Cursed Techniques
A Year Passed Like a Blink
Yuta Okkotsu's life could be divided into a few unchanging parts: home, school, training, and sorcerer assignments.
At home, everything was as usual—he spent time with his parents and sister, Yui. Family dinners, rare conversations about school, and even helping with household chores became a kind of oasis of peace. Yui still adored her brother and was always happy to spend time with him.
But school... School was a different world. Over four years, Yuta hadn't made a single friend. His classmates saw him as a quiet, withdrawn, and strange boy who always kept to himself. At some point, Yuta simply accepted it.
But training and assignments became something more.
Every two weeks, Gojo took him on another mission. Cursed spirits of second and first grade had long ceased to be frightening to him. Over the year, Yuta made great strides—from a novice who lost his head in battle to an experienced first-grade sorcerer. But most importantly, he learned valuable lessons.
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A Memory of His First Serious Opponent
This fight stayed in Yuta's memory as if it happened yesterday. His first opponent with a cursed technique.
It was a cursed spirit in the form of a grotesque human figure with long, snake-like arms. Its skin reeked of sulfur, and its eyes burned with a bright green light.
Yuta confidently gripped his katana, brimming with assurance after his previous victories.
The creature let out a ghastly rasp, and in the next moment, a stream of liquid shot from its mouth. Yuta raised his hand in defense and felt the acid trying to corrode it. The liquid left only a minor burn, making him freeze on the spot.
"Acid?" he whispered, looking at the slight redness on his hand. Fortunately, his flesh was protected by a layer of cursed energy, but this attack sobered him up.
Gojo stood at a distance, observing but saying nothing. Yuta understood why Gojo hadn't warned him about the cursed technique. He had to remain vigilant at all times.
Closing his eyes, he steadied his breathing. When the creature attacked again, Yuta dodged and chose the perfect moment to counter. His katana severed one of the snake-like arms, making the spirit wail and retreat.
Yuta took advantage of its hesitation, striking the spirit and sending it flying several dozen meters. He approached the severed arm, tore off a large chunk with his teeth, and swallowed it.
"It'll take time to copy the technique," he muttered under his breath, just as he felt a surge of cursed energy. Calmly, he dodged to the side, and in the next moment, the spot where he had stood was engulfed in a torrent of acid.
Yuta glared at the cursed spirit and gripped his katana tightly. Before the spirit could take a step, it was cleaved in half.
"Not bad," Gojo commented approvingly.
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Damage Accumulation: A Battle of Endurance
The next fight against a cursed spirit with a technique wasn't much different from the first. This opponent, at first glance, seemed bulky and sluggish—a massive roaring beast with stone-like skin.
"It has an interesting technique," Gojo remarked with a smile.
Yuta gave his teacher a brief glance before focusing intently on his enemy. Taking a deep breath, he drove his katana into the ground.
He didn't move, giving the cursed spirit the opportunity to attack.
The cursed spirit couldn't resist the chance. With a swift motion, it lunged at Yuta and struck his chest with full force, but the impact only made Yuta slide back a few centimeters.
"Not impressive," Yuta said, staring at the spirit.
In the next second, he appeared in front of the spirit and sent it flying into the air with an uppercut to its abdomen.
Then, crouching slightly, he jumped after it. Surpassing the spirit mid-air, Yuta delivered a heel strike to its back, leaving a large crack in the ground below.
The cursed spirit staggered to its feet and retaliated, this time with a much stronger blow, sending Yuta flying several meters. Yuta easily landed on his feet with a backflip.
"Much better this time," Yuta commented on the spirit's strike.
But then the spirit suddenly leaped forward at incredible speed, its strike slamming Yuta into a wall.
"Oh, so it can do that too," Yuta realized as he stood up.
This spirit absorbed the power of every attack and transformed it into its own energy. This was the damage accumulation technique.
It could use the energy in two ways: channeling the kinetic force into its attacks or enhancing its speed and movements with it.
Yuta decided to end the battle. He repeated the same tactic as with the previous spirit. The taste in his mouth was disgusting, and he decided he'd find a better way next time.
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Eye of Fear: A Quick Battle
This fight was surprisingly simple. The spirit resembled a shadowy wraith enveloped in mist.
"This one has a technique," Gojo said, ensuring Yuta didn't miss the chance to copy it.
Yuta nodded in gratitude, thinking, "So it's a first-grade curse."
The creature moved quickly, trying to catch him off guard. But Yuta remained calm, moving fluidly and confidently. When the spirit lunged again, Yuta reacted instantly.
His katana pierced the center of the shadow, freezing it in place. Yuta immediately activated his copying technique, consuming a portion of the spirit. He had made a vow never to eat parts of creatures himself.
The vow stated that, in exchange for being able to consume parts by dissolving them with his cursed energy—which now had acidic properties thanks to the "Acid" technique—copying techniques would no longer be instantaneous. The time required to analyze and copy a technique depended on the amount consumed. For example, copying a technique in one minute would require consuming the entire owner. Copying with smaller parts, such as a few fingers or a single finger, could take several weeks.
"Too easy," he muttered, watching the spirit dissolve.
"That's because you're no longer the boy who got acid in his face," Gojo teased with a smirk.
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Back to the Present
Yuta sat in his room, reflecting on all those battles. Over the year, he had grown stronger, learning to stay calm even in the most tense situations. Now, he possessed three techniques, each making him far more dangerous.
Acid: He could transform his cursed energy into highly corrosive acid and attack with it.
Damage Accumulation: This technique allowed him to store the kinetic energy of attacks he received. It didn't reduce the attack's impact, but it stored the energy, which he could release all at once or in portions. He could also channel the kinetic energy into his body to become faster and stronger.
Eye of Fear: This technique immobilized anyone who showed even a hint of fear toward its user. The duration of immobilization depended on the target's level of fear.
Acid—a powerful tool for ranged attacks.
Damage Accumulation—enabled him to use the enemy's strength against them.
Eye of Fear—the perfect technique for para
lyzing opponents.
This intense year had taught Yuta that strength comes with experience and constant effort.