Hello! Since I have way too many fics, I decided to make a masterpost of what I've written and what I would like to write.
There’s a lot to get through, so here we go!
(UPDATED 2/21/2026)
This post is mostly a way for me to keep track of everything and stay organized on the progress/status on current fics and future fics I have yet to upload. It will be changed regularly! I always get comments on when I'll be updating and I hate being an AO3 author who gives false excitement to readers with updates that aren't actual chapters.
Thanks for stopping by!
Author Status: (2/21/26) I'm still super busy with work, so my time to write is pretty few and far between. But! I have made some progress on my fics. To be honest, it's not as much as I wanted, but it's something!
JJK Fics
Cursed Guardians - (Time Travel Fix-It AU with lots of monsters) Chapters: 12/? . Word Count: 136K. Work in Progress. It's been on hiatus for a long time, but the new JJK season and JJK Modulo has helped push me to start Ch 13!
For Personal Reasons - (Itafushi AU where the Shinjuku fight goes much differently) Chapters: 2/? . Word Count: 12K. Work in progress. Finally uploaded something new!
Of Curses and Cats - (No Curses Itafushi AU where Demon King Sukuna is summoned poorly and gets turned into a cat. Contains Firefighter Yuuji and Vet Megumi!) Not Uploaded Yet. First chapter almost completed
Heartache and Hot Pot - (Yakuza AU where crime bosses Gojo and Sukuna end up going to the same tiny restaurant a certain boy with pink hair runs) Not uploaded yet. Just notes.
Perfect Isn't Easy, But It's Me - (Oneshot AU where Gojo shows his many awards for being the best looking man in the world and Sukuna losing it) Not uploaded yet. Just notes.
Natural Selection - (Oneshot AU where twins Yuuji and Sukuna are taken in by Gojo and he decides to rent a zoo since he can't by them a tiger) Not uploaded yet. Just notes.
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Sorcerer - (Oneshot AU where Yuuji becomes Sukuna's vessel when he's 5 and Sukuna decides to be a good uncle for once) Not uploaded yet. Just notes.
The Tigress of Jujutsu High - (Fem!Yuuji and Teacher Yuuji AU) Not uploaded yet. Still a rough draft.
Lights, Curses, Action - (Singer/Mafia AU staring Fem!Yuuji, Fem!Choso, and Fem!Sukuna) Not uploaded yet. Just notes.
Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss
Double Faced Demons - (HH AU with undercover Alastor, Husk, Pentious, Niffty, and Baxter and a lot of hinjinks) Chapters: 6/?. Word Count: 46K. Work in Progress. Currently working on a potential rewrite!
Hellward Bound - (HHxHB AU with tons of shenanigans centering Husk and Blitz) Not Uploaded Yet. Just Notes
The Feathered Beast - (HB AU where Stolas is stuck in a feral demon form instead of getting his powers taken away) Not Uploaded Yet. First Chapter Complete.
Ring For Service - (HH AU with DND elements. Title is bc Husk has his voice taken away and has to wear a collar with a bell. RadioHusk elements.) Not Uploaded Yet. Just Notes.
The Amazing Digital Circus
Boredom is a Crime - (TADC AU with lots of focus on Caine as he slowly starts to abstract after an attack from an abstraction that escaped the cellar. Lots of good angst about my favorite teeth man. And lots of parental Kinger!) Not Uploaded Yet. First Chapter Complete.
Nook of Nostalgia Series
Various fics about my favorite childhood games, movies, and TV shows :)
Draconic Runt - (How To Train Your Dragon AU with Blind/Dragon Hiccup) First Chapter Uploaded. Word Count: 6K. On Hiatus as I write out the rest of the story.
The Rule of Three - (Sonic Live Action Universe with elements from the games. Lab AU with Shadow, Sonic, and Silver. Feral Sonadow.) Chapter Count: 3/?. Word Count: 22K. Used to have an Old version you can check out here.
Blue Lilies and Lavender Sprigs - (Sonadow Flower Shop/Cafe AU mixed with an Undercover/Spy AU. Shadow secretly works for the Black Arms and is allowed to return to Earth to gather intel while managing a flower shop/cafe with Maria. He is tasked to take down a retired 30 year old Sonic but his mission obviously doesn't go well.) First Chapter Completed. Not Uploaded. Will upload when I have at least 3-5 chapters prewritten.
The Scars A Knife Can Make - (Undertale AU to celebrate the 10th anniversary where Sans deals with ten years of resets. Contains Gaster Blaster Sans! A rewrite of a VERY OLD fic of mine) Not Uploaded Yet. Halfway completed rough draft.
One thousand years ago, Kenjaku made deals with countless curse users and sorcerers, including the very feared King of Curses. The temptation of prolonging one’s life was something few could resist. Kenjaku would not judge, for their very curse technique was made to grant them immortality through switching bodies. Instead of judging, they happily agreed to any binding vows, delighting in the fact that none of them knew that the vows sacred to jujutsu sorcery meant nothing to Kenjaku. No. Once they inevitably switched bodies again, those vows would be rendered null.
However, Kenjaku still honored them for their own amusement. While Sukuna and the rest were slumbering, they were working to ensure that their future plan went perfectly. As well as causing chaos every now and then with their experiments. One of his favorite experiments was making the Cursed Death Paintings. It was so interesting to see the results of curse and human combining. It fascinated them to see the nine, vile monstrosities spawned from that pathetic woman, but they quickly lost interest when only three of them seemed to show any potential.
Eighteen years ago, Kenjaku had the chance to redo the experiment.
At that point, they had been searching for a proper vessel for Sukuna for decades. They did not care what bodies the other sorcerers and curse users reincarnated in, but they knew better than to treat the King of Curses the same way. It was just like Sukuna to make things difficult for Kenjaku, even when he wasn’t present.
Eighteen years ago, the perfect vessel appeared: Itadori Jin. They first laid their eyes on the man when they were trying one of the many new desserts the modern era had invented. Jin had walked into the bakery alone, but Kenjaku quickly spotted the golden ring on his left hand. Married. Kenjaku would have ended their observations there if it wasn’t for the familiar aura of cursed energy emanating from the man. While his back was turned to order something from the convoluted menu, Kenjaku took the time to really study Jin. Tall with an average build. Lightly tanned skin. Silver glasses with square lenses.
Pink hair.
Throughout their entire existence, Kenjaku had only witnessed one person with that shade of hair, and they knew that said person would have had a twin brother if he wasn’t eaten in the womb. Sukuna did not gain extra eyes and limbs when he became a curse; he was born with it. Four eyes, four arms, two mouths, and two faces. According to Sukuna, his mother had been starving, so he had no choice but to absorb the weaker twin to continue surviving. When he told this to Kenjaku, he did so without remorse, but he did comment on how he wished to see his twin born again. Mostly for curiosity’s sake.
Would Sukuna still want to meet his reborn brother if he knew that his twin was just an ordinary man who wiggles in delight when drinking a frappuccino smothered in chocolate and sprinkles?
…Maybe.
For how cruel and apathetic he seemed, Kenjaku knew that Sukuna had a thirst for knowledge almost as unquenchable as their own.
Still, Kenjaku doubted that Sukuna would want to be in the presence of someone so weak for very long, including his own brother. Itadori Jin would not be a suitable vessel
But he could definitely help Kenjaku make one.
Eighteen years ago, Itadori Kaori died in a brutal car crash. To everyone, it seemed like a horrible accident. To Kenjaku, it was a breath of relief as they were the ones who caused the driver who ran into her to have a heart attack. Who knew showing someone their brain could cause such a pleasant reaction?
To Jin, it was like his world had ended. His grief was so strong that Kenjaku had to kill off hoards of small curses who were attracted to the most powerful source of negativity in the cemetery.
Eighteen years ago, Itadori Kaori miraculously lived. The only evidence of the crash was a scar on her forehead and a change of personality. Jin was too happy to notice how cold his wife was or how her heart no longer beat.
Seventeen years ago, Itadori Wasuke came to visit his grieving son and was surprised to see that his daughter-in-law was alive.
Sixteen years ago, Jin expressed his deep desire for a child.
Fifteen years ago, Kenjaku would grant it.
Fifteen years ago, Kenjaku would hold a tiny bundle in their arms. While the nine month gestation period went smoothly, the delivery did not. Over thirty hours of the worst pain Kenjaku had ever felt had resulted in this…thing. The nurses said the baby was a boy. A son then. Kenjaku’s son.
…Sukuna’s nephew.
A snicker had left their aching body. No one would hear it as Kenjaku demanded to be left alone, and Jin went to retrieve dinner from Kenjaku’s favorite restaurant like the loyal dog he was.
Fifteen years ago, Itadori Yuuji was born. The name was meant to be ironic. Permanence, humanity, and benevolence. Yes, the son of the most reviled sorcerer in history and the nephew of the most powerful sorcerer in history was named after the very things they abhorred.
Permanence. Kenjaku disrespected the word with their mere existence. They refused to be stagnant and unchanging. They went from host to host without a care. Remaining the same for centuries would only lead to them fading away and being forgotten. As long as Kenjaku was alive, they would always be there to bring new forms of mayhem.
Benevolence. There was not a kind bone in Kenjaku’s body. They did whatever amused them or caught their interest. It didn’t matter if their experiments tortured others. All that mattered was the results. Kindness had no place in jujutsu. Curse users were not kind, and neither were jujutsu sorcerers. Being nice got one killed or taken advantage of. Kenjaku would know. They had seen many bright, selfless souls get snuffed out by the cruelty of this world. More often than not, it was because Kenjaku killed them.
Humanity…Being human and being a jujutsu sorcerer were not the same. They may share the same bodies and needs, but they are different. A Ten Shadows user could kill thousands with a few hand signs. A Limitless and Six Eyes user was almost equivalent to a god, untouchable and with the power to raise the ground with just a flick of a finger. Sukuna was a walking calamity capable of cutting the world into pieces if he really wanted. There was no comparing that to a non-sorcerer. To Kenjaku, being a human was an insult.
Killing a human was a mercy.
Fifteen years ago, Itadori Kaori and Itadori Jin would disappear without a trace.
Fourteen minutes ago, Kenjaku was having second thoughts about their son. They had been so quick to discard the infant as they had no desire to actually raise the thing. With Sukuna’s vessel now created, Kenjaku had much to prepare for, and Jin would only be in the way.
It was a shame to kill Jin. For the short years they had spent together, Kenjaku found themselves appreciating his warmth, devotion, and even touch.
Not enough to spare him, obviously, but enough to grant him a quick death.
“I wonder what you would think of the boy now, Jin. He is almost a carbon copy of you. He still has your pink hair, your eyes, and your foolishness.” Kenjaku whispered into the night. The stars still shone brightly, unknowing of the true darkness that had befallen the world. Unknowing of the deaths that happened underneath their silver light.
Unknowing of the plan mother and son had just concocted.
Kenjaku grinned. “Though, I suppose he did take after me…in the ways that matter.”
.
.
.
-
.
.
.
For over one hundred and fifty years, Choso prided himself in knowing his little brothers inside and out. Being stuck together in a dark room for most of that time made it easy. Choso, Kechizu, Eso, and the rest of their younger brothers only had each other to rely on and talk to. The three eldest were the only ones able to properly talk. Their other siblings could only communicate through feelings Choso could pick up.
Understanding Yuuji was completely different. He didn’t use simple phrases or words to describe his feelings. His little brother could talk like Kechizu and Eso, but he refused to confide in him like the other two did.
It took a surprising amount of time until Choso could finally understand his youngest brother.
His brother was kind to a fault, willing to put his life on the line over and over again for the sake of others. His brother was persistent, able to push through the agonizing pain of ruptured organs, broken bones, and losing those he cared deeply about. His brother was brave, unwavering in his fight against curses of all shapes, sizes, and power. His brother was powerful, being a prodigy in his own way with his strength and his ability to be blessed by black sparks.
But most evidently…
His brother was sad.
When Choso met Yuuji in Shibuya, he had seen a formidable opponent who was resourceful, determined, and skilled. After their battle in Shibuya, the fire in Yuuji’s eyes had gone out. An emptiness was now in those honey brown eyes and new scars covered his face. While Yuuji still fought with an overwhelming ferocity, it was an intensity one might see in a machine. Each hit was precise, yet robotic in nature.
The only time Choso saw the fire return was when Yuuji reunited with Fushiguro. He did not know much about the dark-haired boy, but he could see the effect he had on his little brother. For a moment, that fiery and energetic teen Choso first met came back.
When Sukuna took over Fushiguro’s body, that teen disappeared again.
And Choso feared that boy would never return.
Throughout the month they spent training before Sukuna and Gojo’s fight, Yuuji clung to him in a way he had not after the days following Shibuya. It made sense back then since they did not know each other well, but Choso could see that this need to be with him did not stem from a strong brotherly bond. Instead, the half-curse could see how close to shattering his baby brother was.
It took days of gentle prodding until Yuuji finally allowed himself to break in Choso's arms. The wails that escaped his brother’s lips would haunt him for the rest of his life, but he did not falter in his duty as the eldest. Yuuji had gone through so much and far too quickly. All that Choso could do was comfort him throughout each panic attack or meltdown. Yuuji dealt with intense flashbacks as well and needed to be dragged out of training by Choso on several occasions. Many times, the others would cast judgemental looks of varying severity whenever they saw Choso hugging his crying brother.
“Stop coddling him. He needs to get it together if we’re to face Sukuna,” Kusakabe scolded.
“You can’t keep taking him away from practice every time he cries, Choso. We need the little guy at his best. He’s gonna turn into a cry baby if you keep doing this,” Hakari grumbled.
“It doesn’t matter what he's going through. He needs to get stronger,” Maki uttered.
“...Take care of Itadori-kun,” Yuta whispered.
He wondered if there was something about crying that humans did not seem to like. It was treated like a great crime that Choso did not understand. He never shied away from his emotions, and he always encouraged his brothers to do the same. What was the point in hiding how he felt?
“You cry a lot for a guy, ya know?” Yuki snickered. Her arms were draped over the couch Tengen had summoned for their new protectors.
“What does that mean?” He tilted his head at the blonde, not understanding what was amusing.
Yuki blinked at Choso, not expecting his genuine confusion. “Hm. I guess you wouldn’t know about societal roles and expectations, huh? You were stuck in a jar for like a century.”
“I am quite aware of the past one hundred and fifty years I spent with my brothers.”
Ignoring the obvious anger in his voice, Yuki waved a hand. “Yeah, yeah. That’s pretty terrible and all, but I think there is a silver lining to being stuck as a cursed object.”
“And what would that possibly be?”
“You were never taught about the whole ‘boys don’t cry’ thing.” While her tone was light, Yuki’s eyes held something somber, like she was remembering something painful. “Good. I would hate to be stuck with a guy with toxic masculinity. Way too many sorcerers have that. Especially the Zenin Clan. Those boys are a headache!”
When Yuki had said all that, Choso did not understand or particularly care to try understanding what the woman had said. Besides his brothers, Choso could not care less about what others thought of him. He could barely muster any emotions towards ones who were not his brothers. It caused him to get scolded often for spacing out during group training.
They told him he should value his teammates' lives like he valued Yuuji’s.
He refused.
It was not something Choso did to be cruel or spiteful. Being stuck in a dark shed for a century and a half with only his brothers made it exceedingly difficult to make connections outside of his family.
And…
The only person he began to cherish outside of his siblings was already gone.
Choso…This is where you died as a curse…
Killed by the one he hated the most.
…So you must live…This time…as a human.
In the blink of an eye, the building around Choso and the others collapsed. Everything was reduced to rubble, which many of his teammates were buried under. They clearly needed a helping hand.
Humans cared for one another.
But, deep down, he knew that Yuuji wasn’t within the rubble. Something was very wrong and his brother. Wasn’t. Here.
Choso was not good at being a human.
“I need help over here, Choso!” Yuta shouted for him.
Choso glanced at the teenager, shock and worry etched into his face. He should aid Yuta; the boy had been kind to his brother and was a reliable ally.
However, Yuta wasn’t Yuuji.
I’m sorry, Tsukumo...
So Choso ran away.
“WAIT! CHOSO!”
I don’t think I can ever be a human.
Without looking back, Choso raced to find his little brother.
Oh, Yuuji, what have you done?
-
“Ryomen Sukuna. Gojo Satoru...There’s been a change of plans.”
Yuuji curled in on himself. His body began to shake from the sheer weight and intensity of his guilt. Of his betrayal. Tears burned behind his eyes, but Yuuji refused to shed them. After what he’s done, he doesn’t deserve to cry.
A harsh bang sounded against the barrier. Gojo, with a terror he had never heard in his sensei before, pleaded to him. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GET OUT OF THERE, YUUJI-KUN!”
“I’m sorry, Sensei…”
“Yuuji, please. I know you’re scared, but you have to trust me, okay?” Free from his blindfold or sunglasses, Gojo’s desperation was clear to see. “Just take down this barrier and let me take care of Sukuna. Sound good?”
“No.”
“Yuuji.”
“No, sensei. I can’t do that.” Yuuji shook his head, voice broken and watery. “You’ll die.”
Whatever response Gojo had was halted by the almost feral snarl from Sukuna. The murderous rage pouring out of him would be enough to make any person fall to their knees in fear, but Yuuji had long grown accustomed to the curse’s ire. He met Sukuna’s gaze easily.
Rage of his own boiled in Yuuji’s gut.
Instead of the dark clothing Fushiguro preferred, Sukuna had changed into a white martial arts gi with loose harem pants and black waraji sandals with tabi socks. It was just like the curse to change into something old and destroy any modern clothing he came across.
However, it was what Sukuna had done to Fushiguro’s face that Yuuji could not forgive. The markings that Yuuji should have only been cursed with marred what should have been smooth, pale skin. The dark green eyes that had glared at Yuuji countless times, usually paired with the words ‘If you die, I’ll kill you’ or ‘You’re an idiot, Itadori’, were now a blood red. It probably wasn’t normal to think about his friend’s eyes so much, but Yuuji was past the point of caring. It was green eyes that intensely bore into him when Yuuj was told about curses and how his friends might die. It was green eyes that rolled whenever he or Kugisaki were up to their usual nonsense. It was green eyes that softened when Yuuji taught him how to cook ginger chicken meatballs.
It was green eyes that shined with relief when reuniting after Shibuya.
It was green eyes that locked onto Yuuji’s very soul as that deep, comforting voice uttered.
“So start by saving me…Itadori.”
I will, Fushiguro.
The menacing growl that was Sukuna’s voice came from Fushiguro’s face. “What is the meaning of this?!”
From their spot atop a lamp post, Kenjaku swung their feet and giggled. “You heard me, Sukuna! The plan has changed!”
Just when Yuuji thought Sukuna could not look more pissed off, the curse snapped his head at the curse user, neck and forehead vein popping. “WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN ‘CHANGED’?!”
“What I mean is that my dear boy,” Kenjaku paused to point at Yuuji, “gave me a proposition I could not refuse. He seems to have inherited my smarts after all! Hah!”
There was a heavy beat of silence.
“What did you do, Brat.” Sukuna commanded.
He really should be more worried about being sliced to pieces. Instead, he held his head high and spat out his answer. “I am taking you back, Sukuna. You don’t belong in Fushiguro’s body, and I won’t let you kill anyone else.”
“And who are you to stop me?” The hand sign for Dismantle was already forming, and Yuuji readied himself for the upcoming slash.
“YUUJI!” Gojo banged on the barrier again.
“Ah-ah-ah~” Kenjaku waggled their fingers at Sukuna and snapped. Within seconds, Sukuna’s arms and legs were entangled in bindings covered in ancient runes. The shock on the curse’s face was incredibly satisfying to watch. Being caught so off guard had really hindered Sukuna’s reaction speed, which Yuuji had been counting on when he made his plan. “Can’t have my new test subjects killing each other so soon, can we?” The curse user then glanced at Gojo. “The barrier isn’t going to break anytime soon, sorcerer. With those eyes of yours, I thought you would have realized it by now…It feels familiar, doesn’t it?”
“How…How did you get ahold of Infinity?” His teacher ground out.
“Did you think I just threw away the bodies of the Limitless and Six Eyes users after killing them? I hate being wasteful.” A sick smile formed on Kenjaku’s face. They pulled out what looked like a metal ball, which was covered in blue engravings of eyes, and shook it. “I used your descendants to make a barrier that uses their Infinity. I could only make two of these devices, and they only last five minutes…But that’s more than enough time. I hadn’t planned on using them yet as they are a one-use tool, but my son deserves the best.”
Yuuji flinched.
“Now, we should continue with this plan of yours. We had a deal, my boy.”
“I know-”
“BROTHER!”
The teens body whipped to the voice. Yuuji’s heart sank as he saw Choso try to break the barrier with the same desperation Gojo had shown. Choso looked even more terrified as he realized that their shared parent was in the barrier with Yuuji.
“Yuuji, what are you doing?!”
That was an excellent question.
What was he doing?
Betraying everyone he cares about? Absolutely. Working with who was practically the devil? Yup. Going against the morals he had held onto for years? Definitely.
You're a strong kid, so...help people. It doesn't have to be all the time. Just whenever you can. You may feel lost. Don't expect gratitude. Just help them. When it's your time to go, make sure you're surrounded by others. Don't end up like me.
I’m so sorry, Jiji.
He would be breaking his promise to his grandfather.
After this, no one would ever want to be near Yuuji. Both in life…
“YUUJI-KUN, PLEASE DON’T DO THIS!”
“COME BACK TO US, LITTLE BROTHER!”
…and in death.
The broken remains of his heart twisted and splintered further as he turned to face his teacher and brother properly. A tension–too thick for a knife or even Sukuna’s technique to cut through–formed within the dilapidated streets of Shinjuku. In preparation for the battle between the two strongest sorcerers, the citizens had been escorted to what few safe locations remained in Japan. Every building, store, and home remained empty. However, the abandoned city had never been quiet. There were still the sounds of rustling from local wildlife, the many growls and groans from lurking curses, and any further small noises that refused to be silenced.
Yet even those sounds came to a halt. The wind stilled, the birds halted their chirps, and the city finally froze.
“I’m not a person,” Yuuji started, his tone apathetic and dull. “I’m not a sorcerer. Or a murderer…Or a cog.” He said the last part with a hint of wonder. As if the very concept was a deep revelation the very cosmos had whispered.
Gojo and Choso both looked equally heartbroken. The ladder was on the verge of tears while the former clenched his fists so tightly that blood began to fall from the deep indents his nails made. As opposed to the emotionally distraught pair, Kenjaku continued to smile while Sukuna looked seconds from exploding. To prevent the curse from speaking, Kenjaku flicked a finger to make a slug-like curse to cover the King of Curses mouth.
“I thought I could help people.” Yuuji thought of Junpei.
People don't have hearts! They don't...otherwise...that could only mean that they cursed me and my mom with those hearts!
“I thought I could protect the ones I cared about.” Yuuji thought of Nanami and Kugisaki.
You’ve got it from here.
Itadori…tell everyone…It wasn’t so bad!
“I thought I could keep killing curses, so they would never have the chance of robbing people from having a proper death.” Yuuji thought of Mahito.
You are me, Itadori Yuuji.
“I thought I was special in my role as Sukuna’s vessel.” Yuuji looked at said curse. “It was why I was made. I wasn’t born to be a child.”
Please understand. Being a child is not a bad thing.
His breath hitched painfully.
“I-I’m just a thing made for one purpose. To contain Ryomen Sukuna. And I couldn’t even do that.” Yuuji thought of Fushiguro.
Start by saving me, Itadori.
The boy began to tremble. “I failed.”
YOU’RE MINE! YOUR FUTURE AND EVERYTHING YOU WILL EVER POSSESS! YOU DON’T HAVE A SAY IN THIS! YOU’RE HELPLESS! HOW SAD! YOU’RE SO PATHETIC, YOU STUPID BRAT!
Hey, brat, take a good look.
Remember when I said…we’d see…something interesting…brat?
“I keep failing. Over and over again, I keep failing everyone.” It felt like he was boiling alive from the inside with how scalding his festering guilt had become.
All of a sudden, it became too much. The guilt. The shame. The grief.
“So many people have paid the price for my mistakes, but I haven’t! I’m still standing while-while,” Despite his effort to contain them, tears spilled from his eyes in hot streaks. “WHILE JUNPEI IS DEAD. HE LOOKED FOR ME TO HELP. TO SAVE HIM, AND I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING!” It hurt. Everything hurt so much, but he refused to stop. “NANAMIN DIED BELIEVING IN ME! ME! HE BELIEVED I COULD CHANGE THINGS FOR THE BETTER! THAT I WAS SOMEONE TO RELY ON! I’M NOT! I…I never was. I couldn’t stop Mahito in time, and he killed them. Kugisaki could die any moment because I let Mahito touch her! And she smiled at me. She SMILED, KNOWING THAT I LET HER DIE!”
Chest heaving, Yuuji snapped his head away from Choso and Gojo to give his undivided attention to Sukuna. “This is my last chance to do something right, and I don’t care what it does to me.”
His entire body shook like a leaf. Yuuji shared a glance with Kenjaku and nodded firmly. “I’m ready, Mother.”
“Excellent. I can’t wait to see what you will become, my little one.” With a wave of their hand, Kenjaku summed the cursed husk of Tengen. What was once wise and determined eyes were now hollow, dark voids. There was no hint of the original Tengen left. They were just a tool for Kenjaku to use.
Just like Yuuji.
Realization dawned on Gojo and Choso, causing their efforts to break the barrier begin again.
“NO! YUUJI, DON’T YOU DARE!” Tears and sobs escaped from his older brother. “LITTLE BROTHER, PLEASE COME BACK TO US!”
Even Gojo Satoru began to shake. “Yuuji-kun! Please listen to your sensei! Get out of there, now!”
Finally moving from their perch, Kenjaku hopped to the ground. Like a loyal dog, Tengen followed them silently. When they reached Yuuji, the curse user embraced him.
The fabric of their clothes was soft as silk, but their body was as cold as a corpse. Even so, Yuuji leaned into Kenjaku’s touch. Their long hair acted as soft black curtains to hide Yuuji away from the world. Equally cold fingers made their way to Yuuji’s head, stroking the pink strands with what could have been seen as affection by anyone else. Kenjaku pressed their cheek against the top of his head. “What a nice little speech, pet. Such a smart one, you are. We only have about three minutes before this barrier closes, so let’s get started, hm?”
“Okay.” Yuuji whispered, feeling like his mind and body were shutting down from exhaustion as the adrenaline left him.
With a gentle pull, Kenjaku herded Yuuji to where Sukuna was still bound. It seemed like the curse had also caught onto the pair’s plan. Another round of struggling began, but to no avail. Centuries of waiting had allowed Kenjaku to collect and create all means of cursed objects. Most were one time uses, but they were powerful enough to be worth having. If given more time, the curse would likely break free. Neither Yuuji or Kenjaku would give him the chance to.
They only had three minutes, after all.
“Do what I showed you, dear.” Kenjaku released Yuuji and motioned their head towards their target.
Instead of replying, Yuuji stood before Sukuna and knelt down. “We’ll be stuck together again, Sukuna. I know you had lots of plans and whatever, but I don’t care. You won’t be completing them ever again. Now…” He placed his hand against Sukuna’s chest. For a split second, the golden of Yuuji’s eyes flashed to a sinister crimson identical to Sukuna. “Give. Fushiguro. Back.”
“Dismantle.”
Yuuji aimed not to cut Sukuna’s flesh, but the very barrier between Sukuna and Fushiguro’s soul.
“Dismantle.”
He did it again.”
“Dismantle.”
And again.
“Dismantle.”
And again.
Until the barrier split in half. Curse and human now separated. While there was no outward change, Yuuji knew the most important part of the plan was done. He could feel no stirring from Fushiguro’s soul, but that didn’t matter more than the fact it wasn’t combined with Sukuna’s anymore.
Which meant the curse was vulnerable to a very specific ability.
One that Kenjaku possessed.
Two minutes left.
The cursed user placed their hand on Sukuna’s cheek, cupping the tattooed skin. “You’re powerful, Sukuna, and have a mind any scholar would envy. Even so, you’re a fool. I thought you knew better than to trust someone. Especially someone far older and superior than you.” Their fingers tightened around Sukuna’s jaw in a vice grip. In a saccharine sweet tone, Kenjaku continued. “You may be the King of Curses, the most powerful sorcerer in history, and the walking calamity everyone fears, yet to me you are not. To me, you are still that hopeless, lonely little boy. Deformed and deemed a demon by the rest of his village. Desperate for kindness that would never come. Centuries may have passed, but I know you still wish for that kindness even now. For someone, anyone, to love a child with a face even his mother did not love.” A sick smile full of sadism and amusement split their features. Sukuna tried to wrench his head away from them, but their grip held firm. “You should be grateful my son carries the kindness and love to be stuck with the likes of you for eternity. You took your nephew for granted, tsk, such a bad uncle you are. No matter. You two will have plenty of time to bond in the foreseeable future.”
“Goodbye, Ryomen Sukuna.”
With that, Kenjaku used Geto Suguru’s technique of cursed spirit manipulation to pull out the King of Curses from the body of Fushiguro Megumi. As Sukuna was absorbed, the tattoos littering Fushiguro’s body faded away before the teenager collapsed. A black ball with accents of deep crimson formed. Instead of consuming said ball, Kenjaku gave it to Itadori Yuuji. It was likely that, even with their technique, consuming the orb of Sukuna would lead to disastrous consequences for Kenjaku. They were never meant to house him.
That’s what they had Yuuji for.
Yuuji accepted the black and red orb, having far more weight to it than he expected. It vibrated with power. He had no doubts that if they waited too long Sukuna would break free.
One minute left.
Kenjaku motioned for Tengen to come close. With a voice calm and unbothered, as if talking about the weather, Kenjaku made the order. “Merge with my son, Tengen.”
At that very moment, Yuuta, Maki, and the sorcerers now freed from the rubble of the destroyed observation room arrived. Just in time to see the cursed spirit of Tengen grab Yuuji by the shoulders.
“ITADORI!” Yuuta yelled, both in disbelief and in panic.
Just in time to see their sensei fall to his knees.
“NO!”
Just in time to see Choso collapse with a haunting scream.
“I cannot wait to see what beast you will create, boy. Now, consume Sukuna.”
Just in time to see Yuuji swallow a large orb as Tengen began to merge around the boy.
At first, pure white light encompassed them.
Only to be quickly consumed by a raging darkness that billowed in every direction.
“Remember those other conditons, dear!” Kenjaku cooed as that mass of darkness grew larger and larger. A miasma so thick that it was near impossible to breathe filled the atmosphere. Tendrils shot out from the dark mass in every direction.
The barrier protecting Kenjaku finally broke.
But it was too late.
The Merger they had all tried so hard to avoid had come to fruition.
Just not in the way they thought nor ever wanted.
Because it meant that the boy they treasured most was gone.
Itadori Yuuji was gone.
.
.
.
-
.
.
.
Green eyes fluttered open.
Every inch of his body ached fiercely, but he knew that he had to get up. Something deep within him was screaming at him to stand.
Megumi listened.
He collapsed immediatly, but strong arms caught him.
“Gojo?”
“Megumi.”
His guardian sounded more worn down than he had ever heard him before. It was enough to push through the fog of pain and exhaustion that overwhelmed Megumi.
They were in an abandoned city. “What-”
“We need to leave.” Gojo picked up Megumi without warning. The boy could do nothing against the man’s strength.
Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. But what? Why couldn’t he remember? As Megumi’s confusion worsened, his vision improved. He saw his peers. Every one of them look absolutely broken and distraught, yet none bore any injuries.
It was then that he heard it.
A roar in the distance. He tried to look towards the sound, but Gojo’s hand held him still.
Gojo’s hand was trembling violently.
“What-”
“We’re leaving.”
The others clearly heard the man, but none of them seemed happy. Out of all of them, the half-curse who Fushiguro recognized as the one who kept saying he was Itadori’s brother looked the most upset. No, he looked enraged.
“We are not leaving him!”
“We can’t do anything like this! We need to leave and regroup. Think of a plan to get him back.”
“Why would we want that traitor back?” The sorcerer with blue hair snapped. Megumi vaguely remembers him as a player from the Culling Games.
In his hold, Megumi could feel Gojo tense up, a live wire ready to go off.
Instead of Gojo, it was surprisingly Yuuta who snapped. His cursed energy flared threateningly. His typically quiet voice was harsher than Megumi had ever heard it. Another first the teen did not like whatsoever…“Be quiet. No one asked you, Kashimo. Itadori-kun is not a traitor!”
Wait.
What.
“What do you mean by that?” Megumi found his voice.
Another roar sounded, louder than before. However, it did not sound fearsome like the roars of a lion or tiger. It sounded more like a cry, a wail only a creature in pure agony could create.
“What do you mean, Okkotsu-senpai?!” He repeated, struggling to free himself from Gojo’s hold.
Silence.
“Where is Itadori?!”
A third roar was his response. Megumi saw how Yuuta, the Death Painting, Maki, Kusakabe, and Hakari looked towards where the sound came from with only grief in their eyes.
Why would they do that? Why do they look so guilty-
“I’m so sorry, Megumi.” Gojo uttered, voice watery and shattered.
No.
Flashes of memory overwhelmed him.
Tsumiki. A torn pinky. Pain. Cruel laughter. A pool of darkness he lost hope in.
Itadori.
“He’s gone, Megumi.” Gojo heaved out.
The fourth roar sounded akin to a scream.
Further memories haunted his every waking thought.
…Pink hair, softer than the petals of a sakura tree.
You really are dependable, Fushiguro.
Eyes more pure than gold and sweeter than honey.
Fushiguro. It’s okay.
A smile the very sun could not rival in brightness.
It was the first time that the pink-haired boy had doubt in his teacher’s strength. No matter how many times Gojo reassured him and the others that he would win, the pit in Yuuji’s stomach only continued to grow. The intense planning and strategizing in the event that Gojo did lose did not help either.
He had been training every day for the past month to grow strong enough to stand a chance against Sukuna. Everyone had. Yuta, Choso, Higuruma, Kusakabe, Maki, and more had trained as hard as Yuuji had. However, no one knew about Yuuji’s nightly training sessions where he would practice until he physically couldn’t.
Sleeping or taking a break was not an option for Yuuji. Not when it was his fault that they were in this situation in the first place. It had been Yuuji who foolishly released Sukuna in the detention center, killing him and nearly killing Fushiguro. Yuuji had been the one to make the binding vow with Sukuna without thinking of the repercussions. Mahito escaped and Junpei died because Yuuji had not been strong enough. The Shibuya Incident only happened due to Yuuji’s failure to contain Sukuna and save Nanami and Kugisaki. Gojo had been taken by Kenjaku since Yuuji did not catch him in time. Everything was his fault, and everyone was paying for his mistakes. It wasn’t fair. Junpei, Nanami, Kugisaki, Fushiguro…All of them had paid the price for Yuuji’s failures. His sensei was next if Yuuji did not do something. The world needed Gojo much more than Yuuji. Losing Gojo would be a death sentence to all of Japan. It was a fact that loomed over them all, yet it was something no one acknowledged.
Tonight’s dinner was a perfect example. After weeks of nonstop training and planning, Gojo said that a feast was in order. Having enough food before a huge battle was a good idea, but Yuuji knew there was another reason for the dinner. Distraction. Nobody wanted to talk about the danger ahead, especially Gojo. The sorcerer had been nothing but confident this entire month. It was something that made bile rise in Yuuji’s throat. He had avoided his teacher, unable to face him with the knowledge that Gojo could die fixing his mistakes. His sensei had tried to talk to Yuuji multiple times, all attempts that led to the boy running as far as he could. After countless failures, it seemed that Gojo had gotten the message. Perhaps this dinner was his teacher’s last ditch attempt to make them talk. It only made Yuuji feel worse.
Muffled voices and music could be heard from the thin walls of the apartment the sorcerers had hidden in. It was one of Gojo’s many properties. This penthouse apartment was the closest place the man had to Shinjuku, so they had settled there. Any training was done away from the apartment to have the homey environment Gojo was determined to keep. Due to how large it was, everyone had rooms of their own. Yuuji shared one with Choso as the curse was adamant about staying by his side. The two had grown quite close recently as his brother taught him everything he needed to know, with additional help from Noritoshi, about Blood Manipulation. Choso never pushed Yuuji and always knew when the boy needed comfort.
A gentle knock sounded from his door. Right on time. “Little brother, can I come in?”
“Yeah,” Yuuji mumbled quietly from his spot on his bed.
Choso opened the door with a concerned look in his eyes. He held a plate of food and chopsticks in his hands. “I know that you wished to be left alone, but you need to eat something.”
The thought of food made nausea churn in Yuuji’s stomach. “I’m not hungry, Choso.”
“You have barely eaten anything for the past four days, Yuuji. As your older brother, it is my responsibility to make sure you are cared for.” The certainty in Choso’s voice twisted at the broken remains of the boy’s heart. Despite killing Kechizu and Eso and consuming the rest of Choso’s brothers, the man held no ill will towards Yuuji. His brothers meant everything to Choso, and they were all gone. Because of Yuuji. Yet somehow the small connection Yuuji and Choso shared through Kenjaku was enough for the elder to forgive the younger. It made Yuuji want to scream at the elder and make him give the punishment Yuuji deserved. However, the boy knew Choso would rather cut his own arm off than harm Yuuji. Every act of care Choso provided for the teen only worsened the guilt festering in his soul. Choso deserved a better brother. Specifically, one that hadn’t murdered and ate his siblings. “Please, brother.”
Refusing help from anyone else made Yuuji feel nothing. Refusing help from Choso was an entirely different experience. The shame bubbling within Yuuji refused to accept anything from the person he hurt so much. Even so, Yuuji caved in every time, unable to bear the desperation in Choso’s eyes whenever he rejected his care. Today would be no different. Sighing, the pink-haired boy nodded.
In a comforting silence, Yuuji ate his food with Choso by his side. Normally, the teen would have dug into his meal with enthusiasm. Such joy was no longer present. Yuuji’s movements were robotic. Pick up food. Open mouth. Put food in. Swallow. Repeat. Once the plate was cleared, Choso took it and set it on the bedside table on the side of the bed.
“There is something bothering you, little brother. Would you like to talk about it?” Choso, like an oracle, spoke up. When the boy did not respond, Choso placed a warm hand on Yuuji’s head. His fingers carded through the pink locks in soothing motions. It was a ritual the brothers had begun after Megumi was possessed by Sukuna. Yuuji had broken down after the event and would only calm down due to Choso’s steady presence. “I can sense the pain you hold. It is not a burden you need to hold alone.”
There it was again. The unwavering devotion Choso had towards Yuuji. Others like Maki or Kusakabe would describe it as coddling. Perhaps it was. Either way, Yuuji had stopped caring. Choso’s softness and protection acted like the glue to keep Yuuji together. It filled him with piercing shame whenever Yuuji craved his brother’s affection, but he did not have it in him to stop. Without it, Yuuji would shatter from the overwhelming amount of grief that plagued him at every waking moment. Every kind word, every warm embrace, every patient lesson dulled the shards of guilt that stabbed into his soul. Tears started to pool in Yuuji’s eyes. Choso could die tomorrow if Gojo lost. And he knew that Choso would die for Yuuji without hesitation. A whimper left the trembling boy as he buried his face into Choso’s shoulder.
“Oh, little brother. It’s alright.” The elder cooed in a voice so gentle and loving that the crumbling dam that was Yuuji’s mental state broke for the umpteenth time.
Strong arms wrapped around Yuuji as he cried so hard his lungs ached. No judgment or teasing came from Choso, even with Yuuji crying like a toddler. Like the older brother he prided himself in being, Choso held Yuuji throughout his breakdown. Yuuji had lost count on how many breakdowns he had had. His mind was in shambles, his heart was broken, his soul was a disaster, and Yuuji was so tired. He was terrified of what tomorrow would bring. Losing his sensei would doom the country. It would also rip Yuuji apart from the inside. Gojo had taught him, housed him, and protected him since the day he had swallowed Sukuna’s finger. There were many people who had a place in Yuuji’s heart. The loss of Junpei, Nanami, Kugisaki, and Fushiguro left his heart a fraction of what it used to be. There was not much left. He didn’t know if he could continue fighting if anyone else died. Especially his sensei or brother.
As strong as Gojo was, Sukuna was stronger with his experience and tricks. The King of Curses played dirty. Using Fushiguro put Gojo at a major disadvantage. Sukuna now had the Ten Shadows at his disposal, which included Mahoraga. If Sukuna was fighting Gojo without the additional technique, Yuuji would not be as scared as he is now. More important than the Ten Shadows, Sukuna using Fushiguro’s body would make it difficult for Gojo to fight him due to their connection. Fushiguro meant the world to Gojo. If Yuuji was put in Gojo’s position, he would likely freeze. He could never bring himself to hurt Fushiguro.
The grumpy teen had made an impact on Yuuji. It was the first time that Yuuji had felt such a connection to anyone before. Yuuji wanted to be by Fushiguro’s side, make him smile, teach him more recipes, and so much more. He could barely imagine the agony Gojo would be going through as he battled against Fushiguro’s body and abilities.
There had to be a way to prevent it. A way to prevent Gojo from fighting and save Fushiguro.
Yuuji just needed to find it.
No one else would have to die.
The realization helped calm Yuuji’s mind enough for his tears to cease. He still stayed in Choso’s arms, desperate for a comforting touch. His voice now scratchy after crying, Yuuji whispered, “Thank you, Onii-chan.”
“Of course, little brother.” Choso’s own voice became watery from Yuuji’s words. It was the first time that Yuuji called him that. He squeezed Yuuji tighter. “A daunting battle is ahead, and I know it has been plaguing your mind. I will not force you to speak before you are ready. When you wish to talk, I will be there to listen. For now, I urge you to rest, little brother. As I do not need sleep, I have volunteered to take the first watch as the others retire to bed. Will you be alright if I leave for a few hours? If not, I can ask one of-”
“It’s okay, Choso. Don’t worry about me. I’m about to fall asleep anyways,” Yuuji lied. He knew that he would be staying up tonight, but Choso had enough to worry about. There were still curses that roamed the streets, so taking watch was an important job. Curses that Kenjaku had more than likely sent-
An idea formed into Yuuji’s mind.
It was stupid, likely the stupidest idea he’d ever have, but there was no time left to think of alternatives.
Before Choso left the room, Yuuji wrapped his arms around the other’s waist. “Thank you for everything. Thanks for being my big brother, Choso. You’re the best.”
While small, the smile on Choso’s face held such joy that it was impossible to ignore. “As are you, little brother.”
The door closed, and Yuuji was left alone once again.
Once the boy could no longer hear Choso’s footsteps, Yuuji sprung from his bed to sit onto the small desk at the corner of his room. He opened and closed several drawers until he could get the materials he needed. Paper, pencils, and envelopes. If his idea worked…then…
Yuuji would never get to speak to his friends and family again.
Everyone’s fates were on his shoulders. He could save them all. They would be furious at him, but Yuuji would not be around to care. Better for them to hate him and be alive than love him and be dead.
His pencil snapped in his tight grip. Stop. Don’t think. Just write. Luckily, there was a spare pencil for him to use. Yuuji continued to write until his hands were smudged and his fingers were stiff. Ripped pages began to litter the floor as Yuuji cycled through letter after letter. He had to keep rewriting them when his tears broke the paper or his mind blanked on what more to say. Everything passed in a blur as Yuuji wrote to all the people who had made an impact on his life. The boy had even written letters for Junpei, Nanami, Yaga, and Kugisaki. It was when he was on his letter to Gojo that he was stopped by a knock on his door.
It had not been enough time for Choso’s shift to end, and the knock itself was different to his brother’s.
“J-Just a second!”
Yuuji couldn’t hear the reply, nerves too frayed to pay attention to anything else besides hiding the evidence of the letters. His hands shook violently, but he managed to put everything away in record time. He returned to his bed and took a deep breath, willing his body to calm, and readied himself for whoever was at the door. “Come in!”
“Yuuji-kun!”
A head of white hair poked into his room. Yuuji could feel his heart stop as Gojo walked inside with his signature wide smile on his face, which Yuuji did not return. It pained the boy greatly. He and Gojo used to be on the same wavelength. Their energetic personalities mixed well, much to Nanami and Fushiguro’s chagrin. But now, Yuuji could not meet his sensei’s gaze.
Since Yuuji was too busy looking at his lap, he did not see the hurt in Gojo’s eyes. It had never been this awkward and tense between them before. In a surprisingly quiet voice, Gojo continued. “Can I talk to you, Yuuji-kun?”
Hearing his sensei after weeks of silence brought tears to Yuuji’s bloodshot eyes. Throughout the boy’s life, the only close connection he had was with his grandfather. While Yuuji tried to make friends growing up, his efforts were for naught. Yes, he would receive praise and plenty of shoulder pats from his peers at school, but their attention was dependent on his physical abilities. If Yuuji did not have inhuman strength and speed, then he would have blended into the background like most teenagers did in highschool. All of his friendships in Sendai were shallow, only built on what he could do instead of who he was, and Yuuji could only blame himself. He did not put in the effort to deepen his connections or make more meaningful ones. Yuuji did not mind being a loner. Most of his time went into caring for his grandfather anyway, even before he was hospitalized. Despite how harshly the old man scolded him, Yuuji refused to join any additional clubs or go outside with other children. Every time Jii-chan was out of his sight, a terrible weight would settle in his chest, making Yuuji imagine the potential ways his grandfather could get hurt without him there. The only way to make that crushing pressure dissipate was being with Jii-chan. He was all that Yuuji had, and losing him was not an option. He cared for his grandfather not out of a sense of kindness, but fear. Jii-chan gave him grouchy lectures, insulted him, pinched his ears when he got in trouble, made the worst food, but Jii-chan gave him safety. That was all that mattered to Yuuji, and he was desperate to keep it. However, his wishes were ignored as his grandfather succumbed to his illness. Yuuji did not have time to grieve or even think, learning that malicious spirits were real, and he might have doomed the two people he’d grown fond of to a gruesome death. After swallowing Sukuna’s finger, everything changed for Yuuji. He was introduced to the world of jujutsu sorcery and given a new purpose: to swallow the rest of Sukuna’s fingers and die to be rid of him for good. It was a goal Yuuji could understand, accepting it with little hesitation as his grandfather’s last words hung in his mind. Help others. Die surrounded by people who loved him. Yuuji did not expect to have people who cared about him after Jii-chan’s death, but he was proven wrong. Fushiguro. Kugisaki. He finally had friends who loved Yuuji for being Yuuji. With Gojo…Yuuji felt safe again.
“Yuuji-kun?”
Tears dripped down the teen’s cheeks. When Gojo-sensei had been trapped inside of the Prison Realm, Yuuji’s safety was ripped away from him. He had missed his teacher every day and was terrified throughout Gojo’s ensealment. Yuuji hid his fear deep inside him, showing an apathetic front for everyone else. Only Sukuna knew how scared Yuuji truly was, which the curse used to torment the boy constantly. The relief that Yuuji felt once the Prison Realm was opened overwhelmed him. Back then, the pink-haired boy was ecstatic to have his sensei back. Overjoyed to have Gojo’s jokes, his smiles, his stories, his warmth, his protection. As Yuuji had come to learn, luck would never be on his side. Gojo returned, only to immediately challenge Sukuna to a battle in December. Like a flame being smothered, Yuuji’s hope for happier times disappeared.
And the guilt came crawling in. The battle would end after someone died. Gojo could die and that realization haunted Yuuji. Too many of his loved ones had left him, their demises were on Yuuji’s shoulders. He could not carry any more, he knew he would break if he did. Be shattered beyond repair. The weight tripled as he met his teacher’s worried gaze. Instead of a blindfold, Gojo wore his usual black sunglasses, his blue eyes almost glowing in the dim light. He looked serious for once, and Yuuji wanted to push him out of the room. His plan…His stupid, stupid plan would make Gojo despise him. Yuuji felt his chest hitch painfully at the thought. This is my last chance to talk to him.
Finally, Yuuji managed to whisper weakly, feeling like a pathetic child as he did so. “Hi, Gojo-Sensei.”
In response, Gojo chuckled and walked further into the room. The tension was as strong and impenetrable as the man’s infinity. Staying uncharacteristically quiet, the Limitless user gazed at the depressing room before sitting down on the chair beside a messy desk. After several moments of deafening quiet, a deep sigh left Gojo’s lips. “I know that you are upset with me, Yuuji-kun. You’ve only heard about how strong Sensei is, only for him to get sealed in a damn box and leave you to the wolves. I said that I’d keep you safe, but I…failed. You don’t deserve to suffer for my mistakes. You must feel so betrayed and I can’t blame you-”
“THAT’S NOT IT AT ALL!” Yuuji launched from his bed and snapped as a fire that had not been lit in months roared to life. He rapidly blinked away the building tears, curling his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white and his palms had deep indents from his fingernails. “I was never mad at you, Gojo-Sensei…I don’t think I could ever be angry with you…not after everything you’ve done for me.” He did not back away this time from his teacher’s eyes. “So, please, never say that again.”
-
For once, Gojo Satoru had been struck silent. His typical taunts or quips felt miles away, leaving him without anything to say.
This kid. The man shook his head fondly. In all his years as a jujutsu sorcerer, he had never seen someone like Itadori Yuuji. Someone with a pure heart many in jujutsu society, including himself, lacked. Someone with a drive to do good that was stronger than any of Gojo’s techniques. Someone with an unshakeable resolve in his beliefs, keeping to them no matter how much suffering the boy endured.
And Yuuji did suffer. So much so that Gojo had to vomit in Shoko’s trashcan when she told him what his precious student had gone through.
Shoko took a deep drag of her cigarette. For once, he didn’t scold her or complain about the smell. An emptiness was in her eyes that wasn’t there before, which made Satoru keep his mouth shut. The sorceress raised a brow at him. “What do you need this time, Satoru?”
“I need you to tell me what happened to Yuuji-kun when I was sealed.” Without any of his typical fanfare, Satoru sat down on Shoko’s exam table as the only chair available was occupied by the doctor. He tugged his blindfold off to reveal eyes as exhausted as Shoko’s. His hands ran through his hair in a nervous habit. “I’ve tried to talk to him, but Yuuji-kun basically runs away before I can even get a word out. It’s like he’s scared of me now.”
A snort escaped from Shoko. “Trust me, Satoru, that boy is anything but scared of you. He idolizes you, and I’m not talking about idolizing ‘Gojo Satoru: The Strongest’. Yuuji-kun looks up to ‘Gojo Satoru: The Person and Teacher’.” Shoko took another drag of her cigarette, sighing deeply. “Which doesn’t make any sense considering how annoying you are.”
Instead of replying to the teasing, Satoru processed her words in silence. He was very used to young sorcerers idolizing him. Why wouldn’t they? He was the strongest sorcerer in the world. However, Shoko just blatantly said that Yuuji didn’t look up to The Strongest like everyone else. Satoru could count on one hand the amount of people who treated him like a human. Maybe it would have been two hands if so many of those people hadn’t died…
“If I had to guess, Yuuji-kun is avoiding you, not because he’s scared, but because he’s guilty.” Her normal monotonous voice softened to something somber. Shoko then put out her cigarette on the cigarette tray beside her. “...He blames himself for your sealing. For everything that has happened thus far.”
Satoru felt like his heart had just been stabbed, which, thanks to a certain Zenin, he already knew the feeling of. “Why would he feel guilty over that? It wasn’t his fault!”
“Try telling him that.”
“God, what happened to him, Shoko?”
The wall of apathy Shoko typically showcased cracked. She rubbed her hands down her face, and her eyes landed on the pink and purple threads of the bracelet around her wrist. Yuuji had made it for her after the whole ‘coming back to life after getting his heart ripped out’ thing. Since the kid had to be hidden away for the time being, Satoru had been the one to give her the gift on his behalf. It wasn’t like the professional woven bracelets she had seen at the stores Satoru sometimes dragged her to. No. This one was much more uneven, clearly made by inexperienced hands. Even so, she valued it more than she thought she would.
Sentimental gifts were something Shoko was used to receiving. As one of the very few sorcerers who knew how to use reverse cursed technique on others, many were grateful for her assistance. She was showered in presents and gratitude she never liked to accept. After all, it was only a matter of time before whoever she healed was sent to her in a body bag. She had stopped growing attached to the faces who crossed her office. Stopped displaying the gifts she was given as all the cards, flowers, souvenirs, and other bits and baubles became akin to gravestones.
Leave it to the infamous Itadori Yuuji to catch her off guard. The boy was good at surprising even the most seasoned of sorcerers, even Shoko.
And she had failed him. Just as badly as she had failed her only other friend. One with awful bangs and an even worse brain.
“Shoko?”
Satoru’s uncharacteristically gentle voice snapped her out of her inner musings.
Her fingers twitched, aching for a cigarette.
Instead of reaching for the pack beside her, Shoko looked at the worn bracelet on her wrist.
“Shoko, what’s-”
“He saw Kento get killed in front of him.” The woman kept her eyes on the pink strands. It was starting to fray. “The patchwork curse used its technique to blow up his upper half. Kento’s body was already in bad shape after the volcano disaster curse burned his entire left side.”
A quiet gasp of horror and grief escaped Satoru. He was opening his mouth, about to say something before Shoko continued.
“He then saw Nobara get attacked by the patchwork curse. It slapped the left side of her face and used its technique on her too.” Shoko took a shaky breath in. “The patchwork curse then proceeded to beat Yuuji to near death.”
“Shoko-”
“By all means, Yuuji should have died…He had stopped fighting back entirely. It’s only because of Todo Aoi that he lived.”
“Sho-”
“The patchwork curse would be absorbed by Kenjaku and then they used its technique to start the Culling Games.” Her hands were beginning to shake. “The higher-ups reinstated the order for Yuuji’s execution. Yuuta was the executioner, entered a binding vow and everything. He was tricking them, obviously, but he still had to ‘kill’ Yuuji for the vow to be fulfilled. He stabbed Yuuji in the heart. Healed him as soon as he could. Good thing I began mentoring him, right?”
“They did what-”
“Yuuji’s been beaten and nearly killed so many times and he never has a lick of anger towards his attackers. The only time he did was when Sukuna took Megumi’s body. Turns out that Yuuji coming back to life after his heart was ripped out did have a price.” Her inner cheek bled from how hard it was bit. “Sukuna took over Yuuji’s body with the likely help of a binding vow. Poured all of his cursed energy into Yuuji’s pinky, ripped it off, and force fed it to Megumi.”
She swallowed the blood in her mouth.
“So yeah. A lot of things fucking happened to him, Satoru.”
Instead of replying, Satoru launched for the waste basket beside her desk and began to heave into it. After several brutal seconds, which felt like hours, of hearing Satoru’s stomach empty itself, her best friend could only look at her with what felt pure agony. “Fuck.” He pushed the bin aside and yanked at his hair. It was harsh enough that Shoko feared he might scalp himself. “FUCK! I was an idiot! I should have just kept him hidden from the higher-ups. Why did I ever think that-”
Already sensing the guilt building within her closest friend, Shoko interrupted him for what seemed like the millionth time. “Yuuji is Kenjaku’s kid. I don’t think anything you would have done could have stopped him from getting dragged into this mess.”
“He’s what?!”
“You missed a lot.”
“I did…” Satoru spoke bitterly. “I’m going to rip all of them apart. Starting with the higher ups, then with Sukuna, and ending with Kenjaku. I don’t give a shit about doing things the right way anymore.”
“Not that I’m disagreeing with you, but you shouldn’t do it for Yuuji. He’s already guilty enough for the deaths Sukuna caused in Shibuya. He doesn’t need any more consciousness. If you do it, don’t make it seem like its revenge. Just do it quietly.”
A broken laugh came from Satoru. “Wow, Yuuji-kun must really like you better than me if he told you all this.”
“That’s the thing, though. He didn’t.” Shoko let out a puff of laughter. She held up one hand and began to count. “Todo told me everything that happened with their battle against the patchwork curse, the Death Painting that follows Yuuji-kun around told me about his mental state–turns out the two share the same shitty parent–, and Mei-Mei’s crows filled in the rest. Didn’t need to pay her a dime for all the info after I threatened to have you kill her on my behalf. Which I still want you to do.”
“Gladly. I’ve had to kill so many of her crows since I got out. And seeing Ui-Ui just makes me wish I had never given her so much money to do anything.”
There was a long lapse of silence after that. Satoru rose from his place on the floor and put his blindfold back on. His arrogant smile returned. “Well! This has been a great conversation, Shoko, but I’m on a tight schedule. I have to do some pest control later today.”
“I’m assuming you don’t want me to mention anything?”
“Yup! No one needs to know about me doing such a boring thing! It’s just some rats that need to be cleared out.”
“Maybe some monkeys too.” She drawled.
“HAH! Maybe.” Satoru turned his back and began to walk towards the door. Before he turned the knob, he glanced at her over his shoulder. “Take care of Yuuji-kun while I’m gone, okay?”
Something in her twisted at that, but she ignored it. “Sure thing. Get me some coffee when you get back.”
“You betcha!”
Once Satoru left, Shoko was left alone in her office again. She would end up falling asleep on her desk. Honestly, she slept more here than on her actual bed. There was likely dust on the unused blankets and pillows by now.
It didn’t matter how badly her shoulders or neck hurt, she still had work to do. She would need coffee first, however.
Her wish came true. When she turned her head to the other side, there was a still steaming cup of coffee from her favorite cafe.
A small sticky note with a smile was on the side.
There were bloodstains all over it.
Shoko smiled to herself. “About damn time.”
If only Gojo could kill the old geezers again…he had not felt so satisfied by doing something in such a long time.
…Yuuji would hate it.
And that was enough for Gojo to put his murderous rage aside. There were many things he would do for this boy.
“Alright. I won’t say it again.”
“Thank you, Gojo-sensei.” Yuuji went quiet, fiddling with his left hand. Specifically, with the missing nubs of his pinky and ring finger. The latter had been given for Rika to eat so Yuuta could copy the techniques Sukuna’s presence engraved into Yuuji. When he spoke again, it was in a trembling whisper. “I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused you, Sensei. I couldn’t contain Sukuna like you wanted a-and so many people died because of-”
Not thinking twice, Gojo rose from his chair to envelop Yuuji in a tight hug. At first, the boy tensed at the touch before completely melting into the older’s arms. Gojo’s heart twisted and shattered as tiny sobs shook Yuuji’s frame.
“S-Sensei-”
“If I can’t say you’re mad at me, then you can’t say that, okay?”
Yuuji flinched, but nodded. “...Okay.”
“Okay.”
It was then that Gojo realized how tiny the boy was. Most people were small to Gojo as he was a ‘stupid towering beanpole’ as Utahime would say. However, Yuuji always had such a large presence that he never truly noticed. Without the sunshine the teen emitted in droves, Yuuji was left in a darkness Sukuna, Kenjaku, and so many others had forced onto him. Not only that, but the kid was skinnier too. Gojo could feel the muscles underneath the fabric of Yuuji’s clothes, but he could also feel the knobs of his spine and see the slightly sunken nature of his cheeks.
He held on tighter. One of his hands began to card through Yuuji’s hair. The strands were soft to the touch but tangled in some areas. He used his fingers to get rid of the knots as gently as possible.
“Sensei?”
“Hm?”
“...I don’t want you to fight Sukuna.” The misery in Yuuji’s voice tugged at the already strained strings of Gojo’s heart. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Yuuji-kun. Your Sensei’s the strongest, remember? I can handle Sukuna, no problem!”
“What about Fushiguro?” If Gojo wasn’t right next to Yuuji, then he wouldn’t have heard the faint words.
“I’ll beat Sukuna out of him, and then he could go back to his regular, grouchy, and non-evil self. Just leave it to me, alright?”
“You shouldn’t have to.”
“Yuuji-kun-”
The boy pushed away from Gojo, looking down at his knees. “You shouldn’t! It’s not fair! You’re always putting yourself in danger for everyone else! It’s not fair!”
“I’ll be fine, Yuuji-kun. Do you trust your sensei?”
“Yeah…”
“Then you should trust that Sensei knows what he’s doing.” Gojo booped the younger on the tip of his nose. “I never do things that I don’t want to do. Don’t you remember how mad Kusakabe got when I refused to learn how to wield a katana?”
The smallest giggle left Yuuji, which Gojo counted as a win in his books. “He got so red that Choso thought he was using Blood Manipulation. Yuuta-senpai couldn’t hold in his laughter and Maki-senpei started laughing too…Why didn’t you want to learn it?”
“Cause it looks boring, and I didn’t feel like it.” Gojo shrugged, earning another giggle from his student. His joking demeanor soon returned to a more serious, yet gentle one. “I never do things because I have to. I do them because I want to. And I want to fight, Yuuji-kun. I want to protect my students. I want to beat the tattoos off of Megumi-kun and kick Sukuna’s ugly ass. Do you understand?”
“Yeah.” The teen went silent again. After several long moments, Yuuji looked at Gojo with an indecipherable emotion within his eyes. “I don’t want to lose you, Sensei.” His voice grew watery. “I can’t lose anyone else.”
“You won’t.” Gojo hugged Yuuji again. He placed his head atop Yuuji’s, holding him just as tightly as last time.
“You don’t know that.” Yuuji uttered, burying his face into Gojo’s neck. “You don’t know that.”
“Maybe I don’t.” He admitted honestly. “But I don’t care. Even if I die, I know I’ll die fighting to protect the ones I care about.”
“I don’t want you to die, Sensei.” Yuuji cried out.
“It would be a proper death, Yuuji-kun. Isn’t that why you agreed to be a sorcerer? To protect others from dying from curses or Sukuna as that wouldn’t be a proper death?”
For the third time, Yuuji went quiet.
He was quiet for a very, very long time.
“...I love you a lot, Sensei. Just remember that for tomorrow, okay? Promise?”
God, this kid. Gojo blinked away the shock in his core. His surprise faded as pure warmth bloomed to replace it. The first thing he would do when he won would be to get adoption papers. “Alright, I promise, and Sensei loves you too, Yuuji-kun. You’re a really good kid. You’re the best of all of us, Yuuji-kun.”
Gojo swore to himself that he would protect his students. He would protect his two kids. Megumi needed his help more than ever. Tsumiki deserved to be put to rest after the hell Kenjaku had put her through.
Yuuji softly snored against him, having practically cried himself to sleep.
Perhaps it was more accurate to say three kids now.
Trust me, Satoru, that boy is anything but scared of you. He idolizes you, and I’m not talking about idolizing ‘Gojo Satoru: The Strongest’. Yuuji-kun looks up to ‘Gojo Satoru: The Person and Teacher’.
…Yeah, definitely three kids.
.
.
.
.
.
.
When Yuuji woke up, he was alone in his room, but a blanket that had not been there before was draped over him. It was a deep navy and felt like it cost more than he could make in his entire life. The softness was heavenly, so much so that Yuuji had to use all of his willpower to take it off.
Choso would be back from his night watch soon. He needed to act now or he would lose everything.
Like he had done many times before, Yuuji wrote a note to his brother that he would be out to train and would return later. He placed it on his bed and put on a black hoodie to fight off the chill. Now or never.
Yuuji climbed out the window of his room and escaped into the darkness of night.
When he was several rooftops and miles away, he looked at the moon, full and shining down beams of silver light. “Kogane.”
Nothing happened.
“Kogane.”
Nothing.
“Kogane!”
“Hiya!” The peculiar shikigami appeared. Yuuji sank in relief. He had no idea what his status as a player of the Culling Games was after everything that had happened. The skull-faced being looked at him expectantly. “What do ya need, Itadori Yuuji?”
“I need to contact Kenjaku. Please.”
The Kogane went still.
It twitched.
A different voice then came from the small shikigami. One that filled Yuuji with burning hatred and icy dread. “I’m already listening, dear. What is it?”
“I need to talk to you. In person. And I need to do it sooner rather than-”
Suddenly, a cold hand was on his shoulder. “Done!”
He yelped, but the hand did not budge. It just squeezed him further. When he turned to look at the one responsible, Yuuji could not stop the snarl that left him. The stitches on Kenjaku’s forehead seemed to sneer at him. It sickened him that this was technically his mother. Ew.
“It’s quite interesting that you would call for me the day before your dear Sensei and Sukuna are meant to fight. From what I’ve seen, you aren’t quite fond of me.”
“I’m not.”
“Yet I remain untouched by those black flashes of yours.” The curse user hummed. Kenjaku finally released him to look at the moon. “It’s also why I wasted a perfectly good curse to teleport me here instead of killing you.”
There was tension in the air as Yuuji responded. “But you’re too curious about why I called you in the first place to do that.”
“Correct! You should hurry, though, I am starting to get bored already.”
“Fine.” Yuuji decided to sit down. It was obvious that Kenjaku did not see him as a threat whatsoever. It was the twisted curiosity that Yuuji had witnessed time and time again that he relied on for this plan to work.
This awful, stupid plan.
Obviously, Kenjaku would never do anything for Yuuji. Being their son meant absolutely nothing to them, so there was no leeway to use. There was no parental-maternal-whatever instinct in Kenjaku. All he was to them was a tool. An experiment.
A vessel.
“I have an idea that you might want to look into.” Yuuji spoke calmly. “Want to hear it…Mother?” He spat out the last word.
Kenjaku tilted their head before sitting down beside him. Without warning, they cupped his cheeks and moved him around, inspecting the teen. Their dead eyes searched into his wary ones and a hand moved through his hair. “You are more interesting than I thought. Tell me, son, what is your idea?”
So Yuuji told them…
And Kenjaku smiled. They smiled and smiled until Yuuji worried their lips would split apart.
“I say we have a deal.”
And Yuuji felt like the scum of the Earth.
He felt like scum as he accepted Kenjaku’s terms.
He felt like scum as he listened to Kenjaku’s advice.
He felt like scum as he left.
He felt like scum as he returned to his room.
He felt like scum as Choso greeted and hugged him.
He felt like scum as he woke up with the others and watched Mei Mei’s livestream.
He felt like scum as he used his strength and Shrine to bring down the building they were watching the battle in–just like Kenjaku taught him to.
He felt like scum as he pushed Gojo away from Sukuna.
He felt like scum as Kenjaku created a barrier Gojo was not able to break.
“Ryomen Sukuna. Gojo Satoru...There’s been a change of plans.”
…He felt like a cog that was finally put in the right machine.
"Now, I have a question for you. What should we do with him?"
“Even if he is a vessel, jujutsu regulations demand Itadori be executed. However…I don’t want to let him die.”
“Your personal feelings?”
“Yes. Please do something about this.”
“Now it’s a request from a precious student! Leave it to me!”
.
.
.
When Megumi asked him to save Yuuji, it was a request that Gojo had every intention of fulfilling. The more he got to know Yuuji, the more he understood as to why Megumi wanted the boy to live. Yuuji was kind, selfless, and had a smile that could light up the world.
Gojo never thought that Yuuji would need to return the favor. He was the strongest after all. The strongest did not need to be saved.
But he was wrong.
Yuuji pushes him away from Sukuna, who had stolen Megumi’s body weeks ago. All the planning for Gojo and Sukuna’s fight is thrown to the side as Yuuji takes his sensei’s place.
A barrier surrounds a shocked Sukuna and solemn Yuuji, one that Gojo could not break.
Then a voice that sent chills down Gojo’s spine breaks the silence. A voice that belongs to a long haired man with stitches across his forehead.
“Ryomen Sukuna. Gojo Satoru...There’s been a change of plans.”
Hello, dear readers! For any visiting from AO3, hello :D! For those reading exclusively on Tumblr, here is a guide to the cursed souls that are in this fic. This will include a guide to the names and inspirations behind the cursed souls, concept art of the characters (particularly the cursed souls), fanart I have received :D, likely a future Q & A or FAQ, and more! Let's get started!
AO3 Link
Start Fic On Tumblr Here
CURSED SOUL NAMES
Gojo = Infinite
Nanami = Overtime
Choso = Supernova
Todo = Boogie
Megumi = Chimera
Nobara = Resonance
CURSED SOUL DESIGN INSPO
Gojo = Infinite (Based on Eastern Dragon for overall design, Harpy Eagle for talons and beak, White Peacock for vibes and tendency to spread his tail)
Nanami = Overtime (Based on Mummies for his wrappings, Lava Monster for the left side of his body (I pictured Te Ka from Moana the most), Daki from Demon Slayer for her ability to control and weaponize her cloth sashes)
Choso = Supernova (Based on Black Main Coon for overall body, Porcupine for his spines (but I also wanted to incorporate his iconic spiky spacebuns with the spines), Antman for his ability to shrink and enlarge (purely bc I really like Paul Rudd)
Todo = Boogie (Based on Tibetan Mastiff and Grizzly Bear for overall body, Cubone from Pokémon for the skull helmet he wears, and his pendant is a reference to the pendant Todo is seen wearing during the Shibuya Arc (he's seen kissing it in the intro for anime-onlys)
Megumi = Chimera (Based on Hexxus fom Ferngully bc of his goopiness, Susuwatari from Studio Ghibli bc of his ability to shrink into his own shadow and his sea urchin-ness, Gaster from Undertale for more goop inspo)
Nobara = Resonance (Based on a Marionette Doll for her body and movement, Biollante from Godzilla for here weaponized roses, and Mannequins from Resident Evil 8 purely for the creepy factor she can have)
CURSED GUARDIANS CHARACTER CONCEPT ART (Not Complete)
Infinite
Chimera
Overtime
Resonance
Boogie
Supernova
Sukuna
Ryomen
Baby Yuuji
CURSED GUARDIANS FANART!
I received some beautiful pieces of fanart from one of my readers who is an incredible artist. All the works so far featured are drawn by @n0bluev! Check them out on Tumblr!
All fanart is tagged with #cursed guardians fanart
Fanart by @n0bluev: Infinite Chimera Baby Yuuji Cursed Soul Shenanigans
I am honored by all creations made from this fic! I'm always open to any submissions or questions! This fandom can be quite unhinged at times, but also very sweet. Y'all are the best!
Favorite color: i basically love everything pastel, but my latest fixation is purple (lavender, to be more specific)
Last book: currently reading "Rules for Surviving in Jakarta" (it once was a haikyuu fanfic!! it's a whole book now)
Last movie: i rarely watch movies, but i think it was "Deadpool & Wolverine" as well, watched it when it came out~
Last TV show: currently watching season 11 of "The Walking Dead", just on principle
Sweet/savoury/spicy: i have a sweet tooth. people say "you're not made of sugar", well, i am
Relationship status: singleee and not looking for anyone (i have 2d characters to gaze upon, duh)
Current obsession: there's not a day when i have not thought about satosugu since july 2023
Looking forward to: winter holidays, 'cause i'm getting drained, i need to recharge and see my bestieee... also summer (vacay and WARMTH and everything's GREEN and COLORFUL).
Tagging: @n0bluev @xo-arcie @kymsys @senorita-patita @nattoppet-dj (no pressureee, of course)
Last song : Spectre by Radiohead cuz my oc is going through it -- (honorary mention to The Christmas Song / Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire sung by our beautiful angel Anuc & whatcha say jason derulo)
Favourite colour : anything blue/turquoise/green leaning has been hitting différent this year, soothing in a way. bonus points if there are soft purple highlights here and there (cold colour trio unite !!!!)
Last book : started Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, no opinion on it yet
Last movie : The Boy and the Héron, i didnt get to see it when it came out
Last TV show : ARCANE ARCANE ARCANE SHEJJEJ
Sweet/Savoury/Spicy : born to be a sweet tooth forced to be a spicy uh .. spice gourmet ?
Relationship status (lmao!?) : dont care about dating at all but im very-cringefailloser-much in love with my best friend and it has not gone away, so. Maybe i care just a little when it comes to her now ha ha (only time can tell if im doomed yuri situationship fated or if i win, wish me luck loll enough tea for u!!!) (written in tiny because im shy sjsj)
Current obsession : satosugu....and whoever theyve had an impact on or can parallel... so like..... the entire jjk cast satosugufied..? TT ahhaha (frequent orv & occasional alien stage popups in my brain also)
Looking forward to winter holidays : BECAUSE LINK CLICK S3 IS COMING OUT SOON!!!!! AAAA .. but also .. ☝️ because i want to roll in snow with friends while we all take a breather, winter is quiet it feels nice
Last Song: Goodbye from Arcane (Specifically a version made my Samuel Kim who does AWESOME orchestral music. Love listening to him when I’m writing intense scenes!)
Favorite Color: Red! Purple is a close seconds, but red is my OG favorite. The shades of red I like the most are definitely burgundy, crimson, and ruby!
Last Book: The Odyssey by Homer (I love Greek Mythology sm. And listening to Epic the Musical has only made it worse lmao)
Last Movie: Hell House LLC from 2015 (I never watch horror movies but my friends wanted to see something spooky. I got jumpscared sm 💀)
Last TV Show: Arcane Season Two (I will never recover…)
Sweet/Savory/Spicy: I have a HUGE sweet tooth so definitely the Sweet option. Brownie Brittle and Dark Chocolate are my biggest weaknesses 😭
Relationship Status: Single! Never dated and not interested in dating anytime soon, but a QPR would be nice :,)
Current Obsession: Writing too many fanfics…so many ideas for stories about JJK, HTTYD, Hazbin Hotel, and now Arcane bc it’s PEAK. I already have plenty of fics I’m working on but the pile keeps growing!!!
Looking forward to: GETTING A BETTER LAPTOP! The one I’ve been using for years just broke a week ago for the second time and I’m losing it. Besides that, I’m super excited to see Sonic 3! I’ve always known about Sonic but I never really got into it until I started watching Snapcube’s Sonic Fandubs! Now I’m hooked and love the little blue menace (Sonic Prime is so good) Besides that, I’m glad for the holidays so I can finally see my siblings again and I can stay inside more often to write!
(Absolutely No Pressure!) Tagging: @pineapple-cowboy @mwentallyunwell (we’re not mutuals but I think you guys are awesome: @drawbauchery @adyophene @knightfire) @belladonazeppole (you leave such nice comments on my Deer’s Darling Series!)
“Do you hate humans, Sukuna?” The question escaped Ryomen’s mouth before he could think twice about his words. It had been a year since he had met Sukuna, and the thought had plagued him ever since.
With a piece of suspiciously-sourced meat in his mouth, the curse looked at him with a raised, unimpressed brow. His face irked Ryomen. They looked like twins, which only served to remind Ryomen of the reason why he had endured such torment. Two faces. That was what his name meant, and he finally realized that the second face was Sukuna. Two sides of the same coin.
He hated it.
“Why would you ask me about such a useless topic?”
“Humor me.”
“...Alright. In truth, I cannot say that I hate humans. I simply hate what is weak. While a majority of humans do qualify as pitfully weak, there are a few notable ones that I cannot ignore. If one is strong, then I could care less about if they were human or not.”
Ryomen went silent for a long, long time. Then, he started to laugh. “I did not expect that. It seems that I’ve misjudged you.”
“How so?”
“I thought you were a monster that only craved power and bloodshed, but there is something else to you that I foolishly ignored.”
“It would not be the first time one thought of me as mindless. Tell me, what is this ‘grande epiphany’ you have gotten about me?”
“You’re kind. Far kinder than I could ever be.”
.
.
.
-
.
.
.
The worst part of Ryomen’s day was always waking up.
Some said that new days brought new beginnings. Others said that new days brought new challenges. Ryomen believed neither. To him, a new day brought old memories. It sounded like a contradictory statement, but when this was your second life, it was easy to be reminded of things from your first one in every little thing. Simply waking up in a warm bed caused countless memories to resurface. Memories of him sleeping on dirt or straw, daydreaming of laying on something softer. Memories of him using a burlap sack as a blanket on his luckiest days. Memories of him begging for a place to rest during the worst of winter and being denied on every occasion. The fact that he now had a comfortable bed with soft sheets and fluffy blankets was still difficult to believe. He had been raised to survive, and no amount of time could take that instinct away. Even after one thousand years. There would always be a part of him that was prepared to return to the streets, that he should not become accustomed to living a comfortable life. That it would be taken from him soon enough and he’d be back to where he started. Starving. Cold. Hurt. And so, so alone.
“Dammit.” Ryomen whispered to himself, forcing his darkening thoughts to quiet. He pressed his palms into his eyes and sighed harshly. The day had barely started, yet he was already spiraling. With little grace, he took off the silk covers of his bed and stood up to head to his bathroom. Having a bathroom attached to one’s room seemed like the height of luxury to Ryomen when he first learned of it. Little did he know that plumbing and electricity was just the tip of the iceberg. The modern era was so advanced that Ryomen had a difficult time believing sorcery was not involved in some capacity. In truth, the only magic at play was human ingenuity. If he did not hate humans as much as he did, then he would have felt respect for them.
He would never respect a human.
Technically, sorcerers were humans. The only difference is that they had inhuman abilities. It was still enough for Ryomen to separate the two. Humans and sorcerers were two different species in his mind. He hated both, but one of them was far worse in his eyes.
It had been the human villagers who had scorned him, the villagers who had beat him, the villagers who had hated every fiber of his being.
So he would hate them in turn.
The pink-haired man silently turned on the shower, hoping the noise would stop his thoughts all together. Ryomen knew he had a bad habit of overthinking. It was what he needed to do to live another day in the Heian Era. He had to think of every possibility and how to deal with it if he were to survive. Staying alert and aware kept him safe. While Ryomen knew he did not need such a mindset anymore, accepting it was far more difficult than acknowledging the problem. The modern world they lived in was not free of its dangers either. In fact, it was more dangerous than the Heian Era. His old life had been dangerous because he was always at risk of dying from starvation, dehydration, or hypothermia. With Sukuna, things were much less risky from the power they wielded. Now, the one Ryomen treasured the most was in danger of being taken or killed by a monster named Kenjaku. Losing Yuuji once had broken Ryomen beyond repair. The only reason that he had continued to live after his death was due to Sukuna’s piecing him back together. If he lost Yuuji a second time, then there would not be anything left for even Sukuna to heal.
Not caring if the water was too hot or cold, Ryomen abruptly stepped into the shower. Luck seemed to favor him for once as the water was a perfect temperature. A comforting warmth dripped down his back until the feeling of wet clothes broke him out of his reprieve. Oh. He had completely forgotten to undress. Fuck, I’m really out of it today. After he quickly discarded his sleepwear, Ryomen returned to the warm water with a soft sigh. Each droplet felt like bliss against his scarred back. It was a permanent reminder of the cruelty the villagers were capable of. The raised flesh bore the scars of brutal lashings, most of them were caused by a chain. The chain that had belonged to the farmer Ryomen had frequently stolen from. The same chain that Ryomen had welded into a makeshift weapon. Despite it being centuries since the injuries were inflicted, Ryomen’s scars would forever cause him great pain. Reverse cursed technique could do nothing against scars or phantom pains, so Ryomen knew he would have to live with it. Additionally, there was light scarring around the tattoos that circled his thighs and calves. In his youth, there had been other street urchins who he had to compete for resources with. They enjoyed tormenting him by slicing into the markings that labeled him as a blight amongst the village. Similar to painting over a bland wall, they had wanted to cover his unsightly markings with something better. Before they could cover the entirety of his markings with scars, Ryomen learned how to defend himself and give them scars of their own. Thankfully, the scars along the tattoos on his legs brought him no discomfort. Only Sukuna and himself knew of their existence as the black coloring of the tattoos hid the scars quite well.
There had once been a time where Ryomen had been ashamed of his scars, but someone had made him realize the truth of scars.
It was one of the only things he could remember about Yuuji’s mother.
“The marks of your flesh tell quite a story. One that is painful and pathetic but one that is triumphant and wise. It speaks of your failures and your successes. It shows the strength you have gained to survive and the knowledge you have gained to prevent such scars from forming ever again.”
He had only known her for mere weeks when they had laid together after a long night of drinking sake she had stolen. Even so, Ryomen had loved her deeply. The kindness she showed him made someone as touch-starved and lonely as Ryomen become foolish. Even so, he was grateful to her for giving him Yuuji. He just wished that she had not been a part of the clan he despised so much. The Itadori Clan. But he knew better than anyone that one could not control where they were born into. If it wasn’t for her, Ryomen would not have known the true reason as to why he was cursed to live such a tortured life.
“I recognize you. You’re a Ryomen, correct? My clan has spun many tales about your kind. The ‘Two Faced Demon’ is what they call you. A being that appears during a twin pregnancy, consuming both fetuses within and using the mother for nutrients until she dies. All Ryomen’s are born with black markings that make them easy to detect. The demon has plagued the Itadori Clan for generations, but would you like to know the truth? It’s a lie my clan has spun to clear its name of any wrongdoing. When a servant or consort becomes pregnant by an Itadori member, she is sentenced to death in the guise that she was carrying a Ryomen demon. Your mother was just another whore they killed to keep their name and their bloodline clean. The only reason you were not killed was because your mother ran away before she gave birth. She was caught eventually, and we thought that you would die to the elements without her. I am glad that you survived. When my clan told me the story of your mother, it planted seeds of doubt within me as a child. Now, I hope that I can help you bring justice to you, your mother, and all that have fallen due to the Itadori’s deceit.”
Ryomen could barely remember her face, but he would never forget her words. For years, he had wondered as to why the gods had forsaken him. In truth, it had never been the gods. It had been the Itadori Clan. They had labeled him as a demon and had likely spread their tales to the masses, his village being one of the fools who believed them. At least, he had gotten his revenge on both.
Steam billowed out of the shower as the water against Ryomen’s back immediately evaporated. Whenever he was too emotional, his cursed energy would become unstable like the fire he wielded. The anger he felt towards that clan would never fade. However, he had more important things to do. Losing himself in rage was not what he needed for today. He would be testing the four sorcerers for the final time to see if their alliance was something worth keeping. It was a four day event, one day dedicated to each sorcerer. Yesterday was Nanami’s test, and the man passed with flying colors. His natural durability and ability to remain calm under pressure was impressive. Out of all the sorcerers the pink haired man had come to know, Nanami was the one who Ryomen could respect the most. The blonde’s morals were unbreakable. His dedication to protecting his son was truly proven the previous day. Now, Getou was up next.
Breakfast first. Test later. Ryomen scolded himself. He finished his shower and dried off, trying to free his mind of any further memories or thoughts. There was a six-year-old he needed to check on, so losing himself in his worries was not an option. On autopilot, he dressed himself, brushed his teeth, shaved any stubble, and made his way to his son’s room.
Only to have his stomach drop.
Yuuji was clearly having a nightmare, but there was something off about this one. Blood. Crimson streamed from his nose, mouth, ears, and eyes. The boy’s brow was furrowed in distress while his lips muttered a string of pleas to stop. All of his guardians were surrounding him to attempt to comfort him. Once he ran to his son’s bed, he could see the bloodstains all over his blankets. His heart was beating out of his chest. Yuuji was hurt. His son was hurt and crying and scared. Supernova, who was curled around the sobbing boy’s neck, looked the most unsettled he had ever seen the normally calm cat. Chitters of worry came from Chimera and Resonance. Whines escaped from Boogie. Overtime was using his wrappings to card through the child’s hair.
“What happened?” Ryomen snapped his head to Infinite. The feathered dragon was already staring back, something that the man could feel behind the being’s mask. Infinite had been a huge help in figuring out the treatment for his son’s nightmares. Like Gojo, the cursed soul had unique eyes that could see the unseeable. “Infinite. What. Happened.”
Infinite clicked sharply at the other cursed souls as he left the rafters. All but Supernova moved to provide pace for the largest of the group. He cooed at Yuuji in an attempt to wake him up, but it did not work. Yuuji continued to cry and bleed. Ryomen felt himself trembling at the sight. Flashbacks of angry shouts, burning flesh, Yuuji’s cold body in his arms filled his mind without mercy. As if knowing the panic about to erupt in Ryomen, Infinite trilled loudly to stop the upcoming spiral. Without glancing at the other, the draconic bird gently pressed his beak against Yuuji’s forehead. Silence filled the room, Ryomen waiting his baited breath, as Infinite looked into the child’s mind.
Then Infinite wrenched his head away as if he was burned, screeching.
“WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!” Sukuna appeared out of thin air, his voice like a thunderous boom. When his gaze locked onto Yuuji, the curse gasped. “Shit! Move out of the way, you dumb bird!” He pushed Infinite out of the way and scooped up the boy in his bottom pair of arms. Supernova snarled, but Sukuna paid it no mind. The curse’s palms glowed a gentle white as his Sukuna’s reverse cursed technique activated. He used his upper pair of hands to begin healing whatever damage Yuuji had incurred. His eyes screwed shut and his mouth turned downwards in a scowl. After a few moments, Yuuji’s cries stopped as well as any further bleeding. Sukuna opened his eyes with an indescribable emotion with them. “He was bleeding internally. The damage his organs sustained was from blunt force trauma, but there is no way that someone was able to break in and hurt him without anyone realizing. The brat isn’t strong enough to do that damage to himself either-”
A shrill squawk interrupted the curse. Infinite was shaking his head vehemently. It was evident that the cursed soul was trying to communicate what he had seen in whatever way he could. His tail opened to the fullest extent, the countless eyes within looking as panicked as Ryomen felt. Complex patterns of trills and chirps came from Infinite. Seeing that neither Ryomen or Sukuna understood, Infinite snapped his beak at the air in frustration. He turned towards Chimera and shared chitters with the shadow being.
“He saw something, right?” Sukuna asked the other man.
No response came from Ryomen. His mind could only process Yuuji’s bloodstained face and cries. Why. Why now. Why. NOW. Why does his son always have to suffer? It was not fair. Yuuji was an innocent child who had always been kind to others. He was gentle, selfless, considerate, and so much better than any other person. Yet, time and time again, Yuuji only suffered. First, it was the treatment his son received in their village. Second, the refusal of his elders to treat his ill son during a plague. Then, his son died a slow death that could have been prevented. If it wasn’t for Sukuna, then Yuuji would not have had this second chance. Ryomen had given his soul and body for Yuuji, yet it wasn’t enough. Yuuji had his guardians, Sukuna, and Ryomen to protect him in this new life. Sukuna had gone to great lengths to ensure his nephew’s safety. It wasn’t enough. When would it ever be enough? Ryomen had even allied with sorcerers, something he would have never imagined, to provide more protection to Yuuji. These next couple days were for said sorcerers, who were being tested to see if they are fit for Yuuji. Everything was for Yuuji as Yuuji deserved everything.
And Yuuji was hurting.
It felt like all the years Ryomen had spent securing the shrine, improving his own techniques, creating a safe house if things went wrong, and overseeing the training of four sorcerers was all for naught. What was the point of all his efforts if Yuuji continued to suffer? What kind of father helplessly watched their child be tormented by nightmares? A useless coward.
Ryomen was useless.
He knew how to survive through the harshest winters and summers
He knew how to survive without access to a crumb of food or droplet of water.
He knew how to defeat several opponents at once.
He knew how to turn entire armies into nothing but smoldering ash.
He knew how to make himself a weapon capable of killing the strongest of sorcerers.
He knew how to remain undetected from his enemies.
He knew how to wield his cursed energy with the same expertise as Sukuna.
He knew how to defend himself.
He knew how to hide.
He knew how to kill whoever crossed him.
But he did not know how to help the person he loved most.
His precious son. His little cub. His pain never stopped. Was it Ryomen’s fault? Had he angered some greater power by bringing Yuuji back to life? Did Yuuji’s suffering become worse because of Ryomen?
Was resurrecting Yuuji a mistake?
No. Ryomen immediately told himself. It would never be a mistake.
Even as he saw Chimera’s eyelights twist into an image of his son being beaten by an unknown figure, the pink-haired man refused to entertain such a thought. His nails threatened to puncture his skin with how tightly his fists were clenched. He would find a way to stop Yuuji’s nightmares. It was his job as his father to protect him. Ryomen had been shielding his son from the outside world for good reason. Kenjaku was out there, waiting for the correct moment to strike. However, Ryomen had failed to shield Yuuji from himself. For whatever reason, Yuuji’s mind seemed to only work against the boy.
“Someone was hurting him in his dream, and the damage appeared on his physical body.” Beside him, Sukuna translated the image Chimera had shown.
It was troubling news. Ryomen could not help but reach out to Supernova in order to soothe his shot nerves with the cat’s soft fur. Luckily, the feline allowed it. The stress was a shared feeling amongst himself, Sukuna, and the guardians. “How can a nightmare do something like that?”
“A regular nightmare can’t. It’s impossible. For damage within the mind to transfer into damage to the body could only mean one thing.” Before he revealed it, Sukuna paused as Yuuji started to cry again. He held him closer.
“What is it?! Spit it out!” Not appreciating the silence, Ryomen snapped at the other.
“I’m getting to it, asshole.” Sukuna snapped back. He sighed deeply before continuing. “His soul is being tampered with. There are only three who are capable of that: myself, Kenjaku, and Mahito. The last is a curse that I said won’t be born until 2018, so he is obviously not the culprit. I’d never hurt the brat like that, so I’m out. Kenjaku must be-”
“Didn’t you say that the guardians could detect something like that? They have pieces of Yuuji’s soul to specifically ensure that this couldn’t happen. Are you trying to tell me that Kenjaku magically figured out a way to bypass that?” He did not bother to try to mask the irritation in his voice. Familiar anger began to boil within his veins. Sukuna was not telling him everything. “It can’t be an outside force.”
“Kenjaku has experimented on souls before, so it is possible-”
“Don’t bullshit me, Sukuna! The guardians would have been alerted no matter what! That’s what they’re here for! It’s impossible for them to fail their purpose!”
“I am telling the truth! Yuuji’s soul is being messed with! Why the fuck would I lie about something like that! Damage to the soul is very serious, Ryomen!”
“I know that!”
“Then why are you arguing with me about who is hurting him?”
“Because you’re lying! It’s impossible for the guardians to not feel a single thing if Kenjaku was manipulating Yuuji’s soul! You’re hiding something from me! You always do! Just tell me what it is or else I swear I will kill you where you stand!”
“How dare you accuse me of-”
“There’s something within him, isn’t there?”
Dead. Silence.
“I-”
“You know exactly what it is, don’t you.” He did not need to ask anymore, it was a fact. Ryomen could recognize the guilt and conflict within Sukuna’s eyes. It was a look the curse got every time Yuuji had nightmares or did something no normal child should do. “Tell me.”
Sukuna refused to answer.
“TELL ME THIS INSTANT, SUKUNA!”
At the shouting, Yuuji’s cries grew into wails. Ryomen quieted immediately, but he looked at Sukuna with a message in his eyes. This isn’t over. The two tried their best to comfort Yuuji as the bleeding restarted. While Sukuna cleaned him, Ryomen smoothed his fingers through his son’s hair. Like always, they stopped their fighting to care for Yuuji. It was tense, and Ryomen was about to snatch Yuuji into his arms to take him to his own room when the door opened.
The four sorcerers had heard the commotion.
That’s right. They are here for four days to complete the final exam. It’s Suguru’s test day. Great. Just one more thing to deal with.
-
THE STRONGEST FAM 😎🙊🐺🌸💅🧸
gumibear: can we skip school if you guys are on vacation?
ShadowSister: Megumi no
gumibear: stfu tsumiki
ShadowSister: Fine then
ShadowSister: Guess us girls will enjoy boba and sushi for lunch and not you
gumibear: wait
ShadowSister: Too late! Meanies don’t get free boba
Lights.Camera.Action: lmao sucks to be u megs!
gumibear: can i retract my statement
ShadowSister: No <3
mimi&co: Didn’t Gojo-san and Getou-san say that they were on a mission?
gumibear: yeah but they’re still away for the next 3 days
Lights.Camera.Action: hm that’s fair
Lights.Camera.Action: 3 days with no school does sound pretty great
ShadowSister: Nanako no
Lights.Camera.Action: nanako yes
gumibear: one more for skipping
ShadowSister: Absolutely not.
ShadowSister: They’re working on this mission. Not relaxing. We should keep working ourselves.
ShadowSister: And you guys need to practice your techniques
ShadowSister: Megumi, I know that you’re so close to taming Nue
ShadowSister: Nanako, weren’t you so excited to use the new camera Getou bought you?
ShadowSister: As for Mimiko
ShadowSister: You’re doing amazing!! ฅʕ•ᴥ•ʔฅ
mimi&co: ฅʕ•ᴥ•ʔฅ
Lights.Camera.Action: okay no skipping
gumibear: i think u have a curse technique
gumibear: ‘curse speech of being a good samaritan’
ShadowSister: Or just common sense
ShadowSister: Now quit texting and start getting ready for school
gumibear: tsk
ShadowSister: I’ll re-invite you to boba
gumibear: deal
A soft chuckle left Suguru’s lips as he read the group chat Satoru had made for themselves and the kids. He could always count on Tsumiki to prevent their younger ones from being irresponsible. She was a kind and respectful girl who kept her siblings in check. Especially her brother. Megumi was quite the menace despite what his calm demeanor would have you believe. The boy knew about the ‘mission’ they were on, and he still wanted to skip school. Ryomen had been pushed quite a lot in allowing Suguru, Satoru, Nanami, Shoko, and Megumi to know about the shrine and Yuuji’s existence. Having anyone else, even if it was Megumi’s sisters, aware of his home was too much for Ryomen. Nanako, Mimiko, and Tsumiki only knew Yuuji as the boy that Megumi tutors, nothing more. It did not feel, for lack of a better term, good to lie to his family, but Suguru did not have a choice. Megumi likely felt the same. While he was moody like any other preteen, he cared deeply for his sisters. Having to keep such secrets was straining. At least, it was for an important reason.
Even so, Suguru hoped that Ryomen would have enough trust in him to tell his daughters after today.
It was his turn to be tested, and Suguru knew that his ‘final exam’ would be much different than the others. He would not be facing any of the cursed souls like Nanami had, but Ryomen himself. The man had kept to his promise in training Suguru in the ways of martial arts and cursed energy. Ryomen was brutal with his teachings. Suguru had assumed that Ryomen’s teaching style would be far more nurturing based on how gentle he was with Yuuji. Oh, how wrong he was. The curse manipulator quickly learned that the softness Ryomen showed to Yuuji was exclusive to the boy and the boy alone. Whenever Yuuji was not the focus, Ryomen would become more temperamental and violent than Sukuna.
Seeing the stark difference between Ryomen with Yuuji and Ryomen with everyone else made Suguru realize something.
The King of Death.
It was not just Sukuna’s title.
It was also Ryomen’s.
When Suguru had told this to his friends, none of them were surprised. Ryomen’s tendency to be a mother hen vanished and was replaced with something far more callous the moment Yuuji was out of the room. The resentment that would appear in the pink-haired man’s expression was familiar to Suguru. He recognized such disgust because it was the same look Suguru would get when looking at non-sorcerers. Over the years, Suguru’s hatred for non-sorcerers had ebbed. Slightly. While he no longer wanted to kill all non-sorcerers, it did not mean that he let go of his old beliefs about protecting them. Tsumiki was the only exception. He would do anything for her, but all other non-sorcerers could rot for all he cared. The rest were monkeys. They would always be monkeys. The only difference now was that Suguru could see a non-sorcerer as a valuable person if they were good enough. Tsumiki was more than good enough to shed any semblance of ‘monkey’ from herself. Besides her, Suguru had not met any other monkey that could escape said title.
His disgust for monkeys had been the focus of many training sessions with Ryomen. As it turned out, Ryomen held his own hatred for humanity. The difference was that the fire of Suguru’s hatred could be quelled by Satoru and his friends while Ryomen’s hatred had become an unstoppable inferno. Additionally, Ryomen only had Sukuna to talk to for hundreds of years. In terms of ethics or morals, Sukuna was not any better than Ryomen.
At times, Suguru could not help but wonder what would have happened if he hadn’t had Satoru to bring him to the light. Would he have gone through with his plan to kill all non-sorcerers? Would he have been shunned from jujutsu society and labeled a curse user? Would Satoru have been sent to stop him if Suguru defected? Such questions haunted Suguru’s mind during sleepless nights. However, he would stop himself as he remembered the life he gained now. A life he would not have had if he chose to leave the day Satoru and Nanami called him for help. He was happy now. He had three daughters and a son. He had a boyfriend who was the love of his life. Yes, he had lost his goal to kill all monkeys, but he had gained so much more. Something so much better-
“If you tell me that Riko is a monkey who deserves to die, and you mean it whole-heartedly, then I will join you and help eradicate all non-sorcerers. I’ll even make a binding vow that will ensure my loyalty if you have doubts. Just tell me you hate Riko, and I’ll go with you to make your plans become a reality.”
Yet there were times where Suguru felt…unsatisfied.
He kept feeling like he had failed in some way. Every time he was assigned a curse to exorcize, the plans he had thrown out came back with a vengeance. Haunting him. Tempting him. Wanting him to return to his initial goals. Reminding him that there would be no more curses if there were no more monkeys. Promising him a utopia to live in once all the non-sorcerers had been killed.
“What makes you think a society of sorcerers would be better?!”
“If non-sorcerers are monkeys, then I’m a fucking monster!”
“WHAT DOES THAT MAKE THEN, HUH?!”
“DO YOU KNOW HOW BADLY I WANT TO BE HUMAN?! I DON’T WANT TO BE SOME FUCKING WEAPON!”
“I NEVER ASKED TO BE A SORCERER, AND NON-SORCERERS DON’T CHOOSE TO SPAWN CURSES!”
“I’LL NEVER BE A HUMAN! NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRY!”
“I’m a freak of nature. So…How can you hate non-sorcerers so much if I’m worse?”
No matter how many times his dark thoughts came back, there was always someone there to prove each belief wrong. Suguru held onto Satoru tightly from where they rested on the couch. His one and only. He would be that someone, time and time again, to remind Suguru about the good that’s worth protecting.
The good that Ryomen kept making him forget.
“Monkeys? You think non-sorcerers are monkeys? That’s an insult to every monkey on this planet.”
“Never forget that hatred. Use it. Control it. Make it the fuel that strengthens each strike.”
“Humans are selfish creatures. They only work in their own self interest. They are idiotic, cowardly, and cruel. The moment you forget that is the same moment that everything you’ve ever loved will be ripped away from you.”
“Only a creature as powerless as a human would give into fear that would make them beat a child at any opportunity. And only because that child is different from the rest.”
“My son did not die of illness. He died because the humans of my village saw him as the spawn of a demon.”
“Non-sorcerers are not monkeys, child. They’re much, much less.”
“They’re maggots.”
A sudden shriek interrupted Suguru’s increasingly morose thoughts. Satoru ripped himself out of his partner’s arms while Shoko and Nanami shot up from their places on the wide couch. The sound was coming from down the hall where they all knew Yuuji rested. Without hesitation, the group ran to the child’s room to see what had happened. It was not a sound the boy had made, it was too animalistic to be human.
Infinite was the only one who could make such a sound.
He shared a look with Satoru. “Do you sense anything different?”
“Yes and no. There aren't any new signatures that I can detect. But I think Nanami needs to be in the front.” Satoru’s fist clenched at his sides. The lighter and darker blues within his eyes clashed against each other like warring seas. It was something Suguru had yet to grow accustomed to, the lack of clarity and addition of darkness. When Satoru locked his gaze onto Suguru, the dark blue had seemingly won the battle as there was only a sliver of light blue left. “Stay in the back, Suguru. Yuuji…Yuuji-kun can’t see you or else his nightmare will get worse.”
“Why?” Suguru whispered. The four were now outside Yuuji’s door, able to hear the muffled voices of Ryomen and Sukuna arguing. Unease churned in his stomach.
“...I just know.” The reply held none of Satoru’s typical humor.
Nanami frowned at the vague answer, but he still moved to the front like the elder had asked. The day had barely started and Suguru felt like going back to bed already. He did not want to think about why Infinite had screeched, nor why Yuuji could not see him. Was Yuuji scared of him? Suguru had never seen any fear whenever the boy interacted with him. In fact, Yuuji always welcomed Suguru with hugs and giggles. The child even bought Suguru candies because he wanted to make the ‘yucky curse taste’ go away. It was a kind gift that did help Suguru be free of the taste of shit and vomit after he ingested a curse. Did Yuuji do that for him because he was scared? The thought made Suguru sick, but he knew that Satoru’s judgment was not to be doubted.
Once Nanami opened the door, Suguru knew that Satoru had been right.
Yuuji was sobbing into Sukuna’s arms as the curse cleaned the boy of the blood on his face. All of his guardians stayed close to offer as much comfort as they could to the poor child. However, his cries only grew louder. Ryomen was carding his fingers through his son's head as he tried to reassure him, to no avail.
Then Yuuji’s eyes opened, instantly looking at Nanami. Chubby arms reached out to the blonde and the child let out a heartbroken wail. “N-NANAMIN!”
Once Sukuna released Yuuji, the boy sprinted over to Nanamin, burning his head into his legs. His arms were reaching towards Nanami insistently. The man picked him up without hesitation despite the tears and snot. Silence encompassed the room as, slowly but surely, Nanami calmed Yuuji down. It was the first time that the sorcerers had witnessed Yuuji be so upset. While Ryomen had mentioned the child’s tendency to have nightmares, they never thought that they could be this intense. In addition, Yuuji had cried for Nanami with a desperation that disturbed Suguru. He had heard the same desperation in his own voice after Toji told him that he had killed Gojo Satoru. The desperation that only appeared when you could no longer see someone because they were dead.
He was not the only one who had the same thought. Ryomen was boring a hole into Suguru. The temperature of the room began to rise as Ryomen stood up and walked to the curse manipulator.
Ryomen placed a hand on Suguru’s shoulder. “We’re going.”
And Suguru did nothing to stop him.
Neither spoke, too overwhelmed with what they had just witnessed to speak. They made their way through the hall until Ryomen’s training dojo was in sight. He did not need to say anything for Suguru to change out of his pajamas with the spare change of clothes he kept. The moment he finished changing, the heat in the room skyrocketed. Ryomen’s body was trembling in barely contained fury.
“Your test starts now.” Ryomen said, tone free of all emotions.
“What must I do to pass?”
“Don’t think about that. Don’t think about anything.”
Something happened. Something must have happened for Ryomen to act so rashly. He had heard Sukuna and Ryomen arguing before they entered, but Suguru could not hear what it was about. Even so, the long-haired man breathed deeply. He cleared his mind as ordered. Clearing his mind of the kids, of Satoru’s ominous words, of Yuuji’s terrified cires, of the guilt threatening to swallow Suguru whole. Everything. “Alright.”
“Good. Now,” he paused as vibrant, orange flames encompassed Ryomen’s fists, “take a stance.”
Suguru allowed the dark shadow of his own cursed energy to cover his entire arms. It was a technique that Ryomen had invented himself. One fueled by hatred. Despite himself, Suguru smiled. “I’m ready when you are, Sensei.”
An equally viscous smile split across Ryomen’s face. “Then let’s begin. Allow yourself to forget the morals that have been ingrained into your mind. There is no need for understanding or compassion in this room. It’s a simple place to be your worst self. A self free of all limitations.” The man stopped to gaze knowingly at Suguru. His numb tone was replaced with the same viciousness of the fire he wielded. “What will you imagine as you strike me, boy? I know I am imagining maggots.”
“Monkeys.”
“Hm. You always do.”
“And I always will.”
-Four Years Ago-
“Why haven’t I heard of this technique before?” Suguru’s voice both held awe and skepticism. His hands, which were on his lap, twitched with the intense desire to note down every word Ryomen was saying. However, the elder had told him that he was not allowed to record any of his teachings. It was frustrating, but Suguru knew better than to refuse the paranoid sorcerer.
Pride shimmered in Ryomen’s eyes as he answered. “Because it is one I created.”
Questions flooded into the black-haired man’s mind. Creating a technique was something that was considered impossible amongst jujutsu sorcerers. A sorcerer was born with their technique, and there was no alternative. It was this fact that made inheriting techniques so important that clans would refuse to intermingle with one another to keep their bloodline ‘pure’. Those with powerful techniques were seen as superior and acted as such, leading to the development of the Big Three Families: the Kamo Clan, the Zenin Clan, and the Gojo Clan. However, it did make sense that such a terrible hierarchy would encourage others to find ways to improve their own techniques or become stronger. It led to the creation of Simple Domain and cursed weapons. Using new ways to better one’s technique was common, but creating an entirely new technique with no pre-existing foundations was not. Though, it was possible that Ryomen had used something to form the technique. What that was…Suguru almost did not want to know.
In the privacy of Ryomen’s personal dojo, the elder appeared the most relaxed Suguru had ever seen him. It left Suguru feeling uneasy. Ryomen was more calm, yes, but there was a rage simmering beneath the surface that the man was seconds from unleashing. The room suddenly heated up as Ryomen gazed at him with amusement.
“I can see a million questions flying around in that head of yours.” His tone was teasing, yet his smile was sharp. With a sigh, Ryomen stood up and approached a wall that had displays of various weapons, mostly daggers. He approached the largest knife at the center of the wall and pulled as if it was a lever. A click sounded, and Suguru gasped at the sight. What was once a solid wall had now split in half to reveal a hidden treasure that made bile rise in his throat. It could only be considered treasure in someone’s deepest nightmares. Behind the wall was not a prized blade or jewels or anything remotely valuable. Horrific was the only word to describe what was behind the wall.
Bones.
Hundreds of them.
Skulls, femurs, phalanges, jaws, and so much more.
And they were human.
Every single one was human.
“What…What is this?” Suguru whispered shakily.
There was no emotion in Ryomen’s voice. “It’s the remains of all who had tried to kill me. Sorcerers and non-sorcerers alike. Don’t fret, there’s no children in there. Even I would not stoop that low.”
“That doesn’t make any of this any better! Why did you-”
“Keep their bones?” Ryomen interrupted with a scowl. He quickly schooled his expression before picking up a random skull. After rotating it in his hands for a few moments, the elder turned to look at Suguru. “Tell me, boy, what do you think cursed energy is?”
While Suguru did not want to answer, his curiosity pushed him to see where the conversation would lead. “It is a powerful energy source that stems from intense negative emotions and beliefs. Sorcerers are able to wield it in certain ways while none-sorcerers generate the cursed energy. Curses are born when there is an abundance of cursed energy.” The answer came easily as it was one of the first things he was taught when he first discovered his technique.
A hum of approval came from the pink-haired man. “Everything you said was technically correct, but there is much you have yet to learn. Cursed energy is not just spawned of negativity, it is a part of nature. It belongs in this world as much as light or sound energy. The only difference is that it was not allowed to grow any stronger due to Tengen’s damn barriers.” His grip on the skull grew tight, making Suguru fear that it would shatter under the pressure. Ryomen then released his hold to place the skull onto the floor where they had once been sitting. The sorcerer sat down with an expectant look that Suguru reluctantly gave into. Now sat, Ryomen pressed a finger on the top of the skull. “Light, sound, heat, wind, electrical, chemical, and countless more are forms of energy we are familiar with. Cursed energy is meant to be an energy formed from death. Over the years, it has been changed to negative emotions by the elders. They did not want the knowledge being spread as it would have led to massacres by those who wished for power…”
Which is what you had done. Suguru kept the thought to himself, knowing that he was in a tense situation that could grow worse if he antagonized Ryomen. An image formed in his head. The painting of the ‘Scorned’ sat atop a throne of bones while Sukuna loomed over him. All this time, he had thought that the image was only showcasing a myth, that it was exaggerating certain aspects of Ryomen’s history to appear more threatening. It was never an exaggeration, and Suguru suddenly felt quite claustrophobic. He needed to leave, warn the others or prepare to attack, but his limbs refused to move. The curse manipulator did the only thing he could do: analyze and learn. “How exactly does cursed energy come from death?”
“Interested, aren’t you? I’m relieved I do not need to waste any more time to convince you of the truth. Death is a part of life, a part of nature, a part of this world. You cannot have life without death. Energy comes from many living things, and the same is reflected to those that have passed on. Our bodies spend constant energy to keep us going. When we die, the energy must go somewhere, so it exits the body as cursed energy. The belief of negative emotions being its source stems from the fact that many people die with regrets, anger, or fear. Have you ever wondered why you feel exhausted after an emotional outbursts? Many animals cannot cry as it can dehydrate them, yet humans do it all the time. Our brains only want to survive, so it would not make sense to waste resources like water due to emotional pain. Unless our emotions are seen as equally important as keeping our hearts beating. Energy is put into our grief like it is put into making your legs move. Combine the energy of our final feelings as we die and the leftover energy our body has left and cursed energy is formed.”
“Then why do schools produce cursed energy if they are not surrounded by death?”
“Have you ever been in class and silently wished for death? Have you ever said you will kill yourself if you fail an upcoming test? Have you ever wanted to die instead of doing a tedious project or presenting in front of the classroom?” Even though Suguru was silent, Ryomen had already gotten his answer. He sighed again, placing his hands in his lap. “When you are young, death is not seen as something terrifying. It’s being hurt that scares a child as pain is far easier to grasp than the concept of dying. The sentiments of death draw in nearby cursed energy like a magnet. Everything we do costs energy, even thinking. That small piece of energy acts like a lighthouse used for boats. Unlike other types of energy, cursed energy can act on impulses. Similar to a brainless jellyfish. It just knows what it needs to do.”
“What about other negative emotions unrelated to death?”
“Well, death is mainly seen as something negative. Like I said before, a living being often dies with regrets or shame. Animals will usually feel fear before death. Those witnessing a loved one die would not be jumping for joy, no?”
“So those emotions are what attract cursed energy, but they will not create cursed energy unless they die?”
“Exactly. Cursed energy is only released in death, but the cursed energy that already exists tends to travel towards places associated with the negative emotions death brings.”
“...And the bones?”
Ryomen went quiet, clearly thinking hard on how to phrase his next words. He could see the poorly hidden disgust and fear within Suguru’s eyes. However, the man was not going to stop now that he had started. This was important, and Suguru was the one who needed to learn this technique the most. After learning of the boy’s past, Ryomen knew that Suguru was the only person who he could convince to see reason. Suguru had hate in his heart. It was obvious from the moment Ryomen had met him. It was something they had in common. The boy had potential, immense potential, but he was being held back by morality. Specifically, the morality his friends instilled in him. No matter.
Suguru would succumb to his hatred at some point, it was inevitable.
As Ryomen picked up the skull again, he continued. “Cursed energy lingers, especially in the remains of the dead. Even in a skull as old as this, there are traces of it to use. Cursed Extraction is the technique I created to absorb the energy from the dead and use it to strengthen my own innate technique. As long as one can wield cursed energy, they can extract it.” To emphasize his point, the skull was enveloped in a bright blue flame, the most common color of cursed energy. He summoned an orange flame in his unoccupied hand. Slowly, the blue flame grew smaller as the orange flame grew larger. The cursed energy was being absorbed. “It improves your techniques, opens doors that would have stayed closed, and makes you the most powerful person in any room.” The blue flame then went out. Immediately, golden flames erupted from Ryomen’s palm. The heat was nearly unbearable as the fire twisted itself into a whirlpool of flames with them in the center. “Cursed Technique Extension is only possible after Cursed Extraction, and you have the highest likelihood of mastering it. You only have to listen.”
The fire went out, yet Suguru continued to sweat bullets. Ryomen had wordlessly shown him how easily he could kill him with the Extraction technique. It was both a threat to his life and a promise of the power Suguru could wield. All he had to do was take from the dead.
He…wasn’t as put off about it as he thought.
Nanami, Shoko, and Satoru would have refused to hear another word after seeing the bones, but Suguru was never like them. They were good people, and he had finally accepted that he was not. He likely never was. Suguru pushed away the mental voices of his friends telling him to leave or not accept Ryomen’s offer to teach him. If they found out, then they would hate him. However, Suguru would do anything to protect them…and the temptation was too strong to ignore. This was Suguru’s chance to grow stronger. “Fine. Show me how.”
A grin flashed across Ryomen’s face. “Good. Let’s begin, shall we?”
Suguru had not hated himself this much in years. “Of course.”
“Hm. The first step I would like you to do is summon a curse, it does not matter what grade it is. Anything will do.”
The black haired man obeyed and manifested a Fly Head, he had hoards of them so parting with one would do no harm. It shrieked and hissed, swinging its bulbous head around to observe its surroundings. Even so, it stayed by Suguru’s side like a dutiful soldier. They were the weakest curses around, but their swarms had proven useful on many occasions. No matter how much he wanted to, Suguru could never forget the horror he had felt when Toji described each inch of his plan to kill Satoru while they fought in Tengen’s Corridors. As Toji had no cursed energy of his own due to a Heavenly Restriction, the assassin had summoned a swarm of Fly Heads to overwhelm Satoru’s already strained Six Eyes. He hid himself and his cursed weapon amongst the flies in order to attack Satoru from behind. Stabbing him again and again and again. Years had passed since then, and Satoru would still wake up screaming about trying to find Toji. Underneath his clothes and hair, Satoru was covered in the scars of Toji’s attack: the multiple stab wounds on his right thigh, the long slice from his throat to his stomach, and the strike through his head. If Satoru had learned how to use reverse cursed technique before receiving those injuries, then there would have been no scars. However, Satoru’s first time using reverse curse technique was when he was on the brink of death. Suguru had scars of his own, a large ‘X’ across his chest, but he had wanted them to scar on purpose. He only allowed Shoko to stop the bleeding with her healing, nothing more. After Riko and Satoru…Suguru had wanted to hurt as a reminder of what had happened, how he had failed to stop that monkey from killing them.
So, no, Suguru would never underestimate Fly Heads. Never again.
Rage made all of his doubts disappear. Every reminder of Toji brought back the vengeful teenager he used to be. For now, he would let that part of himself have the death he desired. As if sensing his murderous thoughts, the Fly Head he’d summoned quivered in fear. He ignored the curse with ease. “What comes next?”
“Kill it and absorb the cursed energy it was made of. Not in your usual way, mind you. With my help, you will never need to consume a vile cursed spirit ever again.” The glint in Ryomen’s eyes was protective. It was the same way he would look at Yuuji and, on a few occasions, Satoru. It was very confusing for Suguru. For one, he was surrounded by the skeletal remains of humans. On the other hand, it felt incredible to have someone want to help him. When Ryomen pointed at the Fly Head, the tips of his fingers were glowing a faint orange. “The corpses of sorcerers provide the most cursed energy, but you have an army of curses at your disposal. The quantity makes up for it. Humans provide cursed energy as well, along with all living things, but that is too advanced for where you are now.”
“How do I go about absorbing it?”
“Once you kill the curse, you will only have seconds to absorb its energy before it disappears. In order to make every drop of cursed energy come to you, you must become a lighthouse of death and negativity. Put yourself in the darkest place in your mind. Remember, death brings feelings of not just sadness or regret, but hatred, anger, resentment, or wrath. I suggest you meditate and reflect on the times you have been closest to death. Take as long as you need to get there. When you do, kill the Fly Head and extract its energy.” There was a pause. “Be careful. A reason that this technique is so abhorred is that many died trying to do this. In their attempt to become one with death, they succumbed to it. Remember your sense of self. If you don’t, your soul could be lost and your life with it.”
While Ryomen’s words were not comforting, Suguru appreciated that they were honest. There was no use sugarcoating it. Suguru was agreeing to perform a technique so vile that it had been outlawed and left to be forgotten. He would be desecrating the skeletons of the people Ryomen had killed. Were they all old kills or were they new? Both? How many people had died to provide extra power to Ryomen? Sorcerers encountered death on a daily basis, but it was rarely in the form of murder. They did not hurt one of their own. And here Suguru was learning how to use their bodies for his own advantage…
Satoru, Shoko, and Nanami could never know.
With that, Suguru closed his eyes and thought of all the times he had encountered death.
When he was eight-years-old one of his tutors was teaching him about the history of Jujutsu Tech. The man was prattling on about the architects who built some special building that Suguru cared nothing about. His tutor was old, looking once second from passing away. He was all wrinkles and shaky hands. Even so, he was very strict when he needed to be. Suguru’s hands still stung after the lashing he had received yesterday from his tutor’s wooden ruler. Since he was not paying attention, Suguru knew he would be hit eventually. Deciding to start daydreaming, Suguru glanced at a window that showed a bright sky he missed. He had intended on zoning out for the rest of the lecture, but Suguru was broken out of his daydreams when he heard a thud. It was his tutor. Collapsed on the floor. Not moving. Not breathing. Instead of screaming in terror, Suguru simply looked at the body. Completely frozen. It was his mother, who came to check in, who sprang into action and called an ambulance. However, the tutor was already dead. The cause was a heart attack. His parents cried at the tutor’s funeral, but Suguru never did.
The same thing happened whenever a family member or family friend died. Suguru would simply become a statue that did not speak or cry. He only moved when one of his parents came to carry him away.
During a particularly harsh winter, Suguru caught an illness that made him hospitalized for three months. It was a form of pneumonia that Suguru could no longer remember the specifics of. All he knew was that it felt like he could not breathe for weeks. There was one day in the hospital where Suguru was alone for once. He had been sitting in bed, struggling to focus on reading a book, when his chest seized. A violent coughing fit overwhelmed his weak body. It felt like glass was in his lungs. At the time, Suguru had been too panicked to press the button that would have alerted the nurses. No matter how hard he tried, he could not get a single breath in. Both of his nostrils were clogged and breathing through his mouth was impossible due to his uncontrollable coughing. Terror gripped him as black spots littered his vision. He was running out of air and fast. Suguru desperately tried to clear his nose, but it did not work. When his oxygen ran out, Suguru remembered the pain disappearing into tranquility. Everything was blurry, yet Suguru felt the most at ease he had ever felt. However, a nurse soon came rushing in and helped him regain consciousness. Suguru still remembered how disappointed he had been that he had been dragged out of his peace.
Once he became a sorcerer, killing curses never bothered him. At that point in his life, Suguru grew numb to risking his life every day. He had grown used to it after his tutors dragged him to the worst places to absorb curses with no help. Dying to protect people from curses was something noble in Suguru’s eyes. He used to look at his fallen comrades and feel nothing but respect for their efforts. Admiration for their dedication. He used to be so blind…
Then Riko died in front of him. It was not like the time where his old tutor succumbed to a heart attack. Dying from a heart attack was natural. In addition, the man had already lived a full life. Riko hadn’t. She was ripped away from it by a bullet to her brain. For a split second, Suguru had frozen again. What broke him out was when he turned to see the smug expression of the killer’s face. Toji. He felt no remorse over what he had done. Killing a child meant nothing to him. Toji had bragged about killing Satoru as well. Like he was proud of himself. An indescribable rage filled Suguru. Instead of the typical heat one associated with rage, Suguru had only felt cold. The same tranquility he had felt when he was about to suffocate returned to him. It calmed his mind and sharpened his focus. The seed of hatred that had always been there within Suguru had sprouted to its fullest extent as he battled Toji. He wanted that man to die. There was not a single thought of sparing him or making him see the ‘wrongs’ in his ways. No. Suguru did not want to help Toji. Suguru wanted, no, needed for him to suffer. Despite giving the fight of his life, Toji escaped with the smug smile that had never left his face.
“You should thank your parents. But the blessed like you still lost to me, a monkey that can’t even use Jujutsu. If you want to live longer, remember this.”
Death was freeing.
There were many times throughout Suguru’s life where he thought he would be better off dead, wanting that peace he had briefly touched when he was young. The work of a sorcerer was not for the faint of heart. Every day, you were forced to fight horrific monsters or see your comrades being killed by said monster. Sorcerers would never hear a ‘thank you’ as they needed to work behind closed doors. They would have to deal with disrespect from the people they were trying to help. No one could ever be as bad as the higher-ups, though. Every one of them saw a sorcerer as a tool to be used, nothing more. It did not matter if the sorcerer had family, friends, or children. The elders would assign them on mission after mission until they died. It was always the lives of non-sorcerers above their own.
Haibara had been just another number on the list of casualties for Jujutsu Society. The boy had been so bright and kind. He would have succeeded in any profession he put his mind to, but he chose to be a jujutsu sorcerer. The only job where death was a guarantee. If he had never been a sorcerer, Haibara would have still been alive, likely spreading his joy to others in need. Instead, he was killed brutally due to the incompetence of the elders. It showed just who the elders prioritized: themselves. None of them cared to learn the names of the hundreds who died for their cause. All the elders were more than content to sit upon their thrones behind the doors that prevented anyone from entering. They never showed their faces, which only further proved how little they cared. Special-grade sorcerers were the only ones that the higher-ups paid attention to due to the sole fact that special-grades could threaten their control.
They didn’t care about the tears Nanami shed when his best friend died. They didn’t care about the innocence lost when they forced a child to become a sorcerer. They didn’t care about the blood spilled in the fight against curses. They didn’t care about how much their sorcerers screamed at night, how much pain their sorcerers endured, how terrified their sorcerers were each day on the field, how overworked their assistant directors are, how their sorcerers were dying due to their mistakes, and how their best sorcerers were treated lower than dirt.
All they wanted was for their perfect soldiers to do their job without complaint.
If one pawn fell, then another would be there to replace it.
Did they ever feel guilt about the lives they had doomed?
Were they haunted by the blood spilled under their orders?
The most likely answer was no.
For Suguru, he could not have a day where he did not think about the deaths of those he once cherished. When he showered, there were times where the water felt like blood dripping down his back, staining his skin, getting into his hair. The blood was from many places: the gaping hole in Riko’s forehead, the shredded remains of Haibara’s abdomen, and the pool of blood underneath Satoru’s limp body. Once the water grew cold, Suguru was reminded of the lack of warmth when he held Riko and Haibara’s hands. Cold as death. More than anything, what haunted Suguru the most was the plan he never executed.
He knew how awful his plan was. It was a massacre of all non-sorcerers, children included. But he was stopped before he even started. His children and Satoru mattered more to him, yet there were days where the hatred grew too strong to ignore. He would remember the deaths of his classmates and friends. The worst part was that there was a way to prevent people like Haibara from never being killed again. Knowing how to stop something was always a valuable asset. Not being allowed to stop something despite knowing how was equivalent to torture.
Monkeys dying meant sorcerers surviving.
Suguru wanted many people to die, but he could do nothing about it.
Death. It was cold yet inviting. Freeing yet lonely. Peaceful yet destructive.
How he wished to see Toji die again…How he wished to slaughter each person applauding for Riko’s death.
He hated them.
He didn’t even know who ‘them’ was.
But he hated them all the same.
One day, he would get his chance to kill them. One day, he, Satoru, Shoko, and Nanami would be free of Jujutsu Society forever.
Their pain would end.
He just needed to grow strong enough.
The Fly Head buzzed in fright.
Suguru killed it in seconds.
“Extract the cursed energy.” Ryomen said calmly.
Now that he had returned to the present, Suguru noticed an emptiness within his chest. It was impossible to ignore, feeling like it was growing wider and wider. The void wanted to be filled, so he gave into the desire.
It burned.
“Keep going. Do not stop under any circumstances!”
It felt like his veins were being flooded with fire. Suguru was burning from the inside out, yet his body began to shiver as if he was out in a blizzard. The tips of his fingers throbbed as if they had touched a stove top. Within him, he could feel the curses within him writhe and shriek from the pain Suguru was going through. Thousands of screams echoed for release, but Suguru did not listen. He could feel the void in his chest filling and the pain lessening.
“You’re almost done.”
His teeth creaked from how hard his jaw was clenching. Fortunately, the fire and agony disappeared not long after. When he opened eyes he had not realized he’d closed, Suguru noticed the dark shadow covering his arms. If he gazed closely, he could see movements rippling beneath the darkness, his arsenal of curses were ready for when he needed them. He mentally called upon a curse, one that looked like a skeletal bear covered in ice, and recoiled in surprise when both of his arms were replaced with ice covered bones and claws. “Swapping limbs with my own curses…I’ve never thought of doing that.”
“That was because you were unable to. I take it, you see the value of my technique?”
“I do.” Suguru could not keep his gaze off of his arms. He felt…powerful, and it only cost one Fly Head! None of his friends would think twice about killing a curse. “Perhaps you can introduce the others to this technique using one of my curses as the cursed energy source.”
Ryomen went silent as he thought it over. Having stronger protection for Yuuji was never something to deny. It was an easy decision to make. “Alright, we’ll use your curses. I hope I do not need to tell you to not tell them anything about the other source, right?”
“Of course not. No one will know.”
“Let’s hope it stays that way.”
-Present Day-
Suguru grunted as he was thrown onto the hard ground. Dirt flew everywhere, getting into his eyes and mouth. They had moved Suguru’s final test to an abandoned field where no one would see or hear them. It was the umpteenth time that he had been launched several feet, but he recovered quickly.
As he got up, Ryomen spoke up. “Suguru, I need you to answer this question honestly.”
He wiped his scratched hands on his pants, an uneasy feeling already pooling in his gut. “What is it?”
“When does somebody deserve to die?”
Oh. It was a question Suguru had not expected. His eyes widened in shock, but he kept his composure. The answer was a complicated one. It was something Suguru had wondered about constantly. He would spend hours debating himself on the ethics or morality of execution. Additionally, Yaga had given them lessons on how to deal with curse users. Killing was part of a sorcerer’s job. Over the years, Suguru realized that sorcerer’s did kill each other. He had been a fool to believe otherwise. They killed inhuman curses and they often killed one of their own. There were nights where he raged at jujutsu sorcery as a whole, hating them almost as much as he hated monkeys. Unlike most sorcerers, Suguru was a special grade. The power difference between him and a first-grade sorcerer could not be overlooked. Of course, no one had more power than Satoru as he was in a league of his own. No matter how much Satoru insisted on them being the same. Nevertheless, Suguru knew he was stronger than a majority of sorcerers. In their society, strength meant everything, and Suguru could kill hundreds of people without much difficulty.
But how he killed someone wasn’t the question. It was when. When does somebody’s life get revoked? Several answers popped in his head, each one bloodier than the last. “It depends, Sensei. You and I both know that there are people who we want to live just like there are people we wish to kill.”
Ryomen hummed. “That is a clever answer, boy. You enjoy thinking of the specifics in any situation, no matter how insignificant. I can respect the caution, but too many questions can grow tiresome-” He stopped as a single raindrop hit his nose. It seemed like the sky wanted to match the ominous environment he had created. The sprinkle would turn into a downpour soon, so he should stop stalling. “I asked you that question for a reason. I wanted to know if it will take a millennia of mistakes until you believe a person deserves to die. Though, I am aware that you are likely the opposite. You were willing to kill non-sorcerer children for simply existing. I was curious to see where the bar lied and if it had changed…Has it?”
Memories of the intense fight he had with Satoru that day in the forest flooded him. It was that day where Suguru dropped his plan altogether. From then on, Suguru had returned to helping non-sorcerer through killing curses. The only things that had changed were his appearance and attitude. Additionally, his friends and he had many heart to hearts about all that had happened to them. It was those moments of affection, trust, and care that made the hope Suguru lost begin to return. Hope for humanity. Hope for himself. Hope for the future. Suguru knew that his friends were destined for greatness. When he learned of Satoru’s plan to become a teacher, Suguru had agreed to join him on the spot. Satoru, his one and only, wanted things to change, and he knew that killing all the elders wouldn’t solve anything.
“I want to kill them, Suguru. Especially Gakuganji, don’t even get me started on that useless, old fart. It would be so easy, but I know I shouldn’t. And I won’t. The change won’t last if I kill them. Sure, we’ll probably have a few years of peace, yet I know that there will be replacements as bad as the original elders were.” The ice cream in Satoru’s hand was beginning to melt, causing him to take a moment to eat his dessert properly. His unoccupied hand was in Suguru’s. It had been Satoru’s idea to go out for ice cream after seeing that Suguru was having a particularly hard day. Suguru had already finished his own cone while Satoru’s was on his fourth. He squeezed his hand reassuringly. “If change is done by force, there will be resentment and likely people wanting revenge. I don’t want that, Suguru. If I want to change things, I have to do it right. The best way to do that is focusing on the next generation. I want to teach them how to defend themselves, protect them from the higher-up’s corruption, and still let them have a childhood. I know I’ll probably be a terrible teacher, but I want to try.”
Blue eyes locked onto Suguru’s brown. Ever since he had woken up, painful memories of the past kept tormenting him. However, looking at Satoru always helped in lessening the ache. He processed the other’s words and found himself smiling. No matter how he tried to deny it, Satoru was a sweetheart beneath the layers of arrogance and flippancy. Teaching the future generation was actually…a brilliant idea. One that Suguru had not even considered. Rebuilding their world from the ground up was far better than toppling it all down. Suguru had wanted people to die for his plan while Satoru wanted to help. The difference made guilt simmer in his chest. He still had those moments where he felt like a fraud or a monster. Today was one of those days.
“Hey, look at me, Ru.”
“Ew. What have I told you about that nickname? It’s awful.” Suguru immediately turned to glare at his partner.
“But it got your attention, didn’t it?” Satoru winked with his trademark smirk. Any anger that Suguru could have felt disappeared when Satoru kissed his cheek. He was truly wrapped around Satoru’s finger, a total goner…and he didn’t mind one bit.
Suguru broke eye contact. The raw care in Satoru’s eyes was too much for him to take. “I suppose. While I’ve never imagined you as a teacher, I think you’ll be an excellent one. Perhaps Megumi will be in your class once he’s older.”
“Oh my god, that would be hilarious!” Giggles escaped Satoru’s lips. When he calmed down, his voice became soft. It was rare for Satoru to speak gently. He only did so when he was with Suguru, Shoko, or Nanami and was feeling vulnerable. “You don’t have to…but I know how patient you are with the kids. I see how you care for us and how well you teach them when they’re confused about homework. I can’t do that. I can’t explain things like you do or even sit still long enough to give a lesson. It’s definitely selfish of me to want you to be a teacher too. We can both teach the new generation, and they’ll be the greatest sorcerers in history because we’d be teaching them! Just think about it?”
Becoming a teacher would be a massive change, but Suguru had nothing else going for him. He did want to do more than kill curses all day. And he’d be spending even more time with Satoru, which was always a positive. If Satoru wanted him to be by his side, then Suguru would be there for as long as he wanted him. “Sure, why not? My students will have far better grades than yours.”
“No, they’ll be strong AND smart!”
“Unlike you?”
“Hey!”
“It has changed.” Suguru finally replied. The bar had been raised by his friends, and he knew that they would never allow him to pull it down.
“Has it?” The look in Ryomen’s eye was analyzing. He walked towards the curse manipulator until they were only a few feet apart. Rain was beginning to soak them both, but neither cared. “You have had no trouble lying to your friends about the truth behind my Extension Technique. I’ve heard you rant about your hatred for monkey’s time and time again. Your capability and willingness to cause violence are all determined by your feelings. Biases. Your killings are personal.”
There was no use denying it because it was true. His hatred for monkeys stemmed from the deep hatred he developed after Toji assassinated Riko and Satoru. Even if it was for a second or less, Satoru had died. He came back, yes, but Suguru could not ignore the fact that Satoru was killed by a monkey. After Haibara’s death, Suguru wanted revenge against the ones who were responsible for curses in the first place: non-sorcerers. It had been personal. It had always been personal. “What point are you trying to make?”
“There were only three terms you had to follow if you wanted to have an alliance with Sukuna and me. One, you cannot tell anyone else about the location of the shrine. Two, you cannot tell anyone about Yuuji’s existence. Three, which is the most vital, you must protect Yuuji with your lives.” Hisses of steam were heard as the rain droplets evaporated against Ryomen’s scalding-hot skin. Ryomen clenched his fists and moved into a fighting stance. “A battle is on the horizon, and I need to know if you will be loyal to us. Are you willing to kill for me? Are you willing to betray others in order to protect Yuuji? If I tell you to destroy a town, will you do it?”
“I-”
Whatever words Suguru was about to say were ripped away from him as Ryomen sent a fist into his gut. It was easy to forget that Ryomen was just as fast as Sukuna. This was the first time they were fighting in an open space, and Suguru was widely unprepared. Like a ragdoll, he was tossed into the ground. His body ached, but he would not be going down. If Ryomen wanted a fight, so be it.
Cursed Manipulation Extension: Replace. This was Suguru’s test, and tests were meant to show how much you had learned. A protective armor of stone covered his arms. It was originally from a first-grade curse he was tasked to exercise after a cave-in at an abandoned mine. Apparently, it used to be a popular spot for unruly teens to escape to. Their deaths birthed a huge curse made of rocks and the wooden beams that had once supported the mine shaft. He would need the extra protection as he could already feel the rain pouring on him begin to heat up. It would soon reach the temperature of boiling water, and Suguru preferred to avoid getting burned.
He launched himself forward, keeping his body low. Nanami had almost died in his fight with the cursed souls. Ryomen would be just as merciless. The heated rain was proof that Ryomen wanted to burn Suguru. The pain would distract him and give the older an opening that would be fatal. It was already tedious. Steam billowed in every direction as Ryomen grew hotter and hotter and hotter. As Ryomen’s flames were a manifestation of his cursed energy, it did not have the same properties as a natural fire. Nothing could put it out. His hair, drenched from the rain, made his scalp throb with pain. Blisters were already forming, and the battle had barely started.
As much as it hurt, he had to focus. Ignore the pain. Keep moving.
“SHOW ME THAT VIOLENCE, BOY! WHY ELSE WOULD I KEEP YOU AROUND?”
“BECAUSE YOUR SON NEEDS THE PROTECTION!” All he could hear was the loud beating of his own heart, drowning out all other sounds. Suguru shielded his face with his curse’s armor and sweeped his leg across the muddy ground. As Ryomen moved back to dodge it, a gaping maw appeared out of the dirt. He fell into the hole, eyes wide with shock. It felt like he was falling in an endless abyss.
Until it disappeared.
The feeling of falling disappeared as soon as it started.
It gave Suguru the chance he needed. With his armored hand, he swung his first across Ryomen’s jaw. An audible crack came afterwards as Ryomen’s head snapped to the side. Finally, the rain returned to its original temperature.
“My companions and I have been dedicated to helping your son since the day we met! We have agreed to suffer through your training, risked our reputations by lying to our superiors, and always respected your desire for secrecy! What more do you want?!” It was stupid to anger Ryomen any further. Very stupid. Even so, Suguru continued to yell. A momentary lapse had occurred with Ryomen’s broken jaw. He needed to take advantage of it. “What will it take for you to see that I hate jujutsu sorcery as much as you do?!”
A gasp sound was his response. Suguru thought that Ryomen was about to throw up, but the longer the straining exhales lasted, the less likely it was. Ryomen turned to face him with a river of blood cascading down his mouth. The rough gasps were not from nausea. No. Despite having a broken and dislocated jaw, Ryomen was laughing. It suddenly occurred to Suguru that he had rarely seen Ryomen laugh before. Why the hell is he laughing?!
Another sickening crack with the addition of a squelch made Suguru shiver. Without any signs of pain, Ryomen reseted his jaw with brute force. When he spoke, his voice was slightly slurred. For the first time, Suguru wondered about Ryomen’s sanity. “Very good. How about we shake things up, hm? I will not stop attacking until you have answered my remaining questions or until you have died.”
“How is this a test?! You’re just using me to distract yourself from what happened in Yuuji’s room!” Shit. Shit. Shit. That was the worst thing to say! Ryomen had centuries of battle experience. Why couldn’t he shut his stupid mouth?!
“Of course, I’m using you.” Ryomen responded with surprisingly no anger. It made Suguru tense even further. When someone with a temper as bad as Ryomen grew calm, the worst was to be expected. “Child, you are far more powerful than you give yourself credit for. You can kill all non-sorcerers, but you haven’t. Why?”
“Is that the first question?”
“It is.”
Suguru prepared himself for the heat, for the burning, yet nothing came. Instead, it was ice. Each droplet turned into a blade that pierced every inch of Suguru’s body. His clothes protected him from the worst of it, but his entire head had no covering. He dismissed the stone armor to regain his full dexterity.
He was already shivering.
Focus.
Unbothered by the drop in temperature, Ryomen surged forward again. He sent palm strikes against the younger’s back, hits to his stomach and chest, kicks behind his knees and at his hips, and chops all over his body. Throughout it all, Suguru did his best to dodge, ducking and weaving gracefully. It was satisfying when Suguru got a few hits himself.
And the cold worsened.
His fingers went numb and made his attacks sloppy.
“Don’t tell me that you didn't know I could control the cold as I do heat. Just as your partner can use the reversal of his Blue, I can use the reversal of my flames.”
“Cursed technique r-reversal. Of course, you’d know it.” His trembling was almost violent now.
“Yes. Reverse cursed technique and cursed technique reversal are two different things. Both are very important.” A long sigh left the pink-haired man. “You have yet to answer my question.” He sent a vicious hit against Suguru’s left side. “Why.”
Disorientated by the cold, Suguru took a few seconds to realize what Ryomen was talking about. When Ryomen moved to strike him again, Suguru managed to grab the other’s wrist, pulling it downwards. “I abandoned my plan. It wasn’t worth continuing once I realized what I’d lose if I committed to it.” He then pushed Ryomen away to create distance. They circled one another, waiting for the right moment to pounce.
“What would you have lost?” Their circling grew slower.
“My family. Satoru would never look at me again if I killed all non-sorcerers.” His eyes were in an intense staring match with Ryomen. Looking away for even a second could be the difference between life and death. He quietly gathered his cursed energy for an attack he had only managed to pull off once. “Shoko and Nanami as well. They would hate me for the rest of my life…And I have a daughter who is a non-sorcerer. I could never bring myself to hurt her. The utopia intended to create would not be complete without her in it.”
Slowly, the hard edges Ryomen showcased began to soften. “That is an answer I can accept. However, I can’t help but wonder what you would be willing to do if their lives were in danger.” Any gentleness disappeared the moment those words were uttered.
“Is that a threat.” The curse manipulator demanded with a snarl. He summoned the seam that hid one of his largest curses. Its gnarled claws poked through, wanting to maim and kill.
With a wave of his hands, Ryomen summoned a ring of fire. The flames rose high enough that there was no way for Suguru to jump over without help. Due to the gray sky above them and the dead field they stood on, the fire was the most colorful and brightest thing around. Each droplet of water reflected the amber hue of the flames. “I would never hurt your children, that I can swear on. What I need you to do, child, is understand why I am pushing you so much. You’ve felt the rage that comes when one of your own is killed.” He dropped his hands to his sides and approached. Whenever he took one step forward, Suguru took another step back. “It consumes you, and you are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure it doesn’t happen again! Or would you leave your children to this cruel world?”
The response slipped out before Suguru could think twice. “Of course, I would!” His foot touched the wall of flames, and he hissed in pain. Suguru stood his ground, continuing to build up the army of curses within him into one mass. Maximum Uzumaki. It burnt through a lot of his stored curses, but it was perfect for a situation as dire as this. He had only done it once before. All he needed was a few more seconds until the attack was ready to be unleashed-
His throat was grabbed.
And he was slammed onto the ground.
Ryomen loomed over him. The dark honey of his eyes shifted to a demonic read. His second pair of eyes, which he constantly kept hidden, opened, and claws grew from his nails. “Yuuji’s soul is hurting him. It would have killed him if Sukuna had not healed his wounds. I have spent all this time…all this energy…training you sorcerers…AND MY SON NEARLY DIES!” The furious roar that Ryomen let out made Suguru’s ears ache. He slammed Suguru’s head against the ground. “What good are you if you can’t do one of the only things I asked of you?! WHY SHOULDN’T I JUST KILL YOU THIS VERY SECOND?!”
“BECAUSE YUUJI WOULD FUCKING HATE YOU!” Suguru spat out. His words made Ryomen freeze for a split second, but it was all Suguru needed to push him off. He stood back up.
Just in time to block the fist Ryomen swung his way. It took all of Suguru’s concentration to avoid being hit. So much so that he could no longer focus on summoning the Maximum Uzumaki. Only hand-to-hand combat was possible. Mentally, he thanked Ryomen for teaching him more martial arts. Even if said man was using those moves to kill him. They collided again and again. He had lost count of the amount of times he had redirected or parried an attack, but he could not stop. It was a dance of death. Additionally, the smoke from the flames made it harder to breathe. His head swam from the heat, which led to Ryomen throwing him onto his back. Every time, Suguru would kick and claw to break free. Bruises littered their bodies, cuts and scrapes covered their knuckles, and blood leaked from their many scrapes.
Eventually, Ryomen managed to grab both of Suguru’s arms. The elder pinned them tightly against Suguru’s lower body. He was using his shoulder to make his hold even more uncomfortable. “As long as Yuuji is safe, I don’t care how much he would hate me. I’d kill this entire world if it meant keeping him safe. If I killed everyone this very second, I’d have no problems to worry about.”
“What about Yuuji-kun’s soul?”
“I’d figure it out. Without anyone to harm us, it will be easy to find a cure.”
“Do you truly want to kill us? After the years we have spent together?”
Ryomen released his arms. He looked at the fire encircling them with a far away look in his eyes. The flames were reflected within them. “I want to kill the world for what it has done to me, for what it has taken away from me, for what it has done to my son! You can rot for all I care.”
“That’s a lie.” While Ryomen’s words hurt, Suguru knew the man was trying to anger him. It was something he often did himself: hurt others until they want nothing to do with you. “I have seen you check in on us when we’re training with the cursed souls. Every time that Satoru had a migraine from his Six Eyes, there is always a bottle of pain medication right next to him. After Shoko’s training, snacks are coincidentally laid out on a table the moment she’s done. With me, so much of our training is you helping me find a way to never consume a cursed spirit again. I don’t think you’d waste so much energy like that if you hated us.”
The pink-haired man began to tremble. “Killing you would be easy.”
“Stop saying that-”
Before Suguru could blink, he was on his back with a blade on his throat. It was already digging in deep enough that beads of blood were escaping the wound. Suguru immediately went still. He could summon a curse to remove Ryomen, but Suguru highly doubted that his neck would be intact afterwards.
“KILLING YOU WOULD BE EASY.” Ryomen repeated, voice nearly shrieking.
There was no deceit to be found as Suguru could tell that this was not the first time Ryomen had slit someone’s throat. From what little Ryomen had shared of his past, Suguru knew it was filled with unimaginable cruelty. Suffering that Suguru was grateful to never experience. Looking at Ryomen reminded him of when he first adopted Nanako and Mimiko. The moment he looked into their eyes, he saw that something had broken within them. Something that could never be fixed. He could recognize the same pain in Ryomen. The difference was that his girls were able to escape and live a better life. Ryomen never did. “I know you are upset about Yuuji, but you must calm yourself before doing something you’ll regret.”
“Wasting my time training you sorcerers is what I regret.” Ryomen replied numbly.
“So you plan to kill everyone who you think is a burden or threat?”
“Exactly.”
“Then you’d kill every person on this planet.”
“It is tempting.”
“But you would hate it.” The knife dug deeper, and Suguru’s heart jumped several feet. If Ryomen pushed any further, his artery would be severed. While Suguru was strong, he knew that Satoru, Sukuna, and Ryomen were stronger. If it had been anybody else, he would have beaten them to a pulp by now. Except it was not a random stranger, it was a sorcerer with thousands of deaths under his hands and a need for revenge.
“You know nothing of me, child.”
“Except I do. Four years of training under your tutelage has taught me many things, and one of the most evident traits of yours is that you’re scared.”
“Hah! Being concerned about my son’s safety does not make me some fearful, pathetic mongrel.”
“You are pathetic, Ryomen-san, and you know it.” It was idiotic for Suguru to keep angering Ryomen, but he had a feeling that Ryomen was close to breaking. He simply had to withstand his rage until that happened. To protect his throat, Suguru gathered cursed energy to cover his throat. While it would not guarantee his survival, it was something.
“YOU LITTLE WRETCH-”
“IF YOU WERE SO CONFIDENT IN YOUR ABILITIES, YOU WOULDN’T NEED TO HAVE SO MANY GODDAMN SAFETY MEASURES! IF YOU’RE STRONG ENOUGH, THAN NOTHING CAN HURT YOU OR YOUR SON. BUT YOU THINK EVERYTHING WILL!”
“I INVITE YOU SORCERERS INTO MY HOME, AND YOU HAVE THE GALL TO-”
“You’re scared, Ryomen. You’re terrified all the time, aren’t you?” Just a little further. Hit him where it hurts. “A grown man, centuries old, is terrified of the world because it managed to overpower him time and time again. You don’t want anything happening to your son because you know you’ll be too weak to save him. He’ll die just like he did the first time.”
“SILENCE YOUR VILE MOUTH! HOW DARE YOU. HOW FUCKING DARE YOU!”
“IT’S YOUR FAULT THAT YUUJI DIED!”
“BE QUIET!”
“YOU BLAME YOURSELF ALL THE TIME. I’D DO THE SAME THING.” Suguru swallowed the sudden knot in his throat, hyperaway of the blade against it. “I’ve blamed myself constantly for the deaths of those I care about. It does not solve anything. It won’t bring them back. What’s happening with Yuuji’s soul is concerning, but I promise that we will do all we can to help him.”
“And if I refuse to let you live?”
“Then you will prove to me just how scared you are.” He made sure to keep his voice as harsh as possible. Speaking in such a way would have frightened Mimiko and Nanaki, giving them flashbacks of their time in the village, and Suguru knew he was causing the same thing to Ryomen. Despite being hundreds of years older, Ryomen had stopped aging in his early twenties once he gave his soul to Sukuna. Looking at him without knowing the truth, Suguru would have thought that Ryomen was the same age as him. Currently, Suguru could tell that the young child hidden within Ryomen was on the cusp of shattering. And Suguru hated it. He was doing everything that would trigger his girls on purpose. It was the only way that he could think of to make Ryomen let him go. From how clouded Ryomen’s eyes were becoming, Sugar knew it was working. “Everyone will hate you. They’ll see your weakness and laugh. Perhaps you should do it then. Once everyone sees what you did, they will realize that you were never worth caring about. Yuuji will see that his father is a pitiful man and will want a new one. You were never good enough to him, anyways. You’re worthless.”
The hand that was pressing the blade against his neck began to tremble.
“They’ll hate you and want nothing to do with you.”
It shook even more.
Ryomen’s grip on the knife was loosening considerably.
What terrifies Nanaki and Mimiko the most?
“You’ll be alone.”
Finally, the blade left his throat as Ryomen dropped it.
Tiny droplets of water landed on Suguru’s face.
Without the knife, Suguru was able to look up to see the source. It was too warm to be the rain.
And he was right.
It wasn’t the rain.
It was tears.
Ryomen had broken. Just as Suguru planned. He slipped out of Ryomen’s grip to kneel next to him and felt guilt grip his heart. Ryomen’s eyes were wide and unblinking, staring at something only he could see. Suguru rubbed the thin cut along his throat as he stared at what he had done. It was necessary, but it was cruel. However, Suguru could not say with confidence if Ryomen didn’t deserve it. Neither of them were stellar people. Pain was something they both deserved.
On bruised legs, Suguru stood up. Now that he had broken free, he was not sure if he should stay until Ryomen came back to his senses or leave him be.
The question was answered for him.
With his back to Suguru, Ryomen muttered. “You pass.”
All the flames went out, and Suguru felt sick. This was originally supposed to be a test. A test that was all about gaining Ryomen’s trust. “I-”
The elder held up a hand to silence him. “You’ve earned my respect. Now, go. I will stay here for a while.”
So Suguru left.
While he made his way to the shrine, the sky cleared and Suguru remembered that, while a few hours had passed, it was still morning.
As the blade-like cloth aimed at his throat, Nanami was bombarded with the memories of their first meeting. Well, it was technically their second meeting, but Nanami preferred to think of the second as the first.
It was a far more pleasant experience.
For the most part.
-Four years ago-
“Alright, kid, you’re up first. Overtime is the calmest of the bunch, so you’re not in any danger as long as you don’t move.” Ryomen gestured towards the youngest sorcerer of the group. The other three were all sitting on the other side of the pond with Sukuna, who had a drooling Yuuji in his lap. Ryomen, the guardians, and now Nanami were on the opposite side of the pond to create a safe distance for everyone. The cursed soul that Ryomen spoke of was approaching the blonde in a snake-like slither. From the tension coming off of Nanami in waves, Ryomen suggested, “Sitting down might be a better option.”
Nodding to the pink-haired man, Nanami followed his directions. He slowly sat down on the warm grass and allowed the cursed soul to come closer. The closer Overtime got, the easier it was to feel the heat radiating off of the beast. Despite the hardened instincts Nanami had developed from being a sorcerer screaming at him to attack or run, he remained still. His blunt sword had been taken by Ryomen, so he had no choice but to listen. If anything were to go wrong, Nanami had trust in his friends to intervene. It was a recent development for Nanami to finally trust in someone else. With his tendency to be distant and jaded, not many stuck around for long enough for Nanami to trust them. Satoru, Suguru, and Shoko were different. It was nice to have friends again.
There was something brushing against his cheek.
Overtime had taken the opportunity to be face to face with Nanami while he was lost in thought. He was usually more aware than this. Though, he was in a unique situation. Like Ryomen had said, Overtime showed no signs of agitation. The wrappings that Nanami had seen cut through concrete walls were being used to gently card through his hair and face. With the proximity to the cursed soul, Nanami was able to notice the different colored wrappings on his throat: the top wrapping was yellow with spots while the bottom wrapping was a solid cyan. Additionally, the sorcerer realized that the metal making up Overtime’s left half was similar to steel wool. It was made up of tightly wound coils that were flexible enough to allow for the cursed soul to move about. Magma peeked through the thin openings of the coils, causing sweat to bead down Nanami’s face from the heat. As if noticing this, the brightness of the magma dulled as a result of Overtime lowering his body temperature. The warmth washed over Nanani like a heated blanket. So this is why Yuuji-kun loves being held by this creature so much.
Normally, Overtime took the form of a mythical naga that was mummified. However, Nanami had seen the curse form his wrappings to resemble legs. It had only happened once, but the blonde could never forget it. During that brief moment of Overtime having two legs, he had seen a mirror version of himself. Same build, same height, same hair, same glasses, same type of spotted wrapping. It was still unnerving to look at the creature who he shared so many similarities to. He already knew the reason for their shared features, yet he kept forgetting such a crucial fact. Sukuna had told them about how he and the cursed souls were part of the first lifeforms on Earth. The rough draft. The rough draft of Nanami Kento. If Sukuna was telling the truth, then Overtime really had been him. Of course, they would look and act the same.
He could not help, but wonder if Overtime was jealous of Nanami being the one allowed to live.
Or had Overtime already lived a life?
It was possible, but there was no way of knowing since Overtime lacked a mouth. The only facial features the cursed soul had was his glasses and singular eyelight, which could give the nastiest glare or side-eye. Overtime’s hair was darker than his own, but it bore the same neat style.
“I suppose you prefer having an orderly appearance like I do.” Nanami spoke softly. His words made Overtime pull away to observe the other quietly. After a moment of the two staring at each other, the cursed soul gave a nod. Shock filled Nanami until he remembered that cursed souls were not like animals. It was expected of them to have high intelligence due to the nature of their souls, according to Sukuna. Not as intelligent as a human, but it was frighteningly close.
He recovered quickly and nodded in return.
That was when the cursed soul did something odd.
The wrappings that made up his arm, usually unraveled to provide extra grip or attacks, wound itself together until it resembled a hand. With an almost fondness present in his actions, Overtime ruffled Nanami’s hair. It brought in painful memories of Haibara, who would make it his mission to mess up his hair every day. The reminder was unpleasant, yet the affection had his body relaxing. While he was nowhere near as touchy as Satoru, Nanami was still a human who craved the company of others. For half a second, Nanami leaned into the touch. Both of them leaned away at the same time with Overtime looking at Nanami with a steady, determined gaze.
Nanami had been accepted by Overtime. Both as a student and as an ally. Even though the cursed souls acted independently, it was always Overtime who would be the de facto leader when the need arises. From Overtime’s approval, the rest of the cursed souls made their way to Nanami.
For the first time since Sukuna called them to the shrine, Supernova was willingly interacting with a sorcerer. The others had not shown as much animosity as Supernova had towards Nanami and his upperclassmen, so it was surprising to see the purple cat pad his way to the blonde’s lap before anyone else. During the meeting with Sukuna, the curse had told them that all the curses had a purpose. Nanami remembered what the curse had said clearly.
Supernova is the most balanced of the guardians. He excels in either long range attacks or close combat. With his ability to reduce or enlarge in size, he can accompany Yuuji wherever the brat goes. I’m not sure how, but Supernova’s blood contains a deadly poison that he can control the lethality of. There is no record of a user of blood manipulation having poisonous abilities, but here we are. His claws are also laced with poison, so don’t let the ass scratch you. There is no cure if you get poisoned. I’ve also seen how Supernova can change the quality of his poison. It can range from paralyzing you, decaying your flesh, or just making you too sick to act. I can use my reverse curse technique to heal you if you get poisoned, but I won’t be happy about it. Just stay out of his way and don’t be a threat to Yuuji, and you should be fine.
With Supernova, he was the first Yuuji bonded to. The cat’s aggression was only due to his fierce protectiveness of the toddler. However, there was a personal grudge Supernova seemed to have with Sukuna and Suguru. Sukuna did not speak as to why, but it was obvious he knew. Supernova placed his paws on Nanami’s chest, his deadly claws sheathed for the moment. He was just as intelligent as Overtime and gazed at Nanami scrutinizingly. It felt like the fluffy cat was looking into Nanami’s very soul, which Nanami reciprocated. He stared unwaveringly at the feline to show his dedication to helping Yuuji. The world could be at stake if Kenjaku was not stopped. A child’s life was in danger.
And Nanami was tired of having kids dealing with adult’s problems.
There was a soft chirp from the cat. Supernova’s purple eyes were filled with some wariness, but gratitude took up the majority. He hopped off of Nanami’s lap to allow the next cursed soul a chance to examine the blonde, heading towards a delighted Yuuji.
The other cursed souls’ examinations, thankfully, did not involve another staring contest. Boogie was the friendliest of the bunch, giving Nanami a large lick after sniffing him. At first, the dog had been unsettling to look at with the strange skull fuzed to his muzzle. Over time, Boogie had endeared himself to the sorcerers. The bovine-like skull and tusks were actually quite fitting considering how bull-headed and pig-headed the canine tended to be. Stubborn and stupid. Yet surprisingly endearing. Seeing the behemoth of a dog interact so gently with Yuuji had made it far easier to stop seeing Boogie as a demon. Boogie licked Nanami again, displacing his glasses. Definitely not a demon.
Boogie is the muscle that can make quick work of anyone trying to harm Yuuji. He strikes hard, he strikes fast, and he can take a strike in return. His bark is part of his curse technique. When he barks, you or him or whatever else he chooses will be replaced with anything that has cursed energy. Before every fight, Boogie sheds the horn on the center of his snout. In emergencies, Boogie can switch his place or Yuuji’s with the horn no matter how far away it is. The only downside is that the horn has a time-limit of twenty-four hours. To deal with that, Boogie sheds the horn every damn day and places it somewhere safe. You’ll probably never see him with that middle horn. Besides that, the oaf has acidic spit that makes you hear a very strange song while it eats away at your flesh. He can choose when his drool becomes deadly, so you’re fine if he licks you. Though, it might be just as bad since that dog’s breath reeks.
The pair that approached once Boogie trotted off were far more withdrawn. Staying close together, Chimera and Resonance approached Nanami and kneeled on his left and right side respectively. An air of mourning curled around the sorcerer’s throat, making his chest feel light and stomach uneasy. He got the sense that…they were the youngest. It was likely a foolish thought as Sukuna has said he and the guardians were millions of years old. And yet…The aura only a scared child can produce was tugging at his heart.
Nanamin! Nanamin! Na-na-na-na-nanamin! There’s a new bakery that opened, and I know you like bread! Let’s go!
Nanami-san! We should go to the mall. Itadori is just thinking with his stomach again!
Hah?! No, I’m not! Nanamin, tell Kugisaki that she’s being ridiculous!
Both of you are idiots. Nanami-san I’m sorry for my classmate’s disrespect.
Like you’re one to talk, Fushiguro! Didn’t you break Nanami’s- OW!
Grief. There was grief in the atmosphere surrounding the two cursed souls. The blurred faces and muddled voices were not enough for Nanami to remember anything. What was he forgetting? Nanami shook his head and looked at Resonance first. He had his palm outstretched for her to take if she wanted. She placed the pointed tip of her arm delicately as if Nanami’s skin was made of paper.
Resonance is the long distance fighter. She gets rid of threats before they can get too close. Her aim is impeccable. Not to mention, she can control the nails she shoots. Though, it costs more energy. With her vines, she can make terrain difficult to move in to give her an even better shot. She also specializes in dealing damage to one’s soul. Hidden in her torso is a straw doll. To use it, she will get a piece from her opponent’s body and stab it into the doll with a nail. Once struck, nails will manifest inside the opponent and burst out, essentially making a living pin cushion. She can do the same thing to a cursed object, causing it to fall from the wielder’s hand as it's nailed to the ground. And, while it isn’t deadly, she will judge the shit out of you if you wear something she deems ugly. Yuuji is always well-dressed thanks to her.
Unlike the rest, Resonance had no facial features, not even eyelights like Overtime and Chimera. She spoke with her body instead. The vines wrapped around her loosened their grip. One of the roses scattered amongst the vines bloomed. It was her way to show that she was content. Nanami gave a small smile towards her, unsure if she could see it. Based on how the large rosette on her left side bloomed, she had understood his intent.
A drip of goop landed on his thigh. Nanami turned to where Chimera was. His shadowy and inky form was a stark contrast to the brightness of a summer’s day. The sun made it difficult to see the cursed soul’s green eyelights, but Chimera made up for it with his power to shape himself into different forms. He levitated the drop of ink on Nanami’s leg to form it into a question mark. With a goopy hand, he formed the image of a snarling, angry wolf and another image of a calm rabbit.
“Are you asking me if I am friend or foe?”
Chimera nodded.
“I am a friend. I have no malicious intent towards any of you, especially Yuuji. A child deserves to be protected, and I will do everything in my power to aid in that duty.” Nanami assured firmly.
The wolf disappeared as Chimera let the rabbit come to life, hopping around until it found its way towards Nanami’s hand. He gave the inky rabbit an experimental stroke. It felt like touching wet ink, but his hand held no stains when he pulled away.
Chimera is a clever bastard and uses that to his advantage. He has ten shadows that he can summon. However, I have only seen him use nine of them in all the years we’ve interacted. While he can fight in close range or with a few weapons, his main specialty is crowd control. The shadows are excellent when dealing with multiple opponents at the same time or making distractions. Most of his shadows have offensive capabilities, but he has one that is purely defense used for retreating. His variety of attacks are useful in a fight, and Yuuji loves the animals he summons. Chimera can manifest frogs, elephants, rabbits, wolves, snakes, owls, deer, oxen, and tigers. The smaller he makes them, the more he’s able to conjure at the cost of the attacks being weaker and vice versa if he enlarges them. Reducing their size is usually just for Yuuji if he wants to see an elephant or something like that. He’s also the stealthiest of the group. You won’t find the spiky shit unless he wants you to find him.
Just as he did with Resonance, the blonde offered a hand to Chimera. The shadow creature stared at it for what felt like hours until fingers laced with his. It did not last for more than a second, Chimera bolting away with Resonance quick to follow. However, Nanami noticed that Chimera had yet to call back the rabbit. A sign of gratitude.
“Huh. They really seem to like you. I have never seen Resonance and Chimera interact with someone like that other than Yuuji.” Ryomen approached with an impressed look in his eyes. He helped pull Nanami from his sitting position, patting him on the shoulder. “Good job. Now, let’s have the next-”
A loud squawk interrupted Ryomen mid-sentence.
Despite knowing he was in no danger, dread still pooled in Nanami’s guts. Frost covered the grass as the largest and most powerful of the cursed souls approached. A grin was already splitting the draconic bird’s hooked beak.
With a sympathetic wince, Ryomen squeezed Nanami’s shoulder. “I guess another introduction is in order.”
“We’ve already met,” Nanami said stiffly. Tension coiling in each fiber of his muscles.
“I’m aware. I don’t think he cares.”
The blonde knew that Ryomen was right. From the sheer power Infinite wielded, he could do whatever he wanted. Infinite was not a pet that would obey its master’s commands. He was a sentient creature who had his own free will.
Infinite stalked forward.
“You’ll be fine.”
Nanami doubted that.
“Just…Whatever happens…Don’t look into his eyes.”
But it was already too late.
Nanami’s world turned black.
.
.
.
.
.
When his vision returned, he was on a beach that looked awfully familiar. As he took in his surroundings, the realization hit him. It was the same beach that Nanami had seen in all of the articles about the best places to go in Malaysia. The same white sand. The same turquoise waters. The same palm trees. A gentle breeze tousled his hair, smelling slightly of salt. Despite knowing this wasn’t real, Nanami found himself smiling nonetheless.
Then he had a second realization.
Infinite was responsible for this hallucination.
He stood up and began to search for any sign of the giant beaked dragon. While the white sand was the same color as Infinite’s fur, the creature was far too large to stay hidden. Additionally, the red, blue, and purple feathers that were mixed throughout the fur would be a dead give away. Nanami walked against the shoreline while his gaze analyzed every inch of the beach. The waves lazily lapped at his feet, inviting him to relax. He resisted the desire to swim and splash around. Infinite wanted to introduce himself again, and Nanami was not going to let the irritating bird sneak up on him. It was evident that the cursed soul enjoyed toying with people in ways that even Satoru would disapprove of. Infinite was an ally, but Nanami was hesitant to label him as such. The cursed soul had done too much to them for the blonde to see him in a positive manner. Nanami knew he held resentment and anger that could put their alliance with Sukuna and Ryomen at risk. He knew this, yet it was impossible to excuse Infinite. What he had done to Gojo was unforgivable. Did Infinite know how he had permanently damaged Gojo’s brain? If he did, was he regretful or did he not care? It was Infinite that was responsible for the episodes of psychosis, migraines, and overstimulation that Gojo could not control. Did Infinite know what it sounded like when Gojo screamed in agony and wailed in grief? Because Nanami did. He never wanted to know what it felt like to watch someone he cared for be tortured by their own mind. He will never be able to forget how Gojo, loud and boisterous, had whispered Nanami’s name in a shattered voice that sounded so, so lost-
There was the sound of a chirp.
His head snapped up at the voice that was far too close. He looked behind him and could not stop himself from softly gasping at the sight. Infinite was mere centimeters away from his face. The blonde took a few steps back to put distance between himself and the draconic bird. Anger and anxiety boiled within his chest, but Nanami knew better than to lash out at something so much stronger than him.
Several beats of tense silence passed before Infinite did anything. With a long talon, Infinite carefully peeled off the black mask around his head. Once the cloth fluttered onto the sand below, Infinite gazed at Nanami with three pairs of eyes. They were a crystal blue that put the ocean to shame. And there was guilt within them. Another sad chirp escaped the creature’s hooked beak. It reminded Nanami of how Yuuji behaved when he was caught doing something he shouldn’t, shameful and apologetic.
Nanami’s gaze hardened. “Why did you bring me here? Are you trying to apologize to me for what you have done to my companions?”
Infinite shook his head and pointed at Nanami with a gesture of his head.
“Are you trying to apologize to me?” The sorcerer said, voice far softer from surprise. His eyebrows rose. Nanami had not been expecting such an answer. In truth, he had thought that the creature would throw sand or water in his face with a shrieking cackle. Seeing something as grande and powerful as Infinite behave meekly was strange. All the fury that had been simmering within him cooled to ashes. Infinite was aware of what he had done and he was truly remorseful. However, before Nanami could forgive anything, he needed the cursed soul to know the extent of his actions. “Are you regretful because you injured me or are you regretful because you do not wish to upset our alliance? If I were to be truthful, it is far easier to believe the ladder than the former. You have caused significant trauma to us all, and you did it while laughing. I do not recall you being remorseful when you tortured Gojo-san. The damage you did to him was extensive and permanent, yet I have not seen an attempt to make amends even once.”
Six eyes stared back at him with conflict brewing within. With the bird’s inability to speak, explaining himself was nearly impossible. Nanami wanted to slap himself for expecting a response until a low trill emitted from Infinite. Like the purr of a cat, Infinite continued to trill as he approached the sorcerer once more. He sat on his haunches and used his long neck to pull Nanami close to him in a pseudo-embrace.
Without his consent, a painful memory resurfaced.
The sound of a faucet running was the only thing that Nanami’s mind could process. He could not see anything, could not smell anything, could not feel anything. All that he knew in this moment was to wash it off wash it off wash it off washitoffwashitoffwashitoff get it off GET IT OFF-
His knees buckled, making him fall onto the hard tiles. Only a small whimper escaped Nanami’s trembling lips. The teen tried to stand up, but his body would not listen. Did his body not understand how dirty he was? The blood was still there. He had to wash it off! He had to! His second attempt was slightly more successful, but he collapsed after two seconds. His bloodshot eyes burned with tears, but none were shed. He refused to cry. Nanami tugged on his hair to distract himself from the burning. The pain was grounding. It was deserved. He deserved to be hurt, to be punished. It was his fault that Haibara was gone. His fault that he wasn’t strong enough. He would never be strong enough. Never. Never. Never.
A cold hand pressed against his head. Nanami barely reacted besides a small flinch.
“Nanami-kun…I heard what happened today. I’m so, so sorry. Neither of you should have been assigned such a dangerous mission.” It was Gojo’s voice, but it was the most subdued he had ever heard him. Normally, Gojo was loud and annoying. This softer version of his upperclassman was unfamiliar. Even so, Nanami did not pull away from his touch. The older boy sat beside him and pulled the younger into his arms. In a watery voice, Satoru whispered with tears falling down his pale cheeks. “It’s not your fault, Nanamin. The curse killed Haibara-kun and the higher-ups were the ones who assigned you guys such a mission. They’re to blame. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
The blonde tried his best to hide his face with his bangs, but Gojo could see the tears flowing from Nanami’s puffy eyes. Gojo just held him tighter.
“I’ll keep you safe, Nanamin. I won’t let the higher-ups hurt you too. I promise.”
Infinite’s hold brought the young sorcerer the same feelings of safety and promises of protection as Gojo’s had. He was frozen in place, even as Infinite pulled away. Without looking away from the blonde, Infinite bowed his head deeply. So deep that the top of his head touched the ground.
And Nanami understood.
I’m so sorry for what I’ve done, but I promise that I won’t hurt you ever again. I’ll protect you with all my might.
Nanami’s world went black once again.
.
.
.
.
.
When his vision returned, he was face to face with Infinite. Ryomen and his friends were looking at him in concern. He ignored them in favor of reaching a hand towards the draconic bird. His hand made contact with Infinite’s ivory beak. Infinite cooed, leaning into the touch.
“I hope you keep to your word.” Nanami smiled. “Thank you.”
-Present Day-
“STOP THINKING! ACT! YOU’LL DIE IF YOU DON’T!”
He knew that he only had a second left to do something unless he wanted to be sliced to ribbons by Overtime’s wrappings. Nanami could detect all six of the cursed souls preparing attacks of their own. Attacks that could kill him before he could blink.
Once Nanami could feel the heat of Overtime’s body against his face, he acted. He moved to the side at the last moment before the cursed soul’s wrapping could slice off his head. The blonde raised his wrapped sword high into the air and slammed it down into the grass. Ratio Technique: Collapse.
As if hit by a small meteor, the ground beneath Nanami and the cursed souls ripped open as his technique cut through everything. He would normally avoid using Collapse due to the mess it caused, but he knew he would die if he had not. The risk of death was not an exaggeration by any means. Ryomen had told him and the guardians to go all out. With Sukuna’s reverse cursed technique, any wounds would be healed, and the curse was skilled enough to bring them back from the dead if anything went wrong. At first, Nanami had been hesitant to injure the cursed souls, especially after the years they had spent bonding, but Sukuna reassured him that they could regenerate better than a special grade curse. No hard feelings would manifest after this battle. Each side both understood the reason and shared the same goal. Yuuji was theirs to protect. If they had to kill each other to grow stronger, so be it. With that in mind, Nanami sent another Collapse into the dirt to further disorient the six beings.
Ten minutes. I have to stay alive for ten minutes in order to succeed. Infinite is the only one who has been barred from using his abilities, but his natural strength and speed cannot be overlooked. I must stay keen on any long ranged attacks from Supernova and Resonance or Boogie’s swapping technique. The others will likely try to overwhelm me with attacks. They are intelligent, but still follow their instincts more than anything else. I need to overwhelm them instead. Nanami tightened his hold on his blade. His training with Overtime had aided him in learning the limits of his Ratio technique and learning how to surpass them. To ensure he was fighting to his fullest capabilities, Ryomen scheduled this battle to be past 6 PM. His overtime binding vow activated a few minutes ago, fueling him with cursed energy. He used a portion of it to give a layer of protection across his body. Breathing in deeply, he focused his aim at the hoard of shikigami Chimera had sent his way. A long, segmented horizontal line stretched across each of them. Only Nanami could see it. He allowed his cursed energy to build around his blade, seeing it glow with a blue flame. Once his cursed energy was close to overflowing, Nanami swung his blade, following the line etched into each shikigami with presion. Ratio Technique Extension: Divide.
In seconds, the hoard became sliced to pieces.
Nanami ran past the diced remains of the shikigami. Deadly nails shot past and around him, one slicing his cheek and another slicing his thigh. A beam of blood whizzed past him while several sharpened wrappings slithered towards him. He dodged just in time to avoid being impaled, but it was not long before Chimera sent a second Piercing Blood attack. Nails followed the blood. Each aimed for his heart.
“True accuracy is a skill many lack. There is a difference between being able to hit a marked target in the center and hitting a target in the center without said markings.” Sukuna held an arrow in his hands and threw it into the air. He gazed at Nanami with a stern expression. “Your technique makes a bullseye for you automatically. Following those guidelines is necessary, of course, but it's limiting your potential. If you can hone your precision to the max,” he paused at the exact moment to slice the descending arrow in half without looking, “then you’ll be a force to be reckoned with.”
The beam of blood was thin and the nails were small. In the past, using his technique on much tinier opponents was a challenge. He had not seen the use of focusing so much effort to hit something with his technique if he could destroy it with his fists alone. Now, he swung his blade vertically to cut the blood and nails down the middle. The parted nails fell onto the ground harmlessly. Supernova locked eyes with Nanami, readying several balls of condensed blood that Nanami knew he could not completely avoid. He tried to close the distance to make it more difficult for the feline to land a blow. Water would make the attack useless, Nanami had researched the properties blood had and had seen how Supernova tried to avoid the rain and pond at all costs. Luckily, the pond was only a foot away. Without thinking twice, Nanami lunged for it and used his blunt sword to send a wave of water on top of the cat. He used his other hand to grab a rock from the pond to throw it at Resonance. Dirty tactics had been something Nanami hated doing before Ryomen forced him to only train with such methods for two weeks. Mud covered the wet rock, some particles flying off from how much strength Nanami put into his throw. It hit exactly where he wanted: on Resonance’s legs. Since Resonance only had points at the ends of her leg, she relied on the surface to be soft enough to pierce. It was similar to soccer cleats. However, if the ground was too hard for her to pierce it, then Resonance would be unstable. His throw dislodged the cursed soul’s thin, metal legs. She collapsed onto the ground. Resonance had already started to get back up, but the extra seconds without the risk of being pierced by nails were vital.
Chimera was the next to approach with a sword in an inky hand, which Nanami was quick to intercept with his own. They were at a standstill until the shadow curse summoned a large bird to attack Nanami from behind. Nue. The birds electrified wings could be deadly since Nanami had gotten parts of his torso wet from the pond. If he focused most of his cursed energy into protecting his back, then he would likely remain conscious. He prepared himself from the blow while staying focused on parrying Chimera’s sword.
WOOF
The world became a dizzying blur as Boogie switched him with Overtime. The mummy-like being had been keeping his distance beside Infinite.
Overtime had been next to Infinite.
Shit. Nanami brought his hands up to protect his chest from the feathered dragon’s talons. He clenched his teeth so hard they creaked as Infinite’s claws left deep lacerations in his arms. Blood instantly started pouring from the wounds, a vein had likely been cut. Ignoring the pain, Nanami pushed himself away from the sharp talons before Boogie could maul him. Boogie and Infinite were the largest of the cursed souls and had the most physical strength. The blonde remembered how Ryomen could flip someone as large as Sukuna without breaking a sweat. He had told him the key to using someone’s weight against them.
“The joints. Specifically, the knees. When you’re a larger person, balance is everything. Take that away, and they’ll be falling like a sack of bricks. Try it on the blindfolded idiot if he gets too annoying.”
While neither Boogie or Infinite had a human build, they still had joints that Nanami could exploit. Their four legs meant that it would be more difficult to make them topple over, so he would need to double his efforts. He could not use his blade as the two cursed souls were too close for anything besides hand to hand combat. Nanami dropped his blunt sword to free his hands and immediately swung at a charging Boogie. His fist connected with the jaws of the canine’s second skull. It shattered from the force with some shards of bone left embedded into Nanami’s knuckles. Quick to recover, Boogie rammed the horns of his second skull into the sorcerer’s calves. The pain was immense with blood staining flowing out of the holes once Boogie pulled out. However, Nanami used Boogie’s lower position to his advantage. He sent a devastating kick to the cursed soul’s stomach.
Overtime gently poked his legs and arms with purpose. They had finished their training for the day, but it was clear that the mummy-like curse had something to say. Understanding Overtime had gotten easier with practice, so Nanami straightened to give the other his full attention. He poked more at Nanami’s limbs before lifting up one of his sharp wrappings.
“Are you saying my body is similar to your wrappings?”
The cursed soul nodded. He lifted one of Nanami’s arms, covering it in spotted cloth. When he released the blonde’s arm, Overtime picked up Nanami’s sword that was beside the sorcerer on the ground. Carefully, he pressed the blade on top of a leg. Leaning back, the entity made an equal sign with his wrappings and gazed pointedly at the leg he had placed the blade upon.
“My leg has equal potential as my sword?”
Another nod.
“...Please show me how.”
A line with ten segments appeared over Boogie’s underside. Nanami’s foot landed on the seven-to-three mark, which was on the joints of his back paws. In an instant, the back legs buckled, only handed on by a fleshy thread. He had had doubts about his technique being as powerful when he channeled it through something other than his sword. The blonde had believed that his hit to Boogie’s back legs would help unbalance him, nothing more. This was the first time that Nanami was legitimately fighting the friendly dog, so he had not known how the cursed soul’s body would react to his technique.
It would not take long for Boogie to regenerate. He needed to focus on Infinite and find a way to bring him down. The problem lay in the fact that the feathered dragon had a segmented body. Hitting one part would not spread to the rest of his form. Infinite still has joints. His legs are not proportional to his body. Though, I am not sure if his Limitless technique is helping him stay upright. The areas between each segment are likely impenetrable like Gojo-san’s Infinity. Aiming at the joint that connects his paw and leg would be best. It’s essentially his wrist that allows for proper movement. Nanami could hear the sounds of the other cursed souls heading towards him, but he ignored them. His plan to overwhelm them had not been that successful. There was only so much that one person could do against six opponents. They would come later. Currently, Nanami needed to avoid being carved open by Infinite’s beak and talons. By the sound of panting, he knew that he would need to be ready for being switched around by Boogie’s barks soon. Before the canine could do said thing, Nanami grabbed his blade and created distance between himself and the two entities.
Nanami felt dizziness start to creep over him. He was losing large amounts of blood and the holes in his legs were making it very hard to stay standing. The ten minutes were almost up. All he needed to do was survive.
And he did.
In a clash of claws, talons, nails, wrapping, and shadows, Nanami stood his ground as the deadliest part of the test began. He brought his blade down and up, again and again. Legs would be cut, arms would be slices, nails would be broken, yet the barrage of attacks did not stop. Black spots littered his vision as more of his blood was spilled. He refused to back down, however. Gojo and Getou were more powerful than him while Shoko had a power that was treasured by Jujutsu Society. Nanami was not as important as them. Nanami was not as strong as them. Nanami was not as durable as them. In the past, Nanami would have accepted this and never tried to be anything more. Things were different. An innocent child’s life was on the line due to a vile curse user who wanted nothing more than to see the entire world destroyed. Kenjaku had the power to kill everybody Nanami held dear if their plans came to fruition. Sukuna’s stories about the curse user were horrific. The complete disregard for another life, the deranged experimentation, the willingness to do whatever it takes to sate their curiosity, and much more that made Nanami’s stomach churn. What kind of person would he be if he did nothing? Especially after bonding with Yuuji, who was the sweetest boy Nanami had ever met.
What kind of monster would he be if he let that precious boy die?
He could feel his body starting to shut down from blood loss, but he kept attacking and defending as hard as he could. It felt like hours had gone by despite only minutes passing. Sukuna, Ryomen, Gojo, Shoko, and Getou were all watching from a safe distance. Nanami would be damned if he disappointed any of them. The blonde knew how his upperclassmen worried over him. To them, they still saw the thin teenager with a bad haircut and even worse attitude. Gojo and Getou likely imagined the trembling, scared teen he had become after the Sendai mission. All of them were protective over him. While he appreciated the sentiment, Nanami did not want the rest of his life spent being babied by his companions. His entire childhood was spent being responsible and reliable. Being an adult changed nothing. Succeeding at this test would prove to them that he was not to be coddled. He wasn’t special or very powerful, yet Nanami continued fighting anyway.
Infinite was closing the distance for the umpteenth time. Previously, Nanami was able to shatter the feathered dragon’s wrists to make him lose balance until he regenerated. He had done it several times. However, Nanami’s eyesight had become so blurry that he could not see where the cursed soul’s legs were. A cut to his forehead was responsible. Blood had gotten into his eyes which, paired with his blood loss, spelled bad news for the sorcerer. Still, Nanami prepared himself to strike. Most of Infinite was a blob of white, but the texture of his body varied. He had fur, feathers, cloth covering his eyes and neck, talons, and a hooked beak. Focusing on the draconic bird’s body, he could feel the tattered ends of Infinite’s mask brush against his cheek. Due to Infinite’s large size, he needed to bend his neck to hit smaller opponents. The bird was clearly going to bite his head. In other words, kill him.
“I’ll have him train you until your technique is strong enough to cut through diamonds and precise enough to cut a droplet of water on the head of a pin. Understood?”
Strong enough to cut through diamonds. That was the expectation Ryomen had set for him. Perhaps there was a bit of exaggeration, but the message was still important. No matter how his body ached and bled, Nanami knew he had to deliver. He was known for being efficient. He got things done.
His mind became clear as the last thought entered his mind: Get. It. Done.
As he felt Infinite’s beak start to enter his flesh, Nanami raised his blade as high as he could before bringing it down with a force he had never achieved. Sparks of black and read ignited his sword and arm, fueling him with more energy he knew what to do with. The initial hit made the draconic bird dislodge his beak, but Nanami did not stop. He struck his blade against the bottom of Infinite’s jaw. Black and red manifested into the air. Black Flash. Twice. A move even Gojo had not accomplished.
The new energy helped the black spots in his vision disappear. With his regained sight, he gasped at what he saw.
Infinite’s beak had been completely shattered.
Shrieks and whines escaped the feathered dragon who was beginning to flail around in a blind panic. Due to Infinite’s infinity, he had never been hit before. Ryomen had made the being release his greatest defense. Nanami saw as Infinite cried out in pain, reminding him of a child wailing from a tiny cut after a fall. It was usually the shock of the fall that caused the tears. He could not help but feel guilty as Infinite continued to panic. Though, his guilt was overtaken by relief as Infinite’s mindless scramblings caused his long body to knock over the other cursed souls like a stack of dominoes.
Nanami wanted to collapse then and there, but he knew better than to let his guard down. His head then snapped to the sound of Ryomen’s voice. He sounded the most joyful Nanami had ever heard him.
“Ten seconds, Nanami!” Ryomen said, a proud smile on his face.
Nanami let out a deep sigh. His body began to relax as the seconds ticked by quickly. He was already imagining the warm feeling of the healing energy reverse cursed technique had. A day-long nap was also in order. Perhaps he should finally go to the luxury hot spring Gojo had recommended-
Then there was a spotted wrapping flying towards his head.
Precise enough to cut a droplet of water on the head of a pin. He had no time to dodge or protect himself. He needed to cut it or else he would die. The wrapping was even thinner than Supernova’s Piercing Blood. It had taken all of his focus to split the bloodstream, and he had not lost a liter or so of blood. Hitting the earlier Black Flashes helped his energy levels, but it had not cured his blood loss. Nanami grit his teeth as he put everything he had left into his attack.
He swung.
And the wrapping split in two.
He had done it.
This had been the worst ten minutes of his life, but he was thankful for it. As he looked towards the others, he was shocked as he saw them applauding. Shoko’s face was lit up in a rare smile, Gojo was jumping up and down, and Getou was looking at him with a softness that made Nanami feel seventeen again.
Sukuna had already picked Nanami up before the exhausted sorcerer could blink. The warmth of reverse cursed technique covered his body like a blanket. His wounds closed and his pain faded away. When he risked a glance at the curse, Sukuna simply gave a nod of respect. With how advanced Sukuna’s curse technique was, no scars would be left behind. It was like it never happened. The only proof that remained of Nanami surviving this test was the new way Ryomen and Sukuna stared at him. With the ladder, it was with respect.
Most importantly, Ryomen looked at him with trust.
Nanami had succeeded.
-
“So Nanamin got an A?”
“I did, Yuuji-kun. It was a difficult test, but I made sure to study. Have you studied for your spelling test tomorrow?”
“Mhm! Fushiguro helped me with big cards!”
“I’m glad.”
Yuuji beamed at Nanami before scooping another forkful of noodles into his mouth. This was the first time he had eaten somewhere besides his home, and all of his family were able to come! He was so excited when his Papa told him that his Uncles and Aunt would be visiting for the next four days. They were usually really busy, so they couldn’t come over often. The boy had missed them a lot. When he asked why they were able to sleepover, Uncle Gojo just ruffled his hair and told him that they were on vacation. Fushiguro still had school, but he came to visit with Infinite’s help. Today, he and Fushiguro had studied a lot and played a lot! It was so much fun! He had not even noticed how it had gotten dark until Uncle Kuna came from the backyard, telling him to get dressed. When his uncle had told him that they would be going out to eat, Yuuji had scrambled to his room as fast as he could!
They were eating at Nanami’s favorite restaurant because his Papa said that Nanami deserved it after passing his ‘test’. Nanami had told him that this place served ‘Italian’ and helped him choose what to order. Yuuji did not know the name of what he got, but it was really good! The noodles were thicker like an udon noodle, and the sauce was really creamy! Using a fork was also really cool! He scooped up some more noodles, leaning down to where Supernova was hidden beneath the table. The cat sniffed at the food before taking a bite. He was much less messier in eating than Yuuji was. Yuuji pet his favorite cat in the world as praise. Supernova was the best!
“Little cub, you are making a mess.” Papa gently used his napkin to wipe off the sauce from his cheeks.
“So is Satoru.” Uncle Getou chuckled.
“Whuh?” Said man glanced at them with his cheeks full of the same noodles Yuuji had ordered.
The boy giggled. “Uncle Gojo! It’s not nice to talk with food in your mouth!”
Gojo pouted, but he did not say anything more. After he swallowed his food, the white-haired man pointed at Getou. “He does it way more than me, Yuu-chan! Suguru just pretends he’s polite when he’s with you!”
“That’s not good, Uncle Getou!”
“Yuuji-kun, don’t worry. I have far better manners than your lying uncle.”
“So mean!” Gojo whined, which made Yuuji laugh harder. He loved Gojo and Getou so much! They were super funny like the talking deer girl show Yuuji liked to watch with Boogie!
The rest of the dinner was awesome! Yuuji was super happy to see his Papa smiling and laughing with his uncles and aunt. Fushiguro showed Yuuji lots of pictures and facts about Italy on his phone. His friend always made learning interesting, speaking in a voice that helped Yuuji’s messy mind focus. He was patient like Kenko-Sensei. Maybe Fushiguro and Miss Kenko should meet. They both helped Yuuji learn new things, after all! Saving that thought for later, Yuuji focused on all the foods and places Italy had. He really wanted to try gelato and see the Colosseum! When he mentioned visiting Italy to the older boy, Fushiguro immediately went to a website to look at plane tickets. Yuuji’s eyes bulged as he saw the prices, but Fushiguro looked at them like it was nothing.
“Gojo?” Fushiguro asked while not looking away from his phone. He
“Hm?” The man hummed with his hand on his cheek. Dessert would be arriving soon, and Gojo was growing impatient. Yuuji was too! He couldn’t wait to try tiramisu!
“Can I buy tickets for Italy?”
Huh?!
“Sure! Do you need my card?”
Wait! Not now!
“No, I already saved your platinum card on my phone.”
Gojo had a card made of platinum?!
“Are you inviting anyone, Megumi-chan?”
How is Uncle Gojo so calm? It was so expensive!
“Definitely not you.”
“Aww!”
“Yuuji, we can go-”
“N-No!” Yuuji blurted out. He immediately softened his voice. It wasn’t nice to use his outside voice when he was inside. “Uhm. I don’t think I can go, Fushi. Papa would be sad and the guardian’s would miss me! I’m sor-”
Fushiguro snorted, making Yuuji stop. The gloomy boy was smiling! “I didn’t mean right now, Yuuji. I meant sometime in the next few years when we’re both older. Does that sound better?”
“Oh! Yeah! That sounds great!” Yuuji nodded excitedly.
“Italy is quite a lovely place.” The voice of Uncle Kuna sounded from Papa’s hand. Since Uncle Kuna was a ghost-y thing that didn’t have a body, he could not be outside the shrine. He ‘retreated’ inside Papa like Venom with Spiderman! Yuuji patted his hand on top of Uncle Kuna’s mouth on instinct, squealing when his uncle blew raspberries into his palm. “Cheeky brat.”
Yuuji stuck out his tongue, thinking that his uncle could not see him without eyes.
“I saw that, brat.”
“How?!”
“When did you go to Italy, Sukuna?” Shoko interrupted. The other sorcerers were looking at the curse with equal curiosity. As her question set into Yuuji’s mind, he froze. That’s right! His uncle could not leave the shrine! How did he leave to visit Italy! It was super duper far!
“Eh. I didn’t really go to Italy as it is now. I went…a long time ago. It was nice. I did not get to try any food, but I can still tell this place is not authentic Italian.”
“Well, it never claimed to be authentic. It’s a fusion of American and Italian food, but it is still wel done. Though, I am curious. What other places have you gone to?” Nanami replied with a tilt of his head.
Before Uncle Kuna could say anything more, the nice waitress that had been serving them brought the deserts they ordered. Nanami got bread pudding, Shoko got a latte, Getou and Papa got cannolis, Gojo got a chocolate lava cake, Fushiguro got a crème brulée, and Yuuji was finally getting his tiramisu! He thanked the waitress as he dug into the cold dessert. It was fluffy and creamy and so so good! The waitress had told him that this tiramisu was specially made for ‘nice boys’ like him. Adult tiramisu, according to the waitress, had alcohol which his Papa said he could not drink until he was older. Yuuji did not really care that he was not eating the real version. The taste of chocolate and chocolate milk were way better! He lifted his fork and showed it to Gojo. “This is really yummy, Go-Go! Try it!”
“Oh? Is Yuuji-kun going to share with me?”
“Uh-huh!”
“You’re so sweet! Mine is really good too, Yuu-chan! I’ll cut you a piece!” Gojo grinned as he cut a generous piece for Yuuji. He got a spare spoon from the table and scooped up a small portion of Yuuji’s tiramisu. They both looked at each other before eating their pieces at the same time.
Simultaneously, they spoke. “So good!”
Gojo ruffled his hair. The boy smiled from the affectionate touch. His heart felt so full that it felt like it was going to burst! It would only be better if the other guardians were here, but he could find a way to bring them next time! He loved his family. Being with them was the best. They were all so kind and had done so much for Yuuji. They made him feel so safe and loved. His guardians were all precious to him. He hoped he could return the favor someday for all of them. Yuuji knew his family would say that they did not want anything in return. They were too nice to accept his gifts. If he could not make or buy them something, then Yuuji would need to use his actions. Fushiguro had shown him the different ways love can be shown. ‘Acts of Service’ would be the best one to use for his family.
With his mind made up, Yuuji continued to enjoy his time with everyone. There was laughter, stories, and so much warmth. Even as they left the restaurant to go back home, the warm feeling did not go away. Gojo, Getou, Nanami, and Shoko would be staying for a few more days, so Yuuji began thinking of activities to do with them. It was going to be the best week ever! Yuuji would make sure of it!
As Yuuji’s eyes grew heavier and heavier, there was one thought that stayed with him.
Today was amazing.
.
.
-
.
.
A tool is meant to be used. Nothing more. Nothing less. It had no other purposes besides performing what it was created to do. If a tool failed to do what it was made for, then it should be thrown away and replaced with a functional one.
He was a broken tool.
He was defective.
He was useless.
He had failed.
Yet he was still here.
Why?
He did not understand.
It was cold.
But weren’t tools not supposed to feel anything?
He did not understand.
He began to shiver, wrapping his arms around himself to conserve heat. Wait. Arms? No, that wasn’t right. Tools had no arms. Tools did not shiver. He truly was malfunctioning.
Powerful winds swirled around him, spreading the cold from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. Crystals of white stuck onto his eyelashes and hair. His thin hoodie did nothing to protect him from the upcoming blizzard. He should start moving before he was caught in the worst of the storm-
He did not understand.
Tools were often made of simple things like metal or wood. Tools could not feel the difference in temperature. Tools did not have arms, legs, or hair. So why did he-
Oh.
He was a person.
How strange.
No wonder he had failed. He had not been in the correct form to perform his duty. He still wasn’t in the right shape, but he did not know how to fix such an issue. For now, he would need to grow accustomed to this body.
There was a blob of pink in front of him.
Oh.
That’s right. He was already accustomed to this form. He knew why he was here. He was Itadori Yuuji, the one meant to save the world from its demise. Though, thinking of himself as Itadori Yuuji did not feel right. It felt strange. Wrong.
He was not Itadori Yuuji anymore.
The boy in front of him is.
“Mr. Grey!”
That was a much better name. It released the memories that only appeared when the boy was here. Yuuji’s presence was the only way for him to remember.
And he remembered why he wanted to talk to the boy today.
The boy was not aware of his true nature, he did not know that they were the same person. For the time being, he allowed the child to call him whatever he pleased. He gazed at his younger self. A feeling in his chest began to grow even when he was sure that he was incapable of feeling emotions. It grew and grew. Generating a heat to combat the blizzard swirling around them. What was it?
His sense of self was so fragmented. It was barely able to piece itself together once Yuuji arrived. He felt like he was split into too many pieces that were too far away from one another. The only way to regain his memories was this boy. This boy who was weak and naive.
This boy who was Itadori Yuuji.
This boy who was him.
This boy who would lead to the world’s end if he did not step in.
“Come. I have much to show you.”
“What are we going to do? Is it something fun?”
He hated Yuuji.
“Yes.”
“Woohoo!”
They walked until a large warehouse could be seen through the snow. Once they entered the building, nothing but old concrete greeted them. It was completely empty. It was exactly what he needed for what he had to do. He led the boy to the middle of the warehouse that was illuminated by a single hanging light. The boy stuck close to his side, clearly afraid of the darkness surrounding them.
He stepped away from the child. “This is where you and I will train.”
“Train?”
“Yes. I sense that your guardians and other family have gotten stronger. They want to protect you at the risk of their own lives. They are willing to die for you.” He knelt over the now trembling boy. His gaze was just as empty as he felt. “You cannot let that happen. No matter what.”
“What d-do I need to do?” The child asked with tears in his eyes.
He felt a familiar heat envelop his fist in sparks of black and red. Perfectly controlled. As he lifted his flaming fist into the air, he spoke again, ignoring the boy’s question. “Dodge.”
He hated Yuuji.
His fist swung towards the child.
He hated Yuuji.
Blood splattered onto the ground.
...
Red was staining into pink.
...
He could hear soft sniffles and whimpers.
...
He raised his fist again.
...
He welcomed the red and black sparks.
...
He struck and...
...and
............No.
You stupid brat!
Itadori...tell everyone...It wasn't so bad!
Start by saving me, Itadori.
You've got it from here.
Thank you Yuuji. For being my little brother.
Hey, brat, take a good look.
People don't have hearts! They don't...otherwise...that could only mean that they cursed me and my mom with those hearts!
You are me, Itadori Yuuji.
My students are watching...so help me look even cooler, okay?!
Brother. A man as great as you shouldn't let yourself grow so small. We are jujutsu sorcerers. Me, you, Kugisaki, Mr. Nanami, and all our allies are jujutsu sorcerers! So long as we continue to live, our dead comrades have not truly been defeated!
Why are you so weak? You're weak yet you cling to life!
You're a strong kid, so...help people. It doesn't have to be all the time. Just whenever you can. You may feel lost. Don't expect gratitude. Just help them. When it's your time to go, make sure you're surro unded by others. Don't end up like me.
