Chapter One: Becoming a Reincarnator.
"So.. Mr. Kobayashi. It says here that you studied engineering at the University of Tokyo for two years before you dropped out.. would you mind elaborating why you left? I hear the University is quite a nice environment."
The interviewer was an older man, maybe in his late forties or early fifties. His face was tanned and wrinkled, like he'd spent much of his youth in the sun. His hair was black, with touches of grey coming in at the roots. He was clean shaven, and wore a charcoal suit with a red necktie. He was quite put together, considering the job wasn't all that prestigious.
"Well, sir, I found that college.. didn't really fit me. I wasn't happy where I was, and it was just a waste of money, so I left. I believe that, despite my lack of a full college education, I am qualified for this position."
The interviewer nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing. He looked at the files before him, nodding before he handed them back to the young man before him.
"Very well, Mr. Kobayashi, we'll give you a call to let you know if you've gotten the position. Have a good day, young man."
"You too, sir! I look forward to being a part of this company."
With that, Katsuki left, taking his resume with him. He knew that.. he probably wouldn't be hired, but it was always worth a shot. He was a college dropout, and his family wasn't rich or anything. He needed the money, more than anything.
Katsuki wasn't particularly outstanding in any way. He was average height and weight, he was a bit muscular, but by no means ripped, and he wasn't all that good looking. He had brown eyes and naturally brown hair, though he'd taken to dying it recently. Currently, it was a bright yellow with red tips, a reference to his favorite character from a certain anime. It was certainly flashy, but in the area he lived, it was rather common.
Walking back to his apartment, he decided to take a shortcut, between a cat cafe and a hair salon. As he was walking, he felt something strange beneath his shoe, something that caused his foot to almost slide out from beneath him.
When he bent down to look, he found what looked like a playing card stuck to his foot. Inspecting it, it was.. strange. It was stark white, with subtle patterns on it that caught the light. In the center of the front, the word [SIN] was written in thick, red text. As Katsuki examined it further, the edge of the card bit into his skin, drawing blood. As the crimson liquid soaked into the card, a strange ringing began to echo in his head, and it looked like the [SIN] character lifted off from the card, fusing onto the back of his hand.
[Special Item has been activated.]
[Binding Sin Sequence…]
[Reincarnator ID not found. Correcting…]
Katsuki blinked, staring at the text in front of him. When he reached out to touch it, he realized it wasn't actually in front of him, but was hovering right in front of his eyes, like a HUD. Was he hallucinating? Surely he was going insane, right?
[Initializing…]
[You believe yourself to be average, a normal person who will never amount to more than that. You think that if you were to disappear, nobody would notice.]
[Now, a new stage has been set for you.]
[Will you risk your life to enter the multiverse?]
[Yes / No]
Katsuki stared, debating. Surely this wasn't real, right? But.. it didn't look like any of the AR (Augmented Reality) technology that he'd seen.. and he hadn't taken anything suspicious recently.. maybe it really was real.
Looking at the [Yes] button, Katsuki's head rang once again, and his vision was filled with a blinding white light.
[Selecting Trial World…]
[Special Item detected on Reincarnator: Mark of Sin.]
[Special Trial Initiated.]
Another flash of light, and Katsuki opened his eyes. He was laying on a metal bench on the streets of Tokyo, a bustling crowd walking down the sidewalks. Sitting up, he rubbed his head, trying to comfort his headache. He was in Kyoto just a few minutes ago, how was he in Tokyo now?
[ID# EX050 has regained consciousness. Initializing data calibration.]
[Calibrating…]
[Complete.]
Katsuki stared at the next, pulling his phone from his pocket so he didn't look like he was staring into space. It seems.. maybe this wasn't a dream after all.
[ID#: EX050]
[Codename: Katsuki Kobayashi (Can be changed upon completion of trial.]
[Lineage: Human (Black-Iron Rank, Native Species)]
[Talent: Calibrating…]
[Proficiencies: Engineering Lv3, Hand-to-Hand Combat Lv1, Analytical Thinking Lv2]
[Foundational Attributes]
Strength: 6 (5) (Represents physical output and performance. Value in parentheses is the standard for an adult of the same sex and lineage.)
Agility: 9 (5) (Represents mental reaction speed and physical flexibility, as well as speed.)
Constitution: 5 (5) (Represents endurance and resistance to abnormal conditions and status effects.)
Spirit: 10 (5) (Represents mental fortitude and the strength of spiritual energy.)
[Hidden Attributes (Not shown unless prompted)]
Luck: 6 (5) (Affects the probability of chance events resulting in a favorable outcome. This value fluctuates by 1-3 points in either direction. Base attribute: 6.)
Charisma: 7 (5) (Personal appeal based on mainstream aesthetic of one's species.)
Energy: 0 (0) (Represents the user's control over non-physical energy.)
Katsuki was surprised at his base stats. Sure, he was.. sort of smart, and he went to the gym every so often, but having such a high Agility and Spirit stat was surprising. He wasn't even that good looking, so his charisma being so high was also strange. Maybe people here liked his dyed hair?
[World Load Complete]
[Mission World: Jujutsu Kaisen Derivative World C7618 (This world has not yet been influenced by other Reincarnators.)]
[Mission Type: Special Trial]
[Challenge Difficulty: Low ~ Unknown (The difficulty scaling in this world is extreme. User is advised to proceed with caution.)]
[Time Limit: 1 Year]
[Notice: You have been given universal language comprehension for the duration of your stay in this world.]
[You may unlock the following Milestones in this world. Milestones affect mission rating and potential Title acquisition.]
[Jujutsu Sorcerer]: Learn to harness the power of cursed energy.
[Jujutsu Sorcerer (Rare)]: Learn to use a Cursed Technique.
[Genocider]: Kill 100 human beings.
[Exorcist]: Destroy 10 Cursed Spirits.
[Spirit-Toucher]: Come into contact with a spirit and live.
[Black Flash (Rare)] Trigger a Black Flash 3 times in a row.
Reading the text, Katsuki nodded, looking around. He saw someone leave a newspaper on the desk, and that's when he noticed something. Before he entered this world, it had been 2024, but now.. the date said it was 2007. That means.. he was in the era of teen Gojo. And.. Toji Fushiguro, the Sorcerer Killer.
As he was still thinking, another message flashed before his eyes, showing something that would shape his time in this world.
[Special Trial: Sinner or Savior]
[Mission 1: Align yourself with Jujutsu Society or its opposition and prove it through your actions.]
[Mission 2: Either- Secure an official position within Jujutsu Society and perform a mission to aid Japan, OR, Eliminate a pillar of Jujutsu Society. Options include a Jujutsu School, one of the Big Three Clans, or a Special Grade Sorcerer.]
[Optional Objective: Before the time limit, eliminate at least 3 figures who oppose your chosen path.]
[Failure Penalty: Annihilation.]
Katsuki was lucky. He had a good knowledge of Jujutsu Kaisen, as it was one of the few anime he engaged with often. He'd even finished the manga after season 2 of the anime released. He still held a grudge towards Gege.. that bastard.
Shaking his head, Katsuki began heading towards the mountain that held the Tokyo Jujutsu Curse Technical School, where a majority of the story events took place. He knew that there was a barrier blocking most non-sorcerers from entering, but he was hoping it wouldn't work on him, considering his high Spirit stat.
[Notice: You are being targeted by a spiritual boundary. Commencing Spirit check.]
[Checking…]
[Spirit Check Passed!]
Katsuki kept walking, trudging further up the mountain. Soon, he came across what looked like a Buddhist temple, with large wooden gates styled to look like Torii. Which was strange, since Torii were typically Shinto, not Buddhist. Regardless, perhaps it was a style choice.
Rapping on the gates with one of the large metal knockers, Katsuki waited for them to be opened, as they were barred from the inside. After waiting for a moment, he heard a voice that scratched the wrong part of his brain. It made him angry for no reason.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming.. jeez."
With a loud and drawn-out creak, the wooden doors opened, revealing a young man in a black uniform. He had messy, white hair, and wore a pair of dark sunglasses. Despite this, Katsuki could instantly recognize him. It was Gojo Satoru, easily the most powerful Jujutsu Sorcerer in the modern era. Or.. he is in eleven years, at least.
Katsuki bowed to Gojo, as much as he.. really didn't want to, to show the entitled man-child some respect. As he stood, he waved at the white-haired prodigy, his face neutral.
"Greetings. My name is Kobayashi Katsuki, and I want to enroll in this school. I heard you were all.. aware of what I've been seeing. You know.. those weird monsters everywhere."
Katsuki was, of course, lying. He hadn't seen any Cursed Spirits at all in his time here, but he figured that Gojo would believe him if he claimed to have seen them. After all, you needed quite a bit of Cursed Energy to see them.
"Uh huh.. monsters. Alright.. come on in, I'll show you to the old guy in charge. You can call me Gojo Satoru. 'Your Lordship,' 'His Supreme Coolness,' and 'Sorcerer Supreme' also work, if you're feeling it."
Sighing, Katsuki follows Gojo into the school. He wasn't sure who he would meet, since Yaga would only be a teacher right now. As Gojo led him further into the school, Katsuki caught sight of a few more students. Geto and Shoko were talking to each other, and he caught sight of a young, blonde student wearing rather nice-looking clothes, rather than the uniform. It seemed that Nanami was here, as well. How interesting.
Eventually, they arrived in the main hall, where the principal stood with his hands behind his back. He was a rather severe-looking old man, with his steel-gray hair tied in a low bun at the base of his neck. His features were strong, despite the clear effect that time has had on his body. He had a thin beard and a wiry mustache, which reminded Katsuki of those old Chinese men in fiction, the kind who were super wise and likely overpowered.
"Gojo, who is this? Why have you disturbed me this time? Another delivery boy, perhaps?"
Gojo scoffed, putting his hands behind his head. He practically radiated overconfidence, bordering on arrogance.
"Nah, not this time. He's lookin' to enroll here. He says he can see Cursed Spirits too. What do you think?"
As the principal's gaze settled onto Katsuki, he received another notification.
[Notice: You are being scrutinized by Plot Character: Haruto Kamo. Commencing Charisma check.]
[Checking…]
[Check passed.]
Katsuki let out a sigh of relief as Haruto's gaze left him. He had almost thought he'd fail the check.
"Fine," The old man said, narrowing his eyes at the cocky, white-haired man before him. "Gojo, he will study with your class. Tell Yaga that it's a direct order from me. You, new student, what is your name?"
"I am Kobayashi Katsuki, sir."
Katsuki gulped, suffering from the old man's scrutiny once again.
"Kobayashi.. you aren't from a clan, it seems. Very well. Welcome to Tokyo Jujutsu Curse Technical School. I will have your new uniform and class schedule sent to your dormitory. Gojo, take him to be examined."
With a mock salute, Gojo turned around, grabbing Katsuki by the collar and dragging him towards the sports field. It was a large running track, with an oval-shaped patch of grass in the center, where a trio of wooden logs were embedded in the ground.
"Alright, Kobayashi, you ready to get tested? It measures your physical fitness and your cursed energy output. If you can't use cursed energy, then I can.. try to help you, since I'm such a benevolent upperclassman."
/-/-/-/
Alright! Gonna end the chapter here. I appreciate that you've read this far, and I hope you're able to keep reading. Next chapter, we'll have Katsuki learn to utilize Cursed Energy! If you like the novel, and want to see more, feel free to donate your power stones! <3
It is my hope that I won't drop this after 3 chapters. I was recently diagnosed with ADHD, and am now being medicated. I appreciate you, reader, and hope your day is going swell. See you next chapter!
— With love, PastelSage.