A Curse User's Life in Another World Starting From Zero

"Xia Xia Ashiya, hand over the cursed womb and I will grant you a quick death!"

"Xia Xia Ashiya, do not harbor any foolish thoughts of resisting. Today, our Fujiwara Clan and various great clans stand here together, determined to make you, this demon, lose your head!"

"Xia Xia Ashiya, you fiend! To forge the cursed womb in your hand, you have murdered ten thousand human lives. You are utterly unpardonable, and your heinous crimes are too numerous to record!"

"Old Fiend Ashiya, you murdered seventeen members of my family, not even sparing my pregnant wife, just to craft this single cursed womb. I long to eat your flesh and drink your blood, and today you shall pay for this blood debt with your own!"

Xia Xia Ashiya's battered, blood-stained black robe fluttered wildly in the wind, and his long hair hung loose. The moonlight illuminated his calm, serene face, completely devoid of any ripples.

He looked around, surrounded by a full gathering of distinguished guests.

Some were past enemies, some were contemporary celebrities, and others were mere reputation-seeking rats.

Surrounded by a host of enemies, they wanted nothing more than his head-one bearing the noble surname of Ashiya-and the astonishingly radiant, wondrous cursed womb in his hand that radiated greatness at a mere glance. At this very moment, he had run out of a way to live.

Regrets?

None.

Knowing that death was a certainty, Xia Xia Ashiya's face remained as calm as an ancient well. A pair of dark eyes, akin to a gloomy abyss, stared sinisterly at those arrogant, untalented fools.

They were merely a bunch of ants who, taking advantage of favorable weather, terrain, and unity among men while he and Sukuna fought until both exhausted their vital energy, carried out some disgraceful revenge.

Laughable.

Even Sukuna could not keep him, so how dared they try to block his path?

It was only a pity that Xia Xia Ashiya was sealed of his cursed energy at this moment, with no cursed tools left to rely upon, and all his shikigami destroyed, leaving only the throbbing cursed womb in his hand.

He lowered his head to look at his hand.

The cursed womb was entirely golden, brilliant and dazzling, glowing like a forged, crimson-red iron core in the night. Inside the fetal membrane floated a baby-like body, and its closed eyes rippled with vortex-like liquid patterns.

Cursed spirits originated from humanity's spiritual fear of a certain concept; they were formless and lawless. Although twisted and malicious, they were precisely the greatest scenery in this heaven and earth.

Man was the spirit of all things, and curses were the true essence of heaven and earth.

It was laughable that mediocre people troubled themselves, fearing them in every possible way, unaware that with just the right amount of utilization, one could obtain heaven-defying might far exceeding ordinary mortals-even that Ryomen Sukuna had suffered losses at his hands and been forced to use a Binding Vow.

So be it.

Since you all wish to gaze upon the brilliance of this cursed womb and wish to extinguish my path of survival here, I shall show mercy and send you all on your way.

Xia Xia Ashiya suddenly seemed to have figured something out, a mocking smile appearing at the corners of his lips. It was true that he could not use Jujutsu right now, but he had countless means of mutual destruction.

He began to laugh aloud.

His laughter echoed through the valley, echoing over the towering peak where he stood. The snow-laden blue mountains unexpectedly lent this peerless demon in a black robe a trace of holiness.

Xia Xia Ashiya raised his hand and formed a hand sign for a Cursed Technique.

It did not require the use of cursed energy.

"Damn it, what is he laughing at?!"

"Is he still trying to pull off some blinding illusions with death at the door? Truly ugly, Xia Xia Ashiya!"

"Everyone pay attention, the old fiend Ashiya is about to launch a desperate counterattack! Get your Cursed Techniques ready, and anyone with a Domain Expansion, use it quickly!"

The people down the slope bustled noisily, which suited his intentions perfectly. How wonderful; let your blood and tears nurture fear, and from the terror you feel toward me, may new cursed spirits be born.

What a pity, Sukuna.

This move was originally intended to be saved for you.

"Absolve."

Accompanied by his contemptuous words, his body burst apart inch by inch. Dark, pitch-black clouds surged from that suspended torso in midair, then transformed into the terrifying color seen only at the bottom of Naraku within the Hannya Hell Aspect.

Blocking the sky and covering the earth, all were Rakshasa Hundred Demons.

Thousands upon thousands of them, every single one a Special Grade Cursed Spirit.

Each and every one of them possessed the terrifying power to independently slaughter a worldly kingdom, and each represented an ingrained, unforgettable fear harbored by humanity toward a certain concept of existence.

Moreover, because of Xia Xia Ashiya, the injuries they inflicted were soul wounds that could neither be evaded nor healed with the Reverse Cursed Technique; a mere graze meant injury, and a touch meant instant death.

They were free now.

Nursing a murderous intent toward humanity, these cursed spirits liberated from Xia Xia Ashiya's body began their hunt.

Screams, wails, mountains of corpses, seas of blood, and fields of white bones.

This was the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.

It was the romance belonging exclusively to the wielder of the [Cursed Spirit Manipulation].

Yet no one noticed that in the center of the battlefield, the cursed womb suspended above Xia Xia Ashiya's body absorbed the sweet fear and despair surrounding it, growing bit by bit...

Cursed spirits were born from human fear.

This cursed womb had been difficult to grow from the moment of its birth, because its birth was intolerable to heaven and earth-it came from the fear of the intangible concepts of "time" and "return" deep within the human soul.

It knew its own name.

"Myriad Karma."

Floating pagodas forge karma, myriad forms of sublimity, all turning into scattered bitterness.

All living beings are evil, sinking into a hundred aspects, hard to enter the Bodhi dream.

"Then, let us do it again."

[If...]

[If there is a chance to do it over again, given a chance to start afresh, what would someone like you at your wits' end, someone branded by the world as utterly devoid of conscience, choose to do in the final moment of your life?]

"Heh, is something as boring as this even worth thinking about?"

"Even if the demon perishes, my heart feels no regret..."

"In the next life, I am still willing to transform into Asura."

Early summer in Kansai still carried a salty sea breeze.

Even though the northern region was not near the sea, it remained tangled in lingering drizzles owing to the flavor of summer.

The night was already deep.

The Ashiya residence, however, was not dark.

From the Shinto Shrine at the foot of the mountain to the ancestral shrine halfway up, and finally to the main clan compound at the peak, lights flickered. The eternal flames fueled by cursed objects inside old-fashioned stone lanterns illuminated this unpretentious clan compound of Jujutsu Sorcerers.

Within the buildings of the main clan stood the most solemn and recognizable pavilion. At this moment, a ritual was being held there, brightly lit amidst the flickering lights. Vaguely, one could see youngsters being led by family elders as they approached the room displaying the ancestral tablets.

"Ancestors above, may this awakening of Cursed Techniques bring more fresh blood to my Ashiya Clan and continue our glory and hope."

The head of the clan had hair as white as snow, yet just like the previous year, his expression remained peaceful and his body robust. He was like a withered, stubborn old pine-calm and firm.

He wore a brownish Onmyoji robe, respectfully offering sacrifices to the ancestral tablets according to Shinto rituals, and chanted the Prayer to the Gods several times with mysterious intonations.

Most Jujutsu Sorcerers of the Ashiya Clan did not practice endogamy like traditional Jujutsu Sorcerer families; instead, they chose to intermarry with various clans in order to acquire more possibilities for Cursed Techniques.

However, this practice also meant that the children's Innate Cursed Techniques might not awaken in a timely manner, requiring artificial stimulation via barrier techniques or even external bestowal.

Once the tedious and solemn sacrificial rites were completed, the expressions of the clan elders relaxed considerably as they began to chat with one another.

"Many outstanding figures have emerged in the world in recent years."

"Indeed, that Ryomen Sukuna remains as strong as a god. I hear that various clans plan to worship him according to the old calendar, offering commoners for him to slaughter and consume."

"Indeed! And that Fujiwara Clan is full of talent as well. It is said that their clan head has once again widely gathered extraordinary talents in the martial world, recruiting many heroes, including the Sword Saint of Kansai, alongside a blacksmith said to be capable of forging divine weapons. Truly extraordinary talent."

As the few chatted, they led a few children inward.

The one leading the group was slightly older, looking to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, with mediocre looks and a rather weary expression.

Among the few who followed, there was one who also looked unremarkable, yet between his brows lingered a trace of unmelting coldness. Although this child lowered his head with a slight air of cowardice, the corners of his mouth turned upward just a fraction.

He had pondered what kind of cursed spirits humanity's fear of the two concepts of time and return could give rise to, and he had not expected it to be a cursed womb in the end. At least, the deaths of those ants had given this entity, which should never have been born, the abilities it ought to possess.

He had not guessed wrong; it was rebirth.

Rebirth through the reversal of time, slow and orderly, riding a lonely boat woven by death and moving upstream against the long river of time. It could certainly be called a uniquely flavored experience.

What a pity. What a pity indeed.

If the place of death back then had been Kyoto, and he had been given the chance to slaughter a few more towns, this cursed spirit might have grown even stronger, carrying him further back into the distant past.

Or perhaps, had he released more Special Grade Cursed Spirits at the time of death to slaughter the entirety of this vast Japan, the hatred and terror catalyzed from it would surely have brought even more surprises.

Perhaps he could do it again.

Just as he was about to think further, a clan elder grabbed his hand.

"This child is...?"

The clan head was slightly stunned, unable to recall his name.

"This is Xia Xia. According to our ancestral lineage, he should also be considered part of the main branch. It is a pity he lost his parents at a tender age and was raised since childhood by his uncle and aunt."

"Yet precisely because of this, his mother was a distant relative of Lord Fujiwara, which might pass down some special Cursed Techniques. He has suffered hardship all his life and possesses a rather cowardly personality. For this awakening, I must ask you to look after him somewhat."

The clan elder patiently introduced him.

"Oh, I see."

The clan head seemed to understand such a tragic plight. Although Kansai included Harima and Kyoto-considered prosperous places-successive years of war meant life and death partings, and such pitiful orphans could be found everywhere. As fellow clansmen, he had to help out however he could.

Moreover, outstanding bloodlines often implied exceptional Cursed Techniques and talent; no one would refuse to nurture a genius, as this was an essential investment for any clan.

"Come, child, step into the barrier."

The clan head took the child's hand from the elder's grip and led him before an ancient bronze mirror suspended within a cloth partition.

For those unable to awaken their Cursed Techniques independently, the only thing the outside world could do was use barrier techniques to stimulate the cursed energy within them. Given the special nature of the Ashiya Clan, this practice was customary, and no one would feel surprised by such a thing.

Under normal circumstances, the stronger the cursed energy, the faster the Cursed Technique awakened. Yet this child, placed with such high hopes by the clan elder, stood before the bronze mirror for a full half-hour.

What a pitiful talent, with cursed energy so faint it was barely stronger than an ordinary person's.

Even the usually gentle clan elder could not help furrowing his brow. By the time Xia Xia stated that he was "done," no one asked him a single question.

With such poor talent and virtually nonexistent cursed energy, and not even the holder of a Heavenly Restriction, pray tell, what use could you possibly be?

As for what Innate Cursed Technique you might possess...

Get real. These days, even if a Cursed Technique is strong, one needs cursed energy to support it; your pitiful amount of cursed energy is not even enough to open a tiny barrier technique.

Go on, child. Find yourself a servant's job within the clan. For the sake of your parents, no one will bully you-which of us would be bored enough to bully an ordinary person?

The children of the same generation whispered among themselves, some smiling with the unadorned malice of children, yet no one actually spoke up to taunt him. There was no need; there were always a few ordinary people in the clan, and the Ashiya Clan would not miss the food and drink of just one more.

Xia Xia looked at his right hand. His cursed energy was sparse, just barely enough to extend outward and cover his fingers-so weak it was only enough to blacken three fingernails.

This did not matter.

He had obtained this Innate Cursed Technique once more.

[Cursed Spirit Manipulation]

The Cursed Technique of the Great Onmyoji of legend.