he had just discovered. He ran a hand through his hair, a tight smile on his lips.
"It's… it's really terrifying," he said aloud this time.
But what he had learned today was essential. He now had confirmation that he could manipulate not only bodies but also minds and souls. This opened up infinite possibilities… but also terrifying ones.
Ray looked at his trembling hands. He lingered for a moment, his eyes fixed on the spot where the animal had vanished. He was relieved not to have killed it, but the power of his ability still frightened him.
He shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie and resumed walking, his heart still heavy. He had achieved what he wanted: a better understanding of his power. But he also knew he had much left to learn.
The Cursed Spirit Parade was approaching; by then, Gojo Satoru would have a formidable rival.
--
Ray returned home as night began to fall. The streetlights dimly illuminated the roads, and the air had turned cooler. He gently pushed open the front door, careful not to make too much noise.
The house was quiet, almost peaceful. His mother, as always, was in the kitchen, probably tidying up after dinner.
"Did you have fun?" she asked without looking up from the sink.
Ray smirked, recalling his recent "tests."
"Yeah, it was nice," he replied. "By the way, I have a little gift for Sayuri. Where is she?"
His mother turned to him, slightly surprised. "Sayuri? She's already in bed… It's barely 10 o'clock. What did you bring her?"
Feigning innocence, Ray plunged his hand into his hoodie pocket and pulled out a small gray kitten. The animal opened its big round eyes and mewed softly.
"I found it in an abandoned box," Ray explained, presenting the kitten to his mother. "I remembered Sayuri wanted a cat for a while, so I thought she'd like it."
His mother looked at him in disbelief, alternating her gaze between her son and the kitten. "You… brought home a cat? You? But you don't like animals!"
Ray shrugged, appearing nonchalant. "It's not that I don't like animals; I just don't enjoy taking care of them. But Sayuri is different. I thought she'd be happy, so here it is."
His mother hesitated, watching the kitten begin to curl up in Ray's arms, purring softly. "I don't know… You know that taking care of a pet is a big responsibility, right?"
Ray nodded confidently. "I know. That's why I'll help her. I promise to make sure she takes care of it. And if it doesn't work out… I'll take it back to where I found it."
She fixed him with a long look, then sighed. "It's rare for you to insist so much on something, especially for your sister. I thought you just bickered."
Ray raised an eyebrow, a sly smile forming. "Oh, I still hate her… but in a good way."
….
His mother smiled back at him, touched. "Alright. But this is your responsibility now, understood?"
"Promise!" he replied before leaning down to kiss his mother on the cheek. "Thank you, Mom."
He quickly climbed the stairs, the kitten nestled against his chest. When he reached his room, he gently closed the door behind him, smiling at the thought of Sayuri's reaction the next morning.
Ray closed the door to his room and carefully set the kitten down on the floor. The animal shook its head and immediately began to explore the room, its tiny paws pattering on the carpet.
Ray sat down at his desk, arms crossed, observing the little creature with a thoughtful eye.
"Now, you're officially adopted," he murmured with a smirk. "You're lucky my mom has been in a good mood lately."
The kitten stopped abruptly, its ears twitching, before kneeling, its front paws stretched out in front of it as if prostrating itself.
Then, against all odds, a soft yet perfectly clear voice rose in the room.
"My god… thank you for taking me under your protection," the kitten mewed deferentially, its head bowed. "I am eternally grateful for this gift of life."
This was no ordinary cat. It was indeed the one he had "met" during his experiment in the alley. He had pushed his tests beyond what he had initially planned, altering not just the body but also the soul and mind of the cat until it became an animal endowed with human intelligence and capable of speech, among other enhancements.
A cute kitten on the surface, but the reality was darker and more terrible.
The first chimera in a long series to come.
Ray leaned slightly forward, arms crossed, a calm smile on his lips. "Well, well, well. What is your mission?"
The kitten raised its head, its eyes shining with an almost human light. "My mission is to protect your sister, goddess Sayuri, at the peril of my life. Also, I must never speak in public unless you grant me permission."
Ray nodded, satisfied with this answer. "Perfect. Never dare to fail this mission. You have more than enough capability to do so."
"Of course," replied the kitten, bowing its head, its voice vibrating with devotion. "Serving the sister of my god is an honor I will not neglect."
Ray got up from the desk and approached the window, hands in his pockets, his gaze lost in the night's glow.
"My experiments are progressing faster than I expected," he murmured to himself, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "But this is just the beginning. If I can transform a simple cat into a predator, what's stopping me from going even further?"
The kitten remained still, patiently awaiting further orders. Ray turned to it with a determined look.
"It's time to increase the difficulty."
Ray settled back at his desk. He slid his hand over the mouse and woke up his computer. The screen lit up, revealing his familiar wallpaper: a nighttime scene of a deserted city, illuminated by scattered streetlights.
He glanced quickly at the kitten, now curled up in a corner of the room, silent, its eyes half-closed. He was eager to see his sister's expression upon seeing it. Speaking of which, he also needed to find a "gift" for his mother.
Ray smiled slightly before refocusing on the screen.
He opened his browser and began searching for information about abandoned and eerie places in the area. Abandoned school… abandoned hospital… dilapidated prison… His fingers glided over the keyboard with quiet precision.
He remembered the words from the manga: it was in places like those that the Cursed Spirits lurked.
Initially intending to train quietly on plants and other animals, Ray now felt a newfound confidence within him. He had tasted the power of his ability and knew he was capable of much more. This cat had only been a first step. Now, he had to confront real Cursed Spirits.
He quickly typed "haunted abandoned places Tokyo" into the search bar. Results appeared almost instantly, and he clicked on several of them. Articles about deserted schools, psychiatric hospitals closed for decades, and even cemeteries rumored to harbor wandering spirits flashed before his eyes. But he needed a specific place, one where Cursed Spirits gathered in large numbers, an ideal location to face these cursed creatures and test the true extent of his abilities.
Ray rubbed his chin, deep in thought. Suddenly, he recalled the story of Yuta and Toge. They had faced particularly powerful Cursed Spirits in an abandoned school. But when had that happened in the manga? It had to be in May. He frowned, checking the date on his computer: July. That had already passed.
"Whatever," he murmured to himself.
He continued scrolling through the results. The further he went in his research, the more excitement surged within him. His determination to train in real combat against these creatures was now unshakable.
Ray clicked on a link that caught his attention: an old psychiatric hospital, located an hour's drive from the city. The place was known for its paranormal phenomena, and rumors said no one dared to approach it for years. The idea that powerful Cursed Spirits might reside there was more than likely.
A thin smile crept across his lips.
"Perfect."
He leaned back in his chair, satisfied with his choice. It was decided. He would go there tomorrow morning.
He needed to gain experience, and there was no better way than to immerse himself in a place where Cursed Spirits thrived.
He thought back to his previous experiences with plants, then with the cat. Manipulating living beings felt more natural than he had expected, but he knew that things would be different against Cursed Spirits. Jujutsu battles weren't just about powerful spells; they were also about being prepared mentally, physically, and especially anticipating the opponent's movements.
Ray straightened up, turning off his computer.
"Tomorrow will be a big day."
….
The next morning, the first rays of the sun gently pierced through the sky.
Ray stood leaning against the wall, arms crossed, a smirk on his lips. He waited, patient, for the moment to come. He didn't have to wait long.
A scream of joy suddenly rang out from Sayuri's room.
"KYYYAAAA!"
Ray shook his head softly, amused. She found it, he thought.
The bedroom door flew open. Ray saw Sayuri, still in her pajamas, holding the kitten in her arms.
Her eyes sparkled with happiness. She hugged the little ball of fur to her chest before abruptly stopping, fixing Ray with a suspicious look.
"What's the catch?" she asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.
Ray burst into laughter, raising his hands in a gesture of innocence.
"Hey, I'm hurt!" he replied, smiling. "You really think I'd play a trick on you when I'm giving you a gift?"
Sayuri raised an eyebrow, still wary, but her attention was quickly diverted by the kitten softly meowing in her arms. She looked at it with adoration before raising her eyes to her brother.
"Can I really keep it?" she asked, almost cautiously, as if she feared someone would take her new treasure away.
Ray nodded. "Yeah, you can keep it. Mom gave her approval."
A second cry of joy escaped Sayuri's lips. She spun around in delight before gazing at the kitten with a radiant smile.
"You're going to be called… Yuki!" she declared decisively. "Because you're as cute as a snowflake!"
The kitten seemed to approve, snuggling even closer in Sayuri's arms as she grinned from ear to ear.
Ray watched the scene with amusement. He stepped closer, placed a hand on his sister's head, and ruffled her hair.
"Alright, have fun with Yuki. I've got things to do."
Sayuri looked up at him, her smile still as bright as ever. "Thanks, Nii-chan! I swear I'll take care of him!"
Ray smiled back, a bit teasing. "You better. It's your responsibility now."
He turned and left the room, leaving Sayuri to her joyous squeals and her new friend.
The smile on his face slowly faded as he descended the stairs.
It's done. The cat is in place. Everything was going as planned.
A long day awaited him. Today, he would finally test his abilities on another field.
The abandoned psychiatric hospital.
This is where it all begins.
Ray quickly got ready, slipping on a dark jacket and ensuring his bag contained everything he needed. He cast one last glance at the house before stepping outside.
The sun had barely risen, and the cool morning air prickled his skin. The streets were still deserted, which suited him perfectly.
He hadn't revealed his plan to anyone. He could go out on the weekends, as long as he'd done his chores and returned before dinner.
He boarded the bus heading to the outskirts of the city. During the ride, he reviewed one last time the information he had found on the hospital. It was a place where many mysterious events had occurred. People claimed to have seen shadows, spectral forms lurking in the dilapidated hallways.
The bus finally stopped at a remote station. Ray got off, finding himself alone on a small road surrounded by forests. The hospital wasn't far now. He walked for about twenty minutes, his bag bouncing against his back with every step, until the trees cleared, revealing a massive, decrepit building, half-covered in vegetation.
The place was eerie, straight out of a nightmare. The windows were broken, and the once grand entrance hung askew, half-torn off.
Ray stopped for a moment to observe the hospital, his heart racing. A shiver ran down his spine, but he didn't hesitate for long. He took a deep breath, activated his "third eye," and crossed the rusty gates of the establishment.
As soon as Ray activated his "third eye," the landscape before him changed. All around him, Cursed Spirits appeared, floating in the air, aimlessly wandering around the old, crumbling hospital. These formless creatures seemed barely aware of his presence, drifting in circles without actually attacking.
Lower-class Cursed Spirits, harmless. Ray ignored them. They weren't what interested him.
He entered the building, his heart pounding faster. As soon as he crossed the threshold, a strange sensation took hold of him. There was something here, something different. A presence far more powerful than any of the other Cursed Spirits he had encountered before.
A nervous smile crept onto his lips as he tightened his grip on the rusty metal bar he had picked up earlier.
Guided by a deep intuition, he climbed the creaking stairs, ascending floor by floor, until he reached the third. And there, at the end of the dark corridor, he saw it.
….
A gigantic and misshapen Curse stood there, crouched in the shadows. Its body was a grotesque mix of twisted limbs, and its face was a horrifying mass of misaligned eyes and mouths. When it saw Ray, it flinched.
"What is a human doing here?" growled the creature, its voice deep and raspy.
Ray felt sweat bead on his forehead. According to what he had read in the manga, a Curse capable of speech was likely a class 1. This was a far more formidable opponent than he had planned to encounter.
The Curse approached, its monstrous face just inches from Ray's.
"How can you see me? The other humans cannot," it rasped.
The creature's nauseating stench nearly made Ray step back, but he remained still, turning his gaze away to avoid showing weakness. His fingers tightened around the rusty metal bar, which suddenly transformed into a brand-new, gleaming, and sharp weapon.
Ray smiled softly, maintaining his calm.
"It's a good thing you're a powerful Curse," he murmured. "You're going to help me gain experience. Be worthy of it."
The Curse recoiled, clearly surprised by the surge of energy.
Ray didn't wait a second longer. He lunged forward, brandishing his newly refined metal bar. The impact shook the walls, and the creature crashed violently against a crumbling section, revealing a hidden room behind it.
Ray straightened up. "First hit, confirmed," he murmured with satisfaction.
But his opponent, far from being defeated, slowly rose, brushing off its twisted limbs with an eerie calm.
The Curse squinted its many eyes, fixing Ray with growing curiosity. "How… How can a mere human see me and… touch me?" its rough voice vibrated in the air.
Still holding his transformed weapon, Ray suddenly understood. A smirk appeared on his lips. "I see this is the first time you've encountered a jujutsu sorcerer," he said calmly. "Humans can also control cursed energy. That's how we see creatures like you… and touch you."
He extended his bar with a confident gesture. "And I'm here to kill you."
A malevolent grin stretched across the Curse's distorted mouths. "Fascinating…" it murmured, captivated, its eyes fixated on the aura surrounding Ray.
But Ray didn't let himself get distracted. He leaped again, ready to land a decisive blow. However, before he could reach it, a sudden gust of wind of unexpected force hit him head-on. He was thrown through several walls, his body flying through the building like an arrow before crashing heavily into a ruined room.
The Curse burst into laughter, its voice echoing through the abandoned hospital.
"Amuse me a little," it growled, a sinister smile on its face. "I want to see how far you can go."
Ray slowly got back on his feet, dusting off his clothes. He smiled to himself, murmuring quietly, "Cursed energy really is convenient… I didn't feel a thing from the impact."
He placed his bag on the ground, a little intrigued. "Why am I not even out of breath?" He furrowed his brow. From what he knew from the manga, enveloping oneself in cursed energy constantly should be exhausting. But here, he felt no fatigue.
A mystery to solve later. For now, he tightened his grip on his metal bar, fixing his gaze on the Curse, which remained waiting, unmoving.
"Here we go again."
Ray charged once more.
Just like last time, a gust of wind surged, violently throwing him back. But, the next instant, he was already leaping again, reappearing just behind the Curse, faster than ever. This time, he was going to strike where it hurt.
Suddenly, another gust of wind scooped him up and hurled him against the ceiling, sending him straight up to the fourth floor.
Dust swirled around him, and the slab cracked under the impact. Yet, when the Curse appeared in the gap, it was unharmed.
Ray, also unharmed, emerged on its flank, quicker than a shadow, surprising the creature with his speed. He struck with all his might using the metal bar, but at the last moment, an invisible wind shield blocked his attack.
The shock sent Ray flying backward, once again crashing through the walls.
He stood up again.
"Let's see who gives in first, alright?" he shouted, a smirk on his face.
Ray charged at the Curse again, his metal bar still tightly gripped in his hands. His movements were faster, more precise, each strike aiming at a different point of the invisible shield that separated him from the creature.
The sound of his footsteps echoed through the dilapidated corridors of the psychiatric hospital, accompanied by the crash of his attacks. But despite his efforts, his weapon always hit the same obstacle: the invisible shield, formed by gusts of wind that the Curse controlled with disconcerting ease.
The monster, impassive, watched Ray with growing interest, a glint of malice in its many eyes. Its deformed mouths curled into a smile that would have chilled anyone else to the bone.
….
"Incredible..." the Curse said, its raspy voice echoing through the ruins. "A human capable of holding out this long against me..." It burst into laughter, its multiple mouths forming a terrifying chorus. "Don't disappoint me, don't die too quickly!"
Suddenly, without warning, the Curse raised its twisted arms. Wind blades shot from its body like invisible knives, cutting through everything in their path. The hospital walls and ceilings were torn apart, debris flying in all directions under the power of the attack.
The ground beneath Ray's feet gave way, and the entire floor collapsed under the intensity of the windstorm.
Caught in the tempest, Ray barely managed to block one of the blades with his metal bar, but the impact was so strong that he was hurled across the room, crashing violently through several walls before landing in a pile of rubble.
Now outside the ruined building, the Curse scanned the debris below. Its multiple eyes swept over the wreckage, searching for any signs of life.
A twisted smile stretched across its many faces. "Where did you go, human?" it shouted, its many voices reverberating through the air. "Did you survive that, or is that all you had to offer?"
For a moment, silence hung heavy in the air, oppressive and thick. Then, suddenly, a scream of pain shattered the quiet. The Curse turned its head to see a block of concrete slowly rising from the rubble.
Beneath it, Ray emerged, his muscles straining as he pushed himself free. His face was streaked with sweat and blood, and his clothes were in tatters, revealing deep gashes across his body.
He stood up slowly, glancing down at his battered state. He wiped the blood from his forehead with the back of his hand and sighed, more out of fatigue than despair.
"I really felt that one..." he muttered, his voice rough and low. He took a deep breath, surveying the ruins around him. "Without cursed energy, I'd be in terrible shape right now..." He winced as he placed a hand on his side, where one of the wind blades had left a long cut. "Maybe even dead."
He paused, his lips curling into an unexpected smile. Despite the pain coursing through his body, he seemed... happy. He let out a soft, almost nervous laugh, as if he'd just realized something new.
"So that's it..." he murmured to himself, his eyes wide with surprise. "This is the thrill of shonen battles..."
"Still alive?" the Curse said, a strange gleam in its eyes. "Perfect! You seem to be a more interesting opponent than I thought. I hope you're ready for what's next... because the real fight is just beginning."
Ray, brushing the dust off his tattered clothes, looked at the Curse with a smirk. "Sorry, but I'm going to decline your invitation. I'm not really into grueling battles." He stretched his arms, grimacing slightly. "If I get hurt any more, I'll have to experiment on myself, and honestly... it's still too early for that."
With an agile leap, he jumped through the breach left by the collapsed building and landed smoothly outside, the ground cracking beneath his feet. The Curse, hovering above the ruins, loomed over him.
Ray glanced up at the creature and furrowed his brow slightly. "If I understand correctly, your power is to control or generate wind, right?" His voice was calm, almost nonchalant. "It's quite a destructive spell on its own. Terrible, even. And I don't doubt you haven't shown everything you can do yet. But... my cursed energy can infuse it."
Annoyed by Ray's words, the Curse unleashed a blade of wind in his direction. But just as the blade was about to strike Ray, it dissipated into the air as if it had never existed.
The Curse furrowed its many brows, confused. "What the...?" it murmured, incredulous.
Ray shrugged. "I told you, didn't I? My cursed energy can infuse your spell." He paused to think for a moment. "Basically, your spell is ineffective against me."
Furious, the Curse sent another blade of wind, then another. But each time, the blades vanished before they could reach Ray.
"How...?" growled the creature, disoriented.
It then unleashed dozens of wind blades, each more powerful than the last. But they all met the same fate: they dissipated before they could touch the human.
At his wit's end, the Curse tried to summon another gust. However, it suddenly felt incredibly heavy, its misshapen body sinking into the ground with a dull thud.
Ray approached, crouching next to the Curse and looking down at it. "Honestly, I'm getting bored of these wind blades." He sighed in boredom. "Don't you have anything else to offer?"
The Curse growled in frustration, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Ray simply smiled, satisfied with his little demonstration. "Well, if you've got nothing else... we might as well move on to the second phase of the experiment, don't you think?"
The Curse desperately tried to get up, groaning with effort. But its body seemed to weigh tons, as if it were chained to the ground.
Ray, calmly crouched a few steps away, smiled.
"There's no point in struggling," he said in a detached tone. "You belong to me now."
….
The Curse, panicked, suddenly felt the heaviness disappear. Relieved, it thought it could move again, but its relief was short-lived. It tried to move, but nothing responded. Its limbs, its twisted arms, its deformed legs, no longer reacted. It was as if it had forgotten how to use them, as if its body had slipped away from it.
"What is...?" began the Curse, its voice trembling.
Ray tilted his head to the side, curious. "So, which sensation do you prefer? The one before, where you were as heavy as a mountain, or this one, where you don't even know how to move?"
The Curse groaned, unable to respond.
"Actually, it doesn't matter," Ray continued, shrugging. "As I thought, you Curses have two lights within you: the soul and the spirit. Fascinating, isn't it?"
He looked at the Curse with an enigmatic smile. "Well, let's see what happens when you're really at full power."
In an instant, the Curse felt a terrible force take hold of its mind, crushing its personality. Everything it was, all its memories, its thoughts, were swept away, replaced by a single, overwhelming obsession: to kill the human in front of it.
"There you go, now you're free."
Immediately, the Curse regained control of its limbs.
Without a second's hesitation, the monster went berserk. Its twisted arms lashed out with incredible violence, its misshapen body charging at Ray like a storm of pure fury. Cursed energy emanated from it, tearing through the air, with wind blades swirling around it like furious tornadoes.
Ray, still crouched, stood calmly in the face of this avalanche of destruction, a smile on his lips. "That's it. Give it everything you've got."
Ray leapt backward, his heart racing, as the Curse lunged at him with uncontrollable rage. Razor-sharp gusts of wind erupted in every direction, ravaging the space around them. The ground trembled under the force of the blows, walls cracked, and the air grew heavy, laden with the destructive energy radiating from the creature.
Despite the surrounding chaos, Ray remained calm. His gaze sharpened, and with a confident gesture, he began transmuting the environment around him.
The ground beneath his feet twisted, rising into jagged spikes, while columns of earth shot up to block the Curse's furious assaults. The air in front of him, once intangible, became as solid as bulletproof glass, halting the wind blades in their tracks.
The landscape warped under the force of their exchange. Entire sections of the building crumbled from the impacts, windows shattered, and the ground fractured like glass under the pressure.
Suddenly, a massive hand of wind materialized before the Curse, crashing down on Ray with devastating force. The tempest's fingers closed around him, trying to crush him like an insect.
The ground cracked under the impact, and the air swirled in a vortex of pure violence. Trapped within the destructive grasp, Ray smiled faintly, without a hint of panic.
The wind hand vanished as if it had never existed. The cursed energy surrounding Ray devoured the Curse's attack, reducing it to nothing.
He stood tall, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Is that all you've got?" he murmured, more to himself than to his opponent.
The Curse roared in fury, its multiple mouths emitting a piercing scream that reverberated through the air. It charged at Ray with renewed rage, but before it could reach him, the ground shifted again.
In a split second, Ray hardened the earth beneath the Curse's feet, making it as tough as steel. The monster found itself trapped, encased in a reinforced block of stone, unable to move.
Silence fell briefly.
Ray approached the Curse, observing the creature as it struggled desperately to break free.
"Is this really the best you can do?" Ray asked in a neutral tone, almost disappointed. He stood there, arms crossed, like a scientist evaluating an incomplete experiment.
Then, suddenly, Ray smiled.
The Curse, still trapped in the rock, roared. The air around them began to vibrate, and in an instant, the entire scene shifted.
The ruins of the hospital vanished, replaced by a swirling sea of winds. The ground beneath their feet seemed to disappear, and they were now floating in mid-air, surrounded by violent storms howling in every direction.
Ray felt himself being swept up by the tempest, but he wasn't afraid. On the contrary, he smiled.
"So, this is it..." he whispered, as the wind whipped against his face. He burst out laughing, a genuine, excited laugh. "This is what a domain expansion feels like!"
….
The Curse had unleashed its ultimate technique. They were now trapped in its domain, a space where it held absolute control.
Here, the wind wasn't just a tool of destruction, but a force of nature that obeyed the Curse's every whim.
Gusts swirled around Ray, threatening to shred him at any moment, but he remained still, his smile widening.
"Perfect." His eyes gleamed with a wild light. "I knew you were capable of this."
The Curse, standing at the center of the maelstrom, glared at Ray with pure hatred. Its multiple eyes burned with fury as it sent even more violent wind gusts his way. Invisible blades of air slashed through the rock spikes, but Ray dissipated them with ease.
"So, this is what a domain is?" Ray taunted, a mocking grin on his lips. "Impressive. Your attacks have indeed become unstoppable. If not for Overhaul..."
The Curse roared in rage, cutting him off, and the winds around them intensified. The sky—or what seemed to be the sky—darkened as black clouds gathered, lightning tearing across the horizon.
"Oh?" Ray tilted his head.
Lightning began to strike with uncontrollable frenzy, bolts crashing down in every direction, smashing into the ground with unimaginable force. The air reeked of scorched sulfur, while furious gusts spiraled, trying to crush Ray.
But at the heart of the chaos, Ray remained calm, almost nonchalant. The lightning darted toward him, but instead of striking, the bolts faded into a soft blue glow, dissolving before they could even touch him, as though they'd forgotten their destructive purpose.
"Terrifying," he murmured, his voice tinged with admiration as he watched the lightning dissipate around him. "Truly impressive."
Frustrated by its failure, the Curse launched another series of devastating wind blasts. Furious gales tore through the air, but Ray, still unmoving, continued to smile.
"You must be a special-grade Curse," Ray said with icy calm as he effortlessly dispersed the lightning and the gales.
His smile broadened.
The landscape around them began to tremble, as if on the verge of shattering. The howling winds weakened, the energy swirling around them lost its intensity, and in an instant, everything disappeared. The Curse's domain disintegrated, fragmenting into thousands of shards of light that evaporated into the air.
The cursed territory collapsed like a house of cards, returning the two opponents to the real world, amidst the smoldering ruins of the hospital.
The Curse, now standing in the center of the debris, remained motionless. Its grotesque body was frozen, and its once furious eyes now reflected nothing. The cursed energy surrounding it had vanished, leaving it powerless, unable to move.
Ray walked slowly toward the Curse, his footsteps echoing across the devastated ground. He stopped right in front of it. "Let's stop here," he murmured, his words hanging in the silence. "Even though this is an isolated place, there's no guarantee it won't attract unwanted attention."
Ray sighed and bent down to pick up a small pebble at his feet. He rolled it between his fingers, watching closely as the stone began to change. It slowly transformed into a small black pearl, faintly glowing.
Ray let the pearl slip between his fingers, a satisfied smile tugging at his lips.
"And now, you'll become my second chimera," he said softly, his voice almost singsong.
He approached the Curse, lifting the pearl to its multiple eyes. In an instant, the massive monster was sucked into the pearl, its body disintegrating and reducing to a mere trail of energy that disappeared into the object.
Ray gazed at the pearl in his hand. A quiet laugh escaped him, filled with a childlike sense of satisfaction. He slipped the pearl into his pocket and glanced back at the ruins behind him.
The world had fallen silent once again, as though the epic battle that had just unfolded had never happened. Only the wreckage of the ruined hospital remained, a testament to the violence that had shaken this place.
Ray stretched his arms, a casual expression on his face. "Well... That was a very satisfying experience," he said, rubbing his chin. "Now, I need to find my bag... what a hassle."
….
Ray let out a sigh of relief when he finally spotted his bag, half-buried under a pile of rubble. He walked over and gently pulled it free. The bag seemed intact, and he smiled, remembering the precaution he'd taken before the fight: he had reinforced the material with his technique, strengthening the fibers to withstand pressure and blows.
"Good call."
In situations like this, you always had to be ready to protect your belongings.
Kneeling down, he opened the bag and pulled out his phone. The screen lit up, casting a bluish glow on his face. He blinked as he checked the time: almost 1 PM. A puzzled expression crossed his face. He'd arrived around noon, and the place was pretty far from everything. Yet it felt like the battle had lasted longer than an hour.
"It's crazy how time blurs during a fight..." he murmured, deep in thought. The whirlwind of energy, the tension, the adrenaline... it must have messed with his sense of time.
Ray stood up, slipping his phone into his pocket as he glanced around the ruins of the hospital. The entire courtyard looked like a battlefield. The walls were shattered, chunks of concrete lay scattered, and the ground was torn open by deep cracks.
He knew destruction like this wouldn't go unnoticed.
"Well, here's hoping I didn't make too much noise," he said aloud, almost as if trying to convince himself. He scanned the courtyard and its surroundings, eyes sharp for any signs of movement.
Nothing. No suspicious movement, no figure lurking in the shadows. But he knew that didn't mean much. Sometimes the most dangerous things were the quietest. He shook his head. "If anyone's around, I'd better fix this mess before it attracts unwanted attention."
A wave of power radiated from his feet, rippling through the air. Slowly, the ground began to tremble. Pieces of rubble lifted, guided by an invisible force, and started to return to their original places. The collapsed walls rose, the cracks in the ground sealed, and shattered windows mended themselves in the blink of an eye. The debris fit together like pieces of a giant puzzle, reconstructing the building as it had been before the fight.
Ray took a few steps back, admiring his work. The hospital looked almost the same as before, though some details eluded him—he hadn't remembered every nuance of the previous damage—but overall, it stood solid.
"Not bad at all," he murmured, a satisfied smile tugging at his lips. He crossed his arms, nodding in approval. "Almost looks like nothing happened here."
Still, a flicker of uncertainty crossed his mind. He recalled scenes from manga where characters used barriers to hide their battles or minimize damage in the real world. He hadn't quite mastered that technique yet. For a moment, he wondered if he'd made too much noise, whether the gusts of wind or bursts of energy had caught the attention of any passersby or, worse, someone with bad intentions.
His gaze swept the area one last time, searching for any sign of life. Nothing seemed threatening, but you could never be too careful. "Just in case... better get out of here quick," he sighed to himself.
He straightened up, adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder, and turned toward the path leading out of the hospital grounds. The building had returned to its eerie silence, almost peaceful, as if the titanic battle that had raged just moments ago had never happened.
No trace remained, except for the slight tremor in his hands, a lingering effect of the adrenaline still coursing through his system.
Ray cast one last glance at the hospital, then shrugged. "That was... oddly satisfying," he muttered, rubbing his chin as he spoke to himself. Then, with an amused smile, he added, "Alright... better get home before I get scolded for being out too long."
Without looking back, he walked away with a casual stride, ready to move on with his day as if nothing had happened.
