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3RD POV
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Colith found herself standing before the hospital, where the chilly air hinted at a possible November or December. As she gazed at her surroundings, she couldn't quite place the familiar art style. However, a clever idea crossed her mind – why not check the date first? Her phone had the handy ability to automatically adjust to the timeline of the universe she was in, which could provide valuable clues to narrow down her options.
[23/12/17]
Well, that's...interesting?
Her birthday already passed. She's 27 now. She thinks. Yiiish, everything's so confusing with the whole shifting realities that she lost count of her age! She could be a thousand years old for all she knew!
'you know what? Let's just roll with 27. Yep.'
Moving on, how many animes aired in 2017 anyway?
...
Quite a lot actually.
"Y'all are seriously serious about not telling me shit?"
As the sun started its descent, she looked upward, but there was no response to her question.
Letting out a groan of frustration, she resolved to wander around instead. Perhaps during her walk, she would come across something familiar or recognize a landmark? Besides, it presented a perfect chance to explore modern Kyoto, an opportunity she didn't want to miss. After all, the Heian period lacked certain modern conveniences and sights that intrigued her.
'Wait, Heian...?'
Coming to a sudden stop, she caught the attention of a few passersby, who briefly glanced in her direction before quickly turning away, absorbed in their own lives. No one bothered to inquire why the Gaijin woman stood in the middle of the street, wearing a noticeable frown on her face.
'huh...I think I meant to say Taisho. Yeah, Taisho! That's the only period I've witnessed!' She shook her head, massaging her temple with a little frown. 'ugh, this is so confusing tho.'
Despite her evident confusion, she decided to search for 'Heian' on Google anyway. To her discovery, it was indeed an era in Japanese history that lasted—
'400 Years?! Well damn!'
In a state of surprise, she blinked and swiftly regained her composure. Japanese history wasn't her forte, so she shrugged off the incident and continued exploring the surroundings. Nevertheless, there was a persistent sensation that connected her to that specific word. It intrigued her because it was the first thing that came to her mind, even though she remembered experiencing the Taisho period last time. At least, that's what she believed.
'Heian...'
Her stomach growled suddenly, startling her into focus.
'Hm. That's odd...'
With a hand placed on her stomach, she noticed a faint pang of hunger. It had been quite some time since she had experienced this sensation, but she understood it as a sign of her body recovering and expending energy to return to a somewhat normal state. Although she didn't feel entirely at her best, she considered that a hearty meal might help resolve the issue. Alternatively, she could reset everything, but that option seemed far less appealing; where's the excitement in that? Besides, food was calling out to her.
'Alright, I should definitely eat something. But where to?'
With a skip in her step, the woman wandered further into the city, as the evening approached rapidly. She engaged the locals in conversation, seeking recommendations for good places to eat. Some people were taken aback when they realized she was fluent in Japanese, and this explained why they had been avoiding her gaze when she asked for directions. Understanding their reactions, she smiled at her own misinterpretation; it wasn't rudeness after all.
Following a kind old lady's advice, she discovered a charming little restaurant and proceeded to eat heartily, much like the average nekketsu protagonists. Her hunger seemed insatiable, and by the time she was full, she was sure the bills had a few extra digits. Nonetheless, she paid with ease and left an astonished audience behind. Colith decided to continue her wanderings, reveling in the fact that she had just woken up in this world with seemingly unlimited resources at her disposal. She intended to take full advantage of this opportunity to sightsee and indulge herself with whatever caught her fancy.
As she strolled past a movie theater, she chuckled at the sight of the 2D versions of movies released that year. She noticed the heavy influence of the real world on this fantastical place. While admiring the posters, she couldn't help but spot someone resembling Jennifer Lawrence in one of them.
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The following day, Colith boarded a shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo out of curiosity to experience the modern version of the city. Additionally, since her childhood, she had yearned to visit Tokyo, inspired by the positive reactions shared by YouTubers she followed back then.
Despite being an anime version of reality, everything felt so authentic that she almost forgot she was in one. She contemplated the possibility of confronting a certain individual who had the bright idea to film a hanged corpse in a forest known for its high suicide rate. On the other hand, she might choose to stay out of it and let the person face the consequences on their own actions. Hmm, yes, she'll opt for the latter. Moving on, her main goal was to satisfy her curiosity about Tokyo. Plus, she might accidentally encounter a character while shopping, killing two birds with one stone. Quite ingenious!
Kyoto was chill and all, but the Higher-Ups likely placed her there to add extra challenge, knowing that no anime she was familiar with took place in Kyoto, except for Blue Exorcist, which she didn't watch, so that option was out of the window.
Upon her arrival, she immediately immersed herself in sightseeing, embracing her inner tourist and nearly forgetting her mission to search for clues. But who could blame her? There was so much to explore and discover! Plus, shopping was a must! As time went by, her initial excitement waned, and she realized she had purchased quite a haul. To avoid arousing suspicion, she discreetly sent everything to her house. However, she couldn't help but feel perplexed as she discovered baby items among her purchases. That was weird. Nevertheless, she shrugged it off and sent everything home anyway. After all, she was known for being unpredictable.
Anyway, at the moment, she found herself in Ikebukuro, standing right in front of J-World's exit, a tempting destination for any anime enthusiast. She pondered her next move, torn between visiting Shinjuku, Harajuku, or Odaiba. It was already 4 PM, and she knew she could have explored all three neighborhoods in one day if it weren't for the captivating distraction of J-World. She got so engrossed in the attractions that she almost forgot about her mission to find clues. Oops! At least, during her wonderful time there, she encountered some friendly black people, and it was refreshing to see some brothers after all this time!
They had a blast hanging out together, exploring J-World, and to her delight, she discovered that one of the guys was also from Mali, just like her! It was an emotional moment, and she couldn't hold back tears of joy when she learned about their shared heritage. They happily conversed in their mother tongue, but eventually, she had to excuse herself to resume her research. The guys kindly suggested other places to visit since they were well-acquainted with the city's every corner, and she made a mental note of their recommendations for future visits.
Ultimately, her instincts led her to choose Shinjuku, leaving the other places for future exploration. After a 25-minute train ride, she stepped out of the station and began aimlessly strolling around, taking in the sights. It had become a habit for her to wander through the city, indulging in interesting purchases and tasty treats without worrying about finances. However, as she wandered, she gradually sensed a significant shift in the atmosphere. The once cheerful and lively city turned gloomy and eerie, with an unsettling silence that seemed to foreshadow impending doom. It felt as if she had stepped into an entirely different dimension while walking down the street. The sudden darkening of the sky around 5 PM puzzled her. She couldn't help but wonder, "How the fuck this happened?"
Without any specific reaction in mind, she was about to continue her stroll when her eyes caught something in the distance, causing her to almost drop her milkshake in shock. Frozen in place, she was taken aback by the disturbing sight of several bodies hanging from a traffic light around 50 meters ahead.
She stared.
But before she could process this horrifying discovery, the ground started shaking, as if an earthquake were about to strike, and chaos ensued around her. An object was hurled into a nearby building, shattering glass in all directions. Instinctively, she lazily waved her hand, causing the flying shrapnel to disintegrate before reaching her. She had just purchased a JoJo jacket, and she was not about to let it get damaged; it was a precious collector, after all.
Welp, slices of life were out of the window then.
The city reverberated with the cacophony of explosions and destruction, akin to multiple battles taking place at the same time. She couldn't help but question whether she could even label these occurrences as mere "fights." The chaotic scenes confirmed that she had stepped into a nekketsu world, full of intense and action-packed situations.
As she pondered the situation further, she realized that the neighborhood had been eerily quiet for some time, giving off an unsettling vibe as if people had mysteriously vanished.
Huh.
She eyed the mess on her right with raised brows, debating whether or not to go and check if the fella - because she was sure as hell that it was a person - was alright or even alive.
Contemplating the mess on her right with a quizzical expression, she weighed the decision of whether to check on the person she was certain lay within the chaotic scene. Uncertain of their well-being, she stood undecided.
After sending her remaining shopping bags home and holding her milkshake, she had been on her way to approach the individual when she heard a distant voice calling out to her.
"HEY YOU, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?! IT'S DANGEROUS!"
Perplexed, she turned around, spotting someone rushing towards her from afar. As she took a sip from her milkshake, she squinted, trying to ascertain if she knew the person or not. The familiarity of the face eluded her; she couldn't quite recall if she had seen him before.
"Really, what's a civilian even doing here?" he muttered, skidding to a stop right in front of her. A stern expression initially adorned his face, but it quickly turned into an anxious frown as he noticed her foreign appearance. "Shi- a gaijin. How the heck am I supposed to communicate with her?" He cringed, pressing his fist against his cheek as sweat rolled down.
Amused, Colith was tempted to let him struggle for a moment, relishing in his assumption that she didn't speak Japanese. With a hint of mirth in her eyes, she observed as he made awkward gestures, attempting to form a sentence in English before finally groaning in frustration. "Me. Protection. You," he managed, although it sounded somewhat pathetic.
In the midst of their interaction, she couldn't help but notice his distinct features, intrigued by what she saw.
He sported spiky dark hair, a countenance that perpetually wore a scowl, and dark eyes, evident stress lines adding to his appearance. Clad in a light brown coat that exuded detective vibes, he had a dark suit underneath. Colith's attention, however, was immediately drawn to the katana he held firmly, as if anticipating a confrontation. But wait, was she supposed to know him?
"Seriously, what are the auxiliary managers for if they can't even lea-" His words trailed off as he finally noticed the hanging bodies behind her. "Huh," he mumbled. That... Explains it.
'auxiliary?'
Colith turned her attention behind her, about to inquire about something when a violent tremor jolted through the area. A massive crash echoed across the street, causing both of them to stumble, while a powerful gust of wind from the impact forced them to squint momentarily.
In the midst of the chaos, she heard the man uttering a loud curse before feeling his arm wrap around her waist. To her surprise, he effortlessly hoisted her over his broad shoulder, prompting a yelp from her. She had assumed she was quite heavy, making it astonishing that he lifted her with such ease. Without hesitation, the man swiftly bolted in the opposite direction of the impact, running at an impressive speed that could rival Sonic's. It was evident that he had likely done this countless times before.
"Wha-"
"Tch! I can't fight like this with a civilian around! Better find somewhere safe to drop her off, then rush back to take care of this curse! Where's that brat Ino anyway?!" he grumbled in frustration.
Colith blinked, briefly catching a glimpse of what they were fleeing from. Her expression turned into a deadpan as she recognized the thing. Despite knowing that she could be slow on the uptake at times, this particular situation was undeniably absurd.
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.
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Atsuya's frustration was palpable, and it didn't take a genius to realize how displeased he was with the situation. He hated it! Geto and his grandiose delusions were the root of this mess. Instead of allowing people to peacefully enjoy Christmas with their families, that Buddha looking ass woke up one day with the idea of waging war against the entire jujutsu world. Releasing countless curses simultaneously to ruin people's Christmas? Unbelievable!
He quickly glanced behind him and nearly let out a curse. The abomination had spotted them and was now in pursuit, adding more urgency to their predicament.
'It's fast as hell!' Atsuya's eyes widened.
This was precisely why he couldn't stand individuals with innate cursed techniques. It wasn't jealousy; it was just plain common sense. Dealing with them was an absolute hassle, and when the strongest among them went rogue, chaos ensued, and even Christmas was ruined. Typical.
All of this madness stemmed from one guy who couldn't stand 98% of the human population. Sure, Atsuya had his dislikes too, but that in no way justified flooding Shinjuku and Kyoto with curses on Christmas Eve! Couldn't the guy have picked another date? Like a Monday? Everyone hated Mondays. This was far beyond criminal! And did he mention how much he wanted to strangle Geto? No? Well, he certainly did.
Hopefully, he managed to outrun the cu-
*SCREEEEEEEEEECH*
Nevermind. That's just bad.
Judging by its appearance, that thing was most likely a Grade 1 or perhaps a semi-Grade 1.
'Shit, it's getting closer!'
Atsuya thought, promptly leaping away to avoid a vicious tendril slamming down where he stood. The situation persisted, and he effortlessly evaded each attack with relative ease. He was confident that he could handle this curse without breaking a sweat. The only slight complication was the civilian woman he held in his grasp, probably traumatized by the whole ordeal, which made things a bit more challenging.
Ah.
A groan escaped Atsuya's lips as he grimaced, his mind now preoccupied with something beyond the immediate threat chasing them. What could be more menacing than their current predicament? A potential lawsuit, that's what. What if she decided to sue him afterward? He pondered the scenario; after all, from her perspective, he had grabbed her without explanation and started running, which could be suspicious to anyone.
'Great, she's going to think that I'm some creep trying to abduct her when I'm just trying to save her life!'
Yet, despite the possible repercussions, he didn't care. He refused to let harm befall an innocent woman, even if it meant risking getting sued for sexual assault. He just hoped that this wouldn't come back to haunt him later on—
"You should probably kill that curse with that katana of yours."
Atsuya's forehead vein throbbed as he interrupted himself, perplexed by the unfamiliar voice speaking to him. "Who's there? Can't you see I'm busy?" he questioned, swiftly scanning his surroundings to evade the peculiar tendrils. Escaping the relentless curse seemed like a distant hope, and a gentle tap on his back almost made him lose his hold on the woman.
"Me"
"Eh?! You can speak Japanese?" Atsuya bellowed, blinking quickly as he nearly tripped. Which would have been dangerous; he liked living, thank you very much.
"I'm amazed that's the first thing you decided to bring up instead of thinking of a way to deal with...whatever that thing is," she said, her tone laced with distaste.
"Why didn't you just tell me?" he ignored the other statement, feeling dumb for being made fun of.
"Well, you never asked. Besides, your attempts at speaking English were funny," she chuckled, further fueling his frustration.
"You little-hold on, you can see it?" He heard her hum in response as straw slurping noises reached his ears. What th- "are you seriously drinking juice in this situation?" he deadpanned.
He contemplated leaving the brat behind and continuing on his way, but his conscience reminded him that he wasn't a sociopath. It seemed the fool was oblivious to the danger they faced. Non-sorcerers typically only acknowledge curses when their lives are at risk, and her lack of cursed energy indicated she wasn't a curse user, making her harmless. However, her calm reaction unnerved him since non-sorcerers would usually panic, deny, or foolishly attempt to record the otherworldly creature, leading to their demise. Pushing aside these thoughts, he focused on avoiding the danger and not becoming Swiss cheese.
"it's a milkshake." She corrected.
"Who cares if it's a milkshake-"
"Ah, watch out."
With swift reflexes, he heeded the warning and swiftly swung his katana, which happened to be unsheathed, deftly slicing through the curse's numerous tendrils that were about to pierce them. The curse emitted a high-pitched screech from the sudden injury, retracting its limbs in pain. Seizing the opportunity, Atsuya escaped onto the rooftop of a nearby building, concealing themselves from the curse's sight.
From his vantage point, Atsuya glanced down as the curse regrew its limbs, now more agitated than ever. It let out a powerful roar as it veered off in another direction, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake during its relentless search.
"So, are you gonna release me or should I scream and potentially draw this thing's attention?" He was startled out of his surveyings by the woman's voice. He immediately let go of her and regarded her with a frown that held too many questions.
"Okay-What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Me? Nothing. I just didn't expect to be swept up by a stranger who took off the second a monster showed up."
"It was for your own safety you dimwit!" he barked. "Tss, and don't think I'm over the whole 'I can perfectly speak Japanese and will act like I can't and fuck with people's brains'! You did earlier!" he accused.
"Sheesh, calm down, man! There's no need to get mad." She waved her hand, which pissed Atsuya off even more. He let out a resigned sigh. He was already dealing with people like Gojo every day; there was no reason for him to alienate himself over an unaware brat. Besides, Gojo was ten times worse.
She lazily glanced up. "So...you call these things curses, right? There are a lot of them." She said, noting the vast amount of curses currently circling the sky and descending, likely targeting people below.
Atsuya sighed, feeling weary, and massaged his temple, taken aback by the woman's nonchalant demeanor. "It's not something you'll grasp easily. Just concentrate on evading them."
She hummed unhurriedly before turning to the man and pointing a finger to the sky. "Huh. So anyway, do you need any help with that?"
Atsuya paused, looked at the woman, then up to the sky before looking back at her but this time in utter disbelief. "And what are you gonna do? Throw your milkshake at them? Don't be stupid. I should just find somewhere safe enough to drop you off and get back to work." He grumbled as he fished out a lollipop he promptly popped in his mouth. "They probably need all the help they can get right now. Ugh, I just wanna go home and sleep..." He muttered wearily.
"What? Don't believe me?" she tilted her head.
He sighed then whirled to her, his back facing the street. "No, what I believe is that you're here, thinking that this is a joke and don't seem to realize that we could both die at any moment if we're not careful enough." He snapped back, his lollipop still in his mouth. "So keep it down and do as I say so you can potentially live for another day." He started walking to her. "Now come on, let's get out of here."
"I see, I see." she held a hand to her chin, nodding, "I think it might be too late for that."
Atsuya produced a confused sound from his throat as his pace faltered "Hah?" he watched as the woman pointed past him.
"Our lil friend's already here."
'lil' friend?'
When he glanced behind him, he almost choked on the candy in shock as he saw the curse hurtling towards them at a breakneck speed, using its tendrils for transportation. And boy, did it look bloodthirsty.
*SCREEEEEECH*
"SHI-" Atsuya immediately rushed to grab her arm, ready to bolt out of here only to discover that she wouldn't budge. He blinked in surprise at the female who seemed unbothered by the curses' rapid approach. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!"
"Relax, I'll take care of it."
He gritted his teeth. COULDN'T SHE REALIZE THAT HE WAS DOING HER A FAVOR?! WAS SHE OUT OF HER MIND!?
"that's mean."
"Oh, I said that out loud. My bad-NO! JUST STOP THIS NONSENSE OR I'M KNOCKING YOU OUT!" He threatened, waving his katana in the air. She just rolled her eyes and freed her arm to drink the rest of her dessert, which startled Atsuya who wasn't expecting such strength coming from a non-sorcerer.
They weren't supposed to be stronger than sorcerers, and he had quite a grip; so how...?
In complete disbelief, he observed as she raised her hand. Just as he was about to question her intentions, the curse's entire form froze in mid-air, its tendrils mere centimeters away from them, surrounded by a radiant golden glow. Both the curse and Atsuya exchanged startled looks, and then the woman hummed, closing her fist. The creature met its end, imploding upon itself and vanishing completely.
Atsuya's lollipop hit the ground.
"Huh, so I can still do that."
His eyes snapped to the person he had perceived as a harmless civilian, but now she was simply staring at her hand, repeatedly opening and closing her fist before nonchalantly shrugging. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, questioning how this unassuming individual possessed such perplexing abilities.
A civilian...who just took down a Grade 1 like it was nothing and...were her eyes glowing just a second ago? Atsuya immediately brought his katana to her neck, caution seeping through him.
"Who're you?" He glared.
She lightly pushed the tip of the sword away with a scowl, "Now I don't think we have time for this, do we? You said they needed help right?" He didn't respond, sweat rolling down his face. She rolled her eyes. "You'd already be dead if I was an enemy. Now, want me to help or not?"
"You don't have cursed energy," he asked instead, debating whether or not to eliminate her. Would she be a threat? Scratch that - she was definitely a threat! "How did you kill it? Are you with that bastard Geto? Were you the one who killed the auxiliaries?" he demanded, cursed energy oozing from his being, ready to attack at any moment.
With their hands full, they couldn't afford to let a potential enemy wander freely. Her intentions remained unknown, and the absence of detectable jujutsu was deeply unsettling. He sensed an elusive energy she was deliberately allowing him to perceive, making him even more concerned about her true motives.
"Details, details," she sighed, waving her hand in dismissal. "That's not important. Remove that sword of yours from my neck before I snap it. It seems to have cost you a lot; I wouldn't want to damage it."
Atsuya scoffed. "I'd like to see you tr-"
*Snap*
In silence, he watched as she effortlessly snapped the katana, leaving the metal dangling between her fingers. He anxiously glanced back and forth between the shortened blade he held and its now broken other half.
Cursed tools were designed to withstand significant force when facing stronger opponents, and his katana should have been no exception. Being a grade 1 tool, it was highly effective against grade 4 to 1 curses and had the potential to even destroy special grades if wielded to its full power. However, he wasn't reckless enough to attempt such a feat. As a grade 1 sorcerer, he valued his life and had been infusing the katana with cursed energy since his teenage years, expecting it to be sturdy enough for any battle.
Now, how the fuck did someone with seemingly no cursed energy manage to break it like a mere twig? And more importantly, how the fuck was he going to work now?
His eyes widened in astonishment as his sword mysteriously began repairing itself with a subtle snap. He couldn't help but stare at the woman who nonchalantly cracked her neck while gazing upwards. His jaw dropped in utter bewilderment. What in the world was she?!
The question lingered in his mind, perplexed by the enigmatic woman before him.
She walked past him and stood at the edge of the rooftop before pointing to the curses.
"Well, Imma destroy these guys. Is that okay with ya...erm. What's your name?"
"...Kusakabe...Atsuya," he couldn't help but mutter dumbly.
"Atsuya, hm ?." She hummed and casually floated in the air, further shocking the male. She side-eyed him. "Well, think of this as payback for trying to protect me, even though it wasn't necessary. See ya someday!"
And with that, the person he initially perceived as a civilian flashed a final grin and wave before propelling herself towards an army of formidable Grade 1, if not Special Curses, at full speed. With joyful whoops, she fearlessly charged into the fray, leaving Atsuya astonished and alone on the rooftop.
In a dazed state, the male found himself questioning if he had consumed mushrooms earlier, but he quickly snapped back to reality when he heard someone calling his name. Looking down, he squinted to make out a masked young man, whom he recognized as Ino, at the base of the building. Ino was waving frantically, carrying an injured person on his back.
Atsuya blinked before jumping down to join them.
"I thought that curse got you earlier!" the young man exclaimed before pausing. "Eh? What's with that face, Kusakabe-san?! Did you see some terrifying curse or something?!" He began glancing around in worry, disturbing the person he was carrying who let out a disgruntled groan at the movement. The masked man apologized and quickly promised to find Shoko.
Atsuya blinked slowly as he glanced at his katana with a contemplative look before looking up. He could briefly see flashes of gold going on and off in the sky. This caught Ino's attention too who mimicked him.
"Huh...? What's going on up there? Are those curses finally being taken care of by Gojo?"
Atsuya slowly shook his head, still flabbergasted by what he had witnessed five minutes prior. "That ain't Gojo."
Ino produced a confused sound as he started jogging alongside his senior toward Shoko's location. "if It's not him," he said cluelessly. "Then who is it?"
"I'm not sure I want to know."
"Eh?"
Who would believe him if he said that an Otaku had pulled up and started decimating curses without using any jujitsu? That's a one-way ticket to the mental asylum he wasn't inclined to risk.
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Lil side note:
Colith died before the movie's release back home and therefore didn't immediately realize that she was in JJK. She only briefly read about jjk 0 around 2019 and promptly forgot about it and died in 2021 so yeh, she had no memories of the thing whatsoever.
Heh.
(EDITED)