Tokyo, under the night sky, was illuminated by countless neon lights in various colors.
Driven by dense crowds and thriving commerce, many areas of Tokyo could truly be called a sleepless city.
With the Japanese government constantly promoting economic development, Tokyo's nightlife was especially vibrant.
This nightlife didn't just refer to the colorful shops but also included the dark alleyways hidden beneath the city's glow.
"Get out of the way!"
A man, fleeing in panic, collided directly with a couple, or at least something resembling one, who had appeared in front of him.
"Hey, what the hell are you doing, bastard? That's so damn rude!"
The round-bodied middle-aged man, knocked to the ground, shouted angrily.
The young woman beside him hurriedly adjusted her clothes in a panic.
Whoosh.
Suddenly, an inexplicable chill enveloped them.
Both felt a shiver crawl down their spines. Looking around and seeing nothing, they immediately panicked and fled the alley.
"Phew, phew, damn it, why did I have to run into that monster?"
The fleeing man was a Curse User.
Although many Curse Users had gone into hiding under the oppressive pressure of the Six Eyes after Satoru's birth,
There were still plenty of ordinary people who didn't understand the Six Eyes, along with some young, reckless Curse Users who remained active.
This man was one of them, and his strength was fairly decent.
"Did he not follow?"
The Curse User glanced around nervously. Not seeing any sign of Eichi, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
"What rotten luck. I was just out having fun and ended up running into a Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer."
If it hadn't been for the people nearby when they first encountered each other, and that the sorcerer was mindful of the secrecy principle of jujutsu, he'd likely already be dead.
"It must've been a coincidence. Just bad luck today. I'll go find Ibuki-chan tomorrow."
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and shoved his hands into his pockets, preparing to leave.
"It wasn't a coincidence."
A voice suddenly spoke from behind him.
The abrupt voice made his hair stand on end, and his heart skipped a beat.
He spun around, sending a blast of blood-red Cursed Energy behind him.
"No... no one?"
He stared in horror at the darkness, feeling like a mouse being stalked by a cat.
"I'm here."
The voice came from the front. A pitch-black figure, covered in shadows, emerged before him.
"Nani?!"
Just as he was about to react, Eichi reached out, grabbed his head, and slammed it into the ground.
Bang.
His head hit the ground hard, and he instantly lost consciousness.
Eichi used Reverse Cursed Technique to stabilize the Curse User slightly, then pulled out a container from his shadow.
He opened the lid and took out a Special Grade Cursed Object, shaped like a fetus.
Cursed Womb: Death Painting.
He had taken it from Tokyo Jujutsu High's Kiko.
Unaware that while they were playing the Sendai Battle instance, Kenjaku had already begun traveling across Japan to inspect the barriers of his personal vaults.
After searching the entire country and finding nothing, Eichi had lightly raided the personal vault at Tokyo Jujutsu High to console himself.
Of course, with Tengen's permission.
Eichi stuffed the Cursed Object into the unconscious Curse User's mouth.
Gulp.
Instinctively, the man swallowed the foreign object lodged in his throat, and soon after, he opened his eyes and began writhing on the ground.
"Ugh ah ah ah!"
Accompanied by painful cries,
His body began to change.
Incarnation had begun.
Incarnation could be summarized as the revival of a Soul within a new physical body.
When a Cursed Object containing a Soul is swallowed by an ordinary person or a Jujutsu Sorcerer, there are usually two outcomes.
First, the person's physical body withstands the erosion of the Cursed Object, and then the Soul within the body fights with the Soul of the Cursed Object.
The Soul that wins takes dominance.
If the body's original Soul wins, the physical form remains unchanged.
Just like a special case of incarnation, such as Itadori Yuji.
If the Soul in the Cursed Object wins,
Then that Soul takes over the body.
The body will also change, matching the original appearance of the Soul.
This is why the Cursed Womb: Death Painting returns to its original appearance after Incarnation.
When Choso, the eldest brother, incarnated, he still appeared human.
When the second brother incarnated, he became half-human, half-Cursed Spirit.
By the time the third brother incarnated, he looked no different from a full Cursed Spirit.
The second possibility is more straightforward: the body cannot endure the erosion of the Cursed Object and dies.
This commonly happens with Cursed Objects like Sukuna's fingers.
That's why Sukuna's finger is recognized as a deadly poison among Special Grade Cursed Objects.
"Ugh... ah..."
Before long, the groans on the ground stopped.
The man's body had transformed.
His hair grew longer. A horizontal line appeared across the bridge of his nose.
His eye sockets turned a purplish-red color, like bruises, or perhaps severe dark circles.
Choso's incarnation was successful.
"Who are you?"
Choso stood, his cold gaze fixed on Eichi.
"Allow me to introduce myself. Azuma Eichi, a Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer, currently—"
"I don't care about any of that. Why did you resurrect me? Where are my brothers?"
Eichi's introduction was cut off, but he didn't mind.
Because he understood Choso's personality, and he liked this awkward but devoted older brother who cherished his siblings more than himself.
Just like during the fight with Sukuna, Choso had done everything he could to shield Itadori Yuji from an attack that could've defeated Mahoraga.
The best onii-chan gave all that he had to his brother, while he alone took the full brunt of Sukuna's fatal strike.
"Your brothers are right here."
Eichi's shadow rose, quickly forming a table.
The remaining eight Cursed Wombs: Death Painting were placed on the table.
Sensing his brothers and the fluctuations of their Souls.
Choso couldn't help but clench his fists behind him.
He wanted to immediately take them back, but he couldn't.
Because he knew that the lives of his brothers were now in the hands of the person in front of him.
Judging by the faint Cursed Energy emanating from Eichi, Choso could tell this man was a powerful Jujutsu Sorcerer.
"What do you want me to do?"
Choso stared at him, secretly gathering Cursed Energy.
"My goal is simple."
Eichi extended his hand toward Choso.
"I'll provide a place for you to live. In return, you serve me."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
The answer was so plain that Choso suspected it was a trap.
Having been sealed within the Kiko for so long, he had no idea how strong he was in the current era.
And he didn't know that Eichi held him in high regard.
"Of course, you can choose another path."
(To be continued.)