Alex threw the manga so hard it hit the wall and dropped flat to the floor.
He was still staring at it like it had personally offended him.
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
He pointed at it even though nobody was there.
"You build up Gojo like that, make him that guy, then kill him like that? Like that? Nah. That's rubbish."
He paced around his room with one hand in his hair and the other still twitching with annoyance.
"And don't get me wrong, Sukuna is my guy. That's my favorite character. But that ending? Trash. Pure trash. If Gojo was going to lose, fine. But die like that? Just like that? After all that? Come on."
He kicked the manga lightly with his foot.
"You people just enjoy pain. Gege, you enjoy pain."
He bent down, picked it up, looked at the page again, and got angry all over.
"No. No, no, no. This is stupid. This is so stupid."
He dropped it again.
"For this alone, I curse you. Properly."
A few minutes later, his anger cooled down just enough for hunger to take over.
He grabbed his phone, checked the time, shoved it into his pocket, and muttered, "I need food before I start insulting fictional people again."
On the way outside he was still grumbling.
"Gojo should've won."
Then after a few steps, "Or at least survived."
Then after crossing the road halfway, "Actually Sukuna should still win, but not like that."
Then a horn blasted.
Alex turned.
Everything happened too fast.
A scream.
A flash of headlights.
Pain.
Then nothing.
---
The next thing he knew, he was floating.
He blinked.
Then blinked again.
There was no ground under him. No pain either. No blood. No truck. No street. Just white. Endless white.
Alex looked at his hands.
Still there.
He touched his chest.
No injury.
He looked around slowly.
"Okay," he said. "This is either heaven, hell, or I finally lost it."
A voice answered him.
"Not quite."
Alex spun around.
Someone was sitting in the middle of that white space like they had always been there.
Not old. Not young. Not man. Not woman. Just... there.
The figure wore a soft smile that made Alex suspicious immediately.
"You died," the figure said.
Alex stared for a few seconds, then let out a slow breath.
"Truck-kun?"
"Yes."
He closed his eyes.
"Of course."
"You seem calm."
"I watched too much anime. This is basically culture at this point."
The figure chuckled.
Alex folded his arms.
"So what now? Judgment? Reincarnation? I become a worm? A tree? One of those unlucky background civilians in a cursed spirit attack?"
The figure leaned forward a little.
"You may make a wish."
Alex froze.
Then he straightened.
Then he pointed at himself.
"One wish?"
"Yes."
"As in proper wish?"
"Yes."
"No trick wording?"
"No trick wording."
Alex looked up like he was consulting the ancestors.
"Alright," he said. "Don't speak. Let me think."
He started pacing in the empty space.
"If I mess this up, I'll hate myself forever."
He stopped.
Then started muttering.
"Dragon Ball? Too messy. Naruto? Dangerous childhood. Bleach? Soul stuff is too confusing. JJK..."
He paused.
Then smiled slowly.
"Actually…"
The figure watched him quietly.
Alex turned fully.
"I want to be reincarnated in the Jujutsu Kaisen world."
The figure nodded once.
"Continue."
"In the Heian Era."
Another nod.
"As Sukuna's older brother. Five years older."
The figure's smile widened a little.
"You aim very high."
"Obviously."
He walked closer.
"And I want a gamer system. Not some weak one. I want it based on the Naruto world."
"Specific."
"Yes. Very."
The figure tilted its head.
"Tell me how you imagine this system working."
Alex took a breath.
"I want it to have levels. Experience points from killing curses and sorcerers. A shop where I can buy anything from the Naruto world. Jutsu, bloodlines, weapons, everything."
He paused, thinking.
"And I want a dungeon system. You know, instanced areas where I can go in, fight enemies, level up safely. That way I can grow without having to reveal myself too early."
The figure was quiet for a moment.
Then it shook its head slowly.
"No."
Alex blinked.
"No?"
"No dungeon system."
"Why not?"
The figure stood. The white around them seemed to pulse once.
"Because this is not a game. The world you are going to does not have loading zones or safe instances. If I give you a dungeon, you will rely on it. You will hide in it. You will grow without understanding the weight of the era you walk in."
Alex frowned.
"So what do I get instead?"
The figure raised a hand.
"Your system will be your Cursed Technique. It will be called Script of Another Tale."
Alex's eyes widened.
"It will function as a gamer system. Levels, experience, a shop. But there will be no dungeons. You will grow by facing the real world. By hunting curses in the forests. By fighting sorcerers who want your head. By surviving the Heian Era as it truly is."
Alex opened his mouth to argue.
The figure cut him off.
"You asked for strength. I am giving you a path to it. But you will walk it yourself."
Alex closed his mouth.
Then he sighed.
"Fine. But I want the big stuff. The Ten-Tails. The Rinnegan. From the start."
The figure laughed.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because you would break before you could use them. Power is not a switch you flip. It is a weight you grow into. If I gave you the Ten-Tails at birth, your soul would shatter. The Rinnegan would burn your mind to ash before you could speak your first word."
Alex crossed his arms.
"So what do I get?"
The figure smiled again. This time it was softer.
"You will start with Shukaku. The One-Tail. He will be sealed within you from the moment you are born. He will be your first teacher. Your first burden. Your first ally."
"And the other tailed beasts?"
"They will come. When you are strong enough, the system will allow you to purchase them. One by one. Each one a milestone. Each one earned."
Alex thought about that.
It made sense. Annoying, but it made sense.
"What about the Rinnegan?"
The figure raised a finger.
"For the Rinnegan, I will give you something better. The pure bloodlines of the Uchiha, the Uzumaki, and the Senju. All three. Full potential. No dilution."
Alex's heart jumped.
"All three?"
"Yes."
"The Uzumaki vitality. The Uchiha eyes. The Senju life force. All of them."
"Yes."
Alex let out a low whistle.
"That's insane."
"It is the foundation. The Rinnegan is not given. It is awakened. When the time comes, when your power and your understanding align, the eyes will evolve. That is my gift to you. The potential. Not the shortcut."
Alex nodded slowly.
"Okay. Okay. I can work with that."
He looked at the figure.
"But I want something else. Compensation."
The figure raised an eyebrow.
"Compensation."
"You changed my wish. You gave me less than I asked for. Less than I wanted. That means you owe me."
The figure stared at him.
"You are negotiating with a god."
Alex shrugged.
"You said you liked me earlier. Let's see how much."
A long silence stretched between them.
Then the figure laughed. A real laugh, deep and warm.
"Fine. What do you want?"
Alex smirked.
"Three things. First, the Multi Shadow Clone jutsu. Not the basic one. The real one. From the start."
The figure nodded slowly.
"Granted."
"Second, instant mastery. Whatever I buy from the system, I want to use it at the same level as the original user. Not weak. Not growing into it. Full power from day one."
The figure tilted its head.
"That is... bold."
Alex didn't back down.
"I need to hit the ground running. I have a monster for a brother. I don't have years to figure out how to throw a kunai properly."
The figure considered.
"Very well. Instant mastery. But know this—mastery is not the end. You will only reach the level of the technique's original user. To go beyond, to make it truly yours, you must use it. Refine it. Break its limits yourself."
Alex nodded.
"That's fair. I'll take it."
"Your third request?"
Alex grinned.
"One hundred thousand system points. Starting balance. So I can buy what I need early."
The figure's expression was unreadable.
"You ask for much."
"I'm worth it."
Another long pause.
Then the figure sighed.
"Done. One hundred thousand system points. Multi Shadow Clone. Instant mastery on purchased abilities. All yours."
Alex pumped his fist.
"Yes."
The figure stepped closer.
"But hear me, Ryomen. This is not a game. The points will buy you power, but power attracts eyes. The stronger you grow, the more the world will look at you. The clans will want you. The curses will fear you. Your brother will measure himself against you."
Alex's grin faded.
"I know."
"Do you? Sukuna will become a monster. You know this better than anyone. You have read his story. You know what he does. What he becomes. And still you chose to be his brother."
Alex was quiet.
Then he said, "He's still my favorite character."
The figure waited.
Alex looked down for a moment, then back up.
"I'm not going there to kill him before he grows. I'm not going to pretend I can fix him with speeches. But I want to be there. I want to see him. To know him. To give him something he never had in the story."
"What is that?"
Alex smiled. It was a sad smile.
"Someone who loves him and isn't afraid of him. Maybe that changes something. Maybe it changes nothing. But I'll know I tried."
The figure studied him for a long moment.
Then it said, "You will remember all of this. Your past life. The manga. Everything. The memories will not fade."
Alex blinked.
"I thought you said memories fade."
"I changed my mind. Consider it a bonus."
Alex laughed.
"Now you're being generous."
"I am always generous. Most people simply do not ask."
The figure raised its hand.
The white space began to pulse.
Words appeared in the air.
A pale screen.
A system window.
[Wish Confirmed]
[World: Jujutsu Kaisen]
[Era: Heian]
[Role: Elder Brother of Ryomen Sukuna]
[Age Difference: 5 Years]
[System: Script of Another Tale]
[Starting Gift Pack:]
· Pure Uzumaki Bloodline
· Pure Uchiha Bloodline
· Pure Senju Bloodline
· Jinchuriki: One-Tail Shukaku (Sealed at Birth)
[Bonus Items:]
· Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu
· Instant Mastery (Purchased Abilities Start at Original User Level)
· Starting SP: 100,000
[Special Note: Rinnegan potential unlocked. Conditions: Must master all three bloodlines. Must acquire all nine tailed beasts. Must survive until the eyes awaken naturally.]
Alex stared at the screen.
His hands were shaking.
Not from fear.
From excitement.
He looked at the figure.
"This is really happening."
The figure smiled.
"Yes."
Alex took a deep breath.
"Then I'm ready."
The figure raised a hand in farewell.
"Then go. Ryomen Fujin. Elder brother of the King of Curses. Scriptor of Another Tale. Live well."
Alex opened his mouth to say something, but the white space shattered.
And he was falling.
Falling into darkness.
Falling into light.
Falling into a new life.