Blood slicked the street beneath my boots, thick as oil. The night air was heavy with the stench of decay — burnt, and metallic
I'd been fighting alone for a few hours. Blade in one hand, cursed energy dancing off my skin like wildfire. One curse after another came crawling from the alleys — their shapes warped, voices shrill, eyes begging for death.I obliged them.
Each swing of my sword sang. Each cut split something unholy. Their remains burned into smoke, swirling into black motes that sank into me. Absorbed. Stored. Controlled.I was unstoppable.
At least, that's what I thought — until I wasn't.
He stepped out of the dark like a phantom — messy hair, a grin that didn't fit his face, and cursed energy that reeked of human malice.
"Hey, kid," he called out. "I've got a group of misfits like us. People with power no one understands. You should join. We see what others can't."
"Yeah," I said, wiping blood from my cheek. "I'll pass."
He frowned. "Hey, don't ignore me."
He grabbed my arm — and before I could break it, a flash of cursed energy flared from his hand. A knife.
I blocked with my sword and spun, driving my heel into his ribs. The impact echoed, sent him flying — but he stood back up, blood spilling from his lip.
"Oh yeah? How about this?" His grin widened. "Malice."
I blinked. "What?"
"My technique," he said proudly. "It lets me control your malice. You hit me, you're marked. Any intent to harm gets redirected — I can even make you hurt yourself."
I glanced at my sword — it didn't glow, but it hummed faintly. So, part of that was true.
Testing him, I summoned the curses I'd just absorbed. They appeared around me, screeching, and lunged at him. Using a curse knife he stabbed the curses, but his legs noticablly didn't move an inch
"What's the play?" I asked. "You gonna tell me how your cursed technique works, or keep pretending you're intelligent?"
"I told you the truth," he said — but his tone cracked.
I rushed forward, feinting a strike. He laughed — until I stopped an inch from his face.
"Not gonna do anything?" he taunted.
"No," I said, smiling. "But they will."
I summoned more right infront of him to close for him to react curses slammed into him all at once, tearing through his defense. When the dust cleared, I felt it — something inside him broke. I dashed forward and kicked him again — and this time, it landed.
"So you were lying."
He coughed, clutching his stomach. "Yeah. My real technique only stays in effect as long as my legs stay still."
He raised his hands while still holding the knife. I was marked again.
"Bad idea," I muttered. I tapped the blade of the sword it bounced off the first but the second was money — cursed energy shattered the mark like glass.And then I moved.
I didn't think. Didn't hesitate. I was sure he could block this he was a curse user. My sword went through his chest.
He froze, eyes wide, breath ragged. Blood bubbled at his lips.
"We were supposed to be kin," he whispered, and fell.
I stared down at my hands — shaking, soaked in crimson.
I'd killed curses before. Hundreds. But this… this was different. This was human. This was real.And for the first time since I got here, I felt it — the weight of being alive. The reminder that I could die, too. My phone rang.
I stared at it for a long moment before answering. "What."
Ryo Gojo's voice came through, light and casual. "Remember how I said we'd announce your special grade status to the Jujutsu Society? Well, guess what — today's the day! Kamo, Zenin, all the big shots will be there even '"prime minister Koizumi" and the royal family. Bring your ass home."
I hung up without a word.
I'd just killed a man. And now I had to go play nice with the monsters who ruled this country.
The Gojo estate I didn't go back right away I was still in my head about today, before I knew it I made it home shimmering with lights that night. Lanterns lined the garden, and the smell of incense masked the faint tension that clung to every noble in attendance.
The ballroom, two stories high, was packed with people. Robes of every clan adorned the guests, and elders perched high above, their smiles sharp as knives. On the lower floor, surprisingly, was Yaga, who waved cheerfully. An old man accompanied him. The craziest sight was the myth himself, Toji! The Gojo clan originally had only one of the two only special grades of the era, but now they had two. They probably paid him to be here, looking tough, but not to bring him to the second floor with them, looking above.
Naobito Zenin was already laughing too loudly, holding a sake cup in his hand. Ogi and Jinichi flanked him, muttering. At a table near the edge, Haruto Kamo, tall and calm, with the face of a man who always got his way, was deep in conversation with an old woman, probably a woman with long brown hair and a shining blue neckless that only had the shining gem as an ornament.
The elders were probably seated near the center of the second floor, watching like gods.
As I looked around I was quickly approached by Aiko in a long dark blue yukata that had white flowers that were accented by gold outlining
Were the hell were you you're late!! Aiko said as she smoked my shoulder
She stood beside me, radiant and unreadable. "You look pale," she said softly.
"Just tired and ryo."
"Liar," she said. "You're always calm, even when bleeding in our spars. when you kill curses you're always smiling. What happened?"
I stared down at my hands again. "I killed someone."
She didn't flinch. "Then learn from it. This world doesn't wait for the kind-hearted."She looked away. "Besides… better him than you now follow me."
As I followed her she spoke again.
"I wish I could be kinder, but you already know what weakness leads you," Aiko said quietly. "As for my father — he's out there weaving words, smiling, undermining the Kamo and Zenin clan heads so smoothly even they don't notice. With you, we'll be back at the top undisputedly."
Gojo chose that moment to interrupt — by piling an entire table's worth of food onto his plate.
"Man, rich people food hits different. You think they'd notice if I pocketed some of these dumplings?"
"Satoru, you do realize it's your family that's throwing the party, right?" I sighed. He didn't even look up — just kept eating.
As the speeches started, Ryo raised a glass.
"Tonight," he announced, "we celebrate a new pillar of Jujutsu society — the third special grade sorcerer of this era… Suguru Geto."
Applause. Whispering. Jealous glares.
I stood there, every eye burning into me, pretending not to care.
And then, the floor shook.
The chandeliers swayed. A deep rumble split the air, followed by the crash of shattered glass. The wall exploded inward.
A monstrous thing burst through — a pit bull the size of a truck, with four heads, each stitched to the next like some deranged experiment. Spikes jutted from its spine, its fur patchy and burned.
Riding it was a tall man in a white lab coat — long black hair, eyes wild with fury, one of his hands made of metal. His grin was carved from insanity itself.
Behind him came four special-grade curses and an army of a thousand Grade 1s.
The first curse was a serpent made of molten glass — every move left shards slicing through the air.
The second, a headless humanoid dripping black tar that burned the ground it touched.
The third, a skeletal thing with wings made of screaming faces. And the fourth — a hulking, half-metal beast whose heart pulsed visibly through its chest.
The man on the beast laughed. "Gojo trash!"
"Zenin scum!"
"Kamo filth!"
"This is your society?"
"Let's see it burn!"
"I am Kuroda, the bringer of change! I shall usher in humanity's new age!"
Ryo's voice rang out, cold and clear. "Everyone — protect the guests!"
Before he finished, the guards stationed inside the Gojo estate attacked the curses.
Gojo was already moving, hands in his pockets, smirking. "Finally. A real party."
Aiko darted forward, her cursed energy blazing. "Lag!" Minds froze mid-motion.
And me?
I didn't hesitate. No more guilt. Because if I did — I'd die.
The air split open behind me as I released everything. Every curse I'd ever absorbed. They poured out of me like a flood.
Dozens, then hundreds — an army of darkness under my command.
The four-headed pit bull lunged, roaring, and my curses met it head-on — a tidal wave of chaos.
Glass shattered. Fire crawled up the walls. Elders shouted orders no one heard.
I moved through the carnage like I was born for it — my blade cutting, my energy roaring, my voice calm.
"Come on," shouted kuroda. "Let's see who survives the night!"
The man in the lab coat grinned from his monstrous mount, eyes alight with excitement. "Show me, special grade!"
I obliged. not just yet tho.
I wasn't ready to face him just yet — I wanted to steal everyone else's kill, so I could absorb the strong curses.
While killing the curses I could reach, I absorbed what I could — feeding, growing, learning.
Ryo moved first.
He confronted the metal beast, its body glinting like black steel. His cursed energy flared into lightning, coating his fists — dragon heads forming around them. His strikes were faster than sound, each hit echoing like thunderclaps.
But the beast didn't fall. It stomped the ground, shattering the marble beneath everyone.
The serpent curse lunged at Naobito, fangs snapping, scales reflecting the chandelier light. His eyes narrowed — Projection Sorcery activated. Every movement divided into twenty-four frames; the curse froze mid-strike, dissected in an instant.
No attack landed on him — but nothing he did seemed to hurt the serpent either. His movements stayed calm, but frustration crept in.
From the sidelines, Toji watched, unimpressed. "Hey, you damn disgrace of the clan!" Naobito yelled. "What am I paying you for!?"
"To show up, old man," Toji replied, shrugging. "If you want mercenary work, you're gonna need mercenary pay."
"Hahahaha! To think that old bastard Naobito can't even control his clan!" Ryo laughed.
"Indeed a shame," chirped Haruto Kamo, his Blood Manipulation flowing gracefully. Arrows dipped in his cursed blood twisted mid-flight, defying physics, covering Ryo and Naobito from above.
"Fine! I'll pay!" Naobito shouted, finally relenting.
As he finished, Toji crashed into the serpent curse, plunging his own hand into his own mouth. Pulling out his Inventory Curse as curse itself coughed up Playful Cloud.
Naobito, seeing this, sat down and took a long swig from his gourd.
Gojo moved last — eyes cold, calculating.
The headless humanoid curse advanced… and was annihilated instantly by Blue. A sphere of crushing gravity formed, pulling in everything around it — bones, blood, curses — compacted into nothing. He shifted the point of gravity, erasing even the smaller Grade 1s as if they were gnats.
"Done already?" Gojo grinned. "I thought you'd at least be strong enough for me to practice Red."
He blurred, reappearing beside the flying skeletal curse. Its screams grew louder — until they didn't.
He didn't even notice when I absorbed the curse he'd killed.
Ryo and the metal beast continued to clash, their fists colliding with bursts of lightning and fire.
Ryo's POV
This beast is monstrous — I'm barely keeping up. But I'm not done yet.
"I'm the first in a century to use the Lightning Dragon Fist. This won't be my end!"
Lightning erupted from every atom of my being, drawing in electricity from everything around me. I became lightning — a living storm.
I launched forward, my body transforming into a roaring lightning dragon.
The impact shook the entire estate. The metal beast fell, crushed, as I landed, panting, victorious—Then I froze.
My body wouldn't move. The beast stirred, rising again. My eyes widened in horror — until a familiar shadow intervened. I was saved by my investment. I knew I'd made the right choice.
Toji's POV
My wife's been wondering when I'll stop mercenary work. But how else am I gonna pay for the new kid on the way? She doesn't know yet — though I can tell. The way she walks, the way she smells, even my best friend noticed. Anyway, I love my little buddy.
I patted my Inventory Curse like it was a pet, dodging another attack from that overgrown snake. I was getting tired. So I shattered the beast with Playful Cloud in one clean hit. As I walked away, I shouted to Naobito,
"When you're done with your sippy cup, you know where to send the check!"
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Geto watching — wide-eyed. "This is what they call strong?" Toji scoffed. "Yeah, right." i said as i left butnot before taking multiple to go plates.
Geto's POV
Damn, tojis strong. Couldn't even steal the curse he was fighting. But fine — I'll let Gojo keep his skeleton. Creepy bastard anyway.
Before I knew it, I was standing face to face with Kuroda.
"Finally done running, special grade?" he laughed.
"Yeah," I replied. "Just had to hedge my bets."
I took a deep breath. "I'll burn fifty today."
There used to be a minimum limit before my vow on Maximum Uzumaki, turning it into ultimate uzumaki but now I only needed sacrifices. No minimum. Still once a day tho.
"Fifty's all I need."
"Ultimate Uzumaki!"
The air grew cold. The wind howled. Every sorcerer and guest turned to look.
My body transformed — cursed energy swirling like a storm. The curses that weren't sacrificed didn't care about the spectacle — they were just happy not to be sacrificed.
I launched forward, punching the pit bull so hard it slammed into the garden wall. It met Bepo — the Fire Bear. The two clashed, flame and fury colliding.
Kuroda swung his bionic arm at me. I ate the impact — then slammed my fist into his stomach.
He dropped to his knees, coughing blood.
"You fool," he gasped. "You know not the great future I bring! You kill the monsters who rule this country only to replace them as a new monster you the one and only one!"
"Get real," I snapped.
"We are the future! The evolution of humanity! My science, my technique — I've proven it! Look at them, my creations! Once perfected, I can make us immortal go—"
I grabbed his neck and lifted him.
"You mean to tell me you made these curses? Explain!" I shouted, slapping him hard.
"My power… allows me to imbue a curse brand on those on death's door," he gasped. "When they die — whether by my hand or fate — the brand amplifies their cursed energy, forcing them into curses. They're loyal… mostly. Some leave."
"Meaning there's more of them," I muttered, tightening my grip.
This guy — he wasn't human. Forcing dying people into cursed existences — condemned to be hunted, devoured, or enslaved by him.
"I… I was helping," he whimpered.
Before I could finish him, Bepo was thrown through the ballroom, slamming into the wall, badly wounded but alive.
The pit bull lunged, knocking me back. I slid across the floor, caught myself, and charged again — punching one head, dodging another's fire breath. Another bit down, slamming me into the ground.
I got up, grabbed its leg, and suplexed it with everything I had.
"Maximum Uzumaki!"
Light exploded from my palms. Five minutes had passed.
.
When it cleared, the beast was gone — along with most of the ball room
And the bastard had escaped.
Scene Change — Kuroda's POV
"Damn it! Damn it!" I shouted, slamming my fist into the computer.
"They were my best yet! A thousand Grade 1s, four special grades — and they still won? What the hell!?"
He paced, muttering to himself. "No… I just need to focus on one. One ultimate god. The best of us."
"Oh, I don't think so," came a voice from the shadows.
I froze. "Who's there?" I grabbed my gun.
"Oh, don't worry," she said, stepping forward with a smile. "It's me."
Kaori's face — but her tone… was different.
She wiped the makeup from her forehead, revealing the stitches.
"My benefactor!" I laughed nervously. "Are you here to offer help in my time of need?"
"No need," she said sweetly. "Thanks to you, I now understand the strength of this era's sorcerers. And I thank you for that."
She tilted her head.
"After all, your body is all I need."
Before I could react, darkness consumed me. As my consciousness faded, her voice lingered — soft, cruel.
"Thanks to your brilliance, I'll continue your work — unhindered. thanks to my technuiqe, And not only that…"
She rubbed her stomach gently, smiling.
"To think you'd give me what I need to preserve your body as well. After all, I can't transfer just yet — I'm still in the middle of an experiment myself."
authers note: hope you liked todays story sorry i havent been posting work has been a bitch but kenjaku has now just been introduced what will he do and how will marvel existence effect the timeline since the story of anchient one was told last chapter i think im gonna speed up the timeline meaning iorn man 1-2 hulk, and thor(from 2005-09) will happen a lot sooner next chapter will be a time skip and will start off with gojo and geto as first years at jujutsu high witch is a 3 year time skip but dont worry i wont skip the aftermath of the ball