Only three seconds. No technique, no reinforcement, no attempt to move the energy anywhere. Simply maintaining the presence of Cursed Energy inside this body alone had already drained me to that extent.
This child's body was clearly not accustomed to it yet. Muscles, nerves, even my own thoughts still resisted the existence of that energy. And yet, that was precisely where the answer lay—not a lack of potential, but a foundation that had yet to be formed.
But it was enough.
For today, it was more than enough.
It was proof that I was not walking the wrong path. Before I could use Cursed Energy for anything at all, I first had to master the most fundamental thing—allowing negative emotions to exist without leaking out.
Not attacking. Not reinforcing my body.
But enduring, accepting, and keeping my consciousness steady without wavering. And tomorrow, I would do it again—longer than three seconds.
I then decided to head back to the orphanage. After all, night would fall soon, and wasn't that the time when Cursed Spirits became more active, or something like that?
The thought surfaced on its own, without warning, slipping into the gaps of my awareness like a whisper too calm to ignore.
Without realizing it, my footsteps slowed, feeling slightly heavier than usual, as if the ground beneath my soles had suddenly begun to pull me down more strongly. Whether it was fear I hadn't yet managed to put into words, or instincts that were gradually sharpening and demanding greater vigilance than before, I couldn't tell.
It would be better to return to the orphanage as soon as possible. At the very least, there would be steady lamplight there, the sound of people moving and talking, and distance—even if it was only an illusion—from the worst possibilities that I didn't yet fully understand.
I took a short breath, then once more hid the notebook beneath my clothes, pressing it lightly with my palm to keep it from shifting as I walked. I slipped the pen into my trouser pocket with a quick but careful motion.
After making sure there was nothing that felt off around me—no strange gazes, no shadows lingering a second too long—I started walking home toward the orphanage.
The late afternoon in this city felt strangely quiet. Even though this was still Tokyo, the atmosphere was far more subdued than I had imagined. There was none of the constant bustle typical of a large city, none of the endless chorus of honking horns that usually wore down the ears.
There was only the sound of my own footsteps against the sidewalk, accompanied by the evening breeze brushing against my skin with a faint chill—just enough to make me shiver for no clear reason.
I walked on, occasionally glancing left and right, observing my surroundings without any particular purpose. The buildings stood motionless, their windows reflecting the dimming sunlight. Then, suddenly, my gaze was drawn to a television glowing inside a shop window.
The light from the screen stood in sharp contrast to the surroundings that were slowly sinking into darkness. Without realizing it, my feet came to a halt, and my body froze in place, as if something had stopped me right on the edge of my next step.
"The Shinomiya family has taken over an automotive company that was recently reported to be expanding beyond Japan," said a female news anchor in a calm, professional voice.
Her face wore a polite, almost flawless smile, while her hand pointed toward graphs and company logos appearing one after another on the screen. Everything looked normal—too normal—except for one thing.
"Shinomiya?" I murmured softly, so quietly that even I could barely hear it.
My brows knit together. The name spun in my head, striking something that should have remained locked away. Like knocking on an old door I had sealed shut long ago, hoping it would never be opened again.
"The Shinomiya family?" I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. "Ah… that can't be."
I let out a small laugh, a short chuckle that sounded hollow even to my own ears. "I must be overthinking it. Just a coincidence of names, right?"
Yet my chest felt uneasy. Something had settled there, an unfamiliar sensation that was difficult to put into words. Like a small stone sinking to the bottom of water—not large enough to create ripples, yet heavy enough to refuse to disappear completely.
"Damn it…" I muttered softly, almost like a complaint directed at myself.
Without realizing it, my legs began to move faster. My pace shifted into a half-run, my breathing growing slightly ragged. I hurried toward an internet café I had seen before, its signboard glowing dimly in the night. The moment the door opened, a small chime rang out, and I stepped inside without hesitation.
Inside, I spotted a man who looked like he had just finished using his computer and was about to leave.
Without thinking twice, I immediately sat down in his seat.
"Hah—!" The man jolted in shock, his body reflexively stepping back.
I didn't care. Apologies felt impossibly distant from my mind right now. My hands had already reached the keyboard, as if moving of their own accord. My fingers trembled slightly as I began to type, the sound of the keys striking echoing far louder in my ears than it should have.
[Kuoh City]
The search results appeared almost instantly. A digital map filled the screen, followed by photographs of the city, old articles, fragments of local news, and countless interconnected links—too many, too complete, too real to be dismissed as mere coincidence.
My chest tightened in an instant.
"Calm down… it could just be a coincidence," I whispered, trying to convince myself. My voice came out quiet and fragile, as though that fragile certainty could shatter with the slightest pressure. I stared at the screen in front of me, hoping those simple words would be enough to restrain the wave of thoughts threatening to spiral out of control.
My hands moved again. My fingers typed carefully this time, no longer as fast as before, as if I were afraid of what the results might show.
[Fuyuki City]
[No Results Found]
I froze for a moment. My eyes scanned the screen, hoping it was just a network error, or perhaps a simple typo. But the display remained cold and empty.
[Academy City]
[No Results Found]
[Karakura City]
[No Results Found]
[Tokonosu City]
[No Results Found]
…
One name after another vanished without a trace, as if those cities had never existed in this world at all. No maps, no photographs, no articles. Like empty voids deliberately concealed from reality. My hands stopped just above the keyboard, my fingers hanging aimlessly in midair. I stared at the screen with my eyes wide open, my breath caught in my chest, as if my lungs had forgotten how to function.
What surfaced wasn't immediate panic. Not screams, nor an urge to run.
It was denial.
"Maybe… this world is just slightly different from the Jujutsu Kaisen I know," I murmured quietly, more like talking to myself than drawing an actual conclusion. "The Shinomiya family and Kuoh City…?"
But the more I tried to rationalize it, the thinner that defense sounded even inside my own head. Every word felt hollow, incapable of covering the gaping hole in logic before me.
Kuoh City existed.
The Shinomiya family existed.
Those two names stood firm amid the surrounding absence, like nails driven deep into a rotten board. Even if other cities from various anime didn't exist, those two signs alone were more than enough.
The conclusion formed slowly. It didn't explode or strike my awareness all at once; instead, it pressed in from within, quietly but relentlessly. Like a weight growing heavier with every passing second.
This world was not a single, complete world.
It was a patchwork—fragments of multiple anime worlds stitched together, forced to share the same space despite their differing rules and logic.
At last, I let out a long breath. The exhale was heavy, as though it carried with it some of the unease that had been festering in my chest.
This wasn't a coincidence.
This was a crossover world.
Most likely, the worlds of Jujutsu Kaisen and High School DxD truly existed here, hidden on a side of reality unseen by most people.
------------------------------
[Note: This novel is updated on every even-numbered date]
(Note: Every PS support means a great deal to the continuation and development of the story, and it also serves as a way to unlock Bonus Chapters as a form of appreciation.
For every 100 PS collected, 1 Bonus Chapter will be unlocked. At 300 PS, 1 additional Bonus Chapter will be unlocked. At 500 PS, 1 additional Bonus Chapter will be unlocked. At 1000 PS, 1 additional Bonus Chapter will be unlocked. At 2000 PS, 1 additional Bonus Chapter will be unlocked.
In other words, if 100 PS are collected within this week, 1 Bonus Chapter will be released. If the total reaches 300 PS, then 2 Bonus Chapters will be released. If it reaches 500 PS, then 3 Bonus Chapters will be released. If it reaches 1000 PS, then 4 Bonus Chapters will be released. And if it successfully reaches 2000 PS, a total of 5 Bonus Chapters will be released.
Thank you for your support. Every single PS truly helps push this story forward.)
[Note: 15+ latest chapters have been added! For Just $3.50 You Get Access To Chapters Way Ahead,
Now you can access the chapters before Webnovel And Scribblehub by following,
Just become a patron on Patreon:
Pa*treon.com/Andi_Dri]