wishes chapter 2

'As I watched the world in an upside-down view, my vision soon became dark.

When I woke up, I found myself in a dark place. I couldn't move my body, as if I was floating, but the strange thing was, I couldn't feel my body either. Niko began contemplating whether this was a dream or not.

"Did I die...? Well, I did feel I was hit by a truck, but damn, I never thought my life would end like that. There's so much I wanted to do, like meeting the voice actors of my favorite anime Jujutsu Kaisen or watching all the episodes of Season 2. Too bad I couldn't watch it. My life just ended here."

"Why don't you see the anime you love so much in real life?"

Suddenly, amidst the quiet place, a voice spoke, breaking the enveloping silence. "Who are you? Show yourself."

Niko was surprised, but he quickly calmed himself down. "Relax, this is my place, so technically, you're the intruder here. I'm the one who should say those words, not you. You're rude, you know, for someone who just barged into my place and asked me, the owner of this place, who are you? Isn't that just ironic?"

The mysterious figure turned out to be surprisingly talkative. Just as Niko was about to ask a question, the mysterious figure beat him to it.

"So, tell me, why are you here?"

"I don't know. The last thing I remember is that I was walking on the sidewalk, and suddenly, I was blinded by this bright light and a loud honking of a truck. Poof, my world became upside down, and this is where I ended up."

As Niko explained his story, he observed the mysterious figure just looking up.

Is he bored or just not interested?

Once Niko finished his story, the mysterious figure quickly noticed the awkward silence and spoke.

"So, in other words, you died?"

"Seems so. And why do you have to ask whether I died? Isn't it obvious? You die if your body is damaged beyond repair."

"Well, I've never experienced death before, so you telling me this doesn't really affect me. I mean, what do you expect my reaction would be? Sad, depressed, or happy? I've never experienced it, so it's hard to relate to you."

As the mysterious figure finished talking, the whole place became quiet.

"Ok, soooo how was life?"

"... BRO!!... I'm literally dead. Why do you have to ask?"

"Calm down. I'm just trying to liven up the mood here and not make this awkward between us."

"Sigh. Okay, fine. So, let me ask you a question."

"Alright, go ahead."

"What do you mean by I can watch my favorite anime in real life? Do I get to see a live-action or something?"

"No."

"Then what do you mean by what you said?"

"When I said you could watch it in real life, what I mean is you'll live in your favorite anime."

"So, in other words, I will be reincarnated in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen?"

"Not exactly. More like you will be born in that world. Do you understand?"

"What makes you think that I will believe you?"

"Because both of us know that you truly desire to live in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen."

"Hmph, and what's your reason for saying that?"

The mysterious figure did not respond but merely smiled. He then pointed his finger at Niko's heart.

"Your heart cannot lie. Your heart shows how much you love Jujutsu Kaisen."

Niko was surprised by this revelation. He didn't anticipate this mysterious figure. Lots of questions started forming in his head.

Then the mysterious figure spoke again. "I'll let you be reborn into your favorite anime, on one condition."

Blinded by his desire to be reborn in his favorite anime, Niko immediately asked the mysterious figure about his condition.

"What's that?"

"Give me an interesting story. If you do so, I will fulfill your desire."

"Alright."

"Oh, I'm surprised you'd agree this fast."

"I mean, who would not be excited to get the chance to be reborn in your favorite anime?"

"Fufu, alright. Before I place your soul in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, let me give you a farewell gift. Think of this as your starter pack."

This new development left Niko with mixed feelings. Out of curiosity, he asked the mysterious figure a question.

"Why are you doing all of this? Are you doing this out of boredom, pity, entertainment?"

The mysterious figure just looked at Niko with a surprised expression.

"Wow, after all that happened just a couple of minutes ago, you just ask your question now. Wow, wow indeed."

Niko was slightly irritated by the mysterious figure's answer. After seeing veins popping on Niko's forehead, the mysterious figure decided to talk.

"I've seen many worlds over the past centuries, and this world is the one world that has left me completely empty. I've seen the end of this world, and it's not a good ending."

"What happened...?"

Although Niko was aware that asking for spoilers is a great sin, his curiosity got the better of him, and he made him ask the question.

The only response that the mysterious figure gave was to put his finger on his lips. Niko was aware of what that gesture meant.

"Fine, I will not ask a question. So, what is this farewell gift you want to give me?"

Although slightly annoyed by this, he could not contain his excitement over the fact that he would be reborn in his favorite anime.

The mysterious figure once again spoke. "Well, it's more like wishes instead of a gift. Niko, I will grant you three wishes. State your wish, and I shall grant it."

Niko was flabbergasted by this encounter with the mysterious figure. Niko literally just met this mysterious figure a couple of minutes ago, and now it wants to fulfill his desire. That's beyond suspicious.

The mysterious figure noticed Niko's expression and quickly figured out what's on his mind.

"Please do not be alarmed. I merely wish to help the world, or more like I want to change it for the better. I can't touch a world with my body, so I can't change it myself, but you can. Since we have the same goal, it's practically a win-win scenario. So, do you agree?"

After thinking for what felt like an hour, Niko finally decided.

"Alright, I agree."

The mysterious figure wore a smile.

"Thank you. So, for your three wishes, say it, and I shall grant it to you."

"Alright, my first wish would be to have the same body as Itadori."

"So, you want strength, speed, and power?"

"No. What I mean is to have the ability to store cursed objects like what Itadori did in the manga. But instead of that, I want my body to be able to absorb cursed energy from people, curses, from your surroundings, and even from sorcerers. This also allows me to release all of it, and whenever my body gets injured, I can also heal it by absorbing cursed energy"

"So in short you want a body like itadori, but instead of storing curse objects inside your body you want yours to store cursed energy, and not only that you want it to absorb and release it, and you can heal your body through absorbing cursed energy

"That's right"

"I see. Alright, now onto your second wish."

"As for my second wish, I want a Ten Shadows, but unlike the Ten Shadows of Megumi, I want mine to be different. Instead of regular shikigami, I want mine from different mythologies."

The mysterious figure raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Niko's unique request. "Different mythologies, you say? That's quite unconventional. Any specific mythologies in mind?"

Niko nodded, a glint of excitement in his eyes. "Yes, I'd like each shadow to embody the essence of mythological creatures from various cultures. For instance, one could be inspired by Greek mythology, another by Japanese yokai, and so on. I want a diverse range of abilities and appearances."

The mysterious figure chuckled, amused by the creativity of Niko's request. "A Ten Shadows reflecting the rich tapestry of world mythologies. Very well, Niko, your wish is granted. Now, for your third wish."

"As for my last wish, I want to be able to fully manipulate cursed energy from inside my body and around me."

The mysterious figure nodded thoughtfully. "Complete mastery over cursed energy manipulation. A potent ability indeed. Your wishes are quite distinctive, Niko. It seems you've put a lot of thought into them."

Niko grinned, appreciating the mysterious figure's acknowledgment. "I wanted to make the most out of this opportunity. Now, how will you grant these wishes?"

The mysterious figure gestured, and an ethereal glow surrounded Niko. "Your desires shall be etched into the fabric of your new existence. Embrace the changes, for you're about to embark on a journey in a world of curses and sorcery."

As the mysterious figure began the process of granting Niko's wishes, the surroundings shimmered with otherworldly energy. Niko's form flickered within the radiant glow, his very essence being transformed by the magic of the mysterious figure.

"Your rebirth is underway, Niko. May your new life in the realm of Jujutsu Kaisen be as intriguing as your wishes."

With those words, the radiance enveloped Niko completely, and the world around him faded away, giving way to a new beginning in the fantastical world he so dearly admired.