Chapter 1: What's in a Curse?
-Great Lakes Region, North America-
In a campsite in the Great Lakes area, a boy hummed as he relaxed next to his campfire.
He was in his mid-teens–specifically. He had short black hair, Caucasian skin, and brown eyes behind a pair of glasses. Attire wise, he was wearing a black heavy winter jacket over a dark green shirt, blue jeans and black shoes.
This was Joshua Landbrecht, a teenager who was camping alone since he needed a small vacation from society. That wasn't to say he was alone; he came here with his parents and brother, but they all had different campsites that were close to one another.
Part of the reason for this arrangement was due to the need for some privacy away from the suffocation society brought and the desire to enjoy nature. This led to a lot of camping prep time before they finally had everything they needed and headed to the Great Lakes area since it was a popular spot for camping.
Now here they all were, enjoying the wilderness not-quite-together.
"Okay, the fish should be almost done…" Joshua hummed as he took a look at the fish he was cooking over the fire. "... Yeah, they're done." He nodded, seeing that they were a healthy brown that looked well cooked and removed them from the fire.
Though as he started checking on the potato soup he made to go with his fish, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched, stalked even.
The sudden chill he felt, despite it being 72 degrees outside, didn't really help matters–or the fact that all forest activity seemed to have just–stopped, completely.
'Uh oh…' Joshua thought as he got to his feet and looked around, his body tense. There was only one story he knew that fit what was going on around him, and he was trying to keep the fear he felt in check.
Then he heard it… And wished that he was just hearing things.
"Rrrrrrroooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaa…" Came the unsettlingly slowed call of an elk, but Joshua knew what it really was.
"Shit…!" He hissed, the hair on his neck standing on end as he reluctantly looked in the direction of the call.
Stalking his way was a fucking Wendigo. The creature was exactly as gaunt in appearance as the stories said it was, especially in the eyes. It should be noted that this was not the modern rendition of it, but rather the original one with a ghastly human face.
"Oh you have got to be kidding me–." Joshua muttered as the beast, salivating at him with its slathering jaws, rushed at him–its claws poised to tear into him the minute it was upon him without a single hint of regret.
Then, without even thinking of it, Joshua swiped his hand to the side in a futile attempt to swat the creature away… Causing the inhuman beast to suddenly stop moving for a moment–before it slowly fell apart in several clean and impossibly surgical cuts–as if sliced into individual chunks that dissipated in smoke a moment later.
"... The fuck…?" He uttered with a surprised look.
"That was a fledgling cursed technique you just used." A voice said behind him.
"What the–?" The teen blinked as he turned and saw a man standing there.
He was at least in his thirties, if the teen was looking at him right. He had caucasian skin, spikey blonde hair pointing straight up and was wearing dark green clothes with black gloves and boots. He also had a muscular build that looked like it was more meant for the military.
"Who're you?" Joshua questioned, still tense from the brush with death he just had.
"Name's Lt. Colonel Johnathan Chief. Former Army Ranger and now Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer." The man replied. "That beast you just destroyed was a Grade 2 Wendigo Cursed Spirit. You should consider yourself lucky, not many people would be able to do that, even with Cursed Energy." He stated. "Though I doubt any of this means anything to you at the present moment." He added.
"You're right. Nothing but the Wendigo part means anything." Joshua deadpanned in reply.
"Well, let's take a moment to sit down and I'll explain everything to you." John told him as he took a seat next to the fire, Joshua doing the same since he could tell this guy wasn't hostile to him. "From the top: Cursed Energy is the crystalized manifestation of negative emotions and phenomena. Natural disasters, crime, mass murder, terrorism, etc. these are things that can result in high build ups of Cursed Energy. Cemeteries, hospitals, insane asylums, and so on, are places where they can gather and fester as well." He explained.
"If that's true, then they can gather in natural areas like this region, too." Joshua mused. "The winter times were hard on the Algonquin, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that Wendigoes were created from the negativity of those times." He added.
"Correct. In places like these where high concentrations of Cursed Energy are found, one of two things can happen: One, a Cursed Spirit can be born from it, or two a human can be transfigured into a curse. Thus spreading to other places and causing death, destruction and carnage everywhere they go." John nodded. "It's the job of Jujutsu Sorcerers, people who can use Cursed Energy or Genetic Cursed Techniques, to fight and excise curses to keep the people safe." He added.
"What's that got to do with me and what I did? Am I getting an offer extended to me or something to join some kind of academy?" Joshua asked rhetorically.
"Nothing gets past you, does it?" The Lt. Col chuckled. "But yes, that thing you did was a form of Cursed Technique. It looked simple, rudimentary and lacking refinement, but there's no denying it or mistaking it." He stated. "And, as a Sorcerer and a teacher it's my duty to bring any and all kids capable of using Cursed Energy to get educated–to better control and use their power, if nothing else." He added.
"You know my parents are probably gonna take issue with that, right?" Joshua questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Just tell them that you got an offer for a high brow private academy, something tells me that they wouldn't mind so long as you got a good education." The man suggested.
"While that is true, what name would I use to convince them?" The teen asked, wanting all bases covered.
"Tell them that it's called the Jujutsu Academy of America or JAA or maybe a more religious alternative. It's what we use as a cover." John said.
"I'll try and see if it convinces them, ideally in the morning when I head to their campsite." Joshua sighed, hoping this would work.
"I'll leave you to it, then. In the meantime, I gotta go ahead and report what happened." John told him as he stood up and took out a card before handing it to the boy. "Here. This'll let you get in contact with me about your parents' answer." He added.
"Thanks." Josh nodded.
"... By the way, if your parents are with you on this trip, why aren't you with them?" The man asked. "You guys not get along?" He questioned.
"Oh, we get along, but we decided that we were more suffocated by society than we thought to the point we decided to have our own campsites." Joshua sighed in reply. "Well, more like we were suffocated by society and a bit by each other, since some of us asked things of each other a little too frequently." He amended.
This was what he felt; he was asked to do a lot at home to the point that he felt like he barely understood what solitude meant anymore. His family felt the same way, hence the camping trip being orchestrated.
"Oh, I get it. You guys just wanted to relax in nature to recharge yourselves." John nodded, seeing what Joshua meant.
"More or less." The teen nodded. "So how's this academy work, anyway?" He asked.
"Let's save that for when you get admitted." The man told him. "For now though, you best finish your food, don't want it to burn." He told the boy.
"Oh fuck!" Joshua hissed as he quickly got his food away from the fire, not wasting his dinner to be ruined.
John chuckled as he walked off to report to his superiors.
(Timeskip)
The next morning, Joshua took a trip to his parents' campsite. It wasn't far from his, only a hop and a skip away. He needed to talk with his parents about last night's happenings, mentally going over what needed to be left out.
Leaving out the Wendigo portion was obvious.
As he got closer, though, he wondered if they heard the Cryptid's call.
He shook his head as he approached his parents' campsite, seeing them already cooking their own breakfast.
His dad had black hair, a goatee and brown eyes. He was wearing a black shirt and black shorts while he worked on some eggs.
His mother had black hair as well that was graying. She was wearing a black blouse with blue and white butterflies on it, blue jeans and a pair of boots as she got some drinks ready.
The one thing they had in common was that they were in their late forties and had caucasian skin.
His brother, Nathan, looked like an older version of him, but was also considerably taller.
"Mom, dad. I had a small situation last night." He called, getting their attention.
"What happened?" His mother, Rebekah, asked in concern.
"A buck got the wrong idea and attacked me. Just barely drove it off." Joshua replied, partly lying since he knew for a fact he couldn't prove that he was attacked by a Wendigo. "But then a man who was in the area stopped by and made me an offer." He added.
"After making sure you were okay, I hope?" Rebekah questioned.
"Yeah. Turns out he teaches at some kind of Military academy, told me that he thought I'd be a good fit." Her son nodded.
"A military academy? What kind?" Nathan, his older brother, questioned.
"He said he was a former army ranger, so I assume army, though I won't be enlisted, it's basically just a boarding school version of boot camp." The boy shrugged.
"It does sound like it would be watered down if it's just a boarding school, so maybe it'll work." His dad, Chris, hummed. "You thinkin' about going?" He asked.
"Kinda, yeah." Joshua nodded.
"Did he give you anything to contact him?" Rebekah asked, prompting Joshua to fish out the card John gave him.
"He gave me this." The boy replied with a nod.
"Alright…" His father nodded.
"You aren't leaving right now, are you?" Nathan asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Of course not. I'm not ditching a long awaited camping trip over this." Joshua replied, sounding a bit incredulous at the notion.
"Good, because I would've shaved your eyebrows off if you did." Chris quipped, getting some snickers from his son.
"Please don't." The boy sighed, but couldn't stop himself from smiling.
(Timeskip)
Fast forward a few days later and the Landbrecht family was back at their home in Sacramento, and Joshua was at his desk typing away at his laptop–when he got a message from his google chat account.
Specifically it was a friend of his, from Louisiana named Calvin Kestis.
"Hey. What's up?" Calvin typed.
"Not much, you?" Josh asked.
"Just got admitted to the high school I'll be entering. It's the Jujutsu Sorcery Academy of America." His friend said.
"Funny enough, I got offered the same thing while I was on my camping trip to the Great Lakes area." Joshua commented.
"No shit? So what? You knew how to use Jujutsu and didn't tell me?" He asked.
"I could say the same to you, bud." The older kid pointed out.
"Touche. What's your technique?" Cal asked.
"Not entirely sure what it can do fully, but I am able to say that Resonance Deconstruction is a move I can do." Josh replied.
"Like the Witness?" His friend asked.
"Yep. Found that out when a Wendigo targeted me. Just a swipe of my hand and bada bing, it's history." Joshua confirmed.
"Are you shittin' me?" Cal questioned.
"I wish I was…" The tall teen sighed, even putting a grimace emoji since that was one memory he wouldn't be forgetting anytime soon.
"My technique is called Prehistoric. I can manifest creatures, aspects or even brief instances of places from the fossil record as armor, weapons, familiars or small scale battlefields. And my Domain Expansion is "Age of Extinction" where I surround my opponent in a small version of any extinction event of my choosing that they have to try and survive." The teen explained.
"Domain Expansion?" Joshua questioned.
"The short version is that it's a pocket dimension that varies from person to person." Calvin summarized.
"... How is that one of your first techniques?!"Joshua questioned in disbelief.
"No idea, but I love it." Calvin typed, and the tall teen just knew that he was probably cackling right now.
"Anyway, what story were we gonna work on today?" Josh asked as he opened google docs.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you say you wanted to do a story involving a guy getting stranded on a desert island with a hot chick he met on a boat or something like that?" Cal asked.
"It was an MHA story that takes place after the eight year time skip at the end of the series, when class A are all adults, yeah. You suggested we have the guy be Izuku and said the girl could either be Ochako or Kaina (Lady Nagant)." Josh nodded.
"Right. Wanna do that?" His friend asked.
"We can start it probably after both of us are in Jujutsu Academy… Provided we aren't swamped with bullshit." Joshua replied.
"OK, and today?" Cal asked.
"You up for working on Fox Sin?" Josh questioned.
"Chapter 28, yeah. Already got the doc ready. Sending it now." His friend nodded.
"Got it." Joshua typed as he went to the doc so they could get to work.
(Timeskip)
A couple days later, Joshua reached out to John and was now on his way to the Jujutsu Private Academy of America. Where was it located?
Not far from Fort Campbell.
Now this probably wouldn't be all that crazy, but Josh and Cal both watched the Wartime Stories YouTube channel, so they both knew that there were some crazy things near that base.
Given the existence of Jujutsu, odds were that the Cursed Spirits there were likely used as practice dummies.
So, after packing his stuff and bidding his parents and brother a temporary goodbye, he was now flying across the country in an airplane… And it kinda sucked, given that he could feel his legs cramping from sitting in one place for so long.
After finally landing, he was then met by John again, who came and helped him load his bags into the back of a Jeep which then drove them out towards the academy.
"So what exactly can I expect?" Joshua asked as they traveled.
"You'll probably see Cryptids skulking about at night. They aren't dumb enough to try anything in broad daylight." John replied.
"Those things Cursed Spirits too?" He asked.
"No, not all of them." The man replied. "Just the ones that're born of negative emotions." He added.
"Okay then." Joshua hummed as they came up to the academy. He couldn't see much beyond the concrete wall that surrounded the complex.
After John stopped the Jeep at a gate, he punched a code into a keypad and opened it, allowing him to drive into the fort.
And sure enough, it had the layout like your average military base but had clear design hallmarks of a college or high school, as well–including buildings that more closely resembled those kinds of institutions. Hell, there was even a gym and a track field.
"Wow. Definitely a private academy." Joshua nodded as he looked around.
"Indeed." John nodded. "I should note that you'll be one of only three other freshmen to join this year." He told the boy.
"Are the numbers always that low?" The boy asked with a raised eyebrow as he looked at the man.
"Depends on the year typically. Odd number years tend to yield more than even number years." The man shrugged. "Right now though, we'll be introducing you to the principal before you can get settled in, the other two are already there." He added.
"Alright then." Joshua shrugged as they parked. "Who is the Principal, anyway?" He asked.
"Former Army Special Tactics General Elsa Delphine, Cursed Technique: Demon Winter." John replied.
"Sheesh… I pity the poor shit that pisses her off." Joshua winced, imagining whoever pisses her off being demoted to an ice cube.
This caused the soldier to snort as they left the jeep while the boy's things were unloaded, and upon entering the main building of the campus, they entered an official looking office which housed a single desk and a few chairs–where two other boys were sitting, but the principal was nowhere to be seen.
One boy was one Joshua quickly recognized as Calvin, but the other he didn't recognize.
He had blonde hair that stopped at the top of his neck, blue eyes and caucasian skin. He was wearing a blue jacket, a white shirt underneath, blue jeans and white sneakers. He also seemed to be wearing a Mjolnir charm bracelet as well, and his jacket also had a Viking style Rune on the back in white.
Calvin, meanwhile, was a boy with olive skin, brown short hair, brown eyes that were framed by rectangular glasses, and a medium build and unassuming stature at five foot three inches. Additionally he also had a scar going over his left eyebrow, from an injury he sustained and reopened several times as a kid.
Attire wise he seemed to be wearing a black Jurassic Park hoodie, brown 5.11 cargo pants, a Jurassic world shirt, leather short boots, a matching JW cap, a men's diver watch, and lastly what looked like a tiger's eye native american style dinosaur totem necklace that looked like it was in the vague shape of a T-Rex.
"Haha, Joshua!" Calvin exclaimed upon turning and seeing his friend enter.
"Should've known the two of us would be in one room." Joshua chuckled as the two dapped each other up.
"Yeah well we've been waiting here for half a goddamn hour!" The Dinosaur Fanatic groaned. "I swear, I'd prefer being in the Great Dying to this shit." He sighed.
"You're exaggerating." The third boy scoffed.
"Who're you?" Joshua questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Havi Magnus. Cursed Technique: Valhalla." The boy replied.
"Joshua Landbrecht. Cursed Technique: Resonant Manipulation." Joshua nodded in reply.
"Think like the Witness from Destiny." Calvin whispered.
"Well, aren't we an odd bunch?" The viking teen said as Josh sat down.
"Seems like it." He nodded.
It was at that point their principal entered.
She was a rather buxom woman, for someone who served in the military. Her figure was hourglass shaped, but it still looked like it would let her kick someone's ass. She also had rather porcelain looking skin, long blue hair that reached the back of her knees and ice blue eyes. She was wearing a white army cap, a white uniform buttoned up shirt that showed a bit of her cleavage, a matching uniform skirt and white thigh-high high heel boots.
"Principal Delphine." John nodded as the woman strutted into the room.
"Hello, John." The woman nodded in reply, her voice sounding ever so slightly dangerous. "So, these are our latest first years?" She questioned, looking at the three boys.
"Yeah." The man nodded. "Joshua Landbrecht, Calvin Kestis, and Havi Magnus." He told her.
"Well then." The woman hummed, lacing her fingers together. "Go on, boys. Tell me about yourselves." She prompted.
"Not much to talk about. I was just a normal guy who found out about his Cursed Technique on a camping trip." Joshua shrugged.
"Been knowing about mine for about five years myself." Cal nodded.
"I've also known about mine for some time." Havi added.
"How did you two find out about your Cursed Techniques, exactly?" Delphine questioned, looking at Calvin and Havi.
"Axe throwing accident, nearly took my brother's head off before my ax actually returned to my hand seconds later." Havi replied.
"A Cursed Spirit targeted me, and I accidentally did my Domain Expansion out of reflex." Calvin pitched in, causing Delphine to look at him with wide eyes.
"Your first Jujutsu Technique was your Domain Expansion?!" She gasped in disbelief.
"Yeah, he told me and I called bullshit on it but didn't actually share that." Joshua nodded in agreement, not faulting the woman's reaction.
"I was shocked too, one minute I saw a Cursed Spirit, next minute I'm surrounded by my innate Domain, acting on instinct to keep it stable." Cal stated. "After that I figured out what else I could do from there. It wasn't easy, I'll say that much." He added.
"It shouldn't be, given how advanced Domain Expansions are." Elsa nodded before looking at Joshua. "How did you discover your Cursed Technique?" She questioned.
"A Wendigo targeted me on my camping trip, and I swiped my hand to the side in what I thought would be a futile attempt at swatting it aside." The boy replied. "I didn't expect that to cut it down." He added.
"I really wish you didn't have to face that unpleasant abomination to unlock your Cursed Technique." The blue haired principal commented with a wince.
"Yeah, I would've preferred something more tame compared to that." Joshua agreed. "So… What happens now?" He wondered.
"Now? Now I want you to tell me why you want to become Jujutsu Sorcerers. Give me a sufficient answer, and we'll call it a day." Elsa stated.
"And if we don't?" Havi questioned.
"I could always deny you admission." The woman responded, getting tense responses. "Kidding, but seriously. It's important you know why you're taking this job, since death will be after you from here on out." She stated.
"In that case, I just wanna see how much of a reputation I can make before I die." Havi shrugged.
"A Warrior's death worthy of Valhalla, I presume?" The woman questioned.
"Correct." The Norwegian boy nodded in reply.
"Alright, then." She hummed. "And you?" She asked Calvin next.
"My passion has always been dinosaurs and prehistory–particularly extinction events." The boy stated. "What I wanna do: Is to become the thing that causes the extinction of Cursed Spirits." He added.
"Ambitious. I like it." Elsa nodded, and if she was honest, she hoped to live long enough to see that day come. Then she looked at Joshua. "And you?" She questioned.
"Hm…" Joshua hummed as he closed his eyes, thinking for a moment. "I get the feeling there's something more to my Cursed Technique, something that'll let me make a Cursed Spirit army. What I want to do is see if I can seize control of Cursed Spirits, and then see how many I can subject to my will." He began. "Then, once I fully understand them and what makes Cursed Energy tick, I want to use it to bring the world to one harmonious state of peace, to an edge–A Final Shape. If you will." He added.
"That sounds even more ambitious than your friend's." Elsa remarked. "What makes you so sure you can pull it off?" She questioned.
"I don't know, but then again, knowing would just make things boring." Joshua mused in reply.
"In that case…" The blue haired woman trailed off before smiling a bit. "Welcome to Jujutsu Private Academy, you three." She told them.
The boys all looked at each other and smiled, fist bumping one another.
"Glad to be here." They smiled.
"Alright, John. Show these three to their dorms, will you? It's been a long day for them, I'm sure." The principal said.
"A long-ass plane flight, in my case. I can still feel my legs are slightly atrophic." Joshua remarked, stretching his legs a bit.
"Dude, just pull a Bruce Willis and take your shoes off so you can grip the floor, that'll help you recirculate." Cal deadpanned.
"Yeah, yeah." The taller teen grunted as they were led to their dorms.
"You guys are weird." Havi stated as they reached a hall with several dorm rooms. "Guess I'll take the one on the right." He noted.
"I call the one on the left!" Cal said as he grabbed his stuff and dashed into the room.
"I'll take the one at the end of the hall." Joshua shrugged casually as he walked there with his belongings and went inside. "Alright, let's see how I wanna unpack my stuff…" He hummed.
(Elsewhere)
Meanwhile, in the forest expanses around the academy in between it and the base known as Fort Campbell, something was scuttling around, eyeing the education establishment.
The creature was pale white, almost albino, and had a humanoid structure. The only difference was that it had long foreclaws and was hunched over.
It would seem that Cursed Spirits weren't the only things attracted by Cursed Energy…
ThermalsniperN7: Took a bit for us to get around to this one. It all started with a shitpost of my JJK Domain Expansion being The Final Shape from Destiny 2. Why that? Given the brief image of it being in effect, it was obvious that it looked like something that belonged in Jujutsu Kaisen. Hell, The Witness practically did a Domain Expansion, when you think about it.
Dragon Emperor0: It also includes my personal Domain, which should be pretty obvious as you guys likely all know by now that I am a Dinosaur maniac. As well as a third character who was based on one of the most metal mythologies known to us humans. These guys will be our main protagonists and as you may have guessed, John will be the Gojo of the story, kinda. Really both he and Elsa will prove to be strong enough to fit the role simultaneously, but we'll let you decide based on what you see.
ThermalsniperN7: We also had instances that'll pretty much make these guys similar to Trevor Belmont, Alucard and Sypha in terms of dynamic–sans romance of course–so it'll more or less be a triple lancer sort of arrangement, if executed correctly. Anyway, see you guys next time.