Yuji stumbled into his room, his body heavy with exhaustion after the fight with that curse. Every muscle screamed in protest as he groaned, rolling his sore shoulders. He felt the bruises forming under his skin and muttered to himself, "I really need to work on my reinforcement... and I've got to figure out Reverse Cursed Technique sooner rather than later."
As he peeled off his shirt and tossed it onto a nearby chair, he caught sight of himself in the mirror. His reflection stared back, his eyes heavy with fatigue but still sharp. His body, though strong and scarred from training, bore signs of wear from the fight. He paused, staring for a moment longer than he meant to.
"Is this really what I wanted to do with my second chance?" he thought to himself. The question lingered in his mind, but he quickly brushed it away with a shrug. "Eh, it is what it is," he mumbled and turned toward the bathroom.
The hot water of the shower poured over him, soaking into his aching muscles and washing away the grime and tension of the night. He stood under the stream for what felt like hours, letting the warmth soothe him. Thoughts swirled in his head—his fight, his progress, his goals.
"I've got to get stronger," he whispered to himself, the sound of the water muffling his voice. "No more getting caught off guard."
Once the water finally ran cold, Yuji stepped out of the shower, dried off, and threw on some clean clothes. Collapsing into bed, he barely had the energy to pull the blanket over himself before sleep claimed him.
When Yuji opened his eyes again, he wasn't in his room. Instead, he found himself standing in a strange forest. The trees stretched endlessly, their leaves casting dappled shadows across the ground. In the middle of the clearing ahead was a table with four chairs. Yuji blinked, confused.
"What the hell...?" he muttered, taking a cautious step forward.
Before he could process his surroundings, he noticed a figure standing in front of him—a man he immediately recognized. His heart skipped a beat.
"Hello, little brother. Glad you finally made it," the man said with a faint smile.
Yuji's eyes widened as he took in the figure's appearance: long, dark brown hair tied into two high ponytails, a tan robe beneath a purple vest, and a familiar blood mark stretching across his face. There was no mistaking him.
"Choso..." Yuji whispered.
Choso walked closer, crouching slightly to pull Yuji into a tight embrace. Yuji stiffened at first, caught off guard by the sudden gesture, but then relaxed, his body recognizing the warmth of familial affection he hadn't felt in this life.
"Where am I? And what do you mean, 'little brother'?" Yuji asked, playing dumb despite already knowing the answer. He couldn't just blurt out that he knew Choso's story—this moment needed to play out naturally.
Choso pulled back, his expression soft but serious. "We're connected, you and I," he began. "We're not blood-related, but we share the same origin. We were both... created by Kenjaku. He inhabited different bodies to bring us into this world."
Yuji felt a pang of unease at the mention of Kenjaku, but he kept listening intently as Choso continued.
"I can feel the deaths of my brothers," Choso explained, his voice quieter now. "It's part of our bond. A few hours ago, I felt your death coming. After your fight with that curse, I was sure you were going to die. But then... it disappeared. The sense of impending doom was gone, and I knew you'd made it."
Yuji nodded slowly, trying to absorb the information while maintaining his façade of confusion. "So... that makes you my brother?"
"Yes," Choso said with certainty, his gaze warm yet firm.
Yuji glanced over at the table behind them, noticing the empty chairs. "What's with the chairs?" he asked, pointing at them.
Choso's expression darkened slightly as he followed Yuji's gaze. "Those are for Kechizu and Eso. Our other brothers. Their cursed objects haven't awakened yet, so they're dormant for now."
Yuji hummed in understanding, though his heart ached slightly at the mention of the brothers he already knew would die in the future. He pushed the thought aside for now and focused on the present.
"Why am I here, though?" Yuji asked after a moment. He doesn't remember this happening in the... well, in his life before.
Choso sighed, scratching the back of his neck as he considered his words. "I'm not entirely sure. My best guess is that, since you're not exactly like us in terms of being a Death Painting, your connection to this shared consciousness is weaker. It probably took a combination of things—using Blood Manipulation at such a high level and nearly dying in that fight—to bring you here."
Yuji frowned, pondering the explanation. It made sense, at least as much as anything involving curses and reincarnation could. He finally nodded, accepting the answer for now.
"Well then... hello, big brother," Yuji said, grinning as he extended a hand.
Choso stared at him for a moment before his serious expression cracked into a smile. He chuckled softly and pulled Yuji into another hug instead of shaking his hand.
"Welcome back, little brother," Choso said warmly.
For the first time since waking up in this new life, Yuji felt a strange sense of belonging. It wasn't what he'd expected, but it was something he'd gladly hold onto.
In another part of Japan, an 11-year-old Aoi Todo was sprawled on the floor in front of the TV, intently watching his favorite idol, Takada-chan, perform on her variety show. His eyes sparkled with admiration as she spoke, but suddenly, he sat up straight, his body tensing.
"I can feel it! Something incredible is happening—something involving my future brothers!" he declared dramatically, pointing a finger toward the ceiling.
His loud exclamation echoed through the house, and he immediately froze as a familiar voice cut through the air.
"Keep it down, or your training tomorrow will be twice as brutal!" Yuki Tsukumo yelled from the next room.
Todo's entire body shivered at the sound of her voice. He broke into a cold sweat and quickly scrambled to respond, bowing toward the wall even though she couldn't see him.
"S-sorry, Yuki-sensei! My deepest apologies!" he stammered, his voice panicked.
From the other room, Yuki chuckled softly to herself, while Todo, now pale, turned back to his TV, whispering, "Future brothers, you better be worth this."