Chapter 0: Rebirth
.
.
.
The life and death of comrades was something that any jujutsu sorcerer accepted as inevitable. For Satoru Gojo, however, this was not a problem; it never had been. His power, his wit, and his arrogance placed him above the tragedies that crushed others. But even gods can fall, and Gojo was no exception.
Mortally wounded, his body had been pierced repeatedly, and the final blow split him in two by Toji Fushiguro, the assassin without an ounce of cursed energy. In his last conscious moment, as his blood stained the ground, Gojo felt something inside him collapse. His vision faded, and his mind gave itself over to the abyss. However, death was not as he had imagined it.
When he opened his eyes again, he saw neither eternal darkness nor oblivion. Instead, he was face to face with a figure that defied all logic. She was a woman of haunting beauty, with pale skin that seemed to glow under a non-existent light. Her albino hair cascaded down her back, and her green eyes, full of life and mystery, seemed to pierce through him. Coiled around her body, a vibrant white snake watched him with a predatory gaze.
"Are you… death?" Gojo asked, his voice heavy with disbelief. Even in this state, his tone maintained that characteristic arrogance.
"You may call me whatever you wish," the woman replied in a voice as soft and cold as winter. "I am the human representation of the endless cycle of life and death. You, Satoru Gojo, are about to enter the eternal flow of rebirth."
Gojo raised an eyebrow, though the thought of his death did not surprise him as much as it should have. After all, it was a possibility that every jujutsu sorcerer faced sooner or later. But something inside him refused to accept that fate. He still had things to do, people to protect, and, above all, battles to win.
"Is that all? Isn't there an option to… stay a little longer?" he asked with a defiant smile.
The woman looked at him with a mix of curiosity and amusement.
"There is something I can offer you. I could bring you back to life, with all your memories intact. But there is a price."
Gojo stared at her, trying to read some hidden intention in her expression. Was this a joke, a trap? But if there was one thing that characterized Satoru Gojo it was his ability to improvise in any situation. If there was a chance, he would take it.
"And what's the trick?" he asked, his tone suspicious.
"You won't come back with the same power," the woman replied, her smile almost imperceptible. "But you will live. That is my offer."
Gojo remained silent. The possibility of not returning to his one hundred percent was disturbing, but the alternative was absolute nothingness. He closed his eyes, thinking of his friends, of Geto… and the fact that he couldn't accept such a banal ending. Finally, he let out a sigh.
"Okay, I accept. But you better not regret this."
The woman nodded and snapped her fingers. The white snake hissed, and everything faded away.
When Gojo opened his eyes again, something was wrong. Very wrong. Everything felt different: his body, his surroundings, even the air he breathed. He tried to move, but his limbs felt clumsy and tiny. He blinked, looking at his hands… and almost choked on his own disbelief. They were small. Too small.
"It can't be…" he thought, looking around. Everything seemed huge, as if he were in a world made for giants.
The albino tried to stay calm, but soon he understood the truth. He was in the body of a baby. A damn baby.
In his mind, he unleashed a storm of curses towards the death that had sent him to this fate. Was this his idea of a second chance? Reincarnating him as a helpless child? It was humiliating!
However, amongst his chaotic thoughts, something caught his attention. The place he was in was nothing like the home he knew. The walls were decorated with ancient designs, and a man and woman, clearly his new "parents," looked at him adoringly. They spoke a language he didn't recognize, but could somehow understand.
Gojo sighed internally, resigned. First, survive. Then, figure out how to return to his original power. And finally, make that goddess of death pay for this tasteless joke.
.
.
.
.
Satoru Gojo's path had just begun… again.