The morning air was crisp, almost painfully vivid. Kazuki blinked against the light, the sensation of warmth on his skin strange and grounding. He was no longer in the void. No longer suspended between life and death. He was… alive.
His limbs moved hesitantly, muscles not yet fully accustomed to this new body. Though he could feel power coursing beneath the surface, his coordination was still that of a young teenager. Every movement required conscious thought.
The world stretched before him like a canvas painted in hues of possibility and danger. Birds cried from distant trees. The faint hum of cursed energy tickled the tips of his senses—a current beneath the mundane. Kazuki's heart leapt.
So this is… real.
He rose unsteadily, testing balance. The floor beneath him held steady. His hands twitched, and faint sparks of cursed energy danced along his fingertips. Not much—barely enough to illuminate his awe—but enough to confirm what he had already known. He was no ordinary teen.
First Awareness of Powers
Kazuki focused, closing his eyes. Memories of Rob's voice, the five wishes, and the faint glimpses of future events pulsed in his mind. He reached out with his cursed energy, trying to feel the flow.
It was weak, unshaped, like water dripping from a cracked vessel—but it was there. A whisper of Full Counter, a faint echo of Reverse Cursed Technique, and the latent strength of his Toji-level body.
He stumbled, coughing slightly. The body's potential was overwhelming. He could sense reflexes ready to spring, muscles capable of shattering stone—but his coordination was not ready. He could only sense his powers, not yet wield them fully.
The First Challenge
A faint disturbance rippled through the air. Kazuki's eyes snapped open. A small, malformed creature slithered from the shadows: a low-grade cursed spirit, its aura weak but still menacing. Its eyes, burning faintly with malice, locked on him.
Fear and adrenaline surged in equal measure. He wasn't powerless, but he wasn't ready either.
Instinct took over. His body reacted before his mind fully caught up. He stepped forward. His fist clenched, and a flicker of cursed energy ran through it, a ghost of the Full Counter potential waiting to awaken.
The cursed spirit lunged.
Kazuki's reflexes, enhanced beyond normal human capability even in this adolescent form, allowed him to dodge just in time. Heart pounding, he realized the first lesson: power without control is dangerous—even to himself.
He inhaled, trembling. Slowly, he raised a hand. Faint sparks of cursed energy flickered, tangling like threads of light around his fingers. He focused. Not on the creature's attack—on himself. On the flow. On balance.
The creature struck again. This time, Kazuki's body moved with slightly more grace, a minor redirection of its momentum. The spirit stumbled. Not defeated, not reflected—but forced back. A tiny victory.
He stumbled backward, breathing hard. The body was stronger than any human's. The reflexes faster. But the mind and technique—the real mastery—was not yet there.
Internal Reflection
Kazuki sank to the ground, heart still racing. Hands shaking, eyes wide, he whispered to himself:
I can feel it… I am different. Stronger. Faster. But I'm not ready. Not yet. I have to grow. I have to train. I have to survive.
He closed his eyes, letting the faint currents of cursed energy wash over him. Tiny sparks danced over his skin. Reverse Cursed Technique, Full Counter—they were seeds. Waiting. Growing. Just like him.
And for the first time since leaving his old life behind, Kazuki smiled. Not a triumphant grin, not yet. But a smile of resolve, of determination.
The journey would be long. Painful. Lonely at times. But it had begun.