In 1996, on a small country road outside Kyoto, Japan, a pickup truck drove slowly.
The driver of the pickup hummed a tune leisurely, enjoying the moment of peace away from the Zenin Family.
From beneath a black plastic sheet on the cargo bed, a small head peeked out, quietly observing the surroundings.
"This is about the area."
With that, the black plastic sheet was carefully lifted. A child, who looked only six or seven years old, stood up clutching a bag almost as big as himself. He stared nervously at the river beneath a narrow bridge not far ahead.
"3, 2, 1, jump!"
Just before the pickup truck drove onto the bridge, the child forcefully threw the bag in his hands out of the truck, then seized the moment to jump into the river himself.
"Pfft, cough, cough. Good thing I learned to swim in college."
The child's name was Eiji, and he was a transmigrator.
What depressed him, however, was that he had transmigrated into the Zenin Family in Jujutsu Kaisen.
There were many hellish starts in Jujutsu Kaisen, and Eiji's was one of them: reborn into the Zenin Family without awakening a Cursed Technique.
For such a person in the Zenin Family, there were only two outcomes:
One, to live a life as a numb servant, with a status lower than that of cattle.
Two, to rise up in rebellion, and then one of the rebels or the Zenin Family would disappear.
Situations like those of Toji Fushiguro and Maki Zenin were rare exceptions in the history of the Zenin Family. If Naobito Zenin hadn't been the most open-minded head of the family in generations, Toji Fushiguro might have wiped out the entire Zenin Family, and Maki Zenin wouldn't have gotten the chance.
Even if Toji Fushiguro couldn't have wiped out the entire Zenin Family by himself in a direct confrontation, his combat intelligence was extremely high.
By assassinating Naobito Zenin, Ogi Zenin, and a few others first, the rest would be no threat.
The reason the Zenin Family driver had been driving so slowly earlier was precisely this.
Who would want to return to the Zenin Family and be treated like a grandson if they could stay outside longer?
However, this also provided Eiji with an opportunity to escape.
After climbing ashore, Eiji found the bag he had thrown down. After changing into clean clothes, he headed towards the suburban train station.
What was originally a large bag had been reduced to a small shoulder bag after removing the clothes and the thin blanket used for padding.
It wasn't that Eiji didn't want to take more, but his current body was too young, and carrying more would significantly hinder his movement.
Eiji needed to find a place to hide for the night and then take the morning train to Osaka the next day, before finding an opportunity to go to Tokyo.
The Zenin Family's roots in Kyoto were too deep; there were practically informants from the family everywhere.
A year ago, Eiji had escaped the Zenin Family for the first time, only to be caught and brought back within three days.
The reason was that the store where he bought food was a Zenin Family property. After the owner reported it, two people quickly arrived and followed Eiji's escape trail, capturing him.
At that moment, Eiji bitterly regretted not having learned anti-investigation techniques in his previous life.
But the problem was, what college student would learn anti-investigation techniques for no reason?
As a result, Eiji was kicked half to death by the people who came to capture him and then taken back to the Zenin Family.
If Eiji hadn't been only 6 years old at the time and still had a chance to awaken a Cursed Technique, he probably would have died under the Zenin Family's house rules.
"Non-Zenin, non-sorcerer. Non-sorcerer, non-human."
This was the philosophy the Zenin Family had always believed in. Under this philosophy, the Zenin Family was a true den of demons for ordinary clan members who lacked Cursed Techniques and power.
If Eiji had been indoctrinated with such a philosophy from childhood, he might have become numb like the others. But having received a "red" education in his previous life, Eiji simply couldn't accept this philosophy. Thus, after his mother's suicide, he immediately fled.
The experience of being beaten half to death after his failed escape not only didn't scare Eiji but further strengthened his resolve to run away.
In an abandoned hut not far from the train station, Eiji looked with satisfaction at the hut he planned to stay in for the night.
The hut hadn't been abandoned for long. If tidied up properly, it could even be lived in long-term.
More importantly, it was close to the train station, and next to the station was an old residential area with complete facilities like shops.
However, to be safe, it was better not to go near the residential area.
But life is always full of surprises. Just as Eiji was settling into a corner, ready to sleep, he heard a shocking voice from outside the door.
"Is this it, Dairo?"
The sudden voice startled Eiji.
"That's right. According to the feedback from the Cursed Technique, that brat should be inside."
Outside the hut, Zenin Dairo held a yukata. The Cursed Energy emanating from the yukata pointed to Eiji's hiding spot.
"How is this possible? They caught up so quickly?"
What Eiji didn't know was that his previous escape had already set off alarms within the Zenin Family. If he hadn't been a child, he might have already disappeared from this world.
Having not awakened a Cursed Technique after turning six, Eiji's value to the Zenin Family was very low. Coupled with the fact that it wasn't his first escape.
Therefore, the Zenin Family had already decided to "dispose of" Eiji as quickly as possible to uphold their family law.
"That's... the yukata I wear for my family lessons and chores during the day?"
This is bad. Is it a Cursed Technique that can locate the user through an object?
Although Eiji hadn't awakened as a sorcerer and couldn't see the effects of cursed energy, he was aware of some of the bizarre cursed techniques possessed by sorcerers.
Cursed techniques are the peculiar powers mastered by sorcerers in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen.
A sorcerer's cursed technique is usually innate, almost impossible to learn through later training or other means.
Hence, they are called innate techniques.
However, "almost" doesn't mean "completely." This world also has methods for acquiring cursed techniques later, like Itadori.
Of course, some people don't have cursed techniques and simply rely on cursed energy and learned skills to exorcise curses.
A representative figure is Kusokabe of Shinkage-ryu.
Additionally, barrier techniques and some techniques involving summoning spirits can also be learned later.
In this world, possessing an innate cursed technique doesn't guarantee its use; one also needs a brain capable of using it.
In the original story, Junpei Yoshino had both a cursed technique and cursed energy, but lacked the brain structure to use the technique.
Therefore, Junpei couldn't use his cursed technique until Mahito used Idle Transfiguration to alter his brain structure.
Cursed energy originates from the sorcerer's own negative emotions. Sorcerers need to constantly train to extract and accumulate cursed energy from negative emotions, and to achieve stable output during combat.
Perhaps this is why the sorcerers in this world are so crazy.
When even the power they use is so negative, it's no wonder people go mad.
"Damn it, if you have such a useful ability, why not become a cop? Why be a dog for the Zenin Family?"
Eiji said angrily.
Propping himself up with his hands, Eiji quickly got up, grabbed the small bag beside him, and ran towards the window.
"You brat, you think you can run? Because of your uselessness, I have to work overtime again."
Seeing Eiji running towards the back of the house through the front window, Yota Zenin said furiously.
Lu Xun once said: The strong, when angered, draw their swords against the stronger; the weak, when angered, draw their swords against the weaker.
Yota Zenin was just like that. And not just Yota Zenin; Naoya Zenin and others who later bullied Maki and Mai Zenin were also like that.
Under the influence of the twisted ideals of the Zenin Family, everyone was assigned their own class, and Eiji, an orphan who hadn't awakened a cursed technique, was undoubtedly at the very bottom.
Seeing Yota break through the door, Eiji kicked a box from the corner towards Yota Zenin's face.
"You bastard!"
"Ah! I'm going to kill you!"
The box contained the dirt and gravel Eiji had swept up while cleaning his room earlier. Since there was no trash can, he had put it in the box, and it unexpectedly served its purpose well now.
Taking advantage of Yota Zenin and Dairo Zenin being blinded by the sand and gravel, Eiji quickly climbed out the back window and ran towards the bridge crossing the train tracks.
Crossing this bridge would lead to a densely populated residential area, and he could then use the people inside to block Yota Zenin and Dairo Zenin's pursuit. After that...
After that, he'd take it one step at a time. If he couldn't shake off his pursuers, there would be no "after." He'd definitely be thrown into a pile of curses as a warning to others.
Pushing the distracting thoughts from his mind, Eiji began to run at full speed, with Yota Zenin and Dairo Zenin rapidly closing in behind him.
Just as Eiji was about to get off the bridge, three strange figures came into view.
"More reinforcements?"
Eiji panicked. Two behind him, and three in front of him. Eiji felt he was doomed.
Gritting his teeth, Eiji looked forward resolutely, intending to go all out. It was at this moment that Eiji got a clear look at the three people ahead.
A child with short white hair and eyes as blue as the sky, and two kind-looking, burly men who resembled bodyguards.
"Satoru Gojo?"
Just as Eiji was surprised, a strange force swept all six people on the scene into it.
[Detected Host has entered Lostbelt]
[Strongest Lostbelt System activated]
[Now detecting Lostbelt information, Error! Error! Error!]
[Restarting information detection]
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Translation by: randomtranslator.com
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