The sun was low, casting a golden glow across the hills beyond the small village where Kazuki had awakened. The air was heavy with the scent of earth and grass, alive with faint currents of cursed energy, so subtle that only someone attuned could notice it. Kazuki inhaled deeply, savoring the sensation. Each breath reminded him: he was alive. And this life—this second chance—was his alone.
He stretched, muscles tingling as the latent Toji-level strength hummed beneath his skin. Every limb felt alert, alive, and strange. He flexed his fingers and felt the sparks of cursed energy flicker along his veins, tiny flashes like fireflies trapped beneath the surface of his skin.
But as he looked at his reflection in a shallow stream, he saw a boy. Not the adult he had glimpsed in the void, not the god-like figure Rob had hinted at. Just a boy, no taller than thirteen, with hair dark as midnight and eyes wide with both fear and awe. The weight of the wishes he had made pressed on him—not in physical force, but in expectation. Every power he possessed was a seed. And seeds needed time, patience, and nourishment.
The First Lessons
Kazuki spent the morning moving carefully, testing his body. He ran, leaped, rolled—small movements, each one deliberate. He could feel the potential of his muscles, the raw strength lying dormant, yet he was painfully aware that he could hurt himself if he pushed too far too soon.
The cursed energy coiled faintly in his body. He focused, trying to draw it out consciously. A few sparks leapt from his fingertips, disappearing before they could form anything solid. He smiled faintly. It's a beginning.
Hours passed, and with each passing moment, Kazuki's understanding deepened. The Reverse Cursed Technique—he had felt its faint warmth before, and now he experimented. Touching a small plant that had wilted in the sun, he whispered, willing energy to flow into it. The leaves shivered, tiny green veins pulsing back to life. Not fully healed—life was fragile—but it was a taste, proof of potential.
His chest swelled with a mixture of pride and caution. I have power. But it is not mine yet. It must grow… like me.
The First True Test
By midday, a ripple disturbed the quiet air. Kazuki froze. Something moved in the underbrush—a low-grade cursed spirit, grotesque and faintly luminescent, drawn perhaps by the new, raw energy he exuded. Its form was malformed, ragged, but even so, its malevolent aura sent a shiver through him.
Fear surged, raw and unfiltered. He wanted to run. He wanted to scream. But somewhere deep inside, a spark of resolve flared. I survived death once. I can survive this.
The spirit advanced, swiping with a jagged claw. Kazuki's body reacted instinctively—his muscles flinched, reflexes sharper than any normal human's, moving him out of the way. The attack grazed his shoulder, leaving a faint burn but no serious harm. The thrill of fear, pain, and adrenaline coursing together was intoxicating.
Kazuki's hands flared faintly with cursed energy. Not yet Full Counter—his control was too raw—but enough to interfere. The spirit's momentum faltered, its attack redirected. He stumbled backward, panting, his body trembling from effort and fear.
He realized something crucial: strength alone was not enough. The mind, focus, and precision mattered just as much. And he had neither mastered yet.
Reflection and Resolve
Kazuki sank to the grass, shaking, watching the spirit retreat into the shadows. His heart raced, but not from fear alone. From excitement. From the first taste of battle.
This is real. I'm alive. I have power. And I… I will grow.
He let the Reverse Cursed Technique hum faintly in his body again, channeling energy into himself, feeling a subtle restoration. Not full healing—he was young, fragile—but enough to remind him that he had survived.
Kazuki closed his eyes. The hum of cursed energy, the faint flickers in his body, the potential of the Toji-level strength, and the whispers of Full Counter all called to him. They were seeds. Waiting. Growing. Like him.
And he would not let them wither.
Evening: The Long Shadow of Knowledge
As the sun dipped behind the hills, Kazuki sat alone, letting his knowledge of the JJK world settle in. He recalled names, events, places. Shadows of tragedies he could not yet prevent flickered through his mind. All of this… it is my world now. And I must navigate it carefully.
Tears came unbidden, but this time, they were not only for fear or despair. They were for possibility. The chance to shape events, to learn, to grow, to protect those he could. To make a difference this time.
The night air was cool on his skin, and the first stars appeared. Kazuki stretched his arms, feeling the hum of power just beneath his fingertips.
"I will grow," he whispered to the empty night. "I will train. I will master it all. And one day… I will not be afraid."
A gentle wind stirred the trees, brushing against him like a silent promise. The long journey had begun—not as a fully formed warrior, not as a god, but as a boy with the weight of wishes and the potential for greatness.
And Kazuki would carry it all.