Ananga

Really, just where am I? I can see the city stretching out all around me, but I’m not looking down on it. I can see the suburbs and the plains, but I haven’t moved a step. The forests, the mountains, the ocean... Ahh, it’s like I’m everywhere at once.

Everywhere, and yet... nowhere too. I can’t touch anything, I can’t feel anything. I can hear everything, but I can’t tell if it’s loud or quiet. I can see everything, but I can’t tell if it’s bright or dark. I can’t focus on anything. I can’t distinguish anything.

Oh, and I can’t see myself either. I said something about taking a step, but I can’t even if I want to. I don’t have legs, after all. No legs, no arms, no torso, no head. No body at all. Ananga.

Why that word? Ananga? It’s important, but I don’t know why. I think it’s my name. No, I think it’s what I am. Ananga. Myself. Literally “without a body”. One of the names of the Hindu god Kama referring to his bodiless state after being burned to ash by Shiva.

Then, am I Kama? No, I’m not. Kama is love. Literally “love”. So I am not Kama. I cannot be Kama. An Ananga who is not Kama. Ahh, it makes no sense at all. For me to exist, just ‘who’ was burned to ash? I can’t remember...

But does it matter? Whoever I was, I’m Ananga now. Whoever I was, it’s probably better that I’m not them anymore. So I’m Ananga. I, me, myself. And nothing else. And nothing else.

<><><><><>

It’s actually quite boring, being nothing. I can see everything in the world, but since I can’t focus on anything, it’s not all that fun. I’ve learned a bit, though. This world is strange. At least I think it is. I don’t remember much, but I don’t think there were monsters in the world I lived in. Or at least I couldn’t see them. They seem to be invisible to most people, so that might have been it.

They’re such strange, pitiable things, the monsters. They’re born from human malice, so they can’t help but be filled with malice themselves. They can’t help but kill humans and be killed by humans in return. And all this death gives birth to malice. And so the cycle repeats.

They’re also quite ugly, to be honest. If they weren’t a bit easier to focus on than other things, I wouldn’t look at them at all. Maybe it’s because they’re a bit similar to me? They’re born from formless malice, and even when they gain form, they’re invisible to most of the world.

Ahh, they’re pitiable and ugly, but I’m actually a bit jealous of them. When I saw how they congealed from formlessness, I tried to copy them, but I couldn’t. Even if malice lacks a form, it at least ‘exists’, which isn’t something I can say about myself. Without that crucial ‘existence’ to congeal around, I, well, can’t.

Maybe it would be different if I were Kama. He ‘existed’, so he could probably take advantage of that and make an avatar or something. But I am not and cannot be Kama, so I don’t have that option. Ahhh, if only I had something to use as a scaffold. I’d even use a monster if I could!

Actually...

I tried copying them, but it’s not like I tried *becoming* them. If I mix myself in with the formless malice, maybe it’ll pull me along when it congeals. It’s worth a shot, at least. It’s not like my situation will change when it doesn’t work.

<><><><><>

It worked.

I, Ananga, she who is without body, has a body. It’s not even ugly! It’s, well, it’s not exactly original, but beggars can’t be choosers, and I guess this is just how I imagined ‘Ananga’ to be. White hair, red eyes, pale skin, small body. Some unnecessarily skimpy silken ‘clothing’, assorted gold embellishments that I’m really not looking forward to lying on, and a cute red ribbon. I’d probably be embarrassed if people could see me, but they can’t, so I’m not going to worry about it.

Now then, what shall I do first, what shall I do first...

<><><><><>
<><><><><>
<><><><><>

Itadori Yuji did not know what to do. When he received a mission to exorcise a curse in a manga cafe, he was not expecting... *this*. Why does the curse look so human? Why is the curse wearing cosplay?? Why is the curse sprawled across a couch and reading Sh◯nen Jump???

“What’re you looking at?”

“Oh, sorry!”

Itadori Yuji really hoped his teacher would come soon. This was not something they had covered in class.

<><><><><>

Gojo Satoru had wondered why his dear student had called him in a panic, but he had to admit, this hadn’t been what he had been expecting. Humanoid. Intelligent. Undeniably a special grade curse. But its behavior... wasn’t. What kind of curse, special grade or otherwise, reads manga? They’re usually more into the ‘cursing and killing humans’ thing. There was something strange mixed into it too; something other than cursed energy. Some kind of fire that he couldn’t analyze even with his eyes.

“Sorry, Miss Curse, but do you mind if I sit here?”

“I mind.”

“Hahaha, unfortunately I wasn’t really asking.”

Gojo sat down on the less-occupied half of the couch and leaned back.

“So what’s a curse doing in a manga cafe?”

The curse paused, set down its magazine, and looked at Gojo as if he were stupid.

“What do you *think*?”

“Hmm, well, I wonder.”

Gojo grinned, but the curse looked at him as if its already low impression of him had gotten even worse.

“Then keep wondering.”

The curse went to pick its magazine back up, but was interrupted.

“You see, exorcising curses is basically my job. And you happen to be a curse. Get it?”

The curse sighed.

“What do you want.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Reading, obviously.”

“It’s hard to believe that’s your only goal here.”

“That’s a you problem.”

Gojo laughed.

“Ahh, you really are different. I can’t feel any malice from you at all.”

“I don’t know about that. I’m pretty sure I’m sending some malice your way right now.”

Gojo burst out laughing, earning him several shushes from elsewhere in the cafe.

“That’s true, that’s true. You’re glaring at me pretty fiercely. Have you hurt anyone while you’ve been here.”

“Yeah.”

Gojo frowned.

“Who.”

“Some punks. They were bothering everyone, so I waved some books in front of their faces and kicked them in the nuts while they were distracted.”

Gojo and Yuji winced.

“That... Anything else?”

“I burned a monster or two that were being annoying. Oh, you call them curses, right?”

“You burned them?”

The curse held out her hand and a small ball of blue flame sprung into being. Looking at it closely, Gojo couldn’t help but notice that the curse’s fingers seemed to have been burned black.

“Interesting... That’s not a technique. You’re not even using cursed energy...”

The curse shrugged and extinguished the fire.

“It’s Shiva’s. Don’t ask me how it works.”

“Shiva? The god?”

The curse nodded.

“Interesting. Just what are you?”

The curse rolled its eyes.

“Does it matter.”

“It does. Like I said, exorcising curses is my job. And since you’re a curse, I need to exorcise you. So give me a reason why I shouldn’t.”

“I won’t.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t care.”

Gojo leaned over and wrapped a hand around the curses neck.

“If I squeeze, you’ll die, you know? I’m quite strong.”

The curse just looked at him, unblinking. It didn’t react even when he applied pressure. Even when threatened with death, the curse didn’t struggle. Didn’t attack. Didn’t direct any malice towards him at all. He released it, her, and flopped back on the couch with a sigh.

“Are you sure you’re a curse?”

The curse looked at him like she had no expectations for him left.

“Do you have a name?”

“Ananga.”

“Ananga... Come with me to the Technical College.”

Ananga raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“The Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College. It’s where I teach.”

“No, and also fuck no. Why the actual hell would I want to go to some exorcist school, much less one so distorted as to hire someone like you as a teacher.”

Gojo grinned.

“Unfortunately, I wasn’t really asking. If you won’t come willingly, I’ll have to drag you.”

Ananga looked up at the heavens and groaned.

“Fine, under one condition.”

“Oh?”

“Get me one of those special crepes from the shop across the street. I’ve been smelling them all day and it’s not like I can just walk in and buy one myself.”

<><><><><>
<><><><><>
<><><><><>

Ahh, so annoying. I knew I’d have to deal with humans eventually, but to think they ran into me while I was reading J◯mp... Didn’t even let me finish...

At least the first boy was polite enough. Even I can tell that he’s got something terrible mixed into him, but it doesn’t seem to have ruined his personality any. The other one, though... Ahh, I’ve never been good with that type. Tall, handsome, completely convinced of his own value. Truly obnoxious. At least he’s got that dorky blindfold on. Who does he think he is, an 8th grader?

“If I squeeze, you’ll die, you know? I’m quite strong.”

Ahh, what are you even bothering for. Do you want me to react? I’ve already died once, I really don’t care if I die again. Assuming I even would die. It’s not like this body is really ‘mine’. If it’s destroyed, I’ll probably just return to being Ananga.

And now he’s laughing. Is this the conclusion you wanted, then? So annoying. If you’ve got plans, leave me out of them. Ahh, and now you’re going to drag me somewhere? To some sort of exorcist school? No way in hell. I’d actually rather die. But this guy isn’t the type to take no for an answer, is he. Of course not. Fine then, I’ll at least make this worth my while.

Hmm? He was planning on buying some anyways? Well, at least he has good taste.

<><><><><>

So this is the Technical College... It’s not what I expected. Where even are we, anyways? Does this really count as Tokyo? I’d better get cell reception here... Not that I have a phone. It’s nice, I’ll give it that. Detached buildings, traditional architecture, clean air... I’m a fan of the city myself, but I don’t mind this rural feeling either.

There’s some sort of barrier up, but that doesn’t really matter to me. I’m already ‘inside’, after all. An advantage to being omnipresent.

“I’ll be taking you to principle Yaga now. Good luck~”

What an incredibly annoying man. If everyone here is like this, I might just burn *myself* to ash.

<><><><><>
<><><><><>
<><><><><>

“You’re late, Gojo.”

“Hahaha, sorry Yaga~”

Masamichi Yaga sat behind his desk, working on a plush toy. He frowned as he set it down and looked at Gojo walk in, a small curse following behind him.

“This is the curse you told me about?”

“Yep. Her names Ananga.”

“And why is it here and not exorcised?”

“Isn’t she interesting? Completely unlike a curse. So I thought we should take her in for observation. Don’t worry, I’ll handle the higher-ups.”

Yaga sighed and gestured at the curse. The plush toy he’s been working on only moments before stood on its stubby legs, hopped off the desk, and ambled over to the curse.

“Fine. Curse, consider this your entrance exam. Why should I let you into my school.”

The cursed started to sigh, then paused.

“Wait, you’re not trying to make me a student, are you? Because I’m absolutely not doing that. Not for all the crepes in the world.”

Yaga glared at Gojo and pressed his hand to his forehead.

“Gojo, don’t you think you should have told her why you were bringing her here?”

“Skipped my mind~”

Yaga sighed once again.

“No. You’ll be kept here for observation. Assuming I let you. So answer my question.”

The curse shrugged.

“I have no idea. I was quite happy reading my manga in peace, you know.”

As if responding to the curse’s voice, the stuffed toy jumped at it and threw a punch, which the curse caught without difficulty.

“If you don’t have a reason, then you fail. Gojo, kill it.”

For a moment, nothing happened. Then Gojo started laughing.

“See? Absolutely no malice at all. Not even when threatened. Even the most intelligent curses can’t help but hate humans, but she doesn’t. Isn’t that worth investigating?”

Yaga sighed for the third time and recalled the stuffed toy.

“Do you have a name?”

“Ananga.”

“Ananga... What language is that from?”

“Sanskrit. It means “without a body”.”

Gojo suddenly cupped his hands in realization.

“Oh! I knew I recognized that name! You mentioning Shiva before reminded me of it. Ananga is one of the names of Kama, the Hindu god of love. Are you an imaginary curse based on Kama, then?”

“No. I’m not Kama. I can’t be Kama.”

“Ah, sorry-“

“As you said, Kama is the god of love. So I couldn’t be him even if I wanted to be.”

Gojo chucked sheepishly.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to touch on a sore spot.”

Ananga sighed.

“It’s fine. I don’t care.”

Yaga cleared his throat.

“Gojo mentioned a fire technique when he was describing you. Can you show it to me?”

Ananga nodded and held out her hand as a ball of blue flame sprung into existence.

“I see... And these flames are related to Shiva in some fashion?”

“Mmn. They’re the embers left over from when Shiva burned me.”

“Shiva... burned you? A god did?”

“Yeah. I’m Ananga, after all. My body was burned to ash and I was scattered throughout the universe.”

Gojo’s hand shot up.

“Ananga, can I ask a question?”

“No.”

“If your body was burned to ash, why do you still have a body?”

“I don’t. This isn’t really my body. It’s just something I made to walk around in.”

“You... made it?”

“Mmm. I hijacked a curse as it was being born. More or less.”

“Hoh~ Then how were you before? Can a curse even exist without a body?”

“I wasn’t a curse then. I suppose I was a god. I still am, even if I’m a fake one.”

“So gods exist?”

“Don’t ask me. I’ve never met any.”

“Not even Shiva?”

“Nope. I just know that I’m Ananga and that these are Shiva’s flames.”

“I see. Then you aren’t really a curse, are you. You’re something else wearing the body of a curse.”

“No, I’m a curse. Whether I’m also something other than a curse doesn’t change that.”

Yaga cleared his throat again.

“I heard from Gojo that before we found you, you were living in a manga cafe. How did you manage that? How did you keep the non-sorcerers from seeing the books you were reading?”

“Sorcerers? Not exorcists?”

“That’s the term we use.”

“Huh. Anyways, I just coated them in my cursed energy. Most people can’t see curses, so I figured that would work.”

“I see. So you can control fire and make things invisible to non-sorcerers. Are those all your techniques?”

“Yeah. Oh, I can change my body, too.”

“How so?”

Ananga *stretched*, rapidly shifting from a young girl to a young woman.

“Like this. A curse’s shape is determined by its soul, but since my soul is bodiless, I can determine my shape however I want. Well, I can’t make myself look like someone who isn’t me, but anything else is fair game.”

She returns to her previous, childlike appearance.

“I... see. Is there any reason you use this particular appearance?”

“Not really. It’s the appearance I had when I got this body, so I’m kind of attached to it.”

“I see... You pass.”