Hey Guys!
Currently 7 Chapters in. How are you liking the story so Far? Feel free to drop your thoughts, comments, reviews, ideas for how you think the story direction should go and most importantly .... Your Powerstones.
The book needs it to thrive after all. I'll try to consistently keep chapters coming.
My last book was a bust really for the whole Multiversal Travel Idea I had. Good premise, failed execution. I attribute it to once again diving headfirst without properly understanding the fat that I am writing something entirey new with different premises. But enough about that.
Like I said in the synopsis, this is a Multiversal Travel Fic. Which should be obvious if you understand the MC's ability.
Chapter 7 begins to explore that. Also, if you're not or can't deal with apathetic MC's, then you might wanna drop off here. Because I read a few comments from you guys concerning the whole restaurant scene I wrote and how he could have helped but didn't.
Please note that the MC isn't being like that for the sake of it. There's a reason why.
It's a Side Effect of THE HOGYOKU. I'm not going to explain how just yet and I plan to use it as character development. Of course, the MC still has some humanity.
It's not to the point where he will see a Murderer about to kill a kid and just walk past and be like ... "It's none of My Business".
But as I have tried to establish in the initial characters, his character is pretty laid back and he only does stuff that interests him or listens to people he either cares for or finds interesting. Basically, he goes with the flow, doesn't really try all that hard for something he cares too little about and is apathetic to human life in the initial chapters.
Don't get me wrong, it's not gonna last forever but, yeah. I think a word is enough for the wise so imma stop here.
Enjoy.
....
**Utahime's Apartment - Evening**
The clink of wine glasses echoed in the modest apartment as two women settled into comfortable chairs on the balcony. The Kyoto skyline glittered before them, but neither paid it much attention.
"God, I needed this," Reika sighed, taking a generous sip of her wine. "Do you know how exhausting it is being constantly on the move? Curse activity has been through the roof lately."
Utahime chuckled, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear. "Not everyone is a Special Grade who can teleport around and clean up messes, you know. Some of us have to actually travel the normal way."
"Don't remind me." Reika groaned. "I swear, every time I finish exorcising curses in one prefecture, three more hotspots pop up elsewhere. It's like playing whack-a-mole, except the moles can kill people."
The sisters shared a laugh, the tension of their respective duties melting away in the evening air. This was their ritual—whenever Reika was in the area, they'd meet up and pretend, just for a few hours, that they were normal women with normal problems.
"So," Utahime said, refilling their glasses, "how's my favorite nephew doing?"
At the mention of Ryota, Reika's smile faded as she groaned and covered her face with her free hand.
"Still making me worry, that's for sure."
Utahime chuckled. "You enrolled him at Tokyo High? I heard through the grapevine that Gojo got a new student."
"Yeah," Reika confirmed with a heavy sigh. "Though I'm already second-guessing that decision."
"Why Tokyo Tech though?" Utahime asked, genuine curiosity in her voice. "I mean, sure, the kid's a handful, but with your strength, you could teach him everything he needs to know about being a sorcerer without subjecting him to Gojo's... particular brand of education."
Reika was quiet for a moment, swirling the wine in her glass. When she spoke, her voice was softer, more vulnerable than usual.
"It's not about sorcery training, Uta. It's about... connections. Bonds. He's been sitting at home for nearly seven years, barely interacting with anyone his age. I forced him to go because I'm worried he'll become completely isolated."
She paused, then added with a rueful smile, "Besides, he doesn't really need traditional schooling. By the time he was nine, he was solving complex equations that would make university professors sweat. It was impressive... bordering on frightening, actually."
"Smart kid," Utahime observed. "Takes after his mother."
"Maybe too smart for his own good," Reika muttered.
The atmosphere shifted slightly, and Utahime noticed the change immediately. She'd known her sister long enough to read the subtle signs—the way Reika's shoulders tensed, how her grip on the wine glass tightened just a fraction.
"What's wrong?" Utahime asked gently.
Reika hesitated, staring out at the city lights. Finally, she sighed and turned to face her sister.
"Uta... you know I wasn't always this strong, right?"
"Um, yeah. I remember when you first awakened your cursed technique. Simple teleportation, one of the better ones—Took you several years of training just to be able to move a hundred meters to marked objects within your perception range, as long as they didn't exceed your body weight."
"Right." Reika's voice grew quieter. "What if I told you that seven years ago, my cursed technique grew stronger exponentially? All at once?"
Utahime frowned. "Cursed techniques can evolve, but usually it's gradual. What you're describing..."
"Is unprecedented," Reika finished. "I know."
The air between them grew heavy as Reika continued, her voice taking on a darker tone.
"Seven years ago, after... after what happened to Ryota's father, everything changed. I was angry, Uta. Angrier than I'd ever been in my life. And in that state, I started noticing changes in Ryota. He was different—not just emotionally, but something fundamental had shifted."
Utahime leaned forward, concern evident in her eyes. "Different how?"
"He became... distant. Analytical. Like he was observing the world from behind glass." Reika took a shaky breath. "But that wasn't the strangest part. I started feeling ... How do I put this .. stronger whenever I was near him."
"Stronger?"
"Yeah... um, it's difficult to explain. In simpler terms, My cursed energy reserves expanded, my technique evolved beyond recognition. ..".
She paused before continuing. "I even developed a barrierless domain expansion, Uta. Do you understand what that means?"
"That's..." Utahime's eyes widened. "That's special grade territory. The kind of ability that's supposed to take decades to develop."
"Exactly. And it all happened within months of being around my changed son." Reika's voice was barely above a whisper now. "I have a theory, and it terrifies me."
"What kind of theory?"
Reika was quiet for a long moment, staring into her wine as if it held answers. When she finally spoke, her words were carefully measured.
"I think Ryota is the reason I became a Special Grade. Somehow, just being near him enhanced my abilities. I noticed a faint glow around his chest area during those first few months—barely visible, but it was there. And whenever I was close to him for extended periods, I felt... more."
Utahime's expression grew serious. "Reika, if what you're suggesting is true..."
"The implications are staggering, I know." Reika's laugh was hollow. "If the wrong people found out that my son can somehow enhance others' cursed techniques, he'd become a target for every faction in the jujutsu world. They'd either try to use him or eliminate him as a threat."
"That's why you sent him to Gojo," Utahime realized. "Because if anyone can protect him..."
"It's the strongest sorcerer alive," Reika confirmed. "But that's not the only reason I'm worried. In fact, that's hardly a worry anymore now that the years have passed. He's grown, but .."
She took another sip of wine, her hands trembling slightly.
"Uta, my son has been growing increasingly indifferent to human life. A few days ago, he encountered three Special Grade cursed spirits in a restaurant. They killed twenty innocent people right in front of him, and when I asked him about it, he showed no emotional response whatsoever. None."
Utahime's blood ran cold. "What did he do?"
"He killed one of them instantly. Disintegrated it completely. Then he asked the others to pay for his damaged clothes." Reika's voice cracked slightly. "Twenty people died, and he was worried about his outfit."
"That's..." Utahime struggled for words.
"Sociopathic behavior," Reika finished bitterly. "I've watched my son become increasingly detached from humanity over the years. He's brilliant, powerful, and completely apathetic to human suffering. That's why I forced him to go to Jujutsu High—not for training, but because I'm terrified of what he might become if he continues down this path."
The sisters sat in heavy silence, the weight of Reika's confession hanging between them like a storm cloud.
Finally, Utahime spoke. "Do you think... do you think whatever changed him is still affecting him?"
"I don't know," Reika admitted. "But I'm hoping that being around other young sorcerers, people his own age who face similar struggles, might help him remember what it means to be human."
"And if it doesn't?"
Reika's expression hardened, though tears glistened in her eyes.
"Then I'll have to make the hardest decision any mother could face."
The unspoken implication hung in the air as both women stared out at the city, each lost in their own thoughts about the troubled young man who had just begun his journey at Tokyo Jujutsu High.
Sighing, Reika cleaned her tears before reaching for her phone.
---
**Ryota's POV**
'Finally.'
I thought as I made my way through the surprisingly spacious hallways of Jujutsu High. The building had that old-school Japanese architecture feel, but with modern touches that suggested recent renovations.
Finding my room wasn't difficult—it was exactly where Gojo said it would be, with my name already on a neat little placard by the door.
'Mom works fast.'
Opening the door revealed a space that was... actually not terrible. Clean, functional, with enough room for me to exist without feeling cramped. My belongings were indeed already here, neatly arranged in a way that screamed 'responsible adult did this.'
I flopped onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.
'So this is my life now.'
Jujutsu High. Training to fight cursed spirits. Living with a bunch of teenagers who actually seemed to care about... things.
My phone buzzed.
*Mom: "How's your first day going? Making friends? Meeting girls? Please tell me you're not hiding in your room already."*
I stared at the message for a long moment, then typed back:
*Me: "Define 'hiding.'"*
The response was immediate.
*Mom: "RYOTA."*
*Me: "I'm settling in. It's fine. The people seem... tolerable."*
*Mom: "That's the most positive thing you've said about social interaction in years. I'm calling this a win."*
*Me: "Don't get your hopes up."*
*Mom: "Too late. Love you, sweetie. Try not to traumatize your new classmates on day one."*
I set the phone aside and closed my eyes. Outside, I could hear the distant sounds of training—shouting, the crack of wood on wood, the occasional small explosion that was probably Gojo showing off.
'Maybe I can just lay low for a few weeks. Keep my head down, avoid getting involved in whatever drama inevitably surrounds a place like this, and figure out how to convince Mom to let me transfer to Kyoto.'
A knock at my door interrupted that pleasant fantasy.
"Yo, newbie!"
I recognized Panda's voice.
"We're ordering dinner from town. You want anything?"
I considered pretending to be asleep, but my stomach chose that moment to remind me that I'd skipped lunch thanks to the whole 'burning restaurant' incident.
"Whatever's fine," I called back.
"Cool! Maki's got the menu. She'll be by in a few to get your order!"
Great. More social interaction.
But as I lay there listening to the sounds of my new classmates going about their evening routines, I had to admit—it could be worse.
My phone buzzed again.
'Mom again, probably.'
I glanced at the screen, expecting another worried text about making friends or eating properly. Instead, I froze.
The message wasn't from Mom.
**Contact: Ero-Sennin**
*"Kid... situation's gotten bad. Really bad. Could use that favor you owe me. Rain's coming down hard here, and I'm not talking about the weather. Might not make it out of this storm. If you get this... well, I trust you to find me. HURRY UP PLEASE"*
I stared at the message for a long moment, my expression shifting from bored indifference to something else.
'Serious situation. And yet he has time to put the last words on all Caps..' Jiraiya 'Rain... Pain. Clever, you old fool.'
I sat up on the bed, already knowing what I had to do even as part of me wanted to ignore the message entirely. I paused at the feeling though.
'Weird, eight years ago, I would have jumped at the prospect of an adventure without question. Nevermind that, so much for laying low'
Not long after that thought, there was a knock on my door.
"Alright newbie, we got the menu, so which one do you want?—"
".."
"Hey! Newbie!"
".."
The banging increased. Until, BANG!
The doors were kicked open to reveal a green haired girl with glasses and a pissed off expression.
"Hey you little ..".
The voice cut off abruptly. "Huh? Where'd he go?" A pause, then an angry shout that definitely belonged to Maki.
"PANDA! I thought you said he was here!"
"He was! I literally just talked to him five minutes ago!"
I was already gone, of course. From Jujutsu Tech, From Tokyo, From Japan. In fact, I had left the universe entirely.
Now? I was standing in the middle of a rain-soaked street in Amegakure, thousands of universes away from Tokyo Jujutsu High.
...
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