UNCLE UP

Cursed Guardians (A JJK Fic)

AO3 Link

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“I’m going to fucking murder you, Sukuna.”

“That’d kill you too, dumbass.”

“I don’t care! How could you NOT do the ONE thing I requested of you?!”

“Oi! It ain’t my fault that I didn’t notice!”

“You were supposed to tell me the second you sensed Yuuji’s presence! For fuck’s sake, you made a binding vow with me!”

“And nothing’s happened to me, right? I didn’t tell you about Yuuji on purpose. I didn’t sense him, so the binding vow wasn’t broken. I did nothing wrong!”

“YOU’RE SUCH A– I JUST– AGH! I HATE YOU!”

“WHAT?! I GOT US BACK HOME, YOU UNGRATEFUL BITCH!”

“Yeah, you did get us home, but you want to know what you also did? YOU ALERTED ALL THE JUJUTSU SORCERERS IN JAPAN! YOU PRACTICALLY INVITED THEM TO OUR HOUSE!”

“THEY AREN’T GOING TO COME! HAVEN’T YOU HEARD OF INTIMIDATION TACTICS?! THEY’LL BE TOO BUSY PISSING THEIR PANTS TO EVEN TRY TO FIND US!”

“YOU KNOW DAMN WELL-”

An ear piercing wail made all arguing screech to a halt. Ryomen glared murderously at Sukuna before heading to the baby’s room. The much taller being followed the man with a scowl that was more resemblant of a pout.

-One hour Earlier-

Once Infinite had deposited the group to the requested location, Ryomen had immediately gotten to work on cleaning up his long lost son of any grime he had collected when at the forest with soft baby wipes. The infant whined in pain when Ryomen gently brushed his finger against the dark markings on his chubby face and arms. A million questions flooded the man’s mind, but he ignored all of them due to the teary, golden eyes looking up at him. Ryomen’s heart melted and twisted at the same time at the sight. He soon began to prepare the formula for the hungry infant. The moment the bottle was placed in Yuuji’s mouth, the baby quickly devoured the meal greedily. As the infant drank, his loyal protectors were in a circle, watching him dutifully. At some point, Overtime used one of his wrappings to wipe off the mess of milk from Yuuji’s face due to the baby’s clumsy drinking. It caused the baby to squeal with laughter, causing everyone in the room to soften at the sight. Even Sukuna had to bite his lip in order to hide a smile at the happy squeals.

Once Yuuji had finished his meal and was burped, Ryomen carried the baby to the bathroom to give him a much needed bath. While the wipes had done well to clean off the dirt, a proper, warm bath was needed to help sooth the baby’s irritated skin and get rid of the tiny sticks in his hair. His six guardians had tried to follow them into the bathroom, but Ryomen was quick to scold them. Only Supernova was allowed to enter due to his small size. The cat purred loudly before jumping onto Ryomen’s shoulder. Yuuji made grabbing motions towards the purple feline. Because Supernova had been the first being that the baby saw, the boy had imprinted on Supernova. An undeniably smug look appeared in Supernova’s eyes as he peered at the other guardians while Yuuji’s attention was fully on the cat. Infinite squawked loudly in pure offense, the colorful feathers along his back raised to show just how unhappy he was at Ryomen’s decision. When the draconic creature tried to use his long body to steal Yuuji, Chimera was quick to summon one of his frogs to wrap around Infinite's beak before it could make contact. The dark goop immediately began to stick into the white fur of Infinite’s back, eliciting another affronted squawk.

“Damn, he’s loud. Think we’re going to have trouble with that in the future?” Ryomen raised a brow at Sukuna. Fortunately, the noise did not scare Yuuji in the slightest. In fact, the baby giggled and cooed at the draconic bird amalgamation. This made Infinite shake off the black goop and try to nuzzle the baby’s head, responding with coos and trills of his own. However, a swipe from Supernova’s paw caused the larger creature to whine with disappointment.

“It will definitely be a problem moving forward. That thing cannot live without annoying someone else. He never knows when to shut up. You can chop off his upper half and he’d still be a pain in the ass.” A glare was sent to the dramatic bird, who had used his smoky tail to hit Sukuna in the face. Sukuna suppressed a growl, not noticing that Ryomen was looking at him oddly from his choice of words.

Ryomen sighed, more than used to the ancient curse’s weird phrasing. He adjusted the now wiggling baby in a more secure grip and looked at the other guardians. He was briefed on the names and purposes of the guardians that would accompany Yuuji long ago, but nothing could have prepared him for how strange they looked. Any grievances he would have had disappeared once he heard his son’s happy squeals as Supernova began to groom the small amount of pink hair on Yuuji’s head. The cat was clearly different from the average feline. Not just from his purple fur and spikes, but also his behavior. All the cats Ryomen had interacted with in the past had no qualms with biting or scratching him if he so much as breathed the wrong way. In contrast, Supernova let the baby grab at his tail which most cats would have clawed someone for doing. His purrs were somehow much more soothing than other cats. The purring Supernova was emitting made vibrations go through Ryomen’s body, causing him to unconsciously relax. It had the same effect on Yuuji, so he knew he had to act quickly. Bathing a cranky baby was something Ryomen had no desire to deal with at this time of night.

To his chagrin, the five guardians that weren’t allowed to enter the bathroom were sulking. Boogie and Infinite were the loudest with their complaints, one was howling in pure agony while the other was chirping as pitifully as possible. The rose on Resonance’s left eye wilted at the edges while the green lights on Chimera’s face had dimmed considerably. It was nearly impossible to read Overtime’s body language, so Ryomen paid attention to the looser wrappings around his body. The wrappings were subtly reaching out in the direction of Yuuji. He felt terrible for separating the guardians from their precious ward.

Catching onto Ryomen’s internal dilemma, Sukuna rolled his eyes. “The guardians will not disappear if they are away from Yuuji for five seconds. I suggest you bathe Yuuji now, considering how sleepy the brat is getting.”

“He’s not a brat!” Ryomen responded instantly. Although, he knew that Sukuna was right about Yuuji’s sleepiness. “Just make sure they don’t break in, okay? They can watch by the door if they get too restless.”

“They’re already restless, so that is a given” Sukuna responded with a scoff.

Ryomen shook his head and flipped Sukuna off as he turned to enter the bathroom. The snarl that followed made Ryomen smirk as he closed the door. Big, honey eyes looked at the new space in complete awe. Yuuji was staring at the sink as if it was the eighth wonder of the world. A warmness that Ryomen hadn’t felt in centuries blossomed in his chest at the sight of his precious son’s curiosity. He had waited so long to have Yuuji in his arms again. If he wasn’t careful, he knew that he would be sobbing his heart out at any moment once being reunited with his long-lost son. However, duty calls, and Ryomen could not be bursting into tears while his baby needed him.

The bathroom had long been baby-proofed, so some of Ryomen’s many anxieties could be eased. He first took out a blanket from one of the cupboards and placed the fluffy material on the tile floor. Yuuji giggled when Ryomen booped his nose after placing him on the blanket. It took all of Ryomen’s self control not to cry and not to cradle Yuuji in his arms and never let go. He shook his head again, focusing on getting the supplies needed for the bath. Considering Yuuji’s sensitive marks, Ryomen chose the gentlest products he had. With that sorted, Ryomen knelt on the floor to turn the faucet on the tub. As the water warmed up, the pink-haired man stood and went to the cupboards beneath the sink. To start, he collected the foldable baby tub he’d bought online and placed it to the side. Afterwards, he grabbed three soft towels that had never been used before. Ryomen pointedly ignored the mirror of the sink, knowing just how rough he looked from his eventful day. If someone had warned him that he would be alerted of his son’s presence while buying groceries, causing him to run out of the store with one bag in hand as he forgot the rest of his groceries because he was too busy running down the street with Sukuna screaming directions in his ear, which then led to him looking like an insane person as he shouted at the parasite in his head for all to see, further fueling his determination to get to his son’s location as fast as possible, making him throw up at least four times from the overexertion as he sprinted about ten miles to the forest his son was in, only to find his baby boy wailing in fright and hunger whilst being surrounded by the most powerful and influential sorcerers in the country…then Ryomen would have drank all of Sukuna’s stolen saki until he forgot how to feel feelings.

I should still find the time to steal Sukuna’s saki. He stole it from the finest restaurants in Japan, so stealing it again shouldn’t count as a crime. Not like he can get drunk anyway . His musings were interrupted when a paw incessantly tugged on his pants. Ryomen snapped back to reality, and he was surprised to see Supernova sitting on his leg, nodding his head towards the tub with a disapproving gaze. Somehow, the sharp meow Supernova let out felt like a harsh reprimand. Shit, I really need to focus. Can parenting skills get rusty after a thousand years?

Ryomen breathed in deeply for a few moments to get his frazzled nerves under control. He placed one towel on the floor where he’d be kneeling, another on the edge of the tub to clean up splashes and bubbles, and the third was resting on the counter of the sink to be used at the end. Luckily, the water was the perfect temperature without Ryomen’s interference. At the same time, Supernova was being used as a living plush toy by a giggling baby. Yuuji was on the cat's fluffy back with a smile. His tiny hands gripped at the fur, and his head was buried into the purple softness. Golden eyes started to flutter as he further burrowed his head in the warmth. Supernova never once growled at the baby, only nudging the boy’s cheek to keep him awake.

When Ryomen turned to place Yuuji in the tub, a snort left his lips to see his adorable son trying to use Supernova as a bed. He gently plucked the baby from Supernova’s back and removed the baby’s diaper and dirty onesie. Part of him was worried that Yuuji would start wailing at the separation, but his fears were put to rest as his boy made grabby hands at Ryomen’s face. The father and son duo had matching smiles that could rival the sun in their brightness.

This time, Ryomen could not stop his tears from flowing when chubby hands grabbed at his nose. Yuuji giggled when Ryomen nuzzled his nose into the baby’s soft grip. Dark honey met golden honey, and Ryomen finally felt complete. One of Yuuji’s hands patted Ryomen’s cheek, coos of shere delight escaping the boy’s lips. His baby boy giggled again and looked back at his crying father. Ryomen let out a watery laugh that sounded more like a sob. “Oh…Hi…Hi, Yuuji … Hi …I’m your Papa, remember? I’m going to take care of you from now on, okay? You already have so many people who will always love you and protect you. You’ll never be alone. You’ll always have someone to dry your tears. You’ll forever have someone to hug you when you’re scared. You’ll always have a roof over your head. You’ll always be warm and cozy. You’ll never have to go hungry ever again. You won’t get sick anymore. I promise.” Memories of a long forgotten plague filled Ryomen’s mind. The helplessness. The pain. The grief. The rage-

Another pat on his face broke Ryomen from his spiraling thoughts. This time, Yuuji was patting his forehead repeatedly. His chubby cheeks were puffed out in pout. The baby looked just as disapproving as Supernova had earlier. Tears of pure joy soon streamed down Ryomen’s face as a much more pleasant memory surfaced.

“No sad, Papa! I hit sad away!”

“Yuuji, hon, you’re hitting me- OW! Stop it, sweetie, you don’t need to- OW! OW! Okay! Okay, the sad is gone! Good job, Yuuji! You can stop hitting Papa’s head now.”

“No!”

“N-No?”

“You still sad! Need more hits!”

“Wait, Yuuji- OW! OW! You’re doing this on purpose- OW!”

A genuine laugh burst from Ryomen’s chest. “I should have expected your lack of tolerance for sadness.” Ryomen kissed Yuuji’s forehead, remembering what he still had to do. He switched to holding Yuuji with one arm and placed the smaller baby tub inside the larger bathtub and waited until the tiny tub was at the appropriate water level. He also placed a stopper in to prevent the surrounding warm water from draining out. After testing the water’s temperature again, the pink-haired man carefully placed Yuuji into the baby tub. In an instant, Supernova jumped onto the rim of the bathtub in order to watch the baby like a hawk. There wasn’t much need to do so because the baby tub was shallow enough that drowning was impossible with Ryomen there. However, it was still nice to have someone care for his son so much.

Yuuji was confused at first from the new sensations, but he quickly relaxed into the warm water. Ryomen got out the baby wash and squeezed it into the water. As he swirled the water with his hand, Yuuji squealed as bubbles appeared. The baby was ecstatic as he slapped his tiny palms into the water. However, Yuuji had always been a boy with excess strength, even as a baby. Soapy water hit Ryomen in his face. He sighed and grabbed the towel on the corner of the bathtub. When he opened his eyes, he was relieved to see that no burn came, proving the gentleness of the baby wash and shampoo. He’d definitely be buying from the brand in the future.

Yuuji wiggled around and splashed some more, even managing to soak Supernova. The attentive cat simply shook his head to rid himself of the water and went back to watching Yuuji. The sight of the purple feline’s droopy, wet fur made Ryomen snicker. Eventually, Yuuji would calm down enough to allow Ryomen to properly wash him without making an ocean out of the bathroom. A mild scent of honey could be detected from the soap and the same was seen in the shampoo.

Maybe I should start calling him little bee. Ryomen thought to himself. With the stripes on Yuuji’s tiny body, it was easy to compare the baby to a bumblebee. However, he could not abandon his favorite nickname of all. The black stripes along his son’s face and body resembled a tiger much more than a bee. “Seems like my tiger cub finally got his stripes, hm?”

As cute as the stripes were, Ryomen knew that it wasn’t normal for a baby to have. There were two stripes on each side of Yuuji's cheeks, six stripes of varying length on his arms, three stripes along the length of each leg, and one circular marking on his chest. What was most concerning was that it was painful if he touched Yuuji’s tattoos. He was hoping the pain was temporary and would go away with time. For now, Ryomen would continue to use the gentlest products for his boy. When he began washing Yuuji’s tattoos, he treated them like they were more fragile than porcelain. Yuuji had initially whined at the touch, causing the spines on Supernova’s back to raise in anger. Fortunately, Ryomen’s face would not get mauled as the tiny whines stopped after a few seconds. On closer inspection, there was a faint outline of redness surrounding each marking. He frowned, but Ryomen knew of the many lotions he had bought specifically tailored towards irritated skin in infants. Turns out his many online shopping sprees in the middle of the night would prove useful.

When it was time for shampoo, Yuuji had splashed most of the water from his tub. Ryomen used a small pitcher attached to the wall on his right to scoop out the warm water surrounding the larger bathtub. It was still warm, so Ryomen gently poured the water into the near empty baby tub. Yuuji squealed with the additional water. Before he could splash Ryomen and Supernova for the umpteenth time, Ryomen plopped a dollop of shampoo on Yuuji’s head. Immediately, the baby cooed and tried to reach for his head. The man and cat both sagged in relief. Not wanting to have the shampoo run down Yuuji’s face, Ryomen used one hand to block Yuuji’s eyes and another to scoop water onto the baby’s head. With great care, Ryomen lathered the shampoo into the pink hair, making sure that every speck of dirt was gone. He had thought that he would need to spend ages removing each tiny splinter and stick from his boy’s hair. It seemed like Supernova had taken care of that when the feline had groomed the baby’s pink-hair earlier. Ryomen looked at the cat, who was still watching his boy with great focus. Thanks to Supernova, the bath would go much faster than Ryomen anticipated. It made sense that the cat would be so attentive according to Sukuna’s brief descriptions of the guardians.

Supernova will be Yuuji’s bodyguard in a sense. His regular form is smaller than the rest, but he is large for a cat. That’s why he can alter the size of his form to fit the situation, so Yuuji can take him anywhere. Supernova is capable of both long range and close range attacks with his blood manipulation technique. He’s the ‘all-in-one’ guardian and will protect Yuuji with his life. I doubt that protection will spread to you or me because that cat does not give a shit about what happens to anyone besides Yuuji. He doesn't even seem to care that much about the other guardians. Oh, and before I forget, don’t try petting him either. If you’re not Yuuji and you pet him, the little fucker will slice your hand off.

For once, Ryomen was grateful to Sukuna. If he hadn’t warned him, Ryomen would have pet the fluffy cat upon seeing Supernova. It was a good thing that Yuuji had shown nothing but happiness towards Ryomen. Any tears would spell his doom.

Yuuji luckily only continued to coo at Ryomen’s gentle ministrations. Once the shampoo was fully washed off, the peach locks were vibrant. Ryomen smiled as he realized that he, Yuuji, and Sukuna all shared the exact shade of pink. Additionally, they all had tattoos of their own. Sukuna had the most, but Ryomen had his fair share as well. He had the same markings on his forehead, nose, cheeks, and shoulders that Sukuna had. He had two black bands on each thigh and two on each calf. The two bands around each of his wrists were the most unique. They were thinner than the other bands on his skin. The top band separated into five lines that spread to his hand and fingers. In fact, the lines even grew onto his nail bed. No amount of filing would rub off the marks, so Ryomen got into the habit of painting his nails with the darkest polishes he could find. The lines would then travel down to the pads of his fingers, forming a perfect square on each one. He had an identical black square on the sole of both feet. All the squares were a symbol of the technique he has. While Sukuna had all the brutality and strength, Ryomen had the firepower so to speak.

“Oi, dumbass! Are you done yet or have you finally succumbed to your stupidity?” Sukuna’s muffled voice broke the peaceful environment. The curse had been relentless in teasing him when Ryomen had continued to puke during his dash to get Yuuji. He kept talking about how Ryomen would die any second with his ‘shitty’ endurance.

“Shut up, Sukuna! I thought you had ‘the patience of a god’!”

“I do, but not with these fucking demons throwing tantrums!” After Sukuna said that, Ryomen heard various whines and scratches coming from the other side of the door. A large claw tried going through the crack under the door with a miserable squawk. Infinite continued his mournful cries until a spotted wrapping yanked his claw from the door.

Seeing as his time was up and not wanting to have Yuuji’s skin get pruny, Ryomen grabbed the towel from the counter and wrapped Yuuji securely. He got out a soft cloth and began to dry Yuuji with it. He would have used a normal towel, but Ryomen was taking no chances in irritating his baby’s sensitive skin. Yuuji was quickly starting to fall asleep, so Ryomen used all his focus to be even more gentle. Behind him, Supernova was grooming himself to rid his fur of the soapy water. The cat went to the door crack and hissed. In response, the very tip of Infinite’s beak poked through. Based on the muffled swears from Sukuna and the sounds of things crashing, Infinite’s large body had knocked several things over in his attempt to peek under the door.

“Looks like our time is up, little tiger. Let’s get you to bed. You’ve had quite the day!” Ryomen carried a now dry Yuuji in his arms wrapped in another towel. The shirt Ryomen had been wearing was so soaked that he had to use the towel he had first bundled Yuuji in to wipe the slippery tile. He took off the wet fabric and threw it in the sink’s basin, too tired to clean the messy bathroom. It was a problem for future Ryomen. Current Ryomen was on his way to passing out like his sleepy son.

Supernova backed away from the door, shrinking in size before jumping on Ryomen’s shoulder again. His smaller form allowed the cat to curl up without having most of its body hanging off. To his relief, Infinite had removed his beak from the door. He took a deep breath in and opened the door and was met with a disaster.

Several vases lay shattered on the floor, spilling dirt everywhere. A few nails had been stabbed into the walls, and there were claw marks along the floor. Some of the paintings on the walls had been knocked over or were covered in slobber. Black goop managed to stain the ceiling. Shreds of spotted fabric also littered the floor. At the center of the mess was a tense Sukuna. He had his four arms crossed, refusing to look at Ryomen. It was clear that the guardians let their anxiety get the best of them, and Sukuna was a horrid babysitter. Before said curse could let a word out, Ryomen raised a hand. Whatever expression Ryomen was adorning was enough to shut Sukuna up and make all the guardians sheepishly back away.

Tomorrow. It’s tomorrow’s problem. That was the mantra running through Ryomen’s head. The only source of solace for the poor man was the weight in his arms. Yuuji was completely knocked out with his tiny head buried in Ryomen’s right shoulder. On his left shoulder, Supernova was purring again with his warm fur tickling Ryomen’s neck. In silence, the others followed the pink-haired man into the nursery.

The nursery was made with love and care. Yuuji’s crib was meticulously carved by a certain curse with a tendency for slashing. Intricate swooping patterns were carved into the wooden crib. Flames outlined the edges of the crib with sharp notches between each flame. On the front of the crib was the symbol on Sukuna and Ryomen’s foreheads. According to the ancient curse, it was actually a rune marked into their skins to offer strength and bravery. He didn’t entirely believe Sukuna, but Ryomen let it slide.

“If anyone messes up the nursery, I am killing every last one of you.” Ryomen whispered to the others as he placed Yuuji on the changing table. Even with the room being so inviting with its beautiful abstract paintings of flowers and tigers, an army of animal plushies, fluffy blankets with matching pillows, and impossibly plush carpet, all the creatures in the room felt like they were facing death itself.

The exhaustion of a single father was not to be messed with.

With the threat in all their heads, the remaining guardians were very careful as they maneuvered around the nursery. Chimera headed towards a dark corner, hiding himself in the shadow with only his green eyes visible. Boogie laid his large body on the side of the carpet in the center of the room, tailing gently wagging. The canine laid his head on his paws and got into a comfortable position to sleep. Resonance was the most cautious, knowing her sharp appendages could do great damage to the room. She sat down on the red rocking chair in another corner and curled up as much as she could. Overtime loosened the wrappings on his body to plop down next to the crib. This allowed him to take up less space. His more solid left side began to glow brighter, heating up the room as Overtime allowed the magma inside his body flow along the cracks of his body. Being the longest and largest, Infinite had the most trouble fitting into the nursery. He chirped in irritation before he saw the stone rafters on the ceiling. The ancient origins of their home had its apparent perks. Infinite trilled softly as he used his lengthy form to reach the rafters that fortunately supported his weight. The high position allowed Infinite to have a bird’s eye view of the room, which was quite fitting for the draconic bird. Infinite let his smokey tail dangle from a gap in the rafters. The tail opened slightly, revealing six eyes that were bright enough to be a nightlight. Each eye was focused on the sleepy baby in Ryomen’s arms, now dawned in a yellow onesie and fresh diaper.

Despite his fatigue, Ryomen’s eyes were bright with happiness as he rocked Yuuji in his arms, patting his back. In seconds, the baby went back to sleep. He had been woken up when his father dressed him and was eager to fall asleep again. Ryomen delicately placed the baby into the crib as if the boy was made of glass. A small, pink blanket was draped over the infant. All the occupants in the room were momentarily frozen as each was immersed in watching the small baby’s rising and falling chest. Supernova shrunk again and curled around the baby, giving Yuuji one last lick.

Eventually, the exhaustion within Ryomen grew too great to handle. His limbs subtly trembled with the effort to remain standing. What broke Ryomen from his slight trance was a notification from his phone. He had left his phone on the changing table when Yuuji had first arrived. Seeing how the baby was in nothing but a bundle and diaper, Ryomen ran to get something to put on his son. The man reluctantly walked away from the crib to see what kind notification would pop up this late at night. He stared at the bright screen for about a minute, his eyes widening the more the information settled in his tired mind.

It was a message from an unknown number.

Congratulations on the reunion! Your odd little family has made quite the impact on Jujutsu society! Word spreads quite fast among sorcerers, you know? You’re the hot topic of discussion! Say hi to Yuuji for me :) -K

The phone shattered in Ryomen’s hand.

Without a word, Ryomen stormed out of the room, harshly grabbing the curse by the door so hard Sukuna felt his arm pop. The guardians were startled by the sudden fury in Ryomen, but they stayed where they were. Yuuji continued to sleep, unaware of the doom upon them.

Ryomen had dragged Sukuna into the living room. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his hand. His breaths were rapid and harsh. It took a couple minutes for Ryomen to gather the energy to speak. The rage in Ryomen’s eyes overtook the fatigue. His first words to break the tense silence were snarled, sounding more beast than human.

“I’m going to fucking murder you, Sukuna.”

-Present-

Sukuna was fond of the home they had found.

The place they were currently in used to be an old shrine dedicated to Sukuna. This allowed the massive curse to exist outside of Ryomen’s body. While Sukuna’s form in the shrine was visible, it was not tangible by any means. Ryomen could stick a hand through his form, much to the curse’s displeasure and Ryomen’s amusement. If he reinforced his ghostly body with cursed energy, he would become more solid. However, once the curse was outside the shrine’s given boundaries, there was nothing Sukuna could do to remain corporeal. The only way that Sukuna could return to his physical form was if he used Ryomen to do so. Over the years, the two had developed a give and take method. If Sukuna wanted to take over when Ryomen didn’t want to switch, he would need to do a favor for the man. The same applied for Ryomen if he wanted to take back control. Sukuna could take over the man’s body easily and never give it back, but it was counterintuitive to his goal of keeping Yuuji happy and safe. This goal alo prevented Sukuna from going on a mass murdering rampage as any large-scale attacks from the curse would garner too much attention from the sorcerers.

So much for not alerting the sorcerers.

With how angry Ryomen was at Sukuna, he doubted that the man would allow him to take over any time soon. For now, he would have to be satisfied as being a ghost for the time being. He leaned against the doorframe of the nursery with his four arms crossed over each other. The guardians Sukuna had wished for were just as unruly as he remembered. While the six creatures were dedicated to protecting Yuuji at all costs, they still had no intention of respecting or listening to Sukuna’s orders. In fact, they were all glaring at him from the floor of the nursery. He rolled his eyes and glanced at Ryomen. The tired, pink-haired man was cradling a crying Yuuji, rocking him gently to soothe the child. It wasn’t the cry of a hungry baby or a baby that needed a change. No. It was the cry of a baby in pain. Two other marks had appeared on Yuuji’s face. Marks that made Sukuna tense up considerably.

A mark on the tip of his right eyebrow, splitting it.

A mark on the left corner of his lip.

That’s where Yuuji’s deepest scars used to be.

Sukuna cursed under his breath. The curse was well aware of what he had done in a world that no longer exists. While most of his memories had become foggy, he had a general understanding of his actions, especially of the times he made Yuuji suffer. Ryomen was unaware of what Sukuna had done to the world, and the curse had no plans of ever telling him. This new world was supposed to be completely different but it seemed like there were some ‘stragglers’ that refused to go. Events that could not be erased. People that would not disappear.

He had a feeling he already knew who this ‘K’ was. The random message sounded friendly on surface level, but Sukuna wasn’t an idiot. The hidden threat woven into the amiable text was easy to detect. There was only one person that Sukuna knew who was crazy and powerful enough to mess with Sukuna and not die.

Only time will tell if I actually made things worse . Sukuna looked at the cursed souls surrounding Ryomen as the man continued to comfort the distressed infant, all anger from his previous encounter with Sukuna gone. Due to the nature of their souls, Sukuna knew everything there was to Ryomen. He had originated from the man, afterall. Even so, there were stark differences between the two. Sukuna hated children while Ryomen had an immense soft spot for them. Yuuji didn’t count . Ryomen was impatient while Sukuna was willing to wait decades for a plan of his to come to fruition. Sukuna kept his composure while Ryomen had a temper that would go off at a moment's notice. Ryomen was violent when he needed to be while Sukuna reveled in the bloodshed he caused.

However, there was one thing that both beings could agree on: Protecting Yuuji at all costs .

It was a pathetic goal for one as powerful as him to have, but Sukuna had made peace with it long ago. The curse glanced at the baby, whose wails had turned into soft sniffles, and felt a stabbing pain in his chest. Ryomen was soothing his hand against Yuuji’s tiny back. He was humming a nameless tune with his eyes closed and a soft smile on his usually stressed features. It was likely that Ryomen had not noticed what he was doing as he hated whenever Sukuna caught him doing something ‘weak’. Likely too tired to be aware of his surroundings. Normally, Sukuna would have shouted at Ryomen to startle the high-strung man and laugh at his misery. This time, the curse stayed silent to allow Ryomen time with the boy he had been waiting for for centuries. His beloved son. Sukuna noticed the guardians for the baby gently copying the tune Ryomen was unknowingly humming. There were soft purrs, rumbles, chitters, and trills in the air. The small symphony of sounds began to lull the baby back to sleep.

The sight was utterly domestic.

This was not a place a curse was welcomed in. Sukuna knew that he did not belong among such a peaceful sight, but he was prideful enough to remain where he was by the door. Nothing would force Sukuna to do anything he did not wish to do.

Infinite looked at him.

All the warmth that Sukuna felt had turned to ice. No one aside from Sukuna himself noticed the change in atmosphere, meaning that the annoying entity had targeted him and him alone. The cocoon of adoration and protection had been closed off in order to prevent Sukuna from entering. It wasn’t like the curse had any intentions of entering such a pitiful environment, but it was still irritating to see the obvious attempts at pushing him away. Out of all the guardians Yuuji had, Infinite was the most ‘aware’ so to speak. Each creature was wired to perform a different duty in caring for the boy. They were beings that operated on pure instinct, complex thoughts practically impossible for their fragmented minds. What little remained of their souls aided in their jobs as Yuuji’s protectors, yet it also caused the entities to have leftover feelings towards certain people. All of them showed great disdain for Sukuna, but Infinite’s disdain was different. Of course, the others' dislike of him specifically was more due to a personal instinct than anything else. In contrast, Infinite looked at Sukuna with nothing but clarity in the many blue eyes within his tail.

Stay away.

You’re not wanted here.

Get out.

I’ll kill you if you get any closer.

Those were the messages Infinite was sending Sukuna with nothing but his piercing gaze. The blindfold attached to the creature’s face did not hinder in his staring contest with Sukuna. His tail had more than enough eyes necessary to stare the curse down.

If the sorcerer Infinite originated from was completely aware in that draconic bird form, then Sukuna would not be still standing. Gojo Satoru was currently an eighteen-year-old boy who recently entered his third-year in Jujutsu High. Infinite was not Gojo Satoru, simply the minute remains of a long dead man. While Infinite was the strongest out of the six cursed souls, the creature was also the most intelligent. Sukuna could see the gears in Infinite’s head turning at all times, analyzing any potential threats to Yuuji and his fellow protectors. The bird’s ability to have somewhat coherent thoughts would likely be a pain for Ryomen to deal with in the future. Sukuna had long gotten accustomed to Infinite's infuriating habits.

No matter what form he took, Gojo Satoru would always be a thorn in Sukuna’s side.

With a deep sigh, Sukuna made his way out of the nursery. He did not have the energy to deal with Infinite’s aggression. Ryomen’s exhaustion was caused by the man barely eating, running several miles with no breaks, and the overall stress of today. Sukuna was different. His fatigue was perpetual, something Sukuna had gotten used to over the years. In his previous life, nothing was capable of tiring Sukuna out. He could keep going whilst all his enemies collapsed from exhaustion. No one was powerful enough to challenge Sukuna in a meaningful way. This did not mean that his current strength and cursed energy had been weakened in any way, but his exhaustion had caused Sukuna to ‘settle down’ so to speak. While Sukuna still enjoyed causing mayhem, he did not seek out as many opportunities to do so anymore. In his previous life, Sukuna had hated sitting still and being lazy. Now, Sukuna took naps and meditated often.

He did what he wanted, and Sukuna wanted to relax.

Ryomen would likely ignore him for the rest of the night. Additionally, the curse knew damn well that the stubborn man would refuse to sleep in his own room tonight. Sukuna mentally prepared himself for the crankiness to come since there was no way to get Ryomen to sleep on anything but the nursery floor.

The cool air of the night greeted the curse’s translucent skin. Sukuna could not properly feel the wind as a specter. It felt like a thin barrier was between him and the breeze in this form. He shook his head and continued walking until he saw a great pond in the center of the shrine’s gardens. The pond acted as a well of cursed energy for Sukuna. Whoever had created the shrine clearly dedicated every detail to the King of Death. Sukuna found himself liking this title so much more than his previous one. Crimson, wooden poles surrounded the shrine, a bovine skull on the top of each one. The poles also served as a visual marker for the area Sukuna had to stay within. Anywhere beyond the poles would cause Sukuna to discorporate and be sent back into Ryomen’s body.

Two large torch towers stood on each side of the back entrance of the shrine. The inferno on each tower was contained with a basin of human bones. When Sukuna had first discovered this shrine several years ago, Ryomen had lit the tower with his flames, and he had yet to relight it. It was one of the very very few times Ryomen had managed to impress Sukuna.

His supposed followers had sacrificed countless people in honor of their king. The remains of the sacrifices were buried underneath the ground, in the ashes and structure of the torches, carved into the wooden poles, and placed in the pond Sukuna was sitting in front of. Sukuna had a faint memory of the cults that were created to worship him, mostly done out of fear, which was a massive ego booster. However, Sukuna never paid them any mind, so the curse had been very surprised yet pleased to see a shrine dedicated to him that had remained intact in the modern era. At Ryomen’s many complaints, Sukuna let the human update the interior of the shrine with the technology of the time. It took a long time due to the unique layout of the temple. Stone had been used to build many support beams and even rooms. With Ryomen’s revamping the entire insides, Sukuna had full control over the decorations of the outside. Sukuna changed nothing, much to Ryomen’s displeasure. He only added one thing. Koi.

With the pond already built into the ground, Sukuna simply stole several koi from the many luxurious ponds of rich establishments and homes. Ryomen had yelled at him when he realized that Sukuna had been using his body to take priceless fish away from their owners in the dead of night. The man had said how important those fish must have been and other nonsense that Sukuna ignored. If those fish were so precious, then it shouldn’t have been so easy to pluck each one out of their pond! Sukuna tossed all the fish into the large pond with little care, promptly returning control to Ryomen. Despite wanting to argue with Sukuna about his terrible decisions, Ryomen had to care for the many stressed koi fish. He had always been fond of being a caretaker, so it was easy for him to fall in love with the colorful fish. Eventually, the koi would swarm to Ryomen each time he approached the pond, reminding the man of how his late son would beam at him and run into his arms. On the other hand, it had taken a few weeks for the fish to stop scattering in Sukuna's presence. During those weeks, the fish began to change in appearance. The immense cursed energy inside the pond began affecting the koi. Instead of their vibrant oranges and whites, the fish were either fully black, red, or a mixture of the two. Their fins got longer and more elegant at the price of having spikes emerge from their entire dorsal fin. Ryomen was upset at the change, but the koi’s bright personalities had, at least, remained. They still swarmed to the surface for food, but they now had sharp teeth in their mouths like piranhas. Sukuna preferred the change and began to sit at the pond every night, which he was currently doing.

Sukuna’s form became more solid at the proximity to the pond. It was wide and deep, allowing the fish ample space to swim in. At this hour of the night, the water looked pitch black, but Sukuna had no troubles seeing in the dark. His superior vision allowed the curse to see the depths of the pool. Skulls could be found everywhere beneath the waters. Some of the smaller koi used the skulls as a makeshift cave while the larger fish used the remains of rib cages as hiding places. Many plants in the pond grew out of or around the many bones at the pond’s bottom. It was a human graveyard with aquatic life.

The presence of death would never hinder the growth and birth of life.

How stubborn.

The koi were not very active at this hour, but some swam to the surface to greet the large being observing them. Four fish had come to see him. One was entirely black while the other two were red with varying black patterns. In contrast to the darker fish, there was a pink koi that swam eagerly to the hand Sukuna submerged.

“You’re new, aren’t you?” Sukuna smiled at the small koi. It was fitting that the pond would have a new arrival to match Yuuji’s own arrival. The curse knew the pond had become something akin to the supernatural from the cursed energy of the sacrifices, but he did not care as long as they stayed in the pond. The tiny koi matched the color of Sukuna’s hair. The familiar peach was present in Ryomen’s and Yuuji’s hair. Having pink hair was a shared trait the three had, and Sukuna took pride in their unique hair color. He knew that Ryomen secretly held the same pride. It immediately made the pink koi Sukuna’s favorite. Small pecks tickled Sukuna’s large palm as the smallest koi tried to investigate what the strange object was. It was endearing to see such a young creature be so eager to go near a curse like him. One reason that Sukuna frequented the pond so much was something he would not tell a soul even if he was tortured.

Interacting with the koi helped Sukuna learn how to be gentle.

There were a few accidents where Sukuna was too rough and injured or killed the fish. He used his reverse technique to heal them, which his old self would have guffawed at. Slowly, Sukuna learned how to control the strength of his grip. Now, the curse had no worries of hurting the young koi that was swimming through his fingers. While he did prefer to have claws instead of his blunt nails, it was necessary for the safety of the delicate fish. More importantly, his lack of claws was vital if he wanted to hold Yuuji without cutting the poor baby’s skin. Skin that was already marked up.

Because Sukuna knew he was alone in his shrine that was in the middle of nowhere, Sukuna let his body deflate. Ryomen and the others were too preoccupied with Yuuji, so no one would be coming to see Sukuna any time soon. With solitude came comfort for the curse. He had always preferred being alone than wasting his time with the weak. The koi were his only company, and they could not speak of the troubles plaguing the ancient being. Sukuna caressed the pink koi before retracting his hand. With practiced ease, the man folded his four arms and placed them in his lap. As if knowing that Sukuna would no longer pay attention to them, the small group of koi swam away into the depths of the pond. Without the fish’s movements, the dark water stilled. The combination of the calm waters and bright moon made the pond turn into a makeshift mirror. It was something Sukuna did not appreciate whatsoever.

Seeing his reflection within the dark waters made Sukuna’s features twist into a grimace. In a forgotten world, Sukuna used to have two eyes and one pair of arms. After his planned death, his cursed form reflected the monstrous crimes Sukuna had committed. This was not to say that Sukuna was self conscious or had low self-esteem. Sukuna did not care about his ugliness whatsoever. It was a fact that he was unpleasant to look at. His looks had no effect on his power, so he offered them no further thought. Additionally, he had never had an interest in courting someone and never will. Yorozu was the only person who had wanted him as a suitor, and he met all of her advances with boredom, disgust, and a fatal slash to her heart. His deformities irked him because of the memories that they brought forth.

He had had more than enough time to accept his deformed face and body. However, Sukuna was not delusional enough to say that his unique features were what made him attractive or that he had some ‘hidden beauty’ within. Absolutely not. His two left eyes were a demonic crimson while his two right eyes were a gaudy pink. A wooden slab of sorts had fused into the right side of his skin, causing his right eyes to be more vertical. It was the same wood that Sukuna had carved runes into that would ensure his new life after being burnt alive. Both the wood and his new pink eyes were a harsh reminder of his forgotten origins. While the wood represented his birth as a curse, the pink of his eyes were a symbol of the cause of his death. Itadori Yuuji.

Going against the rules of nature and time had its consequences. Besides the new color of his right eyes, Sukuna had several new tattoos adorning his skin. A thick, black band wrapped around each of his ankles. On the outside of his left leg, a blood red chain that emerged from the band on his ankle marked his skin. The same pattern appeared on the outside of his right leg, but the tattoo was black instead of red. Each of his hands had their own unique mark at the center of his palms. His bottom right hand had Mahoraga’s spinning wheel which had allowed Sukuna to reach new heights in power, his bottom left hand had the outline of the volcano that resided on the head of the cyclops disaster curse he’d fought, his upper right hand had an eye that represented the annoying Six-Eyes user, and his upper left hand had the horizontal stitching pattern that plagued each of Kenjaku’s stolen bodies. It was fitting. The markings on his bottom set of hands were a harsh reminder of the destruction Sukuna had wrought while the markings on his upper set represented the two people that had troubled Sukuna the most.

None of the new markings plagued Sukuna as much as the tattoo on his chest.

A red spider lily seemed to grow out of the center of his chest. The flower was there for all to see since Sukuna refused to cover his top half. It was a simple drawing, but its simplicity only bothered him more. Such a delicate design had no place on his monstrous body. The deep reds of the flower blended perfectly into the blacks of the tattoo’s outlines. Sukuna knew damn well what the stupid flower symbolized. Death and Rebirth. He had no desire to look further into the supposed meanings. From what he had gathered over the past few centuries, this flower was poisonous, often grew or planted in graveyards, and only bloomed for a short period of time during the Autumn Equinox. It was also ugly in Sukuna’s opinion. The crimson of its petals were its only redeeming quality. Everything else was horrendous. The petals themselves were so thin and spindly. It looked like a spider with too many legs had gotten tangled with the shredded remnants of a better flower. However, there was nothing Sukuna could do to remove any of his new markings. He had killed the world, and then started it anew. Sukuna more than deserved the reminders of his misdeeds bashing him on the head for the rest of time.

It was strange to think of his actions as misdeeds. Even now, the regret did not come to Sukuna naturally. He was not a creature made for sympathy or guilt. The only reason that Sukuna looked at some of his prior acts and winced was the effect they had had on Yuuji. At the time, he had laughed at the boy’s misery and went out of his way to torture him. He had taken great pleasure in breaking the child back then.

I’LL DO ANYTHING! DO WHATEVER YOU WANT WITH ME! THIS IS JUST LIKE WHEN YOU FIXED MY HEART! PLEASE HELP JUNPEI!

NO. HAH! 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.

…Die…Only me…Just me…DIE! DIE! RIGHT NOW! DIE! JUST ME! JUST ME!

Remember when I said…we’d see…something interesting…brat?

…Fushiguro?

SUKUNAAAAAAA!!!! YOU!! WHY CAN’T YOU JUST LIVE A NORMAL LIFE?! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO SPREAD SO MUCH MISERY?!

Well, allow me to ask you this…Why are you so weak? You’re weak, yet you cling to life!

How can a creature that falls apart with one touch say that it always wants to be happy? The helpless have no choice but to swallow the suffering life gives them.

Then let’s see if you can swallow… my suffering.

I miss them, Sukuna! I can’t take it anymore! I want to be with them! Let me be with them! PLEASE !

He had never tortured someone as much as he had tortured Itadori Yuuji. Hell, Sukuna had gone out of his way to hurt Yuuji like it was his sole purpose in life. It was extraordinarily difficult to balance the feelings he has now towards his actions and his feelings he had in the moment of his murderous actions. Now, seeing Yuuji wail in pain from markings that weren’t supposed to be on the baby’s smooth skin, broke something in Sukuna.

Even after everything he had done to give Yuuji a better life, Sukuna had still failed.

Yuuji’s suffering had been too great. Restarting the world was not enough to erase all the trauma the boy was put through. His pain clung onto his infant self, who was supposed to be free of the pain of the past. Considering Yuuji had appeared far sooner than Sukuna expected and the message from an unknown number, the curse knew that there was trouble afoot. A third party had likely inserted themselves to ruin what Sukuna was trying to repair.

Sukuna couldn’t help but dig his nails into the stitching on his upper left hand.

Losing was equivalent to death. It was a belief that Sukuna still held, so this new failure affected the man greatly.

He had thought that all the ‘mushy feelings shit’ that he had felt when he had held a sobbing Yuuji was from the reappearance of Ryomen’s soul. In a way, it was from Ryomen. The long buried memories of a man losing his child and the overwhelming fondness for the teen were all Ryomen. In this new world, Sukuna was confident that he would not be subjected to the softness ever again. Once more, the world rightfully hated Sukuna. Emotions that Sukuna still could not place raged in a violent storm inside Sukuna’s mind at all times.

All the times where he had laughed while Yuuji sobbed uncontrollably from a vicious nightmare. All the times where he had relentlessly reminded Yuuji that the boy’s existence only caused pain. All the times where he had screamed within Yuuji’s head about his uselessness and weakness. All the times where he had denied Yuuji’s broken pleas to stop after barraging him with the reasons why the deaths of his loved ones was Yuuji’s fault.

The satisfaction he had when he saw the light in the boy’s eyes fade away.

The glee he had when he saw the smiles the boy was known for disappear.

The pride he had when he saw the unbreakable boy shatter further and further with each death of his loved ones.

He saw the memories of a younger Ryomen playing with a toddler Yuuji, causing the child to squeal with laughter. He saw the memories of the utter adoration Yuuji had shown towards his father and anyone around him. He saw the memories of the agonizing decline of Yuuji as an unknown sickness sapped his light until it was completely extinguished.

Because of Sukuna’s mistakes, Yuuji might have to go through that suffering all over again.

Small ripples agitated the calm surface of the water. The reflection of the massive curse was muddled as more droplets broke the crystalline waters of the pond. Its prior reflectiveness had vanished.

The mind of the being sitting before the pond had vanished as well.

A very, very long time ago

When Sukuna had requested for the rebirth of the world, he did not mean it literally. He imagined that the new timeline would begin the same year Yuuji swallowed his first finger.

It seemed like the world had other plans.

Sukuna had no recollection of when he had ‘appeared’. The best way for him to describe it is the moment he had properly gained consciousness. His first memories were laying on an empty beach with nothing but the clothes on his back. At first, Sukuna was confused as to why he was at an empty beach. After a few seconds, the knowledge of what Sukuna had done and the life he lived prior came rushing to him all at once. Once he remembered, the man had briefly panicked that his attempt at time travel had not worked. This was mainly due to the beach being identical to the one that Sukna had been at during his last moments with Yuuji.

At the thought of the pink-haired boy, Sukuna jumped to his feet, mind frantic, and looked around. Immediately, the curse knew that the world was indeed different. Yuuji was nowhere to be seen, and there were no buildings or roads in sight. The only thing that Sukuna could observe were trees as far as his four eyes could see. However, the grand forests were barren of life. There were no birds chirping in the air or the rustle of animals in the trees. This lack of life made Sukuna remember that he had eliminated all life on Earth. He was confused, though. The plant life had returned, so where was the wildlife?

His question was unfortunately answered in the worst way possible.

A strange creature began to crawl out of the ocean on tiny flippers. Sukuna stared at the fish-like animal with his mouth agape. The thing’s body was long and slender with a wide head that resembled an alligator’s. Thick scales covered the creature, who was slowly emerging from the sea with uncoordinated movements. It was unlike any animal Sukuna had seen before and he had been alive for thousands of years.

It looked like a rough draft of an animal that had escaped before it was finalized. Something one would see in prehistoric times.

…Prehistoric.

“Oh no. No. No. No. No. No. No. NO. NO !” Sukuna screamed at the clouds as the realization dawned on him. Surprisingly, the lizard-fish-thing did not react in the slightest to the loud roar Sukuna let out. When Sukuna went to kick the sand in pure frustration, he froze when he saw his foot go through the white particles. The sand showed no hints of being disturbed.

The world had restarted.

He was a ghost again.

The evolution of wildlife had begun.

Over the years, Sukuna would watch the rise and fall of so many species that he could not be bothered to remember. His previous experience being a cursed object for over a thousand years helped immensely in dealing with the excess of time Sukuna had. He had to spend millions of years waiting for the era of humans to come with nothing to do. Going into a dormant state for as long as he could was the only way Sukuna could deal with the waiting without going mad. Sleeping until he was awoken at some point had become his main activity. Time had become a mystery to Sukuna. He would sleep and wake up without knowing how much time had passed. Usually, he was able to keep track by seeing if there were any new creatures or evidence of further evolution.

At the start, Sukuna had used his excess time to explore the beginnings of the young planet. Traveling across the world had been easy due to his abilities remaining intact. His true form was Sukuna in his prime afterall. It was the strongest and the fastest. Sukuna could explore vast lands with his inhuman speed. There was no rush to explore every inch of the world, so Sukuna would only go on these excursions when he felt like it. Most of the land was the same as there were no distinguishing landmarks at the time. He had gotten bored of the plant life and unimpressive wildlife and decided to space out like he did when his soul was split into his twenty fingers without a vessel.

His first ‘nap’ had him awake in an entirely new era. Giant creatures roamed the land with their superior adaptability and strength. Sukuna’s boredom had disappeared as he saw the head of a dinosaur appear over the cliff he had chosen to rest on to eat the leaves off a tree next to him. It was the first time that Sukuna had been truly enamored by an animal. He blinked the sleep from his eyes and crawled to the edge of the cliff to see the dinosaur in its entirety. When he looked down, he saw that the head was attached to an impossibly long neck that belonged to an even bigger body. Other dinosaurs of the same species could be seen feasting on the vibrant leaves of the many trees. Because his presence did not affect his surroundings, he could get as close as he wanted to observe the new creatures. The only reason why Sukuna recognised the massive reptilians as dinosaurs was because Yuuji had been fascinated by all things jurassic as a child. As his vessel, Sukuna was able to see through his memories, something he never told the boy. He had done this as soon as he could to familiarize himself with his vessel while trying to find anything significant about the teen that could work out in Sukuna’s favor. At the time, he had found nothing useful and labeled the boy as a boring waste of space.

Being face to face with the grande creatures made Sukuna see all the reasons why Yuuji had been so intrigued by them. While there were curses he’d seen that could rival the dinosaurs in size, no curse could beat the grace and beauty of the animals. Curses were made from negativity, so their appearance would reflect that. Curses were ugly, vile creatures that were deformed and perverted. The animals before Sukuna were the complete opposite.

It was the first time Sukuna had been fond of a life other than his own.

The slow evolution of the world was making the man experience many firsts.

Sukuna enjoyed studying the fearsome creatures that dominated the land. His favorite specimens were those with intelligence and bloodlust. He would sit and watch packs of tiny dinosaurs overwhelm a much larger opponent, eating them while they were still alive. He found great humor in the small arms of the biggest carnivore of the era. The maddening boredom that had been plaguing him was momentarily cured as Sukuna took the time to learn about each new species. The old curse made up his own names for the many dinosaurs he saw. The faded memories of the book Yuuji loved only served to make Sukuna recognize the basic shape of certain creatures. In his head, Sukuna called every reptilian creature a dinosaur.

For once, Sukuna found himself appreciating nature. Waiting millions of years alone was a punishment, and it was affecting Sukuna more than he anticipated. He had always been indifferent to everyone and everything besides himself. Uraume was the closest Sukuna got to appreciating another’s existence. In the past, Ryomen only valued strength and nothing else. Without strength, one might as well cease to exist. His forced isolation made Sukuna rethink many of his prior beliefs. The only belief that remained unchanged was his belief that losing was equivalent to death. However, said belief only applied to Sukuna. He would never let himself forget his failures that led him to his current predicament.

One day, when Sukuna was watching his favorite specimen, he heard strange noises he had not heard before. The creature Sukuna was looking at was an old, battle-worn triceratops, but Sukuna had named the animals ‘Tri-horns’ in his head. The triceratops snapped its head at the same time Sukuna’s did. Sukuna’s eyes widened as he detected large amounts of cursed energy coming from the bushes. Humans were not supposed to exist yet, right? The man cursed himself for never bothering to learn the history of…well… anything .

Sukuna summoned his trident in his lower right hand, a manic smile on his face at the chance to finally interact with something. There was a tense moment of silence before multiple blurs burst from the bushes and trees. The triceratops snorted and went back to eating its meal of leaves.

Meanwhile, Sukuna’s brain was malfunctioning. Six entities stood before him. They were making direct eye contact with him, meaning that they could see him unlike every other creature. He stood tall with his trident. “Who are you?”

No response came, disappointing filling the old curse. He had hoped that they were capable of speech. Millions of years without talking to anyone was taking its toll, even for an antisocial person like him. Sukuna swallowed his disappointment and began observing each entity. The more he looked, the more distressed he became. There were too many similarities.

A black stripe across a nose.

The muscular physique of a meat-headed gorilla.

Deadly nails and roses.

Spotted fabric and peculiar glasses.

Bright green eyes and shadows.

A blindfold and six blue eyes.

“Goddammit.” Sukuna dematerialized his trident to rub at his temples. He recognized each one because of the brat’s many memories of them.

At the center of the group, a white dragon with bird-like qualities was putting on the most smug expression Sukuna had ever seen. The draconic bird got up and personal to Sukuna, pecking at his head while letting out shrieks of laughter. For the time being, Sukuna allowed it as his mind was still recovering. His stress only grew worse when a familiar voice spoke into his head.

Y̶̮͌o̵̮̎u̴̯̅r̶͙͑ ̶͍̓g̸̠͒ṳ̴̐a̴̙͊r̶͔̅ď̸̘i̴͈̊a̷͙̐n̸̞̽s̵̟̍ ̸̱̍h̶̤͝a̵͖̔v̷̦̚ê̶͈ ̷̣̋ā̵̞r̶̺̓ŗ̸͋ḭ̷́v̷̡͛ȇ̶͍d̸̥̅!̵̧̈́ ̶͈͂I̴͎̾ ̶͔̕c̸̡̿ḁ̷̽n̸͚͑’̸͕̎t̴̊͜ ̵̭̄w̵͍̒a̷͜͝i̵̺̒ẗ̷̳́ ̶̹̍t̷̢̕o̴̫̅ ̷̦͌m̷̦̓a̴̲̎k̷͙͠e̴͙͋ ̸̣̌t̵͇̕h̵̦͌e̴̬͒s̷̛̩e̶̤̍ ̶͓̚n̵̜͐ę̵͘x̷̝͑ț̵͝ ̷̫̚c̶̞̓é̷̲n̶̕͜t̵͖̕u̸̜͗r̷̙̐í̸̩e̵̝͊s̷͇͐ ̶̫͒a̵͍̽b̴̘̐s̶̩̿ò̸͎l̵̩̐ų̵̊t̷̨͊e̶͈̍ ̴̛̳h̵͙͌ë̵̻l̷̬̾l̶̥͂ ̵̼͝f̴̪͂o̸͔͘r̴̗̒ ̵͚͆ỹ̸̼o̴̹̎u̷̗̅,̷̛̭ ̴̰̋S̶̪̕u̷̝͠k̶̥͌ų̷̂~̴̗͛

That stupid bird would keep his promise.

Sukuna would have to endure countless assaults from each entity. The battles often lasted for hours that left each muscle of his throbbing in pain. Sometimes they were individual battles, other times it was six against one. Or three against one. Or two against one. And so on. At first, Sukuna despised the constant battles, but he soon realized that being idle for millions of years had made Sukuna soft. After he realized this, he gladly participated in the battles. It felt incredible to fight again, feel his cursed energy flowing through his veins. As they fought more and more, Sukuna became familiar with each entity’s personality and abilities. Their names had been ingrained into Sukuna’s head the moment he had encountered the beings.

Boogie was a beast in every sense of the word. His thick fur coat could not hide his muscular body whatsoever. He was surprisingly perspective as well. Anytime Sukuna thought he had caught the dog off guard, the beast would bark before he could land a hit. His bark would cause him to switch places with someone with a certain amount of cursed energy. Due to the lack of curses and humans, the only sources of cursed energy were Sukuna or the other guardians. It was disoriented every time his technique took hold. However, each time Sukuna thought he had gotten used to it, Boogie would surprise him with another trick. His most impressive trick was his ability to remove one of the tusks on the second skull on his head. Once dropped, Boogie would imbue it with cursed energy and switch himself or someone of his choice with the tusk. Out of all the guardians, it was the easiest to get along with Boogie. Sukuna and Boogie lived to fight. The canine was always energetic and tended to annoy his other guardians, especially Chimera. Overall, Boogie was a simple yet intelligent creature who fueled Sukuna’s will to battle.

Resonance was unsettling to look at first. Her body moved like a marionette, but was capable of moving at incredible speeds if needed. The sharp ends of her limbs allowed Resonance to stay rooted to the ground, giving her great stability. She was quick to launch a nail at Sukuna or anything that annoyed her. She had awoken Sukuna many times with a barrage of nails aimed at his head. Her nails always hit with deadly accuracy. Sukuna’s reflexes were put to the test each time he engaged with her. Additionally, she could control the direction of a nail until it snatched a part of her opponent. Once gathering the material, she would make the nail return to her, creating a makeshift hammer with her roses and vines to hit the nail into a straw doll she kept hidden within her body. She was as tough as the metal she was made of, but Resonance wasn’t all sharpness and violence. The cursed soul frequented places with loads of flowers, sitting amongst them for hours in a content state.

Supernova rarely interacted with Sukuna outside of battle. He looked at the curse with burning hatred at all times. When attacking, Supernova put effort into making his attacks as painful as possible. His blood manipulation technique was more advanced and deadly than any other Kamo-clan sorcerer Sukuna had ever seen. He wasn’t afraid to get physical, Supernova could grow to the size of a horse and charge at Sukuna with bloodied claws. His spikes could be removed if Supernova had no other choice. During one particularly gruesom battle, Sukuna had lost himself in rage after Supernova managed to cut off two of his arms with his Piercing Bood attack. The cat snarled and spit at Sukuna. He separated his longest spike from his back and shot it directly into Sukuna’s heart. The spike was still attached by a thin strand of blood, but it didn't take away from the force of the attack. It surprised Sukuna to see the cat land such a hit. Of course, Sukuna healed himself, only to see Supernova walking away from the fight with a bored expression. In fact, the cat was practically in a perpetual state of apathy. The only time that Sukuna had ever managed to see emotion on Supernova's features was when he had spied on the cat and saw that the cat was whimpering over several stones. There were ten in total with the three in the middle marked with a bloody paw print. Supernova let out soft whines as he tried his best to nuzzle the rocks. The rock in the very center had a pinkish hue and was the one Supernova was nuzzling the most. No longer wanting to watch the painful sight, Sukuna left with a new perspective on the cat.

Overtime stayed far from Sukuna. Not out of fear, but out of disinterest. The mummy-like creature spent most of his time by Infinite’s side, though it looked like it was often against his will. When not being dragged to places by Infinite, Overtime enjoyed being on the beach Sukuna first woke up at. They had the entire world at their disposal, so Sukuna and the six guardians would travel to the most remote areas. Any place with a beach was favored by Overtime. Though, as long as it was peaceful, Overtime would enjoy it. If the others were intruding on Overtime’s resting spot, he would use his wrappings to constrict whoever had dared disturb him. The most common offender was Infinite. However, the draconic bird would be allowed to stay once he gave Overtime a fruit and didn’t squawk. A few times, Sukuna had caught the often rambunctious bird sleeping in the sand next to Overtime. If anyone could calm the storm that was Infinite, it was Overtime. This ability to calm spread to the other guardians. He was the one that separated squabbles or forced the others to settle down. In turn, the others seemed to respect Overtime the most. Sukuna had even respected the volcanic mummy after engaging him in battle. Despite never seeing him fight, Overtime attacked like a seasoned warrior. His wrapping would lengthen at his request and would be shot out at Sukuna. Despite looking like cloth, Overtime could make his wrapping become as sharp as a blade when in combat. He hit with ferocious strength, speed, and accuracy. When hit by his ratio technique, Sukuna could feel the weak spot being forced to form on his body. When wanting to deliver a stronger attack, Overtime would use his wrappings to form a blunt sword. Each swing carried great power that shook the ground below. Although, if Overtime thought the battle was dragging on for too long, he would stop and go to the nearest secluded area.

Chimera was the second most frequent attacker. It was obvious as to why, considering the person Chimera originated from. Sukuna had always seen the great potential in Fushiguro Megumi. As a cursed soul, the fragments of the ten-shadows user could still be seen within the dark creature. Without any morals to hold him back, Chimera attacked with total abandon. He would summon armies of frogs just to see how much he could overwhelm Sukuna. He would mix up his strategies each time they fought. Chimera enjoyed seeing Sukuna caught off guard and made it his job to startle the curse at any given moment. When Sukuna tried to rest, usually because there was nothing else to do, Chimera often manifested out of the shadows to summon a pool of darkness underneath the curse. The only touch of color Chimera had were his green eyelights. The light would shift into the form of the shikigami Chimera was summoning. Despite the disadvantage it gave Chimera, the shadow monster did not give Sukuna a chance to prepare for the oncoming shikigami. Chimera was perfectly capable of fighting without the help of his shikigami. The fact that Chimera did not need to keep his hands free to maintain his technique, Chimera had no problems barraging Sukuna with blows and strikes. Besides his shikigami, Chimera could summon a pair of tonfas, a sword, and a blade. Each was made of the goopy material that Chimera himself was made of, but it did not take away from the sharpness of the weapons. It was exhilarating to battle Chimera. Sukuna could fight the cursed soul for hours with no victor in sight. The way that their battles usually ended was when Overtime physically dragged Chimera from the area. The mummy would use the magma burning inside the left side of his body to force the shadow creature into giving up.

Infinite, as always, took great care in being as infuriating as possible. While fighting the others was exciting and invigorating, fighting Infinite was more akin to torture. Both Infinite and Sukuna were equal in physical strength and speed, but Infinite had a new advantage that the sorcerer he was based on never had. Gojo Satoru’s Infinite Void was a domain that overloaded the victim with so much information that they were struck frozen and vulnerable. Sukuna remembered the overwhelming sensation well during their fight. However, Infinite used this ability to overload an opponent with information much differently. If Sukuna made eye contact with Infinite, the creature was capable of plaguing the curse with violent hallucinations. If Sukuna made eye contact with the eyes on Infinite’s tail when it was fully spread, the hallucinations given were so vivid that Sukuna would think his real body had been attacked. Infinite could construct the hallucinations he caused to his liking. In other words, Infinite personally created the most horrific images to infect Sukuna’s mind. The hallucinations always contained Yuuji in some way since Infinite wanted to make Sukuna suffer. The need to make Sukuna hurt was an instinct engraved deeply in the feather dragon. It pushed the cursed soul to attack Sukuna the most. He did not give Sukuna hallucinations every time they fought, unknowingly preventing Sukuna from preparing his mind for the onslaught of horror. Most of Infinite’s attacks were petty in nature and meant to annoy Sukuna. Infinite would use his smoky tail to wip Sukuna across the face or use the eyes within to stalk the man. His beak would be used to deliver quick pecks to every inch of exposed skin. There were more than twenty times where Infinite dragged a rabid animal with his claws to throw it at Sukuna. Other times, Infinite would screech loudly when Sukuna tried to nap, not stopping until one of his fellow guardians forced him to. The only proof that Infinite had the capability to be anything but insane was when he interacted with the other guardians. He showed great affection towards Overtime, Chimera, and Resonance. The other two did not appreciate the dragon’s touchiness whatsoever, so Infinite begrudgingly let them be. Though, the bird would still try to mess with them from time to time. Infinite seemed to take pride in how irritating he was.

Eventually, the exhilarating battles and spars grew old. Sukuna had allowed himself to fight each cursed soul as long as he could. He knew he could end the battles in moments, but the curse had been desperate for something to do. Infinite was the only one whose battles Sukuna never tried to drag on. The thrill Sukuna had felt vanished. It seemed the group of cursed souls noticed as their attacks stopped. One day, it became too much for even Sukuna to bear. He turned to the six creatures and spoke with exhaustion clear in his tone.

“I cannot wait another million years like this. It’s mind numbingly boring, and I am sick of such monotony. I am going to rest for as long as I can. Do whatever you wish, I don’t care. Ideally, I do not want to wake up unless it’s finally the Heian Era. Do not bother me until then if you wish to keep your heads.”

Thankfully, the world would give the sleep Sukuna had wished for. The only memories he had of his self-induced hibernation was the smell of smoke in the air, then sudden feeling of everything being ice cold, and the occasional noises from the six creatures who would periodically check on the massive curse. Sukuna did not dream the entire time. It felt like he closed his eyes, got stuck in a void that had no light, noise, smell, or surface, then woke up to a screeching bird.

Sukuna had to listen to the loud squawks until his muddled mind regained its sharpness. Once awake enough, Infinite dragged Sukuna out of the cave he did not remember falling asleep in. Outside of the cave, the other guardians were waiting with excitement clear in their features. When he looked around the place the cave was situated in, he felt a wave of familiarity wash over him. The villages nearby were identical to the ones Sukuna remembered of the Heian Era. More importantly, the cursed energy he senses indicated the birth of sorcerers and curses. Instead of getting to familiarize himself with ancient Japan again, Infinite grabbed Sukuna and tossed him onto his back. Before Sukuna could react, the dragon leaped into the sky with great speed. Like the prior blindfolded maniac, Infinite was able to float. Infinite had grown to his full size, allowing his fellow guardians to fit on his body. Boogie and Supernova were clinging desperately to Infinite’s long neck while Resonance and Overtime were tightly gripping Infinite’s white mane like the reins of a horse. Chimera had simply hidden himself within Sukuna’s shadow. It had happened so fast that it took Sukuna a few minutes to realize what had happened. Eventually, Sukuna began to watch the clouds fly past them. The air was thin, but it was crisp and fresh. It ended much too quickly in Sukuna’s opinion, but Sukuna was immediately distracted by the familiar village they were heading towards.

It was Sukuna’s village when he was a human.

Infinite landed in an empty field to prevent anyone from seeing the cursed souls. Unlike regular curses, cursed souls could be seen by all. At the time, this was unknown to Sukuna as he only knew that animals could see the guardians.

Based on the insistent nudges Infinite was giving Sukuna, the curse knew that something crucial was about to happen. He adorned a stern expression and arrived at the village in the blink of an eye. It was obvious when he was due to the stench of death and sickness in the air. Sukuna walked through his village, looking for his human counterpart. The human that had become Sukuna was long gone in an erased world. The Ryomen of this world was about to reach his point of no return if Sukuna did not act quickly.

It was easy to find Ryomen. No one had ever looked like them with their pink hair, but Ryomen stuck out even more with the tattoos etched onto his skin. That was new, but Sukuna did not dwell on it as he reached the scene that broke Ryomen unfold. It was almost pathetic to see his former self kneeling in the dirt as he begged the village elders and healers to help his boy. The sight of a lifeless Yuuji made Sukuna feel sick. Seeing a child version of the boy he had hurt was horrible, but it was even worse considering the evidence that the child had been dead for at least several days. Ryomen continued his begging like a madman. His grief was so great that Ryomen had become delusional. Sukuna watched silently as the villagers surrounded the suffering young man.

“TAKE THAT INFECTED CORPSE OUT OF THE VILLAGE THIS INSTANT, RYOMEN!”

“THERE IS A PLAGUE. WE DON’T NEED YOUR ROTTEN CHILD MAKING IT WORSE!”

“WE SHOULD GET RID OF BOTH OF THEM. RYOMEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BAD OMEN WITH THOSE MARKINGS!”

“WE SHOULD GET THE JUJUTSU SORCERERS TO EXORCIZE HIM! HE’S CLEARLY NOT A HUMAN! WE WERE FOOLISH TO EVER BELIEVE HE WAS!”

“CURSE!”

“DEMON!”

“MONSTER!”

The crowd quickly turned into a riot of angry villagers too paranoid to see the clearly human man sobbing for help. The Ryomen from Sukuna’s old world was never treated this badly, nor was he so dangerously thin. Then again, this Ryomen had tattoos that old Ryomen never had. Such a supposedly insignificant addition must have caused the young man’s life to become worse than ever before. Sukuna could not interact with any of the humans, so he continued to wait patiently until Ryomen’s cursed energy reached its peak. It had been steadily increasing with each new insult from the villagers.

All it took was a small torch to make Ryomen snap.

A man had thrown a lit torch at Ryomen in an attempt to rid the village of the infectious corpse and the black sheep of the village. In an instant, the rags both Ryomen and Yuuji wore caught on fire. Cruel, sick smiles were present on the elders of the village as screams of agony erupted from the grieving father. With Ryomen set aflame, one of the healers grabbed Yuuji and ran to throw the child into the mass grave pit.

Before the healer could get very far, maniacal laughter made her stop in her tracks. Despite his flesh peeling off and blistering, Ryomen began walking to the healer. It was a gruesome sight. Some of the villagers were already throwing up at the sight and smell of Ryomen’s burning flesh. Sukuna was amazed by the man’s ability to remain standing.

Even though Ryomen could not speak anymore or really see, he smiled wide with bloody cracked lips. The aura of his cursed energy grew potent enough that all the villagers, no matter how old, were left trembling and unable to move. Ryomen raised his arms, seemingly ignoring the layers of skin being burnt off, and mimicked how one would draw a bow and arrow. Sukuna recognized the motion and grinned. The flesh on his hands and fingers were nothing but blood and muscle, but the squares on each fingertip had remained, even without the layer of skin. With gums bleeding and skin peeling, Ryomen spoke with a broken voice.

“F u g a.”

An arrow made out of fire formed between his burning hands, but Ryomen did not waver once. The villagers were still paralyzed in terror as the arrow grew bigger. A myriad of colors could be seen within the flames, it was a beautiful sight. That was until Ryomen released the arrow aimed directly at the healer who had stolen Yuuji.

In less than a second a once thriving village had been reduced to nothing but ash. The charred corpses of the villagers were unrecognizable and the smell was unbearable. Sukuna stood among the destruction, simply admiring Ryomen’s power. His pleased observations were overtaken when the wail of a tortured man filled the air.

This bastard better not be dead. Sukuna ran towards the noise and easily found the source of the cries. Blood pooled from every orifice and inch of Ryomen’s burnt skin. However, the wails were not caused by pain but grief as Ryomen knelt by the incinerated remains of his son. The fire had been so strong that the boy was nothing but bones and ash. Sukuna looked at the horrific sight with an intense sadness he had never felt before. Without a word, the massive curse knelt next to Ryomen and placed a hand on his back. Unlike every other living being he had encountered, Sukuna’s hand did not pass through upon contact. Ryomen jolted at the unexpected touch, his grief-filled screams stopping.

“Your son is going to be okay. I promise.” Sukuna spoke softly at the man, not reacting to the gore underneath his palm. The curse let his reverse cursed technique flow through Ryomen. His skin began to stitch back together, and his bleeding stopped entirely. Considering the extent of the damage to Ryomen, Sukuna took extra care when healing him. Most of his nerve endings had been fried, so Sukuna focused immensely on fixing them without error. After some time of meticulous healing, the only proof that Ryomen had been hurt was the ash on his face and body and the bloodstains.

Ryomen passed out immediately upon becoming fully healed, collapsing against Sukuna. Again, Sukuna’s body remained solid against his human counterpart. Sukuna reached out another hand to scoop up one of the charred bones that had once belonged to a lovable boy. Sukuna felt pain in his chest again, but he refused to break. With even greater care than before, the monstrous being poured as much of his reversed cursed technique into the tiny bone. Eventually, the cracks on the bone disappeared and it regained its ivory color.

Without looking up, Sukuna already knew that the guardians had arrived. They had perfect timing as always. When a beak gently nudged the hand that had Yuuji’s bone fragment, Sukuna raised his gaze.

For the first time, the blindfold that was supposed to be permanently attached to Infinite had disappeared. Six eyes, a pair of three on each side, looked at him imploringly. There was no cheekiness or teasing to be found in Infinite’s gaze. Sukuna nearly refused to give Infinite the last piece of Yuuji, but he then remembered the purpose of the guardians. It was in the name, they protected Yuuji in every sense of the word. He knew how much the people the cursed souls were based on loved Yuuji. They would never wish any harm on the boy. With a great sigh, Sukuna opened his palm to reveal the bone shard. Infinite cooed at the tiny piece and delicately picked up the fragment with his beak. When Infinite turned to walk towards his other guardians, he paused and looked back at Sukuna. There was gratefulness in those eyes and Infinite bowed his head in thanks.

Sukuna would never see the guardians again after that.

It did not matter as he had a new person to focus on. Ryomen would be Sukuna’s proper vessel, but the curse would make sure that the human would stay alive no matter what. He knew in his soul that Yuuji and his guardians would come back, so the boy would need Ryomen. Yuuji needed his father and Ryomen needed his son.

As Sukuna sat in the remains of the village, he made a binding vow with himself that he would never fail the two people who would become his most precious treasures.

Things would be different.

Things would be happier.

Present Time

“Sukuna.”

“Suuuukuuunaaaa!”

“Dumbass!”

“Fuckface!”

“Uh…Suku?”

In an instant, Sukuna grabbed at the hand poking him and twisted. Ryomen yelped in pain and wrenched his arm from Sukuna’s grip. “I told you to never use that infernal nickname.”

“Well, it woke you up, right?”

A grumble was the only response Sukuna gave. He opened his eyes that he hadn’t realized he closed and was surprised when he saw a sunny sky and fluffy clouds. Sukuna glanced at his left, where Ryomen had been poking him, and guffawed at the outfit the baby in his arms was wearing. Ryomen held Yuuji like the lion cub from the movie Ryomen forced him to watch a few months ago. He looked extremely proud of himself, and Yuuji squealed as his father raised him high in the air.

The baby was wearing a tiger onesie with detachable paws and ears on the hood of the outfit. Yuuji giggled like a hyena as Ryomen bounced him. “He’s finally in his true form.” Ryomen chuckled to himself as he looked at his adorable tiger cub. It was a slightly delirious laugh, and Sukuna saw the reason as to why. The usual bags under Ryomen’s eyes had darkened so much it looked like a bruise. Ryomen desperately needed to sleep, and Sukuna had just woken up from an accidental nap.

Sukuna sighed and raised his two upper arms towards Yuuji. “Give him to me, idiot. You are going to blackout any second now, and I do not wish for Yuuji to sustain an injury so soon after acquiring him.”

There were still many issues to talk about, especially the concerning message Ryomen received, but his sleep deprivation caught the best of him. When Ryomen was about to refuse, his vision started to blur, and he knew it was his body screaming at him to rest. “Fine. Wake me in ten minutes. I’ll make this a test for you.”

“Mhm.”

“I’m serious. Once I come back, there better not be a single hair misplaced on Yuuji’s head.”

“Alright.”

“If there is even a-”

“Ryomen. Go. To. Bed.”

“...Ten minutes.” The pink haired man gave one last glare to Sukuna before walking back towards the house. However, his walk was more of a stagger.

Sukuna rolled his eyes at the stubborn man’s antics. The tiny baby in his lap made any irritation the curse would have felt disappear. Yuuji held one of Sukuna’s fingers with a curious expression. He looked so impossibly small compared to Sukuna. Yuuji’s hands could not even wrap around Sukuna’s finger. Despite the size difference, Yuuji showed not a hint of fear towards the curse. His bright, wide eyes looked at Sukuna with so much happiness. No being had ever looked at Sukuna like that. A warmth blossomed in Sukuna’s chest at the smile Yuuji was giving him. This time, Sukuna relished in the warmth instead of suppressing it.

With great care, Sukuna picked up Yuuji and stood. The baby was small enough to fit in Sukuna’s palm, but there was still no fear from Yuuji. Sukuna breathed in the fresh air. For a moment, he was worried that his form would dissipate, but Yuuji’s presence only strengthened Sukuna’s ability to remain tangible. He couldn’t help but nuzzle his nose into Yuuji’s hair, dislodging the hoodie. Yuuji grabbed at Sukuna’s nose with his chubby hand, and the warmth within the curse grew like a welcoming hearth. The happiness Sukuna felt could not compare to his past life. Doing what he desired and killing who he wanted had never brought Sukuna such a feeling of warmness and joy.

Sukuna’s smile was the brightest it had ever been. He let out a content hum as he held Yuuji close to his chest. The baby responded to his hums with happy coos.

He was happy.

No matter what, Sukuna would make sure that the smile on Yuuji’s face never disappears again.

Tags

jjk gojo satoru itadori yuuji jujutsu kaisen geto suguru megumi fushiguro nobara kugisaki satosugu jjk choso nanami kento ryomen sukuna sukuna shoko ieiri kenjaku jjk yuuji todo aoi jjk fic yaga masamichi Cursed Guardians Fic CG fic

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water9826

6 months ago

Cursed Guardians (A JJK Fic)

AO3 Link

Start Here

“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.

After everything…

It was still fucking morning.

Tags

jjk gojo satoru itadori yuuji jujutsu kaisen geto suguru megumi fushiguro nobara kugisaki satosugu jjk choso nanami kento ryomen sukuna sukuna stsg shoko ieiri kenjaku jjk yuuji todo aoi jjk fic yaga masamichi Cursed Guardians Fic CG fic

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water9826

5 years ago

noobs i got 26

This could be fun. I scored 11. How about you?

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water9826

1 year ago

Cursed Guardians (A JJK Fic)

AO3 Link

Start Here

It is vital that you retrieve this, Ryomen.

I know.

We cannot let any of those humans get in our way.

Of course not. I’ll kill them if they try to stop me.

Kill them? Heh. The sorcerers won’t like that.

Do you think I care? I can handle their ire. This is far too important.

I agree, but try not to burn the place to the ground.

It’s tempting. All of these people are just worms desperate to consume whatever shit is available. I’d be doing them a favor.

Hm. And here I thought you were growing fond of humans.

Never. The four sorcerers we acquainted are the only decent ones. The rest can rot.

There are civilians in this place, Ryomen. We would draw attention to ourselves if there are casualties. It'll be a pain to deal with.

Like I said earlier, I don’t care. If they try to challenge me, then they die. Simple.

I see.

And what of it?

Nothing. It’s just that…Well-

Spit it out.

It just seems that I have severely underestimated your dedication to capitalism.

“Shut up, Sukuna.” Ryomen hissed to himself. He was currently in the supermarket looking for a very special item. It had been sold out for months, but Ryomen refused to go home empty handed today. He would fight tooth and nail for what he desired.

The Limited Edition SPECIALZ DELIGHT: A Ginger and Brown Sugar Ice Cream Swirl With Crunchy Caramel Bits from Cyclop Cat Creamery.

The mere thought of the frozen treat made Ryomen’s mouth water. He shopped almost exclusively online, using a false address so the delivery person would not discover the location of the shrine. For the last several years, Ryomen had everything delivered to a small house a few hours away from their true home. The house had been abandoned long ago, but Ryomen had chosen it due to it being remote, but reachable for regular humans. Due to the multiple barriers and seals Infinite and Sukuna had placed, no one could enter the shrine without permission. If they tried, they would be killed instantly by the powerful wards placed throughout. By using the house, deliveries could be made without the messenger being spontaneously combusted or sliced into a million pieces. Additionally, the house used to belong to a farmer. At first glance, the fact may seem irrelevant, but it wasn’t for Ryomen. He was nothing if not prepared. The house was small, but it was built upon the vast land of a ranch. The farmhouse gave Ryomen the opportunity to use the place as a way to stock up on emergency supplies.

Though, the supplies did not only include food or water. The farm the house was built upon was used to grow crops in case of a sudden apocalypse or if Ryomen had to hide his family away for the next decade. On top of that, Ryomen used the ranch to house cattle, chickens, sheep, and horses. This way, Ryomen would not have to purchase goods like dairy, eggs, or meat, things that expire quickly. That meant fewer trips to the store. And fewer trips to the store meant less humans Ryomen had to interact with. And less humans that interacted with him meant less chance of his family being found and killed .

It was the perfect plan!

Ryomen had grown up on the streets in a village that saw him as nothing but a bad omen. The sensation of his stomach writhing in agony from starvation was more familiar than the warm feeling of a full belly. He was not taking any chances when it came to his son’s life. Yuuji would always have food on his plate and warm clothes on his back.

The man was also no stranger to war. He knew what it was like to have no form of transportation, no form of escaping, during a time of bloodshed and chaos. He had many memories of falling asleep next to the bodies of the fallen as a young boy, pretending to be among the dead so the enemy soldiers would not target him next. When he made the deal with Sukuna, he had finally learned what it was like to be on the other side, to be the one causing the terror and death. From what he had observed as a boy and as a man, being able to retreat was what determined if you lived or died. So. Horses . Ryomen was familiar with horses, often sleeping with the hooved beasts in their stables during the winter because he had no other place to go. The horses Ryomen had now were descended from the original horses Ryomen had ridden into the many battles he waged. They were strong, loyal, and, most importantly, fast. His mind could rest easy knowing that his son would be able to escape if anything were to happen to Ryomen or Japan itself.

And this paranoia did not worsen from the fact that his son was going to be starting public school soon. Nope. Ryomen was completely fine with that.

Liar.

I know.

He was not a trusting person, and he could not afford to be one no matter how many allies he obtained. After the fateful meeting with the sorcerers, Ryomen had taken it upon himself to venture out in search of the peach seeds that held his son’s soul while training the young sorcerers while also raising his precious son while also also having to look after six powerful beasts and one grumpy curse. Needless to say, Ryomen was exhausted, but he did not trust Sukuna to handle things for him. Not anymore. There had been a strain on their relationship after Sukuna had revealed his many secrets at the meeting. For the sake of Yuuji, the boy who loved his father and uncle so much that he could not bear to be without either of them, they had worked things out. They had fought for centuries, so what was one more fight? That was the mindset Ryomen held in order to keep his temper under control. Yuuji should not have to see his loved ones fight. For the following weeks after the meeting, Ryomen and Sukuna tried their best to act civilly or ignore each other as much as they could.

As time passed on, they had begun a ritual of sitting by the pond, neither speaking to the other. They would not talk, scream, or even whisper. They simply basked in the peaceful silence. One night, however, Sukuna looked at the man and broke the quiet they had become accustomed to. Instead of the expected insult or sneer, Sukuna had apologized to Ryomen for what he had done. His normally brash voice was soft and remorseful.

‘I know how special Yuuji is to you, Ryomen. I should not have kept the information of his soul’s whereabouts from you, nor the existence of Kenjaku. I’m…I’m sorry. I should not have assumed it was alright to omit so many things about your son. I thought it would be easier to wait and focus on caring for Yuuji, but I was wrong.’

It had shocked Ryomen to his core when he had heard the curse’s apology. There were several facts about the world. The sky was blue. Ice was cold. Fire was hot. Infinite was annoying. And, the most important fact of all, Sukuna did not apologize . Ryomen had never heard the curse admit he was in the wrong before that night. He had wanted to hate Sukuna, but Ryomen could not bring himself to. Even when he knew that Sukuna was still hiding things from him, Ryomen did not hate him. His trust in him had diminished, that would never return, but he had accepted the apology. Sukuna and Ryomen shared the same body and soul. They could not leave the other even if they tried. Even if neither wanted to admit it, Sukuna and Ryomen were brothers.

The next few years had been much easier than the first with the additional aid of the sorcerers. Even though Ryomen was doing far too much, he was happy to see his son thriving. He would be turning five in a few days, and Ryomen could not ignore that fact any longer. As much as he wanted to stay in the shrine, Ryomen knew he had to go out and purchase the gifts that Yuuji deserved. The boy had even written the shortest wishlist imaginable after Sukuna and Ryomen practically begged him to ask for something. However, most of the requested presents were for other people, but Ryomen knew it would break Yuuji’s heart if he did not respect his son’s wishes. There were only three things that Yuuji wanted for himself, and Ryomen would rather be burned alive again than not get Yuuji exactly what he wished for.

Knowing that the trip to the city would take a while, Ryomen had reluctantly asked the sorcerers to come to the shrine earlier than expected. For the past three years, the sorcerers had developed a training regime that involved them coming to the shrine once a week or once a month if they had too many missions. Not all four could come at the same time due to their differing schedules. Their visitation was timed carefully as to not rouse suspicions from the sorcerer’s elders. Nanami, the supposedly strict and avid rule follower, was the most skilled at sneaking out and deceiving the higher-ups. He came up with an interchanging schedule that his group could use to make the sorcerers’ weekly outings seem innocent. Due to the unexpected timing for today, only one sorcerer could attend. It was surprisingly Gojo, the sorcerer who was the busiest of all, who could take care of Yuuji. However, Ryomen had a feeling that Gojo would have skipped out on any mission just to see Yuuji anyway. The white-haired man adored Yuuji, becoming another uncle that Yuuji loved. The two got along like two peas in a pod.

There was one drawback. Gojo was able to visit, but he had to bring one of his children to the shrine. His adopted son, Fushiguro Megumi, had gotten suspended after a nasty fight in school (a fight he had won) and needed to stay with Gojo. Ryomen was about to refuse until Sukuna urged him to agree. It was strange that Sukuna was so passionate about allowing the older child to visit, but Ryomen had relented and agreed. In the end, the choice was the correct one as Yuuji had squealed and smiled brighter than the sun when he learned that he would be getting to meet a new person.

There was still much to do for his son’s birthday preparations, so Ryomen shook himself out of his thoughts and wheeled his cart towards the frozen dessert section. Ryomen had a bit of a sweet tooth, though not nearly as severe as Gojo’s, and was delighted to see no one in the aisle. It was early after all. Too early for most people to buy ice cream.

The Cyclop Cat Creamery was, in Ryomen’s opinion, the best ice cream manufacturer in the country. Many pints of their ice cream had helped Ryomen get through his worst nights. Nights that involved him watching shitty telenovelas or dramatic family comedies on the couch, bundled in a blanket, and crying with a spoon in his mouth. All to distract him from the constant worry and stress he felt. Sometimes, Boogie would join him on the dramas he watched, as long as it featured pop-idol Takada-chan. The man and dog tearing up at each rejection at a sakura tree, each confession at a sakura tree, each break-up in the rain or sakura tree, each desperate sprint through an airport, each admittance of moving away, and even each family member who randomly gets sick. Takada-chan’s movies always had at least one of those events. Though, it was more likely for her films to have all six.

…So, yes. Ryomen consumed quite a lot of ice cream.

At least, Yuuji adored the flavors they had as well. Even Sukuna, who ate meat almost exclusively, was fond of the frozen treats.

Hurry up!

Be quiet! I’m the one who’s paying!

Sukuna grumbled within his mind. Due to the nature of their shared soul, Sukuna could not stay in the shrine when Ryomen left it. He had to stay with Ryomen whenever he went outside their home. It was another reason why Ryomen hated going out in public. The curse would never shut up within his mind, always finding something to complain about. Ryomen received many odd looks when he would respond to the entity in his head, and it took all his self-control to not snap at the humans. He was a single father with too much on his hands. He did not have the energy to deal with the fools who stared at him as if he was insane. Ryomen probably had several screws loose, but he did not enjoy other people thinking that!

The coolness of the freezer aisle helped soothe Ryomen’s nerves. He first picked out Yuuji’s favorite flavors: BLACK FLASH , a dark chocolate ice cream with strawberry and raspberry swirls and LEFT, RIGHT, GOODNIGHT, an ice cream with three separate flavors that included milk chocolate, vanilla bean, and honeycomb. The titles were…odd. But the ice cream was good enough for Ryomen to not care for once.

Buy more.

I plan on buying several pints already.

Good. Make sure you have enough to feed an army.

…

I expect you to tell me why.

…

Sukuna.

Fine. The brat and I will be having a competition to see who can consume the most frozen confectionaries.

You mean an ice cream eating contest?

…Yes. It was on his birthday wish list…

Ryomen had to bite his lip to stifle a laugh. To anyone else, including Ryomen himself, Sukuna was the biggest asshole imaginable. Granted, Ryomen was as well, but his usual exhaustion hid his poor temperament. Sukuna was the type of person to push an elderly woman into oncoming traffic just because she asked for help crossing the road. An extreme example, yes, but it was great at showing Sukuna’s violent tendencies and astounding levels of pettiness. However, he was a completely different person with Yuuji. He would deny it constantly, but the curse was incredibly soft when it came to the boy. Ryomen shook his head with a small smile as he grabbed a few more pints. Once Sukuna deemed the amount of ice cream sufficient, Ryomen finally went for the flavor he had been waiting for for months.

At last!

Just as his hand reached for the frozen dessert, another came and snatched the last pint of SPECIALZ DELIGHT before he could blink. It had happened so quickly that Ryomen’s mind needed a few seconds to process what had happened.

OH, THAT FUCKING BITCH! LET ME OUT, RYOMEN! LET ME BEAT HER ASS! I SWEAR TO GOD, I’LL CUT OFF THAT HAND RIGHT NOW! THE FUCKING AUDACITY! STUPID BITCH! GOOD FOR NOTHING PIECE OF SHIT CU-

With practiced ease, Ryomen ignored the unholy screeching within his head. He tried his best to have a pleasant smile on his face as he turned to the thief person. It was a middle-aged woman with streaky blond hair that was cut into a bob. Her makeup was slightly cakey from the excessive powder she likely used. She had several fake gemstones on her rings and bracelets.

The woman looked at Ryomen with a disgusted scowl. “What.”

Sukuna’s creative swears and insults grew louder, causing Ryomen to suppress a grimace. He pointed at the pint the woman was holding. “I was about to grab that, miss. I know it’s the last one, but I’ve been waiting for the restock for months. You see, my son is having a-”

“I grabbed it first. Go find another pint for your son.” She pointed a gaudy pink nail at Ryomen. “I suggest looking at the clearance aisle, you people can’t afford this stuff anyway.”

Stay calm. Stay calm. STAY CALM . Ryomen breathed in deeply, his smile resembling a snarl more than anything else. “It’s for my son’s birthday. Surely, you can let go of the ‘finders keepers’ mentality since you are clearly not a child.”

“I don’t care about your damn spoiled brat of a son! This is mine! Go to some other store!”

“No.” Ryomen gave up on trying to be polite the second the crone insulted his son. The woman looked like she had just sucked on a lemon with how pinched her face got.

“How dare you! Do you know who my husband is! I can have you arrested for this-”

“Do it.” Ryomen said coldly. The woman immediately froze. “I dare you.”

For a few moments, it seemed like the horrid lady was going to give up. However, she got over her brief lapse and scowled harder at Ryomen. “You people have no respect whatsoever! I’m going to call-”

“My people?” Ryomen asked with his fists clenched, already feeling them heat up.

“Yes, you people! You damn activists that dye their hair and act like they're superior to everyone else!” The woman looked more like a tomato with how flushed her face became from anger. She stomped her foot like a child throwing a tantrum. “Leave us good people alone! I’m not giving you anything! Your stupid son can-”

It was as if the very air around them had gone still. The buzzing of the fluorescent lights could not be heard anymore nor the constant buzz of the refrigeration units. Finally, the woman realized the mistake she had just made. Her eyes grew wide with genuine terror as the man in front of her bore his piercing crimson eyes into her. For a second, it seemed like the tattoos beneath his eyes opened. She blinked hard, and the eyes disappeared along with the blood red gaze. Despite being in the freezer aisle, the atmosphere around them grew unbearably hot. This was the first time that anyone had ever scared her this much. Her hands began to shake as the towering figure came closer.

Ryomen snatched the woman by the neck before she could utter a cry of help. He let his palms grow hot enough to burn. “The only reason that you’re still alive is because I have errands to do, so I can’t waste my time tossing your eviscerated corpse to the rats . Though, the rats don’t deserve such rotten meat. Perhaps the maggots would take you. They eat all worthless, putrid garbage after all.”

There was now blood streaming down the horrified woman’s neck as sharp claws pierced into her. She had dropped the pint, the reason for the argument, the second he grabbed her. Her hands pawed uselessly at the iron grip the pink-haired man seemed to have.

“Your behavior is disgusting. If anyone behaves like they are above everyone else, it is you. You’re a rotten woman who no one will miss. I would say you have time to change your ways, but that would be a lie, wench. Now, get out of my sight.” Ryomen unceremoniously dropped the woman who collapsed onto the floor. Her neck was bleeding profusely and part of Ryomen wanted to let the old crone bleed out. However, his common sense kicked in. Leaving a dead body in a public supermarket would come back to bite him. Instead of slitting her through or turning her to ash, Ryomen begrudgingly healed her using his reverse cursed technique. His was not as refined as Sukuna’s, but it would do. After healing her, leaving no scrap of evidence behind, Ryomen picked up the tossed pint. He heard the hysterical sobs from the traumatized woman, but he did not acknowledge her whatsoever.

Well done, Ryomen. Though, your outburst better not have melted our frozen confections!

“Shut up, Sukuna.”

If someone were to ask Satoru about wanting children as a teen, he would have laughed in the questioner’s face and mock the person for such a stupid question. ‘Hell no.’ He’d say. ‘Why would anyone want to take care of snot-nosed brats for the rest of their life?’ He’d jeer.

Well, his younger self could fuck off.

“Megumiiiiii-chaaaaan~”

“I’m punching you next.” Megumi grouched from the backseat of the car. The eleven-year-old had gotten into a fight with several boys at recess. Based on his minimal injuries, Megumi had won the fight. The boys that had tried to gang-up on his boy were much worse for wear, bearing black eyes and broken noses and scratches that likely came from a protective demon dog. However, Megumi was cradling his right arm and would wince whenever the car went over a bump. There were little to no bruises or scuff marks on Megumi, but Satoru knew better than to ignore the risk of something internal occurring.

After receiving a call from Megumi’s school, he had to ask Ijichi to drive him since it would be jarring if he warped there. The younger man agreed without fuss, sweating profusely as he readied the car. Despite his jittery nature, Ijichi’s skill behind the wheel was unmatched. It was the only time that Ijichi would appear calm and confident. Once they arrived, Satoru had to pretend that he cared for the feelings of the delinquents Megumi had injured and act like he was disappointed in Megumi. It could not be further from the truth, but Satoru needed to be a mature adult in front of the school’s principal. They had given no punishment to the group of boys that had initiated the fight, but had suspended Megumi for two weeks. The parents of the brats that had attacked Megumi tried to lecture Satoru on his parenting skills. He simply smiled at the morons, thanking them for the advice and assuring them that this wouldn’t happen again. If the school had not been the most secure place Satoru could find, he would have ripped those parents and the principal a new one.

When Megumi and Satoru entered the car, the elder immediately burst into giggles. In his mind, Megumi was being punished for something minor. When Satoru was his age, he had done far worse things to others. Though, the fact that Satoru had been homeschooled meant that all his tutors were paid to deal with his preteen-self’s horrid attitude. He could get away with anything, but Megumi was not being taught by a private tutor. He went to a public school, and the school had rules. Perhaps suspension was warranted for the brutal beating Megumi had given the boys…Maybe. He needed the full story. Satoru had been trying to ask Megumi about what happened for the past ten minutes, but the boy refused to answer.

As the scenery of office buildings and shopping districts changed to something far more rural, Megumi perked up considerably. His dark expression faded into one of curiosity. There were hundreds of questions brewing in the boy’s navy eyes.

“Got something on your mind, Megs?” Satoru glanced at the boy.

Megumi huffed stubbornly, a trait he and the twins share. He tried to make his black hair cover his eyes, but it only made the boy look like he was pouting. Eventually, Megumi spoke. “Aren’t you gonna ground me?”

“I don’t think that was the question you wanted to ask.” Satoru teased.

“Just answer, Gojo.” Megumi demanded, though it lacked the normal fire the boy was known for. Despite how hard Megumi tried to appear apathetic or stoic, Gojo could read him like a book. The boy was nervous, likely believing that he was in deep trouble with his adoptive parent. He had a tension in his body that suggested that Megumi was expected to be struck or yelled at. It pained Satoru to see the boy struggle with the trauma his good-for-nothing father gave him. While Megumi never spoke of the first years of his life with Toji, Satoru could tell that it was anything but pretty. It left him with serious issues involving attachment, abandonment, and being more closed off than a clam. It made Satoru want to kill Toji for the second time. And a third. And a fourth-

He shook his head to rid himself of the murderous thoughts. Megumi was still awaiting a response, looking more uneasy than before. With a soft sigh, Satoru turned away, knowing that the boy hated prolonged eye contact. “I’m not mad at you, Megs. I would have done much worse in your shoes, but you showed restraint. You’re a smart kid, so I know that I don’t need to tell you not to do it again. Not because the bastards don’t deserve it, they did if you ask me. You know what you did wrong, and I know you like this school enough that you don’t want to be expelled. The principal is a jerk, sure, but I’ve seen how well the staff and teachers treat you.”

“...You’re really not mad?” Megumi whispered, eyes wide. For once, he acted like the child he was supposed to be, which had become rarer and rarer over the years.

“I’m not, Gumi. Promise.” The white-haired man only used the nickname when Megumi was in deep distress. It showed Megumi that Gojo was being sincere. As the road grew bumpier, made from dirt and not asphalt, Megumi’s curiosity returned.

The preteen’s brow furrowed in the way that it always did when Megumi was thinking hard about something. “Where are we going?”

“Remember the friends that Suguru and I visit every month?”

“Yeah? What about them?”

“We’re going to visit them. They’re pretty reclusive, so that’s why you haven’t met them yet. They’re good people though. It’s thanks to them that Suguru doesn’t burn water when trying to boil it, heh. Anyways, an emergency popped up, and they had to leave immediately. Here’s the thing,” Satoru paused for dramatic effect, raising his index finger. The spiky-haired boy was listening with rapt attention and did not enjoy Satoru’s sudden stop. After several seconds of Megumi’s impatient glare, Satoru continued with a grin. “They have a son, and there was no one else available to take care of him. He’s four, but he’s as sweet as Tsumiki. Well behaved too. I know he is going to love having a new friend. The kid has no friends his age, so be nice to him. He also has… guard dogs that are really protective so do not summon your shikigami unless strictly necessary, ‘kay?”

Silence followed as Megumi processed the information, analyzing every detail Satoru had provided. As the boy got lost in his thoughts, the road got even bumpier. Ijichi had driven this path several times, so he was able to smooth the ride enough for Megumi’s arm to not jostle. Satoru leaned back in the seat, taking out his phone and opening his favorite group chat.

THE STRONGEST BITCHES🤞😎

infinity3435: @everyone

infinity3435: omw to see yujiiiii with megs o(≧∇≦o)

infinity3435: jealous @curse_gobbler ?

curse_gobbler: not particularly.

infinity3435: ur such a liar

curse_gobbler: stfu

infinity3435: make me (͠≖ ͜ʖ͠≖)

lesbianmalpractice: can y’all not be gay for once

infinity3435: nope ｡◕‿◕｡

curse_gobbler: no.

curse_gobbler: are u homophobic shoko?

lesbianmalpractice: only when it comes to you two.

infinity3435: wow ಥ_ಥ

lesbianmalpractice: the more fucking emoticons you use the more homophobic i’m gonna get

infinity3435: (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ

Nanami.Kento: I thought that we established that this group chat was for emergencies only.

infinity3435: it is

infinity3435: telling you guys that i get to hang out with yuuji today while you guys are stuck doing boring shit is an emergency

infinity3435: very important info

lesbianmalpractice: ur such a dick

infinity3435: u love me tho (◕‿◕✿)

lesbianmalpractice: not at all

infinity3435: (◕╭╮◕✿)

curse_gobbler: lmao

infinity3435: SUGURU UR SUPPOSED TO BE ON MY SIDE

curse_gobbler: says who?

infinity3435: says your loving partner of 84 yrs

curse_gobbler: satoru neither of us are even close to being that old. you need to stop watching titanic so much

Nanami.Kento: Well, Gojo-san does have the white hair most elderly are plagued with. It is possible that he has fooled us all with his age. Perhaps that is why he acts so childish, it’s to throw us off.

infinity3435: NANAMI HOW COULD U? ┗( T﹏T )┛

lesbianmalpractice: HAH

lesbianmalpractice: NANAMI JUST CALLED U A FUCKING GEEZER

infinity3435: u guys are so mean (இ﹏இ`｡)

lesbianmalpractice: ╭∩╮(╹◡╹)

infinity3435: SHOKO

lesbianmalpractice: ─=≡Σᕕ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)ᕗ

curse_gobbler: (•_•) ( •_•)>⌐■-■ (⌐■_■)

infinity3435: ALRIGHT QUIT IT

Nanami.Kento: ୧༼ ºل͜º ༽ºل͜º ༽୨༼ ºل͜º ༽╭∩╮

infinity3435: WTF NANAMI

lesbianmalpractice: YES NANAMI

Nanami.Kento: Apologies if I used it incorrectly. I am not accustomed to this type of text.

curse_gobbler: u used it perfectly. couldn’t done it better myself

lesbianmalpractice: ^

lesbianmalpractice: @infinity3435 that’s what u get for shoving the fact that you get to see yuuji in our faces

curse_gobbler: ^

curse_gobbler: i’ve had to exorcize almost thirty curses and now im omw to excorcize more

lesbianmalpractice: and i’ve been at the morgue all day

infinity3435: sucks 4 u

Nanami.Kento: At least, the three of us do not have to spend extra time with Infinite. Even if Yuuji-kun and Megumi-kun are present, Infinite never misses an opportunity to train you. And, frankly, beating the shit out of you.

infinity3435: HEY

Nanami.Kento: Now, please stop spamming this messaging forum. I have work to do.

Nanami.Kento: Please tell Yuuji-kun that I said hello.

lesbianmalpractice: goddamn i forgot how brutal nanami could be

cursed_gobbler: mhm

cursed_gobbler: well, i’ll follow nanami’s lead and log off. my train is almost at its stop anyway

lesbianmalpractice: yeah i gotta perform another autopsy soon

lesbianmalpractice: send pics of the little guys satoru

infinity3435: i will

infinity3435: someway or another i’m gonna have megs and yuuji have a photoshoot

curse_gobbler: good luck with that

curse_gobbler: you better send them

infinity3435: you got it shnookums ( ˘ ³˘)♥

curse_gobbler: delete that this instant

infinity3435: no~

“I’m totally gonna start calling him that from now on.” Satoru giggled to himself. He put his phone in his pocket after turning it off. Now, the man could see that they had reached the expansive land of the ranch Ryomen… acquired . Using the rearview mirror, Satoru got to observe Megumi's smile as the boy pressed his face against the window like an excited child. The spiky-haired boy was none the wiser to Satoru’s stare, so he had dropped the indifferent front he tried so hard to keep. It warmed Satoru’s heart whenever Megumi acted like the eleven-year-old boy he was.

Nothing made Megumi come out of his shell as effectively as animals. He watched the herds of cattle and sheep graze calmly on grass like it was the most intriguing thing in the world. The boy would also look at the many chickens across the lot with rapt attention, he had even unbuckled his seatbelt at this point to be as close to the window as possible. Both Ijichi and Satoru looked at Megumi with a fondness that anyone who knew the grumpy child would feel. After a few more minutes of driving, the house at the center of the ranch was visible. Several horses could be seen relaxing or grazing on the untrimmed yard. When the car made its way to the unmarked driveway, the horses made no move to run. The small herd had horses of various breeds and sizes with the largest towering over the car Ijichi was driving. In fact, it was the largest horse Satoru had ever seen. It was a deep, black color with white hair pooling around its hooves. Based on how it dwarfed the other horses, it was well over three meters tall. Based on the familiar crimson markings around its snout and eyes, Ryomen had likely given the horse considerable amounts of cursed energy to make it so large. Despite its imposing size, it did not appear to care about the presence of the newcomers whatsoever while the rest of the herd was watching them curiously. Satoru could not help but be reminded of Sukuna from the giant horse’s laziness.

Whenever Satoru and the others were summoned for training, Infinite would appear before them and warp them to the shrine. He had no idea when or even how the damn bird knew where he, Suguru, Shoko, and Nanami lived. Infinite just did and would give whichever sorcerer he visited a heart attack. Wanting to delay Megumi’s meeting with Infinite as much as possible had led Satoru to request to go to the ranch Ryomen had spoken about. The pink-haired man had been ready to refuse before Sukuna convinced him otherwise, agreeing with Satoru that Megumi should not know what teleporting with Infinite felt like if he didn’t need to. Satoru was fine with warping himself and Megumi to the shrine. The ranch and shrine were over an hour apart, but Satoru could care less. He would deal with the migraine that came after warping a considerable distance easily. Ryomen had allowed Sukuna and Infinite to disable the many wards around the temple’s radius. It would be a temporary hold for Satoru to teleport to the shrine without issue, but the older man warned that the wards would reactivate soon and too not dawdle.

“This is our stop.” Satoru said, unbuckling his seatbelt before stretching his lanky limbs. In the backseat, Megumi was still gaping at the horses in front of them. He gave Ijichi several hundred dollar bills as thanks, causing the younger to sputter and sweat. As an assistant director, Satoru knew that Ijichi was being overworked as much as the most talented sorcerers. There was so little staff that Ijichi had to do the work of at least ten people every day. He was treated with far less respect than sorcerers and expected to do much more work. Because of his younger age, the elders worked Ijichi harder than anyone else, like he was a dog. Yes, Ijichi did not put his life on the line to fight curses, but the higher-ups were giving their best shot at working assistants like Ijichi to death. It pissed off Satoru immensely. If it was not for Suguru, who was ninety-nine percent of his impulse control, he would have happily murdered those in charge of the assistant directors. Ijichi tried to give the money back, but Satoru remained firm. Eventually, he glared at the man. “Take the cash or else .”

It was an empty, vague threat, but it did its job. Ijichi yelped and bowed his head in thanks and accepted the money, blushing furiously. “Thank you, Gojo-san.”

“Don’t mention it. I know the geezers barely pay you a liveable wage. You need it.” Satoru allowed his cheerful front to drop for a moment. The assistant’s eyes were as wide as saucers from the sorcerer’s kind words. Not wanting to dwell on any thoughts involving the elders, Satoru gave his infamous shit-eating grin. “You better buy me something with that~”

Ijichi nodded frantically. As Satoru helped Megumi with his things, the tired assistant gave a small, grateful smile towards the older sorcerer before pulling out of the driveway and leaving.

“Your friends are cursed users aren’t they?” Megumi said the second Ijichi’s car was out of sight.

His abrupt words caused Satoru to choke on his own spit. “How did you- I mean- NO. They aren’t. Uh. They’re sorcerers. Good guys. Super duper nice. They’re harmless…” Satoru began to ramble as Megumi gazed at him with an unimpressed look. Dammit. The kid is too smart for his own good. He had planned to tell Megumi the truth in the safety of the shrine, but his cover was already blown. Ijichi had not been told the reasons as to why he had to drive to a random farm, so Satoru could not say anything in the car. It wasn’t that he distrusted Ijichi, he knew the man was loyal to Yaga and his friends far more than the higher-ups. Even so, the less people that knew about Sukuna and the cursed souls meant less chances of being caught. Ryomen would only allow so much information to be spread. Even Yaga was left in the dark as to where his previous students went. Deciding to bite the bullet, Gojo turned towards his son. He held out his hand, which Megumi begrudgingly took, and led him into the house. Two horses walked up to the pair, likely the youngest of the herd. It was a young filly and colt. The filly had a ginger coat, and she was clearly the more dominant of the two. On the other hand, the colt with strawberry blond fur tried to shove his snout into Megumi’s unoccupied hand. As if knowing the hand was injured, the young horse was incredibly gentle, sniffing at the boy’s fingers. The more prideful female did not get as close, but she was interested in whatever Megumi had in his backpack.

Megumi had a small grin on his face as he went to pet the colt’s snout, much to the horse’s delight. “I don’t think a sorcerer would ever live this far out in the country. They’re needed in the city far too much. If a curse user wanted to stay hidden, they’d live in a place like this.” The boy’s deduction was correct. For a moment, Satoru basked in the pride of how intelligent his boy was. It made it impossible to hide things from Megumi, but Satoru could not help but be proud.

“You hit the nail on the head, Megs.” Satoru watched carefully for any signs in Megumi’s posture that would indicate if the boy was fearful of meeting cursed users. When he found nothing, he huffed in amusement and ruffled Megumi’s hair. “You’re such a smart cookie!”

“Quit it!” Megumi snatched the hand in Satoru’s hold to swat at the much taller male. The ginger filly whinnied loudly at the two, almost like she was laughing. “See? Even the horses can see how annoying you are!”

“Oh, the pain! To be betrayed by my own flesh and blood! After all the hours I spent bringing you into the world!” He placed a hand on his forehead in fake agony.

“We aren’t related! And you are not my mom!” Megumi growled with a fierce glare. However, it only made the boy look more like a hissing kitten in Satoru’s eyes.

“So mean!”

They spent a few more moments with the horses until Satoru finally lead Megumi towards the inside of the house. The door hinges creaked loudly from lack of care. There was a scent of dust all around, but the house was relatively clean. The living room they were standing in was mostly barren, save for a ratty couch and worn chairs. Storage containers could be seen in every corner, organized in a system only Ryomen knew. Gojo knew better than to mess with any of the containers.

Megumi had gone quiet again, observing the house.

Eventually, he spoke up. “Your friends don’t live here, do they?”

“They don’t, but no one can disclose the location of their home. I made a binding vow along with the others to not reveal where their place is.” Gojo gestured towards the old home. “This is a middle ground of sorts. It’s safe if others know its location, that’s why Ijichi knew where to go.”

“But if we’re here, then how are we going to get to your friend’s house?” Megumi asked with a frown. The gears in his head were turning as he attempted to figure out the answer. Gojo could practically see the steam coming out of his nose.

Satoru placed a hand on Megumi’s shoulder, kneeling to be at eye level with the boy. “I know you don’t like it, but we’ll be warping there. The place has countless wards and seals installed so no one can enter. It’s temporarily disabled, so we can travel there without issue. Warping is the only way.” At the idea of teleporting, Megumi shuddered. It was so disorientating, many had asked Satoru how he never experienced the effects of his teleportation. However, Satoru did feel the nauseating sensations that came with warping, he had just gotten used to it after years of practice. Besides teleporting, Satoru knew there was something more important to discuss with Megumi. “It won’t be too bad, Megs, I promise. But there is another thing-”

“Is it about the guard dogs you made up?”

“Damn, you're on a roll, kid.” Satoru muttered, mildly impressed. He pretended to not notice how Megumi’s little chest puffed up. With his knees beginning to hurt, Satoru decided to sit down, Megumi following suit. He pulled out his phone and opened a private album of photos that no one was allowed to see. There was even a passcode to the photo album. Satoru held out his arm in invitation, and Megumi climbed into his lap. Any embarrassment he would have felt was ignored for the boy’s need to learn more. Satoru pulled up a photo that he knew Megumi would enjoy. “You’re right, they aren’t guard dogs. Though, they still perform the same purpose of protecting my friend’s son. They’re called cursed souls. I’m sure you’ve heard of them, considering how much you like to sneak into Suguru’s study.”

“It’s his fault he didn’t invest in good locks.” Megumi defended. The preteen shifted his attention to the photo and immediately had to bite his lip to not burst out laughing. It was a picture of Nanami, but it depicted the man in a way Megumi had never seen before. To start, Nanami was not wearing his signature glasses and suit. He had on a loose, blue tank top and black joggers that were covered in sweat and mud. The normally stoic sorcerer had his eyes wide, looking behind him. He looked like he was shouting at someone with how his head turned and mouth opened. His well kempt hair was an utter mess. He was clearly being chased by something. It reminded Megumi of the many silly chase scenes he had seen in the cartoons he watched periodically with Mimiko.

The ones responsible for chasing the blonde were three of the strangest creatures Megumi had ever seen.

It was true that he had snuck into Getou’s study multiple times, but there was not as much information as Megumi hoped. It was mostly boring paperwork that Megumi did not care about. The treasures he did find were more interesting than any nature documentary. Getou had several drawings and notes describing beings called cursed souls. He had wanted to take the papers and read them in his room, but he knew that Getou was as observant as Gojo. He knew there were more details, they just were not in the study. Any items like textbooks or documents were likely hidden within Getou’s inventory curse. Megumi hated the ugly worm. Whenever he got his phone or remote to his television taken away, Getou would put it into the worm for safekeeping. Megumi knew he could not ask Getou about cursed souls without tattling on himself. From what little he managed to read on cursed souls, Megumi knew that they behaved differently from cursed spirits, they were powerful, they were unpredictable, and Getou hated the one that looked like a bird.

He recognized the three cursed souls chasing Nanami from Getou’s sketches. Getou normally enjoyed drawing the many curses he encountered or consumed, so Megumi was not surprised that he would make sketches of these strange entities. One of them was a purple cat that had long, black spikes shooting from its back. It was the closest to catching Nanami, but the cat had a playful expression on its fluffy face. It had no intention of actually attacking Nanami. Behind the cat, there was a behemoth of a dog following with its tongue lolling out of its mouth. Concealing the canine’s face was a skull that could not belong to any animal on earth. To start, The top of the skull was jagged and uneven, as if there used to be horns that had been broken off, and seemingly fused into the dog’s face. It was wide enough to cover the canine’s wide features. Additionally, there were two tusks that curled upwards from the upper jaw. When Megumi saw the bottom jaw, he lost all hope of trying to identify the skull. It was bisected with jagged teeth throughout. It allowed the real mouth of the canine to move freely. Besides the haunting skull and strang fur pattern, it looked like an ordinary dog. A massive one, but still a dog. From the slobber on Nanami’s face, it seemed that the canine had given the blonde many kisses. Megumi’s demon dogs did not produce slobber, so their licks were exponentially less messy. The boy could not help but snicker at the image of Nanami being tackled by an overexcited puppy the size of a bear.

The third creature had no animalistic features whatsoever, a stark contrast to the first two. Megumi turned to Gojo, a question on his lips. Before he could speak, Gojo answered for him.

“The last one looks like Nanami, huh?”

“Yeah. Did it copy Nanami or something?”

“Sort of.” Gojo pointed a finger at the last cursed soul. It had several spotted wrappings reaching towards Nanami. The left side of it looked like it was on fire while the rest of its body resembled a mummy. Its lower half reminded Megumi of a serpent. All the wrappings were identical to the ones Nanami used on his blunt sword. The cursed soul even had an altered version of Nanami’s glasses. When he looked closer, Megumi realized that the creature was wearing a second pair of glasses on top of its head. Likely Nanami’s. Gojo’s voice broke the boy out of his musings. “I’ll tell you everything when we get there, okay? If we wait any longer, the wards are going to reactivate.”

Megumi nodded, hundreds of questions swimming in his mind. He felt Gojo pick him up and instinctually wrapped his arms around the elder’s neck. The boy prepared himself for the unpleasantness that came with warping. Gojo gave the boy a squeeze, a nonverbal warning that he was about to teleport. He closed his eyes.

He felt the world around them shift and change. It felt like going on an elevator that was going too fast yet too slow at the same time. The elevator moved up and down, right and left, everywhere and nowhere.

Then they were somewhere.

“We’re here! You can open your eyes, kid.” Gojo said reassuringly. When the dizziness and nausea faded, Megumi was placed onto the ground.

This wasn’t a house.

It was a temple.

Megumi was about to demand where the hell Gojo had taken him, but was stopped by a pink blur tackling him to the ground. As the boy’s mind processed what had happened, he went to yell at the jerk who slammed into him. However, any anger Megumi had vanished as he locked eyes with his assailant, who was giving him the biggest smile Megumi had ever seen.

The younger pink boy wrapped like a koala around Megumi pulled away for a moment. “Hi! I’m Yuuji! I’m so happy to meet you!!!”

Somehow, Megumi just knew his suspension would not be as bad as he thought.

If he was being honest with himself, Sukuna did not expect Megumi and Yuuji to be nearly as close as they used to be in this world.

He had never been more wrong.

Having Yuuji and Megumi meet was one of the best decisions Sukuna had ever made. Even Ryomen had begrudgingly admitted how grateful he was for Yuuji’s new friend. With a friend that was actually a child and not an adult or ancient curses, Yuuji blossomed. The amount of nightmares that Yuuji had had diminished greatly due to Megumi’s calming presence.

Sukuna had not anticipated the bond between the two to be as strong as it was. Instead of being the same age, Megumi was roughly six years older than Yuuji now. It made sense back then for the two teenagers to befriend each other. Two teens had similar issues to relate to and were capable of having a balanced dynamic. Through Yuuji, Sukuna had seen how much the boys cared for each other. It had been something that Sukuna could take advantage of, and he did . He expected Megumi and Yuuji to be acquaintances at best in this time. Megumi was someone who was aloof and preferred to be alone. He did not seem like the type to be fond of children. He wasn’t.

But he was fond of Yuuji.

Instead of ignoring the younger boy, Megumi had more or less decided that Yuuji was his little brother from now on. He was patient with Yuuji, helping him with preparing for kindergarten. Without any sign of the grouchiness Megumi was known for, he would explain the subject of Yuuji’s lesson in a way the boy could understand. It had been quite difficult for Ryomen when he was teaching Yuuji about reading, writing, and colors. Yuuji became distracted easily, often retreating into his own mind or daydreaming. Ryomen had never had the opportunity to teach Yuuji in things like literacy during their life in the Heian Era. The man had to prioritize on not having Yuuji starve or freeze to death every day. He enjoyed teaching Yuuji in the beginning, but soon realized he was out of his league. Ryomen himself had never been allowed to study in his previous life, learning how to survive instead of how to read. It was Sukuna who had taught Ryomen the basics. However, Sukuna’s teaching style was much less gentle. His tactics involved threatening Ryomen about ‘chopping off your dumbass head if you don’t memorize these damn kanji’. Among other threats of bodily harm or cannibalism. Megumi was the complete opposite. He tutored Yuuji without a hint of difficulty, no threats of eating his student alive whatsoever! Sukuna was slightly envious.

As a result of Megumi’s lessons, Yuuji felt more confident than ever about entering kindergarten.

“Sukuna, are you sure-”

“Yes, Ryomen.”

“But-”

“No.”

“What if I-”

“ NO .”

“You’re a dick”

“Uh-huh.”

For Ryomen’s sake, they had agreed on having Yuuji start kindergarten at age six. The extra year had helped Yuuji be at the level he needed to be for school. If it wasn’t for Megumi’s tutelage, Yuuji would be incredibly behind academically. The many hours Megumi spent with Yuuji made the younger one stick to the preteen like glue. Whenever Megumi visited, Yuuji would follow him around their home like a duckling. Megumi did not seem to mind Yuuji’s clinginess, happily including Yuuji in whatever he was doing. He would talk about what he did at school and his older sisters the most. When he would speak about going to restaurants or shopping trips with his family, the longing in Yuuji’s eyes could be seen as clear as day. The boy had never gotten to know the pleasures childhood had to offer. However, Yuuji did not become angry like Ryomen or Sukuna anticipated. The child had every right to be upset, scream, or through a fit. Even so, Yuuji did not. Yuuji simply became…sad. He would ask a few questions about the outside world to Ryomen or Sukuna and would go quiet after they answered. Yuuji would nod his head before sitting on the backyard porch, Supernova usually settling in his lap.

Sukuna could not stand the ‘kicked-puppy’ look in Yuuji’s eyes any longer. After many arguments that involved flames and blood, Sukuna had forced Ryomen to agree to letting Yuuji visit Megumi’s house for a few hours. Gojo and Getou had enthusiastically agreed, promising that nothing would happen to the boy. The guardians were not pleased at all. Only Supernova could accompany Yuuji due to his ability to shrink. It was impossible to hide away something as large as Infinite. The guardians’ forms were not discreet whatsoever. At least, Supernova could hide away in Yuuji’s backpack or hoodie.

They had needed the boy to leave the temple for a reason. Yuuji’s first day of school was tomorrow, so Sukuna thought that a celebration was in order. It had been Gojo that had suggested a surprise party. The limitless user had bought gaudy decorations and entire boxes of Cyclop Cat Creamery desserts for the party. After seeing the competition Yuuji had had with Sukuna, Gojo demanded another contest. Yuuji had been too exhausted after his eventful birthday to have the ice cream eating competition he wished for. His fifth birthday ended with Sukuna and Yuuji eating their bowls sleepily. At the thought of a proper contest, Yuuji had perked up. Gojo and Yuuji talked endlessly about the competition and what they would do. Their energy was overwhelming to say the least.

“Shit. I melted one again.” Ryomen grumbled.

“Then let me handle the rest. You need to calm the hell down.” Sukuna responded without looking up from the table he was setting up.

Even though Yuuji would be gone for less than a day, it was still the first time that Yuuji would be leaving the shrine. The boy could not contain his excitement when he was told the news. It was an important milestone for Yuuji. He would be leaving the safety of the shrine. Despite knowing that nothing will happen to Yuuji with the two strongest sorcerers by his side, Ryomen had never felt more terrified in his life. Sukuna had wanted to yell at Ryomen to shut up, but the trembling in Ryomen’s body stopped him.

Their shared soul told Sukuna everything Ryomen was not willing to say.

It wasn’t that Ryomen was a controlling parent and freaking out about his child being out of his grasp. Not at all. Ryomen encouraged Yuuji to make his own decisions and be his own person. He did not want to hold his son back. However, leaving the shrine was different. Ryomen now knew that Kenjaku and the disaster curses were out there. Sure, Kenjaku’s plan would not occur in another few years, but nothing was stopping the curses from harming Yuuji. Kenjaku did not need a plan to hurt his son. The fact that Kenjaku could disguise themselves as anyone in the country without detection made things worse.

Sukuna saw the haunted look in Ryomen’s eyes. He was grasping a pint of ice cream so tightly that the carton had popped. The pain of flames and grief within their soul gave insight into where Ryomen’s mind was. It was the day the Ryomen had been burned alive with his deceased son in his grasp. The son that a healer had tried to take away and toss into a mass grave. The day that Ryomen left his humanity in the ashes of the village that he had once grown up in.

The curse himself had seen the event firsthand. Sukuna had seen the soul-crushing agony Ryomen had felt when he realized that his son was not coming back. That type of pain could not be forgotten. Sukuna could still remember the scent of burning flesh and the sound of guttural howls from a man shattered by the cruelty of the world. Ryomen had never been the same, no one would remain unchanged after such an event. However, Sukuna had seen Ryomen’s normal concern for Yuuji begin to revert to the terror the man had felt centuries ago.

That man would burn the entire world if his son was harmed and not be satisfied even after everything was destroyed.

That man could not return.

“Ryomen, go back inside. Watch your shitty television shows with Boogie and cry out the shit in your head.” Sukuna did not phrase it as a suggestion, but as an order.

The man jolted at the curse’s sharp words. “What about the-”

“I’ll handle it. Go.” Sukuna spoke tiredly. He pinched the bridge of his nose before rubbing his face with a groan. “Yuuji will be back in an hour. I doubt he wants his father on the verge of a meltdown at a celebration meant for him.”

No rebuttal came from Ryomen. He was hesitant to leave until Boogie gently tugged on Ryomen’s hand with his teeth. The dog whined pleadingly for the man to listen. Ryomen resisted for a few seconds before giving in. He glanced at Sukuna, the bags under his eyes more pronounced than they had been in years. “Thanks, Sukuna.”

“Don’t mention it. Ever .”

“Wasn’t planning to.” The pink-haired man ruffled Boogie’s fluffy mane. Immediately, the dog’s large tail began wagging so quickly that it became a blur. Supernova and Boogie had always been the closest to Ryomen. The purple feline helped Ryomen immensely during Yuuji’s infancy and continued to give his father useful insight on Yuuji’s wellbeing. Whenever Ryomen was overwhelmed after a stressful day or was being haunted by the horrors of his past, Supernova would leave Yuuji’s side, as long as it was safe, to keep the man company. Normally, the breakdowns, anxiety attacks, and other episodes that Ryomen suffered from occurred in the dead of night. Sukuna had no idea how to help, but Supernova somehow did. He would place himself on Ryomen’s chest and begin to purr and knead his paws, allowing Ryomen to pet his silky fur as much as he wanted. Sukuna would always be nearby as silent support, but it was Supernova that did most of the work. Boogie was the one that made Ryomen let loose. The mastiff was the most energetic of the guardians and was one of the few things that can tire an energetic Yuuji out. Especially a Yuuji with a sugar rush . His jovial energy was contagious to Ryomen. When Boogie wasn’t making Ryomen chase him or wrestle, the dog was Ryomen’s movie partner in the shitty dramas he watched. Sukuna had caught the two sleeping on the couch after a binge countless times, a puffy eyed Ryomen using a snoring Boogie as a blanket and pillow.

It seemed that the guardians helped more than just Yuuji.

Sukuna knew he would never be the subject of their concern, and he had accepted that. The cursed souls would not attack Sukuna like they did when they had first met, Yuuji would burst into tears if he saw the way Sukuna and the guardians hurt each other. Over the years, the guardians were mostly indifferent towards Sukuna and kept their distance. Infinite would still find new ways to make Sukuna’s days worse, but the bird did not give Sukuna hallucinations anymore. He would take Infinite’s pettiness over his psychic torment any day.

At least, they were useful today. Without Yuuji, the guardians were lost on what to do. They were restless. Even though they had the perfect opportunity to attack Sukuna, they decided to aid him with the party. It was only for Yuuji’s sake. Infinite made it his personal mission to remind Sukuna of their dislike. The draconic bird would peck Sukuna with his sharp beak and then pretend that he had done nothing. Currently, Infinite had his beak shoved into the pint of ice cream Ryomen had dropped. His lengthy body was tangled in part streamers, but the entity did not care enough to remove them. Overtime slapped Infinite, causing him to squawk in offense, before taking the pint. The mummy used his wrappings to clean up the mess Infinite had made of himself. With Overtime occupied with Infinite, the two remaining guardians had to take on his workload. Resonance had placed herself in charge of decorations and would raise a razor-sharp nail threateningly at anyone who tried to interfere. The roses she conjured were quite beautiful, so Sukuna didn’t mind.

“Don’t even think about it.” Sukuna growled.

Chimera had been assisting with the chairs and supplies needed for the competition. However, the inky entity had apparently finished due to the fact that the being was now trying to sick his wretched frogs on Sukuna. Chimera clicked harshly in response, green eyelights narrowing. When his eyelights went to shift into another shikigami, Sukuna growled again. While Infinite was obvious with his hatred, Chimera’s ire with Sukuna was much more subtle. He would summon his frog shikigami the second Sukuna’s back was turned and release the frog the second someone was watching. Chimera’s gama frogs were a pain to deal with. They were not as dangerous as Nue or his demon dogs, but they were annoying. If Chimera was lucky, he would have a frog shoot its tongue directly into Sukuna’s ear. He had been successful a handful of times, and Sukuna remembered each one very well.

A distorted warble came from Chimera as he stared down Sukuna. Eventually, Chimera’s hatred was put aside, knowing that Yuuji would be upset if his uncle was hurt. Despite not having any facial features besides his eyelights, Chimera appeared to be scowling fiercely. He shrunk into his smaller form, a sea-urchin blob of malcontent, and went underneath a table.

This was going to be the longest hour in Sukuna’s life.

The crisp air provided by the spring breeze in combination with the warm sun made it the perfect time to eat something cold. Many people were likely partaking in eating their favorite frozen desserts on such a nice day.

One such family was indulging in the need for an ice-cold treat. However, what should have been a relaxing time spent with others had turned into an all out war.

“QUIT CHEATING, SUGURU!” A man with white hair and dark sunglasses barked. It was Gojo Satoru, the person known for his sweet tooth, and he was being beaten by his partner.

Suguru Getou, a sorcerer with a technique that forced him to eat the most vile objects in existence, chuckled. He had just finished his third bowl while Satoru was still on his first. In a sickly sweet voice, Suguru crooned to his boyfriend. “I’m not cheating, darling. You’re just being a sore loser. Even Yuuji is miles ahead of you.”

The boy mentioned perked up from his name being called. His cheeks were full of ice cream, making the child resemble a hamster. Five bowls were stacked next to him and he was already halfway through his sixth. His honey eyes sparkled with glee as he nodded to Suguru, mouth still full. When the boy swallowed, the other adults at the table watched for signs of discomfort, but Yuuji did not even flinch.

“WHAT?! YUUJI-KUN! ARE YOU JUST IMMUNE TO BRAIN FREEZE?!!” Gojo exclaimed with wide eyes.

Instead of seeing who could eat the most ice cream at once, the competition centered around who will get the infamous ‘brain freeze’ that comes with consuming something cold. If the competition had been based on the former, then Gojo would win without question. However, the sorcerer had to take miniscule bites to prevent his head from aching. Gojo Satoru was notorious for many things. Being the strongest sorcerer in the modern era, being the first person in five hundred years to inherit the Six Eyes and Limitless, being the fastest person on the planet, being a skilled mathematician and physicist, among many other things. One of said things was the fact that Gojo Satoru had NO tolerance for frozen sweets. His mind was always running one hundred miles per hour, so his brain was vulnerable to experiencing a brain freeze. It was ridiculously easy to make Gojo have a brain freeze. Due to this, Gojo was trying to eat as slowly as possible to prevent it…But-

“AGH FUCK!”

“Language!”

It didn’t work.

“Gojo! You’re out!” An older boy with black, spiky hair and a megaphone announced from his seat on a lounge chair. Beside him were the first contestants that had lost, Nanami and Shoko. Though, neither person wanted to participate in the contest, so they forfeited after one round. Now, the pair were relaxing on identical lounge chairs the boy was sitting on, a bowl of their preferred flavor in their hands. Each had sunglasses and a matching smirk.

The man in his twenties pouted, but left the ‘podium’. “Fine, but I’m gonna be the announcer! You suck at it, Megs!”

“I do not!” Megumi shouted, holding the megaphone to his chest.

“Yeah! Fushi is the best announcer!” Yuuji defended his friend without hesitation. He pointed his messy spoon at Gojo with a frown. “Don’t be a meanie!”

“See! Yuuji said I’m better, so go away!” Megumi made a shooing motion with his hands.

Gojo shook his head with a frown before disappearing. He reappeared behind Megumi’s chair with a microphone in hand, causing the preteen to seemingly jump out of his skin. Wrapping an arm around his son’s shoulder, Gojo smiled devilishly. “We’ll be a tag team then! I’ll do the cool stuff and you do the boring stuff.”

Knowing that Gojo would not take no as an answer, Megumi just rolled his eyes. “Ugh. Fine.”

“Aw, you’re so sweet, Megs!” Gojo cooed before kissing his son’s cheek with an obnoxious ‘MWAH!’

Megumi looked like he had been stabbed. When he touched his cheek, his pale skin adopted a twinge of green. “You got ice cream on me, you jerk!”

Instead of responding, Gojo just stuck out his tongue cheekily. As Gojo approached the podium that was really two tables stuck together with a cloth on top, he raised the microphone to his lips. When he spoke, he sounded identical to a sports announcer. “Welcome folks to the most intense competition you will ever see! We pitted several champions against each other to determine who has the Toughest Brain in Japan!” He turned to his son with a flourish. “My fellow commentator, Megumi, will inform us on the rules of the game!”

For a moment, Megumi stayed silent while glowering at Gojo. Eventually, he caved in with a sigh and began to speak in a monotone voice. “You have to eat ice cream until the timer runs out or we run out of pints. Whoever gets a brain freeze is out. The person who lasts the longest without getting one is the winner with the thickest head, I guess.”

“Indeed! Let’s look at our leaderboard. Tied for dead last are Nanami and Shoko! Who quit after one round to laze around like old people!” Gojo pointed at the aforementioned forfeiters. Neither reacted to their friend’s overdramatics. However, Shoko flipped the taller one off without looking away from her bowl. After Gojo finished teasing the two, he approached the table. He leaned down to the man sitting next to Yuuji. “It seems that Ryomen is the closest to being out! How are you doing, champ?”

The only answer Gojo got from Ryomen was a groan. His head was pressed against the surface on the table. Beside his head was a bowl of melted ice cream. “Trying to drink it was a mistake.” Ryomen’s muffled voice slurred. His hands were wrapped around his stomach in pain. Groggily, he lifted his head to try eating more, but gave up. “Yeah, I’m done.”

Yuuji patted sticky hands around his father’s broad back. “Papa, you gotta keep going! You can do it!”

“Honey, if Papa keeps going, Papa is going to hurl.” Ryomen said, face still planted on top of the table. However, his words did not placate his son. It had the opposite effect. With determination in his golden eyes, Yuuji shook Ryomen harder. The boy’s inhuman strength accidentally made the entire table shake.

“You can do it, Papa! I believe in you! You’re super duper strong! Your fire powers can just go FWOO and then HYOI! BRAIN FREEZE HAS NOTHING ON THAT, PAPA!” Yuuji said encouragingly. And loudly. Very loudly. “DO FWOO HOI, DAD! FWOO, HYOI!”

From her seat, Shoko cackled. “Kid’s gotta a point! Fwoo, hyoi is the way to go!”

Gojo and Getou sent her a withering glare.

Shoko grinned.

Ryomen groaned. “Yuuji, honey, not so loud. Inside voice-”

“But we’re outside?” The pink-haired boy cocked his head, confused.

“Then use your Don’t-Make-Papa’s-Ears-Bleed voice.” Ryomen pleaded. He willfully ignored the mocking laughter from the four armed curse next to him.

Finally noticing how terrible his father looked, Yuuji quietened. “Okay, Papa.”

“Thank you, son.”

“Does your tummy hurt?”

“Yes, Yuu.”

“Oh! Do you need the orange tea that you give me when my tummy hurts?”

“Not right now, hun.”

“What about hot cocoa? It makes me feel better because it’s so yummy!”

At the thought of consuming another sweet, Ryomen sprang out of his seat with a hand on his mouth. He breathed deeply for a few moments until his stomach settled. Looking like he had completed a marathon, Ryomen panted. “Papa is gonna join the loser’s spot. Beat your uncle for me, alright?”

Fortunately, his request halted any further questions Yuuji had. Without Ryomen in between them, Yuuji and his uncle could see each other. They locked eyes.

The curse with four arms and similar pink hair bared his sharp teeth in a challenging grin. He had eaten the most out of the group with a tower of bowls wobbling precariously. “So you think you can beat me, brat?”

“Yeah! I’m going to beat you and make you give me piggyback rides every day!” Yuuji replied with the same glint in his eyes that his uncle had. Both were competitive to a fault. “I’m gonna win, Uncle Kuna!”

“That a challenge, brat?” Sukuna leaned towards the boy, his predatory smile growing wider.

“Yeah!”

“Good luck, brat. You’re really going to need it.” Sukuna ruffled Yuuji’s hair, his hand large enough to palm Yuuji’s head.

“Hey! I’m gonna beat you even more ‘cause you did that!”

“You mean lose?”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Yeah-huh!”

“Nuh-uh!”

As the uncle and nephew playfully bickered, Gojo slunk to the opposite end of the table. His grip around his microphone tightened as he bore his piercing gaze into a smug curse manipulator. “With Ryomen out of the competition, it seems that we are down to our final three. I wonder who our next loser is.”

Getou smiled like a snake that had just caught its prey. He batted his eyes innocently at Gojo. “May I ask why you’re staring at me in particular, announcer?”

“Because dry ice is next!” Megumi answered before the taller sorcerer could. His bored expression turned malicious. It was a look Getou and Gojo knew well. It was the look their children had before turning into goblins of mischief and mayhem. All the confidence Getou had been feeling vanished as Megumi grinned like the evil miscreant he truly was. “We’re entering the Sudden Death Round!”

The moment the words left Megumi’s mouth, a screech sounded from the leaves of the largest tree in the backyard. Twigs and leaves fell as the creature inside climbed down. Snow white fur, colorful feathers, and a hooked beak twisted in amusement. It was Infinite, the being who loved tricks more than anyone. Infinite’s talons dug into the bark of the tree as he descended vertically. When he reached the soft ground, the draconic bird trotted to Megumi with a pleased trill. The group of cursed souls that Infinite belonged to did not react to his antics. Similar to Shoko and Nanami, the other cursed souls were sound asleep across the land. Two of them, a demonic canine and feline, had smaller bowls of their own that had been licked clean. The larger of the two, Boogie, was laying belly-up with a full stomach and snores. Supernova, the feline, had hopped onto Ryomen’s lap before promptly falling asleep in the perfect imitation of a loaf of bread. Due to not having mouths, Resonance and Chimera watched underneath the shade of a tree. It was up to Infinite to stir up things!

With his beak, Infinite reached into the cooler that Megumi had hidden and procused three bowls of ice cream. Each bowl appeared to be steaming like a boiling pot. However, the vapor was caused by the chunks of dry ice inside the innocuous container. There was only a small scoop in the bowls, small enough that it could be eaten in one bite. Which was exactly what Megumi had intended. Seeing the surprise on his parents’ faces, Megumi revealed his plan. “I knew that Gojo would want to take over the announcer role. That’s why I accepted the role and did it as lifelessly as possible. It would ensure a 100% success rate of Gojo taking my role.”

“We really shouldn’t get on his bad side.” Getou softly uttered to Gojo, who nodded solemnly. However, Megumi had heard him.

“Too late.” Megumi deadpanned.

From his seat at the table, Yuuji raised his hand instinctively, the motion ingrained into him after the many lessons he had had with the preteen. “Fushiguro?”

“Yes, Yuuji?” The older boy replied without a hint of the vengefulness he had shown his parents.

Yuuji spoke in a small voice, curling in on himself. “Am I on your bad side?”

The sharp features of the ravenette softened. Megumi shook his head. “No, you’re not. You can be dumb sometimes, but you’re not stupid.”

While the adults were confused and slightly insulted by his response, Yuuji nodded sagely with complete understanding. “Got it. They’re idiots, but not morons.”

“Exactly.” Megumi nodded in approval. His voice immediately hardened as he looked at the others. “Now. Here’s how Sudden Death works. You have to eat the scoop in one bite and hold it there for at least five seconds. Try to eat it if you can, though I wouldn’t recommend it. You’ll probably break your teeth. Anyways. The one who can hold the scoop for the longest wins. Infinite?”

The cursed soul chirped in agreement. Within his durable beak and talons, the ice cold desserts did not injure him. He would place a bowl, fan it with his tail, screech, and repeat. When Infinite reached Yuuji, he cooed instead of shrieking, preening the boy’s mussed hair. The remaining contestants each had differing expressions. Suguru looked at his bowl with apprehension. Sukuna looked at his bowl with mild intrigue. Yuuji looked at his bowl like it was a hero to be admired. The contestants that had lost looked on in anticipation with Gojo cackling at the sweat beading down Suguru’s neck.

Infinite retreated to Megumi’s side and chirped three times. The boy patted the cursed soul on the beak, which Infinite leaned into. Once everyone was settled, Megumi raised his megaphone for the last time. “You will begin eating in…Three…Two…”

Megumi stopped.

The remaining three were as taught as the string on a bow. Copying the technique that Gojo often did to annoy others, Megumi let them stew in the heavy silence. He would have made them wait longer, but Yuuji was actually vibrating with how hard he was trying to stay still. Placing the megaphone down, Megumi cupped his hands over his mouth to yell the loudest anyone had ever heard him. “ONE!”

Instantly, Getou, Sukuna and Yuuji snatched their spoons. They all had a moment of hesitation as they stared at the plain vanilla ball. Deciding to risk it, Getou took the first bite with Sukuna following suit. Yuuji enthusiastically popped the ball in his mouth like a squirrel snatching a nut.

“OWOWOW! NO! THAT HURTS! THAT REALLY HURTS!” Getou spat out the chilled scoop after half a second. His mouth felt numb all over. He thought his gums and upper palate were frostbitten. Somehow, it was so cold that it burned. He could hear triumphant cheers of Satoru and the quiet snickers of his other friends.

Sukuna tried to appear nonchalant with the ice scalding his mouth. He had handled much worse. A little cold could not beat him. He made it to four seconds. The cold became too much, and he spat it out with a painful cough. The curse began using his reverse cursed technique to return blood flow to his numb and tingling mouth. Sukuna had been so distracted by the relief he felt to after being rid of the deadly dessert that he barely heard Ryomen’s worried shouts.

“WAY TO GO YUUJI! NOW, SPIT IT OUT!” Ryomen did not know if he should feel proud or terrified for his son not succumbing to the impossibly cold ice cream. So cold that Yuuji could develop irreversible frostbite. Okay, he was definitely terrified. “YUUJI! SPIT IT OUT! YOU WON!”

Taking Ryomen’s pleas as another challenge, Yuuji shook his head. The little boy went to bite down on the ice cream. He wanted to brag about eating the ball to his uncle, so he did not think twice about the consequences. As his jaw clenched, there was a loud CRACK .

The air went deathly still.

Yuuji finally spat out the ball of ice cream. However, there was a tinge of red to the vanilla. He turned the ball around in his hands and saw his front tooth lodged into it. The boy yanked his tooth out of the scoop, waving it around excitedly to his father. “PAPA! I LOST A TOOTH! CAN WE PUT IT UNDER MY PILLOW?!”

Ryomen gave a shaky thumbs up.

Then he fainted.

“Pencils?”

“Check!”

“Paper?”

“Check!”

“Crayons?”

“Check!”

“Folder?”

“Check!”

“Snacks?”

“Check!”

“Water?”

“Check!”

“Lunch?”

“Check!”

“Supernova?”

“Check!” Yuuji giggled, holding his beloved cat in the air. His Papa was so silly! He carefully placed a shrunken Supernova into his backpack. He gave his father a salute that he had seen in one of the movies Gojo had shown him. “Onii-cat is secured!”

“Then it seems that my little cub is ready for class.” His father sounded happy but sad at the same time. He carded his hand in Yuuji’s hair with a happy-sad face. Saddy? Ha-ad?

Everyone else had given Yuuji hugs and well-wishes yesterday, but not Ryomen. At first, Yuuji thought his Papa was mad at him, but Uncle Kuna told him to not worry. Uncle Kuna said that his Dad was just sad, comparing his feelings to his guardians because they couldn’t come to class with Yuuji.

He loves you, brat. So do your guardians. Don’t you think they’d be bummed if their favorite person was somewhere they couldn’t follow?

His Uncle Kuna was really smart. Fushiguro was smart too, but his uncle just knew things that Yuuji could never understand.

All of the other kids had said their goodbyes except for Yuuji and Ryomen. Yuuji really wanted to go to his class, but his Papa still looked sad-happy! An idea popped into his head, and Yuuji wanted to pump his fist in the air. He stood up on his tiptoes and pressed his forehead against his Papa’s. It was a good thing that his Papa was kneeling. He was too tall!

“I’ll be okay, Papa. I pinky promise!” Yuuji stuck out his pinky.

His Dad blinked several times before the sad-happy just became happy. He linked his larger pinky with Yuuji, a smile on his face. It made Yuuji feel all warm and bubbly inside! He liked it when his Papa smiled.

“Alright, Yuu. It’s a promise.”

“A pinky promise!”

“Yes.” Ryomen kissed the top of Yuuji’s head. “It’s a pinky promise.”

When his father left, Yuuji turned to finally enter his class. It was so colorful! His classmates were running around with toys or drawing on construction paper. He was so excited! Mister Getou had been teaching him how to draw, and Yuuji knew he needed to draw something for each member of his family.

“Hello, little one. I take it you’re my last student?” A sweet voice spoke from behind Yuuji. He turned around and saw his kindergarten teacher. She had dark hair tied back with a pretty yellow headband-scarf thing. It had flowers all over and it matched with her yellow shirt and blue skirt. She had her hand out, waiting for Yuuji to take it. Remembering what Nanami had taught him, Yuuji took her hand and shook it as hard as he could. Doing it harder meant more respect, right?

His teacher laughed. “It’s nice to meet you too, Itadori Yuuji. I’m Miss Kenko and I’ll be your teacher from now on.”

“I can’t wait!” Yuuji squealed. He already wanted to run around, his legs were screaming for it!

“Neither can I.” Miss Kenko said. She smiled at him, and it made Yuuji feel warm again. And cold. The nice lady pointed towards the cubbies. “You can place your backpack over there, little one. There won’t be any need for notes. Today is all about introductions!”

“Okay!” Yuuji couldn’t help but squeal. His first day was going to be cool! Not boring! He ran to place his backpack on a hook and took off his shoes, placing it in the nearest empty cubby. He put on his school shoes and grabbed his crayons. He heard Supernova meow worriedly, so he kept the zipper open. “Miss Kenko said we aren’t doing anything today! You can explore if you want! I love you, Nova! Bye!”

He saw an empty desk and headed towards it. There were four pages from a coloring book, just waiting to be filled! The first page was a volcano with spots, the second page was a forest with lots of roots, the third page was a beach with a big squid, and the fourth page was of a funky-looking cube. Yuuji began coloring in the first page when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“If you need extra coloring pages, let me know.” Miss Kenko smiled at him again.

“I will! I’ll show you when I’m done!”

“That sounds great, Yuuji! I’m looking forward to seeing your skills.” With that, Miss Kenko left as fast as she came. It made sense. There were a lot of other students she had to keep an eye on.

He got so absorbed in his drawing that he completely forgot about the question weighing heavily on his mind.

The surname his father had given him was Ryomen. Ryomen Yuuji.

So…

Who was Itadori?

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12 notes View Post

water9826

4 years ago

ao3 writers RISE UP

same energy

99K notes View Post

water9826

1 year ago

Plain black text in segoe UI font reading "Veteran of The great Tumblr Boop war of 2024" in front of a shiny golden five-pointed star

hastily slapped this together in a few seconds

34K notes View Post

water9826

4 years ago

IM SEEING ALL THIS RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON FANART AND RAYA AND NAMAARI HAVE A BUNCH OF SCARS. WHICH MAKES SO MUCH SENSE CONSIDERING THE WORLD THEY LIVE IN. BUT DISNEY IS LIKE “NOOOOO WE MUST MAKE ALL PRINCESSES BE SMOOTH SKINNED, BIG EYED, SAME FACE, BEAUTIES”

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raya and the last dragon

35 notes View Post

water9826

1 year ago