Step, step. Thud, thud.
Two sounds were heard: small footsteps and big footsteps.
In the dark corridor, where they had endured time for 150 years by feeling and holding onto the presence of their brothers, Choso, number 1 of the Death Painting Wombs, suddenly focused on the sounds he was hearing.
...Sound. Choso realized like a flash of lightning. He heard sounds.
In the past, Death Painting Wombs were sealed with the condition of stopping all life activities in exchange for not causing harm. Because they were a special class of cursed tools, it was impossible to destroy them.
And now, that seal was broken. They could resume their life activities, but at the same time, they were vulnerable to harm from a jujutsu sorcerer.
The problem was that they were currently trapped in a flask in a fetal state, with no means to resist.
"Do you really have to take them out?"
"If they're worth taking out, we should. And I want to get rid of those husks quickly too. They look unsightly."
"Anyway…"
The voices of a man and a child murmured beyond the wall, and the corridor door swung wide open.
Creak. Bang.
A man and a boy appeared, visible through the light flooding in.
The burly man with a rough appearance casually scanned the corridor. He pointed with his finger at the flask containing Choso.
"Oh, there it is."
The boy with strikingly bright green hair walked up briskly and stood in front of Death Paintings.
Choso, number 1 of Death Paintings, tensed up inside the small flask. Both of them were incredibly strong. Even the one who looked like a child in front of him was the same.
'Even after resurrection, I'm not sure if we could win.'
Being unable to resurrect and sealed in a small flask in a fetal state, there was no way to resist. Feeling the worry and fear of his brothers, Choso kept a close watch on the boy in front of him.
Whether Zoro knew this or not, he nonchalantly looked at numbers 1, 2, and 3 of Death Paintings contained in the small flask and spoke.
"I see. You guys are human."
Zoro understood why Tengen entrusted him with them. Though their presence was a mix of human and cursed spirit, their consciousness was closer to that of humans. He could feel their fear and vigilance towards Zoro, as well as their worry and affection for their fellow cursed tools.
'Setting aside the fear and vigilance.'
Worry or affection were not found in cursed spirits, who were filled with malice towards humans and charged like moths to a flame.
Zoro shifted his gaze to examine numbers 4 through 9 and frowned.
'These guys are already dead.'
Since they were already dead, there was no possibility of resurrection. Zoro looked back at numbers 1, 2, and asked.
"Do you guys want to get out?"
Choso hesitated for a moment before speaking.
[Can we? Can we really get out?]
"...Oh. I can hear you when I use Observation Haki. Yes. Tengen asked me to take you guys. You also have bodies to resurrect into."
That monstrous thing, we need to get rid of it quickly. Zoro frowned.
Since the vessel was crafted by a top-tier sorcerer of that era with the intention of housing souls and bodies from another world, it was the perfect material for resurrecting someone.
[If we resurrect, what happens afterward?]
"Well, you can live however you want."
Zoro had no intention of meddling in how they chose to live their lives.
"If you decide to become curses, though, you might end up meeting me as an enemy."
Zoro's casual remark sent chills down Choso's spine. If they became enemies, they wouldn't stand a chance against this boy.
Moreover, Choso's gaze shifted to Toji standing next to Zoro. The man had no presence or energy, almost like a ghost. Unlike Zoro, who was engaging with them, Toji's gaze remained fixed on Zoro.
If they turned this boy into an enemy, this man would kill him and his brothers before the boy even had to act. Sensing this, Choso spoke cautiously.
[…I do not wish to turn you into enemies.]
"That's good to hear. I don't want to have to cut you down after going through the trouble of resurrecting you."
[What should we do?]
Zoro responded nonchalantly.
"Don't harm innocent people, and don't harm my friends or family. If you do those two things, you won't have to face me as an enemy."
[....]
"If you're still unsure, go to Jujutsu High."
[Jujutsu High?]
"The school for sorcerers."
Being part of Jujutsu High, they would naturally come to understand who was important to Zoro. It would also help them find a way to live.
[If we go there, can my brothers be happy?]
Zoro hesitated at Choso's question.
"Well, I don't know about that."
Being a sorcerer didn't guarantee happiness, nor did being a curse guarantee misery. The world wasn't that simple, driven only by black-and-white logic or moralistic ideals.
"Still, it's better to start as a sorcerer."
Becoming a curse from a sorcerer is easy, but becoming a sorcerer from a curse is difficult.
'Just look at my father.'
Things have changed now, but past misdeeds don't just disappear. Those actions would continue to haunt his father.
After listening to Zoro, Choso was silent for a moment before speaking in a firm voice.
[…As long as my brothers are safe, I don't care if we live as curses or humans.]
"...."
[But your words make sense.]
It doesn't matter if they live as humans or curses, but living as humans first would likely lead to fewer regrets. It's easy to live as a curse after being human, but they might never get another chance to live as humans if they start as curses.
[We'll go to Jujutsu High. Take me and my brothers out of here.]
"Got it."
Numbers 4 through 9 were corpses, but they were still Choso's brothers. Even if they couldn't be resurrected, he had planned to take them along.
Toji clicked his tongue as he watched Zoro carefully trying to place the flasks into his small belly band.
"How are you planning to fit all of those into that tiny band? Give them here, I'll put them into the Armory Curse."
"Be gentle. They're brothers to these guys."
Having never experienced brotherly love, Toji half-heartedly listened to Zoro as he carefully placed each flask into the Armory Curse.
Seeing Zoro carefully put the flask containing Eso, number 2 of the Death Paintings, into the Armory Curse's mouth, Choso asked,
[Are you also someone's 'big brother'?]
"How did you know? Yeah, I have two younger siblings."
Unlike Choso, one of Zoro's siblings was a younger sister. The smiling faces of Tsumiki and Megumi flashed through Zoro's mind.
[I am also a big brother.]
There's no way he couldn't recognize the love for siblings.
[I think we will get along well.]
"I hope so."
New friends are always welcome. After finally putting Choso into the Armory Curse's mouth, Zoro left the corridor.
...
Zoro used his sword to cut the body prepared by Kannon into three pieces. He then performed the resurrection ritual for Choso, Eso, and Kechizu.
"Ugh."
Zoro was disgusted by the sight of the flesh wriggling and changing as it swallowed the flasks. It was honestly quite gross.
Toji covered Zoro's eyes with his large hand. With a cracking noise, accompanied by splashes of blood, strange fluids, and fragments of bone, the flesh gradually changed shape.
Finally, the resurrected Death Paintings members stood up and looked at each other. All three had perfectly human forms.
Had they used any other resurrection body, there would have been traces left behind. Certain parts might have festered, or marks of the resurrection body might have remained. Especially Kechizu, whose rank as a cursed tool was lower than his brothers, would have shown more severe signs.
However, the bodies that Death Paintings used for resurrection were crafted by a highly skilled sorcerer, one of the best throughout the history of jujutsu. Thanks to this, the three looked perfectly human, without any awkwardness or flaws.
Choso, Eso, and Kechizu, overwhelmed with emotion, looked at each other. It was the first time they had seen their brothers' faces with their own eyes.
"Brother…."
"Brothers…."
The three hugged each other tightly. Toji looked at them indifferently and thought,
'What a melodrama.'
Having never felt or wished for sibling love, he couldn't sympathize with their emotions. Even if he could, he wasn't kind enough to consider their circumstances.
"Alright, that's enough. Break it up."
Toji casually slung Zoro onto his back. Despite Zoro's complaints that he could walk on his own, Toji ignored him.
"Let's go, to Jujutsu High."
...
[Author's Note]
Vote with your power stones, it motivates me to keep posting chapters.
If you're interested, you can read 20 advance chapters on my Patréon.
patréon.com/fumiaki