A sudden sensation of pressure from above startled him awake, pulling him out of the darkness—he could "see" again.
He found himself curled up in a cramped, enclosed space. Stifling, oppressive, a desperate urge to scream welled up inside him. His body twisted and struggled, yet he could only let the overwhelming emotions crash over him, heavier and heavier.
At that moment, a force was pushing and squeezing him, twisting him within the confines of the space.
First, his head was compressed, distorting his facial features. Then came a blinding light, followed by a cacophony of shouts. Overwhelmed, he couldn't open his eyes or speak.
Finally, the space burst open. A wave of indescribable relief swept over him, and he exhaled. But immediately, a powerful rush of air surged into his nose and mouth, crashing into his lungs and ricocheting within him. At last, it erupted from his nose and mouth:
"Waaa… Waaa…"
He was born again?!
He had become a baby once more.
---
During infancy, it takes about a month for a baby to develop basic sensory responses like sight, touch, hearing, and smell to perceive the environment.
Once his senses sharpened, he realized something unusual: the people around him were speaking Japanese?
In his previous life, he had dabbled in learning several languages, Japanese being one he had mastered fairly well.
Turning his head, he tried to observe his surroundings.
He was in a bright room. A tall man was holding him in his arms, standing by a bed. On the bed, a woman was reclining in a half-sitting position.
"Look, little Sōjun is watching you!" said the man in a deep voice.
"Haha! Such lively eyes; he's bound to be brilliant in the future!" the woman replied warmly.
Indeed, they were speaking Japanese. The couple's actions and demeanor confirmed it:
He had been reborn in Japan, now named Minamoto Sōjun. His father was Minamoto Kiyoyasu, and his mother, Minamoto Yuri.
---
Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture
At 6:30 in the morning, in a dimly lit room with a soft, large bed, Minamoto Sōjun slowly opened his eyes, gazing at the unfamiliar ceiling. His thoughts swirled.
He was now one year old, but his height had already reached 105 cm and his weight 16.5 kg—the standard for a four-year-old.
At just two months old, he had noticed his development was far faster than other children.
Typically, children begin babbling around seven or eight months and start walking at about a year. But he was different. At one year old, he could walk and even run.
He ate voraciously, consuming much more energy and nutrients than his peers.
Even so, his body and mind fatigued easily. His physical activity had to be limited, and he needed over 10 hours of sleep daily.
His parents, initially concerned, took him to several hospitals for check-ups. Yet no problems were found—in fact, his health surpassed that of most children.
---
An unfamiliar ceiling!
At age three, Sōjun stood before a full-length mirror in the corner of his room, carefully examining himself.
By now, he was 120 cm tall and weighed 23.2 kg, matching the average size of a six-year-old.
Something felt off—he seemed to *see inside* his own body. He could observe muscles tearing and regenerating, blood flowing, internal organs functioning, cells dividing, hormones secreting, and energy being metabolized. Even his soul's state faintly appeared under this peculiar vision.
As he grew older, this vision sharpened. Eventually, he understood the cause of his rapid growth:
A brand-new, vibrant body paired with a semi-formed soul were merging, adapting to each other, and gradually harmonizing.
This interplay resulted in his accelerated physical development—a manifestation of his soul influencing his body. At the same time, his mind exhibited childlike tendencies, showing how his body influenced his soul.
---
By the age of six, Sōjun stood 152 cm tall and weighed 42.5 kg—the size of a twelve-year-old.
Things were becoming stranger. Not only could he see, but he could also control.
For example, he once put a string in his mouth and used his tongue to tie a perfect knot. He also managed to use his hair to poke someone touching his head.
However, he discovered he couldn't control his hair, which had fallen to the ground.
This control wasn't powerful. The fusion of his body and soul seemed to hit a barrier, always missing a crucial element preventing him from progressing.
He often heard faint buzzing noises in his ears.
Occasionally, his vision would shift into a strange, shadowy realm, like a scene from a horror movie where everything turned black-and-white, accompanied by a static hum.
The next moment, something terrifying would emerge.
He subtly probed others and confirmed that only he experienced these phenomena.
This eerie sight terrified him. The constant buzzing frustrated him, lingering constantly by his side.
It was like drowning in a crowded room where no one noticed his plight.
Surrounded by voices and people, he felt the crushing weight of isolation.
Anxiety, panic, and unease relentlessly attacked him, accumulating over time until they almost overflowed, reaching a breaking point.
The buzzing grew louder and clearer. His vision lost all color, turning entirely black and white.
Unable to bear it, anger surged within him.
That anger ignited every negative emotion, exploding inside him and transforming into a liquid-like substance that flooded his brain before channeling into his hands.
He reached out and grabbed at the buzzing.
Pop!
The world fell silent.
His soul, body, and some unknown substance synchronized. He felt liberated, as though he could embrace the world's vastness.
Looking down at his hand, he saw...
A fly's head?!
A bizarre creature with a fly's head, a human torso, and white wings lay in his palm.
So…
Was this Jujutsu Kaisen?
Gradually, he pieced everything together.
From the age of one, his cursed energy had been awakening, causing the strange appearance of his surroundings and the ceiling he saw each morning.
The fusion of his body and soul had stalled because cursed energy was absent.
Upon full awakening, his cursed energy harmonized his body, soul, and newfound power, unlocking his innate technique.
He understood it all—
Or not.
---
By November 1997, Sōjun had spent six years in the Jujutsu Kaisen world. He had just awakened his innate technique and exorcised his first ungraded cursed spirit.
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