Yuji let out a long, relieved sigh, feeling the weight of the battle finally lift from his shoulders. His body still ached from the curse's assault, but the overwhelming pressure was gone. He stood still for a moment, letting the quiet of the train platform wash over him as he regained his breath. But something caught his eye.
His gaze drifted to the spot where the curse had disintegrated. There, amidst the remnants of the battle, was a strange object. It wasn't like anything he had seen before. It was a small, cube-shaped artifact, dark and jagged, emanating an eerie, unnatural energy.
Yuji squinted, his mind working quickly. "What is that...?" He stepped closer, cautiously. "Could it be something like Sukuna's fingers?"
The thought made him uneasy, but curiosity won out. He reached out with trembling fingers, touching the cube. The moment his skin made contact with the surface, a cold shock ran through him, like icy tendrils locking his body in place. His limbs went stiff, his muscles unable to move.
The cube pulsed, glowing faintly, and Yuji felt an overwhelming pull. It was as if the object was alive, tugging at him, trying to absorb him into its core. Panic surged through his chest as he fought to break free. He struggled with every ounce of his strength, but the cube's grip was relentless, refusing to let go. His body felt like lead, unable to break free from its cold, consuming force.
"Not... like this..." Yuji thought, gritting his teeth, but it was no use. His vision blurred, and despite his desperate resistance, the cube began to draw him in. He felt his body being pulled toward it, inch by inch, as if his very essence was being absorbed.
Minutes passed like an eternity, and finally, with one last desperate push from the cube, Yuji felt himself being sucked completely into its core. His body vanished into the dark, and the cube, pulsing with a strange energy, disappeared along with him.
In the blink of an eye, Yuji found himself somewhere else. The familiar feel of the train platform was gone, replaced by a completely different atmosphere—one filled with unfamiliar sounds and a strange, foreign environment. His body dropped to the ground, disoriented and confused. The air smelled different, and the sky above was an unfamiliar shade.
Yuji pushed himself up, scanning his surroundings, but nothing seemed familiar. He was no longer in the train station, and there was no sign of the curse or the cube. He could feel something was off, but he didn't know what, nor where he was.
He looked around in confusion, trying to understand what had just happened. "Where am I...?" he muttered, his voice laced with uncertainty.
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Yuji's head was spinning, and his vision was still a bit blurry from the disorienting experience of being transported. His mind was struggling to catch up with what had just happened. Where was he? How had he ended up in this strange world? He had been battling that curse on the train platform, but now... everything felt wrong.
He stumbled forward, trying to get a better look at his surroundings. He noticed people walking around, but they were far from ordinary. Some had animal features—furry ears, tails, even strange markings on their skin. Others seemed to possess bizarre traits that only made Yuji more confused. What kind of place was this?
His heart was racing, but there was no time to stop and process everything. His first instinct was to find answers, but the sheer unfamiliarity of it all made his mind feel heavy. He looked up at the sky—there were no curses here, no looming threats... but still, the tension in his chest didn't dissipate. He couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right.
As he moved through the streets, trying to get his bearings, he caught sight of a large screen mounted on a nearby building. It was broadcasting a news program. The image on the screen made Yuji stop in his tracks—a man with striking red wings, standing tall with an aura of confidence.
"Who... is that?" Yuji muttered to himself.
The words under the broadcast read "Hawks: The Winged Hero." A bit of clarity began to seep into Yuji's mind, even if just a small sliver. Heroes?
The more he stared at the screen, the more he realized how different this world was from his own. Hawks had wings. No one in Yuji's world had wings, not unless they were cursed. But this man—this "hero"—was clearly revered by the people in this world. He had a presence, a certain level of authority, something Yuji could almost feel from here.
His thoughts were jumbled, but a sinking feeling settled in his stomach. Was he really in a place where there were people with powers? People who were celebrated as heroes? Yuji wasn't sure if he could handle all of this. He had barely processed the emotional battle against the curse, let alone being thrust into a new world where the rules seemed completely different.
For now, he needed to keep moving. He couldn't just stand there and get lost in his own confusion. His mind was still reeling, but he had always known that running away wouldn't solve anything. So, he took a deep breath and made his way toward the bustling crowd.