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When Kokichi Muta was fatally stabbed by Mahito, he never expected to make it out alive.
That is, until he woke up as an infant in a stranger's arms. His eyes were wide open as he looked around his surroundings. He couldn't understand what was going on, but it seemed like he was reborn.
And yet, he could remember everything about his previous life.
As Kokichi grew up, he learned he was given the name 'Kin Hayashi' by two people who were apparently his new parents. He learned other things about this as well, like how Jujutsu sorcery was still the same as he remembered it. Secretive, but still lingering in the background. His Puppet Manipulation was still intact even without the Heavenly Pact that plagued his previous life. But there was more to this life he enjoyed.
He could go out in the day and at night without his skin burning. He could actually eat food instead of it being pumped into him with tubes. He could even go to a proper barber and get his hair cut short to avoid that dreaded topknot. And with him still having access to his cursed technique, he was able to recreate the Mini-Mechamarus he originally made as a backup to hopefully help his friends out during the Shibuya Incident.
Come to think of it, what did happen to his friends? Did his backup help them?
Fortunately Kin was able to get his answers during a middle school trip to Kyoto. On the days students were allowed to explore independently, he relied on his memories to find his old school. But to his surprise, Jujutsu Tech was no more. It had been abandoned for reasons unknown. He had also come across a gym called TODO'S, no doubt founded by his former classmate. According to the Wall of History that was plastered inside, it was built in honor of Yuji Itadori. Everything else described felt entirely made up. There was no way Todo was able to marry the idol he was so infatuated towards!
...Right?
Anyway, ever since that trip, Kin felt more compelled to see what else had happened while he was dead. He spent his remaining time in middle school planning things out. Once he graduated, he would head over to Tokyo to track down at least one of the Sorcerer Clans. Zenin, Gojo, Kamo... They were bound to still be around. Heck, he would even take the outlaws of the Inumaki Clan at his point! He was that desperate to get some answers.
Thus years passed by. Graduation came, so it was finally time to take action.
Once Kin left the train and set foot in Tokyo, he made a beeline for the local Jujutsu Tech. He previously came to the school for the yearly Exchange Event using Ultimate Mechamaru. He might have lost proper connection thanks to Panda, but at least the memory was still fresh in his head. It didn't take long for him to find the school.
But upon arriving in the mountains, Kin halted his steps and his initial smile gradually faded away. Unlike the Kyoto branch, this school was still operable. However, the atmosphere felt a little...off. But that didn't seem right. As he walked around, he could see all the buildings were left intact. But once he saw people training in the courtyard, he realized what that off feeling was.
Most of the supposed students looked near-identical to Satoru Gojo. Same white hair color and light blue eyes, even if certain facial features and body structures were different. For a brief moment of panic, Kin wondered if he found himself in a cursed future where the strongest sorcerer was somehow cloned.
Yet among these supposed lookalikes, one girl stood out. She had dark green hair pushed back with a simple dark blue headband, with her eyes completely hidden by a pair of dark sunglasses. Her outfit seemed to be a modified school uniform consisting of a short midnight blue dress, a small arms-only jacket, dark blue fingerless gloves (which showed off her black nail polish), dark blue shorts, and white shoes with dark blue knee-high socks. She seemed to be fighting with small daggers with large rings, with a knife strapped to her waist by a grey belt. The three gold buttons on her jacket were a clear indicator that this definitely was a custom uniform.
But what really made this girl stand out was her fighting style. Despite how she threw those daggers rather carelessly, she always hit her targets without fail. Yet her combat style felt a little too familiar. Almost like...
"...Zenin."
Kin could hear that word slip from his mouth. And apparently, so did the mystery girl. She ran over to him as fast as she could, staring right at him with unknown curiosity. It was hard to tell since her eyes were completely obscure, hidden by those pitch black lenses. But Kin stood his ground. He got this far and there was no way he was backtracking.
"How do you know that name?" the mystery girl asked, her soft voice contrasting her intimidating appearance.
"Forgive me," Kin apologized. "You reminded me of someone I knew long ago."
"The name Zenin died off years ago," the mystery girl informed. "There should be no traces of that family ever existing. And yet you seem to be familiar with it. How is that possible?"
Kin was unable to respond. Was the Zenin Clan really gone? How did that happen? He had way too many questions about this detail. More importantly, why did this girl look so much like his former classmate? But the way she fought with cursed tools looked a little different from Mai's preferred firearms skill. So then if it wasn't her, then maybe...she was related to her twin sister?
After a bit more silence, the dark-haired boy decided to come clean. "My name is Kin Hayashi," he revealed. "I used to go by two different names in a previous life."
"And what are those names?" the mystery girl asked.
"Kokichi Muta," Kin answered. He took out one of his Mini-Mechamarus and presented it. "And...Mechamaru."
The mystery girl looked at the Mini-Mechamaru in awe. "I know what this is," she said as she picked up the handheld puppet. "Inumaki said this was a special relic from her family." She looked at Kin. "How do you have a similar item?"
Kin looked a little surprised. "Did you say...Inumaki?" he checked.
"Yes, I did," the girl replied, sounding impatient. "But don't change subjects." She held up the Mini-Mechamaru. "Where did you get this?"
"I made it by hand," Kin answered. "I can control these remotely as part of my cursed technique. I used to make larger puppets in my previous life, but these were easier to build."
"So you made this," the girl repeated. She stared at the Mini-Mechamaru for a few seconds before thrusting it into Kin's hand and unexpectedly grabbing his wrist. "Come with me."
Kin was caught off guard when he was forcefully dragged off. "Where to?" he asked.
"I'll explain everything later," the girl said as she whipped out her phone to text someone. "We don't have much time left."
What followed was an awkward stroll to the local hospital of all places. Kin could only watch in confused silence as the girl went to the front desk and requested a visit for...Kasumi Inumaki?
Inumaki?
Was that Miwa? And if so, was she really still alive after all these years?
The rest of the walk was a blur as Kim thought about what to say to Miwa. The next thing he knew, the girl opened a door and revealed someone who was apparently Miwa, but she looked so...different. Her vibrant blue hair had become a ghostly silver and her skin was wrinkly. But despite this, her kind eyes were still the same. Kin rushed over to her side without thinking, hoping her hearing was still good.
"Miwa!" Kin cried out as he gently held her hand. "I never thought I would see you again. What happened all those years ago? Did the others manage to rescue Satoru Gojo?"
Miwa slowly turned to face Kin. She squinted slightly and a small smile slowly formed on her lips. Then with much gasping in her breathing, she only had enough strength to say a single word.
"Mecha...maru..."
Kin's face slowly fell as Miwa's grasp loosened. Her eyes were still open, but it was clear the light had drained from them. His angel, the girl he had loved for so many years...
Gone.
"H-H-How long...?" Kin asked, feeling tears fall from his eyes. "How long has it been since I died?"
"It's the year 2116," the girl revealed, slowly walking over to Kin. "If you are who you say you are, it has been ninety-eight years."
Kin was unable to respond. He released his grasp from Miwa and gently closed her eyes. Ninety-eight years passed since he died in his previous life. He had heard about the current year in passing, but he never realized what that actually meant until now. Here he was, able to live a new life with a functional body, while the girl he loved grew old and died peacefully right before his eyes. What did that say for all of his other classmates? Were they all dead as well?
Suddenly, there was a tap on his shoulder.
Turning around, Kin realized he and the mystery girl weren't the only ones present. There was a second girl, one with a short, plump body. She had light grey eyes and there were familiar markings around her mouth. She briefly stuck out her tongue, confirming these were the Snake Eyes and Fangs sigil. Like the first girl, she also wore a custom uniform, but it looked more like a blazer-style uniform with an unbuttoned navy blue jacket, a white blouse, a navy blue skirt, white knee-length socks, red mary jane shoes, and a bright red bow tied around her neck. But her most striking feature was her hair. It was sky blue and worn in a ponytail in three sections with red bands. She also had a pair of thin red headphones hanging around her neck.
Was this girl...somehow related to Miwa?
Some time later, doctors escorted Miwa's corpse out of the hospital. Right now the three teenagers returned to the lobby. Kin was able to finally relax, so it was time to get his questions finally answered.
"My name is Rika Okkotsu," the first mystery girl revealed. She gestured towards the blue-haired girl. "This is Shinju Inumaki. We're from the two Jujutsu sorcerer families who have survived the Great Sorcerer Purge, a terrible event lasting from 2020 to 2023. During that time, a virus curse terrorized people on a global scale. By the time it was actually defeated, nearly every sorcerer had fallen ill and died."
"Is that what happened to the Zenin Clan?" Kin assumed.
Shinju smirked slightly. [That clan fell because of Okkotsu's great-grandmother,] she signed. She nudged Rika's shoulder. [Go on. I know you love to tell that story.]
"Yes, but that's for some other time," Rika dismissed, somewhat irritated by Shinju's apparent teasing. "As I was saying, the only survivors were sorcerers who were affiliated with the Gojo and Inumaki Clans."
"So Miwa ended up marrying the Inumaki I knew," Kin assumed.
"Not by choice," Rika explained. "The sorcerer population fell drastically, so the two were wed for the sake of having more curse users in the future."
That confused Kin. "Isn't that a bad thing?" he checked. "Curse users are those who use their techniques to kill people."
[Oh, right. You do not know,] Shinju signed. [Yeah, the whole split between sorcerers and curse users was blurred a long time ago. They are kind of like the same thing nowadays.]
"But that's also for another time," Rika insisted, trying to stay on topic. "All you need to know is that because of the Great Sorcerer Purge, my clan and Inumaki's clan are the only two groups that fight curses."
"Is that why I only saw Gojo lookalikes at Jujutsu Tech?" Kin asked.
Rika slowly shook her head. "What was once the Tokyo school has become the new home for the Gojo Clan," she corrected. "The Jujutsu world has reset after the Great Sorcerer Purge. It's operated by a dual-clan system and the grading system was discarded. Nowadays the two families are willing to accept everyone with curse energy, regardless of strength."
[Sorry if this is all a huge shock for you,] Shinju signed.
"It is," Kin confirmed, still feeling a little sad. "I was hoping to find some familiarity, but it seems too much time has passed." He paused as a memory flashed in his head. "I did come across a gym called TODO'S. Was that...?"
[Founded by the same big-muscled idol fanatic you knew?] Shinju signed. [Yes. He also survived the Great Sorcerer Purge, but he quit once Yuji Itadori died. That gym is his only legacy.]
"So that's why it was claimed to be built in Itadori's memory," Kin recalled. Things were silent for a while. Even with this new information, he was still trying to process this new society. This was a world with no Jujutsu Tech and no grading system. Sorcerers and curse users were apparently one and the same. And according to Rika and Shinju, their families were the only sorcerer clans left in existence.
Come to think of it, what were their cursed techniques like?
"What exactly do you two do?" Kin wondered. "Can you tell me about your curse abilities?"
"Of course," Rika answered. She tapped on her sunglasses. "I was born with Six Eyes, an innate gift passed down from my great-grandfather's ancestry. The blood-born people within the Gojo Clan claim it's useless without Limitless, but I'm training to use cursed tools to prove them wrong. As for Inumaki, she comes from a family of Cursed Speech users. However, her Cursed Speech was originally weak prior to a pact she placed on herself. This amplified her technique, but at a terrible price."
[Whenever I use it, I get affected as well,] Shinju signed. She briefly gestured towards her headphones. [So I have to wear these special noise-cancelling headphones in combat. That is also why I have to use sign language whenever I need to communicate with others.]
"Your great-grandfather used to speak in rice ball ingredients," Kin recalled with a slight chuckle.
[Only because he was amused in keeping others guessing,] Shinju signed, frowning slightly. [Others in my clan use sign language or even wrote on small chalkboards. I feel embarrassed to be related to such a troll.] She silently exhaled. [But enough about my family. What is your deal? I mean, Okkotsu told me over the phone that you were somehow reincarnated from someone who died a long time ago.]
"I am," Kin confirmed. He took out his Mini-Mechamaru. "My current name is Kin Hayashi, but I was originally known by two names in my previous life. Kokichi Muta and-"
[Mechamaru,] Shinju signed. [That was what Great-Grandmother Kasumi called you.] But then her eyes were fixated on the Mini-Mechamaru. She snatched it up and started inspecting it, her expression gradually turning to shock. She did return the miniature puppet, but her hand movements suddenly became faster, so it was hard to tell what she was saying.
[That puppet ... she had one ... steal ... explain ... now.]
"I beg your pardon?" Kin asked.
"This happens a lot," Rika explained. "Whenever Inumaki gets excited in either a positive or negative manner, her hands move a lot quicker. It's a little tricky to understand her under these conditions."
Shinju took a mute deep breath to calm herself down. [Sorry about that,] she signed. [I was surprised that you somehow got a hold of something that resembles my great-grandmother's special relic and I was worried you might have stolen it.]
"I didn't steal it," Kin reassured. "This is one of many I have made by hand. These puppets are tied to my cursed technique. I used to have bigger models at my disposal, but since I was raised by non-sorcerers in this new life, I could only mass-produce these smaller puppets using tree bark."
"There is something I don't quite understand," Rika spoke up. "Are you really reincarnated from a previous life? Because I'm surprised you were able to retain all your memories."
Kin was about to respond, but Rika had a very good point. How was he able to keep all his memories from his time as Kokichi Muta? If this was anything like what happened with curses, then he should have had a clean slate with no recollection of what he was like in the past. But then, he suddenly remembered what his last thoughts were just as he was about to die.
"I should have been able to walk among friends."
The two girls looked at Kin in confused. "Come again?" Rika asked.
"Those were my last thoughts as Kokichi Muta," Kin recalled. "I spent most of my years bedridden because of Heavenly Pact. And when I did get a functional body, I died shortly after, wishing I could have lived a better life among my friends."
"So you were then reborn with your wish granted," Rika concluded. She didn't say anything else, her mind lost in thought.
"What is it?" Kin asked.
[Are you thinking what I think you are thinking?] Shinju signed. [We cannot allow non-clan people to join our ranks. The heads of both clans vowed to never let things backtrack to the old ways. You of all people should know that.]
Rika tensed up a little. "Of course, I do," she replied. She looked back at Kin. "But you are an enigma among Jujutsu society. If a sorcerer who died long ago could be reborn because of a wish formed from dying thoughts, what if the same fate happened to others? There might be countless reincarnated sorcerers living among us, unaware of their identities or the very existence of curses."
"What are you suggesting?" Kokichi asked.
"I want you to stay at the Gojo Clan," Rika offered, ignoring Shinju's nervous expression. "You can even help me track down others like you, since your memories can be useful for figuring out other reincarnated sorcerers. I can also arrange it so you can receive special training for your cursed technique while also teaching you about what happened since your passing."
Kin was intrigued with the sudden offer. "Does that include Satoru Gojo's fate?" he hoped. "I need to know if my backup plan helped the others."
Rika frowned. "I suppose his life can also be part of your history lesson," she confirmed. "But please don't use his name so carelessly."
"Very well," Kin agreed. He held out his hand for a handshake. "I am happy to work alongside you and Inumaki."
And so, Kin's life was never the same since that fateful encounter. The Gojo Clan's current head, Shiro Gojo, contacted his parents to explain the sudden transfer and even set up living arrangements. Yet while Rika was happy with how things turned out, Shinju was still too reluctant. As for Kin himself, he was glad to return to Jujutsu society, even if it was different than what he remembered. No matter how long it would take for him to adjust, he decided to make the most of this second chance at life with a now-working body. There was just one question on his mind.
If he was able to reincarnate, who else tagged along as well?