Incarnate: Nishi

At this point, the restaurant had cleared out entirely with virtually nobody left inside, safe for a terrified female bartender cowering underneath the table.

Nishi kicked a bar stool straight toward the duo, quickly crashing into Tamashiro who let out a brief and sharp noise of pain as he came to an immediate halt. Nii, however, did not hesitate, rushing forward and making multiple quick slashes, thin cuts appearing on Nishi's forearms.

"Abandoning stabs huh?" Nishi said as he almost grabbed Nii, who managed to slash his hand deeply, blood pouring from the fresh wound as Nishi pulled his hand back with clenched teeth, Tamashiro finally recovering as he stood next to Nii.

"Good shit, I'll give you openings, you cut this piece of shit up," Tamashiro said with a big grin, "Better get ready to get cut the fuck up, Ike!" Tamashiro said as he laughed loudly, taunting with his arms unfolded outward.

Tamashiro stepped in, swinging straight for Nishi as he saw Nii circle around him.

Pincer attack huh, brutal! Nishi thought as he smiled at them both.

"For common thugs..." Nishi muttered as he put up his arm, taking a devastating strike from Tamashiro's brass knuckles while swatting away Nii's hand, "...You two are pretty good!"

Turning into Nishi, Tamashiro clocked him in the jaw with an elbow rattling him as he felt a blade stab into his left shoulder, a blade digging into the joint.

Not letting up Nii and Tamashiro cocked their free hands back, clenching them tightly into fists as they both swung straight for Nishi who barely put his guard up in time, taking two strikes head-on, Tamashiro's brass knuckle sending pain surging through his arm as he staggered backward from the impact, catching himself on a table as he glanced to his shoulder, blood pouring from his open wound.

His hands holding himself up as they rested on the table, soon looking back as Tamashiro had a wide grin plastered on his face, "Hah! Not so good now are ya'?" He said as he rushed forward and swung straight for Nishi's exposed stomach.

Hurling one of his hands forward, he threw a handful of salt from one of the salt shakers on the table, Tamashiro getting an eyeful of it as Nishi threw himself backward onto the table, Tamashiro's fist cracking into the table.

Without hesitating, Nishi gripped the table under him, kicking forward straight into his face with both of his feet, sending him onto his ass as he held his nose in pain, blood pouring from his already bashed nose.

Nii didn't waste the chance, slipping right from behind Tamashiro, planting a stab straight into Nishi's ankle, Nishi gritted his teeth in pain as he wrenched his foot free, the blade sliding out of his wound as he dove from the table, leaping on top of Nii as he pinned him onto his back, pinning his wrists to the floor as he looked down at him.

Instead of saying something witty, Nishi drew his head backwards, before finally speaking, "Heads up!" He said with a chuckle, before with a growl he brought his head straight down into his face, headbutting him with his head right against the floor, instantly knocking him out.

Tamashiro leaned against the counter as he stood up, his busted-up nose making him look almost like a clown, "Fucking bitch..." Tamashiro muttered as he breathed heavily, panting heavily, "...Just you wait, we'll tell the damn boss."

Scratching his chin Nishi surveyed the injuries he'd acquired, various cuts and scrapes, bruising to a handful of places, a deep stab wound to his shoulder, ankle, and hand.

Nodding for a moment, Nishi smiled as he felt blood trickle from his body, "This blood loss is certainly dangerous, I can feel it trickle out of me slowly..." Nishi said as he slowly clenched and opened his fists repeatedly, "My method of incarnation certainly made it a pain," Nishi commented with a sigh.

Tamashiro grabbed a drink off of a nearby table, drinking it down as he wiped his mouth, hurling the bottle aside, exasperatedly he asked, "What are you fucking talking about now?"

Nishi seemingly snapped out of his muttering as he scratched the back of his head, "What I'm saying is I'm slowly dying right now, which means I'm closer to curse itself," Nishi commented in the same demeanor, "Which means..."

The air seemed to shift, a weight pressed down on Tamashiro as a haze of "red heat" formed around Nishi, who looked up at the ceiling, swaying lightly with an imaginary breeze.

"...When closer to death, one can become able to perceive that which is normally invisible, but for me, that means," Nishi flexed his muscles as his veins bulged, an exhale escaping his mouth as he held his hand up to the light above, a faint outline of that o' so familiar heat.

"There it is, my cursed energy... papa's back," Nishi said with a grin, "Did ya' miss me?"

Tamashiro at first looked on perplexed, but his eyes narrowed on Nishi, noticing a faint aura of what looked almost like steam, "What is that...?" He asked in confusion, clenching his tired fists around the brass knuckles, "Man I don't even know what's happening anymore," Tamashiro said with a groan as he glanced down to Nii, noticing him knocked out beneath Nishi, before he looked back up at him, sweating all the while.

Nishi put his hands down to his sides as he took a deep breath, suddenly the trickle of blood from his body ceasing, soon after exhaling, "This is good practice to get back into the flow of things."

Putting his hands into his pockets, Nishi walked over to his table, grabbing his bowl of beef ramen as he scowled at Tamashiro, "You're lucky you didn't spill this."

Glancing to the front table, he noticed just the bartender's eyes peeking over the edge before she quickly retreated back under upon noticing Nishi's gaze, he scoffed as he took a bite of the ramen, his eyes widening, "Whoa, this is pretty good," he muttered with a mouthful of food as he walked and ate, stepping out of the destroyed restaurant onto the busy street.

Nishi noticed the sun beginning to rise, smirking at the dawn of a new day as he slurped his noodles loudly, walking through the street as people looked on in horror at his injuries.

Can't use reverse cursed technique, so healing is out of the window. Nishi groaned as he enjoyed his food, stopping at a crosswalk as he noticed the red light.

The modern era is so convenient, with hot and lavish meals for cheap, cars for quick transportation, and their handling of waste is a world apart, Ike might've been a worthless dolt, but at least his memories are useful.

Suddenly, a small hand tugged at his pant leg, Nishi glanced down as he swallowed his food, noticing a young boy looking up at him, "Mister, why are you covered in blood?"

Raising an eyebrow, suddenly a woman grabbed ahold of his collar, yanking him away as Nishi glanced up at her, their eyes meeting for a moment as Nishi froze, a woman with bright red hair and eyes stood in front of him, her arms tucking her child behind her as she clearly was nervous, "I'm am terribly sorry sir!" She said as she stormed off, yanking her son along as the boy looked back toward Nishi.

Nishi thudded his chest as he suddenly felt a sensation in his chest, coughing as he swallowed with a contented sigh, "Whew... Those noodles almost took me out," Nishi said as he burped loudly, yawning as he scratched at his head, looking around, "Where am I exactly?"

Some time passed, and Nishi had walked for several hours, reading through Ike's memories as he learned his way around the area.

So this is Osaka, back there was Kushiyaki Kankoku-ryori Ikedaya, that must mean this is... Higashinari Ward... Nishi thought to himself as he sat on the park bench, his wounds finally having closed up as he chewed a ball of dango, tearing the last one from his skewer.

"Damn, even the candy is next level in the modern era," Nishi said as he laid back on the bench, stretching out as he yawned, "I am fucking exhausted, blood loss isn't doing me any favors either," Nishi groaned as passerby's glanced to him, prompting a scowl, which never failed to drive them off, "Heh... weaklings..."

Despite everything nice about the modern era, it's pretty damn boring, especially now that I can use cursed energy again. Nishi thought to himself as he put his arms behind his head, closing his eyes for a moment.

Nishi's eyes widened as he smirked, "Wonder if any jujutsu sorcerers are still around in the modern era," he yawned after saying this.

Laying down on the bench, Nishi grumbled as he relaxed, "Best I take it easy, no use in rushing into anything crazy with these injuries, plus I got a whole lot of catching up to do..."

Nishi smirked as he drifted off to sleep on the bench, melting into the uncomfortable bench like it was the last sleep he'd ever get.

With a thud, Nishi hit the ground, groaning as he opened an eye, his eye darting around as he slowly pushed himself off the ground.

"Look at him, he's covered in scars!" A voice spoke, clearly young.

As Nishi rose from the pavement, he looked around him, spotting a group of 5 delinquents, clearly all teenagers. Among them were 4 boys and a girl, each of them just oozing that delinquent vibe.

"I bet he picks gum off the bottom of seats for his breakfast," A rather rotund boy spoke, prompting the others to laugh loudly, another thinner boy adding on, "No, don't be insensitive!" He said seemingly in defense, before adding, "He obviously cleans it first!"

Nishi groaned as he patted around his pockets, before slowly looking at the teens, "Pickpockets are still quite the rage it seems, some things never do fade do they," Nishi muttered as he stretched his neck, before picking his ear, "Hand over my wallet before I break your bones."

The teens snickered as they started to run, one of them flashing his wallet, "Sure! If you can catch u-" The teen is struck dead in the throat by a jab, suddenly right behind them as they turn around.

Instantly the teen dropped to the ground, coughing profusely, gasping for breath, Nishi looked down at the teen with indifference before speaking calmly, "Next time, I won't pull my punch," Nishi said with a lethal scowl, a steam billowing from his body.

The others ran as they left their "friend" behind, who finally stopped coughing, his eyes watering as he shakily tossed the wallet to his feet, backing up on his palms as he cried, "D-don't hurt m-me please!" He said as he pleaded with Nishi.

Narrowing his brow at the teen, Nishi picked his wallet up, stuffing it into his pocket as he sighed, staring off at the moon that loomed above, "Children are always such a nuisance when raised improperly," He said as he glanced back to the boy.

His eyes widened as a smile formed on his face, "There we go..." Nishi's heat flared as steam rippled from his body, "Now THAT is a fight!" He said as his hostility reached its peak.

The boy looked on terrified as he took a step back, his upper half suddenly vanishing into a giant set of jaws, a goldfish-like curse chomping down on him as he struggled for a moment before a bone-chilling CRUNCH echoed out from the boy's body, slurped up as if it were an appetizer.

Nishi's smile grew only great as the creature stepped out from behind the shadow of the tree he stood next to, "Grade 3?, maybe Semi-Grade 2, the perfect entrée to get my feast in the modern era started!" Nishi buzzed in excitement.

"B-b-bob-bobbbalolol," The curse spoke in some sort of broken bubbly language, its unsettlingly human lips fluttering and sputtering.

"Never had goldfish before," Nishi said as he licked his lips, "Let's go."