Jujutsu Kaisen: Foreigner's Adventure to Japan

January 25, 2013, Friday, 6:00 AM JST, Nakameguro, Tokyo.

Elric stirred awake; no alarm was needed, and years of grueling training sharpened his internal clock to near perfection. He sat up, glancing around the modest apartment. The room was bare but functional, just enough for a fresh start, or at least, he kept telling himself.

After completing his morning workout, he turned his focus to breakfast. As Elric opened the fridge, he noticed that he didn't have any utensils for cooking and eating. 

Elric grunted, "Crap... I forgot the food and the utensils." He shook his head, amused at his own oversight. "Guess a protein bar will have to do for now."

"Shaken from last night," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. The memory of the dark spirit he'd exorcized flickered in his mind, a lingering echo of violence that refused to fade.

The emptiness wasn't just in the refrigerator; it echoed in the walls, the air, and his life here. The apartment was quiet, too quiet, and the small rituals of unpacking and organizing barely dulled the void.

Stepping outside his apartment door, Elric paused, breathing in the crisp morning air. A cold wind bit at his face, but he welcomed it. There was a quiet excitement about starting fresh in Japan, an anticipation he hadn't felt in a long time; a one-way path away from his father's legacy.

Scanning his surroundings, he spotted a bustling local market not far from his building. He slipped back inside to grab his winter jacket, then returned to the corridor, glancing over the balcony's edge. "I could jump down and skid along the wall," he mused, a habit from his father's training kicking in, "but maybe blending in means… just taking the elevator."

Smirking, he headed toward the elevator, choosing patience for now as he embraced the idea of a more normal life than his harsh American experience.

By 7:30 AM, Elric had arrived at the market. The place buzzed with life, a stark contrast to the stillness of his apartment. Sunlight filtered through skylights, casting soft beams over bustling aisles as vendors called out prices and exchanged greetings with customers. The scents were intoxicating: freshly baked bread, seared fish, and sweet red bean paste mingled in the crisp winter air.

He wandered through the aisles, nodding politely to vendors who smiled and greeted him. At a bread stall, an elderly woman offered him a sample of a warm, fluffy melon pan.

"First time here?" she asked, her voice warm and welcoming.

Elric returned her smile. "Yeah. Just moved into the area."

The woman beamed. "Well, welcome! My son and I have been running this stall for years. You know where to find us if you ever need a friendly face or fresh bread."

He thanked her and moved on, occasionally inspecting fresh produce or small trinkets at other stalls. Despite the lively atmosphere, a faint unease prickled at the back of his mind. He couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, a residue of instincts honed from years of combat and survival. He scanned the crowd subtly but found nothing unusual for now.

As he sampled some grilled mochi, the stillness shattered. Three teenagers on skateboards tore through the market, weaving recklessly between stalls. Vendors shouted in protest as the teens laughed, their carefree energy grating against the market's peaceful rhythm. Elric's eyes narrowed, his calm demeanor shifting into something sharper.

"Troublemakers," muttered the elderly clothing vendor behind him, shaking her head. "They're always causing a ruckus. And at this hour? They should be preparing for school finals."

Elric gave her a reassuring nod but kept his focus on the teens. Their laughter echoed as they careened through the narrow paths, too close to knocking over stalls or pedestrians. He followed their movements, his sharp eyes catching every turn and stumble.

Then he saw it. A faint, ghostly skull clinging to one of the teens, almost invisible to the untrained eye. An omen of death. His jaw tightened. In his experience, these marks didn't appear without reason.

"Not today," he muttered to himself. His mind raced, torn between stepping in and staying out of it.

In a flash of memory, Elric was back in an active warzone, his younger self crouched beside the crumbled ruins of a village. Among the wreckage lay a small hand, lifeless and dust-covered. He knelt beside his chest, tightening as a wave of helplessness hit him. His father's voice broke through the haze, sharp and unyielding. "You can't save everyone, Elric." The words struck harder than the carnage around him, a reminder of the burden he could never set down.

As Elric regained awareness, he saw everything was on fire and in rubble. He saw the hand of the little girl amongst the ruins and agonized and vomited the food he had eaten earlier. The shock of the sight could not be contained within himself.

It wasn't just a memory; it was one of many scars he carried from being trained by his old man from one of his "life-threatening training."

But when he looked at the teenager with the death mark, he saw more than a reckless kid. He saw a future hanging by a thread. His hesitation broke. The brat wasn't just a face in the crowd; he was someone he might save.

Elric exhaled, a mix of disappointment and reluctance crossing his face. "Of all days, I just want this to be a normal day," he muttered.

Turning to the elderly woman, he gave a quick, apologetic nod.

"Excuse me, ma'am. Please keep an eye on my things for a moment. I'll be right back."

He didn't wait for a reply, already stepping away with his eyes fixed on the teenager. His focus narrowed, instinct and training kicking in as he prepared to confront the source of the ominous presence.

In an instant, Elric shot forward, leaving only a faint ripple in the air behind him. The elderly woman stared, wide-eyed and speechless.

Moving with effortless agility, he parkoured over obstacles and weaved through the crowd, a silent predator closing in on his target.

One of the teenagers glanced back, and his eyes widened when he saw him. "What the...?" he stammered, his voice tinged with panic. He shouted to her friends, "That guy's chasing us! Go faster!"

His warning only spurred them on. The teens bolted, weaving through the street and dodging startled pedestrians. Elric picked up his pace, his movements precise and fluid, each step closing the distance between them. His crimson hue surged with energy, the faint glow of his abilities wrapping around his legs, hidden beneath his clothes.

The teenager reached the curb, his foot pushing off for a final burst of speed. But Elric was faster. In one swift motion, he grabbed the hood of his jacket, yanking his back just as a truck roared past, its tires screeching. Her skateboard shot out from under her, spinning wildly before slamming into the truck's grille.

The teenager froze, his breath hitching as the truck skidded to a stop. The driver leaned out, yelling curses, but Elric barely registered it. He focused on the brat, revealing that he was a girl, her wide, terrified eyes locking onto his.

"You're welcome," he said flatly, releasing her hood.

The commotion drew the attention of the market crowd. Vendors and shoppers gathered at the scene, murmurs rippling through them. An elderly woman near the front gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

"That's Miruko Horigawa," she said, loud enough for others to hear. "She landowner's daughter."

The revelation sent a ripple of recognition through the onlookers. Whispers spread. Some were relieved that she was unharmed, others uneasy about the close call. Miruko, however, did not share their relief. She shook herself free of shock, her expression hardening into a glare.

"I didn't ask for your help," she snapped, crossing her arms. Her voice was sharp, defensive, and tinged with embarrassment.

Elric raised an eyebrow. "Oh, but you needed it." His tone was calm but firm, cutting through her bravado. "If I had stopped you, that truck would've done more than ruin your skateboard."

Miruko scoffed, brushing off her jacket as if to dismiss him. "I was fine," she muttered, but her voice faltered slightly, betraying her lingering fear.

The other teenagers finally caught up, their breaths heaving as they glared at Elric.

One of them, a boy with spiky hair, stepped forward defensively. "What's your deal, man? Why are you chasing us like some kind of psycho?"

Before Elric could respond, Miruko winced, her hand shooting to her forehead. Blood trickled from her nose, staining her upper lip. Her eyes reddened, veins standing out starkly against her pale skin. The defiance drained from her face, replaced by confusion and fear. She swayed, her knees buckling.

Gasps erupted from the crowd. "Someone call an ambulance!" a vendor shouted, the urgency in her voice spurring people into action.

Elric's heart raced as he caught Miruko before she collapsed. His mind worked quickly, piecing together what he knew. The death mark. The sudden symptoms. An enchanted object was the only explanation.

"Listen to me," he said urgently, his voice low but steady. "Did you receive anything unusual recently? An amulet, a charm, jewelry, anything that stood out?"

Miruko blinked through her daze, her trembling hand raising to show a bracelet on her wrist. It was dark and simple, almost unremarkable, but to Elric's trained eyes, it radiated malevolent energy.

"Enchanted," he muttered.

Without hesitation, he unclasped the bracelet and held it up, feeling the dark energy pulse against his skin.

Turning to the crowd, he raised his voice. "Everyone, clear a path! Now!"

The crowd obeyed, their unease turning into outright fear. Elric rushed out onto the streets with the malevolent bracelet in hand. He threw the object high up into the air, a hint of his crimson energy wrapping around the jewelry.

With a sharp inhale, Elric raised and clenched his fist. The crimson energy shattered the bracelet, causing a small explosion and releasing a dark, wailing energy that dissipated like smoke. The crowd flinched at the eerie sound, but the tension began to lift. Miruko's breathing steadied, and the redness in her eyes faded.

The market settled into an uneasy calm as the dark energy screamed and dissolved into the air. The crowd, still shaken, exchanged murmurs as they processed what had just happened. Elric knelt beside Miruko, checking her pulse. She was stable, though still pale and shaken. Relief washed over him, but he knew this was far from over.

A few vendors cautiously stepped closer, their expressions a mix of gratitude and fear. One of them, the elderly bread vendor, bowed deeply.

"Thank you," she said, her voice trembling. "If you hadn't stepped in…"

Elric nodded but kept his focus on Miruko. "She'll be fine now," he said, his tone firm but reassuring. "Just keep this between us. No need to involve the authorities more than necessary."

The sound of sirens in the distance dashed that hope. Moments later, an ambulance and a police car pulled up at the edge of the market. Paramedics rushed to Miruko, tending to her as they checked her vitals. The police began questioning the crowd, piecing together fragments of the incident. Elric stood back, his posture calm but alert, prepared to explain himself.

A young officer approached him, his expression neutral but professional. "You were the one who helped her?" he asked.

"Yes," Elric replied simply.

"Can you tell me why you took the bracelet from young Horigawa?" the officer asked.

Elric responded succinctly, "I realized something was wrong with her. When the young teenager mentioned that the bracelet was the issue, I noticed something embedded in the jewelry. It was blinking, indicating that it might have been an explosive. I acted before it could do more damage."

He paused, his expression steady, masking the deeper truth, "I believe her collapse and paralysis was due to some kind of toxin, something laced into the bracelet. That's what led to all this chaos."

Elric knew he was blending truth with lies. The real cause, rooted in the unknown forces of sorcery and curses, was something he couldn't explain, not without raising questions he wasn't ready to answer or proving something no one could comprehend. For now, his words would suffice.

The officer nodded, his gaze briefly flicking to the shattered remains of the bracelet. "That was quick thinking. She's lucky you were here." There was no suspicion in his voice, just genuine appreciation.

"Just doing what needed to be done," Elric said, offering a faint, polite nod. His goal was to deflect attention, not draw it.

As the paramedics escorted Miruko to the ambulance, she hesitated, turning to look at Elric. Her earlier bravado was gone, replaced by embarrassment and gratitude. "Thanks," she muttered, barely audible. She didn't wait for his response before climbing into the vehicle, avoiding his gaze.

The crowd began to disperse, though a few vendors lingered, murmuring their thanks as they returned to their stalls. Elric retrieved his belongings from the bread vendor, offering her a quiet nod of appreciation. He was about to leave when one of Miruko's friends, the spiky-haired boy, approached him.

"Hey," the boy said, hesitating, "That bracelet… where did it come from?"

Elric's gaze sharpened at one of the boys. "That's what I'd like to know. Do you know anything about it?"

One of them shook their heads, glancing at each other.

They exchanged uneasy looks before one of them spoke up. "Miruko said she got it from a fortune teller with her boyfriend a month before New Year's Day. Here, in the market."

Elric frowned. "A fortune teller?"

"Yeah," the boy said. "But we didn't see anyone like that. She said the stall was near the edge of the market, but when we went back to look, it was gone."

The information sent a ripple of suspicion through Elric's thoughts: a fortune teller handing out enchanted objects in a busy market, then vanishing. It wasn't just strange; it was deliberate. Someone had set this in motion, and it wasn't random.

"Thanks," Elric said, his tone clipped. "If you remember anything else, let me know."

The boy nodded, clearly relieved to leave the conversation. As Elric turned to go, the bread vendor stopped him, her voice quiet but urgent.

"The market's been under pressure lately," she said. "Loan sharks and developers want to tear it down. They've been trying to force us out for months."

Elric's frown deepened. "Loan sharks? Developers? Who?"

She hesitated, then shook her head. "I don't know the details. But strange things have been happening: accidents, people getting hurt, young teens turning delinquent all of a sudden. Some of us think it's connected."

A pattern began to emerge, pieces clicking into place: the enchanted bracelet, the fortune teller, the threat to the market. It wasn't just a coincidence. A superhuman used their powers to disrupt the market and its people, possibly for profit or power.

Elric glanced at a distant building. His instincts were telling him that something was watching the incident.

"Stay alert," he told the vendor, "and let me know if anything unusual happens."

She nodded, gratitude flickering in her eyes. "We'll be careful."

Elric left the market, his mind already racing through possibilities. Whoever had targeted Miruko wasn't done. And if they were willing to use enchanted objects so openly, they wouldn't stop until someone stopped them.

For now, Elric had no answers, only questions. But he knew one thing for sure: his fresh start in Tokyo was already tangled in the shadows. The city was already consumed by wickedness, and Elric knew all too well how quickly shadows could spread.